Genetic association studies of performance monitoring and learning from feedback: The role of dopamine and serotonin

Performance monitoring is essential for optimization of action outcomes. Research consistently implicates the posterior medial frontal cortex, particularly the rostral cingulate zone, in monitoring for unfavorable action outcomes, signaling the need for adjustments and learning from feedback. Current theories suggest that phasic dopaminergic signals coding unexpected positive or negative outcomes play a major role in this function. Here, I review EEG, neuroimaging and computational modeling studies making use of polymorphisms of candidate genes affecting neurotransmission, with a specific focus on dopamine. Although the evidence is still rather sparse, findings speak for a prominent role of dopamine in performance monitoring. However, the exact function in cortical areas underlying this function, such as the rostral cingulate zone, remains to be determined. Different hypotheses on the interaction of the rostral cingulate zone, the striatum, and the mesencephalic dopaminergic nuclei are discussed.