Individual differences in flow proneness are linked to a dopamine D2 receptor gene variant

Mate Gyurkovics; Eszter Kotyuk; Eniko Rozsa Katonai; Erzsebet Zsofia Horvath; Andrea Vereczkei; Anna Szekely

doi:10.1016/j.concog.2016.02.014

Individual differences in flow proneness are linked to a dopamine D2 receptor gene variant

Conscious Cogn. 2016 May:42:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.02.014. Epub 2016 Mar 5.

Authors

Mate Gyurkovics¹, Eszter Kotyuk², Eniko Rozsa Katonai³, Erzsebet Zsofia Horvath⁴, Andrea Vereczkei⁴, Anna Szekely⁵

Affiliations

¹ Doctoral School of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella u. 46, H-1064 Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella u. 46, H-1064 Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: mate.gyurkovics@gmail.com.
² Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella u. 46, H-1064 Budapest, Hungary; Postdoctoral Research Program, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Széchenyi István tér 9, H-1051 Budapest, Hungary.
³ Doctoral School of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella u. 46, H-1064 Budapest, Hungary; Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella u. 46, H-1064 Budapest, Hungary.
⁴ Department of Medical Chemistry, Molecular Biology and Pathobiochemistry, Semmelweis University, Tűzoltó u. 37-47, H-1094 Budapest, Hungary.
⁵ Institute of Psychology, Eötvös Loránd University, Izabella u. 46, H-1064 Budapest, Hungary.

PMID: 26954487
DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.02.014

Abstract

Flow is a special mental state characterized by deep concentration that occurs during the performance of optimally challenging tasks. In prior studies, proneness to experience flow has been found to be moderately heritable. In the present study, we investigated whether individual differences in flow proneness are related to a polymorphism of the dopamine D2 receptor coding gene (DRD2 C957T rs6277). This polymorphism affects striatal D2 receptor availability, a factor that has been shown to be related to flow proneness. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the association between this trait and a specific gene variant. In a sample of 236 healthy Hungarian adults, we found that CC homozygotes report higher flow proneness than do T allele carriers, but only during mandatory activities (i.e., studying and working), not during leisure time. We discuss implications of this result, e.g., the potential mediators of the relationship.

Keywords: DRD2 C957T; Flow proneness; Genetic association.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Attention / physiology*
Female
Humans
Individuality*
Male
Receptors, Dopamine D2 / genetics*
Task Performance and Analysis*
Young Adult

Substances

DRD2 protein, human
Receptors, Dopamine D2