Abstract
Previous research has demonstrated potential links between variations in single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and performance on various cognitive tasks. This study replicated the methods previously used to investigate such relationships and attempted to extend the methods to comparing genetic variations and operational warfighter performance during naval training tasks. The goal was to determine if such methods could be applied to operational performance metrics and, if so, could the results of such investigations be utilized to enhance warfighter training programs and system designs. The study investigated the relationship between various SNPs in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) (rs6265) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) (rs4680) genes and performance on working memory, cued visual-spatial attention, and surface warfare combat tasks. Study results showed no significant effects with respect to cued visual-spatial attention but did indicate significant effects for BDNF allele “A” carriers regarding working memory accuracy. Finally, due to the limited types of training metrics that could be collected, statistical analysis of the link between genetic variation and warfighter performance could not be performed. However, the lessons learned from this study may provide guidance for future studies in such comparisons.
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