Abstract
The adjustment of behavior to changing goals and environmental constraints requires the flexible switching between different
task sets. Cognitive flexibility is an endophenotype of executive functioning and is highly heritable, as indicated by twin
studies. Individual differences in global flexibility as assessed by reaction-time measurement in a task-switching paradigm
were recently related to a single nucleotide polymorphism in the vicinity of the dopamine d2 receptor gene DRD2. In the present
study, we assessed whether the DRD2 gene is related to backward inhibition, a control mechanism that contributes to cognitive
flexibility by reducing proactive interference by no longer relevant task sets. We found that carriers of the DRD2 A1+ variant
who have a lower striatal dopamine d2 receptor density than A1– carriers show a larger backward inhibition effect. This is
in line with previous results demonstrating increased behavioral flexibility in carriers of this genetic variant. The discussion
relates the present finding to those of previous studies assessing the neurogenetic foundations of inhibitory control.
task sets. Cognitive flexibility is an endophenotype of executive functioning and is highly heritable, as indicated by twin
studies. Individual differences in global flexibility as assessed by reaction-time measurement in a task-switching paradigm
were recently related to a single nucleotide polymorphism in the vicinity of the dopamine d2 receptor gene DRD2. In the present
study, we assessed whether the DRD2 gene is related to backward inhibition, a control mechanism that contributes to cognitive
flexibility by reducing proactive interference by no longer relevant task sets. We found that carriers of the DRD2 A1+ variant
who have a lower striatal dopamine d2 receptor density than A1– carriers show a larger backward inhibition effect. This is
in line with previous results demonstrating increased behavioral flexibility in carriers of this genetic variant. The discussion
relates the present finding to those of previous studies assessing the neurogenetic foundations of inhibitory control.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Pages 1-8
- DOI 10.3758/s13415-011-0058-6
- Authors
- Sebastian Markett, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Christian Montag, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Nora T. Walter, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Thomas Plieger, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Martin Reuter, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Journal Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience
- Online ISSN 1531-135X
- Print ISSN 1530-7026