Variation H452Y in HTR2A Gene Affects Immediate Visual Memory

Serotonin and its receptors, including the 5-Hydroxytryptamine Receptor 2A encoded by the HTR2A gene, are important for learning and memory in animals and humans. Polymorphic variation in the HTR2A gene, which encodes the 5-HT2A serotonin receptor, has previously been shown to associate with some memory traits, in particular affecting delayed verbal memory. In the current study ie we have examined the HTR2A His452Tyr (H452Y) substitution for association in a cohort of healthy individuals whose memory traits were assessed using a comprehensive battery of memory tests including, but not limited to, measures of prospective and retrospective memory.Although we failed to replicate previous findings of an affect of the polymorphism on delayed verbal memory, we found a significant association between the HTR2A H452Y polymorphism and immediate visual memory, showing that the heterozygous genotype is associated with poorer immediate visual memory, with delayed visual memoryunaffected, although, with correction for multiple testing, this no longer passed significance thresholds. No HTR2A Tyr/Tyr individuals were detected in this cohort due to the low minor allele frequency. This study suggests this variant of HTR2A may have implications on memory consolidation and immediate memory of healthy individuals with further examination of this marker warranted in other cohorts.