TY - JOUR A1 - Biehl, Stefanie C. A1 - Dresler, Thomas A1 - Reif, Andreas A1 - Scheuerpflug, Peter A1 - Deckert, Jürgen A1 - Herrmann, Martin J. T1 - Dopamine Transporter (DAT1) and Dopamine Receptor D4 (DRD4) Genotypes Differentially Impact on Electrophysiological Correlates of Error Processing JF - PLoS One N2 - Recent studies as well as theoretical models of error processing assign fundamental importance to the brain's dopaminergic system. Research about how the electrophysiological correlates of error processing—the error-related negativity (ERN) and the error positivity (Pe)—are influenced by variations of common dopaminergic genes, however, is still relatively scarce. In the present study, we therefore investigated whether polymorphisms in the DAT1 gene and in the DRD4 gene, respectively, lead to interindividual differences in these error processing correlates. One hundred sixty participants completed a version of the Eriksen Flanker Task while a 26-channel EEG was recorded. The task was slightly modified in order to increase error rates. During data analysis, participants were split into two groups depending on their DAT1 and their DRD4 genotypes, respectively. ERN and Pe amplitudes after correct responses and after errors as well as difference amplitudes between errors and correct responses were analyzed. We found a differential effect of DAT1 genotype on the Pe difference amplitude but not on the ERN difference amplitude, while the reverse was true for DRD4 genotype. These findings are in line with predictions from theoretical models of dopaminergic transmission in the brain. They furthermore tie results from clinical investigations of disorders impacting on the dopamine system to genetic variations known to be at-risk genotypes. KW - haplotypes KW - electroencephalography KW - basal ganglia KW - reaction time KW - dopaminergics KW - dopamine KW - ADHD KW - research errors Y1 - 2011 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-137930 VL - 6 IS - 12 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hahn, Tim A1 - Karolien, Hilde A1 - Dresler, Thomas A1 - Kowarsch, Linda A1 - Reif, Andreas A1 - Fallgatter, Andreas J. T1 - Linking online gaming and addictive behavior: converging evidence for a general reward deficiency in frequent online garners JF - Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience N2 - Millions of people regularly play so-called massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs). Recently, it has been argued that MMORPG overuse is becoming a significant health problem worldwide. Symptoms such as tolerance, withdrawal, and craving have been described. Based on behavioral, resting state, and task-related neuroimaging data, we test whether frequent players of the MMORPG "World of VVarcraft" (WoW) similar to drug addicts and individuals with an increased risk for addictions show a generally deficient reward system. In frequent players of the MMORPG "World of VVarcraft" (WoW-players) and in a control group of non-gamers we assessed (1) trait sensitivity to reward (SR), (2) BOLD responses during monetary reward processing in the ventral striatum, and (3) ventral-striatal resting-state dynamics. We found a decreased neural activation in the ventral striatum during the anticipation of both small and large monetary rewards. Additionally, we show generally altered neurodynamics in this region independent of any specific task for WoW players (resting state). On the behavioral level, we found differences in trait SR, suggesting that the reward processing deficiencies found in this study are not a consequence of gaming, but predisposed to it. These findings empirically support a direct link between frequent online gaming and the broad field of behavioral and drug addiction research, thus opening new avenues for clinical interventions in addicted gamers and potentially improving the assessment of addiction-risk in the vast population of frequent gamers. KW - behavioral activation system KW - video-game KW - drug-addiction KW - sensitivity KW - dopamine KW - anticipation KW - massively multiplayer online role playing games KW - world of warcraft KW - resting-state fMRI KW - monetary incentive delay task KW - reward deficiency syndrome Y1 - 2014 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-114737 SN - 1662-5153 VL - 14 IS - 8 ER -