TY - JOUR

T1 - Associations between the Efficiency of Hemispheric Verbal Memory Processes and the BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism in Men and Women

AU - Volf, N. V.

AU - Privodnova, E. Yu

AU - Bazovkina, D. V.

N1 - This work was supported by the Federal Budget for Fundamental Scientifi c Research (topic АААА-А21-121011990039-2 (2021–2025)). Публикация для корректировки.

PY - 2023/5

Y1 - 2023/5

N2 - BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a neurotrophic factor involved in brain plasticity. This, the most extensively studied single nucleotide polymorphism in the BDNF gene, results from substitution of the amino acid valine for methionine at codon position 66 (Val66Met). The methionine-containing allele is associated with a decrease in activity-dependent BDNF secretion, this being the main process regulating the extracellular BDNF level, which affects learning and memory. However, the types of memory whose effectiveness depends on the Val66Met polymorphism remain unclear. The aim of the present work was to study associations between of the Val66Met polymorphism and verbal memory effectiveness in 212 healthy right-handed subjects aged 20–80 years. As speech processes are represented asymmetrically in the cerebral hemispheres, this study used dichotic presentation of lists of words, providing the opportunity to analyze hemisphere effects. Immediate and delayed reproduction of word lists were studied. Taking account of sex-related differences in success and strategies for memorizing verbal information, we also addressed the gender-specific features of associations of the Val66Met polymorphism with memory. Both immediate and delayed reproduction showed overall advantages for women and the right ear. No effects of the Val66Met polymorphism on the effectiveness of immediate reproduction were found. In the case of delayed reproduction, a GENOTYPE × SEX × LATERALITY interaction was found. Analysis of the interaction by the planned comparisons method showed that it was due to the absence of genotype-related differences in men, while in women, words from the right ear were remembered by Val homozygotes better than by carriers of the Met allele. Comparison of the memorization strategies used by the subjects showed that semantic coding strategies had the greatest effectiveness. Among Val homozygotes, the frequency of occurrence of this type of encoding in women was significantly higher than that in men. Overall, the results obtained here identify sex-related differences in associations between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and the effectiveness of left-hemisphere verbal memory processes, which may be due to the use of different strategies for encoding verbal information. These results show that differentiation of the sex-specific effects of BDNF polymorphism is not only justified, but also necessary.

AB - BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a neurotrophic factor involved in brain plasticity. This, the most extensively studied single nucleotide polymorphism in the BDNF gene, results from substitution of the amino acid valine for methionine at codon position 66 (Val66Met). The methionine-containing allele is associated with a decrease in activity-dependent BDNF secretion, this being the main process regulating the extracellular BDNF level, which affects learning and memory. However, the types of memory whose effectiveness depends on the Val66Met polymorphism remain unclear. The aim of the present work was to study associations between of the Val66Met polymorphism and verbal memory effectiveness in 212 healthy right-handed subjects aged 20–80 years. As speech processes are represented asymmetrically in the cerebral hemispheres, this study used dichotic presentation of lists of words, providing the opportunity to analyze hemisphere effects. Immediate and delayed reproduction of word lists were studied. Taking account of sex-related differences in success and strategies for memorizing verbal information, we also addressed the gender-specific features of associations of the Val66Met polymorphism with memory. Both immediate and delayed reproduction showed overall advantages for women and the right ear. No effects of the Val66Met polymorphism on the effectiveness of immediate reproduction were found. In the case of delayed reproduction, a GENOTYPE × SEX × LATERALITY interaction was found. Analysis of the interaction by the planned comparisons method showed that it was due to the absence of genotype-related differences in men, while in women, words from the right ear were remembered by Val homozygotes better than by carriers of the Met allele. Comparison of the memorization strategies used by the subjects showed that semantic coding strategies had the greatest effectiveness. Among Val homozygotes, the frequency of occurrence of this type of encoding in women was significantly higher than that in men. Overall, the results obtained here identify sex-related differences in associations between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and the effectiveness of left-hemisphere verbal memory processes, which may be due to the use of different strategies for encoding verbal information. These results show that differentiation of the sex-specific effects of BDNF polymorphism is not only justified, but also necessary.

KW - BDNF

KW - Val66Met polymorphism

KW - dichotic test

KW - gender differences

KW - verbal memory

UR - https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85164799012&origin=inward&txGid=8cc2ae4b447cd7575ca592485d37028b

UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/8ff73706-3fd7-3c85-9476-91e8dc6c384b/

U2 - 10.1007/s11055-023-01455-z

DO - 10.1007/s11055-023-01455-z

M3 - Article

VL - 53

SP - 572

EP - 578

JO - Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology

JF - Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology

SN - 0097-0549

IS - 4

ER -