Abstract
The 'sensation seeking' trait has been associated with risky behaviors including high-risk sport participation. Genes involved in dopaminergic neurotransmission have been investigated in studies of approach traits; however, not in sporting contexts. We used joint-analysis to investigate the relationship between monoamine-neurotransmitter gene variants and impulsive and sport-specific sensation seeking in skiers (n= 599). An initial screen identified a few variants that were associated with sensation seeking, one of which, a G/A transition (rs167771) in the D3-receptor gene (DRD3), remained significant in the combined sample and after correction for multiple testing (p= .004, ηp2=.02). DRD3 variants have been associated with approach traits; however, our results are the first to suggest a role for rs167771 in sensation seeking.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 153-158 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Journal of Research in Personality |
Volume | 47 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Apr 2013 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:We thank A.K. Rajala (Dept. Science, UBC) for her assistance in sample preparation. This project was supported in part by a UBC Faculty of Education Student Research Support grant to CJT. CJT is the recipient of a Canadian Institute for Health Research Canada Graduate Scholarship.
Copyright:
Copyright 2013 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Keywords
- Behavior genetics
- DRD3
- Dopamine
- High-risk sport
- Sensation seeking