Evidence for association of vasopressin receptor 1A promoter region repeat with childhood onset aggression
Open accessAbstract
OBJECTIVE: Childhood onset aggression can cause major suffering to affected families and is associated with many negative outcomes in the child's later life, including poor academic performance, adolescent delinquency, drug abuse, depression and antisocial personality disorder. Currently available prevention and intervention strategies have limited efficacy, but a better understanding of underlying genetic and neurobiological factors can lead to more effective prevention and treatment strategies, through genetic screening programs and novel therapies. METHOD: This study examined the RS1 (n = 299 aggression, n = 192 controls) and RS3 (n = 291 aggression, n = 189 controls) microsatellite repeats within the promoter region of the vasopressin receptor 1A gene (AVPR1A) and their association with extreme childhood aggression, as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), as well as the Teacher Report Form (TRF) and Youth Self Report (YSR). Binary logistic regression was used to model the relationship between microsatellite length and childhood aggression. Age and sex were used as covariates. RESULTS: Logistic regression revealed a nominally significant association between one specific RS3 repeat and non-aggressive status. No association was found for any of the RS1 repeats. In a separate model, grouping repeats into short and long, carriers of long RS3 repeats were nominally significantly associated with non-aggressive status. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest a role for AVPR1A and its RS3 microsatellite in extreme childhood aggression and could lead to a better understanding of the biological pathways of aggressive behavior. However, independent replication and further research into the functionality of studied genetic variants is required.
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The review found converging evidence for a role of AVPR1A in child aggression coming from genome-wide association, epigenomic, and candidate gene studies.
“Nonetheless, we found converging evidence for a role of AVPR1A in child aggression coming from genome-wide association [35], epigenomic [126], and candidate gene [101] studies.”
From Genetics of child aggression, a systematic review (2024) · cites this paper as [101]
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- Authors
- Vollebregt, O., Koyama, E., Zai, C. C., Shaikh, S. A., Lisoway, A. J., Kennedy, J. L., & Beitchman, J. H.
- Affiliations
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Kennedy, James L.
- Venue
- Journal of Psychiatric Research
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2021-08
- Volume
- 140
- Pages
- 522-528
- ISSN
- 0022-3956 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W3169937091
- Cited by
- 13
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 3 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1
- FWCI
- 2.20
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- Journal of Psychiatric Research (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Foundation
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Neuroendocrine regulation and behavior
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychopathy, Forensic Psychiatry, Sexual Offending
- Keywords
- child aggression, vasopressin 1a receptor, AVPR1A, promoter, microsatellite repeats, genetic association, antisocial behavior, genetic susceptibility
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Aggression, Child, Humans, Polymorphism, Genetic, Promoter Regions, Genetic, Receptors, Vasopressin, Microsatellite Repeats
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