Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Genetic Influence on the Variance in P3 Amplitude and Latency

  • Published:
Behavior Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The P3(00) event-related potential (ERP) component is widely used as a measure of cognitive functioning and provides a sensitive electrophysiological index of the attentional and working memory demands of a task. This study investigated what proportion of the variance in the amplitude and latency of the P3, elicited in a delayed response working memory task, could be attributed to genetic factors. In 335 adolescent twin pairs and 48 siblings, the amplitude and latency of the P3 were examined at frontal, central, and parietal sites. Additive genetic factors accounted for 48% to 61% of the variance in P3 amplitude. Approximately one-third of the genetic variation at frontal sites was mediated by a common genetic factor that also influenced the genetic variation at parietal and central sites. Familial resemblance in P3 latency was due to genetic influence that accounted for 44% to 50% of the variance. Genetic covariance in P3 latency across sites was substantial, with a large part of the variance found at parietal, central, and frontal sites attributed to a common genetic factor. The findings provide further evidence that the P3 is a promising phenotype of neural activity of the brain and has the potential to be used in linkage and association analysis in the search for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) influencing cognition.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  • Aitken, J. F., Green, A. C., Eldridge, A., Green, L., Pfitzner, J., and Martin, N. G. (1994). Comparability of naevus counts between and within examiners, and comparison with computer image analysis. Br. J. Cancer 69: 487–491.

    Google Scholar 

  • Almasy, L., Porjesz, B., Blangero, J., Chorlian, D. B., O'Connor, S. J., Kuperman, S., Rohrbaugh, J., Bauer, L. O., Reich, T., Polich J., and Begleiter, H. (1999). Heritability of event-related brain potentials in families with a history of alcoholism. Am. J. Med. Genet. 88: 383–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • Almasy, L., Porjesz, B., Blangero, J., Goate, A., Edenberg, H. J., Chorlian, D. B., Kuperman, S., O'Connor, S. J., Rohrbaugh, J., Bauer, L. O., Foroud, T., Rice, J. P., Reich, T., and Begleiter, H. (2001). Genetics of event-related brain potentials in response to a semantic priming paradigm in families with a history of alcoholism. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 68: 128–135.

    Google Scholar 

  • Begleiter, H., and Porjesz, B. (1995). Neurophysiological phenotypic factors in the development of alcoholism. In Begleiter, H., and Kissin, B. (eds.), Alcohol and alcoholism, Vol. 1, New York, Oxford University Press, pp. 269–293.

    Google Scholar 

  • Begleiter, H., Porjesz, B., Bihari, B., and Kissin, B. (1984). Eventrelated brain potentials in boys at risk for alcoholism. Science 225: 1493–1495.

    Google Scholar 

  • Begleiter, H., Porjesz, B., Reich, T., Edenberg, H. J., Goate, A., Blangero, J., Almasy, L., Foroud. T., Van Eerdewegh, P., Polich, J., Rohrbaugh, J., Kuperman, S., Bauer, L. O., O'Connor, S. J., Chorlian, D. B., Li, T. K., Conneally, P. M., Hesselbrock, V., Rice, J. P., Schukit, M. A., Cloninger, R., Nurnberger Jr, J., Crowe, R., and Bloom, F. E. (1998). Quantitative trait loci analysis of human event-related brain potentials: P3 voltage. Electroenc. Clin. Neurophysiol. 108: 244–250.

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackwood, D. H. R., St. Clair, D. M., Muir, W. J., and Duffy, J. C. (1991). Auditory P300 and eye tracking dysfunction in schizophrenic pedigrees. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 48: 899–909.

    Google Scholar 

  • Donchin E. (1980). Presidential address, 1980. Surprise!... Surprise? Psychophysiology 18: 493–513.

    Google Scholar 

  • Duncan-Johnson, C. C., and Donchin, E. (1977). On quantifying surprise: The variation of event-related potentials with subjective probability. Psychophysiology 14: 456–467.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egan, V. G., Chiswick, A., Brettle, R. P., and Goodwin, G. M. (1992). The Edinburgh cohort of HIV-positive drug users: The relationship between auditory P3 latency, cognitive function and self-rated mood. Psychol. Med. 23: 613–622.

