1
|
Apa Z, Gilsoul J, Dideberg V, Collette F. Association between executive functions and COMT Val108/158Met polymorphism among healthy younger and older adults: A preliminary study. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0303343. [PMID: 38739620 PMCID: PMC11090336 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0303343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Genetic variability in the dopaminergic system could contribute to age-related impairments in executive control. In this study, we examined whether genetic polymorphism for catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val158Met) is related to performance on updating, shifting and inhibition tasks. METHODS We administered a battery of executive tasks assessing updating, shifting and inhibition functions to 45 older and 55 younger healthy participants, and created composite z-scores associated to each function. Six groups were created based on genetic alleles (Val/Val, Val/Met, Met/Met) derived from the COMT gene and age (younger, older). Age and genotype effects were assessed with t-test and ANOVA (p<0.05). RESULTS A lower performance was observed in the older group for the three executive processes, and more particularly for inhibition. Moreover, older participants homozygous for the Val allele have a lower performance on the inhibition composite in comparison to younger Val/Val. CONCLUSIONS These results confirm presence of executive performance decrease in healthy aging. With regard to genetic effect, older participants seem particularly disadvantaged when they have a lower baseline dopamine level (i.e., Val/Val homozygous) that is magnified by aging, and when the executive measure emphasize the need of stable representations (as in inhibition task requiring to maintain active the instruction to not perform an automated process).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zoltan Apa
- GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique
- Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique
| | - Jessica Gilsoul
- GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique
- Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique
| | | | - Fabienne Collette
- GIGA-CRC In Vivo Imaging, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique
- Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgique
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Gao Y, Felsky D, Reyes-Dumeyer D, Sariya S, Rentería MA, Ma Y, Klein HU, Cosentino S, De Jager PL, Bennett DA, Brickman AM, Schellenberg GD, Mayeux R, Barral S. Integration of GWAS and brain transcriptomic analyses in a multiethnic sample of 35,245 older adults identifies DCDC2 gene as predictor of episodic memory maintenance. Alzheimers Dement 2022; 18:1797-1811. [PMID: 34873813 PMCID: PMC9170841 DOI: 10.1002/alz.12524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Identifying genes underlying memory function will help characterize cognitively resilient and high-risk declining subpopulations contributing to precision medicine strategies. We estimated episodic memory trajectories in 35,245 ethnically diverse older adults representing eight independent cohorts. We conducted apolipoprotein E (APOE)-stratified genome-wide association study (GWAS) analyses and combined individual cohorts' results via meta-analysis. Three independent transcriptomics datasets were used to further interpret GWAS signals. We identified DCDC2 gene significantly associated with episodic memory (Pmeta = 3.3 x 10-8 ) among non-carriers of APOE ε4 (N = 24,941). Brain transcriptomics revealed an association between episodic memory maintenance and (1) increased dorsolateral prefrontal cortex DCDC2 expression (P = 3.8 x 10-4 ) and (2) lower burden of pathological Alzheimer's disease (AD) hallmarks (paired helical fragment tau P = .003, and amyloid beta load P = .008). Additional transcriptomics results comparing AD and cognitively healthy brain samples showed a downregulation of DCDC2 levels in superior temporal gyrus (P = .007) and inferior frontal gyrus (P = .013). Our work identified DCDC2 gene as a novel predictor of memory maintenance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yizhe Gao
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Felsky
- Krembil Centre for Neuroinformatics, Centre for Addiction
and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry & Institute of Medical
Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Dolly Reyes-Dumeyer
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA.,G.H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New
York, NY, USA
| | - Sanjeev Sariya
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Miguel Arce Rentería
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New
York, NY, USA
| | - Yiyi Ma
- Center for Translational & Computational
Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center,
New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Hans-Ulrich Klein
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Translational & Computational
Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center,
New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Stephanie Cosentino
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA.,G.H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New
York, NY, USA
| | - Philip L. De Jager
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA.,Center for Translational & Computational
Neuroimmunology, Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center,
New York, NY, 10032, USA.,Cell Circuits Program, Broad Institute, Cambridge, MA,
USA
| | - David A. Bennett
- Rush University Medical Center, Rush Alzheimer’s
Disease Center, Chicago, IL, USA.,Rush University Medical Center, Department of Neurological
Sciences, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Adam M. Brickman
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA.,G.H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New
York, NY, USA
| | - Gerard D. Schellenberg
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine,
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Richard Mayeux
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA.,G.H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New
York, NY, USA
| | - Sandra Barral
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease
and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia
University, New York, NY, USA.,G.H. Sergievsky Center, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Neurology, Vagelos College of Physicians and
Surgeons, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New
York, NY, USA
| | -
- Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Gustavsson J, Papenberg G, Falahati F, Laukka EJ, Kalpouzos G. Contributions of the Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Val158Met Polymorphism to Changes in Brain Iron Across Adulthood and Their Relationships to Working Memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:838228. [PMID: 35571998 PMCID: PMC9091601 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.838228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ageing is associated with excessive free brain iron, which may induce oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, likely causing cognitive deficits. Lack of dopamine may be a factor behind the increase of iron with advancing age, as it has an important role in cellular iron homoeostasis. We investigated the effect of COMT Val 158 Met (rs4680), a polymorphism crucial for dopamine degradation and proxy for endogenous dopamine, on iron accumulation and working memory in a longitudinal lifespan sample (n = 208, age 20–79 at baseline, mean follow-up time = 2.75 years) using structural equation modelling. Approximation of iron content was assessed using quantitative susceptibility mapping in striatum and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Iron accumulated in both striatum and DLPFC during the follow-up period. Greater iron accumulation in DLPFC was associated with more deleterious change in working memory. Older (age 50–79) Val homozygotes (with presumably lower endogenous dopamine) accumulated more iron than older Met carriers in both striatum and DLPFC, no such differences were observed among younger adults (age 20–49). In conclusion, individual differences in genetic predisposition related to low dopamine levels increase iron accumulation, which in turn may trigger deleterious change in working memory. Future studies are needed to better understand how dopamine may modulate iron accumulation across the human lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jonatan Gustavsson
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- *Correspondence: Jonatan Gustavsson,
| | - Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Farshad Falahati
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Erika J. Laukka
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Stockholm Gerontology Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Grégoria Kalpouzos
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
- Grégoria Kalpouzos,
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Halonen R, Kuula L, Lahti J, Räikkönen K, Pesonen AK. The association between overnight recognition accuracy and slow oscillation-spindle coupling is moderated by BDNF Val66Met. Behav Brain Res 2022; 428:113889. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.113889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
|
5
|
Schoolchildren's autobiographical memory: COMT gene Val 158Met polymorphism effects on emotional content and quality of first memories. Cogn Process 2021; 23:109-120. [PMID: 34751856 PMCID: PMC8831258 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-021-01064-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Autobiographical memory is a cognitive function strongly related to emotional processing as autobiographical memory often includes emotional content. The COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism is associated with both cognitive and emotional processing. COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism effects on the emotional content and quality of Estonian schoolchildren's first autobiographical memories were investigated in the present study. In addition, gender effects were considered and the emotional valence of the first memory was taken into account. Schoolchildren's (N = 234) first memories were coded for valence, emotion words, specificity, and details. Girls were more likely to provide specific memories and recollections with an emotional valence than boys were. Children described memories with a positive or a negative valence in more detail than neutral memories. Interactions between the COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism and gender and valence of the events were detected: Val/Met heterozygotes provided fewer details for emotional events; Val/Met heterozygote boys reported fewer details for their first memories than Val/Met heterozygote girls did; Met/Met homozygote children provided fewer evaluative details for emotional events.
Collapse
|
6
|
Juárez-Cedillo T, González-Figueroa E, Martínez-Rodríguez N, Fragosos JM, Garrido-Acosta O, Vargas-Alarcón G. Influence of COMT polymorphism in cognitive performance on dementia in community-dwelling elderly Mexican (SADEM study). Metab Brain Dis 2021; 36:1223-1229. [PMID: 33900525 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-021-00740-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
There is an inconsistent finding about the relationship of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) with dementia susceptibility, as well as with cognitive impairment. To substantiate this, we examined COMT genotype effects in certain cognitive domains in dementia. To evaluate the effects of COMT Val158Met on cognitive performance, we used The Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive (ADAS-cog) and the Syndrome Kurz Test (SKT). The results show COMT Val/Met, Val/Val genotype polymorphisms had a significant effect on cognition performance (OR = 1.75 (95 %CI 1.22-2.54) and (OR = 2.76 (95 %CI 1.78-4.26), p < 0.001), and with adjustment for all cognitive test scores together, Val/Val (OR = 4.98 (95 % CI 1.47-16.86) and Val/Met (OR = 3.62 (95 % CI 1.37-9.56) had effect. Our study allows us to understand the role of COMT in cognitive performance in dementia, as well as interaction with other known risk factors for this pathology. This data might help in developing new therapeutic targets for cognitive impairment, main symptom of dementia. Other risk genotypes or haplotypes should be evaluated to determine the association with cognitive decline in dementia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Teresa Juárez-Cedillo
- Unidad de Investigación Epidemiológica y en Servicios de Salud Área Envejecimiento, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Mexico City, Mexico.
