Genetic variants in AVPR1A linked to autism predict amygdala activation and personality traits in healthy humans

• Published in: Molecular psychiatry Vol. 14; no. 10; pp. 968 - 975
• Main Authors: Meyer-Lindenberg, A, Kolachana, B, Gold, B, Olsh, A, Nicodemus, K K, Mattay, V, Dean, M, Weinberger, D R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01.10.2009; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: Adult; Alleles; Amygdala; Amygdala (Brain); Amygdala - physiology; Arginine Vasopressin - genetics; Autism; Autistic Disorder - genetics; Behavioral Sciences; Biological Psychology; Brain; Cell receptors; Emotional behavior; Facial Expression; Female; Genetic aspects; Genetic diversity; Genetic Variation; Health aspects; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Microsatellite Repeats; Neuroimaging; Neurosciences; original-article; Personality - genetics; Personality traits; Pharmacotherapy; Physiological aspects; Psychiatry; Receptors, Vasopressin - genetics; Risk factors; Vasopressin; United States; fMRI; AVPR1A; autism; vasopressin; neuroimaging

In mammals, the neuropeptide vasopressin is a key molecule for complex emotional and social behaviours. Two microsatellite polymorphisms, RS1 and RS3, near the promoter of AVPR1A , encoding the receptor subtype most heavily implicated in behaviour regulation, have been linked to autism and behaviour...