Preliminary evidence that allelic variation in the LMX1A gene influences training-related working memory improvement

► Dopamine functions are linked to working-memory capacity. ► LMX1A is a transcription factor that affects the number of dopamine neurons in midbrain. ► In a training study, genetic variation in LMX1 affected working-memory plasticity. ► No genotype differences were found at baseline for several cognitive domains. ► Cognitive effects of specific genes may be more easily detected in a training context than for single-assessment scores.