Serotonin transporter polymorphism modulates neural correlates of real-life joint action. An investigation with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)

A functional polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) within the serotonin transporter gene (SERT) has been associated with personality dimensions such as neuroticism, with emotional reactivity to negative events, and with an increased risk of affective disorders. More specifically, the short (S) allele of 5-HTTLPR has been linked to increased amygdala activity and has been identified as a risk allele for depressive disorders. Recently, Homberg and Lesch (2011) urged for a conceptual change in the current deficit-oriented connotation of the 5-HTTLPR S-allele and argued that the S-allele could be considered adaptive in certain contexts. They postulated that S-allele carriers show hypervigilant behavior in social situations and should thus show increased social conformity. Therefore, we tested whether 5-HTTLPR modulates the neural correlates of real-life social joint action through functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Thirty participants, homozygote for 5-HTTLPR, were measured and analyzed while they were involved in a previously published joint-action paradigm, which reliably leads to an activation of the left parietal cortex. We found that homozygote S-allele carriers showed increased inferior parietal lobe activation, compared to the LL-allele carriers for the contrast “joint action greater solo action”. Therefore, our results provide evidence for beneficial effects of the S-allele on the neural correlates of social interactions.