Investigation of the relationship between the genotype, short alele and long alele distributions of 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in SLC6A4 gene and impulsivity, cognitive flexibility and resilience in 8-18 year old sailors

In this study, the relationship between genotype, short alele and long alele distributions of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism in the SLC6A4 gene and impulsivity, cognitive flexibility and resilience in 8-18 year old sailors was investigated. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Barratt Impulsivity Scale, the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and the Self-Recovery Scale. Genotype distributions of the SLC6A4 gene 5-HTTLPR polymorphism were identified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique from isolated genomic DNA. It was found that, 23 female and 41 male athletes participating in the study had 39,1 % LL genotypes, 34.4% had LS and 26.5% had SS genotypes. The frequency of L alele was 56%, and the frequency of S alele was 44%. It was determined that sailing class and gender had no effect on the total scores of all scales. The regression models were significant for the total scores and subscale total scores of the Barratt Impulsivity Scale (BIS) (Fmin=4.00; p<.05; Fmax=87.31; p<.001), with or without LL, LS, and SS found. Accordingly, LL or not, accounts for approximately 9% of the variance of BIS total scores; Whether or not LS explains about 12% and whether or not SS explains about 54%. Having an LL or not accounts for approximately 7% of the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CEB) total scores; whether or not to have LS accounts for approximately 12% of the CEB total scores; being SS or not explains approximately 51% of the total CEB scores. Having an LL or not accounts for approximately 14% of the variance in the total score of the Self-Recovery Scale (SRS); Being SS or not explains approximately 45% of the variance in the total score of SRS. This is the first study to show that the LL genotype and L alele are more frequent than SS genotype and S alele in sailing athletes.