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Delprato A, Xiao E, Manoj D. Connecting DCX, COMT and FMR1 in social behavior and cognitive impairment. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2022; 18:7. [PMID: 35590332 PMCID: PMC9121553 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-022-00191-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variants of DCX, COMT and FMR1 have been linked to neurodevelopmental disorders related to intellectual disability and social behavior. In this systematic review we examine the roles of the DCX, COMT and FMR1 genes in the context of hippocampal neurogenesis with respect to these disorders with the aim of identifying important hubs and signaling pathways that may bridge these conditions. Taken together our findings indicate that factors connecting DCX, COMT, and FMR1 in intellectual disability and social behavior may converge at Wnt signaling, neuron migration, and axon and dendrite morphogenesis. Data derived from genomic research has identified a multitude of genes that are linked to brain disorders and developmental differences. Information about where and how these genes function and cooperate is lagging behind. The approach used here may help to shed light on the biological underpinnings in which key genes interface and may prove useful for the testing of specific hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Delprato
- Department of Research and Education, BioScience Project, Wakefield, MA, 01880, USA.
| | - Emily Xiao
- Department of Research and Education, BioScience Project, Wakefield, MA, 01880, USA.,Alexander Mackenzie High School, Richmond Hill, ON, 14519, Canada
| | - Devika Manoj
- Department of Research and Education, BioScience Project, Wakefield, MA, 01880, USA.,Lambert High School, Suwanee, GA, 30024, USA
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2
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Li W, Zhang Q, Cai Y, Chen T, Cheng H. The COMT Genetic Factor Regulates Chemotherapy-Related Prospective Memory Impairment in Survivors With HER2-/+ Breast Cancer. Front Oncol 2022; 12:816923. [PMID: 35211407 PMCID: PMC8861381 DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2022.816923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Previous findings indicated that polymorphism in gene catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) had been linked to chemotherapy-related cognitive impairment (CRCI). Nevertheless, the motivation of COMT polymorphisms in regulating cognitive impairment in breast cancer survivors with disparate status of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) was still vague. Objective The current research aimed to evaluate the regulation of the risk by COMT genotype on CRCI in breast cancer survivors with disparate status of HER2. Methods Breast cancer survivors (103 with HER2− and 118 with HER2+) underwent neuropsychological tests before and after chemotherapy, containing event- and time-based prospective memory (EBPM and TBPM). Three single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were estimated by providing peripheral blood, containing COMT (rs165599, rs737865, and rs4680). Results The EBPM and TBPM performances was lower as compared with these before chemotherapy (z = −7.712, z = −2.403, respectively, p < 0.01). Furthermore, the EBPM and TBPM performances of HER2− group survivors were lower than those of HER2+ group survivors after chemotherapy (z = −7.181, p < 0.01; z = −2.205 p < 0.05, respectively). The survivors with COMT (rs165599) A/A genotype carriers had a meaningfully poorer chance of memory descend [dominant model: adjusted, OR = 2.21, CI (95%) = 1.156–4.225, p = 0.016] and showed better on TBPM test, relative to G/G genotype. Patients with the COMT (rs737865) A/G and G/G genotype showed protective function than the patients with the A/A and performed better on MMSE and TBPM tests. Conclusion The types of HER2 may be correlated to chemotherapy-related prospective memory impairments in breast cancer survivors. Furthermore, the COMT (rs165599, rs737865) polymorphisms were correlated to the risk of TBPM decline scores and possibly be a potential genetic identifying for increasing risk of CRCI in breast cancer patients with disparate status of HER2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Li
- Cancer Treatment Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Qianqian Zhang
- Cancer Treatment Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Yinlian Cai
- Cancer Treatment Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Tingting Chen
- Cancer Treatment Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Huaidong Cheng
- Cancer Treatment Center, the Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
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Abou Al Hassan S, Cutinha D, Mattar L. The impact of COMT, BDNF and 5-HTT brain-genes on the development of anorexia nervosa: a systematic review. Eat Weight Disord 2021; 26:1323-1344. [PMID: 32783113 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-020-00978-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The genetic aspect of anorexia nervosa (AN) involving specific genes of the central-nervous-system has not yet been clearly understood. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the impact of three candidate genes of the brain: catechol-O-methyltransferase, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and serotonin transporter protein, on the susceptibility to AN and identify whether a clear connection persists between each of the gene-polymorphisms and AN. METHODS A total of 21 articles were selected for this review conforming to the PRISMA guidelines. Detailed keyword combinations were implemented within specific databases such as MEDLINE, SCIENCEDIRECT and PUBMED. RESULTS The catechol-O-methyltransferase gene-polymorphism did not show any change in phenotypic variation between AN and control subjects; but the familial association was rather strong with an over-transmission of the H allele. The latter also correlated with several dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) scale. A notable relation was indicated between BDNF gene-polymorphism and anorexia-restrictive in terms of phenotypic distribution; the Met66-allele also depicted high association with anorexic behavioral traits. The 5-HTTLPR gene-polymorphism was found to be significantly associated with AN susceptibility with an over-transmission of the S-allele from parents to offspring. CONCLUSION The systematic review distinctively emphasized the genetic contribution of the brain-genes on the development of AN. Despite significant study findings, no clear and standardized genetic route was determined to be the cause of AN development. Future research is needed on these specific genes to closely monitor the genetic polymorphisms and their mechanism on AN susceptibility. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE I, systematic review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sirine Abou Al Hassan
- Dietetic Department, Saint George Hospital University Medical Center, Beirut, Lebanon.,Division of Medicine, Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition, University College London, London, UK
| | - Darren Cutinha
- Division of Medicine, Eating Disorders and Clinical Nutrition, University College London, London, UK
| | - Lama Mattar
- Nutrition Division, Department of Natural Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon.
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Wu S, Upadhyay N, Lu J, Jiang X, Li S, Qing Z, Wang J, Liang X, Zhang X, Zhang B. Interaction of Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val 158 Met polymorphism and sex influences association of parietal intrinsic functional connectivity and immediate verbal memory. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01784. [PMID: 32772512 PMCID: PMC7559624 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex differences modulate catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype effect at a synaptic dopamine level, which influences brain function as well as cognitive performance. In this study, we investigated how COMT Val158 Met polymorphism and sex affect intrinsic functional connectivity and memory. METHODS Intrinsic functional networks were extracted using independent component analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 186 healthy young COMT-genotyped participants. The association of these functional networks and memory function was tested to investigate whether the effect of COMT × sex interaction influences the association of intrinsic functional connectivity and memory performance. Quadratic curve fit estimation was used to examine the relationship between functional connectivity and speculative dopamine level among groups. RESULTS COMT MM/MV carriers, relative to VV carriers, showed increased functional connectivity in left superior parietal lobule and right inferior frontal gyrus. Further, male MM/MV carriers showed significant higher mean functional connectivity in left inferior parietal lobule relative to male VV carriers and female MM/MV carriers, which was associated with worse immediate verbal recall performance. Additionally, the relationship between inferior parietal lobule functional connectivity and speculative dopamine level among groups fits the quadratic curve. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the interaction of COMT genotype and sex might regulate synaptic dopaminergic concentrations and influence the association of intrinsic functional connectivity and immediate verbal memory in left inferior parietal lobule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sichu Wu
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Neeraj Upadhyay
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Jiaming Lu
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xueyan Jiang
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Shumei Li
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Zhao Qing
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Junxia Wang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xue Liang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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van Haren N, Cahn W, Hulshoff Pol H, Kahn R. Schizophrenia as a progressive brain disease. Eur Psychiatry 2020; 23:245-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2007.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2007] [Revised: 10/11/2007] [Accepted: 10/18/2007] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThere is convincing evidence that schizophrenia is characterized by abnormalities in brain volume. At the Department of Psychiatry of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, Netherlands, we have been carrying out neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia since 1995. We focused our research on three main questions. First, are brain volume abnormalities static or progressive in nature? Secondly, can brain volume abnormalities in schizophrenia be explained (in part) by genetic influences? Finally, what environmental factors are associated with the brain volume abnormalities in schizophrenia?Based on our findings we suggest that schizophrenia is a progressive brain disease. We showed different age-related trajectories of brain tissue loss suggesting that brain maturation that occurs in the third and fourth decade of life is abnormal in schizophrenia. Moreover, brain volume has been shown to be a useful phenotype for studying schizophrenia. Brain volume is highly heritable and twin and family studies show that unaffected relatives show abnormalities that are similar, but usually present to a lesser extent, to those found in the patients. However, also environmental factors play a role. Medication intake is indeed a confounding factor when interpreting brain volume (change) abnormalities, while independent of antipsychotic medication intake brain volume abnormalities appear influenced by the outcome of the illness.In conclusion, schizophrenia can be considered as a progressive brain disease with brain volume abnormalities that are for a large part influenced by genetic factors. Whether the progressive volume change is also mediated by genes awaits the results of longitudinal twin analyses. One of the main challenges for the coming years, however, will be the search for gene-by-environment interactions on the progressive brain changes in schizophrenia.
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Impact of COMT haplotypes on functional connectivity density and its association with the gene expression of dopamine receptors. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:2619-2630. [PMID: 31332515 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01924-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) affects brain connectivity via modulating the dopamine system, with an expected greater effect of haplotypes than single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The action pathway from COMT to dopamine to connectivity is theoretically dependent on the gene expression of dopamine receptors. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of COMT haplotypes on brain functional connectivity density (FCD) in hundreds of healthy young subjects, and to disclose the association between the COMT-FCD statistical map and the spatial expression of the dopamine receptor genes. We found an inverted U-shaped modulation of COMT haplotypes on FCD in the left inferior parietal lobule that is mainly connected to the frontal and parietal cortices, with APS homozygotes exhibiting greater FCD than the other five groups. However, we failed to identify any significant effect of any SNP on FCD. Utilizing gene expression data collected from Allen human brain atlas, we found the COMT-FCD statistical map was significantly associated with the expression patterns of the dopamine receptor genes. Our results suggest that COMT haplotypes have greater impact on functional connectivity than a single genetic variation and that the association between COMT and functional connectivity may be dependent on the gene expression of dopamine receptors.
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Jiang W, King TZ, Turner JA. Imaging Genetics Towards a Refined Diagnosis of Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:494. [PMID: 31354550 PMCID: PMC6639711 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Current diagnoses of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders are classified by phenomenological principles and clinical descriptions while ruling out other symptoms and conditions. Specific biomarkers are needed to assist the current diagnostic system. However, complicated gene and environment interactions induce great disease heterogeneity. This unclear etiology and heterogeneity raise difficulties in distinguishing schizophrenia-related effects. Simultaneously, the overlap in symptoms, genetic variations, and brain alterations in schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders raises similar difficulties in determining disease-specific effects. Imaging genetics is a unique methodology to assess the impact of genetic factors on both brain structure and function. More importantly, imaging genetics builds a bridge to understand the behavioral and clinical implications of genetics and neuroimaging. By characterizing and quantifying the brain measures affected in psychiatric disorders, imaging genetics is contributing to identifying potential biomarkers for schizophrenia and related disorders. To date, candidate gene analysis, genome-wide association studies, polygenetic risk score analysis, and large-scale collaborative studies have made contributions to the understanding of schizophrenia with the potential to serve as biomarkers. Despite limitations, imaging genetics remains promising as more aggregative, clustering methods and imaging genetics-compatible clinical assessments are employed in future studies. We review imaging genetics' contribution to our understanding of the heterogeneity within schizophrenia and the commonalities across schizophrenia and other diagnostic borders, and we will discuss whether imaging genetics is ready to form its own diagnostic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Jiang
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tricia Z King
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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Kirenskaya AV, Storozheva ZI, Gruden MA, Sewell RDE. COMT and GAD1 gene polymorphisms are associated with impaired antisaccade task performance in schizophrenic patients. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2018; 268:571-584. [PMID: 29429137 PMCID: PMC6096577 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-018-0881-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2017] [Accepted: 02/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Genetic influences modulating executive functions engaging prefrontal cortical brain systems were investigated in 141 male subjects. The effects of variations in two genes implicated in dopamine and GABA activities in the prefrontal cortex: rs4680 (Val158/Met polymorphism of the catechol-o-methyltransferase gene-COMT) and rs3749034 (C/T) substitution in the promoter region of the glutamic acid decarboxylase gene (GAD1) were studied on antisaccade (AS) performance in healthy subjects and schizophrenic patients. Genotyping revealed a trend towards a reduced proportion of COMT Val/Met heterozygotes and a significantly increased frequency of the GAD1 rs3749034 C allele in schizophrenic patients relative to controls. Patients had elevated error rates, increased AS latencies and increased latency variability (coefficient of variation) compared to controls. The influence of polymorphisms was observed only in patients but not in controls. A substantial effect of the COMT genotype was noted on the coefficient of variation in latency, and this measure was higher in Val homozygotes compared to Met allele carriers (p < 0.05) in the patient group. The outcome from rs3749034 was also disclosed on the error rate (higher in T carriers relative to C homozygotes, p < 0.01) and latency (increased in C homozygotes relative to T carriers, p < 0.01). Binary logistic regression showed that inclusion of the genotype factor (i.e., selective estimation of antisaccade measures in CC carriers) considerably increased the validity of the diagnostic model based on the AS measures. These findings may well be derived from specific genetic associations with prefrontal cortex functioning in schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V Kirenskaya
- Federal Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Kropotkinsky Lane. 23, 119034, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Zinaida I Storozheva
- Federal Medical Research Centre of Psychiatry and Narcology, Kropotkinsky Lane. 23, 119034, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Marina A Gruden
- Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "P. K. Anokhin Research Institute of Normal Physiology", Baltiskaya St., 8, 125315, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Robert D E Sewell
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Redwood Building, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF10 3NB, UK.
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Janouschek H, Eickhoff CR, Mühleisen TW, Eickhoff SB, Nickl-Jockschat T. Using coordinate-based meta-analyses to explore structural imaging genetics. Brain Struct Funct 2018; 223:3045-3061. [PMID: 29730826 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-018-1670-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 04/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Imaging genetics has become a highly popular approach in the field of schizophrenia research. A frequently reported finding is that effects from common genetic variation are associated with a schizophrenia-related structural endophenotype. Genetic contributions to a structural endophenotype may be easier to delineate, when referring to biological rather than diagnostic criteria. We used coordinate-based meta-analyses, namely the anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) algorithm on 30 schizophrenia-related imaging genetics studies, representing 44 single-nucleotide polymorphisms at 26 gene loci investigated in 4682 subjects. To test whether analyses based on biological information would improve the convergence of results, gene ontology (GO) terms were used to group the findings from the published studies. We did not find any significant results for the main contrast. However, our analysis enrolling studies on genotype × diagnosis interaction yielded two clusters in the left temporal lobe and the medial orbitofrontal cortex. All other subanalyses did not yield any significant results. To gain insight into possible biological relationships between the genes implicated by these clusters, we mapped five of them to GO terms of the category "biological process" (AKT1, CNNM2, DISC1, DTNBP1, VAV3), then five to "cellular component" terms (AKT1, CNNM2, DISC1, DTNBP1, VAV3), and three to "molecular function" terms (AKT1, VAV3, ZNF804A). A subsequent cluster analysis identified representative, non-redundant subsets of semantically similar terms that aided a further interpretation. We regard this approach as a new option to systematically explore the richness of the literature in imaging genetics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hildegard Janouschek
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Claudia R Eickhoff
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany.,Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (Functional Architecture of the Brain; INM-1), Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, Jülich, Germany
| | - Thomas W Mühleisen
- Institute of Neuroscience und Medicine (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany.,Department of Biomedicine, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.,Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Thomas Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany. .,Jülich-Aachen Research Alliance Brain, Jülich/Aachen, Germany. .,Department of Psychiatry, Iowa Neuroscience Institute, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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Batalla A, Lorenzetti V, Chye Y, Yücel M, Soriano-Mas C, Bhattacharyya S, Torrens M, Crippa JAS, Martín-Santos R. The Influence of DAT1, COMT, and BDNF Genetic Polymorphisms on Total and Subregional Hippocampal Volumes in Early Onset Heavy Cannabis Users. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2018; 3:1-10. [PMID: 29404409 PMCID: PMC5797324 DOI: 10.1089/can.2017.0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Hippocampal neuroanatomy is affected by genetic variations in dopaminergic candidate genes and environmental insults, such as early onset of chronic cannabis exposure. Here, we examine how hippocampal total and subregional volumes are affected by cannabis use and functional polymorphisms of dopamine-relevant genes, including the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine transporter (DAT1), and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genes. Material and Methods: We manually traced total hippocampal volumes and automatically segmented hippocampal subregions using high-resolution MRI images, and performed COMT, DAT1, and BDNF genotyping in 59 male Caucasian young adults aged 18–30 years. These included 30 chronic cannabis users with early-onset (regular use at <16 years) and 29 age-, education-, and intelligence-matched controls. Results: Cannabis use and dopaminergic gene polymorphism had both distinct and interactive effects on the hippocampus. We found emerging alterations of hippocampal total and specific subregional volumes in cannabis users relative to controls (i.e., CA1, CA2/3, and CA4), and associations between cannabis use levels and total and specific subregional volumes. Furthermore, total hippocampal volume and the fissure subregion were affected by cannabis×DAT1 polymorphism (i.e., 9/9R and in 10/10R alleles), reflecting high and low levels of dopamine availability. Conclusion: These findings suggest that cannabis exposure alters the normal relationship between DAT1 polymorphism and the anatomy of total and subregional hippocampal volumes, and that specific hippocampal subregions may be particularly affected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Nijmegen Institute for Scientist-Practitioners in Addiction (NISPA), Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Valentina Lorenzetti
- School of Psychological Sciences, Institute of Psychology Health and Society, The University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Laboratory for Brain and Mental Health, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Yann Chye
- Laboratory for Brain and Mental Health, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Murat Yücel
- Laboratory for Brain and Mental Health, Monash Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neurosciences and School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- Department of Psychiatry, Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, CIBERSAM G-17, and Department of Psychobiology and Methodology in Health Sciences, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies, King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
| | - Marta Torrens
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions, Hospital del Mar, IMIM (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques), Psychiatric Department of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José A S Crippa
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rocío Martín-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM and Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions, Hospital del Mar, IMIM (Institut Hospital del Mar d'Investigacions Mèdiques), Psychiatric Department of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.,Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia Translacional em Medicina Translational Medicine (INCT-TM), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development, São Paulo, Brazil
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11
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Arslan A. Mapping the Schizophrenia Genes by Neuroimaging: The Opportunities and the Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19010219. [PMID: 29324666 PMCID: PMC5796168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a heritable brain disease originating from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The genes underpinning the neurobiology of SZ are largely unknown but recent data suggest strong evidence for genetic variations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, making the brain vulnerable to the risk of SZ. Structural and functional brain mapping of these genetic variations are essential for the development of agents and tools for better diagnosis, treatment and prevention of SZ. Addressing this, neuroimaging methods in combination with genetic analysis have been increasingly used for almost 20 years. So-called imaging genetics, the opportunities of this approach along with its limitations for SZ research will be outlined in this invited paper. While the problems such as reproducibility, genetic effect size, specificity and sensitivity exist, opportunities such as multivariate analysis, development of multisite consortia for large-scale data collection, emergence of non-candidate gene (hypothesis-free) approach of neuroimaging genetics are likely to contribute to a rapid progress for gene discovery besides to gene validation studies that are related to SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayla Arslan
- Genetics and Bioengineering Program, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, International University of Sarajevo, Hrasnica cesta, 15 Ilidza, Sarajevo 71210, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Uskudar University, Istanbul 34662, Turkey.
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12
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Abstract
Imaging genetics is a research methodology studying the effect of genetic variation on brain structure, function, behavior, and risk for psychopathology. Since the early 2000s, imaging genetics has been increasingly used in the research of schizophrenia (SZ). SZ is a severe mental disorder with no precise knowledge of its underlying neurobiology, however, new genetic and neurobiological data generate a climate for new avenues. The accumulating data of genome wide association studies (GWAS) continuously decode SZ risk genes. Global neuroimaging consortia produce collections of brain phenotypes from tens of thousands of people. In this context, imaging genetics will be strategically important both for the validation and discovery of SZ related findings. Thus, the study of GWAS supported risk variants as candidate genes to validate by neuroimaging is one trend. The study of epigenetic differences in relation to variations of brain phenotypes and the study of large scale multivariate analysis of genome wide and brain wide associations are other trends. While these studies hold a big potential for understanding the neurobiology of SZ, the problem of reproducibility appears as a major challenge, which requires standardizations in study designs and compensations of methodological limitations such as sensitivity and specificity. On the other hand, advancements of neuroimaging, optical and electron microscopy along with the use of genetically encoded fluorescent probes and robust statistical approaches will not only catalyze integrative methodologies but also will help better design the imaging genetics studies. In this invited paper, I will discuss the current perspective of imaging genetics and emerging opportunities of SZ research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayla Arslan
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, International University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Uskudar University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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13
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Thompson CA, Karelis J, Middleton FA, Gentile K, Coman IL, Radoeva PD, Mehta R, Fremont WP, Antshel KM, Faraone SV, Kates WR. Associations between neurodevelopmental genes, neuroanatomy, and ultra high risk symptoms of psychosis in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2017; 174:295-314. [PMID: 28139055 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Accepted: 11/07/2016] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
22q11.2 deletion syndrome is a neurogenetic disorder resulting in the deletion of over 40 genes. Up to 40% of individuals with 22q11.2DS develop schizophrenia, though little is known about the underlying mechanisms. We hypothesized that allelic variation in functional polymorphisms in seven genes unique to the deleted region would affect lobar brain volumes, which would predict risk for psychosis in youth with 22q11.2DS. Participants included 56 individuals (30 males) with 22q11.2DS. Anatomic MR images were collected and processed using Freesurfer. Participants were genotyped for 10 SNPs in the COMT, DGCR8, GNB1L, PIK4CA, PRODH, RTN4R, and ZDHHC8 genes. All subjects were assessed for ultra high risk symptoms of psychosis. Allelic variation of the rs701428 SNP of RTN4R was significantly associated with volumetric differences in gray matter of the lingual gyrus and cuneus of the occipital lobe. Moreover, occipital gray matter volumes were robustly associated with ultra high risk symptoms of psychosis in the presence of the G allele of rs701428. Our results suggest that RTN4R, a relatively under-studied gene at the 22q11 locus, constitutes a susceptibility gene for psychosis in individuals with this syndrome through its alteration of the architecture of the brain. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlie A Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Jason Karelis
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Frank A Middleton
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.,Department of Neuroscience, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Karen Gentile
- Department of Neuroscience, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Ioana L Coman
- Department of Computer Science, SUNY Oswego, Oswego, New York
| | - Petya D Radoeva
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
| | - Rashi Mehta
- Department of Radiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Wanda P Fremont
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Kevin M Antshel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York.,Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Stephen V Faraone
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
| | - Wendy R Kates
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York
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14
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Flowers SA, Ryan KA, Lai Z, McInnis MG, Ellingrod VL. Interaction between COMT rs5993883 and second generation antipsychotics is linked to decreases in verbal cognition and cognitive control in bipolar disorder. BMC Psychol 2016; 4:14. [PMID: 27039372 PMCID: PMC4818866 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-016-0118-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Second generation antipsychotics (SGAs) are increasingly utilized in Bipolar Disorder (BD) but are potentially associated with cognitive side effects. Also linked to cognitive deficits associated with SGA-treatment are catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene variants. In this study, we examine the relationship between cognition in SGA use and COMT rs5993883 in cohort sample of subjects with BD. METHODS Interactions between SGA-treatment and COMT rs5993883 genotype on cognition was tested using a battery of neuropsychological tests performed in cross-sectional study of 246 bipolar subjects. RESULTS The mean age of our sample was 40.15 years and was comprised of 70 % female subjects. Significant demographic differences included gender, hospitalizations, benzodiazepine/antidepressant use and BD-type diagnosis. Linear regressions showed that the COMT rs5993883 GG genotype predicted lower verbal learning (p = 0.0006) and memory (p = 0.0026) scores, and lower scores on a cognitive control task (p = 0.004) in SGA-treated subjects. Interestingly, COMT GT- or TT-variants showed no intergroup cognitive differences. Further analysis revealed an interaction between SGA-COMT GG-genotype for verbal learning (p = 0.028), verbal memory (p = 0.026) and cognitive control (p = 0.0005). CONCLUSIONS This investigation contributes to previous work demonstrating links between cognition, SGA-treatment and COMT rs5993883 in BD subjects. Our analysis shows significant associations between cognitive domains such as verbal-cognition and cognitive control in SGA-treated subjects carrying the COMT rs5993883 GG-genotype. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the clinical significance of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A Flowers
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-106, USA
| | - Kelly A Ryan
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Zongshan Lai
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.,Center for Clinical Management Research (CCMR) Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Melvin G McInnis
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA
| | - Vicki L Ellingrod
- Clinical Pharmacy Department, College of Pharmacy, University of Michigan, 428 Church St, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-106, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Michigan, 4250 Plymouth Rd, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109, USA.
