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Kershner JR. Early life stress, literacy and dyslexia: an evolutionary perspective. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:809-822. [PMID: 38436668 PMCID: PMC11003919 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-024-02766-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Stress and learning co-evolved in parallel, with their interdependence critical to the survival of the species. Even today, the regulation of moderate levels of stress by the central autonomic network (CAN), especially during pre- and post-natal periods, facilitates biological adaptability and is an essential precursor for the cognitive requisites of learning to read. Reading is a remarkable evolutionary achievement of the human brain, mysteriously unusual, because it is not pre-wired with a genetic address to facilitate its acquisition. There is no gene for reading. The review suggests that reading co-opts a brain circuit centered in the left hemisphere ventral occipital cortex that evolved as a domain-general visual processor. Its adoption by reading depends on the CAN's coordination of the learning and emotional requirements of learning to read at the metabolic, cellular, synaptic, and network levels. By stabilizing a child's self-control and modulating the attention network's inhibitory controls over the reading circuit, the CAN plays a key role in school readiness and learning to read. In addition, the review revealed two beneficial CAN evolutionary adjustments to early-life stress "overloads" that come with incidental costs of school under-performance and dyslexia. A short-term adaptation involving methylation of the FKBP5 and NR3C1 genes is a liability for academic achievement in primary school. The adaptation leading to dyslexia induces alterations in BDNF trafficking, promoting long-term adaptive fitness by protecting against excessive glucocorticoid toxicity but risks reading difficulties by disruptive signaling from the CAN to the attention networks and the reading circuit.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Kershner
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Resources, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada.
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Taran N, Farah R, Gashri C, Gitman E, Rosch K, Schlaggar BL, Horowitz-Kraus T. Executive functions-based reading training engages the cingulo-opercular and dorsal attention networks. Netw Neurosci 2023; 7:1452-1482. [PMID: 38144685 PMCID: PMC10727775 DOI: 10.1162/netn_a_00335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of a computerized executive functions (EFs)-based reading intervention on neural circuits supporting EFs and visual attention. Seed-to-voxel functional connectivity analysis was conducted focusing on large-scale attention system brain networks, during an fMRI reading fluency task. Participants were 8- to 12-year-old English-speaking children with dyslexia (n = 43) and typical readers (n = 36) trained on an EFs-based reading training (n = 40) versus math training (n = 39). Training duration was 8 weeks. After the EFs-based reading intervention, children with dyslexia improved their scores in reading rate and visual attention (compared to math intervention). Neurobiologically, children with dyslexia displayed an increase in functional connectivity strength after the intervention between the cingulo-opercular network and occipital and precentral regions. Noteworthy, the functional connectivity indices between these brain regions showed a positive correlation with speed of processing and visual attention scores in both pretest and posttest. The results suggest that reading improvement following an EFs-based reading intervention involves neuroplastic connectivity changes in brain areas related to EFs and primary visual processing in children with dyslexia. Our results highlight the need for training underlying cognitive abilities supporting reading, such as EFs and visual attention, in order to enhance reading abilities in dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikolay Taran
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Rola Farah
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Carmel Gashri
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ester Gitman
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Keri Rosch
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bradley L. Schlaggar
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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3
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Argilés M, González-Fortuny X, Fonts E, Sunyer-Grau B. Global visual attention SPAN in different video game genres. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21882. [PMID: 38072978 PMCID: PMC10710994 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49434-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Video games, specifically action video games, have been demonstrated to be a useful tool in improving certain visual aspects in the general population. Visual attention span, the ability to simultaneously process multiple distinct visual elements during a single fixation, has been shown to improve among action video game players. The goal of this study was to verify that visual attention span is better not only in action video games, but also in other video game genres such as sports simulators or role-playing games. A total of 41 participants, aged 18 to 40 years old, were asked about the type of video games they were playing, name and genre, and the frequency of play. Visual attention span was assessed in all participants. Participants were divided into 4 groups according to the genre of video game they played. The total percentage of letter identification in the visual attention span was not significantly different between groups. A significant difference was found in the sixth position letter, and the right hemifield performance between groups, especially in sports simulators and action video game participants who showed a better performance. The action video game group showed a significant correlation between visual attention span performance and weekly hours played. Playing regularly different genres other than action video games can contribute to raise visual attention resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc Argilés
- Departament d'Òptica i Optometria (DOO), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech (UPC), Campus de Terrassa, Edifici TR8, C.Violinista Vellsolà, 37, 08222, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.
