This study suggests that the common Val66Met polymorphism of the BDNF gene may modulate the relationship between life stress and calorie intake in subjects at risk for psychosis.
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and life stress have been associated with negative emotionality (e.g., neuroticism), but relevant evidence is far from unequivocal.
We examined how genetic (brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF] valine 66 to methionine [Val66Met] and serotonin receptor gene 3A [HTR3A]) and early life stress susceptibility factors interact in predicting electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry, emotion-elicited heart rate, and self-reported negativity bias, each correlates of risk for depression.