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The Journal of Neuroscience, May 6, 2009, 29(18):5985-5991; doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0407-09.2009
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Behavioral/Systems/Cognitive
A Genetically Mediated Bias in Decision Making Driven by Failure of Amygdala Control
Jonathan P. Roiser,1 Benedetto de Martino,2 Geoffrey C. Y. Tan,2,3 Dharshan Kumaran,2 Ben Seymour,2,4 Nicholas W. Wood,3 andRaymond J. Dolan2 1Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1N 3AR, United Kingdom, 2Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging and 3Department of Molecular Neuroscience, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London WC1N 3BG, United Kingdom, and 4Economic and Social Research Council Centre for Economic Learning and Social Evolution, Department of Economics, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
Correspondence should be addressed to either of the following: Raymond J. Dolan, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK, Email: r.dolan{at}fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk; or Jonathan P. Roiser, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK, Email: j.roiser{at}ucl.ac.uk
Genetic variation at the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) is associated with altered amygdala reactivity and lack of prefrontal regulatory control. Similar regions mediate decision-making biases driven by contextual cues and ambiguity, for example the "framing effect." We hypothesized that individuals hemozygous for the short (s) allele at the 5-HTTLPR would be more susceptible to framing. Participants, selected as homozygous for either the long (la) or s allele, performed a decision-making task where they made choices between receiving an amount of money for certain and taking a gamble. A strong bias was evident toward choosing the certain option when the option was phrased in terms of gains and toward gambling when the decision was phrased in terms of losses (the frame effect). Critically, this bias was significantly greater in the ss group compared with the lala group. In simultaneously acquired functional magnetic resonance imaging data, the ss group showed greater amygdala during choices made in accord, compared with those made counter to the frame, an effect not seen in the lala group. These differences were also mirrored by differences in anterior cingulate–amygdala coupling between the genotype groups during decision making. Specifically, lala participants showed increased coupling during choices made counter to, relative to those made in accord with, the frame, with no such effect evident in ss participants. These data suggest that genetically mediated differences in prefrontal–amygdala interactions underpin interindividual differences in economic decision making.
Received Jan. 26, 2009; revised Feb. 24, 2009; accepted Feb. 28, 2009.
Correspondence should be addressed to either of the following: Raymond J. Dolan, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, 12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK, Email: r.dolan{at}fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk; or Jonathan P. Roiser, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK, Email: j.roiser{at}ucl.ac.uk
This article has been cited by other articles:
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[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
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