Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Rs11191454 in Arsenite Methyltransferase is Associated with Flow in Chinese Students: a Genetic Study on Flow Experience

Abstract. Flow has been widely studied in the field of positive psychology. However, little is known regarding its biological mechanism. This study aimed to ascertain flow-related gene loci. We investigated the association between flow and five single nucleotide polymorphisms associated with common mental disorders among a sample of 870 healthy 1st year students of Jining Medical University, Shandong Province, China. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of Jining Medical University (approval No. JNMC-2016-KY-001) on June 1, 2016. rs11191454 demonstrated significant statistical association with flow after adjusting for age and gender (P = 0.004). The allele carriers achieved higher scores in all four dimensions of flow: merging of action and awareness, challenge-skill balance, sense of control, and clear goals. This biological research article indicates that rs11191454 in the arsenite methyltransferase (AS3MT) gene might be associated with flow in a Chinese Han population, and that might result from altered arsenic metabolism.