- Unidad de Investigación en Epidemiología Clínica, Hospital General Regional No 1 Doctor Carlos Mac Gregor Sánchez Navarro. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social , Mexico City, Mexico.
| | - Evangelina González-Figueroa
- Unidad de Investigación en Epidemiología Clínica, Hospital General Regional No 1 Doctor Carlos Mac Gregor Sánchez Navarro. Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social , Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Nancy Martínez-Rodríguez
- Epidemiology, Endocrinology & Nutrition Research Unit, Hospital Infantil de México "Federico Gómez", Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Jose M Fragosos
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología 'Ignacio Chávez', Mexico City, México
| | - Osvaldo Garrido-Acosta
- Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Gilberto Vargas-Alarcón
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología 'Ignacio Chávez', Mexico City, México
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Papenberg G, Karalija N, Salami A, Rieckmann A, Andersson M, Axelsson J, Riklund K, Lindenberger U, Lövdén M, Nyberg L, Bäckman L. Balance between Transmitter Availability and Dopamine D2 Receptors in Prefrontal Cortex Influences Memory Functioning. Cereb Cortex 2021; 30:989-1000. [PMID: 31504282 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhz142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Revised: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 06/04/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Insufficient or excessive dopaminergic tone impairs cognitive performance. We examine whether the balance between transmitter availability and dopamine (DA) D2 receptors (D2DRs) is important for successful memory performance in a large sample of adults (n = 175, 64-68 years). The Catechol-O-Methyltransferase polymorphism served as genetic proxy for endogenous prefrontal DA availability, and D2DRs in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) were measured with [11C]raclopride-PET. Individuals for whom D2DR status matched DA availability showed higher levels of episodic and working-memory performance than individuals with insufficient or excessive DA availability relative to the number of receptors. A similar pattern restricted to episodic memory was observed for D2DRs in caudate. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data acquired during working-memory performance confirmed the importance of a balanced DA system for load-dependent brain activity in dlPFC. Our data suggest that the inverted-U-shaped function relating DA signaling to cognition is modulated by a dynamic association between DA availability and receptor status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Goran Papenberg
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Nina Karalija
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Alireza Salami
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Rieckmann
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Micael Andersson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jan Axelsson
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Katrine Riklund
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, D-14195 Berlin, Germany.,Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, D-14195 Berlin, Germany and UK-WC1B 5EH London, UK
| | - Martin Lövdén
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lars Bäckman
- Aging Research Center, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm University, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Impact of COMT val158met on tDCS-induced cognitive enhancement in older adults. Behav Brain Res 2021; 401:113081. [PMID: 33359367 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies suggest that genetic polymorphisms and aging modulate inter-individual variability in brain stimulation-induced plasticity. However, the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and behavioral modulation through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in older adults remains poorly understood. OBJECTIVE Link individual tDCS responsiveness, operationalized as performance difference between tDCS and sham condition, to common genetic polymorphisms in healthy older adults. METHODS 106 healthy older participants from five tDCS-studies were re-invited to donate blood for genotyping of apoliproprotein E (APOE: ε4 carriers and ε4 non-carriers), catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT: val/val, val/met, met/met), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF: val/val, val/met, met/met) and KIdney/BRAin encoding gene (KIBRA: C/C, C/T, T/T). Studies had assessed cognitive performance during tDCS and sham in cross-over designs. We now asked whether the tDCS responsiveness was related to the four genotypes using a linear regression models. RESULTS We found that tDCS responsiveness was significantly associated with COMT polymorphism; i.e., COMT val carriers (compared to met/met) showed higher tDCS responsiveness. No other significant associations emerged. CONCLUSION Using data from five brain stimulation studies conducted in our group, we showed that only individual variation of COMT genotypes modulated behavioral response to tDCS. These findings contribute to the understanding of inherent factors that explain inter-individual variability in functional tDCS effects in older adults, and might help to better stratify participants for future clinical trials.
Collapse
|
9
|
Nyberg L, Boraxbekk CJ, Sörman DE, Hansson P, Herlitz A, Kauppi K, Ljungberg JK, Lövheim H, Lundquist A, Adolfsson AN, Oudin A, Pudas S, Rönnlund M, Stiernstedt M, Sundström A, Adolfsson R. Biological and environmental predictors of heterogeneity in neurocognitive ageing: Evidence from Betula and other longitudinal studies. Ageing Res Rev 2020; 64:101184. [PMID: 32992046 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2020.101184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in cognitive performance increase with advancing age, reflecting marked cognitive changes in some individuals along with little or no change in others. Genetic and lifestyle factors are assumed to influence cognitive performance in ageing by affecting the magnitude and extent of age-related brain changes (i.e., brain maintenance or atrophy), as well as the ability to recruit compensatory processes. The purpose of this review is to present findings from the Betula study and other longitudinal studies, with a focus on clarifying the role of key biological and environmental factors assumed to underlie individual differences in brain and cognitive ageing. We discuss the vital importance of sampling, analytic methods, consideration of non-ignorable dropout, and related issues for valid conclusions on factors that influence healthy neurocognitive ageing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lars Nyberg
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden.
| | - Carl-Johan Boraxbekk
- Department of Radiation Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance (DRCMR), Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital Hvidovre, Denmark; Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen (ISMC), Copenhagen University Hospital Bispebjerg, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Daniel Eriksson Sörman
- Department of Human Work Science, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Patrik Hansson
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Agneta Herlitz
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, S-17177 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karolina Kauppi
- Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jessica K Ljungberg
- Department of Human Work Science, Luleå University of Technology, SE-97187 Luleå, Sweden
| | - Hugo Lövheim
- Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation, Geriatric Medicine, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden; Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM), Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anders Lundquist
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Statistics, USBE, Umeå University, 901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Anna Oudin
- Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Environment Society and Health, Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University
| | - Sara Pudas
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | | | - Mikael Stiernstedt
- Umeå Center for Functional Brain Imaging (UFBI), Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Department of Integrative Medical Biology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Sundström
- Department of Psychology, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden; Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research (CEDAR), Umeå University, Umeå, S-90187, Sweden
| | - Rolf Adolfsson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Umeå University, S-90187 Umeå, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
The association between sleep-wake ratio and overnight picture recognition is moderated by BDNF genotype. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2020; 177:107353. [PMID: 33253827 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2020.107353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A wealth of studies supports the role of sleep in memory performance. Experimentally controlled studies indicate that prolonged wake after memory encoding is detrimental for memory outcome whereas sleep protects from wake-time interference and promotes memory consolidation. We examined how the natural distribution of wake and sleep between encoding and retrieval associated with overnight picture recognition accuracy among 161 adolescents following their typical sleep schedule with an in-home polysomnography. The memorized pictures varied in their level of arousal (calm to exciting) and valence (negative to positive). Suspecting genotypic influence on the sensitivity for sleep/wake dynamics, we also assessed if these associations were affected by known gene polymorphisms involved in neural plasticity and sleep homeostasis: brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met and Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met. In the whole sample, overnight recognition accuracy was associated with the levels of arousal and valence of the pictures, but not with sleep percentage (i.e. the percentage of time spent asleep between memory encoding and retrieval). While the allelic status of BDNF or COMT did not have any main effect on recognition accuracy, a significant moderation by BDNF Val66Met was found (p = .004): the subgroup homozygous for valine allele showed positive association between sleep percentage and recognition accuracy. This was underlain by detrimental influence of wake, rather than by any memory benefit of sleep. Our results complement the mounting evidence that the relation between sleep and memory performance is moderated by BDNF Val66Met. Further studies are needed to clarify the specific mechanisms.
