Journal
JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE
Volume 22, Issue 10, Pages 2164-2173Publisher
MIT PRESS
DOI: 10.1162/jocn.2009.21374
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Max Planck Society [M.FE.A.BILD0002]
- German Federal Ministry for Education and Research [01GO0501]
- Swedish Research Council [521-2007-2892]
- Swedish Brain Power
- Alexander von Humboldt Research
- International Max Planck Research School
- Life Course: Evolutionary and Ontogenetic Dynamics (LIFE)
Ask authors/readers for more resources
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays an important role in activity-dependent synaptic plasticity, which underlies learning and memory. In a sample of 948 younger and older adults, we investigated whether a common Val66Met missense polymorphism (rs6265) in the BDNF gene affects the serial position curve-a fundamental phenomenon of associative memory identified by Hermann Ebbinghaus more than a century ago. We found a BDNF polymorphism effect for backward recall in older adults only, with Met-allele carriers (i.e., individuals with reduced BDNF signaling) recalling fewer items than Val homozygotes. This effect was specific to the primacy and middle portions of the serial position curve, where intralist interference and associative demands are especially high. The poorer performance of older Met-allele carriers reflected transposition errors, whereas no genetic effect was found for omissions. These findings indicate that effects of the BDNF polymorphism on episodic memory are most likely to be observed when the associative and executive demands are high. Furthermore, the findings are in line with the hypothesis that the magnitude of genetic effects on cognition is greater when brain resources are reduced, as is the case in old age.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available