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15
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Hashimoto R, Ohi K, Yamamori H, Yasuda Y, Fujimoto M, Umeda-Yano S, Watanabe Y, Fukunaga M, Takeda M. Imaging genetics and psychiatric disorders. Curr Mol Med 2015; 15:168-75. [PMID: 25732148 PMCID: PMC4460286 DOI: 10.2174/1566524015666150303104159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Imaging genetics is an integrated research method that uses neuroimaging and genetics to assess the impact of genetic variation on brain function and structure. Imaging genetics is both a tool for the discovery of risk genes for psychiatric disorders and a strategy for characterizing the neural systems affected by risk gene variants to elucidate quantitative and mechanistic aspects of brain function implicated in psychiatric disease. Early studies of imaging genetics included association analyses between brain morphology and single nucleotide polymorphisms whose function is well known, such as catechol-Omethyltransferase (COMT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). GWAS of psychiatric disorders have identified genes with unknown functions, such as ZNF804A, and imaging genetics has been used to investigate clues of the biological function of these genes. The difficulty in replicating the findings of studies with small sample sizes has motivated the creation of largescale collaborative consortiums, such as ENIGMA, CHARGE and IMAGEN, to collect thousands of images. In a genome-wide association study, the ENIGMA consortium successfully identified common variants in the genome associated with hippocampal volume at 12q24, and the CHARGE consortium replicated this finding. The new era of imaging genetics has just begun, and the next challenge we face is the discovery of small effect size signals from large data sets obtained from genetics and neuroimaging. New methods and technologies for data reduction with appropriate statistical thresholds, such as polygenic analysis and parallel independent component analysis (ICA), are warranted. Future advances in imaging genetics will aid in the discovery of genes and provide mechanistic insight into psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - M Takeda
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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16
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Lamb YN, Thompson CS, McKay NS, Waldie KE, Kirk IJ. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) val66met polymorphism differentially affects performance on subscales of the Wechsler Memory Scale - Third Edition (WMS-III). Front Psychol 2015; 6:1212. [PMID: 26347681 PMCID: PMC4538220 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene influence brain structure and function, as well as cognitive abilities. They are most influential in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC), respectively. Recall and recognition are forms of memory proposed to have different neural substrates, with recall having a greater dependence on the PFC and hippocampus. This study aimed to determine whether the BDNF val66met or COMT val158met polymorphisms differentially affect recall and recognition, and whether these polymorphisms interact. A sample of 100 healthy adults was assessed on recall and familiarity-based recognition using the Faces and Family Pictures subscales of the Wechsler Memory Scale – Third Edition (WMS-III). COMT genotype did not affect performance on either task. The BDNF polymorphism (i.e., met carriers relative to val homozygotes) was associated with poorer recall ability, while not influencing recognition. Combining subscale scores in memory tests such as the WMS might obscure gene effects. Our results demonstrate the importance of distinguishing between recall and familiarity-based recognition in neurogenetics research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette N Lamb
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland New Zealand
| | - Christopher S Thompson
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland New Zealand
| | - Nicole S McKay
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland New Zealand
| | - Karen E Waldie
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland New Zealand
| | - Ian J Kirk
- School of Psychology, Faculty of Science, The University of Auckland, Auckland New Zealand
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17
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Vijayakumari AA, John JP, Halahalli HN, Paul P, Thirunavukkarasu P, Purushottam M, Jain S. Effect of polymorphisms of three genes mediating monoamine signalling on brain morphometry in schizophrenia and healthy subjects. CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY AND NEUROSCIENCE 2015; 13:68-82. [PMID: 25912540 PMCID: PMC4423152 DOI: 10.9758/cpn.2015.13.1.68] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2014] [Revised: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined the effect of risk alleles of polymorphisms of three schizophrenia risk genes that mediate monoamine signalling in the brain on regional brain volumes of schizophrenia and healthy control subjects. The risk alleles and the gene polymorphisms studied were: Val allele of catechol o-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 polymorphism; short allele of 5-hydroxy tryptamine transporter linked polymorphic region (5HTTLPR) polymorphism; and T allele of 5-hydroxy tryptamine 2A (5HT2A) rs6314 polymorphism. METHODS The study was carried out on patients with recent onset schizophrenia (n=41) recruited from the outpatient department of National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, India and healthy control subjects (n=39), belonging to South Indian Dravidian ethnicity. Individual and additive effects of risk alleles of the above gene polymorphisms on brain morphometry were explored using voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS Irrespective of phenotypes, individuals with the risk allele T of the rs6314 polymorphism of 5HT2A gene showed greater (at cluster-extent equivalent to family wise error-correction [FWEc] p<0.05) regional brain volumes in the left inferior temporal and left inferior occipital gyri. Those with the risk alleles of the other two polymorphisms showed a trend (at p<0.001, uncorrected) towards lower regional brain volumes. A trend (at p<0.001, uncorrected) towards additive effects of the above 3 risk alleles (subjects with 2 or 3 risk alleles vs. those with 1 or no risk alleles) on brain morphology was also noted. CONCLUSIONS The findings of the present study have implications in understanding the role of individual and additive effects of genetic variants in mediating regional brain morphometry in health and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anupa A Vijayakumari
- Multimodal Brain Image Analysis Laboratory (MBIAL), India.,Departments of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
| | - John P John
- Multimodal Brain Image Analysis Laboratory (MBIAL), India.,Departments of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India.,Departments of Clinical Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
| | - Harsha N Halahalli
- Departments of Neurophysiology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
| | - Pradip Paul
- Departments of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
| | - Priyadarshini Thirunavukkarasu
- Multimodal Brain Image Analysis Laboratory (MBIAL), India.,Departments of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
| | - Meera Purushottam
- Departments of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
| | - Sanjeev Jain
- Departments of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), Bangalore, India
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18
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Kirenskaya AV, Storozheva ZI, Kolobov VV, Sherstnev VV. The acoustic startle response and polymorphism of the gene for catechol-O-methyltransferase in the norm and in schizophrenia. NEUROCHEM J+ 2015. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712415010031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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19
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Li ML, Xiang B, Li YF, Hu X, Wang Q, Guo WJ, Lei W, Huang CH, Zhao LS, Li N, Ren HY, Wang HY, Ma XH, Deng W, Li T. Morphological changes in gray matter volume correlate with catechol-O-methyl transferase gene Val158Met polymorphism in first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia. Neurosci Bull 2015; 31:31-42. [PMID: 25564193 DOI: 10.1007/s12264-014-1491-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is a schizophrenia susceptibility gene. A common functional polymorphism of this gene, Val158/158Met, has been proposed to influence gray matter volume (GMV). However, the effects of this polymorphism on cortical thickness/surface area in schizophrenic patients are less clear. In this study, we explored the relationship between the Val158Met polymorphism of the COMT gene and the GMV/cortical thickness/cortical surface area in 150 first-episode treatment-naïve patients with schizophrenia and 100 healthy controls. Main effects of diagnosis were found for GMV in the cerebellum and the visual, medial temporal, parietal, and middle frontal cortex. Patients with schizophrenia showed reduced GMVs in these regions. And main effects of genotype were detected for GMV in the left superior frontal gyrus. Moreover, a diagnosis × genotype interaction was found for the GMV of the left precuneus, and the effect of the COMT gene on GMV was due mainly to cortical thickness rather than cortical surface area. In addition, a pattern of increased GMV in the precuneus with increasing Met dose found in healthy controls was lost in patients with schizophrenia. These findings suggest that the COMTMet variant is associated with the disruption of dopaminergic influence on gray matter in schizophrenia, and the effect of the COMT gene on GMV in schizophrenia is mainly due to changes in cortical thickness rather than in cortical surface area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming-Li Li
- The Mental Health Center and the Psychiatric Laboratory, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
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20
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Cordeiro Q, Vallada H. Association study between the Taq1A (rs1800497) polymorphism and schizophrenia in a Brazilian sample. ARQUIVOS DE NEURO-PSIQUIATRIA 2014; 72:582-6. [DOI: 10.1590/0004-282x20140100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe psychotic disorder with recurrent relapse and functional impairment. It results from a poorly understood gene-environment interaction. The Taq1A polymorphism (located in the gene cluster NTAD) is a likely candidate for schizophrenia. Its rs1800497 polymorphism was shown to be associated with DRD2 gene expression. Therefore the present work aims to investigate a possible association between schizophrenia and such polymorphism. The compared distribution of the alleles and genotypes of the studied polymorphism was investigated in a Brazilian sample of 235 patients and 834 controls. Genotypic frequencies were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. There was a trend of allelic association between the Taq1A polymorphism (rs1800497) with schizophrenia in the studied sample. However no statistically differences were found between cases and controls when analyzed by gender or schizophrenia subtypes.