Collapse
|
11
|
Devrimci-Ozguven H, Hosgoren Alıcı Y, Demirbugen Oz M, Suzen HS, Kale HE, Baskak B. The role of COMT polymorphism in modulation of prefrontal activity during verbal fluency in bipolar disorder. Neurosci Lett 2020; 738:135310. [PMID: 32822765 DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Verbal fluency (VF) impairment is a strong predictor of social functioning in bipolar disorder (BPD). The enzyme catechol-O- methyltransferase (COMT) has a critical role in cognitive responses by modulating dopaminergic activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Here, we investigated the role of COMT polymorphism (i) in VF performance as well as (ii) in modulation of PFC activity during a VF-task in euthymic BPD patients. METHODS 30 subjects with remitted BPD-I and 23 healthy controls (HCs) were genotyped for COMT Val158Met (rs4680) polymorphism and were compared in a VF-task. PFC activity was measured by 24-Channel Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy. RESULTS Bipolar subjects displayed lower VF performance than HCs. During the VF-task, BPD-group displayed higher activity than HCs in the Brocca's area, Premotor-cortex and supplementary motor area (SMA). In the index group, Val/Met polymorphism was associated with higher activity in the left- frontopolar and dorsolateral PFC (DLPFC) during the VF-task. LIMITATIONS Antipsychotic use may have interfered with the results. CONCLUSIONS Increased activity in the Brocca's area may represent compensation of low VF performance, whereas hyperactivity in premotor-cortex and SMA may be associated with increased behavioral intention and/or restlessness in BPD. Higher activity in left-frontopolar and DLPC among Val/Met individuals compared to Met-homozygotes may represent less effective prefrontal dopaminergic signaling in Val/Met individuals with BPD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - M Demirbugen Oz
- Ankara University, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - H S Suzen
- Ankara University, Department of Pharmaceutical Toxicology, Ankara, Turkey
| | - H E Kale
- Ankara University, Brain Research Center, Ankara, Turkey
| | - B Baskak
- Ankara University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Ankara, Turkey; Ankara University, Brain Research Center, Ankara, Turkey; Neuroscience and Neurotechnology Center of Excellence (NÖROM), Ankara, Turkey
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Morris KA, Grace SA, Woods W, Dean B, Rossell SL. The influence of COMT rs4680 on functional connectivity in healthy adults: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:3851-3878. [PMID: 32306439 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this systematic review was to qualitatively synthesise the available research that investigated the influence of COMT genotype at SNP rs4680 on both task-based and resting-state connectivity in healthy adults. Thirty-five studies were identified that met inclusion criteria. Of the included studies, 20 studies reported resting-state findings and 16 studies reported task-based findings (emotion-processing, memory, working memory, reward-based learning and executive function). Studies were highly heterogeneous but an overall trend towards an association of the Val allele with greater resting-state connectivity and the Met allele with greater task-based connectivity is reported. A possible interpretation of current findings is discussed, whereby the Val allele is associated with improved cognitive flexibility allowing integration of novel relevant stimuli, and the Met allele allows improved sustained attention and targeted neural processing, particularly between limbic regions and prefrontal cortex. The most promising brain regions implicated in a COMT genotype influence on functional connectivity include prefrontal regions, amygdala and hippocampus.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kim A Morris
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Sally A Grace
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Will Woods
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Brian Dean
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Hampel H, Williams C, Etcheto A, Goodsaid F, Parmentier F, Sallantin J, Kaufmann WE, Missling CU, Afshar M. A precision medicine framework using artificial intelligence for the identification and confirmation of genomic biomarkers of response to an Alzheimer's disease therapy: Analysis of the blarcamesine (ANAVEX2-73) Phase 2a clinical study. ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA (NEW YORK, N. Y.) 2020; 6:e12013. [PMID: 32318621 PMCID: PMC7167374 DOI: 10.1002/trc2.12013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The search for drugs to treat Alzheimer's disease (AD) has failed to yield effective therapies. Here we report the first genome-wide search for biomarkers associated with therapeutic response in AD. Blarcamesine (ANAVEX2-73), a selective sigma-1 receptor (SIGMAR1) agonist, was studied in a 57-week Phase 2a trial (NCT02244541). The study was extended for a further 208 weeks (NCT02756858) after meeting its primary safety endpoint. METHODS Safety, clinical features, pharmacokinetic, and efficacy, measured by changes in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study-Activities of Daily Living scale (ADCS-ADL), were recorded. Whole exome and transcriptome sequences were obtained for 21 patients. The relationship between all available patient data and efficacy outcome measures was analyzed with unsupervised formal concept analysis (FCA), integrated in the Knowledge Extraction and Management (KEM) environment. RESULTS Biomarkers with a significant impact on clinical outcomes were identified at week 57: mean plasma concentration of blarcamesine (slope MMSE:P < .041), genomic variants SIGMAR1 p.Gln2Pro (ΔMMSE:P < .039; ΔADCS-ADL:P < .063) and COMT p.Leu146fs (ΔMMSE:P < .039; ΔADCS-ADL:P < .063), and baseline MMSE score (slope MMSE:P < .015). Their combined impact on drug response was confirmed at week 148 with linear mixed effect models. DISCUSSION Confirmatory Phase 2b/3 clinical studies of these patient selection markers are ongoing. This FCA/KEM analysis is a template for the identification of patient selection markers in early therapeutic development for neurologic disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harald Hampel
- Sorbonne UniversityGRC n° 21, Alzheimer Precision Medicine (APM)AP‐HP, Pitié‐Salpêtrière HospitalBoulevard de l'hôpitalParisFrance
| | | | | | | | | | - Jean Sallantin
- Laboratoire d'Intelligence ArtificielleLIRMM, CNRSMontpellierFrance
| | - Walter E. Kaufmann
- Anavex Life Sciences Corp.New YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of Human GeneticsEmory University School of MedicineAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
15
|
Altshuler DB, Wang L, Zhao L, Miklja Z, Linzey J, Brezzell A, Kakaizada S, Krishna S, Orringer DA, Briceño EM, Gabel N, Hervey-Jumper SL. BDNF, COMT, and DRD2 polymorphisms and ability to return to work in adult patients with low- and high-grade glioma. Neurooncol Pract 2019; 6:375-385. [PMID: 31555452 PMCID: PMC6753359 DOI: 10.1093/nop/npy059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive and language dysfunction is common among patients with glioma and has a significant impact on survival and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Little is known about the factors that make individual patients more or less susceptible to the cognitive sequelae of the disease. A better understanding of the individual and population characteristics related to cognitive function in glioma patients is required to appropriately stratify patients, prognosticate, and develop more efficacious treatment regimens. There is evidence that allelic variation among genes involved in neurotransmission and synaptic plasticity are related to neurocognitive performance in states of health and neurologic disease. METHODS We studied the association of single-nucleotide polymorphism variations in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF, rs6265), dopamine receptor 2 (DRD2, rs1076560), and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT, rs4680) with neurocognitive function and ability to return to work in glioma patients at diagnosis and at 3 months. We developed a functional score based on the number of high-performance alleles that correlates with the capacity for patients to return to work. RESULTS Patients with higher-performing alleles have better scores on neurocognitive testing with the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status and Stroop test, but not the Trail Making Test. CONCLUSIONS A better understanding of the genetic contributors to neurocognitive performance in glioma patients and capacity for functional recovery is necessary to develop improved treatment strategies based on patient-specific factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lin Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Lili Zhao
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Zachary Miklja
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Joey Linzey
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Amanda Brezzell
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Sofia Kakaizada
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Saritha Krishna
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, USA
| | - Daniel A Orringer
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Emily M Briceño
- Department of Neurosurgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Nicolette Gabel
- Department of Neurosurgery, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
| | - Shawn L Hervey-Jumper
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of California San Francisco, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Korthauer LE, Awe E, Frahmand M, Driscoll I. Genetic Risk for Age-Related Cognitive Impairment Does Not Predict Cognitive Performance in Middle Age. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 64:459-471. [PMID: 29865048 DOI: 10.3233/jad-171043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by memory loss and executive dysfunction, which correspond to structural changes to the medial temporal lobes (MTL) and prefrontal cortex (PFC), respectively. Given the overlap in cognitive deficits between healthy aging and the earliest stages of AD, early detection of AD remains a challenge. The goal of the present study was to study MTL- and PFC-dependent cognitive functioning in middle-aged individuals at genetic risk for AD or cognitive impairment who do not currently manifest any clinical symptoms. Participants (N = 150; aged 40-60 years) underwent genotyping of 47 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in six genes previously associated with memory or executive functioning: APOE, SORL1, BDNF, TOMM40, KIBRA, and COMT. They completed two MTL-dependent tasks, the virtual Morris Water Task (vMWT) and transverse patterning discriminations task (TPDT), and the PFC-dependent reversal learning task. Although age was associated with poorer performance on the vMWT and TPDT within this middle-aged sample, there were no genotype-associated differences in cognitive performance. Although the vMWT and TPDT may be sensitive to age-related changes in cognition, carriers of APOE, SORL1, BDNF, TOMM40, KIBRA, and COMT risk alleles do not exhibit alteration in MTL- and PFC-dependent functioning in middle age compared to non-carriers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Korthauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Elizabeth Awe
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Marijam Frahmand
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ira Driscoll
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Effects of COMT polymorphism on the cortical processing of vocal pitch regulation. Neuroreport 2018; 29:1530-1536. [PMID: 30300332 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence has shown that auditory-motor integration for speech production is influenced by cognitive functions such as working memory and attention, suggesting that speech motor control is likely modulated by mechanisms mediated by prefrontal regions. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene plays an important role in dopamine breakdown in the prefrontal cortex and has been associated with a variety of prefrontal cognitive functions. The present event-related potential study investigated the association between COMT ValMet polymorphism and auditory-motor processing of vocal feedback errors. A sample of 131 Chinese young female adults was genotyped for rs4680 and produced sustained vowels while hearing their voice unexpectedly shifted down in pitch by 50 or 200 cents. The behavioral results showed no effects of COMT ValMet on vocal compensations for pitch perturbations. However, individuals with the Met allele produced significantly larger P2 responses to -200 cents perturbations than individuals with the Val/Val genotype. These results suggest the existence of a relationship between COMT ValMet polymorphism and self-monitoring of speech feedback errors, and they provide insights into our understanding of the top-down modulations of speech motor control mediated by prefrontal regions.
Collapse
|
18
|
Hupfeld KE, Vaillancourt DE, Seidler RD. Genetic markers of dopaminergic transmission predict performance for older males but not females. Neurobiol Aging 2018; 66:180.e11-180.e21. [PMID: 29525179 PMCID: PMC5924602 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2017] [Revised: 01/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/06/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Mobility and memory declines with aging can limit independence. Several single-nucleotide polymorphisms have been associated with cognitive performance, but studies investigating motor function are scant. We examined 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms involved in dopaminergic metabolism: BDNF (Val66Met), DRD3 (Ser9Gly), DBH (C>T), and COMT (Val158Met) for their relationship to motor and cognitive function in healthy older adults (n = 4605 and n = 7331) who participated in the U.S. Health and Retirement Study. Individuals with genotypes associated with reduced dopamine metabolism exhibited poorer balance and memory. We found the most pronounced effects in the oldest participants (aged 85+ years), supporting the notion that age-related declines in dopamine availability contribute to magnified genotype effects with advancing age. Moreover, males demonstrated stronger associations than did females between a number of beneficial dopamine alleles and cognitive scores, suggesting that sex differences in dopaminergic transmission interact with genotype to influence performance. These findings point to common genetic variants related to dopaminergic metabolism that characterizes individual differences in motor and cognitive function in older adults.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen E Hupfeld
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - David E Vaillancourt
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration, Department of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Rachael D Seidler
- Department of Applied Physiology and Kinesiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Lin CH, Fan JY, Lin HI, Chang CW, Wu YR. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genetic variants are associated with cognitive decline in patients with Parkinson's disease. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2018; 50:48-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2018.02.015] [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: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 01/28/2018] [Accepted: 02/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
|
20
|
Crum AJ, Akinola M, Turnwald BP, Kaptchuk TJ, Hall KT. Catechol-O-Methyltransferase moderates effect of stress mindset on affect and cognition. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0195883. [PMID: 29677196 PMCID: PMC5909917 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0195883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
There is evidence that altering stress mindset-the belief that stress is enhancing vs. debilitating-can change cognitive, affective and physiological responses to stress. However individual differences in responsiveness to stress mindset manipulations have not been explored. Given the previously established role of catecholamines in both placebo effects and stress, we hypothesized that genetic variation in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme that metabolizes catecholamines, would moderate responses to an intervention intended to alter participants' mindsets about stress. Participants (N = 107) were exposed to a stress mindset manipulation (videos highlighting either the enhancing or debilitating effects of stress) prior to engaging in a Trier Social Stress task and subsequent cognitive tasks. The associations of the COMT rs4680 polymorphism with the effect of stress mindset video manipulations on cognitive and affective responses were examined. Genetic variation at rs4680 modified the effects of stress mindset on affective and cognitive responses to stress. Individuals homozygous for rs4680 low-activity allele (met/met) were responsive to the stress-is-enhancing mindset manipulation as indicated by greater increases in positive affect, improved cognitive functioning, and happiness bias in response to stress. Conversely, individuals homozygous for the high-activity allele (val/val) were not as responsive to the stress mindset manipulation. These results suggest that responses to stress mindset intervention may vary with COMT genotype. These findings contribute to the understanding of gene by environment interactions for mindset interventions and stress reactivity and therefore warrant further investigations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alia J. Crum
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Modupe Akinola
- Columbia Business School, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Bradley P. Turnwald
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States of America
| | - Ted J. Kaptchuk
- Division of General Medicine and Primary Care, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| | - Kathryn T. Hall
- Program in Placebo Studies, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Division of Preventive Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Rönnlund M, Åström E, Adolfsson R, Carelli MG. Perceived Stress in Adults Aged 65 to 90: Relations to Facets of Time Perspective and COMT Val 158Met Polymorphism. Front Psychol 2018; 9:378. [PMID: 29623060 PMCID: PMC5874313 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examined the relation between perceived stress and time perspective (views of past, present, future) in a population-based sample of older adults (65–90 years, N = 340). The Perceived Questionnaire (PSQ index) was used to measure stress and the Swedish version of the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory (S-ZTPI) was used to operationalize time perspective. Unlike the original inventory, S-ZTPI separates positive and negative aspects of a future time perspective and we hypothesized that the Future Negative (FN) scale would be important to account for variations in stress. Additionally, associations with Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism were examined, motivated by prior associations of this single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with stress (or “anxiety”) related personality traits. In line with the hypotheses, FN was the strongest predictor of PSQ index scores in multiple regression analyses. In a related vein, the dichotomization of the unitary Future scale increased the association between PSQ scores and a measure of deviations from a balanced time perspective, i.e., the difference between a proposed optimal and observed ZTPI profile. Finally, higher levels of stress as well as higher scores on FN were observed in COMT Val/Val carriers, at least among men. This suggests a shared dopaminergic genetic influence on these variables. Collectively, the results demonstrate that perceived stress is closely linked to time perspective and highlight the need to take negative aspects of a future temporal orientation into account to understand this relation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rolf Adolfsson
- Department of Clinical Science, Division of Psychiatry, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Sugiura L, Toyota T, Matsuba-Kurita H, Iwayama Y, Mazuka R, Yoshikawa T, Hagiwara H. Age-Dependent Effects of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene Val158Met Polymorphism on Language Function in Developing Children. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:104-116. [PMID: 27909011 PMCID: PMC6044402 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic basis controlling language development remains elusive. Previous studies of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and cognition have focused on prefrontally guided executive functions involving dopamine. However, COMT may further influence posterior cortical regions implicated in language perception. We investigated whether COMT influences language ability and cortical language processing involving the posterior language regions in 246 children aged 6–10 years. We assessed language ability using a language test and cortical responses recorded during language processing using a word repetition task and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The COMT genotype had significant effects on language performance and processing. Importantly, Met carriers outperformed Val homozygotes in language ability during the early elementary school years (6–8 years), whereas Val homozygotes exhibited significant language development during the later elementary school years. Both genotype groups exhibited equal language performance at approximately 10 years of age. Val homozygotes exhibited significantly less cortical activation compared with Met carriers during word processing, particularly at older ages. These findings regarding dopamine transmission efficacy may be explained by a hypothetical inverted U-shaped curve. Our findings indicate that the effects of the COMT genotype on language ability and cortical language processing may change in a narrow age window of 6–10 years.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Sugiura
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.,Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan.,Research Center for Language, Brain and Genetics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-037, Japan
| | - Tomoko Toyota
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroko Matsuba-Kurita
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.,Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan.,Laboratory for Language Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Iwayama
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Reiko Mazuka
- Laboratory for Language Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takeo Yoshikawa
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroko Hagiwara
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.,Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan.,Research Center for Language, Brain and Genetics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-037, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Hayes JP, Logue MW, Reagan A, Salat D, Wolf EJ, Sadeh N, Spielberg JM, Sperbeck E, Hayes SM, McGlinchey RE, Milberg WP, Verfaellie M, Stone A, Schichman SA, Miller MW. COMT Val158Met polymorphism moderates the association between PTSD symptom severity and hippocampal volume. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2017; 42:95-102. [PMID: 28234210 PMCID: PMC5373706 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.150339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Memory-based alterations are among the hallmark symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and may be associated with the integrity of the hippocampus. However, neuroimaging studies of hippocampal volume in individuals with PTSD have yielded inconsistent results, raising the possibility that various moderators, such as genetic factors, may influence this association. We examined whether the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism, which has previously been shown to be associated with hippocampal volume in healthy individuals, moderates the association between PTSD and hippocampal volume. METHODS Recent war veterans underwent structural MRI on a 3 T scanner. We extracted volumes of the right and left hippocampus using FreeSurfer and adjusted them for individual differences in intracranial volume. We assessed PTSD severity using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale. Hierarchical linear regression was used to model the genotype (Val158Met polymorphism) × PTSD severity interaction and its association with hippocampal volume. RESULTS We included 146 white, non-Hispanic recent war veterans (90% male, 53% with diagnosed PTSD) in our analyses. A significant genotype × PTSD symptom severity interaction emerged such that individuals with greater current PTSD symptom severity who were homozygous for the Val allele showed significant reductions in left hippocampal volume. LIMITATIONS The direction of proposed effects is unknown, thus precluding definitive assessment of whether differences in hippocampal volume reflect a consequence of PTSD, a pre-existing characteristic, or both. CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that the COMT polymorphism moderates the association between PTSD and hippocampal volume. These results highlight the role that the dopaminergic system has in brain structure and suggest a possible mechanism for memory disturbance in individuals with PTSD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jasmeet P. Hayes
- Correspondence to: J.P. Hayes, National Center for PTSD (116B-2), VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 S. Huntington Ave., Boston MA 02130;
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Bähner F, Meyer-Lindenberg A. Hippocampal-prefrontal connectivity as a translational phenotype for schizophrenia. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2017; 27:93-106. [PMID: 28089652 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 11/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Finding novel biological targets in psychiatry has been difficult, partly because current diagnostic categories are not defined by pathophysiology and difficult to model in animals. The study of species-conserved systems-level mechanisms implicated in psychiatric disease could be a promising strategy to address some of these difficulties. Altered hippocampal-prefrontal (HC-PFC) connectivity during working memory (WM) processing is a candidate for such a translational phenotype as it has been repeatedly associated with impaired cognition in schizophrenia patients and animal models for psychiatric risk factors. Specifically, persistent hippocampus-dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (HC-DLPFC) coupling during WM is an intermediate phenotype for schizophrenia that has been observed in patients, healthy relatives and carriers of two different risk polymorphisms identified in genome-wide association studies. Rodent studies report reduced coherence between HC and PFC during anesthesia, sleep and task performance in both genetic, environmental and neurodevelopmental models for schizophrenia. We discuss several challenges for translation including differences in anatomy, recording modalities and WM paradigms and suggest that a better understanding of HC-PFC coupling across species can be achieved if translational neuroimaging is used to control for task differences. The evidence for potential neurobiological substrates underlying HC-PFC dysconnectivity is evaluated and research strategies are proposed that aim to bridge the gap between findings from large-scale association studies and disease mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Florian Bähner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany.
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience Heidelberg-Mannheim, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Correa DD, Satagopan J, Cheung K, Arora AK, Kryza-Lacombe M, Xu Y, Karimi S, Lyo J, DeAngelis LM, Orlow I. COMT, BDNF, and DTNBP1 polymorphisms and cognitive functions in patients with brain tumors. Neuro Oncol 2016; 18:1425-33. [PMID: 27091610 PMCID: PMC5035520 DOI: 10.1093/neuonc/now057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 03/11/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive dysfunction is common among patients with brain tumors and can be associated with the disease and treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, little is known about genetic risk factors that may moderate the vulnerability for developing cognitive dysfunction. In this study, we examined the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and dystrobrevin-binding protein 1 (DTNBP1) genes with cognitive functions and neuroimaging outcomes in patients with brain tumors. METHODS One hundred and fifty patients with brain tumors completed neuropsychological tests of attention, executive functions, and memory and were genotyped for polymorphisms in the COMT, BDNF, and DTNBP1 genes. Ratings of white matter (WM) abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging scans were performed. RESULTS Multivariate regression shrinkage analyses, adjusted for age, education, treatment type, time since treatment completion, and tumor location, indicated a significant association between the COMT SNP rs4680 (Val158Met) and memory with lower scores in delayed recall (P < .01) among homozygotes (valine/valine). Additional COMT, BDNF and DTNBP1 SNPs were significantly associated with attention, executive functions, and memory scores. CONCLUSION This is the first study to suggest that known and newly described polymorphisms in genes associated with executive and memory functions in healthy individuals and other clinical populations may modulate cognitive outcome in patients with brain tumors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denise D Correa
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - Jaya Satagopan
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - Kenneth Cheung
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - Arshi K Arora
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - Maria Kryza-Lacombe
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - Youming Xu
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - Sasan Karimi
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - John Lyo
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - Lisa M DeAngelis
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| | - Irene Orlow
- Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (D.D.C., M.K.-L., L.M.D.); Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (J.S., K.C., A.K.A., Y.X., I.O.); Department of Radiology, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York (S.K., J.L.); Department of Neurology and Neuroscience, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, New York (D.D.C., L.M.D.)
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Wang B, Ru W, Yang X, Yang L, Fang P, Zhu X, Shen G, Gao X, Gong P. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene modulates private self-consciousness and self-flexibility. Conscious Cogn 2016; 44:186-192. [PMID: 27522491 DOI: 10.1016/j.concog.2016.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2016] [Revised: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 08/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Dopamine levels in the brain influence human consciousness. Inspired by the role of Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) in inactivating dopamine in the brain, we investigated to what extent COMT could modulate individual's self-consciousness dispositions and self-consistency by genotyping the COMT Val158Met (rs4680) polymorphism and measuring self-consciousness and self-consistency and congruence in a college student population. The results indicated that COMT Val158Met polymorphism significantly modulated the private self-consciousness. The individuals with Val/Val genotype, corresponding to lower dopamine levels in the brain, were more likely to be aware of their feelings and beliefs. The results also indicated that this polymorphism modulated one's self-flexibility. The individuals with Val/Val genotype showed higher levels of stereotype in self-concept compared with those with Met/Met genotype. These findings suggest that COMT is a predictor of the individual differences in self-consciousness and self-flexibility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Wenzhao Ru
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Xing Yang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Lu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Pengpeng Fang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Xu Zhu
- Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China
| | - Guomin Shen
- Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China
| | - Xiaocai Gao
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China.
| | - Pingyuan Gong
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China; Shaanxi Key Laboratory for Animal Conservation, Northwest University, Xi'an 710069, China; Laboratory of Medical Molecular Biology, Henan University of Science and Technology, Luoyang 471003, China.
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
The association between the COMT gene Val158Met polymorphism and preschoolers’ autobiographical memory details and narrative cohesiveness. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2016.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
|
28
|
Persson N, Lavebratt C, Sundström A, Fischer H. Pulse Pressure Magnifies the Effect of COMT Val(158)Met on 15 Years Episodic Memory Trajectories. Front Aging Neurosci 2016; 8:34. [PMID: 26973509 PMCID: PMC4773588 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2016.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2015] [Accepted: 02/09/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We investigated whether a physiological marker of cardiovascular health, pulse pressure (PP), and age magnified the effect of the functional COMT Val(158)Met (rs4680) polymorphism on 15-years cognitive trajectories [episodic memory (EM), visuospatial ability, and semantic memory] using data from 1585 non-demented adults from the Betula study. A multiple-group latent growth curve model was specified to gauge individual differences in change, and average trends therein. The allelic variants showed negligible differences across the cognitive markers in average trends. The older portion of the sample selectively age-magnified the effects of Val(158)Met on EM changes, resulting in greater decline in Val compared to homozygote Met carriers. This effect was attenuated by statistical control for PP. Further, PP moderated the effects of COMT on 15-years EM trajectories, resulting in greater decline in Val carriers, even after accounting for the confounding effects of sex, education, cardiovascular diseases (diabetes, stroke, and hypertension), and chronological age, controlled for practice gains. The effect was still present after excluding individuals with a history of cardiovascular diseases. The effects of cognitive change were not moderated by any other covariates. This report underscores the importance of addressing synergistic effects in normal cognitive aging, as the addition thereof may place healthy individuals at greater risk for memory decline.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ninni Persson
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Catharina Lavebratt
- The Center for Molecular Medicine, Karolinska University HospitalStockholm, Sweden; Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden
| | - Anna Sundström
- Department of Psychology, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden; Centre for Demographic and Ageing Research, Umeå UniversityUmeå, Sweden
| | - Håkan Fischer
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University Stockholm, Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Bungenberg J, Surano N, Grote A, Surges R, Pernhorst K, Hofmann A, Schoch S, Helmstaedter C, Becker AJ. Gene expression variance in hippocampal tissue of temporal lobe epilepsy patients corresponds to differential memory performance. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 86:121-30. [PMID: 26631617 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2015] [Revised: 10/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/13/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is a severe brain disorder affecting particularly young adults. TLE is frequently associated with memory deterioration and neuronal damage of the hippocampal formation. It thereby reveals striking parallels to neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's disease (AD). TLE patients differ with respect to their cognitive performance, but currently little is known about relevant molecular-genetic factors. Here, we correlated differential memory performance of pharmacoresistant TLE patients undergoing neurosurgery for seizure control with in-vitro findings of their hippocampal tissues. We analyzed mRNA transcripts and subsequently promoter variants specifically altered in brain tissue of individuals with 'very severe' memory impairment. TLE patients (n=79) were stratified according to preoperative memory impairment using an established four-tiered grading system ranging from 'average' to 'very severely'. Multimodal cluster analyses revealed molecules specifically associated with synaptic function and abundantly expressed in TLE patients with very impaired memory performance. In a subsequent promoter analysis, we found the single nucleotide polymorphism rs744373 C-allele to be associated with high mRNA levels of bridging integrator 1 (BIN1)/Amphiphysin 2, i.e. a major component of the endocytotic machinery and located in a crucial genetic AD risk locus. Using in vitro luciferase transfection assays, we found that BIN1 promoter activation is genotype dependent and strongly increased by reduced binding of the transcriptional repressor TGIF. Our data indicate that poor memory performance in patients with TLE strongly corresponds to distinctly altered neuronal transcript signatures, which - as demonstrated for BIN1 - can correlate with a particular allelic promoter variant. Our data suggest aberrant transcriptional signaling to significantly impact synaptic dynamics in TLE resulting in impaired memory performance and may serve as basis for future therapy development of this severe comorbidity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Julia Bungenberg
- Dept. of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Germany
| | - Natascha Surano
- Dept. of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Germany
| | - Alexander Grote
- Dept. of Neurosurgery, University of Bonn Medical Center, Germany
| | - Rainer Surges
- Dept. of Epileptology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Germany
| | | | - Andrea Hofmann
- Institute of Human Genetics, Department of Genomics, Life & Brain Center, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Susanne Schoch
- Dept. of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Germany
| | | | - Albert J Becker
- Dept. of Neuropathology, University of Bonn Medical Center, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Tromp D, Dufour A, Lithfous S, Pebayle T, Després O. Episodic memory in normal aging and Alzheimer disease: Insights from imaging and behavioral studies. Ageing Res Rev 2015; 24:232-62. [PMID: 26318058 DOI: 10.1016/j.arr.2015.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2015] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Age-related cognitive changes often include difficulties in retrieving memories, particularly those that rely on personal experiences within their temporal and spatial contexts (i.e., episodic memories). This decline may vary depending on the studied phase (i.e., encoding, storage or retrieval), according to inter-individual differences, and whether we are talking about normal or pathological (e.g., Alzheimer disease; AD) aging. Such cognitive changes are associated with different structural and functional alterations in the human neural network that underpins episodic memory. The prefrontal cortex is the first structure to be affected by age, followed by the medial temporal lobe (MTL), the parietal cortex and the cerebellum. In AD, however, the modifications occur mainly in the MTL (hippocampus and adjacent structures) before spreading to the neocortex. In this review, we will present results that attempt to characterize normal and pathological cognitive aging at multiple levels by integrating structural, behavioral, inter-individual and neuroimaging measures of episodic memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Tromp
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA - UMR 7364 - CNRS/UDS) - 21 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France.
| | - A Dufour
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA - UMR 7364 - CNRS/UDS) - 21 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France; Centre d'Investigations Neurocognitives et Neurophysiologiques (CI2N - UMS 3489 - CNRS/UDS) - 21 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - S Lithfous
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA - UMR 7364 - CNRS/UDS) - 21 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - T Pebayle
- Centre d'Investigations Neurocognitives et Neurophysiologiques (CI2N - UMS 3489 - CNRS/UDS) - 21 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - O Després
- Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives (LNCA - UMR 7364 - CNRS/UDS) - 21 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Grogan J, Bogacz R, Tsivos D, Whone A, Coulthard E. Dopamine and Consolidation of Episodic Memory: Timing is Everything. J Cogn Neurosci 2015; 27:2035-50. [PMID: 26102227 PMCID: PMC4880040 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Memory consolidation underpins adaptive behavior and dopaminergic networks may be critical for prolonged, selective information storage. To understand the time course of the dopaminergic contribution to memory consolidation in humans, here we investigate the effect of dopaminergic medication on recall and recognition in the short and longer term in Parkinson disease (PD). Fifteen people with PD were each tested on or off dopaminergic medication during learning/early consolidation (Day 1) and/or late consolidation (Day 2). Fifteen age-matched healthy participants were tested only once. On Day 1 participants learned new information, and early episodic memory was tested after 30 min. Then on Day 2, recall and recognition were retested after a 24-hr delay. Participants on medication on Day 1 recalled less information at 30 min and 24 hr. In contrast, patients on medication on Day 2 (8-24 hr after learning) recalled more information at 24 hr than those off medication. Although recognition sensitivity was unaffected by medication, response bias was dependent on dopaminergic state: Medication during learning induced a more liberal bias 24 hr later, whereas patients off medication during learning were more conservative responders 24 hr later. We use computational modeling to propose possible mechanisms for this change in response bias. In summary, dopaminergic medication in PD patients during learning impairs early consolidation of episodic memory and makes delayed responses more liberal, but enhances late memory consolidation presumably through a dopamine-dependent consolidation pathway that may be active during sleep.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Alan Whone
- University of Bristol
- North Bristol NHS Trust
| | | |
Collapse
|
32
|
Nimmons D, Pendleton N, Payton A, Ollier W, Horan M, Wilkinson J, Hamdy S. A novel association between COMT and BDNF gene polymorphisms and likelihood of symptomatic dysphagia in older people. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2015; 27:1223-31. [PMID: 26073434 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Accepted: 05/05/2015] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are neuro-modulatory proteins that have been demonstrated to affect cortical plasticity, which in turn has been shown to affect age-related changes and neuronal functioning in humans. Here, we tested the hypothesis that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) within COMT and BDNF genes are associated with dysphagia in older adults. METHODS A total of 800 community-dwelling older individuals were sent the Sydney Oropharyngeal Dysphagia Questionnaire to identify swallowing difficulties. DNA from this population was available for study and used to genotype 18 COMT and 12 BDNF polymorphisms. Logistic regression statistical models were used to identify potential associations between dysphagia and the genotypes. KEY RESULTS A total of 638 individuals completed the questionnaire, giving an 80% response rate. Of these, 538 were genotyped for COMT and BDNF polymorphisms. Age was found to predict dysphagia (p = 0.018, OR = 1.08, CI = 1.01-1.14). The COMT polymorphism rs165599 and the BDNF polymorphism rs10835211 were found to predict dysphagia and have an interactive effect (p = 0.028), which varied according to the carrier status of the other. In the case of SNP rs10835211, the effect of heterozygosity was protective or harmful dependent on the respective status of rs165599. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES These results suggest that certain interactions between plasticity genes contribute to the development of dysphagia with increasing age. This highlights a possible role for genetic factors in future monitoring and treating individuals affected by dysphagia.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- D Nimmons
- Centre for Gastrointestinal Sciences, Institute of Inflammation and Repair, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
| | - N Pendleton
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK.,Centre for Clinical and Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Brain, Behaviour and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - A Payton
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK.,Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research, UK
| | - W Ollier
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK.,Centre for Integrated Genomic Medical Research, UK
| | - M Horan
- Manchester Medical School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - J Wilkinson
- Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
| | - S Hamdy
- Centre for Gastrointestinal Sciences, Institute of Inflammation and Repair, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Salford, UK
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Wollam ME, Weinstein AM, Saxton JA, Morrow L, Snitz B, Fowler NR, Suever Erickson BL, Roecklein KA, Erickson KI. Genetic Risk Score Predicts Late-Life Cognitive Impairment. J Aging Res 2015; 2015:267062. [PMID: 26366299 PMCID: PMC4561094 DOI: 10.1155/2015/267062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 07/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction. A family history of Alzheimer's disease is a significant risk factor for its onset, but the genetic risk associated with possessing multiple risk alleles is still poorly understood. Methods. In a sample of 95 older adults (Mean age = 75.1, 64.2% female), we constructed a genetic risk score based on the accumulation of risk alleles in BDNF, COMT, and APOE. A neuropsychological evaluation and consensus determined cognitive status (44 nonimpaired, 51 impaired). Logistic regression was performed to determine whether the genetic risk score predicted cognitive impairment above and beyond that associated with each gene. Results. An increased genetic risk score was associated with a nearly 4-fold increased risk of cognitive impairment (OR = 3.824, P = .013) when including the individual gene polymorphisms as covariates in the model. Discussion. A risk score combining multiple genetic influences may be more useful in predicting late-life cognitive impairment than individual polymorphisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mariegold E. Wollam
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Sennott Square, 3rd Floor, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Andrea M. Weinstein
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Sennott Square, 3rd Floor, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Suite 115, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Judith A. Saxton
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, 811 Kaufmann Medical Building, 3471 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Lisa Morrow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Thomas Detre Hall, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Beth Snitz
- Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh, 811 Kaufmann Medical Building, 3471 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Nicole R. Fowler
- Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, Indiana University, Fifth Third Faculty Building, 720 Eskenazi Avenue, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Barbara L. Suever Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Sennott Square, 3rd Floor, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Kathryn A. Roecklein
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Sennott Square, 3rd Floor, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Suite 115, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Kirk I. Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Sennott Square, 3rd Floor, 210 South Bouquet Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, 4400 Fifth Avenue, Suite 115, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| |
Collapse
|
34
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Papassotiropoulos A, de Quervain DJF. Genetics of human memory functions in healthy cohorts. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
|
36
|
Busch RM, Najm I, Hermann BP, Eng C. Genetics of cognition in epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav 2014; 41:297-306. [PMID: 24973143 PMCID: PMC4268334 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2014.05.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2014] [Revised: 05/23/2014] [Accepted: 05/24/2014] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
With the completion of the Human Genome Project and the advent of more advanced sequencing platforms capable of high throughput genotyping at reduced cost, research on the genetics/genomics of cognition has expanded rapidly over the past several decades. This has been facilitated even further by global consortia including HapMap, 1000 Genomes Project, ENCODE, and others, which have made information regarding genetic variation and genomic functional elements readily available to all researchers. Thus, the goal of this Targeted Review is not to provide an exhaustive review of the existing literature on the role of genetic factors in cognition. Rather, we will highlight some of the most consistent findings in this field, review the research in epilepsy to date, and provide a background within which to set forth unique opportunities epilepsy may provide to further elucidate the role of genetics in cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robyn M Busch
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - Imad Najm
