Neural substrates of emotional memory encoding and retrieval in dependence of genetic variation in the adrenergic receptor system

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Björn Rasch
• Subject Area: Personality Psychology, Clinical and Medical Psychology, Methodology
• Term: from 2008 to 2009
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 77964959

Emotional events are better remembered than neutral events, and this phenomenon has obvious adaptive value in evolutionary terms. The memory enhancing effect of emotional arousal critically depends on noradrenergic activation of the amygdala. Furthermore, it has been recently shown that a genetic variation of an adrenergic receptor (α2B-adrenoceptor) affects emotional memory in healthy humans and traumatic memory in war victims. In the planned research project I intend to investigate the neural substrates underlying differences in emotional memory encoding and retrieval in dependence of genetic variations in adrenergic receptors using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). I hypothesize that activity in the amygdala and its functional connectivity to memory-related temporal lobe regions during encoding and retrieval will be increased in carriers of genetic variations in adrenergic receptors which are associated with increased emotional memory performance. The results will have important implications for the understanding of the role of different types of adrenoceptors and their genetic variations in the formation and retrieval of emotional memories, and can provide important clues in identifying possible risk factors and novel treatment options in the context of post-traumatic stress disorder.

• DFG Programme: Research Fellowships
• International Connection: Switzerland
• Hosts: Professor Dr. Andreas Papassotiropoulos; Professor Dr. Dominique de Quervain