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. 2020 May 26:9:446.
doi: 10.12688/f1000research.22503.2. eCollection 2020.

Association between categorization of emotionally-charged and neutral visual scenes and parameters of event-related potentials in carriers of different COMT, HTR2A, BDNF gene genotypes

Elena V Vorobyeva  1 , Pavel N Ermakov  1 , Evgenij F Borokhovski  2 , Ekaterina M Kovsh  1 , Alexander S Stoletniy  1
Affiliations

Association between categorization of emotionally-charged and neutral visual scenes and parameters of event-related potentials in carriers of different COMT, HTR2A, BDNF gene genotypes

Elena V Vorobyeva et al. F1000Res. .

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to discover the association between parameters of event-related potentials (ERPs) and categorization of images of visual scenes, both emotionally-charged and neutral, in carriers of different genotypes of the COMT, HTR2A, BDNF genes. Methods: Electroencephalogram (EEG) and ERPs were recorded at 128 leads, with two ear referents. Images of different visual scenes were presented to the study participants sequentially on a monitor screen. The participants' task was to examine these images and indicate what emotions (negative, neutral or positive) they elicit. Comparison of event-related potentials was carried out using unpaired Student t-test in EEGLAB toolbox. Results: COMT. A stronger reaction, as reflected in the amplitude of the ERPs, in participants with the recessive homozygous Met/Met genotype was observed on latency around 200 ms to the stimuli, assessed as positive. Carriers of dominant homozygous Val/Val genotype had higher amplitude of 200 ms peak when assessed scene images as either neutral or negative in comparison to other genotypes. Participant with the Val/Met heterozygous genotype had higher amplitude of ERP that Met/Met group on same latency when assessed stimuli as negative. HTR2A . Significant increase in negativity in the parietal-occipital regions revealed in the range of 350-420 ms in participants with the recessive homozygous A/A genotype when choosing any type of assessment, compared to carriers of the heterozygous genotype A/G and the dominant homozygous G/G genotype. BDNF. Participants with Val/Val genotype categorized the visual images more thoroughly, as reflected in greater activation of the parietal-occipital zones and higher amplitude on ERP peak on 190 ms (negative assessment) and 160 ms (neutral assessment) then Val/Met carriers. Conclusions: The COMT, HTR2A, BDNF gene different genotypes are associated with the process of categorizing emotionally charged and neutral visual scenes, and this relationship is reflected in the ERP parameters.

Keywords: BDNF genes polymorphisms.; COMT; Categorization of emotionally-charged and neutral visual scenes; HTR2A; parameters of event-related potentials.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing interests were disclosed.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Bar graphs and confidence intervals (a = 0.05) for evaluating averaged frequencies of assessment responses to emotional stimuli for participants with different genotypes of the COMT gene.
( A) Negative stimuli, ( B) neutral stimuli and ( C) positive stimuli. MM - Met/Met, VM - Val/Met, VV - Val/Val. Left scale - average response rate in percentage.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the COMT gene in response to negative images.
The ERP wave of the Met/Met subgroup are marked in red, Val/Val in blue, Val/Met in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 200 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally negative, for the Val/Met, Val/Val and Met/Met subgroups of the COMT gene.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the COMT gene in response to the neutral images.
The ERP wave of the Met/Met subgroup are marked in red, Val/Val in blue, Val/Met in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 200 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally neutral, for the Val/Met, Val/Val and Met/Met subgroups of the COMT gene.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the COMT gene in response to the positive images.
The ERP wave of the Met/Met subgroup are marked in red, Val/Val in blue, Val/Met in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 200 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally positive, for the Val/Met, Val/Val and Met/Met subgroups of the COMT gene.
Figure 8.
Figure 8.. Bar graphs and confidence intervals (a = 0.05) for evaluating averaged frequencies of assessment responses to emotional stimuli for participants with different genotypes of the HTR2A gene.
( A) Negative stimuli, ( B) neutral stimuli and ( C) positive stimuli. AA – A/A, GG – G/G, AG – A/G. Left scale - average response rate in percentage.
Figure 9.
Figure 9.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the HTR2A gene in response to the negative images.
The ERP wave of the A/A subgroup are marked in red, G/G in blue, A/G in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 10.
Figure 10.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 400 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally negative, for the A/A, A/G and G/G subgroups of the HTR2A gene.
Figure 11.
Figure 11.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the HTR2A gene in response to the neutral images.
The ERP wave of the A/A subgroup are marked in red, G/G in blue, A/G in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 12.
Figure 12.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 400 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally neutral, for the A/A, A/G and G/G subgroups of the HTR2A gene.
Figure 13.
Figure 13.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the HTR2A gene in response to the positive images.
The ERP wave of the A/A subgroup are marked in red, G/G in blue, A/G in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 14.
Figure 14.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 400 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally positive, for the A/A, A/G and G/G subgroups of the HTR2A gene.
Figure 15.
Figure 15.. Bar graphs and confidence intervals (a = 0.05) for evaluating averaged frequencies of assessment responses to emotional stimuli for participants with different genotypes of the BDNF gene.
( A) Negative stimuli, ( B) neutral stimuli and ( C) positive stimuli. VM - Val/Met, VV - Val/Val. Left scale - average response rate in percentage.
Figure 16.
Figure 16.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the BDNF gene in response to the negative images.
The ERP wave of the Val/Met subgroup are marked in red, Val/Val in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 17.
Figure 17.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 190 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally negative, for the Val/Met, Val/Val subgroups of the BDNF gene.
Figure 18.
Figure 18.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the BDNF gene in response to the neutral images.
The ERP wave of the Val/Met subgroup are marked in red, Val/Val in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 19.
Figure 19.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 160 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally neutral, for the Val/Met, Val/Val subgroups of the BDNF gene.
Figure 20.
Figure 20.. Event-related potentials (ERPs) for subgroups with different genotypes of the BDNF gene in response to the positive images.
The ERP wave of the Val/Met subgroup are marked in red, Val/Val in green, and the range with statistically significant differences in gray.
Figure 21.
Figure 21.. Topography of the potentials distribution at a latency of 200 ms when evaluating a stimulus as being emotionally positive, for the Val/Met, Val/Val subgroups of the BDNF gene.
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