A neuroeconomic investigation of 5-HTT/5-HT1A gene variation, social anxiety, and risk-taking behavior

ABSTRACT

Background and objectives: Although approaches combining behavioral genetics and neuroeconomics have advanced models of addiction, no study has synthesized these methods to elucidate mechanisms of competing risk-approachand risk-avoidance in social anxiety (SA). Grounded in dual-mode models of serotonergic systems and self-regulation, this study investigated associations between SA, serotonin transporter 5-HTT (LPR; rs25531) and receptor 5-HT1A genes, and risk-taking on behavioral and self-report measures.

Design and methods: Young adults (N = 309) completed a neuroeconomic task measuring gambling attractiveness (δ), reward probability discrimination (γ), and risk attitudes (α). Risk genotypes included 5-HTT (LPR; rs25531) low-expression variants (SS/SL_G/L_GL_G), and 5-HT1A (rs6295) GG.

Results: Path analysis revealed that SA related to increased gambling attractiveness, but only for 5-HT1A risk groups. Although the 5-HTT (LPR; rs25531) risk genotypes and self-reported SA predicted lower social risk-taking, high-SA individuals who exhibited more accurate reward probability discrimination (γ) reported taking increased social risks.

Conclusion: In line with dual-mode models, results suggest that SA predicts behavioral risk-approach at the basic decision-making level, along with self-reported social risk-avoidance, modulated by serotonergic genotypes. High-SA individuals with more accurate assessments of reward probabilities may engage in greater social risk-taking, perhaps reflecting an adaptive tendency to approach feared situations.

KEYWORDS:

• Social anxiety
• neuroeconomics
• 5-HT1A
• 5-HTT (LPR; rs25531)
• risk-taking
• decision-making

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

ORCID

Caitlin A. Stamatis http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8251-0909

Jan B. Engelmann http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6493-8792

Christiane Ziegler http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8543-2010

Katharina Domschke http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2550-9132

Gregor Hasler http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8311-0138

Kiara R. Timpano http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0665-8722

Notes

1 When models were re-run without controlling for gender, there were no changes to the significance of the effects reported.