- Epilepsy Center, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA; Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | - Bruce P Hermann
- Charles Matthew Neuropsychology Section, Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Charis Eng
- Genomic Medicine Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
| |
Collapse
|
37
|
Lee NJ, Ahn HJ, Jung KI, Ohn SH, Hong J, Kim YJ, Yoo WK. Reduction of Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation-Induced Motor Plasticity in Healthy Elderly With COMT Val158Met Polymorphism. Ann Rehabil Med 2014; 38:658-64. [PMID: 25379495 PMCID: PMC4221394 DOI: 10.5535/arm.2014.38.5.658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/10/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To delineate whether cortical plasticity induced by continuous theta burst stimulation (cTBS) differed according to catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphism in healthy older adults. Methods Eighteen healthy older volunteers (mean age 73.78±5.04; 12 females and 6 males) were recruited. Volunteers randomly assigned in either a sham-first or real cTBS first group participated in two separate TMS visits with at least a 2-day wash-out period. Genotyping was carried out at baseline by a separate researcher who was blinded. cTBS was delivered in a hot spot over M1 at an active motor threshold of 80%. Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were obtained at 120% of the resting motor threshold before and after sham/cTBS. Results The relative MEP to baseline was significantly decreased 0 and 10 minutes post-stimulation and increased 40 minutes post-stimulation, as compared with the sham condition. Immediately after cTBS, the Val/Val group had a significantly reduced relative MEP value, as compared with the MET carrier group. Conclusion In healthy older persons, cTBS-induced motor plasticity was reduced in the COMT Val/Val group as compared with the 158Met carrier group.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nam Jae Lee
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chooncheon, Korea
| | - Hyun Jung Ahn
- Hallym Institute of Translational Genomics & Bioinformatics, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea
| | - Kwang-Ik Jung
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chooncheon, Korea
| | - Suk Hoon Ohn
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chooncheon, Korea
| | - Jeonghoon Hong
- ILSONG Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Anyang, Korea
| | - Yun Joong Kim
- Hallym Institute of Translational Genomics & Bioinformatics, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea. ; ILSONG Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Anyang, Korea. ; Department of Neurology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea
| | - Woo-Kyoung Yoo
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chooncheon, Korea. ; Hallym Institute of Translational Genomics & Bioinformatics, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, Anyang, Korea
| |
Collapse
|
38
|
Lamb YN, Thompson JM, Murphy R, Wall C, Kirk IJ, Morgan AR, Ferguson LR, Mitchell EA, Waldie KE. Perceived stress during pregnancy and the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs165599 polymorphism impacts on childhood IQ. Cognition 2014; 132:461-70. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2014.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2013] [Revised: 05/11/2014] [Accepted: 05/12/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
|
39
|
Niarchou M, Zammit S, Escott-Price V, Owen MJ, van den Bree MBM. Exploring the indirect effects of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype on psychotic experiences through cognitive function and anxiety disorders in a large birth cohort of children. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2014; 165B:410-20. [PMID: 24862404 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/05/2014] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Children reporting psychotic experiences (PEs) are at increased risk of developing psychosis in adulthood. Cognitive deficits and anxiety disorders often precede psychotic disorders and are associated with higher risk of PEs. While the high activity alleles of variants within COMT have been associated with cognitive deficits, and the low activity alleles with higher risk of anxiety disorders, no associations of COMT with PEs have been found. One possible explanation is that the association between COMT and PEs is indirect, through cognitive function and anxiety disorders. We examined whether the association between PEs and COMT (four single nucleotide polymorphisms and three haplotypes) is indirect, through cognition or anxiety disorders. 6,784 individuals from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were genotyped and completed neurocognitive assessments at ages 8 and 11, as well as semi-structured interviews for anxiety disorders and PEs at ages 10 and 12, respectively. Alleles rs2097603 and rs4680, and two COMT haplotypes, all indexing high activity, were indirectly associated with higher risk of PEs through impaired processing speed, IQ and attention. There was no evidence of a total effect of COMT on PEs, nor for an indirect effect through anxiety disorders. This is the first study to examine indirect effects of COMT on PEs. Evidence of an indirect association suggests a complex developmental pathway underlies the emergence of PEs in children, with possible implications for prevention/intervention strategies. Our findings provide additional support for processing speed and attention as endophenotypes in psychotic disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Niarchou
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
MacLeod CA, Donaldson DI. PRKCA polymorphism changes the neural basis of episodic remembering in healthy individuals. PLoS One 2014; 9:e98018. [PMID: 24842701 PMCID: PMC4026476 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0098018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/28/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Everyday functioning relies on episodic memory, the conscious retrieval of past experiences, but this crucial cognitive ability declines severely with aging and disease. Vulnerability to memory decline varies across individuals however, producing differences in the time course and severity of memory problems that complicate attempts at diagnosis and treatment. Here we identify a key source of variability, by examining gene dependent changes in the neural basis of episodic remembering in healthy adults, targeting seven polymorphisms previously linked to memory. Scalp recorded Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) were measured while participants remembered words, using an item recognition task that requires discrimination between studied and unstudied stimuli. Significant differences were found as a consequence of a Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) in just one of the tested genes, PRKCA (rs8074995). Participants with the common G/G variant exhibited left parietal old/new effects, which are typically seen in word recognition studies, reflecting recollection-based remembering. During the same stage of memory retrieval participants carrying a rarer A variant exhibited an atypical pattern of brain activity, a topographically dissociable frontally-distributed old/new effect, even though behavioural performance did not differ between groups. Results replicated in a second independent sample of participants. These findings demonstrate that the PRKCA genotype is important in determining how episodic memories are retrieved, opening a new route towards understanding individual differences in memory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A. MacLeod
- Institute of Medical and Social Care Research, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - David I. Donaldson
- Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Wang X, Wang Z, Wu Y, Yuan Y, Hou Z, Hou G. Association analysis of the catechol-O-methyltransferase /methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genes and cognition in late-onset depression. Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2014; 68:344-52. [PMID: 24373005 DOI: 10.1111/pcn.12133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2013] [Revised: 10/20/2013] [Accepted: 10/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Increasing evidence suggests that the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene might be associated with cognition in patients with mental disorders and healthy people. The metabolic pathways of COMT and methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) are closely interconnected. In this study, we aimed to examine whether the COMT-MTHFR genotype interacted with cognitive function in late-onset depression (LOD) patients and COMT Val/Val homozygous individuals who also carried the MTHFR T allele and had poor neuropsychological test performance. METHODS Ninety-seven unrelated LOD patients who met DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder were recruited for the study and 103 normal controls were recruited from the local community. All of these patients and 44 normal controls completed a series of neuropsychological tests. Patients and normal controls were genotyped for COMT (rs4680) and MTHFR (rs1801133) variants using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. RESULTS There were no significant differences in the frequencies of the single alleles and genotypes of two polymorphisms between LOD patients and normal controls. No main effects of COMT or MTHFR genotype on any neuropsychological test performance were observed. There was a significant interactive effect of COMT Val158Met and MTHFR C677T polymorphisms on the Symbol Digit Modalities Test independent of diagnosis (P < 0.05). After controlling for covariates, the subjects with COMT Met/ Met and MTHFR C/C genotype had better Symbol Digit Modalities Test performance. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest no major effect of COMT or MTHFR on cognitive function alone. However, an interaction of COMT Val158Met and MTHFR C677T polymorphisms may be associated with cognitive function. Further studies in a large sample are needed to replicate the genetic role in the LOD patients.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoquan Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The 4th People's Hospital of Wuhu City, Wuhu, China
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
42
|
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.
Collapse
|
43
|
Barman A, Assmann A, Richter S, Soch J, Schütze H, Wüstenberg T, Deibele A, Klein M, Richter A, Behnisch G, Düzel E, Zenker M, Seidenbecher CI, Schott BH. Genetic variation of the RASGRF1 regulatory region affects human hippocampus-dependent memory. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:260. [PMID: 24808846 PMCID: PMC4010733 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/08/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The guanine nucleotide exchange factor RASGRF1 is an important regulator of intracellular signaling and neural plasticity in the brain. RASGRF1-deficient mice exhibit a complex phenotype with learning deficits and ocular abnormalities. Also in humans, a genome-wide association study has identified the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs8027411 in the putative transcription regulatory region of RASGRF1 as a risk variant of myopia. Here we aimed to assess whether, in line with the RASGRF1 knockout mouse phenotype, rs8027411 might also be associated with human memory function. We performed computer-based neuropsychological learning experiments in two independent cohorts of young, healthy participants. Tests included the Verbal Learning and Memory Test (VLMT) and the logical memory section of the Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS). Two sub-cohorts additionally participated in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of hippocampus function. 119 participants performed a novelty encoding task that had previously been shown to engage the hippocampus, and 63 subjects participated in a reward-related memory encoding study. RASGRF1 rs8027411 genotype was indeed associated with memory performance in an allele dosage-dependent manner, with carriers of the T allele (i.e., the myopia risk allele) showing better memory performance in the early encoding phase of the VLMT and in the recall phase of the WMS logical memory section. In fMRI, T allele carriers exhibited increased hippocampal activation during presentation of novel images and during encoding of pictures associated with monetary reward. Taken together, our results provide evidence for a role of the RASGRF1 gene locus in hippocampus-dependent memory and, along with the previous association with myopia, point toward pleitropic effects of RASGRF1 genetic variations on complex neural function in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana Barman
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Anne Assmann
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany ; Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Sylvia Richter
- Department of Clinical Psychology, University of Salzburg Salzburg, Austria
| | - Joram Soch
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany ; Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany ; Bernstein Center for Computational Neuroscience, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany
| | - Hartmut Schütze
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Torsten Wüstenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany
| | - Anna Deibele
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany ; Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Marieke Klein
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Center Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anni Richter
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Gusalija Behnisch
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Emrah Düzel
- Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany ; Helmholtz Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases Magdeburg, Germany ; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Martin Zenker
- Department of Human Genetics, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Constanze I Seidenbecher
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany ; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Björn H Schott
- Department of Behavioral Neurology and Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Psychiatry, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Berlin, Germany ; Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences Magdeburg, Germany ; Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Stuart K, Summers MJ, Valenzuela MJ, Vickers JC. BDNF and COMT polymorphisms have a limited association with episodic memory performance or engagement in complex cognitive activity in healthy older adults. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2014; 110:1-7. [PMID: 24468545 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 01/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive decline is a major factor in lowering the quality of life in older populations, and contributes substantially to social, economic, and health costs. As humans age, cognitive function decreases differentially, and individual differences in cognitive ageing are likely attributed to a range of causes, including environmental and genetic influences. The current study included 360 participants (240 females and 120 males) aged between 50 and 79years from the Tasmanian Healthy Brain Project. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met and Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphisms were examined for their association with visual and auditory episodic memory performance. The polymorphisms were also investigated for their association with reported life-long engagement in complex cognitive activity using a retrospective questionnaire. Relative to the demographic variables, the gene variations were found to have no association with episodic memory performance, with the exception of the COMT polymorphism on a single measure of auditory memory (RAVLT). Several other studies also demonstrated that these polymorphisms have no, small, or inconsistent effects on memory function. The BDNF Val66Met and COMT Val158Met polymorphisms were also found to be of little significance to active engagement in complex cognitive activity throughout most of the lifespan. An association was detected between BDNF Val66Met and engagement in cognitive activity in early life (p=.04, d=.23), however this did not reach significance when adjusted for multiple comparisons. The biological mechanisms that underlie engagement in cognitive activity are elusive, thus the potential relationship between BDNF Val66Met genotype and early life cognitive engagement warrants further investigation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberley Stuart
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Mathew James Summers
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia.
| | - Michael J Valenzuela
- Regenerative Neuroscience Group, Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Sydney, Australia
| | - James C Vickers
- Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre, University of Tasmania, Australia; School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Tasmania, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
45
|
Rominger C, Weiss EM, Nagl S, Niederstätter H, Parson W, Papousek I. Carriers of the COMT Met/Met allele have higher degrees of hypnotizability, provided that they have good attentional control: a case of gene-trait interaction. Int J Clin Exp Hypn 2014; 62:455-82. [PMID: 25084618 DOI: 10.1080/00207144.2014.931177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Genetic factors may explain part of the interindividual variability in hypnotizability. A new avenue that may provide more comprehensive understanding of the phenotypic effects of genetic variations is the study of gene-trait interaction. In this study, the authors investigate the relationship of the dopamine-related COMT and the serotonin-related 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms to hypnotizability by taking individual differences in executive attention into account. Homozygosity for the COMT Met allele, putatively linked to the capability or proneness to dissociate from reality, was associated with high hypnotizability only if paired with high-attention ability. The finding can be integrated into hypnosis theory and represents a case of gene-trait interaction suggesting that investigating the effects of a gene in the context of relevant psychological traits may further elucidate gene-brain-behavior relationships.
Collapse
|
46
|
Nyberg L, Andersson M, Kauppi K, Lundquist A, Persson J, Pudas S, Nilsson LG. Age-related and genetic modulation of frontal cortex efficiency. J Cogn Neurosci 2013; 26:746-54. [PMID: 24236764 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_00521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
The dorsolateral pFC (DLPFC) is a key region for working memory. It has been proposed that the DLPFC is dynamically recruited depending on task demands. By this view, high DLPFC recruitment for low-demanding tasks along with weak DLPFC upregulation at higher task demands reflects low efficiency. Here, the fMRI BOLD signal during working memory maintenance and manipulation was examined in relation to aging and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(158)Met status in a large representative sample (n = 287). The efficiency hypothesis predicts a weaker DLPFC response during manipulation, along with a stronger response during maintenance for older adults and COMT Val carriers compared with younger adults and COMT Met carriers. Consistent with the hypothesis, younger adults and met carriers showed maximal DLPFC BOLD response during manipulation, whereas older adults and val carriers displayed elevated DLPFC responses during the less demanding maintenance condition. The observed inverted relations support a link between dopamine and DLPFC efficiency.
Collapse
|
47
|
Noohi F, Boyden NB, Kwak Y, Humfleet J, Burke DT, Müller MLTM, Bohnen NI, Seidler RD. Association of COMT val158met and DRD2 G>T genetic polymorphisms with individual differences in motor learning and performance in female young adults. J Neurophysiol 2013; 111:628-40. [PMID: 24225542 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00457.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals learn new skills at different rates. Given the involvement of corticostriatal pathways in some types of learning, variations in dopaminergic transmission may contribute to these individual differences. Genetic polymorphisms of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme and dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2) genes partially determine cortical and striatal dopamine availability, respectively. Individuals who are homozygous for the COMT methionine (met) allele show reduced cortical COMT enzymatic activity, resulting in increased dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex as opposed to individuals who are carriers of the valine (val) allele. DRD2 G-allele homozygotes benefit from a higher striatal dopamine level compared with T-allele carriers. We hypothesized that individuals who are homozygous for COMT met and DRD2 G alleles would show higher rates of motor learning. Seventy-two young healthy females (20 ± 1.9 yr) performed a sensorimotor adaptation task and a motor sequence learning task. A nonparametric mixed model ANOVA revealed that the COMT val-val group demonstrated poorer performance in the sequence learning task compared with the met-met group and showed a learning deficit in the visuomotor adaptation task compared with both met-met and val-met groups. The DRD2 TT group showed poorer performance in the sequence learning task compared with the GT group, but there was no difference between DRD2 genotype groups in adaptation rate. Although these results did not entirely come out as one might predict based on the known contribution of corticostriatal pathways to motor sequence learning, they support the role of genetic polymorphisms of COMT val158met (rs4680) and DRD2 G>T (rs 1076560) in explaining individual differences in motor performance and motor learning, dependent on task type.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Fatemeh Noohi
- School of Kinesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
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.
Collapse
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;
| | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
49
|
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.
Collapse
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:
| |
Collapse
|
50
|
Brain characteristics of individuals resisting age-related cognitive decline over two decades. J Neurosci 2013; 33:8668-77. [PMID: 23678111 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2900-12.2013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Some elderly appear to resist age-related decline in cognitive functions, but the neural correlates of successful cognitive aging are not well known. Here, older human participants from a longitudinal study were classified as successful or average relative to the mean attrition-corrected cognitive development across 15-20 years in a population-based sample (n = 1561). Fifty-one successful elderly and 51 age-matched average elderly (mean age: 68.8 years) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging while performing an episodic memory face-name paired-associates task. Successful older participants had higher BOLD signal during encoding than average participants, notably in the bilateral PFC and the left hippocampus (HC). The HC activation of the average, but not the successful, older group was lower than that of a young reference group (n = 45, mean age: 35.3 years). HC activation was correlated with task performance, thus likely contributing to the superior memory performance of successful older participants. The frontal BOLD response pattern might reflect individual differences present from young age. Additional analyses confirmed that both the initial cognitive level and the slope of cognitive change across the longitudinal measurement period contributed to the observed group differences in BOLD signal. Further, the differences between the older groups could not be accounted for by differences in brain structure. The current results suggest that one mechanism behind successful cognitive aging might be preservation of HC function combined with a high frontal responsivity. These findings highlight sources for heterogeneity in cognitive aging and may hold useful information for cognitive intervention studies.
Collapse
|