    Google Scholar 

  • Egan, V. G., Chiswick, A., Santosh, C., Naidu, K., Rimmington, J. E., and Best, J. J. K. (1994). Size isn't everything: A study of brain volume, intelligence and auditory evoked potentials. Pers. Indiv. Differ. 17: 357–367.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eischen, S., and Polich, J. (1994). P300 from families. Electroenc. Clin. Neurophysiol. 92: 369–372.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ford, J. M., White, P., Lim, K. O., and Pfefferbaum, A. (1994). Schizophrenics have fewer and smaller P300s: A single-trial analysis. Biol. Psychiat. 35: 96–103.

    Google Scholar 

  • Geffen, G. M., Wright, M. J., Green, H. J., Gillespie, N. A., Smyth, D. C., Evans, D. M., and Geffen, L. B. (1997). Effects of memory load and distraction on performance and event-related slow potentials in a visuospatial working memory task. J. Cogn. Neurosci. 9: 743–757.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gevins, A., and Smith, M. E. (2000). Neurophysiological measures of working memory and individual differences in cognitive ability and cognitive style. Cereb. Cortex 10: 829–839.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansell, N. K., Wright, M. J., Geffen, G. M., Geffen, L. B., Smith, G. A., and Martin, N. G. (2001). Genetic influence on ERP slow wave measures of working memory. Behav. Genet. 31: 603–613.

    Google Scholar 

  • Houlihan, M., Stelmack, R., and Campbell, K. (1998). Intelligence and the effects of perceptual processing demands, task difficulty and processing speed on P300, reaction time and movement time. Intelligence 26: 9–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Howard, L., and Polich, J. (1985). P300 latency and memory span development. Dev. Psychol. 21: 283–289.

    Google Scholar 

  • Katsanis, J., Iacono, W. G., McGue, M. K., and Carlson, S. R. (1997). P300 event-related potential heritability in monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Psychophysiology 34: 47–58.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magliero, A., Bashore, T. R., Coles, M. G., and Donchin E. (1984). On the dependence of P300 latency on stimulus evaluation processes. Psychophysiology 21: 171–186.

    Google Scholar 

  • McCarthy, G., and Donchin, E. (1981). A metric for thought: A comparison of P300 latency and reaction time. Science 211: 77–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • McGarry-Roberts, P. A., Stelmack, R. M., and Campbell, K. B. (1992). Intelligence, reaction time, and event-related potentials. Intelligence 16: 289–313.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neale, M. C., and Cardon, L. R. (1992). Methodology for genetic studies of twins and families, The Netherlands, Kluwer Academic Publishers.

    Google Scholar 

  • Neale, M. C. (1997). Mx: Statistical Modeling, Department of Psychiatry, Box 126 MCV, Richmond, VA 23298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nittono, H., Nageishi, Y., Nakajima, Y., and Ullsberger, P. (1999). Event-related potential correlates of individual differences in working memory capacity. Psychophysiology 36: 745–754.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Connor, S., Morzorati, S., Christian, J. C., and Li, T.-K. (1994). Heritable features of the auditory oddball event-related potential: Peaks, latencies, morphology and topography. Electroenceph. Clin. Neurophysiol. 92: 115–125.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Donnell, B. F., Friedman, S., Squires, N. K., Maloon, A., Dracman, D. A., and Swearer, J. M. (1990). Active and passive P3 latency in dementia: Relationship to psychometric, electroencephalographic, and computed tomographic measures. Neuropsy. Neuropsy. Behav. 3: 164–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • O'Donnell, B. F., Friedman, S., Swearer, J. M., and Drachman, D. A. (1992). Active and passive P3 latency and psychometric performance: Influence of age and individual differences. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 12: 187–195.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pelosi, L., and Blumhardt, L. D. (1992). ‘Memory-scanning’ eventrelated potentials: Correlations with verbal and performance scores. Acta Neurol. 14: 304–312.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pfefferbaum, A., Ford, J. M., and Kraemer, H. C. (1990). Clinical utility of long latency “cognitive” event-related potentials (P3): The cons. Electroenc. Clin. Neurophysiol. 76: 6–12.

