Increased parasympathetic activity and ability to generate positive emotion: The influence of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on emotion flexibility

Healthy Communities Research Institute, Department of Psychological Sciences
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  3. Increased parasympathetic activity and ability to generate positive emotion: The influence of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on emotion flexibility
Author(s)
Abstract
Cross-species behavioral research suggests that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene (rs6265, Val66Met), influences behavioral inflexibility. This SNP has not yet been linked to variability in emotion-related behaviors, despite broader evidence suggesting an association may be present. This investigation explored the role of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in emotion response behaviors measured during a lab-based emotional provocation. Specifically, the influence of BDNF Val66Met in emotion flexibility was explored in a sample of healthy adults (N = 120), emotion responses were recorded during the emotional provocation on multiple dimensions, in response to emotionally-evocative videos of negative then positive valence. These results suggest that Met carriers exhibit decreased parasympathetic responding, and reduced ability to generate positive emotion, relative to Val homozygotes. These findings are the first to suggest an association between the Met allele and a pattern of responding indicative of emotion inflexibility that might afford greater risk for psychopathology.
Format
Article
Identifier(s)
10.1007/s11031-018-9679-1
Publication Date
2018-08
Publication Title
Motivation and Emotion
Volume
42
Issue
4
First Page
586
Last Page
601
Keywords
Subject
Rights
http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Community
Healthy Communities Research Institute
Department of Psychological Sciences
Permalink https://oaks.kent.edu/hcri/increased-parasympathetic-activity-and-ability-generate-positive-emotion-influence-bdnf
Nylocks, M., Gilman, T., Latsko, M., Jasnow, A., & Coifman, K. (2018). Increased parasympathetic activity and ability to generate positive emotion: The influence of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on emotion flexibility (1–). Motivation and Emotion. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9679-1
Nylocks, Maria, T. Gilman, Maeson Latsko, Aaron Jasnow, and Karin Coifman. 2018. “Increased Parasympathetic Activity and Ability to Generate Positive Emotion: The Influence of the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism on Emotion Flexibility”. Motivation and Emotion. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9679-1.
Nylocks, Maria, et al. Increased Parasympathetic Activity and Ability to Generate Positive Emotion: The Influence of the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism on Emotion Flexibility. Motivation and Emotion, Aug. 2018, https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11031-018-9679-1.