TY - JOUR
T1 - State and trait variance in salivary α-amylase
T2 - A behavioral genetic study
AU - Out, Dorothée
AU - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.
AU - Granger, Douglas A.
AU - Cobbaert, Christa M.
AU - van Ijzendoorn, Marinus H.
N1 - Funding Information:
MJBK and MHvIJ were supported by awards from the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (MJBK: VIDI and VICI grants; MHvIJ: SPINOZA prize). This organization had no further role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.
PY - 2011/9
Y1 - 2011/9
N2 - This is the first behavior genetic study of salivary α-amylase (sAA), focusing on genetic and environmental influences on stability and change in sAA during baseline and exposure to infant crying. The sample consisted of 184 adult twin pairs. Although there was significant variation between individuals in basal levels of sAA and in responsivity to infant crying, strong stability in sAA concentrations across conditions was found. Similar genetic mechanisms influenced sAA at baseline and in response to cry sounds (explained variance: 51-62%), accounting for part of the stability in sAA. Unique environmental factors explained the remaining variance in sAA, some of them only emerging in response to the cry sounds, explaining individual differences in the pattern of reactivity. These findings confirm that sAA is sensitive to the effects of potentially stressful stimuli (state variance) and at the same time demonstrate its relative robustness and stability across time and conditions (trait variance).
AB - This is the first behavior genetic study of salivary α-amylase (sAA), focusing on genetic and environmental influences on stability and change in sAA during baseline and exposure to infant crying. The sample consisted of 184 adult twin pairs. Although there was significant variation between individuals in basal levels of sAA and in responsivity to infant crying, strong stability in sAA concentrations across conditions was found. Similar genetic mechanisms influenced sAA at baseline and in response to cry sounds (explained variance: 51-62%), accounting for part of the stability in sAA. Unique environmental factors explained the remaining variance in sAA, some of them only emerging in response to the cry sounds, explaining individual differences in the pattern of reactivity. These findings confirm that sAA is sensitive to the effects of potentially stressful stimuli (state variance) and at the same time demonstrate its relative robustness and stability across time and conditions (trait variance).
KW - Behavior genetics
KW - Genes
KW - Infant crying
KW - Salivary α-amylase
KW - Twins
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UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=80052492274&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.07.008
DO - 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.07.008
M3 - Article
C2 - 21827821
AN - SCOPUS:80052492274
SN - 0301-0511
VL - 88
SP - 147
EP - 154
JO - Biological Psychology
JF - Biological Psychology
IS - 1
ER -