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Gu Y, Maria-Stauffer E, Bedford SA, Romero-Garcia R, Grove J, Børglum AD, Martin H, Baron-Cohen S, Bethlehem RA, Warrier V. Polygenic scores for autism are associated with neurite density in adults and children from the general population. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2024:2024.04.10.24305539. [PMID: 38645251 PMCID: PMC11030520 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.10.24305539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Genetic variants linked to autism are thought to change cognition and behaviour by altering the structure and function of the brain. Although a substantial body of literature has identified structural brain differences in autism, it is unknown whether autism-associated common genetic variants are linked to changes in cortical macro- and micro-structure. We investigated this using neuroimaging and genetic data from adults (UK Biobank, N = 31,748) and children (ABCD, N = 4,928). Using polygenic scores and genetic correlations we observe a robust negative association between common variants for autism and a magnetic resonance imaging derived phenotype for neurite density (intracellular volume fraction) in the general population. This result is consistent across both children and adults, in both the cortex and in white matter tracts, and confirmed using polygenic scores and genetic correlations. There were no sex differences in this association. Mendelian randomisation analyses provide no evidence for a causal relationship between autism and intracellular volume fraction, although this should be revisited using better powered instruments. Overall, this study provides evidence for shared common variant genetics between autism and cortical neurite density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanjun Gu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
| | | | - Saashi A. Bedford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
| | | | | | - Rafael Romero-Garcia
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH
- Department of Medical Physiology and Biophysics, Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla (IBiS), HUVR/CSIC/Universidad de Sevilla/CIBERSAM, ISCIII, 41013, Sevilla, Spain, 41013
| | - Jakob Grove
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, 8210, Denmark
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine (CGPM), Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine (Human Genetics) and iSEQ Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
- Bioinformatics Research Centre, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark, 8000
| | - Anders D. Børglum
- The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, iPSYCH, Aarhus, 8210, Denmark
- Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine (CGPM), Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
- Department of Biomedicine (Human Genetics) and iSEQ Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, 8000, Denmark
| | - Hilary Martin
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | | | - Varun Warrier
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 8AH
- Human Genetics Programme, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, CB10 1SA, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
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2
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Procyshyn TL, Tsompanidis A, Baron-Cohen S. Embracing evolutionary theories of autism: Implications for psychiatry. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2024; 149:85-87. [PMID: 38221858 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Tanya L Procyshyn
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Alex Tsompanidis
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Simon Baron-Cohen
- Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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3
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Kirschner M, Paquola C, Khundrakpam BS, Vainik U, Bhutani N, Hodzic-Santor B, Georgiadis F, Al-Sharif NB, Misic B, Bernhardt BC, Evans AC, Dagher A. Schizophrenia Polygenic Risk During Typical Development Reflects Multiscale Cortical Organization. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:1083-1093. [PMID: 37881579 PMCID: PMC10593879 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Schizophrenia is widely recognized as a neurodevelopmental disorder. Abnormal cortical development in otherwise typically developing children and adolescents may be revealed using polygenic risk scores for schizophrenia (PRS-SCZ). Methods We assessed PRS-SCZ and cortical morphometry in typically developing children and adolescents (3-21 years, 46.8% female) using whole-genome genotyping and T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (n = 390) from the PING (Pediatric Imaging, Neurocognition, and Genetics) cohort. We contextualized the findings using 1) age-matched transcriptomics, 2) histologically defined cytoarchitectural types and functionally defined networks, and 3) case-control differences of schizophrenia and other major psychiatric disorders derived from meta-analytic data of 6 ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) working groups, including a total of 12,876 patients and 15,670 control participants. Results Higher PRS-SCZ was associated with greater cortical thickness, which was most prominent in areas with heightened gene expression of dendrites and synapses. PRS-SCZ-related increases in vertexwise cortical thickness were mainly distributed in association cortical areas, particularly the ventral attention network, while relatively sparing koniocortical type cortex (i.e., primary sensory areas). The large-scale pattern of cortical thickness increases related to PRS-SCZ mirrored the pattern of cortical thinning in schizophrenia and mood-related psychiatric disorders derived from the ENIGMA consortium. Age group models illustrate a possible trajectory from PRS-SCZ-associated cortical thickness increases in early childhood toward thinning in late adolescence, with the latter resembling the adult brain phenotype of schizophrenia. Conclusions Collectively, combining imaging genetics with multiscale mapping, our work provides novel insight into how genetic risk for schizophrenia affects the cortex early in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Kirschner
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
- Division of Adult Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Casey Paquola
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | | | - Uku Vainik
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
- Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Neha Bhutani
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | | | - Foivos Georgiadis
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Noor B. Al-Sharif
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Bratislav Misic
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Boris C. Bernhardt
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alan C. Evans
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Alain Dagher
