Moderate associations between BDNF Val66Met gene polymorphism, musical expertise, and mismatch negativity

Bonetti, L., Bruzzone, S.E.P., Paunio, T., Kantojärvi, K., Kliuchko, M., Vuust, P., Palva, S. and Brattico, E. (2023) Moderate associations between BDNF Val66Met gene polymorphism, musical expertise, and mismatch negativity. Heliyon, 9(5), e15600. (doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15600) (PMID:37153429) (PMCID:PMC10160759)

Abstract

Auditory predictive processing relies on a complex interaction between environmental, neurophysiological, and genetic factors. In this view, the mismatch negativity (MMN) and intensive training on a musical instrument for several years have been used for studying environment-driven neural adaptations in audition. In addition, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown crucial for both the neurogenesis and the later adaptation of the auditory system. The functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Val66Met (rs6265) in the BDNF gene can affect BDNF protein levels, which are involved in neurobiological and neurophysiological processes such as neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity. In this study, we hypothesised that genetic variation within the BDNF gene would be associated with different levels of neuroplasticity of the auditory cortex in 74 musically trained participants. To achieve this goal, musicians and non-musicians were recruited and divided in Val/Val and Met- (Val/Met and Met/Met) carriers and their brain activity was measured with magnetoencephalography (MEG) while they listened to a regular auditory sequence eliciting different types of prediction errors. MMN responses indexing those prediction errors were overall enhanced in Val/Val carriers who underwent intensive musical training, compared to Met-carriers and non-musicians with either genotype. Although this study calls for replications with larger samples, our results provide a first glimpse of the possible role of gene-regulated neurotrophic factors in the neural adaptations of automatic predictive processing in the auditory domain after long-term training.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The Center for Music in the Brain (MIB) is funded by the Danish National Research Foundation (project number DNRF117). LB is supported by the Carlsberg Foundation (CF20-0239), Lundbeck Foundation (Talent Prize 2022), Center for Music in the Brain, Linacre College of the University of Oxford, Society for Education and Music Psychology (SEMPRE's 50th Anniversary Awards Scheme), and Nordic Mensa Fund.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Palva, Professor Satu
• Authors: Bonetti, L., Bruzzone, S.E.P., Paunio, T., Kantojärvi, K., Kliuchko, M., Vuust, P., Palva, S., and Brattico, E.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Psychology & Neuroscience
• Journal Name: Heliyon
• Publisher: Elsevier (Cell Press)
• ISSN: 2405-8440
• ISSN (Online): 2405-8440
• Published Online: 18 April 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Heliyon 9(5): e15600
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License