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BackgroundImpulsivity has been associated with serotonergic system functions. However, few researchers have investigated the relationship between a polymorphism in the promoter of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and the different components of impulsivity in a non-clinical population. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between a polymorphism in the promoter region of the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR) and the different components of impulsivity in a non-clinical population.Methodology/Principal FindingsWe administered two neuropsychological tests, the Continuous Performance Task and the Iowa Gambling Task, to 127 healthy participants to measure their levels of motor, attentional and non-planning impulsivity. Then, these participants were grouped by genotype and gender, and their scores on impulsivity measures were compared. There were no significant differences between group scores on attentional, motor and non-planning impulsivity.Conclusions/SignificanceOur results suggest that 5-HTTLPR genotype is not significantly associated with subsets of impulsive behavior in a non-clinical sample when measured by neuropsychological tests. These findings are discussed in terms of the sensitivity of neuropsychological tests to detect impulsivity in a non-clinical population and the role of gender and race in the relationship between the 5-HTTLPR and impulsivity.

Objective: The Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, which is used to evaluate learning and memory, is a widely recognized tool in the general literature on neuropsychology. This paper aims at presenting the performance of Brazilian adult subjects on the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, and was written after we published a previous study on the performance of Brazilian elderly subjects on this same test. Method: A version of the test, featuring a list of high-frequency one-syllable and two-syllable concrete Portuguese substantives, was developed. Two hundred and forty-three (243) subjects from both genders were allocated to 6 different age groups (20-24; 25-29; 30-34; 35-44; 45-54 and 55-60 years old). They were then tested using the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. Results: Performance on the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test showed a positive correlation with educational level and a negative correlation with age. Women performed significantly better than men. When applied across similar age ranges, our results were similar to those recorded for the English version of the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the adaptation of the Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test to Brazilian Portuguese is appropriate and that it is applicable to Brazilian subjects for memory capacity evaluation purposes and across similar age groups and educational levels. (20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-44, 45-54 e 55-60 anos) Descriptors