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Québec, Canada
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4
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Pretzsch CM, Ecker C. Structural neuroimaging phenotypes and associated molecular and genomic underpinnings in autism: a review. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1172779. [PMID: 37457001 PMCID: PMC10347684 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1172779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Autism has been associated with differences in the developmental trajectories of multiple neuroanatomical features, including cortical thickness, surface area, cortical volume, measures of gyrification, and the gray-white matter tissue contrast. These neuroimaging features have been proposed as intermediate phenotypes on the gradient from genomic variation to behavioral symptoms. Hence, examining what these proxy markers represent, i.e., disentangling their associated molecular and genomic underpinnings, could provide crucial insights into the etiology and pathophysiology of autism. In line with this, an increasing number of studies are exploring the association between neuroanatomical, cellular/molecular, and (epi)genetic variation in autism, both indirectly and directly in vivo and across age. In this review, we aim to summarize the existing literature in autism (and neurotypicals) to chart a putative pathway from (i) imaging-derived neuroanatomical cortical phenotypes to (ii) underlying (neuropathological) biological processes, and (iii) associated genomic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte M. Pretzsch
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
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5
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Alex AM, Buss C, Davis EP, Campos GDL, Donald KA, Fair DA, Gaab N, Gao W, Gilmore JH, Girault JB, Grewen K, Groenewold NA, Hankin BL, Ipser J, Kapoor S, Kim P, Lin W, Luo S, Norton ES, O'Connor TG, Piven J, Qiu A, Rasmussen JM, Skeide MA, Stein DJ, Styner MA, Thompson PM, Wakschlag L, Knickmeyer R. Genetic Influences on the Developing Young Brain and Risk for Neuropsychiatric Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:905-920. [PMID: 36932005 PMCID: PMC10136952 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Revised: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Imaging genetics provides an opportunity to discern associations between genetic variants and brain imaging phenotypes. Historically, the field has focused on adults and adolescents; very few imaging genetics studies have focused on brain development in infancy and early childhood (from birth to age 6 years). This is an important knowledge gap because developmental changes in the brain during the prenatal and early postnatal period are regulated by dynamic gene expression patterns that likely play an important role in establishing an individual's risk for later psychiatric illness and neurodevelopmental disabilities. In this review, we summarize findings from imaging genetics studies spanning from early infancy to early childhood, with a focus on studies examining genetic risk for neuropsychiatric disorders. We also introduce the Organization for Imaging Genomics in Infancy (ORIGINs), a working group of the ENIGMA (Enhancing NeuroImaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis) consortium, which was established to facilitate large-scale imaging genetics studies in infancy and early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ann M Alex
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Claudia Buss
- Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Department of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany; Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California; Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California; Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Gustavo de Los Campos
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Departments of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Statistics & Probability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan
| | - Kirsten A Donald
- Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Damien A Fair
- Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Institute of Child Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Nadine Gaab
- Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Wei Gao
- Cedars-Sinai Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Los Angeles, California; Departments of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Jessica B Girault
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carrboro, North Carolina
| | - Karen Grewen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Nynke A Groenewold
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Benjamin L Hankin
- Psychology Department, University of Illinois Urbana,-Champaign, Illinois
| | - Jonathan Ipser
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shreya Kapoor
- Research Group Learning in Early Childhood, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Pilyoung Kim
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado
| | - Weili Lin
- Department of Radiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Shan Luo
- Department of Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California; Center for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Elizabeth S Norton
- Roxelyn and Richard Pepper Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, Illinois; Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Thomas G O'Connor
- Departments of Psychiatry, Psychology, Neuroscience, Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York
| | - Joseph Piven
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Carrboro, North Carolina
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore; NUS (Suzhou) Research Institute, National University of Singapore, China; the Institute for Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore; School of Computer Engineering and Science, Shanghai University, Shanghai, China; Institute of Data Science, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Biomedical Engineering, the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Jerod M Rasmussen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California; Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Michael A Skeide
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Research Group Learning in Early Childhood, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dan J Stein
- South African Medical Research Council Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Stevens Neuroimaging & Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of University of the Sunshine Coast, Marina del Rey, California
| | - Laurie Wakschlag
- Department of Medical Social Sciences and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Rebecca Knickmeyer
- Institute for Quantitative Health Sciences and Engineering, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan; Department of Pediatrics and Human Development, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.
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6
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A critical role of brain network architecture in a continuum model of autism spectrum disorders spanning from healthy individuals with genetic liability to individuals with ASD. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:1210-1218. [PMID: 36575304 PMCID: PMC10005951 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01916-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2021] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Studies have shown cortical alterations in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as well as in individuals with high polygenic risk for ASD. An important addition to the study of altered cortical anatomy is the investigation of the underlying brain network architecture that may reveal brain-wide mechanisms in ASD and in polygenic risk for ASD. Such an approach has been proven useful in other psychiatric disorders by revealing that brain network architecture shapes (to an extent) the disorder-related cortical alterations. This study uses data from a clinical dataset-560 male subjects (266 individuals with ASD and 294 healthy individuals, CTL, mean age at 17.2 years) from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange database, and data of 391 healthy individuals (207 males, mean age at 12.1 years) from the Pediatric Imaging, Neurocognition and Genetics database. ASD-related cortical alterations (group difference, ASD-CTL, in cortical thickness) and cortical correlates of polygenic risk for ASD were assessed, and then statistically compared with structural connectome-based network measures (such as hubs) using spin permutation tests. Next, we investigated whether polygenic risk for ASD could be predicted by network architecture by building machine-learning based prediction models, and whether the top predictors of the model were identified as disease epicenters of ASD. We observed that ASD-related cortical alterations as well as cortical correlates of polygenic risk for ASD implicated cortical hubs more strongly than non-hub regions. We also observed that age progression of ASD-related cortical alterations and cortical correlates of polygenic risk for ASD implicated cortical hubs more strongly than non-hub regions. Further investigation revealed that structural connectomes predicted polygenic risk for ASD (r = 0.30, p < 0.0001), and two brain regions (the left inferior parietal and left suparmarginal) with top predictive connections were identified as disease epicenters of ASD. Our study highlights a critical role of network architecture in a continuum model of ASD spanning from healthy individuals with genetic risk to individuals with ASD. Our study also highlights the strength of investigating polygenic risk scores in addition to multi-modal neuroimaging measures to better understand the interplay between genetic risk and brain alterations associated with ASD.
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7
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Jamshidi J, Park HRP, Montalto A, Fullerton JM, Gatt JM. Wellbeing and brain structure: A comprehensive phenotypic and genetic study of image-derived phenotypes in the UK Biobank. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:5180-5193. [PMID: 35765890 PMCID: PMC9812238 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25993] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Revised: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Wellbeing, an important component of mental health, is influenced by genetic and environmental factors. Previous association studies between brain structure and wellbeing have typically focused on volumetric measures and employed small cohorts. Using the UK Biobank Resource, we explored the relationships between wellbeing and brain morphometrics (volume, thickness and surface area) at both phenotypic and genetic levels. The sample comprised 38,982 participants with neuroimaging and wellbeing phenotype data, of which 19,234 had genotypes from which wellbeing polygenic scores (PGS) were calculated. We examined the association of wellbeing phenotype and PGS with all brain regions (including cortical, subcortical, brainstem and cerebellar regions) using multiple linear models, including (1) basic neuroimaging covariates and (2) additional demographic factors that may synergistically impact wellbeing and its neural correlates. Genetic correlations between genomic variants influencing wellbeing and brain structure were also investigated. Small but significant associations between wellbeing and volumes of several cerebellar structures (β = 0.015-0.029, PFDR = 0.007-3.8 × 10-9 ), brainstem, nucleus accumbens and caudate were found. Cortical associations with wellbeing included volume of right lateral occipital, thickness of bilateral lateral occipital and cuneus, and surface area of left superior parietal, supramarginal and pre-/post-central regions. Wellbeing-PGS was associated with cerebellar volumes and supramarginal surface area. Small mediation effects of wellbeing phenotype and PGS on right VIIIb cerebellum were evident. No genetic correlation was found between wellbeing and brain morphometric measures. We provide a comprehensive overview of wellbeing-related brain morphometric variation. Notably, small effect sizes reflect the multifaceted nature of this concept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javad Jamshidi
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Haeme R P Park
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Arthur Montalto
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Janice M Fullerton
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Justine M Gatt
- Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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8
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Associations between brain imaging and polygenic scores of mental health and educational attainment in children aged 9-11. Neuroimage 2022; 263:119611. [PMID: 36070838 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders are highly heritable and polygenic, and many have their peak onset in late childhood and adolescence, a period of tremendous changes. Although the neurodevelopmental antecedents of mental illness are widely acknowledged, research in youth population cohorts is still scarce, preventing our progress towards the early characterization of these disorders. We included 7,124 children (9-11 years old) from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study to map the associations of structural and diffusion brain imaging with common genetic variants and polygenic scores for psychiatric disorders and educational attainment. We used principal component analysis to derive imaging components, and calculated their heritability. We then assessed the relationship of imaging components with genetic and clinical psychiatric risk with univariate models and Canonical correlation analysis (CCA). Most imaging components had moderate heritability. Univariate models showed limited evidence and small associations of polygenic scores with brain structure at this age. CCA revealed two significant modes of covariation. The first mode linked higher polygenic scores for educational attainment with less externalizing problems and larger surface area. The second mode related higher polygenic scores for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and autism spectrum disorder to higher global cortical thickness, smaller white matter volumes of the fornix and cingulum, larger medial occipital surface area and smaller surface area of lateral and medial temporal regions. While cross-validation suggested limited generalizability, our results highlight the potential of multivariate models to better understand the transdiagnostic and distributed relationships between mental health and brain structure in late childhood.