- School of Optics and Optometry, Violinista Vellsolà, 37, 08222, Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Xavier González-Fortuny
- Departament d'Òptica i Optometria (DOO), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech (UPC), Campus de Terrassa, Edifici TR8, C.Violinista Vellsolà, 37, 08222, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain
- School of Optics and Optometry, Violinista Vellsolà, 37, 08222, Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Elisabet Fonts
- Centre de la Image i Tecnologia Multimèdia, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bernat Sunyer-Grau
- Departament d'Òptica i Optometria (DOO), Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, BarcelonaTech (UPC), Campus de Terrassa, Edifici TR8, C.Violinista Vellsolà, 37, 08222, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain
- School of Optics and Optometry, Violinista Vellsolà, 37, 08222, Terrassa, Catalonia, Spain
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Ren X, Li J, Liu J, Liu D, Zhao J. Intervention targeting different visual attention span components in Chinese children with developmental dyslexia: a study based on Bundesen's theory of visual attention. ANNALS OF DYSLEXIA 2023; 73:487-509. [PMID: 37422551 DOI: 10.1007/s11881-023-00288-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Within the framework of the theory of visual attention (TVA), the visual attention span (VAS) deficit among individuals with developmental dyslexia has been ascribed to the problems entailed by bottom-up (BotU) and top-down (TopD) attentional processes. The former involves two VAS subcomponents: the visual short-term memory storage and perceptual processing speed; the latter consists of the spatial bias of attentional weight and the inhibitory control. Then, what about the influences of the BotU and TopD components on reading? Are there differences in the roles of the two types of attentional processes in reading? This study addresses these issues by using two types of training tasks separately, corresponding to the BotU and TopD attentional components. Three groups of Chinese children with dyslexia-15 children each in the BotU training, TopD training, and non-trained active control groups were recruited here. Participants completed reading measures and a CombiTVA task which was used to estimate VAS subcomponents, before and after the training procedure. Results showed that BotU training improved both the within-category and between-category VAS subcomponents and sentence reading performance; meanwhile, TopD training enhanced character reading fluency through improving spatial attention capacity. Moreover, benefits on attentional capacities and reading skills in the two training groups were generally maintained three months after the intervention. The present findings revealed diverse patterns in the influences of VAS on reading within the TVA framework, which contributes to enriching the understanding of VAS-reading relation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Ren
- Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Li
- Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jinqiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Duo Liu
- Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China.
| | - Jing Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China.
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Corrone M, Nanev A, Amato I, Bicknell R, Piantella S, Maruff P, van den Buuse M, Wright BJ. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66met polymorphism is associated with better attention and working memory performance and resilience to mild chronic stress. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3903-3916. [PMID: 37740693 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 09/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
The val66met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene has been identified as a potential moderator for the relationship between chronic stress and executive functioning. However, whether the presence of the met allele increases cognitive vulnerability or resilience to stress has yet to be determined. Given the established effects of autonomic activity and psychological arousal on executive functioning, in the present study, 56 healthy university students completed self-report measures of chronic stress, positive arousal (vigour) and negative arousal (anxiety) and measured heart-rate variability to quantify autonomic activity. Participants then completed a cognitive test battery that measured attention, decision-making, visual learning and working memory. Regression analyses demonstrated that Val/met participants performed better on attention and working memory tasks than Val/val participants, but no differences were seen in decision-making and visual learning. Further, Val/met participants were protected from stress-related differences in attention seen in Val/val participants. Val66met was not associated with physiological or psychological arousal. This study demonstrates that val66met plays an important but selective role in cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Corrone
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Aleshia Nanev
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Isabella Amato
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rowena Bicknell
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Stefan Piantella
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul Maruff
- Cogstate Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Maarten van den Buuse
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Bradley J Wright
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Fairclough SH, Stamp K, Dobbins C. Functional connectivity across dorsal and ventral attention networks in response to task difficulty and experimental pain. Neurosci Lett 2023; 793:136967. [PMID: 36379390 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2022.136967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The dorsal and ventral attention networks (DAN & VAN) provide a framework for studying attentional modulation of pain. It has been argued that cognitive demand distracts attention from painful stimuli via top-down reinforcement of task goals (DAN), whereas pain exerts an interruptive effect on cognitive performance via bottom-up pathways (VAN). The current study explores this explanatory framework by manipulating pain and task demand in combination with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and Granger Causal Connectivity Analyses (GCCA). Twenty-one participants played a racing game at low and high difficulty levels with or without experimental pain (administered via a cold pressor test). Six channels of fNIRS were collected from bilateral frontal eye fields and intraparietal sulci (DAN), with right-lateralised channels at the inferior frontal gyrus and temporoparietal junction (VAN). Our first analysis revealed increased G-causality from bottom-up pathways (VAN) during the cold pressor test. However, an equivalent experience of experimental pain during gameplay increased G-causality in top-down (DAN) pathways, with the left intraparietal sulcus serving a hub of connectivity. High game difficulty increased G-causality via top-down pathways and implicated the right inferior frontal gyrus as an interhemispheric hub. Our results are discussed with reference to existing models of both networks and attentional modulation of pain.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kellyann Stamp
- School of Computer Science and Mathematics, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
| | - Chelsea Dobbins
