Maternal depressive history, teen 5HTTLPR genotype, and the processing of emotional faces: Exploring mechanisms of risk

Rachel H. Jacobs*, Daniel S. Pine, Michael E. Schoeny, David B. Henry, Jackie K. Gollan, Gregory Moy, Edwin H. Cook, Lauren S. Wakschlag

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Variations in the serotonin transporter gene (5HTTLPR) and biased processing of face-emotion displays both have been implicated in the transmission of depression risk, but little is known about developmental influences on these relationships. Within a community sample of adolescents, we examine whether 5HTTLPR genotype moderates the link between maternal depressive history and errors in face-emotion labeling. When controlling for current levels of depression and anxiety among youth, a two-way interaction between maternal depressive history and 5HTTLPR genotype was detected. Specifically, adolescents whose mothers reported a depressive history and who had a low expressing genotype made more errors in classifying emotional faces when compared with adolescents with an intermediate or high expressing genotype, with or without maternal depression history. These findings highlight the complex manner in which maternal depression and genetic risk may interact to predict individual differences in social information processing.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)80-84
Number of pages5
JournalBehaviour Research and Therapy
Volume49
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 2011

Funding

This work was supported by NIDA grant DA15223 to Dr. Wakschlag, including support to Dr Cook. Dr. Wakschlag and Dr. Cook were also supported by the Walden & Jean Young Shaw and Children’s Brain Research Foundations. We gratefully acknowledge contributions of our EBFS collaborators, Drs. Kate Pickett, Vanja Dukic and Rosalind Wright. We also thank Dr. Brian Mustanski & the Gene Environment and Development Interaction (GEDI) team, Drs. Lauren McGrath, Holly Barnard, Patrick Fowler, Aaron Metzger & Miwa Yasui, for the contribution of the GEDI discussions to conceptualization of this work. Finally, we thank Dr. Gretchen Biesecker and the EBFS research staff and Kathy Hennessy of the IJR Laboratory of Developmental Neuroscience, whose outstanding efforts were key to the success of this study.

Keywords

  • 5HT
  • Adolescence
  • Depression
  • Face processing
  • G X E
  • Intergenerational transmission

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Experimental and Cognitive Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health
  • Clinical Psychology

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Maternal depressive history, teen 5HTTLPR genotype, and the processing of emotional faces: Exploring mechanisms of risk'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this