MAOA genotype modulates default mode network deactivation during inhibitory control.
Ren Ma, Gabriela Gan, Jibiao Zhang, Qingsen Ming, Yali Jiang, Yidian Gao, Xiang Wang, Shuqiao Yao
Biological Psychology October 2018 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.08.006 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 74 |
| Population | Healthy male adolescents |
| Measures | GoStop task, Go/Nogo task |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Aggression Inhibitory control Maoa gene |
| Key findings | Low-activity MAOA genotype carriers showed no differences in prefrontal-subcortical inhibition network activation compared with high-activity carriers, but exhibited more pronounced deactivation in the posterior cingulate cortex and precuneus (default mode network regions) during response inhibition. The authors propose this larger default mode network suppression may compensate for impaired cognitive control. |
Abstract
It has been demonstrated, in a long line of research, that the low-activity genotype of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene is associated with aggression. Previous work has linked impaired response inhibition to aggression, but little is known about how this relates to the purported MAOA-aggression relationship in adolescents. Here, we examined how MAOA genotype influences neural correlates of inhibitory control in 74 healthy male adolescents using a GoStop and a Go/Nogo task while differentiating between action cancelation and action restraint. Carriers of the low-expressing MAOA alleles (MAOA-L) did not show altered brain activation in the prefrontal-subcortical inhibition network relative to carriers of the high-expressing alleles across inhibition conditions. However, they exhibited a more pronounced deactivation during response inhibition in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) and precuneus, areas belonging to the default mode network (DMN). Larger DMN suppression in MAOA-L carriers might represent a compensation mechanism for impaired cognitive control.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |