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Martens MAG, Dalton N, Scaife J, Harmer CJ, Harrison PJ, Tunbridge EM. Catechol-O-methyltransferase activity does not influence emotional processing in men. J Psychopharmacol 2022; 36:768-775. [PMID: 35443830 PMCID: PMC9150146 DOI: 10.1177/02698811221089032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) regulates cortical dopaminergic transmission and prefrontal-dependent cognitive function. However, its role in other cognitive processes, including emotional processing, is relatively unexplored. We therefore investigated the separate and interactive influences of COMT inhibition and Val158Met (rs4680) genotype on performance on an emotional test battery. METHODS We recruited 74 healthy men homozygous for the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism. Volunteers were administered either a single 200 mg dose of the brain-penetrant COMT inhibitor tolcapone or placebo in a double-blind, randomised manner. Emotional processing was assessed using the emotional test battery, and mood was rated using visual analogue scales and the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire across the test day. RESULTS There were no main or interactive effects of Val158Met genotype or tolcapone on any of the emotional processing measures or mood ratings. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that, at least in healthy adult men, COMT has little or no effect on emotional processing or mood. These findings contrast with several neuroimaging studies that suggest that COMT modulates neural activity during emotional processing. Thus, further studies are required to understand how COMT impacts on the relationship between behavioural output and neural activity during emotional processing. Nevertheless, our data suggest that novel COMT inhibitors under development for treating cognitive dysfunction are unlikely to have acute off target effects on emotional behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke AG Martens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK,Marieke AG Martens, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
| | - Nina Dalton
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jessica Scaife
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Catherine J Harmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Paul J Harrison
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Elizabeth M Tunbridge
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK,Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
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2
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Wang Z, Ji Y, Fu Y, Liu F, Du X, Liu H, Zhu W, Xue K, Qin W, Zhang Q. Gene expression associated with human brain activations in facial expression recognition. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:1657-1670. [PMID: 35212890 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00633-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies identified some genetic loci of emotion, but few focused on human emotion-related gene expression. In this study, the facial expression recognition (FER) task-based high-resolution fMRI data of 203 subjects in the Human Connectome Project (HCP) and expression data of the six healthy human postmortem brain tissues in the Allen Human Brain Atlas (AHBA) were used to conduct a transcriptome-neuroimaging spatial association analysis. Finally, 371 genes were identified to be significantly associated with FER-related brain activations. Enrichment analyses revealed that FER-related genes were mainly expressed in the brain, especially neurons, and might be related to cell junction organization, synaptic functions, and nervous system development regulation, indicating that FER was a complex polygenetic biological process involving multiple pathways. Moreover, these genes exhibited higher enrichment for psychiatric diseases with heavy emotion impairments. This study provided new insight into understanding the FER-related biological mechanisms and might be helpful to explore treatment methods for emotion-related psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zirui Wang
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Yuan Ji
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Yumeng Fu
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Feng Liu
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Xin Du
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Huaigui Liu
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Wenshuang Zhu
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Kaizhong Xue
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China
| | - Quan Zhang
- Department of Medical imaging and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, No. 154, Anshan Road, Heping District, Tianjin, 300052, China.
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Kovsh E, Yavna D, Babenko V, Ermakov P, Vorobyeva E, Denisova E, Alekseeva D. The Success of Facial Expression Recognition by Carriers of Various Genotypes of the COMT, DRD4, 5HT2A, MAOA GENES. EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY (RUSSIA) 2022. [DOI: 10.17759/exppsy.2022150309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The work is aimed at describing the relationship between the genes COMT, DRD4, 5HT2A, MAOA with the success of facial expression recognition. These genes play an important role in various emotional and cognitive processes. At the same time, hereditary aspects of recognition of facial expressions, in contrast to sociocultural ones, have not been studied enough to date. The study involved 87 healthy students of Russian universities (20.4 ± 2.6 years). DNA analysis was carried out with the determination of genotypes by the polymorphic loci of the genes rs4680 COMT, rs6313 5HT2A (HTR2A), rs1800955 DRD4, VNTR MAOA (RSMU, Rostov-on-Don). The participants of the study were asked to distinguish emotional facial expressions in photographs taken from the MMI, KDEF, Rafd, WSEFEP image databases. The obtained results indicate the following differences in the success of facial expression recognition: carriers of the Val/Val genotype of the COMT gene significantly better recognize the emotions of surprise (H=7.7, df=2, p=0.02), fear (H=10.5, df=2, p=0.005), sadness (H=11.2, df=2, p=0.004); carriers of the heterozygous C/T genotype of the DRD4 gene significantly better recognize facial expression of disgust (H=9.1, df=2, p=0.01). No relationship was found between the MAOA gene genotypes and the success of emotion recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - D.S. Alekseeva
- Regional Research Center of the Russian Academy of Education in the Southern Federal District
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4
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Gao Y, Xiong Y, Liu X, Wang H. The Effects of Childhood Maltreatment on Non-Suicidal Self-Injury in Male Adolescents: The Moderating Roles of the Monoamine Oxidase A (MAOA) Gene and the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052598. [PMID: 33807669 PMCID: PMC7967505 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Revised: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Numerous studies suggest strong associations between childhood maltreatment and nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI); this is also true for the roles of dopaminergic genes in the etiology of some psychopathologies related to NSSI. Investigating the interactions of environments and genes is important in order to better understand the etiology of NSSI. (2) Methods: Within a sample of 269 Chinese male adolescents (Mage = 14.72, SD = 0.92), childhood maltreatment and NSSI were evaluated, and saliva samples were collected for MAOA T941G and COMT Val158Met polymorphism analyses. (3) Results: The results revealed no primary effects attributable to MAOA T941G and COMT Val158Met polymorphism on NSSI. However, there was a significant three-way interaction between MAOA, COMT, and child abuse (β = −0.34, p < 0.01) in adolescent NSSI. Except for carriers of the T allele of MAOA and the Met allele of COMT, all studied male adolescents displayed higher NSSI scores when exposed to a higher level of child abuse. A similar three-way interaction was not observed in the case of child neglect. (4) Conclusions: The results indicate that the MAOA gene and COMT gene play moderating roles in the association between child abuse and NSSI of male adolescents and suggest the polygenic underpinnings of NSSI.
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Facial Emotion Recognition and Polymorphisms of Dopaminergic Pathway Genes in Children with ASD. Behav Neurol 2020; 2020:6376842. [PMID: 33204361 PMCID: PMC7657692 DOI: 10.1155/2020/6376842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Revised: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 10/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is inconclusive whether children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience a deficit in facial emotion recognition. The dopaminergic pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of ASD. This study was aimed at determining facial emotion recognition and its correlation with polymorphisms in the dopaminergic pathway genes in children with ASD. Methods Facial emotion recognition was examined in 98 children with ASD and 60 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The severity of ASD was evaluated using the Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS). DNA from blood cells was used to analyze the genotypes of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in dopaminergic pathway genes. SNPs of DBH rs1611115, DDC rs6592961, DRD1 rs251937, DRD2 rs4630328, and DRD3 rs167771 were analyzed. Results Children with ASD took a significantly longer time to recognize all facial emotions, and their interpretations were less accurate for anger at low intensity and fear at both low and high intensities. The severity of the disease was associated with significant delays in recognition of all facial emotions and with a decrease in accuracy in recognition of happiness and anger at low intensity. Accuracy in recognizing fear at high intensity and sadness at low intensity was associated with rs251937 and rs4630328, respectively, in children with ASD. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that SNP rs167771, response time for the recognition of happiness, sadness and fear, and accuracy in recognition of anger and fear were all associated with the risk of childhood ASD. Conclusions Children with ASD experience a deficit in facial emotion recognition. Certain SNPs in the dopaminergic pathway genes are associated with accuracy in recognizing selective facial emotions in children with ASD.
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DiLalla LF, John SG. A genetically informed examination of the relations between inaccurate emotion expression and recognition and experiencing peer victimization. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisabeth Fisher DiLalla
- Family and Community Medicine Southern Illinois University School of Medicine Carbondale Illinois
| | - Sufna Gheyara John
- Department of Psychiatry University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Little Rock Arkansas
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Genetic modulation of facial emotion recognition in borderline personality disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2020; 99:109816. [PMID: 31738966 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2019.109816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Revised: 11/08/2019] [Accepted: 11/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Facial emotion recognition (FER) has been described to be impaired in borderline personality disorder (BPD), especially for neutral faces. Genetic modulation of FER has been studied in healthy individuals and some psychiatric conditions, but no genetic association studies have been conducted in BPD hitherto. The main objective of our study was to explore the influence of the serotonin-transporter-linked promoter region (5HTTLPR) and catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met on facial emotion processing among BPD patients. To that end, seventy-six BPD outpatients were asked to complete a computer-based facial affect recognition task, representing four emotions (neutral, happy, fearful or angry). Accuracy of FER and perceptual biases were calculated. The 5HTTLPR and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms were genotyped using saliva samples. Individuals with the high-activity serotonin-transporter genotype and those with the low-activity COMT genotype had significantly more difficulties identifying neutral faces; the former showed stronger bias to perceive neutral faces as happy, and the latter, neutral faces as fearful. Interestingly, the perceptual biases observed in our patients are similar to previous reports in healthy individuals. The authors propose that the ability to accurately recognize neutral faces might be a possible endophenotype of BPD. Sex-genotype interactions were also observed in relation to angry faces and 5HTTLPR, and neutral faces and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms, in line with sex-related differences previously described for both polymorphisms in relation to FER and other cognitive and behavioral outcomes. The impact of inaccurate FER on psychosocial functioning and potential interventions are also discussed.
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8
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Lischke A, Pahnke R, König J, Homuth G, Hamm AO, Wendt J. COMTVal158Met Genotype Affects Complex Emotion Recognition in Healthy Men and Women. Front Neurosci 2019; 12:1007. [PMID: 30723391 PMCID: PMC6349699 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.01007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has repeatedly been shown to change amygdala activity and amygdala-prefrontal connectivity during face processing. Although the COMT gene appears to induce a negativity bias during the neural processing of faces, it is currently unclear whether a similar negativity bias emerges during the behavioral processing of faces. To address this issue, we investigated differences in complex emotion recognition between participants (n = 181) that had been a priori genotyped for functional polymorphisms of the COMT (Val158Met) and serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) gene. We were, thus, able to analyze differences in face processing on basis of participants’ COMT genotype while controlling for participants’ 5-HTTLPR genotype. Variations of participants’ COMT but not 5-HTTLPR genotype accounted for differences in participants’ emotion recognition performance: Met/Met carriers and Met/Val carriers were more accurate in the recognition of negative, but not neutral or positive, expressions than Val/Val carriers. We, therefore, revealed a similar negativity bias during the behavioral processing of faces that has already been demonstrated during the neural processing of faces, indicating that genotype-dependent changes in catecholamine metabolism may affect face processing on the behavioral and neural level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Lischke
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Rike Pahnke
- Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
| | - Jörg König
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Georg Homuth
- Interfaculty Institute for Genetics and Functional Genomics, University Medicine Greifswald, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Alfons O Hamm
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Julia Wendt
- Department of Psychology, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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9
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Eddy CM, Cook JL. Emotions in action: The relationship between motor function and social cognition across multiple clinical populations. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2018; 86:229-244. [PMID: 29857027 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Clare M Eddy
- National Centre for Mental Health and College of Medical and Dental Sciences, BSMHFT, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Jennifer L Cook
- School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK.
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10
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Childhood Predictors of Young Adult Social Functioning in 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. J Autism Dev Disord 2018; 47:2480-2501. [PMID: 28527096 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3165-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The primary objectives of the current prospective longitudinal study were to (a) describe social functioning outcomes and (b) identify childhood predictors of social functioning in young adults with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS). Childhood predictors of young adult social functioning were examined. Family environment and parental stress in adolescence were investigated as potential mediators between childhood variables and adult social functioning. Parent rated childhood internalizing symptoms significantly predicted young adult social functioning in 22q11.2DS, even after controlling for concurrent positive symptoms of psychosis, and problem behaviors contributing to parenting stress in adolescence partially mediated this relationship. These findings highlight child internalizing symptoms and adolescent problem behaviors as potential targets for social functioning interventions in 22q11.2DS.
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11
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Hill LD, Lorenzetti MS, Lyle SM, Fins AI, Tartar A, Tartar JL. Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism associates with affect and cortisol levels in women. Brain Behav 2018; 8:e00883. [PMID: 29484256 PMCID: PMC5822566 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2017] [Revised: 10/10/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction We tested the extent to which the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism is associated with affective state and evening cortisol levels. We limited our study to women as previous research suggests that the link between COMT genotype and psychological health is entangled by sex differences. Materials and Methods The participants were assessed on measures of anxiety, mood disturbance, depressive symptomatology, and perceived stress. We also evaluated participants on a quality of life measures that included two emotion domains and two physical domains (physical health and environment). Results We found that under normal (nonstress) conditions, the COMT A allele (Met carriers, higher dopamine) associates with healthier affect and lower afternoon cortisol levels in women. These effects were limited to affective measures and not to physical or environmental quality of life. Conclusions These findings help to shed light on the complex nature of COMT and emotion, and suggest that both sex and task condition (stress vs. nonstress) should be considered when examining the relationship between COMT genotype and emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren D. Hill
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceNova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdaleFLUSA
| | - Margaret S. Lorenzetti
- Department of Clinical and School PsychologyNova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdaleFLUSA
| | - Sarah M. Lyle
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceNova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdaleFLUSA
| | - Ana I. Fins
- Department of Clinical and School PsychologyNova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdaleFLUSA
| | - Aurélien Tartar
- Department of Biological SciencesNova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdaleFLUSA
| | - Jaime L. Tartar
- Department of Psychology and NeuroscienceNova Southeastern UniversityFort LauderdaleFLUSA
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12
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Heller J, Mirzazade S, Romanzetti S, Habel U, Derntl B, Freitag NM, Schulz JB, Dogan I, Reetz K. Impact of gender and genetics on emotion processing in Parkinson's disease - A multimodal study. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 18:305-314. [PMID: 29876251 PMCID: PMC5987844 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.01.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2017] [Revised: 01/25/2018] [Accepted: 01/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding of the phenotypic heterogeneity of Parkinson's disease is needed. Gender and genetics determine manifestation and progression of Parkinson's disease. Altered emotion processing in Parkinson's disease is specific to male patients. This is influenced by endocrinal and genetic factors in both genders. This finding may impact the diagnosis and treatment of emerging clinical features.
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Key Words
- BAI, Beck anxiety inventory
- BDI-II, Beck depression inventory version II
- BFRT, Benton facial recognition test
- BOLD, blood‑oxygen-level dependent
- COMT, catechol-O-methyltransferase
- EPI, echo planar imaging
- Emotion
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
- GM, gray matter
- Gender
- Genetics
- H&Y, Hoehn and Yahr rating scale
- HC, healthy controls
- LEDD, levodopa equivalence daily dose
- MCI, mild cognitive impairment
- MMSE, Mini-Mental State Examination
- MRI, magnetic resonance imaging
- MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment
- NMS, non-motor symptoms
- PD, Parkinson's disease
- Parkinson's disease (PD)
- UPDRS, Unified Parkinson's disease rating scale
- VBM, voxel-based morphometry
- fMRI, functional magnetic resonance imaging
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Heller
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Shahram Mirzazade
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Sandro Romanzetti
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Ute Habel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Brain Structure-Function Relationships: Decoding the Human Brain at Systemic Levels, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Osianderstraße 24, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nils M Freitag
- II. Institute of Physics B and JARA-FIT, RWTH Aachen University, Otto-Blumenthal-Straße, Aachen, Germany
| | - Jörg B Schulz
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Imis Dogan
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Germany
| | - Kathrin Reetz
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Pauwelsstraße 30, Aachen, Germany; JARA-BRAIN Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH and RWTH Aachen University, Germany.
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13
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Carrà G, Nicolini G, Lax A, Bartoli F, Castellano F, Chiorazzi A, Gamba G, Bava M, Crocamo C, Papagno C. Facial emotion recognition in schizophrenia: An exploratory study on the role of comorbid alcohol and substance use disorders and COMT Val158Met. Hum Psychopharmacol 2017; 32. [PMID: 28913946 DOI: 10.1002/hup.2630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Revised: 07/04/2017] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To explore whether facial emotion recognition (FER), impaired in both schizophrenia and alcohol and substance use disorders (AUDs/SUDs), is additionally compromised among comorbid subjects, also considering the role of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study, randomly recruiting 67 subjects with a DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of schizophrenia, and rigorously assessing AUDs/SUDs and COMT Val158Met polymorphism. FER was assessed using the Ekman 60 Faces Test- EK-60F. RESULTS As a whole, the sample scored significantly lower than normative data on EK-60F. However, subjects with comorbid AUDs/SUDs did not perform worse on EK-60F than those without, who had a better performance on EK-60F if they carried the COMT Val/Met variant. CONCLUSIONS This study is the first to date examining the impact of AUDs/SUDs and COMT variants on FER in an epidemiologically representative sample of subjects with schizophrenia. Our findings do not suggest an additional impairment from comorbid AUDs/SUDs on FER among subjects with schizophrenia, whilst COMT Val158Met, though based on a limited sample, might have a role just among those without AUDs/SUDs. Based on our results, additional research is needed also exploring differential roles of various substances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giuseppe Carrà
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy.,Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gabriella Nicolini
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Annamaria Lax
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Francesco Bartoli
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Filippo Castellano
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Alessia Chiorazzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Giulia Gamba
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Mattia Bava
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Cristina Crocamo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano Bicocca, Monza, Italy
| | - Costanza Papagno
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano Bicocca, Milan, Italy
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Coleman JR, Lester KJ, Keers R, Munafò MR, Breen G, Eley TC. Genome-wide association study of facial emotion recognition in children and association with polygenic risk for mental health disorders. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2017; 174:701-711. [PMID: 28608620 PMCID: PMC5638097 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Emotion recognition is disrupted in many mental health disorders, which may reflect shared genetic aetiology between this trait and these disorders. We explored genetic influences on emotion recognition and the relationship between these influences and mental health phenotypes. Eight-year-old participants (n = 4,097) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) completed the Diagnostic Analysis of Non-Verbal Accuracy (DANVA) faces test. Genome-wide genotype data was available from the Illumina HumanHap550 Quad microarray. Genome-wide association studies were performed to assess associations with recognition of individual emotions and emotion in general. Exploratory polygenic risk scoring was performed using published genomic data for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, autism spectrum disorder, anorexia, and anxiety disorders. No individual genetic variants were identified at conventional levels of significance in any analysis although several loci were associated at a level suggestive of significance. SNP-chip heritability analyses did not identify a heritable component of variance for any phenotype. Polygenic scores were not associated with any phenotype. The effect sizes of variants influencing emotion recognition are likely to be small. Previous studies of emotion identification have yielded non-zero estimates of SNP-heritability. This discrepancy is likely due to differences in the measurement and analysis of the phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R.I. Coleman
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, MRC SocialGenetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) CentreLondonUK,National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research CentreSouth London and Maudsley National Health Service TrustLondonUK
| | | | - Robert Keers
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, MRC SocialGenetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) CentreLondonUK,School of Biological and Chemical SciencesQueen Mary University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Marcus R. Munafò
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology UnitUniversity of BristolBristolUK,UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, School of Experimental PsychologyUniversity of BristolBristolUK
| | - Gerome Breen
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, MRC SocialGenetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) CentreLondonUK,National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research CentreSouth London and Maudsley National Health Service TrustLondonUK
| | - Thalia C. Eley
- King's College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, MRC SocialGenetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) CentreLondonUK,National Institute for Health Research Biomedical Research CentreSouth London and Maudsley National Health Service TrustLondonUK
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Antshel KM, Fremont W, Ramanathan S, Kates WR. Predicting Cognition and Psychosis in Young Adults With 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome. Schizophr Bull 2017; 43:833-842. [PMID: 27798222 PMCID: PMC5472116 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbw135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the extent to which the trajectories of intellectual, academic achievement, executive functioning, attention, working memory, and emotion recognition tests will be predictive of psychosis in young adults with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). METHODS Eighty-two participants with 22q11DS were assessed for psychiatric disorders and neuropsychological functioning with validated instruments. Siblings and community controls were employed as comparison groups. RESULTS Individuals with 22q11DS differed significantly from siblings and controls in longitudinal trajectories of visual and auditory working memory as well as academic achievement. Longitudinal trajectories of cognitive set shifting, reading decoding, and emotion recognition predicted the presence of positive symptoms of psychosis in early adulthood. Cognitive set shifting improved at a slower rate for individuals with 22q11DS + psychosis than those without psychosis. Emotion recognition increased steadily in individuals without psychosis, whereas for those with psychosis, scores increased until approximately 15 years of age, at which point they began to decrease rapidly. A similar, but more subtle effect, was seen for reading decoding. CONCLUSIONS Our data are the first to go beyond IQ assessments in assessing longitudinal neuropsychological outcomes and risk for psychosis in 22q11DS. Individuals with 22q11DS who developed psychotic symptoms improved less appreciably and continued to demonstrate difficulties with cognitive flexibility relative to individuals with 22q11DS who did not have psychotic symptoms. Individuals with 22q11DS who developed psychosis had weaker reading skills in childhood and, after an initial improvement into adolescence, these individuals with psychosis had a decline in reading skills. In 22q11DS, cognitive deficits are both (a) traits that are preexisting and raise the risk for psychosis and (b) associated with the onset of psychotic symptoms. Future research should consider the extent to which cognitive set shifting and reading decoding are related to the Verbal IQ declines observed in the 22q11DS population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin M Antshel
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, SUNY-Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
| | - Wanda Fremont
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, SUNY-Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
| | - Seetha Ramanathan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, SUNY-Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
- Hutchings Psychiatric Center, Syracuse, NY
| | - Wendy R Kates
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, SUNY-Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY
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Klein M, Schmoeger M, Kasper S, Schosser A. Meta-analysis of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism in major depressive disorder: the role of gender. World J Biol Psychiatry 2016; 17:147-58. [PMID: 26813412 DOI: 10.3109/15622975.2015.1083615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Many studies have reported an association of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism and major depressive disorder (MDD), although with conflicting results. The role of gender is a possible modulator. To overcome the problem of poor sample size detecting genes of small effect, we perform a meta-analysis of the current literature, investigating the influence of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on the pathogenesis of MDD, with a major focus on the effect of gender. METHODS Out of 977 retrieved articles, 21 included case-control studies allowed the analysis of 9005 patients with MDD and 12,095 controls. Allelic and genotypic pooled odds ratios (OR) were calculated for the total sample and gender-subgroups. RESULTS In the absence of publication bias, allelic and genotypic analyses showed no significant association in the total sample, as well as in gender-specific subgroups. Sensitivity analysis did not alter the ORs. CONCLUSIONS The results imply a complex nature of the genotype × phenotype interaction. Further studies of the COMT gene or the locus remain to be justified given the important positional and functional relevance and the plethora of gender-specific findings. A possible way to further dissect this topic is shifting the focus to gene-based or genome-wide analyses of intermediate phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Klein
- a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - Michaela Schmoeger
- b Department of Neurology , Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria
| | - Alexandra Schosser
- a Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Medical University of Vienna , Vienna , Austria.,c Zentrum Für Seelische Gesundheit Leopoldau , Vienna , Austria
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17
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Ruiz-Contreras AE, Román-López TV, Caballero-Sánchez U, Rosas-Escobar CB, Ortega-Mora EI, Barrera-Tlapa MA, Romero-Hidalgo S, Carrillo-Sánchez K, Hernández-Morales S, Vadillo-Ortega F, González-Barrios JA, Méndez-Díaz M, Prospéro-García O. Because difficulty is not the same for everyone: the impact of complexity in working memory is associated with cannabinoid 1 receptor genetic variation in young adults. Memory 2016; 25:335-343. [PMID: 27108777 DOI: 10.1080/09658211.2016.1172642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in working memory ability are mainly revealed when a demanding challenge is imposed. Here, we have associated cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor genetic variation rs2180619 (AA, AG, GG), which is located in a potential CNR1 regulatory sequence, with performance in working memory. Two-hundred and nine Mexican-mestizo healthy young participants (89 women, 120 men, mean age: 23.26 years, SD = 2.85) were challenged to solve a medium (2-back) vs. a high (3-back) difficulty N-back tasks. All subjects responded as expected, performance was better with the medium than the high demand task version, but no differences were found among genotypes while performing each working memory (WM) task. However, the cost of the level of complexity in N-back paradigm was double for GG subjects than for AA subjects. It is noteworthy that an additive-dosage allele relation was found for G allele in terms of cost of level of complexity. These genetic variation results support that the endocannabinoid system, evaluated by rs2180619 polymorphism, is involved in WM ability in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra E Ruiz-Contreras
- a Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Neurogenomica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicologia , Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) , Cd. Mexico, Mexico.,b Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Canabinoides, Depto. Fisiologia, Fac. Medicina , UNAM , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - Talía V Román-López
- a Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Neurogenomica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicologia , Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - Ulises Caballero-Sánchez
- a Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Neurogenomica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicologia , Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - Cintia B Rosas-Escobar
- a Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Neurogenomica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicologia , Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - E Ivett Ortega-Mora
- a Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Neurogenomica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicologia , Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - Miguel A Barrera-Tlapa
- a Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Neurogenomica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicobiología y Neurociencias, Fac. Psicologia , Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM) , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - Sandra Romero-Hidalgo
- c Departamento de Genómica Computacional , Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN) , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | | | | | - Felipe Vadillo-Ortega
- f Unidad de Vinculación Científica Facultad de Medicina , UNAM, INMEGEN , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - Juan Antonio González-Barrios
- g Lab. Medicina Genómica, Hospital Regional "Primero de Octubre" , Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSTE) , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - Mónica Méndez-Díaz
- b Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Canabinoides, Depto. Fisiologia, Fac. Medicina , UNAM , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
| | - Oscar Prospéro-García
- b Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Canabinoides, Depto. Fisiologia, Fac. Medicina , UNAM , Cd. Mexico, Mexico
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Hidding E, Swaab H, de Sonneville LMJ, van Engeland H, Vorstman JAS. The role of COMT and plasma proline in the variable penetrance of autistic spectrum symptoms in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Clin Genet 2016; 90:420-427. [PMID: 26919535 DOI: 10.1111/cge.12766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2015] [Revised: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper examines how COMT158 genotypes and plasma proline levels are associated with variable penetrance of social behavioural and social cognitive problems in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). Severity of autistic spectrum symptoms of 45 participants with 22q11DS was assessed using the Autism Diagnostic Interview Revised. Face and facial emotion recognition was evaluated using standardized computer-based test-paradigms. Associations with COMT158 genotypes and proline levels were examined. High proline levels and poor face recognition in individuals with the COMTMET allele, and poor facial emotion recognition, explained almost 50% of the variance in severity of autism symptomatology in individuals with 22q11DS. High proline levels and a decreased capacity to break down dopamine as a result of the COMTMET variant are both relevant in the expression of the social phenotype in patients. This epistatic interaction effect between the COMT158 genotype and proline on the expression of social deficits in 22q11DS shows how factors other than the direct effects of the deletion itself can modulate the penetrance of associated cognitive and behavioural outcomes. These findings are not only relevant to our insight into 22q11DS, but also provide a model to better understand the phenomenon of variable penetrance in other pathogenic genetic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Hidding
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - H Swaab
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - L M J de Sonneville
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Studies, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands. .,Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands .
| | - H van Engeland
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolph Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - J A S Vorstman
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolph Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Inoue A, Akiyoshi J, Muronaga M, Masuda K, Aizawa S, Hirakawa H, Ishitobi Y, Higuma H, Maruyama Y, Ninomiya T, Tanaka Y, Hanada H, Kawano Y. Association of TMEM132D, COMT, and GABRA6 genotypes with cingulate, frontal cortex and hippocampal emotional processing in panic and major depressive disorder. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract 2015; 19:192-200. [PMID: 25974322 DOI: 10.3109/13651501.2015.1043133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The aim of the study was to evaluate the association of transmembrane protein 132D (TMEM132D), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor alpha 6 subunit (GABRA6) genotypes with cingulate, frontal cortex and hippocampal emotional processing in panic disorder (PD) and major depressive disorder (MDD). METHOD The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in TMEM132D, COMT, and GABRA6 were examined in patients with MDD, PD, and healthy controls. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was performed in patients with MDD, PD, and healthy controls. RESULTS rs4680 in COMT and rs3219151 in GABRA6 showed positive associations with PD and MDD. A dynamic fearful face was shown to the participants during fMRI scanning. In PD patients, responses in the bilateral anterior cingulate were stronger in carriers of the AA genotype of SNP rs11060369 in TMEM132D compared with carriers of the AC + CC genotype, and stronger in CT + TT genotype carriers of SNP rs3219151 in GABRA6 compared with carriers of the CC genotype. The response in the medial orbital frontal cortex was stronger in carriers of the CT + TT genotypes of SNP rs3219151 in PD. In MDD patients, the response in the right parahippocampus of carriers of the GG genotype of rs4680 in COMT was stronger than that of carriers of the AA + AG genotype. CONCLUSION These results suggest that TMEM132D, GABRA6, and COMT variants may increase vulnerability to panic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayako Inoue
- a Department of Neuropsychiatry , Oita University Faculty of Medicine , Hasama-Machi, Yufu-Shi, Oita , Japan
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Dumontheil I, Jensen SKG, Wood NW, Meyer ML, Lieberman MD, Blakemore SJ. Preliminary investigation of the influence of dopamine regulating genes on social working memory. Soc Neurosci 2014; 9:437-51. [PMID: 24889756 PMCID: PMC4131246 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2014.925503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) refers to mental processes that enable temporary retention and manipulation of information, including information about other people ("social working memory"). Previous studies have demonstrated that nonsocial WM is supported by dopamine neurotransmission. Here, we investigated in 131 healthy adults whether dopamine is similarly involved in social WM by testing whether social and nonsocial WM are influenced by genetic variants in three genes coding for molecules regulating the availability of dopamine in the brain: catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), dopamine active transporter (DAT), and monoamine-oxidase A (MAOA). An advantage for the Met allele of COMT was observed in the two standard WM tasks and in the social WM task. However, the influence of COMT on social WM performance was not accounted for by its influence on either standard WM paradigms. There was no main effect of DAT1 or MAOA, but a significant COMT x DAT1 interaction on social WM performance. This study provides novel preliminary evidence of effects of genetic variants of the dopamine neurotransmitter system on social cognition. The results further suggest that the effects observed on standard WM do not explain the genetic effects on effortful social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iroise Dumontheil
- a Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience , University College London , London , UK
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21
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Gibbs AA, Bautista CE, Mowlem FD, Naudts KH, Duka DT. Catechol-O-methyltransferase val158met genotype determines effect of reboxetine on emotional memory in healthy male volunteers. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2014; 39:E24-31. [PMID: 24467942 PMCID: PMC3997609 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.130131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) metabolizes catecholamines in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). A common polymorphism in the COMT gene (COMT val158met) has pleiotropic effects on cognitive and emotional processing. The met allele has been associated with enhanced cognitive processing but impaired emotional processing relative to the val allele. METHODS We genotyped healthy, white men in relation to the COMT val158met polymorphism. They were given a single 4 mg dose of the selective noradrenaline reuptake inhibitor (NRI) reboxetine or placebo in a randomized, double-blind between-subjects model and then completed an emotional memory task 2 hours later. RESULTS We included 75 men in the study; 41 received reboxetine and 34 received placebo. In the placebo group, met/met carriers did not demonstrate the usual memory advantage for emotional stimuli that was observed in val carriers. Reboxetine restored this emotional enhancement of memory in met/met carriers, but had no significant effect in val carriers. LIMITATIONS We studied only men, thus limiting the generalizability of our findings. We also relied on self-reported responses to screening questions to establish healthy volunteer status, and in spite of the double-blind design, participants were significantly better than chance at identifying their intervention allocation. CONCLUSION Emotional memory is impaired in healthy met homozygotes and selectively improved in this group by reboxetine. This has potential translational implications for the use of reboxetine, which is currently licensed as an antidepressant in several countries, and edivoxetine, a new selective NRI currently in development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayana A. Gibbs
- Correspondence to: A. Gibbs, Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9RR, United Kingdom;
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22
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Differential influence of 5-HTTLPR - polymorphism and COMT Val158Met - polymorphism on emotion perception and regulation in healthy women. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2014; 20:516-24. [PMID: 24685226 DOI: 10.1017/s135561771400023x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Converging evidence indicates that a considerable amount of variance in self-estimated emotional competency can be directly attributed to genetic factors. The current study examined the associations between the polymorphisms of the Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Met158Val) and the serotonin transporter (5-HTTLPR) and specific measures of the self-estimated effectiveness of an individual's emotion perception and regulation. Emotional competence was measured in a large sample of 289 healthy women by using the Self-report Emotional Ability Scale (SEAS), which includes two subscales for the assessment of emotion perception and regulation in the intra-personal domain and two subscales for the assessment of emotion perception and regulation in the inter-personal domain. Participants' reports of effective emotion regulation in everyday life were associated with the COMT Met-allele, with women homozygous for the Val-allele scoring lowest on this scale. Self-estimated effectiveness of emotion perception of the individual's own emotions was related to the 5-HTTLPR. Both homozygous groups (s/s and l/l) rated their intra-personal emotion perception less effective than participants in the heterozygous s/l group. Taken together, the results indicate that genetic variants of the COMT and 5HTTLPR genes are differentially associated with specific measures of the self-estimated effectiveness of an individual's emotion perception and regulation in the intra-personal domain.
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23
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Cognitive and personality analysis of startle reactivity in a large cohort of healthy males. Biol Psychol 2013; 94:582-91. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2013.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2013] [Revised: 08/14/2013] [Accepted: 09/08/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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The role of COMT gene variants in depression: Bridging neuropsychological, behavioral and clinical phenotypes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2013; 37:1597-610. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2013.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Revised: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Gohier B, Senior C, Radua J, El-Hage W, Reichenberg A, Proitsi P, Phillips ML, Surguladze SA. Genetic modulation of the response bias towards facial displays of anger and happiness. Eur Psychiatry 2013; 29:197-202. [PMID: 23769682 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2013.03.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Revised: 03/20/2013] [Accepted: 03/22/2013] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Investigating genetic modulation of emotion processing may contribute to the understanding of heritable mechanisms of emotional disorders. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) val158met and serotonin-transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms on facial emotion processing in healthy individuals. METHODS Two hundred and seventy five (167 female) participants were asked to complete a computerized facial affect recognition task, which involved four experimental conditions, each containing one type of emotional face (fearful, angry, sad or happy) intermixed with neutral faces. Participants were asked to indicate whether the face displayed an emotion or was neutral. The COMT-val158met and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms were genotyped. RESULTS Met homozygotes (COMT) showed a stronger bias to perceive neutral faces as expressions of anger, compared with val homozygotes. However, the S-homozygotes (5-HTTLPR) showed a reduced bias to perceive neutral faces as expressions of happiness, compared to L-homozygotes. No interaction between 5-HTTLPR and COMT was found. CONCLUSIONS These results add to the knowledge of individual differences in social cognition that are modulated via serotonergic and dopaminergic systems. This potentially could contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of susceptibility to emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- B Gohier
- Université d'Angers, CHU Angers, Département de Psychiatrie, Angers, France; Laboratoire de Psychologie des Pays de la Loire, EA 4638, Université d'Angers, Angers, France.
| | - C Senior
- School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Aston Triangle, Birmingham, UK
| | - J Radua
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK; FIDMAG, CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
| | - W El-Hage
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK; Inserm U930, Université François Rabelais, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France
| | - A Reichenberg
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - P Proitsi
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK
| | - M L Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Department of Psychological Medicine, Cardiff University School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK
| | - S A Surguladze
- Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK; Cygnet Health Care, London, UK
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Van Rheenen TE, Rossell SL. Genetic and neurocognitive foundations of emotion abnormalities in bipolar disorder. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2013; 18:168-207. [PMID: 23088582 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2012.690938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Bipolar Disorder (BD) is a serious mood disorder, the aetiology of which is still unclear. The disorder is characterised by extreme mood variability in which patients fluctuate between markedly euphoric, irritable, and elevated states to periods of severe depression. The current research literature shows that BD patients demonstrate compromised neurocognitive ability in addition to these mood symptoms. Viable candidate genes implicated in neurocognitive and socioemotional processes may explain the development of these core emotion abnormalities. Additionally, links between faulty neurocognition and impaired socioemotional ability complement genetic explanations of BD pathogenesis. This review examines associations between cognition indexing prefrontal neural regions and socioemotional impairments including emotion processing and regulation. A review of the effect of COMT and TPH2 on these functions is also explored. METHODS Major computer databases including PsycINFO, Google Scholar, and Medline were consulted in order to conduct a comprehensive review of the genetic and cognitive literature in BD. RESULTS This review determines that COMT and TPH2 genetic variants contribute susceptibility to abnormal prefrontal neurocognitive function which oversees the processing and regulation of emotion. This provides for greater understanding of some of the emotional and cognitive symptoms in BD. CONCLUSIONS Current findings in this direction show promise, although the literature is still in its infancy and further empirical research is required to investigate these links explicitly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamsyn E Van Rheenen
- Brain and Psychological Sciences Research Centre, Faculty of Life and Social Sciences, Swinburne University, and Cognitive Neuropsychology Laboratory, Monash Alfred Psychiatry Research Center, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
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Roddy S, Tiedt L, Kelleher I, Clarke MC, Murphy J, Rawdon C, Roche RAP, Calkins ME, Richard JA, Kohler CG, Cannon M. Facial emotion recognition in adolescents with psychotic-like experiences: a school-based sample from the general population. Psychol Med 2012; 42:2157-2166. [PMID: 22370095 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291712000311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychotic symptoms, also termed psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in the absence of psychotic disorder, are common in adolescents and are associated with increased risk of schizophrenia-spectrum illness in adulthood. At the same time, schizophrenia is associated with deficits in social cognition, with deficits particularly documented in facial emotion recognition (FER). However, little is known about the relationship between PLEs and FER abilities, with only one previous prospective study examining the association between these abilities in childhood and reported PLEs in adolescence. The current study was a cross-sectional investigation of the association between PLEs and FER in a sample of Irish adolescents. METHOD The Adolescent Psychotic-Like Symptom Screener (APSS), a self-report measure of PLEs, and the Penn Emotion Recognition-40 Test (Penn ER-40), a measure of facial emotion recognition, were completed by 793 children aged 10-13 years. RESULTS Children who reported PLEs performed significantly more poorly on FER (β=-0.03, p=0.035). Recognition of sad faces was the major driver of effects, with children performing particularly poorly when identifying this expression (β=-0.08, p=0.032). CONCLUSIONS The current findings show that PLEs are associated with poorer FER. Further work is needed to elucidate causal relationships with implications for the design of future interventions for those at risk of developing psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Roddy
- Department of Psychiatry, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
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Gibb BE, Beevers CG, McGeary JE. Toward an integration of cognitive and genetic models of risk for depression. Cogn Emot 2012; 27:193-216. [PMID: 22920216 PMCID: PMC3509244 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2012.712950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
There is growing interest in integrating cognitive and genetic models of depression risk. We review two ways in which these models can be meaningfully integrated. First, information-processing biases may represent intermediate phenotypes for specific genetic influences. These genetic influences may represent main effects on specific cognitive processes or may moderate the impact of environmental influences on information-processing biases. Second, cognitive and genetic influences may combine to increase reactivity to environmental stressors, increasing risk for depression in a gene×cognition×environment model of risk. There is now growing support for both of these ways of integrating cognitive and genetic models of depression risk. Specifically, there is support for genetic influences on information-processing biases, particularly the link between 5-HTTLPR and attentional biases, from both genetic association and gene×environment (G×E) studies. There is also initial support for gene×cognition×environment models of risk in which specific genetic influences contribute to increased reactivity to environmental influences. We review this research and discuss important areas of future research, particularly the need for larger samples that allow for a broader examination of genetic and epigenetic influences as well as the combined influence of variability across a number of genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon E Gibb
- Psychology Department, Binghamton University-SUNY, Binghamton, NY 13902-6000, USA.
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Domschke K, Baune BT, Havlik L, Stuhrmann A, Suslow T, Kugel H, Zwanzger P, Grotegerd D, Sehlmeyer C, Arolt V, Dannlowski U. Catechol-O-methyltransferase gene variation: Impact on amygdala response to aversive stimuli. Neuroimage 2012; 60:2222-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.02.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2011] [Revised: 01/05/2012] [Accepted: 02/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
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Influence of serotonin transporter genotype and catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism on recognition of emotional faces. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2011; 17:1014-20. [PMID: 22013977 DOI: 10.1017/s135561771100097x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Monoamines, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, play a crucial role in the regulation of emotion processing and mood. In this study, we investigated how polymorphisms of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) influence emotion recognition abilities. We recruited 88 female undergraduate students and assessed 5-HTT genotype and the COMT Val158Met polymorphism. The subjects completed two computerized tasks: The Penn Emotion Recognition Test (ER40) and the Penn Emotion Acuity Test (PEAT). For the ER40, we found that s-allele carriers performed significantly worse in the recognition of happy faces, but did better in the recognition of fearful faces, compared with homozygous l-carriers of the 5-HTT gene. Neither 5-HTT nor COMT genotypes influenced the ability to discriminate between different intensities of sadness or happiness on the PEAT. Moreover, there was no significant interaction between the two polymorphisms in their effect on performance on the ER40 or the PEAT.
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Bitsios P, Roussos P. Tolcapone, COMT polymorphisms and pharmacogenomic treatment of schizophrenia. Pharmacogenomics 2011; 12:559-66. [DOI: 10.2217/pgs.10.206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
It is widely accepted that abnormal prefrontal cortex biology resulting in deficient cognition is a primary problem in schizophrenia and that all currently available antipsychotics fail to improve cognitive and negative symptoms originating from this deficit. Evidence from basic science has revealed the importance of prefrontal dopamine signaling for optimal prefrontal function. This article describes succinctly the progress made so far, taking into account the mechanisms involved in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT)-induced modulation of prefrontal dopamine signaling, the impact of COMT on cognitive function and the role of COMT gene polymorphisms. The potential role of the COMT inhibitor tolcapone to improve cognitive function in health and disease is also presented here. It will soon be understood if tolcapone represents one of the first hypothesis-driven, biology-based, genotype-specific, targeted treatments of cognitive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Panos Roussos
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, PO Box 2208, University of Crete, Heraklion 71003, Crete, Greece
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Karling P, Danielsson Å, Wikgren M, Söderström I, Del-Favero J, Adolfsson R, Norrback KF. The relationship between the val158met catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism and irritable bowel syndrome. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18035. [PMID: 21437260 PMCID: PMC3060919 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2010] [Accepted: 02/22/2011] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme has a key function in the degradation of catecholamines and a functional polymorphism is val158met. The val/val genotype results in a three to fourfold higher enzymatic activity compared with the met/met genotype, with the val/met genotype exhibiting intermediate activity. Since pain syndromes as well as anxiety and depression are associated to low and high COMT activity respectively and these conditions are all associated with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) we wanted for the first time to explore the relationship between the polymorphism and IBS. Methodology/Principal Findings 867 subjects (445 women) representative of the general population and 70 consecutively sampled patients with IBS (61 women) were genotyped for the val158met polymorphism and the IBS patients filled out the Hospital-Anxiety-and-Depression-Scale (HADS) questionnaire, and an IBS symptom diary. Results There was a significantly higher occurrence of the val/val genotype in patients compared with controls (30% vs 20%; Chi2 (1) 3.98; p = 0.046) and a trend toward a lower occurrence of the val/met genotype in IBS patients compared with controls (39% vs 49%; Chi2 (1) 2.89; p = 0.089). Within the IBS patients the val/val carriers exhibited significantly increased bowel frequency (2.6 vs 1.8 stools per day; Chi2 (1) 5.3; p = 0.03) and a smaller proportion of stools with incomplete defecation (41% vs 68%; Chi2 (1) 4.3; p = 0.04) compared with the rest (val/met+met/met carriers). The val/val carriers also showed a trend for a smaller proportion of hard stools (0% vs 15%; Chi2 (1) 3.2; p = 0.08) and a higher frequency of postprandial defecation (26% vs 21%; Chi2 (1) 3.0; p = 0.08). Conclusions/Significance In this study we found an association between the val/val genotype of the val158met COMT gene and IBS as well as to specific IBS related bowel pattern in IBS patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pontus Karling
- Division of Medicine, Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden.
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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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Importance of the COMT gene for sex differences in brain function and predisposition to psychiatric disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2010; 8:119-40. [PMID: 21769726 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2010_97] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
As outlined elsewhere in this volume, sex differences can affect brain function and its dysfunction in psychiatric disorders. It is known that genetic factors contribute to these sex dimorphisms, but the individual genes have rarely been identified. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, which encodes an enzyme that metabolises catechol compounds, including dopamine, is a leading candidate in this regard. COMT's enzyme activity, and the neurochemistry and behaviour of COMT knockout mice are both markedly sexually dimorphic. Furthermore, genetic associations between COMT and psychiatric phenotypes frequently show differences between men and women. Although many of these differences are unconfirmed or minor, some appear to be of reasonable robustness and magnitude and are reviewed in this chapter. Sexually dimorphic effects of COMT are usually attributed to transcriptional regulation by oestrogens; however, a careful examination of the literature suggests that additional mechanisms are likely to be at least as important. Here, we review the evidence for a sexually dimorphic influence of COMT upon psychiatric phenotypes and brain function, and discuss potential mechanisms by which this may occur. We conclude that despite the evidence being incomplete, there are accumulating and in places compelling data showing that COMT has markedly sexually dimorphic effects on brain function and its dysfunction in psychiatric disorders. Although oestrogenic regulation of COMT is probably partially responsible for these sex differences, other mechanisms are likely also involved. Since sex differences in the genetic architecture of brain function and psychiatric disorders are the rule not the exception, we anticipate that additional evidence will emerge for sexual dimorphisms, not only in COMT but also in many other autosomal genes.
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Oberacher H. Frontiers of mass spectrometry in nucleic acids analysis. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (CHICHESTER, ENGLAND) 2010; 16:351-365. [PMID: 20530841 DOI: 10.1255/ejms.1045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Nucleic acids research is a highly competitive field of research. A number of well established methods are available. The current output of high throughput ("next generation") sequencing technologies is impressive, and still technologies are continuing to make progress regarding read lengths, bp per second, accuracy and costs. Although in the 1990s MS was considered as an analytical platform for sequencing, it was soon realized that MS will never be competitive. Thus, the focus shifted from de novo sequencing towards other areas of application where MS has proven to be a powerful analytical tool. Potential niches for the application of MS in nucleic acids research include genotyping of genetic markers (single nucleotide polymorphisms, short tandem repeats, and combinations thereof), quality control of synthetic oligonucleotides, metabolic profiling of therapeutics, characterization of modified nucleobases in DNA and RNA molecules, and the study of non covalent interactions among nucleic acids as well as interactions of nucleic acids with drugs and proteins. The diversity of possible applications for MS highlights its significance for nucleic acid research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Herbert Oberacher
- Institute of Legal Medicine, Innsbruck Medical University, Innsbruck, Austria.
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36
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Roussos P, Giakoumaki SG, Bitsios P. Tolcapone effects on gating, working memory, and mood interact with the synonymous catechol-O-methyltransferase rs4818c/g polymorphism. Biol Psychiatry 2009; 66:997-1004. [PMID: 19699472 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2009] [Revised: 06/28/2009] [Accepted: 07/07/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The functional catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) valine158methionine (val158met) polymorphism determines prepulse inhibition (PPI) levels and working memory performance and the effects of tolcapone on these functions. Here, we explored the effects of the synonymous COMT rs4818 C/G polymorphism and tolcapone on PPI and working memory. METHODS Thirteen G/G (low prefrontal cortex [PFC] dopamine [DA]) and 12 C/C (high PFC DA) healthy male subjects entered and completed the study. Subjects participated in two weekly sessions associated with either acute oral tolcapone (200 mg) or placebo according to a balanced, crossover, double-blind design. Prepulse inhibition was assessed with 5 dB and 15 dB above background prepulses at 30-msec, 60-msec, and 120-msec intervals. Subjective mood and working memory performance (n-back and letter-number sequencing) were also assessed. RESULTS Prepulse inhibition was lower and reaction time in the n-back was slower in the G/G compared with the C/C group in the placebo condition. Tolcapone increased PPI and improved performance in both working memory tasks in the G/G group only. Baseline startle was greater in the C/C group and was not affected by tolcapone. Mood profile was worse in the C/C group and tended to deteriorate with tolcapone. Status of val158met alone could not explain these results. CONCLUSIONS Catechol-O-methyltransferase haplotype analyses are essential in future research. Prepulse inhibition and working memory may both relate to PFC DA levels according to an inverted U-shaped curve function. Tolcapone could be potentially useful in the treatment of conditions with deficient sensorimotor gating and working memory such as schizophrenia and prodromal states but only in a genotype-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panos Roussos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Crete, Greece.
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Aleman A, Swart M, van Rijn S. Brain imaging, genetics and emotion. Biol Psychol 2008; 79:58-69. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2008.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2007] [Revised: 01/21/2008] [Accepted: 01/21/2008] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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