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9
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Merz EC, Strack J, Hurtado H, Vainik U, Thomas M, Evans A, Khundrakpam B. Educational attainment polygenic scores, socioeconomic factors, and cortical structure in children and adolescents. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4886-4900. [PMID: 35894163 PMCID: PMC9582364 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome‐wide polygenic scores for educational attainment (PGS‐EA) and socioeconomic factors, which are correlated with each other, have been consistently associated with academic achievement and general cognitive ability in children and adolescents. Yet, the independent associations of PGS‐EA and socioeconomic factors with specific underlying factors at the neural and neurocognitive levels are not well understood. The main goals of this study were to examine the unique contributions of PGS‐EA and parental education to cortical structure and neurocognitive skills in children and adolescents, and the associations among PGS‐EA, cortical structure, and neurocognitive skills. Participants were typically developing 3‐ to 21‐year‐olds (53% male; N = 391). High‐resolution, T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging data were acquired, and cortical thickness (CT) and surface area (SA) were measured. PGS‐EA were computed based on the EA3 genome‐wide association study of educational attainment. Participants completed executive function, vocabulary, and episodic memory tasks. Higher PGS‐EA and parental education were independently and significantly associated with greater total SA and vocabulary. Higher PGS‐EA was significantly associated with greater SA in the left medial orbitofrontal gyrus and inferior frontal gyrus, which was associated with higher executive function. Higher parental education was significantly associated with greater SA in the left parahippocampal gyrus after accounting for PGS‐EA and total brain volume. These findings suggest that education‐linked genetics may influence SA in frontal regions, leading to variability in executive function. Associations of parental education with cortical structure in children and adolescents remained significant after controlling for PGS‐EA, a source of genetic confounding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Jordan Strack
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Hailee Hurtado
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Uku Vainik
- University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
| | - Michael Thomas
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Alan Evans
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
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10
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Sha Z, Schijven D, Francks C. Patterns of brain asymmetry associated with polygenic risks for autism and schizophrenia implicate language and executive functions but not brain masculinization. Mol Psychiatry 2021; 26:7652-7660. [PMID: 34211121 PMCID: PMC8872997 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01204-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/11/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and schizophrenia have been conceived as partly opposing disorders in terms of systemizing vs. empathizing cognitive styles, with resemblances to male vs. female average sex differences. Left-right asymmetry of the brain is an important aspect of its organization that shows average differences between the sexes and can be altered in both ASD and schizophrenia. Here we mapped multivariate associations of polygenic risk scores for ASD and schizophrenia with asymmetries of regional cerebral cortical surface area, thickness, and subcortical volume measures in 32,256 participants from the UK Biobank. Polygenic risks for the two disorders were positively correlated (r = 0.08, p = 7.13 × 10-50) and both were higher in females compared to males, consistent with biased participation against higher-risk males. Each polygenic risk score was associated with multivariate brain asymmetry after adjusting for sex, ASD r = 0.03, p = 2.17 × 10-9, and schizophrenia r = 0.04, p = 2.61 × 10-11, but the multivariate patterns were mostly distinct for the two polygenic risks and neither resembled average sex differences. Annotation based on meta-analyzed functional imaging data showed that both polygenic risks were associated with asymmetries of regions important for language and executive functions, consistent with behavioral associations that arose in phenome-wide association analysis. Overall, the results indicate that distinct patterns of subtly altered brain asymmetry may be functionally relevant manifestations of polygenic risks for ASD and schizophrenia, but do not support brain masculinization or feminization in their etiologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiqiang Sha
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dick Schijven
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Clyde Francks
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Where the genome meets the connectome: Understanding how genes shape human brain connectivity. Neuroimage 2021; 244:118570. [PMID: 34508898 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2021] [Revised: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The integration of modern neuroimaging methods with genetically informative designs and data can shed light on the molecular mechanisms underlying the structural and functional organization of the human connectome. Here, we review studies that have investigated the genetic basis of human brain network structure and function through three complementary frameworks: (1) the quantification of phenotypic heritability through classical twin designs; (2) the identification of specific DNA variants linked to phenotypic variation through association and related studies; and (3) the analysis of correlations between spatial variations in imaging phenotypes and gene expression profiles through the integration of neuroimaging and transcriptional atlas data. We consider the basic foundations, strengths, limitations, and discoveries associated with each approach. We present converging evidence to indicate that anatomical connectivity is under stronger genetic influence than functional connectivity and that genetic influences are not uniformly distributed throughout the brain, with phenotypic variation in certain regions and connections being under stronger genetic control than others. We also consider how the combination of imaging and genetics can be used to understand the ways in which genes may drive brain dysfunction in different clinical disorders.