    Google Scholar 

  • Picton, T. W. (1992). The P300 wave of the human event-related potential. J. Clin. Neurophysiol. 9: 456–479.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polich, J. (1998). P300 clinical utility and control of variability. J. Clin. Neurophysiol. 15: 14–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polich, J., and Burns T. (1987). P300 from identical twins. Neuropsychologia 25: 299–304.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polich, J., and Martin, S. (1992). P300, cognitive capability, and personality: A correlational study of university undergraduates. Person. Indiv. Differ. 13: 533–543.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polich, J., and Squire. L. (1993). P300 from amnesic patients with bilateral hippocampal lesions. Electroenc. Clin. Neurophysiol. 86: 408–417.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polich, J., Howard, L., and Starr, A. (1983). P300 latency correlates with digit span. Psychophysiology 20: 665–669.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polich, J., Ladish, C., and Burns, T. (1990). Normal variation of P300 in children: Age, memory span, and head size. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 9: 237–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Polich, J., Pollock, V. E., and Bloom, F. E. (1994). Meta-analysis of P300 amplitude from males at risk for alcoholism. Psychol. Bull. 115: 55–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porjesz, B., and Begleiter, H. (1996). Effects of alcohol on electrophysiological activity of the brain. In Begleiter, H., and Kissin, B. (eds.), The pharmacology of alcohol and alcohol dependence. New York, Oxford University Press, pp. 207–247.

    Google Scholar 

  • Porjesz, B., Begleiter, H., and Samuelly, I. (1980). Cognitive deficits in chronic alcoholics and elderly subjects assessed by evoked brain potentials. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 62: 15–29.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rogers, T. D., and Deary, J. (1991). The P300 component of the auditory event-related potential in monozygotic and dizygotic twins. Acta Psychiatr. Scand. 83: 412–416.

    Google Scholar 

  • Roth, W. T., Pfefferbaum, A., Horvath, T. B., Berger, P. A., and Kopell, B. S. (1980). P3 reduction in auditory evoked potentials of schizophrenics. Electroenc. Clin. Neurophysiol. 49: 497–505.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rugg, M. D., and Coles, M. G. H. (1995). Electrophysiology of the mind: Event related potentials and cognition. Oxford, Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schafer, E. (1985). Neural adaptability: A biological determinant of g factor intelligence. Behav. Brain. Sci. 8: 240–241.

    Google Scholar 

  • Surwillo, W. W. (1980). Cortical evoked potentials in monozygotic twins and unrelated subjects: Comparison of exogenous and endogenous components. Behav. Genet. 10: 201–209.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turetsky, B., Colbath, E. A., and Gur, R. E. (1998). P300 subcomponent abnormalities in schizophrenia: II. Longitudinal stability and relationship to symptom change. Biol. Psychiat. 43: 31–39.

    Google Scholar 

  • Turetsky, B. I., Cannon, T. D., and Gur, R. E. (2000). P300 subcomponent abnormalities in schizophrenia: III. Deficits in unaffected siblings of schizophrenic probands. Biol. Psychiat. 47: 380–390.

    Google Scholar 

  • van Beijsterveldt, C. E. M., Molenaar, P. C. M., de Geus, E. J. C., and Boomsma, D. I. (1998). Individual differences in P300 amplitude: A genetic study in adolescent twins. Biol. Psychol. 47: 97–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Verleger, R., Heide, W., Butt, C., and Kompf, D. (1994). Reduction of P3b in patients with temporoparietal leasions. Cog. Brain Res. 2: 102–116.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, J. T., Begleiter, H., Porjesz, B., Edenberg, H. J., Foroud, T., Reich, T., Goate, A., Van Eerdewegh, P., Almasy, L., and Blangero, J. (1999). Joint multipoint linkage analysis of multivariate qualitative and quantitative Traits: II. Alcoholism and event-related potentials. Am. J. Hum. Gen. 65: 1148–1160.

    Google Scholar 

  • Wright, M., de Geus, E., Ando, J., Luciano, M., Posthuma, D., Ono, Y., Hansell, N., van Baal, C., Hiraishi, K., Hasegawa, T., Smith, G., Geffen, G. M., Geffen, L., Kanba, S., Miyake, A., Martin, N., and Boomsma, D. (2001). Genetics of cognition: Outline of collaborative twin study. Twin Res. 4: 48–56.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Australia

    Margaret J. Wright & Nicholas G. Martin

  2. Genetic Epidemiology Laboratory, Queensland Institute of Medical Research, Queensland, Australia

    Narelle K. Hansell

  3. Cognitive Psychophysiology Laboratory, University of Queensland, Australia

    Narelle K. Hansell, Gina M. Geffen & Laurie B. Geffen

  4. School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia

    Glen A. Smith

Authors
  1. Margaret J. Wright
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Narelle K. Hansell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Gina M. Geffen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Laurie B. Geffen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Glen A. Smith
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Nicholas G. Martin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wright, M.J., Hansell, N.K., Geffen, G.M. et al. Genetic Influence on the Variance in P3 Amplitude and Latency. Behav Genet 31, 555–565 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013393327704

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1013393327704

Search

Navigation