MAOA‐LPR polymorphism and math anxiety: A marker of genetic susceptibility to social influences in girls?

Abstract

Math anxiety (MA) seems to result from an interaction of genetic vulnerability with negative experiences learning mathematics. Although mathematics achievement does not substantially differ between the sexes, MA levels are usually higher in girls. Molecular genetic markers of MA vulnerability have been seldom explored. This article examines the contribution of the monoamine oxidase A gene (MAOA) to MA and to sex differences in MA. Five hundred and sixty-eight third to fifth graders were genotyped for the MAOA-LPR polymorphism (a repetitive element in MAOA promoter that has been associated with MAOA enzymatic activity), and assessed on general cognitive ability, mathematics achievement, and the cognitive and affective dimensions of MA. MAOA-LPR genotypes were classified as high (MAOA-H) or low (MAOA-L) according to their predicted enzymatic activity. Mixed models controlling for effects of school, sex, general cognitive ability, and mathematics achievement were evaluated. The best fitting model included school, math achievement, sex, MAOA-LPR, and the MAOA-LPR by sex interaction. This indicated that under the MAOA-H dominant

Association of MAOA Gene Polymorphisms with aggressive behaviors of some prisoners in Erbil city / Kurdistan region, Iraq

“…The MAOA gene is the first gene related to aggression (Odintsova et al, 2019). A heterozygous substitution mutation (rs1181634890 A>G ) in a single participant is situated on the chromosome ChrX: 43,731,269 cytogenetic P arm which is located in exon number 7 causes variation in amino acid from Alanine to Threonine, this missense mutation changes the characteristics of proteins and their function by decreasing the activity of the MAOA enzyme, our result is supported by (Carvalho et al, 2022). While (rs6323 G>T) variants among other participants in which situated on the chromosome X: 43,654,907-43,746,817 of the MAOA gene cytogenetic P arm which is located in exon number 8 cause variation in amino acid from valine to phenylalanine.…”