A population cohort (N = 1035) completed a paper-and-pencil gambling task, Nepicastat ic50 filled out personality and symptom questionnaires and gave consent for the use of their DNA in a genetic association study. A subgroup of subjects (N = 69) also completed a computer version of the task. The gambling task was designed to estimate an individual’s tendency to take a risk when choosing between a smaller but more certain ‘win’ and a larger,

less probable one. We genotyped seven haplotype tagging SNPs in the TPH2 gene, and previously reported functional polymorphisms from the other genes (rs1800532, 5HTTLPR, and rs6295). Carriers of the more prevalent TPH2 haplotype, which was previously associated with less active enzyme variant, showed reduced risk taking on both tasks compared with subjects not carrying the common haplotype. The effect of TPH2 haplotypes on risk-taking was independent of current depression and anxiety symptoms, neuroticism and impulsiveness

scores. We did not find learn more an association between functional polymorphisms in the TPH1, SLC6A4, HTR1A genes and risk-taking behavior. In conclusion, our study demonstrates the role of the TPH2 gene and the serotonin system in risk taking and suggests that TPH2 gene may contribute to the expression of psychiatric phenotypes through altered decision making. Neuropsychopharmacology (2010) 35, 1109-1119; doi: 10.1038/npp.2009.216; published online 30 December 2009″
“Chronic alcoholism leads to gray matter shrinkage and induces the formation of superoxide anions (O(2)(-)) that can cause neuronal cell death. The mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) enzyme is critical in the metabolism of superoxide. An Ala16Val polymorphism putatively affects SOD2 enzyme activity in vivo. Brain volumes of 76 treatment-seeking alcohol-dependent individuals were measured with a 1.5T MRI. Intracranial tissue margins were manually outlined on coronal sections. Gray matter, white matter, sulcal, and ventricular

CSF volumes were estimated using intensity-based AZD8186 molecular weight K-means clustering. Ala16Val (rs4880) and a second haplotype tagging SNP, rs10370, were genotyped. The q-value package was used to correct for multiple comparisons. In the alcoholics, cerebrospinal fluid and intra-cranial volumes showed significant differences across the six diplotype categories. The homozygous Ala16-containing diplotype rs10370TT-rs4880GG was associated with lowest gray matter ratio (greater shrinkage; p = 0.005). Presence of one or two copies of the low activity Ala16 allele was a risk factor for lower gray matter volume in alcoholics below the median alcohol consumption (p = 0.03) but not in alcoholics above this level. White matter ratio was associated with sex (p = 0.002) and lifetime total alcohol consumption (p = 0.01) but not with diplotypes.