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21
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Batalla A, Soriano-Mas C, López-Solà M, Torrens M, Crippa JA, Bhattacharyya S, Blanco-Hinojo L, Fagundo AB, Harrison BJ, Nogué S, de la Torre R, Farré M, Pujol J, Martín-Santos R. Modulation of brain structure by catechol-O-methyltransferase Val(158) Met polymorphism in chronic cannabis users. Addict Biol 2014; 19:722-32. [PMID: 23311613 DOI: 10.1111/adb.12027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have shown that chronic consumption of cannabis may result in alterations in brain morphology. Recent work focusing on the relationship between brain structure and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphism suggests that functional COMT variants may affect brain volume in healthy individuals and in schizophrenia patients. We measured the influence of COMT genotype on the volume of four key regions: the prefrontal cortex, neostriatum (caudate-putamen), anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus-amygdala complex, in chronic early-onset cannabis users and healthy control subjects. We selected 29 chronic cannabis users who began using cannabis before 16 years of age and matched them to 28 healthy volunteers in terms of age, educational level and IQ. Participants were male, Caucasians aged between 18 and 30 years. All were assessed by a structured psychiatric interview (PRISM) to exclude any lifetime Axis-I disorder according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition. COMT genotyping was performed and structural magnetic resonance imaging data was analyzed by voxel-based morphometry. The results showed that the COMT polymorphism influenced the volume of the bilateral ventral caudate nucleus in both groups, but in an opposite direction: more copies of val allele led to lesser volume in chronic cannabis users and more volume in controls. The opposite pattern was found in left amygdala. There were no effects of COMT genotype on volumes of the whole brain or the other selected regions. Our findings support recent reports of neuroanatomical changes associated with cannabis use and, for the first time, reveal that these changes may be influenced by the COMT genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert Batalla
- Department of Psychiatry; Clinical Institute of Neuroscience; Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM; Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology; University of Barcelona; Spain
| | - Carles Soriano-Mas
- CRC Mar; Hospital del Mar; Spain
- Department of Psychiatry; Bellvitge University Hospital-IDIBELL, CIBERSAM; Spain
| | | | - Marta Torrens
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
- Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RETIC); IMIM-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar; Spain
| | - José A. Crippa
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Behavior Department; University of Sao Paulo; Brazil
- INCT Translational Medicine (INCT-TM, CNPq); Brazil
| | - Sagnik Bhattacharyya
- Department of Psychosis Studies; King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry; UK
| | | | - Ana B. Fagundo
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
| | - Ben J. Harrison
- CRC Mar; Hospital del Mar; Spain
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre; Department of Psychiatry; The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health; Australia
| | - Santiago Nogué
- Clinical Toxicology Unit; Emergency Department; Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona; Spain
| | - Rafael de la Torre
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
- CIBEROBN; Spain
| | - Magí Farré
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
- Red de Trastornos Adictivos (RETIC); IMIM-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar; Spain
| | | | - Rocío Martín-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry; Clinical Institute of Neuroscience; Hospital Clínic, IDIBAPS, CIBERSAM; Spain
- Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology; University of Barcelona; Spain
- Neuroscience Program; IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute)-INAD-Parc de Salut Mar, Autonomous University of Barcelona and Pompeu Fabra University; Spain
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Behavior Department; University of Sao Paulo; Brazil
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22
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Risk genes for schizophrenia: Translational opportunities for drug discovery. Pharmacol Ther 2014; 143:34-50. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pharmthera.2014.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2014] [Accepted: 01/31/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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23
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Knickmeyer RC, Wang J, Zhu H, Geng X, Woolson S, Hamer RM, Konneker T, Lin W, Styner M, Gilmore JH. Common variants in psychiatric risk genes predict brain structure at birth. Cereb Cortex 2014; 24:1230-46. [PMID: 23283688 PMCID: PMC3977618 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhs401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies in adolescents and adults have demonstrated that polymorphisms in putative psychiatric risk genes are associated with differences in brain structure, but cannot address when in development these relationships arise. To determine if common genetic variants in disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1; rs821616 and rs6675281), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT; rs4680), neuregulin 1 (NRG1; rs35753505 and rs6994992), apolipoprotein E (APOE; ε3ε4 vs. ε3ε3), estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1; rs9340799 and rs2234693), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF; rs6265), and glutamate decarboxylase 1 (GAD1; rs2270335) are associated with individual differences in brain tissue volumes in neonates, we applied both automated region-of-interest volumetry and tensor-based morphometry to a sample of 272 neonates who had received high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging scans. ESR1 (rs9340799) predicted intracranial volume. Local variation in gray matter (GM) volume was significantly associated with polymorphisms in DISC1 (rs821616), COMT, NRG1, APOE, ESR1 (rs9340799), and BDNF. No associations were identified for DISC1 (rs6675281), ESR1 (rs2234693), or GAD1. Of note, neonates homozygous for the DISC1 (rs821616) serine allele exhibited numerous large clusters of reduced GM in the frontal lobes, and neonates homozygous for the COMT valine allele exhibited reduced GM in the temporal cortex and hippocampus, mirroring findings in adults. The results highlight the importance of prenatal brain development in mediating psychiatric risk.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Thomas Konneker
- Department of Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA and
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24
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Fusar-Poli P, Smieskova R, Serafini G, Politi P, Borgwardt S. Neuroanatomical markers of genetic liability to psychosis and first episode psychosis: a voxelwise meta-analytical comparison. World J Biol Psychiatry 2014; 15:219-28. [PMID: 22283467 DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2011.630408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To address at a meta-analytical level the neuroanatomical markers of genetic liability to psychosis and a of first episode of psychosis. METHODS Fifteen voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies of antipsychotic-naive subjects at genetic high-risk (HR) for psychosis or with a first-episode psychosis (FEP) were included in a Signed Differential Mapping (SDM) meta-analysis. Publication bias was assessed with funnel plots and Egger's intercept. Heterogeneity was assessed with Q statistics and I (2) index. RESULTS The database comprised 458 HR and 206 antipsychotic-naïve FEP subjects, matched with controls. Gray matter (GM) reductions as compared to controls, were observed in the left parahippocampal gyrus and in the bilateral anterior cingulate gyrus in the HR group, and in the right superior temporal gyrus, in the left insula and in the left cerebellum in the FEP group. Further GM decreases were observed in the FEP group as compared to the HR group in the left anterior cingulate, in the right precuneus, in the left cerebellum and in the right superior temporal gyrus. Limitations. The cross-sectional nature of the included studies prevented the comparison of high risk subjects who later did or did not develop a psychotic episode. Other caveats are based on the methodological heterogeneity across individual imaging studies. CONCLUSIONS GM reductions in the anterior cingulate are markers of genetic liability to psychosis while reductions in the superior temporal gyrus and cerebellum can be interpreted as markers of a first onset of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Fusar-Poli
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London , London , UK
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25
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Redpath HL, Lawrie SM, Sprooten E, Whalley HC, McIntosh AM, Hall J. Progress in imaging the effects of psychosis susceptibility gene variants. Expert Rev Neurother 2014; 13:37-47. [DOI: 10.1586/ern.12.145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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26
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Ira E, Zanoni M, Ruggeri M, Dazzan P, Tosato S. COMT, neuropsychological function and brain structure in schizophrenia: a systematic review and neurobiological interpretation. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2013; 38:366-80. [PMID: 23527885 PMCID: PMC3819150 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.120178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endophenotypes in genetic psychiatry may increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease risk and its manifestations. We sought to investigate the link between neuropsychological impairments and brain structural abnormalities associated with the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism in patients with schizophrenia to improve understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder. METHODS We performed a systematic review using studies identified in PubMed and MEDLINE (from the date of the first available article to July 2012). Our review examined evidence of an association between the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism and both neuropsychological performance and brain structure in patients with psychosis, in their relatives and in healthy individuals (step 1). The review also explored whether the neuropsychological tasks and brain structures identified in step 1 met the criteria for an endophenotype (step 2). Then we evaluated evidence that the neuropsychological endophenotypes identified in step 2 are associated with the brain structure endophenotypes identified in that step (step 3). Finally, we propose a neurobiological interpretation for this evidence. RESULTS A poorer performance on the n-back task and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and smaller temporal and frontal brain areas were associated with the COMT Val allele in patients with schizophrenia and their relatives and met most of the criteria for an endophenotype. It is possible that the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism therefore contributes to the development of these neuropsychological and brain structural endophenotypes of schizophrenia, in which the prefrontal cortex may represent the neural substrate underlying both n-back and CPT performances. LIMITATIONS The association between a single genetic variant and an endophenotype does not necessarily imply a causal relationship between them. CONCLUSION This evidence and the proposed interpretation contribute to explain, at least in part, the biological substrate of 4 important endophenotypes that characterize schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ira
- Correspondence to: E. Ira, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy;
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Tian T, Qin W, Liu B, Wang D, Wang J, Jiang T, Yu C. Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism modulates gray matter volume and functional connectivity of the default mode network. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78697. [PMID: 24147141 PMCID: PMC3797700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism on brain structure and function has been previously investigated separately and regionally; this prevents us from obtaining a full picture of the effect of this gene variant. Additionally, gender difference must not be overlooked because estrogen exerts an interfering effect on COMT activity. We examined 323 young healthy Chinese Han subjects and analyzed the gray matter volume (GMV) differences between Val/Val individuals and Met carriers in a voxel-wise manner throughout the whole brain. We were interested in genotype effects and genotype × gender interactions. We then extracted these brain regions with GMV differences as seeds to compute resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) with the rest of the brain; we also tested the genotypic differences and gender interactions in the rsFCs. Val/Val individuals showed decreased GMV in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) compared with Met carriers; decreased GMV in the medial superior frontal gyrus (mSFG) was found only in male Val/Val subjects. The rsFC analysis revealed that both the PCC and mSFG were functionally correlated with brain regions of the default mode network (DMN). Both of these regions showed decreased rsFCs with different parts of the frontopolar cortex of the DMN in Val/Val individuals than Met carriers. Our findings suggest that the COMT Val158Met polymorphism modulates both the structure and functional connectivity within the DMN and that gender interactions should be considered in studies of the effect of this genetic variant, especially those involving prefrontal morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tian
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Junping Wang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Chunshui Yu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- * E-mail:
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Thermenos HW, Keshavan MS, Juelich RJ, Molokotos E, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Brent BK, Makris N, Seidman LJ. A review of neuroimaging studies of young relatives of individuals with schizophrenia: a developmental perspective from schizotaxia to schizophrenia. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2013; 162B:604-35. [PMID: 24132894 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2013] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
In an effort to identify the developing abnormalities preceding psychosis, Dr. Ming T. Tsuang and colleagues at Harvard expanded Meehl's concept of "schizotaxia," and examined brain structure and function in families affected by schizophrenia (SZ). Here, we systematically review genetic (familial) high-risk (HR) studies of SZ using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), examine how findings inform models of SZ etiology, and suggest directions for future research. Neuroimaging studies of youth at HR for SZ through the age of 30 were identified through a MEDLINE (PubMed) search. There is substantial evidence of gray matter volume abnormalities in youth at HR compared to controls, with an accelerated volume reduction over time in association with symptoms and cognitive deficits. In structural neuroimaging studies, prefrontal cortex (PFC) alterations were the most consistently reported finding in HR. There was also consistent evidence of smaller hippocampal volume. In functional studies, hyperactivity of the right PFC during performance of diverse tasks with common executive demands was consistently reported. The only longitudinal fMRI study to date revealed increasing left middle temporal activity in association with the emergence of psychotic symptoms. There was preliminary evidence of cerebellar and default mode network alterations in association with symptoms. Brain abnormalities in structure, function and neurochemistry are observed in the premorbid period in youth at HR for SZ. Future research should focus on the genetic and environmental contributions to these alterations, determine how early they emerge, and determine whether they can be partially or fully remediated by innovative treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- H W Thermenos
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Massachusetts Mental Health Center, Division of Public Psychiatry, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Moran ME, Hulshoff Pol H, Gogtay N. A family affair: brain abnormalities in siblings of patients with schizophrenia. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 136:3215-26. [PMID: 23698280 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awt116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder that has a strong genetic basis. Converging evidence suggests that schizophrenia is a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder, with earlier onset cases resulting in more profound brain abnormalities. Siblings of patients with schizophrenia provide an invaluable resource for differentiating between trait and state markers, thus highlighting possible endophenotypes for ongoing research. However, findings from sibling studies have not been systematically put together in a coherent story across the broader age span. We review here the cortical grey matter abnormalities in siblings of patients with schizophrenia from childhood to adulthood, by reviewing sibling studies from both childhood-onset schizophrenia, and the more common adult-onset schizophrenia. When reviewed together, studies suggest that siblings of patients with schizophrenia display significant brain abnormalities that highlight both similarities and differences between the adult and childhood populations, with shared developmental risk patterns, and segregating trajectories. Based on current research it appears that the cortical grey matter abnormalities in siblings are likely to be an age-dependent endophenotype, which normalize by the typical age of onset of schizophrenia unless there has been more genetic or symptom burdening. With increased genetic burdening (e.g. discordant twins of patients) the grey matter abnormalities in (twin) siblings are progressive in adulthood. This synthesis of the literature clarifies the importance of brain plasticity in the pathophysiology of the illness, indicating that probands may lack protective factors critical for healthy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel E Moran
- 1 Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, Bethesda Maryland, USA
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Poletti S, Radaelli D, Cavallaro R, Bosia M, Lorenzi C, Pirovano A, Smeraldi E, Benedetti F. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype biases neural correlates of empathy and perceived personal distress in schizophrenia. Compr Psychiatry 2013; 54:181-6. [PMID: 22901597 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2012.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2011] [Revised: 06/04/2012] [Accepted: 06/11/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(108/158)Met polymorphism (rs4680) influences enzyme activity with valine (Val) allele associated with higher enzymatic activity. Several studies suggest that factors influencing dopaminergic transmission could control response to stressful situations. Empathy is an essential element of human behavior, requires the ability to adopt another person's perspective, and has been found to be dysfunctional in schizophrenia. METHODS Twenty-eight schizophrenic patients underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging performing an empathy task. Perceived empathy has been evaluated with the Interpersonal Reactivity Index. RESULTS An effect of COMT on perceived distress subscale has been shown, with methionine (Met)/Met subjects reporting lower rates of stress compared with Val/Val. Moreover, imaging results showed an effect of genotype on empathy processing in the anterior cingulate with Val/Val subjects showing the lowest activation. DISCUSSION This is the first study of the effect of rs4680 on interpersonal distress and neural correlates of empathy in schizophrenia. We found a decrease in neural responses in areas that ensure a cognitive control of emotion that is paralleled by perceived distress in interpersonal situation; this functional pattern seems to be influenced by rs4680 COMT polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Poletti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, San Raffaele Scientific Institute and University Vita-Salute, Milan, Italy.
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Lo Bianco L, Blasi G, Taurisano P, Di Giorgio A, Ferrante F, Ursini G, Fazio L, Gelao B, Romano R, Papazacharias A, Caforio G, Sinibaldi L, Popolizio T, Bellantuono C, Bertolino A. Interaction between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia during explicit processing of aversive facial stimuli. Psychol Med 2013; 43:279-292. [PMID: 22617427 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291712001134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotion dysregulation is a key feature of schizophrenia, a brain disorder strongly associated with genetic risk and aberrant dopamine signalling. Dopamine is inactivated by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), whose gene contains a functional polymorphism (COMT Val158Met) associated with differential activity of the enzyme and with brain physiology of emotion processing. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether genetic risk for schizophrenia and COMT Val158Met genotype interact on brain activity during implicit and explicit emotion processing. METHOD A total of 25 patients with schizophrenia, 23 healthy siblings of patients and 24 comparison subjects genotyped for COMT Val158Met underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during implicit and explicit processing of facial stimuli with negative emotional valence. RESULTS We found a main effect of diagnosis in the right amygdala, with decreased activity in patients and siblings compared with control subjects. Furthermore, a genotype × diagnosis interaction was found in the left middle frontal gyrus, such that the effect of genetic risk for schizophrenia was evident in the context of the Val/Val genotype only, i.e. the phenotype of reduced activity was present especially in Val/Val patients and siblings. Finally, a complete inversion of the COMT effect between patients and healthy subjects was found in the left striatum during explicit processing. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results suggest complex interactions between genetically determined dopamine signalling and risk for schizophrenia on brain activity in the prefrontal cortex during emotion processing. On the other hand, the effects in the striatum may represent state-related epiphenomena of the disorder itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Lo Bianco
- Psychiatric Neuroscience Group, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Bari, Italy
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Samartzis L, Dima D, Fusar-Poli P, Kyriakopoulos M. White Matter Alterations in Early Stages of Schizophrenia: A Systematic Review of Diffusion Tensor Imaging Studies. J Neuroimaging 2013; 24:101-10. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1552-6569.2012.00779.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 172] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2012] [Revised: 09/18/2012] [Accepted: 10/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Lampros Samartzis
- Department of Psychosis Studies; Institute of Psychiatry; King's Health Partners, King's College London; London UK
- Athalassa Psychiatric Hospital; Cyprus Mental Health Services; Nicosia Cyprus
| | - Danai Dima
- Department of Psychosis Studies; Institute of Psychiatry; King's Health Partners, King's College London; London UK
| | - Paolo Fusar-Poli
- Department of Psychosis Studies; Institute of Psychiatry; King's Health Partners, King's College London; London UK
| | - Marinos Kyriakopoulos
- Department of Psychosis Studies; Institute of Psychiatry; King's Health Partners, King's College London; London UK
- National and Specialist Children's Inpatient Unit; South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust; London UK
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Tunbridge EM, Farrell SM, Harrison PJ, Mackay CE. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) influences the connectivity of the prefrontal cortex at rest. Neuroimage 2012; 68:49-54. [PMID: 23228511 PMCID: PMC3566589 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.11.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2012] [Revised: 11/21/2012] [Accepted: 11/30/2012] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) modulates dopamine in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and influences PFC dopamine-dependent cognitive task performance. A human COMT polymorphism (Val158Met) alters enzyme activity and is associated with both the activation and functional connectivity of the PFC during task performance, particularly working memory. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging and a data-driven, independent components analysis (ICA) approach to compare resting state functional connectivity within the executive control network (ECN) between young, male COMT Val158 (n = 27) and Met158 (n = 28) homozygotes. COMT genotype effects on grey matter were assessed using voxel-based morphometry. COMT genotype significantly modulated functional connectivity within the ECN, which included the head of the caudate, and anterior cingulate and frontal cortical regions. Val158 homozygotes showed greater functional connectivity between a cluster within the left ventrolateral PFC and the rest of the ECN (using a threshold of Z > 2.3 and a family-wise error cluster significance level of p < 0.05). This difference occurred in the absence of any alterations in grey matter. Our data show that COMT Val158Met affects the functional connectivity of the PFC at rest, complementing its prominent role in the activation and functional connectivity of this region during cognitive task performance. The results suggest that genotype-related differences in prefrontal dopaminergic tone result in neuroadaptive changes in basal functional connectivity, potentially including subtle COMT genotype-dependent differences in the relative coupling of task-positive and task-negative regions, which could in turn contribute to its effects on brain activation, connectivity, and behaviour.
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Predicting first episode psychosis in those at high risk for genetic or cognitive reasons. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2012; 21:323-8. [PMID: 22967956 PMCID: PMC6998226 DOI: 10.1017/s2045796012000509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patients with psychosis has advanced to the point where there are clear abnormalities at a group level between patients and groups of healthy controls, and suggestions of different patterns of abnormalities between groups of patients. A major area of research endeavour is being able to translate these group differences into clinically relevant predictions at an individual patient level. Here, we briefly summarize our main findings in cohorts at high risk of psychosis because they come from families in which several members have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, or have educational impairments. We highlight consistent predictors of psychosis in those at high risk of schizophrenia for genetic or cognitive reasons, as compared with quite distinct profiles between those at genetic high risk of schizophrenia v. bipolar disorder on functional MRI during an executive language task. We also consider future research directions and ethical issues in the early diagnostic testing of people at high risk of psychosis.
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Witte AV, Flöel A. Effects of COMT polymorphisms on brain function and behavior in health and disease. Brain Res Bull 2012; 88:418-28. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2011.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2011] [Revised: 11/03/2011] [Accepted: 11/15/2011] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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The Influence of Apolipoprotein E Epsilon4 Polymorphism on qEEG Profiles in Healthy Young Females: A Resting EEG Study. Brain Topogr 2012; 25:431-42. [DOI: 10.1007/s10548-012-0229-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2011] [Accepted: 04/23/2012] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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Yang M, Kavi V, Wang W, Wu Z, Hao W. The association of 5-HTR2A-1438A/G, COMTVal158Met, MAOA-LPR, DATVNTR and 5-HTTVNTR gene polymorphisms and antisocial personality disorder in male heroin-dependent Chinese subjects. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2012; 36:282-9. [PMID: 22138326 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2011.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2011] [Revised: 11/17/2011] [Accepted: 11/17/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the association between the 5-HTR2A-1438A/G, COMTVal158Met, MAOA-LPR, DATVNTR and 5-HTTVNTR polymorphisms with comorbidity of antisocial personality disorder in male heroin-dependent patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS In case control study, we compared the polymorphic distributions of 5-HTR2A-1438A/G, COMTVal158Met, MAOA-LPR, DATVNTR and 5-HTTVNTR in 588 male heroin-dependent patients (including 311 patients with antisocial personality disorder and 277 patients without antisocial personality disorder) and 194 normal males by genotypes, alleles, and interaction between genes. RESULTS Between male heroin-dependent patients with antisocial personality disorder and normal males, and between male heroin-dependent patients with and without antisocial personality disorder, the distributions of 5-HTTVNTR polymorphic genotypes and alleles were in statistical significance. Individuals carrying 10R allele were in higher risk of the comorbidity of antisocial personality disorder and heroin dependence. By MDR analyses, the interaction between 5-HTTVNTR and DATVNTR was close to statistical significance in predicting the risk of antisocial personality disorder in male heroin dependent patients. In male heroin dependent patients, individuals carrying 5-HTTVNTR 10R allele or/and DATVNTR 9R allele were in higher risks of co-occurring antisocial personality disorder, while individuals with 5-HTTVNTR 12R/12R and DATVNTR 10R/10R genotypes together were in lower risks of antisocial personality disorder. CONCLUSION 5-HTTVNTR, and the interaction between 5-HTTVNTR and DATVNTR may be associated with the comorbidity of antisocial personality disorder in male heroin-dependent patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mei Yang
- Mental Health Institute, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, P.R. China
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No association of COMT (Val158Met) genotype with brain structure differences between men and women. PLoS One 2012; 7:e33964. [PMID: 22479488 PMCID: PMC3316513 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0033964] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2011] [Accepted: 02/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined the effect of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680), on brain structure in a subset (N = 82) of general population members of the Northern Finland 1966 Birth Cohort, selected through a randomization procedure, aged 33–35. Optimised voxel-based morphometry was used to produce grey matter maps from each subject's high resolution T1 weighted brain magnetic resonance images, which were subsequently entered into a general linear model with COMT genotype as defined by Met allele loading, gender and genotype by gender interaction as independent variables. Additional analyses were carried out on grey matter volumes within the dorsal lateral pre-frontal cortex (DLPFC) to examine effects on overall DLPFC volume and also using the DLPFC as a mask for voxelwise analyses, as this is an area previously reported as associated with Met allele loading. We failed to find any statistically significant association with grey matter volume and Met allele loading in the COMT gene or interaction affects between COMT and gender in either the whole brain voxel-wise analysis or in the area of the DLPFC.
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A genome-wide search for genetic influences and biological pathways related to the brain's white matter integrity. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:1847.e1-14. [PMID: 22425255 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Revised: 01/31/2012] [Accepted: 02/04/2012] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A genome-wide search for genetic variants influencing the brain's white matter integrity in old age was conducted in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC1936). At ∼73 years of age, members of the LBC1936 underwent diffusion MRI, from which 12 white matter tracts were segmented using quantitative tractography, and tract-averaged water diffusion parameters were determined (n = 668). A global measure of white matter tract integrity, g(FA), derived from principal components analysis of tract-averaged fractional anisotropy measurements, accounted for 38.6% of the individual differences across the 12 white matter tracts. A genome-wide search was performed with g(FA) on 535 individuals with 542,050 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). No single SNP association was genome-wide significant (all p > 5 × 10(-8)). There was genome-wide suggestive evidence for two SNPs, one in ADAMTS18 (p = 1.65 × 10(-6)), which is related to tumor suppression and hemostasis, and another in LOC388630 (p = 5.08 × 10(-6)), which is of unknown function. Although no gene passed correction for multiple comparisons in single gene-based testing, biological pathways analysis suggested evidence for an over-representation of neuronal transmission and cell adhesion pathways relating to g(FA).
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Raznahan A, Lee Y, Vaituzis C, Tran L, Mackie S, Tiemeier H, Clasen L, Lalonde F, Greenstein D, Pierson R, Giedd JN. Allelic variation within the putative autism spectrum disorder risk gene homeobox A1 and cerebellar maturation in typically developing children and adolescents. Autism Res 2012; 5:93-100. [PMID: 22359339 DOI: 10.1002/aur.238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 11/02/2011] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Homeobox A1 (HOXA1) has been proposed as a candidate gene for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as it regulates embryological patterning of hind-brain structures implicated in autism neurobiology. In line with this notion, a nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphism within a highly conserved domain of HOXA1--A218G (rs10951154)--has been linked to both ASD risk, and cross-sectional differences in superior posterior lobar cerebellar anatomy in late adulthood. Despite evidence for early onset and developmentally dynamic cerebellar involvement in ASD, little is known of the relationship between A218G genotype and maturation of the cerebellum over early development. We addressed this issue using 296 longitudinally acquired structural magnetic resonance imaging brain scans from 116 healthy individuals between 5 and 23 years of age. Mixed models were used to compare the relationship between age and semi-automated measures of cerebellar volume in A-homozygotes (AA) and carriers of the G allele (Gcar). Total cerebellar volume increased between ages of 5 and 23 years in both groups. However, this was accelerated in the Gcar relative to the AA group (Genotype-by-age interaction term, P = 0.03), and driven by genotype-dependent differences in the rate of bilateral superior posterior lobar volume change with age (P = 0.002). Resultantly, although superior posterior lobar volume did not differ significantly between genotype groups at age 5 (P = 0.9), by age 23 it was 12% greater in Gcar than AA (P = 0.002). Our results suggest that common genetic variation within this putative ASD risk gene has the capacity to modify the development of cerebellar systems implicated in ASD neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Raznahan
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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Schulz-Heik RJ, Schaer M, Eliez S, Hallmayer JF, Lin X, Kaloupek DG, Woodward SH. Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism moderates anterior cingulate volume in posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 70:1091-6. [PMID: 21783175 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.06.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2010] [Revised: 05/16/2011] [Accepted: 06/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with structural and functional compromise of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which may in turn be associated with impairment of its ability to regulate the amygdala. The Val158Met polymorphism in the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene, which substantially influences dopamine inactivation in the frontal lobe in general and in ACC in particular, may moderate ACC integrity in PTSD. METHODS We tested this hypothesis in a sample of Vietnam and Persian Gulf War veterans who experienced substantial military operational stress, including 51 who met criteria for PTSD and 48 matched controls who did not. RESULTS Participants with PTSD were previously reported to have smaller ACC volumes than controls in this sample. A novel repeated-measures analysis of variance was conducted with PTSD diagnosis, Val158Met genotype, and their interaction predicting left and right ACC volume. Genotype was not directly related to ACC volume, but it did significantly interact with the PTSD diagnosis. The difference in ACC volume between the participants without PTSD and participants with PTSD was greater among individuals homozygous for the Val allele than among carriers of the Met allele. This finding was driven largely by the right ACC. Analyses of Caucasian-only, non-Caucasian-only, and male-only subsamples indicated similar patterns. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest Val158Met genotype moderates the effect of PTSD-related processes on right ACC volume.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Jay Schulz-Heik
- National Center for PTSD, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Healthcare System, 3801 Miranda Avenue, Palo Alto, CA 94304, USA.
