Polymorphisms of the dopaminergic pathway in relation to memory in a healthy Chinese population

Abstract

Dopamine signaling in the striatum, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex has been established to play a critical role in the regulating memory. This study explored the association between memory and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genes involved in the dopaminergic pathway in a sample of healthy individuals. One hundred and thirty four Taiwanese undergraduate volunteers were recruited. WMS Chinese versions were employed to evaluate subjects’ memory. Auditory memory was associated significantly with the DRD3 (dopamine D3 receptor) Ser9Gly polymorphism. Our study suggests the possible involvement of genetic polymorphisms in DRD3 in the regulation of auditory memory. Future replicated studies with larger sample sizes and studies that take different ethnic groups into consideration are encouraged.