Allelic variants of the functional promoter polymorphism of the human serotonin transporter gene is associated with auditory cortical stimulus processing

The loudness dependence (LD) of the auditory-evoked N1/P2 component has been shown to be related to the central serotonergic neurotransmission. Allelic variants in the promoter region of the 5-hydroxytryptamine transporter (5-HTT) gene were shown to modulate serotonergic activity. It was hypothesized that the three genotypes (1/l, s/l, s/s) differ with respect to LD. Allelic variants of the 5-HTT promoter region and LD at the Cz electrode were determined in 185 healthy subjects prospectively. A significant association was found between LD and genotype (ANOVA: F = 4.172, p = 0.017). Individuals homozygous for the I allele exhibited a weaker LD compared to heterozygous subjects. The results are consistent with the reported association between 5-HTT genotype and serotonin transport capacity in lymphoblasts, and indicate that auditory stimulus processing is associated with genetic variants of the brain serotonergic system. The LD may serve as endophenotype in human serotonin research.