An association study of Taq1A ANKK1 and C957T and -  141C DRD2 polymorphisms in adults with internet gaming disorder: a pilot study

Though Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is considered to share similar genetic vulnerability with substance addictions, little has been explored about the role of the genetic variants on IGD. This pilot study was designed to investigate the association of the polymorphism of the ankyrin repeat and kinase domain containing 1 ( ) gene and and - of the dopamine D2 receptor ( ) with IGD and their role on the personality and temperament traits in IGD among adult population. Sixty-three subjects with IGD and 87 control subjects who regularly played Internet games were recruited. Self-administered questionnaires on self-control, dysfunctional impulsivity, and temperament and character domains were done. The and the and - from the genes were genotyped using the specific TaqMan PCR assay. The distributions of allele and genotype frequencies were not significantly different between the IGD and control groups in both genders. In male, excessive gaming and use of gaming to escape from a negative feeling were associated with the genotype of the - . Among IGD, the + genotype was associated with higher novelty seeking. Logistic regression showed no predictive value of these polymorphisms for IGD when using age and gender as covariates. Though no direct association of the and variants with IGD were observed, the - polymorphism may play a role in IGD via mediating symptoms or temperament traits.