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Eyring KW, Geschwind DH. Three decades of ASD genetics: Building a foundation for neurobiological understanding and treatment. Hum Mol Genet 2021; 30:R236-R244. [PMID: 34313757 DOI: 10.1093/hmg/ddab176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Methodological advances over the last three decades have led to a profound transformation in our understanding of the genetic origins of neuropsychiatric disorders. This is exemplified by the study of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) for which microarrays, whole exome sequencing (WES) and whole genome sequencing (WGS) have yielded over a hundred causal loci. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) in ASD have also been fruitful, identifying 5 genome-wide significant loci thus far and demonstrating a substantial role for polygenic inherited risk. Approaches rooted in systems biology and functional genomics have increasingly placed genes implicated by risk variants into biological context. Genetic risk affects a finite group of cell-types and biological processes, converging primarily on early stages of brain development (though, the expression of many risk genes persists through childhood). Coupled with advances in stem cell-based human in vitro model systems, these findings provide a basis for developing mechanistic models of disease pathophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine W Eyring
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Neurogenetics Program, Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Center For Autism Research and Treatment, Semel Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Human Genetics and Institute for Precision Health, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Alemany S, Blok E, Jansen PR, Muetzel RL, White T. Brain morphology, autistic traits, and polygenic risk for autism: A population-based neuroimaging study. Autism Res 2021; 14:2085-2099. [PMID: 34309210 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 06/18/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are associated with widespread brain alterations. Previous research in our group linked autistic traits with altered gyrification, but without pronounced differences in cortical thickness. Herein, we aim to replicate and extend these findings using a larger and older sample. Additionally, we examined whether (a) brain correlates of autistic traits were associated with polygenic risk scores (PRS) for ASD, and (b) autistic traits are related with brain morphological changes over time in a subset of children with longitudinal data available. The sample included 2400 children from the Generation R cohort. Autistic traits were measured using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) at age 6 years. Gyrification, cortical thickness, surface area, and global morphological measures were obtained from high-resolution structural MRI scans at ages 9-to-12 years. We performed multiple linear regression analyses on a vertex-wise level. Corresponding regions of interest were tested for association with PRS. Results showed that autistic traits were related to (a) lower gyrification in the lateral occipital and the superior and inferior parietal lobes, (b) lower cortical thickness in the superior frontal region, and (c) lower surface area in inferior temporal and rostral middle frontal regions. PRS for ASD and longitudinal analyses showed significant associations that did not survive correction for multiple testing. Our findings support stability in the relationship between higher autistic symptoms and lower gyrification and smaller surface areas in school-aged children. These relationships remained when excluding ASD cases, providing neurobiological evidence for the extension of autistic traits into the general population. LAY SUMMARY: We found that school-aged children with higher levels of autistic traits had smaller total brain volume, cerebellum, cortical thickness, and surface area. Further, we also found differences in the folding patterns of the brain (gyrification). Overall, genetic susceptibility for autism spectrum disorders was not related to these brain regions suggesting that other factors could be involved in their origin. These results remained significant when excluding children with a diagnosis of ASD, providing support for the extension of the relationship between autistic traits and brain findings into the general population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Alemany
- IS Global, Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Madrid, Spain
| | - Elisabet Blok
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip R Jansen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Genetics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Clinical Genetics, VU Medical Center, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-Sophia Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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