Functional polymorphism of the mu-opioid receptor gene (OPRM1) influences reinforcement learning in humans

PLoS One. 2011;6(9):e24203. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0024203. Epub 2011 Sep 2.

Abstract

Previous reports on the functional effects (i.e., gain or loss of function), and phenotypic outcomes (e.g., changes in addiction vulnerability and stress response) of a commonly occurring functional single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of the mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1 A118G) have been inconsistent. Here we examine the effect of this polymorphism on implicit reward learning. We used a probabilistic signal detection task to determine whether this polymorphism impacts response bias to monetary reward in 63 healthy adult subjects: 51 AA homozygotes and 12 G allele carriers. OPRM1 AA homozygotes exhibited typical responding to the rewarded response--that is, their bias to the rewarded stimulus increased over time. However, OPRM1 G allele carriers exhibited a decline in response to the rewarded stimulus compared to the AA homozygotes. These results extend previous reports on the heritability of performance on this task by implicating a specific polymorphism. Through comparison with other studies using this task, we suggest a possible mechanism by which the OPRM1 polymorphism may confer reduced response to natural reward through a dopamine-mediated decrease during positive reinforcement learning.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Analysis of Variance
  • Drug Users / statistics & numerical data
  • Female
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide*
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu / genetics*
  • Reinforcement, Psychology*
  • Reward

Substances

  • OPRM1 protein, human
  • Receptors, Opioid, mu