SynthesisMolecular psychiatry2013
The effect of the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) on amygdala function: a meta-analysis.
Synthesis in Molecular psychiatry, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 80 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
80 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 207 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- The IMAGEN study: a decade of imaging genetics in adolescents.Molecular psychiatry · 2020Pooled it
- Brain imaging genetics in ADHD and beyond - Mapping pathways from gene to disorder at different levels of complexity.Neuroscience and biobehavioral reviews · 2017Pooled it
- Triangulating meta-analyses: the example of the serotonin transporter gene, stressful life events and major depression.BMC psychology · 2016Pooled it
- Genetic variation and dopamine D2 receptor availability: a systematic review and meta-analysis of human in vivo molecular imaging studies.Translational psychiatry · 2016Pooled it
- Underlying Mechanisms of Gene-Environment Interactions in Externalizing Behavior: A Systematic Review and Search for Theoretical Mechanisms.Clinical child and family psychology review · 2015Pooled it
- Is there an excess of significant findings in published studies of psychotherapy for depression?Psychological medicine · 2015Pooled it
- The serotonin transporter gene-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and cortisol stress reactivity: a meta-analysis.Molecular psychiatry · 2013Pooled it
- Multi-cultural association of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) with substance use disorder.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2013Pooled it
- Candidate gene studies of a promising intermediate phenotype: failure to replicate.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2013Trial
- Analysis of Serotonin Transporter GeneInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Integration across biophysical scales identifies molecular and cellular correlates of person-to-person variability in human brain connectivity.Nature neuroscience · 2024Article
- Microglia in Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: A Hub in Epilepsy.Molecular neurobiology · 2024Review
- Parenting in the Context of the Child: Genetic and Social Processes.Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development · 2022Article
- Serotonergic sensitivity alleles moderate relations between attachment security at age three and socioemotional competence at age five.Developmental psychobiology · 2021Article
- Glycogen synthase kinase-3ß supports serotonin transporter function and trafficking in a phosphorylation-dependent manner.Journal of neurochemistry · 2021Article
- Association of serotonin system-related genes with homicidal behavior and criminal aggression in a prison population of Pakistani Origin.Scientific reports · 2021Article
- Some Molecular and Cellular Stress Mechanisms Associated with Neurodegenerative Diseases and Atherosclerosis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Review
- Promoter Activity-Based Case-Control Association Study on SLC6A4 Highlighting Hypermethylation and Altered Amygdala Volume in Male Patients With Schizophrenia.Schizophrenia bulletin · 2020Article
- An integrative analysis of 5HTT-mediated mechanism of hyperactivity to non-threatening voices.Communications biology · 2020Article
20 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
The 5-HTTLPR polymorphism has been widely regarded as a potential genetic risk factor for affective disorders. Consistent with this, this polymorphism has been associated with altered amygdala responses at rest and in response to aversive stimuli. However, the strength of this association remains uncertain. We sought to synthesize existing data on the association between the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism and amygdala activation and ascertain the strength of evidence for this association. Meta-analytic techniques were applied to data from relevant published studies and unpublished data sets to obtain an estimate of the likely magnitude of effect of any association. The large number of studies allowed us to apply a formal test of publication bias, as well as explore the impact of various study-level characteristics on the magnitude of the observed effect size. Our meta-analysis indicated that there is a statistically significant but small effect of 5-HTTLPR on left and right amygdala activity. However, there was considerable between-study heterogeneity, which could not be fully accounted for by the study design and sample characteristics that we investigated. In addition, there was evidence of excess statistical significance among published studies. These findings indicate that the association between the 5-HTTLPR and amygdala activation is smaller than originally thought, and that the majority of previous studies have been considerably under powered to reliably demonstrate an effect of this size.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.