OXTR Gene Polymorphisms and Event-Related Potentials in Humans: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene polymorphisms have been consistently associated with humans’ differences in sensitivity to social cues, social cognition, stress response, and brain activity. However, how social and affective neural processing differs across carriers of distinct OXTR gene polymorphisms remains unclear. This systematic PRISMA review is the first to examine the experimental literature on the relationship between OXTR polymorphisms and ERP components. Eight studies published between 2014 and 2019 were included. The rs53576 was the only OXTR gene polymorphism analyzed in all studies. The OXTR genetic variation explained significant changes in N1, P2, N2, P3, and late positive potential (LPP) components during social perception and empathy for pain tasks. OXTR genotypes were not related to P1, N170, N3, or any neural activity after 600 ms. The discussion is focused on the influence of OXTR genetics on neural processing, the development of brain neural networks implicated in social and emotional skills, cultural neuroscience of the oxytocinergic system, and methodological issues of this field. In conclusion, the evidence supports the hypothesis that genetic variations of the OXTR significantly influence neural activity related to emotional and social processing, except for the early phases of face recognition.