The influence of early life stress and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism on stress responsiveness: a gene x environment approach

Abstract

The current study focuses on nature x nurture interactions on individual differences in stress responsiveness. Stress plays a role in many psychological disorders giving rise to the need to map environmental and genetic factors contributing to individual differences in stress responsiveness. The effects of both early life stress, an environmental factor, and the 5HTTLPR polymorphism, a genetic factor, on psychological and physiological stress responsiveness were examined using the TSST-G to induce stress. Although no main effects for any of the variables were found, the results support a possible inverse relation between early life stress and a psychological stress measure. It further shows evidence of possible differences in this relationship between S- and non-S-carriers of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism.