TY - JOUR
T1 - The dopamine D2 receptor mediates approach-avoidance tendencies in smokers
AU - Zlomuzica, Armin
AU - Machulska, Alla
AU - Roberts, Susanna
AU - von Glischinski, Michael
AU - Rinck, Mike
AU - Lester, Kathryn J.
AU - Eley, Thalia C.
AU - Margraf, Jürgen
PY - 2017/3/31
Y1 - 2017/3/31
N2 - Dopamine D2 receptors (DRD2) have been strongly implicated in reward processing of natural stimuli and drugs. Using the approach-avoidance task (AAT), we recently demonstrated that smokers show an increased approach-bias toward smoking-related cues but not toward naturally rewarding stimuli. Here, we examined the contribution of the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism to smokers’ and non-smokers’ responsivity toward smoking versus naturally rewarding stimuli in the AAT. Smokers carrying the minor B1 allele of the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism showed reduced approach behavior for food-related pictures compared to non-smokers with the same allele. In the group of smokers, a higher approach-bias toward smoking-related compared to food-related pictures was found in carriers of the B1 allele. This pattern was not evident in smokers homozygous for the B2 allele. In addition, smokers with the B1 allele reported fewer attempts to quit smoking relative to smokers homozygous for the B2 allele. This is the first study demonstrating that behavioral shifts in response to smoking relative to natural rewards in smokers are mediated by the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism. Our results indicate a reduced natural-reward brain reactivity in smokers with a genetically determined decrease in dopaminergic activity (i.e., reduction of DRD2 availability). It remains to be determined whether this pattern might be related to a different outcome after psychological cessation interventions, i.e., AAT modification paradigms, in smokers.
AB - Dopamine D2 receptors (DRD2) have been strongly implicated in reward processing of natural stimuli and drugs. Using the approach-avoidance task (AAT), we recently demonstrated that smokers show an increased approach-bias toward smoking-related cues but not toward naturally rewarding stimuli. Here, we examined the contribution of the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism to smokers’ and non-smokers’ responsivity toward smoking versus naturally rewarding stimuli in the AAT. Smokers carrying the minor B1 allele of the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism showed reduced approach behavior for food-related pictures compared to non-smokers with the same allele. In the group of smokers, a higher approach-bias toward smoking-related compared to food-related pictures was found in carriers of the B1 allele. This pattern was not evident in smokers homozygous for the B2 allele. In addition, smokers with the B1 allele reported fewer attempts to quit smoking relative to smokers homozygous for the B2 allele. This is the first study demonstrating that behavioral shifts in response to smoking relative to natural rewards in smokers are mediated by the DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism. Our results indicate a reduced natural-reward brain reactivity in smokers with a genetically determined decrease in dopaminergic activity (i.e., reduction of DRD2 availability). It remains to be determined whether this pattern might be related to a different outcome after psychological cessation interventions, i.e., AAT modification paradigms, in smokers.
KW - Approach-avoidance
KW - Dopamine D2 receptor
KW - DRD2 Taq1B polymorphism
KW - Nicotine
KW - Smoking
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85016474565&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s00406-017-0793-y
DO - 10.1007/s00406-017-0793-y
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85016474565
SN - 0940-1334
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - European Archives Of Psychiatry And Clinical Neuroscience
JF - European Archives Of Psychiatry And Clinical Neuroscience
ER -