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, The University of Queensland, Australia
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Liu J, Li S, Liu M, Xu X, Zhang Y, Cheng J, Zhang W. Impaired brain networks functional connectivity after acute mild hypoxia. Medicine (Baltimore) 2022; 101:e30485. [PMID: 36197178 PMCID: PMC9509199 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000030485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the changes in brain networks functional connectivity of pilots exposed to simulated hypoxia using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). A total of 35 healthy male pilots exposed to 14.5% oxygen concentration (corresponding to an altitude of 3000 m) underwent resting-state fMRI scans. The independent component analysis (ICA) approach was used to analyze changes in the resting-state brain networks functional connectivity of pilots after hypoxic exposure, and 9 common components in brain functional networks were identified. In the functional connections that showed significant group differences, linear regression was used to examine the association between functional connectivity and clinical characteristics. The brain networks functional connectivity after hypoxia exposure decreased significantly, including the left frontoparietal network and visual network 1-area, left frontoparietal network and visual network 2-area, right frontoparietal network and visual network 2-area, dorsal attention network and ventral attention network, dorsal attention network and auditory network, and ventral attention network and visual network 1-area. We found no correlation between the altered functional connectivity and arterial oxygen saturation level. Our findings provide insights into the mechanisms underlying hypoxia-induced cognitive impairment in pilots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Liu
- Department of MRI, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Shujian Li
- Department of MRI, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Mingxi Liu
- Department of Radiology, Chaoyang Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xianrong Xu
- Department of Air Duty, Air Force General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of MRI, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Jingliang Cheng
- Department of MRI, The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
- * Correspondence: Jingliang Cheng, Department of MRI, the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, 1 East Construction Road, Erqi District, Zhengzhou 450052, Henan Province, China (e-mail: )
| | - Wanshi Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Air Force General Hospital, Beijing, China
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Zhang L, Xuan R, Chen Q, Zhao Q, Shi Z, Du J, Zhu C, Yu F, Ji G, Wang K. High-definition transcranial direct current stimulation modulates eye gaze on emotional faces in college students with alexithymia: An eye-tracking study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2022; 116:110521. [PMID: 35104607 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2022.110521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Atypical eye gaze on emotional faces is a core feature of alexithymia. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is considered to be the neurophysiological basis of alexithymia-related emotional face fixation. Our aim was to examine whether anodal high-definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD-tDCS) administered to the right (r)IFG would facilitate eye gaze of emotional faces in alexithymia individuals. METHOD Forty individuals with alexithymia were equally assigned to anodal or sham HD-tDCS of the rIFG according to the principle of randomization. The individuals then completed a free-viewing eye tracking task (including happy, sad, and neutral faces) before and after 5 consecutive days of stimulation (twice a day). RESULTS The results showed that twice a day anodal HD-tDCS of the rIFG significantly increased the fixation time and fixation count of the eye area on happy and neutral faces, but there was no significant effect on sad faces. According to the temporal-course analysis, after the intervention, the fixation time on neutral faces increased significantly at almost all time points of the eye tracking task. For happy faces, the improvement was demonstrated between 500 and 1000 ms and between 2500 and 3500 ms. For sad faces, the fixation time improved but not significantly. CONCLUSIONS Applying high-dose anodal HD-tDCS to the rIFG selectively facilitated eye gaze in the eye area of neutral and happy faces in individuals with alexithymia, which may improve their face processing patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
| | - Rongrong Xuan
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Qiuyu Chen
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Qingqing Zhao
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Zhulin Shi
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Jinmei Du
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Chunyan Zhu
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - FengQiong Yu
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Gongjun Ji
- School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China
| | - Kai Wang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, The School of Mental Health and Psychological Sciences, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, Anhui Province, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Cognition and Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Hefei 230032, China; Collaborative Innovation Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders and Mental Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230088, China.
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Combining fMRI and DISC1 gene haplotypes to understand working memory-related brain activity in schizophrenia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7351. [PMID: 35513527 PMCID: PMC9072540 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-10660-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The DISC1 gene is one of the most relevant susceptibility genes for psychosis. However, the complex genetic landscape of this locus, which includes protective and risk variants in interaction, may have hindered consistent conclusions on how DISC1 contributes to schizophrenia (SZ) liability. Analysis from haplotype approaches and brain-based phenotypes can contribute to understanding DISC1 role in the neurobiology of this disorder. We assessed the brain correlates of DISC1 haplotypes associated with SZ through a functional neuroimaging genetics approach. First, we tested the association of two DISC1 haplotypes, the HEP1 (rs6675281-1000731-rs999710) and the HEP3 (rs151229-rs3738401), with the risk for SZ in a sample of 138 healthy subjects (HS) and 238 patients. This approach allowed the identification of three haplotypes associated with SZ (HEP1-CTG, HEP3-GA and HEP3-AA). Second, we explored whether these haplotypes exerted differential effects on n-back associated brain activity in a subsample of 70 HS compared to 70 patients (diagnosis × haplotype interaction effect). These analyses evidenced that HEP3-GA and HEP3-AA modulated working memory functional response conditional to the health/disease status in the cuneus, precuneus, middle cingulate cortex and the ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Our results are the first to show a diagnosis-based effect of DISC1 haplotypes on working memory-related brain activity, emphasising its role in SZ.
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