Effect of dopamine transporter genotype on intrinsic functional connectivity depends on cognitive state

Functional connectivity between brain regions can define large-scale neural networks and provide information about relationships between those networks. We examined how relationships within and across intrinsic connectivity networks were 1) sensitive to individual differences in dopaminergic functio...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Cerebral cortex (New York, N.Y. 1991) N.Y. 1991), 2012-09, Vol.22 (9), p.2182-2196
Main Authors: Gordon, Evan M, Stollstorff, Melanie, Devaney, Joseph M, Bean, Stephanie, Vaidya, Chandan J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Brain Mapping
Cognition - physiology
Dopamine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins - genetics
Female
Genotype
Humans
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Memory, Short-Term - physiology
Nerve Net - physiology
Reaction Time - physiology
Rest - physiology
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Young Adult
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Functional connectivity between brain regions can define large-scale neural networks and provide information about relationships between those networks. We examined how relationships within and across intrinsic connectivity networks were 1) sensitive to individual differences in dopaminergic function, 2) modulated by cognitive state, and 3) associated with executive behavioral traits. We found that regardless of cognitive state, connections between frontal, parietal, and striatal nodes of Task-Positive networks (TPNs) and Task-Negative networks (TNNs) showed higher functional connectivity in 10/10 homozygotes of the dopamine transporter gene, a polymorphism influencing synaptic dopamine, than in 9/10 heterozygotes. However, performance of a working memory task (a state requiring dopamine release) modulated genotype differences selectively, such that cross-network connectivity between TPNs and TNNs was higher in 10/10 than 9/10 subjects during working memory but not during rest. This increased cross-network connectivity was associated with increased self-reported measures of impulsivity and inattention traits. By linking a gene regulating synaptic dopamine to a phenotype characterized by inefficient executive function, these findings validate cross-network connectivity as an endophenotype of executive dysfunction.
ISSN:1047-3211
1460-2199
DOI:10.1093/cercor/bhr305