نبذة مختصرة : The EEG alpha rhythm (∼ 8-13 Hz) is one of the most salient human brain activity rhythms, modulated by the level of attention and vigilance and related to cerebral energy metabolism. Spectral power in the alpha range in wakefulness and sleep strongly varies among individuals based on genetic predisposition. Knowledge about the underlying genes is scarce, yet small studies indicated that the variant rs5751876 of the gene encoding A$_{2A}$ adenosine receptors (ADORA2A) may contribute to the inter-individual variation. The neuromodulator adenosine is directly linked to energy metabolism as product of adenosine tri-phosphate breakdown and acts as a sleep promoting molecule by activating A$_{1}$ and A$_{2A}$ adenosine receptors. We performed sleep and positron emission tomography studies in 59 healthy carriers of different rs5751876 alleles, and quantified EEG oscillatory alpha power in wakefulness and sleep, as well as A$_{1}$ adenosine receptor availability with $^{18}$F-CPFPX. Oscillatory alpha power was higher in homozygous C-allele carriers (n = 27, 11 females) compared to heterozygous and homozygous carriers of the T-allele (n(C/T) = 23, n(T/T) = 5, 13 females) (F$_{(18,37)}$ = 2.35, p = 0.014, Wilk's Λ = 0.487). Furthermore, a modulatory effect of ADORA2A genotype on A$_{1}$ adenosine receptor binding potential was found across all considered brain regions (F$_{(18,40)}$ = 2.62, p = 0.006, Wilk's Λ = 0.459), which remained significant for circumscribed occipital region of calcarine fissures after correction for multiple comparisons. In female participants, a correlation between individual differences in oscillatory alpha power and A$_{1}$ receptor availability was observed. In conclusion, we confirmed that a genetic variant of ADORA2A affects individual alpha power, while a direct modulatory effect via A$_{1}$ adenosine receptors in females is suggested.
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