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Kurnianingsih YA, Kuswanto CN, McIntyre RS, Qiu A, Ho BC, Sim K. Neurocognitive-genetic and neuroimaging-genetic research paradigms in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2011; 118:1621-39. [DOI: 10.1007/s00702-011-0672-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2011] [Accepted: 06/05/2011] [Indexed: 04/08/2023]
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Rasetti R, Weinberger DR. Intermediate phenotypes in psychiatric disorders. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2011; 21:340-8. [PMID: 21376566 PMCID: PMC3138621 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2011.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2010] [Accepted: 02/04/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The small effect size of most individual risk factors for psychiatric disorders likely reflects biological heterogeneity and diagnostic imprecision, which has encouraged genetic studies of intermediate biological phenotypes that are closer to the molecular effects of risk genes than are the clinical symptoms. Neuroimaging-based intermediate phenotypes have emerged as particularly promising because they map risk associated gene effects onto physiological processes in brain that are altered in patients and in their healthy relatives. Recent evidence using this approach has elucidated discrete, dissociable biological mechanisms of risk genes at the level of neural circuitries, and their related cognitive functions. This approach may greatly contribute to our understanding of the genetics and pathophysiology of psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roberta Rasetti
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch: Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel R. Weinberger
- Clinical Brain Disorders Branch: Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program, NIMH, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Brauns S, Gollub RL, Roffman JL, Yendiki A, Ho BC, Wassink TH, Heinz A, Ehrlich S. DISC1 is associated with cortical thickness and neural efficiency. Neuroimage 2011; 57:1591-600. [PMID: 21642004 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.05.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2011] [Revised: 04/19/2011] [Accepted: 05/19/2011] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disrupted in schizophrenia 1 (DISC1) is known to play a major role during brain development and is a candidate gene for schizophrenia. Cortical thickness is highly heritable and several MRI studies have shown widespread reductions of cortical thickness in patients with schizophrenia. Here, we investigated the effects of variation in DISC1 on cortical thickness. In a subsequent analysis we tested whether the identified DISC1 risk variant is also associated with neural activity during working memory functioning. METHODS We acquired structural MRI (sMRI), functional MRI (fMRI) and genotype data from 96 healthy volunteers. Separate cortical statistical maps for five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of DISC1 were generated to detect differences of cortical thickness in genotype groups across the entire cortical surface. Working-memory related load-dependent activation was measured during the Sternberg Item Recognition Paradigm and analyzed using a region-of-interest approach. RESULTS Phe allele carriers of the DISC1 SNP Leu607Phe had significantly reduced cortical thickness in the left supramarginal gyrus compared to Leu/Leu homozygotes. Neural activity in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during working memory task was increased in Phe allele carriers, whereas working memory performance did not differ between genotype groups. CONCLUSIONS This study provides convergent evidence for the effect of DISC1 risk variants on two independent brain-based intermediate phenotypes of schizophrenia. The same risk variant was associated with cortical thickness reductions and signs of neural inefficiency during a working memory task. Our findings provide further evidence for a neurodevelopmental model of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Brauns
- MGH/MIT/HMS Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02129-2000, USA
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Brain imaging in psychosis and psychopathy--ethical considerations. Cortex 2011; 47:1236-9. [PMID: 21665203 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2011.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2010] [Revised: 04/28/2011] [Accepted: 05/06/2011] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Raznahan A, Greenstein D, Lee Y, Long R, Clasen L, Gochman P, Addington A, Giedd JN, Rapoport JL, Gogtay N. Catechol-o-methyl transferase (COMT) val158met polymorphism and adolescent cortical development in patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia, their non-psychotic siblings, and healthy controls. Neuroimage 2011; 57:1517-23. [PMID: 21620981 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2011] [Revised: 03/16/2011] [Accepted: 05/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-psychotic individuals at increased risk for schizophrenia show alterations in fronto-striatal dopamine signaling and cortical gray matter maturation reminiscent of those seen in schizophrenia. It remains unclear however if variations in dopamine signaling influence rates of structural cortical maturation in typically developing individuals, and whether such influences are disrupted in patients with schizophrenia and their non-psychotic siblings. We sought to address these issues by relating a functional Val→Met polymorphism within the gene encoding catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT)-a key enzymatic regulator of cortical dopamine levels-to longitudinal structural neuroimaging measures of cortical gray matter thickness. We included a total of 792 magnetic resonance imaging brain scans, acquired between ages 9 and 22 years from patients with childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS), their non-psychotic full siblings, and matched healthy controls. Whereas greater Val allele dose (which confers enhanced dopamine catabolism and is proposed to aggravate cortical deficits in schizophrenia) accelerated adolescent cortical thinning in both schizophrenia probands and their siblings, it attenuated cortical thinning in healthy controls. This similarity between COS patients and their siblings was accompanied by differences between the two groups in the timing and spatial distribution of disrupted COMT influences on cortical maturation. Consequently, whereas greater Val "dose" conferred persistent dorsolateral prefrontal cortical deficits amongst affected probands by adulthood, cortical thickness differences associated with varying Val dose in non-psychotic siblings resolved over the age-range studied. These findings suggest that cortical abnormalities in pedigrees affected by schizophrenia may be contributed to by a disruption of dopaminergic infleunces on cortical maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin Raznahan
- Child Psychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MA 20892, USA.
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Abstract
Recent years have seen an explosive growth of interest in the application of imaging genetics to understand neurogenetic mechanisms of schizophrenia. Imaging genetics applies structural and functional neuroimaging to study subjects carrying genetic risk variants that relate to a psychiatric disorder. We review selected aspects of this literature, starting with a widely studied candidate gene--the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT)--discussing other candidate genes in the dopaminergic system, and then discussing variants with genome-wide support. In future perspectives, approaches to characterize epistatic effects, the identification of new risk genes through forward-genetic approaches using imaging phenotypes, and the study of rare structural variants are considered.
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Swart M, Bruggeman R, Larøi F, Alizadeh BZ, Kema I, Kortekaas R, Wiersma D, Aleman A. COMT Val158Met polymorphism, verbalizing of emotion and activation of affective brain systems. Neuroimage 2011; 55:338-44. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2010.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2010] [Revised: 11/25/2010] [Accepted: 12/06/2010] [Indexed: 10/18/2022] Open
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LAWRIE STEPHENM, OLABI BAYANNE, HALL JEREMY, McINTOSH ANDREWM. Do we have any solid evidence of clinical utility about the pathophysiology of schizophrenia? World Psychiatry 2011; 10:19-31. [PMID: 21379347 PMCID: PMC3048512 DOI: 10.1002/j.2051-5545.2011.tb00004.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
A diagnosis of schizophrenia, as in most of psychiatric practice, is made largely by eliciting symptoms with reference to subjective, albeit operationalized, criteria. This diagnosis then provides some rationale for management. Objective diagnostic and therapeutic tests are much more desirable, provided they are reliably measured and interpreted. Definite advances have been made in our understanding of schizophrenia in recent decades, but there has been little consideration of how this information could be used in clinical practice. We review here the potential utility of the strongest and best replicated risk factors for and manifestations of schizophrenia within clinical, epidemiological, cognitive, blood biomarker and neuroimaging domains. We place particular emphasis on the sensitivity, specificity and predictive power of pathophysiological indices for making a diagnosis, establishing an early diagnosis or predicting treatment response in schizophrenia. We conclude that a number of measures currently available have the potential to increase the rigour of clinical assessments in schizophrenia. We propose that the time has come to more fully evaluate these and other well replicated abnormalities as objective potential diagnostic and prognostic guides, and to steer future clinical, therapeutic and nosological research in this direction.
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Affiliation(s)
- STEPHEN M. LAWRIE
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK
| | - BAYANNE OLABI
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK
| | - JEREMY HALL
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK
| | - ANDREW M. McINTOSH
- Division of Psychiatry, School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Morningside, Edinburgh EH10 5HF, UK
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Chan RCK, Di X, McAlonan GM, Gong QY. Brain anatomical abnormalities in high-risk individuals, first-episode, and chronic schizophrenia: an activation likelihood estimation meta-analysis of illness progression. Schizophr Bull 2011; 37:177-88. [PMID: 19633214 PMCID: PMC3004195 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbp073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 240] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study reviewed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) studies on high-risk individuals with schizophrenia, patients experiencing their first-episode schizophrenia (FES), and those with chronic schizophrenia. We predicted that gray matter abnormalities would show progressive changes, with most extensive abnormalities in the chronic group relative to FES and least in the high-risk group. METHOD Forty-one VBM studies were reviewed. Eight high-risk studies, 14 FES studies, and 19 chronic studies were analyzed using anatomical likelihood estimation meta-analysis. RESULTS Less gray matter in the high-risk group relative to controls was observed in anterior cingulate regions, left amygdala, and right insula. Lower gray matter volumes in FES compared with controls were also found in the anterior cingulate and right insula but not the amygdala. Lower gray matter volumes in the chronic group were most extensive, incorporating similar regions to those found in FES and high-risk groups but extending to superior temporal gyri, thalamus, posterior cingulate, and parahippocampal gryus. Subtraction analysis revealed less frontotemporal, striatal, and cerebellar gray matter in FES than the high-risk group; the high-risk group had less gray matter in left subcallosal gyrus, left amygdala, and left inferior frontal gyrus compared with FES. Subtraction analysis confirmed lower gray matter volumes through ventral-dorsal anterior cingulate, right insula, left amygdala and thalamus in chronic schizophrenia relative to FES. CONCLUSIONS Frontotemporal brain structural abnormalities are evident in nonpsychotic individuals at high risk of developing schizophrenia. The present meta-analysis indicates that these gray matter abnormalities become more extensive through first-episode and chronic illness. Thus, schizophrenia appears to be a progressive cortico-striato-thalamic loop disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond C. K. Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory,Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 4A Datun Road, Beijing 100101, China,Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,To whom correspondence should be addressed;
| | - Xin Di
- Department of Psychology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Grainne M. McAlonan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China,State key laboratory for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China
| | - Qi-yong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Centre, Department of Radiology, West China Hospital / West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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