Genetic correlates of the development of theta event related oscillations in adolescents and young adults

- There is considerable age variation in the association of the different KCNJ6 SNPs with theta EROs.
- The trajectories of association differ for different SNPs.
- The association of the KCNJ6 SNPs with theta EROs is considerably greater in males than in females.
- Locational and and modality differences in association trajectories are small compared to sex differences.

The developmental trajectories of theta band (4-7 Hz) event-related oscillations (EROs), a key neurophysiological constituent of the P3 response, were assessed in 2170 adolescents and young adults ages 12 to 25. The theta EROs occurring in the P3 response, important indicators of neurocognitive function, were elicited during the evaluation of task-relevant target stimuli in visual and auditory oddball tasks. Associations between the theta EROs and genotypic variants of 4 KCNJ6 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found to vary with age, sex, scalp location, and task modality. Three of the four KCNJ6 SNPs studied here were found to be significantly associated with the same theta EROs in adults in a previous family genome wide association study. Since measures of the P3 response have been found to be a useful endophenotypes for the study of a number of clinical and behavioral disorders, studies of genetic effects on its development in adolescents and young adults may illuminate neurophysiological factors contributing to the onset of these conditions.