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McKay L, Petrelli B, Pind M, Reynolds JN, Wintle RF, Chudley AE, Drögemöller B, Fainsod A, Scherer SW, Hanlon-Dearman A, Hicks GG. Risk and Resilience Variants in the Retinoic Acid Metabolic and Developmental Pathways Associated with Risk of FASD Outcomes. Biomolecules 2024; 14:569. [PMID: 38785976 PMCID: PMC11117505 DOI: 10.3390/biom14050569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Revised: 05/01/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder that affects an estimated 2-5% of North Americans. FASD is induced by prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) during pregnancy and while there is a clear genetic contribution, few genetic factors are currently identified or understood. In this study, using a candidate gene approach, we performed a genetic variant analysis of retinoic acid (RA) metabolic and developmental signaling pathway genes on whole exome sequencing data of 23 FASD-diagnosed individuals. We found risk and resilience alleles in ADH and ALDH genes known to normally be involved in alcohol detoxification at the expense of RA production, causing RA deficiency, following PAE. Risk and resilience variants were also identified in RA-regulated developmental pathway genes, especially in SHH and WNT pathways. Notably, we also identified significant variants in the causative genes of rare neurodevelopmental disorders sharing comorbidities with FASD, including STRA6 (Matthew-Wood), SOX9 (Campomelic Dysplasia), FDG1 (Aarskog), and 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (TBX1). Although this is a small exploratory study, the findings support PAE-induced RA deficiency as a major etiology underlying FASD and suggest risk and resilience variants may be suitable biomarkers to determine the risk of FASD outcomes following PAE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leo McKay
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Berardino Petrelli
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - Molly Pind
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
| | - James N. Reynolds
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 2V7, Canada
| | - Richard F. Wintle
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Albert E. Chudley
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1S1, Canada
| | - Britt Drögemöller
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada
- Centre on Aging, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Abraham Fainsod
- Department of Developmental Biology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada, Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, P.O. Box 12271, Jerusalem 9112102, Israel
| | - Stephen W. Scherer
- The Centre for Applied Genomics, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics and McLaughlin Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5G 1L7, Canada
- Program in Genetics and Genome Biology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Ana Hanlon-Dearman
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3A 1S1, Canada
| | - Geoffrey G. Hicks
- Department of Biochemistry & Medical Genetics, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0J9, Canada
- Paul Albrechtsen Research Institute CancerCare Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0V9, Canada
- Children’s Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3P4, Canada
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Lockhofen DEL, Mulert C. Neurochemistry of Visual Attention. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:643597. [PMID: 34025339 PMCID: PMC8133366 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.643597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual attention is the cognitive process that mediates the selection of important information from the environment. This selection is usually controlled by bottom-up and top-down attentional biasing. Since for most humans vision is the dominant sense, visual attention is critically important for higher-order cognitive functions and related deficits are a core symptom of many neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. Here, we summarize the importance and relative contributions of different neuromodulators and neurotransmitters to the neural mechanisms of top-down and bottom-up attentional control. We will not only review the roles of widely accepted neuromodulators, such as acetylcholine, dopamine and noradrenaline, but also the contributions of other modulatory substances. In doing so, we hope to shed some light on the current understanding of the role of neurochemistry in shaping neuron properties contributing to the allocation of attention in the visual field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christoph Mulert
- Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University, Hessen, Germany
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Kuc K, Bielecki M, Racicka-Pawlukiewicz E, Czerwinski MB, Cybulska-Klosowicz A. The SLC6A3 gene polymorphism is related to the development of attentional functions but not to ADHD. Sci Rep 2020; 10:6176. [PMID: 32277231 PMCID: PMC7148317 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-63296-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuropharmacological and human clinical studies have suggested that the brain dopaminergic system is substantively involved in normal and pathological phenotypes of attention. Dopamine transporter gene (SLC6A3) was proposed as a candidate gene for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). We investigated the effect of the SLC6A3 variants on cognitive performance in ADHD and healthy children and teenagers. Participants completed cognitive tasks measuring attentional switching, selective and sustained attention, and effectiveness of alerting, orienting and executive attention. We estimated the effects of 40 bp variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphism located in the 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) (9-repeat vs 10-repeat allele) of the SLC6A3 gene, ADHD diagnosis, age, and their interactions as predictors of cognitive performance. ADHD children demonstrated deficits in most of the examined attention processes, persistent within the examined age range (9-16 years). No significant effects were observed for the interaction of ADHD and the SLC6A3 polymorphism, but the results revealed a significant main effect of SLC6A3 genotype in the entire research sample. Subjects carrying 9R allele performed the switching task significantly worse in comparison to children with 10R/10R or 10R/11R genotype. SLC6A3 polymorphism moderated age-related improvements in orienting and attentional switching. Results suggest that SLC6A3 genotype influence these attentional/cognitive functions which deficits are not the key symptoms in ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Kuc
- Department of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland.
| | - Maksymilian Bielecki
- Department of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
| | | | - Michał B Czerwinski
- Laboratory of Neuroinformatics, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Anita Cybulska-Klosowicz
- Laboratory of Neuroplasticity, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland
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Lundwall RA, Woodruff J, Tolboe SP. RT Slowing to Valid Cues on a Reflexive Attention Task in Children and Young Adults. Front Psychol 2018; 9:1324. [PMID: 30127758 PMCID: PMC6087753 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2017] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Peripheral cueing tasks can be used to measure reflexive (automatic) attention. In these tasks, increases in response time or RT (costs) typically follow contralateral (invalid) cues as attention must move from the location of the cue to the target. Reductions in RT (benefits) to a target typically follow ipsilateral (valid) cues because the cue draws attention to where the target will appear. Two exceptions to RT benefits are inhibition of return (IOR) and masking. IOR is the tendency to respond slower to targets that appear in locations attended within the last 200–2000 ms. Masking occurs when the visibility of a target is blocked by another stimulus (e.g., the cue). Herein, we describe two experiments, both using a modified Posner task with “earth rockets” as cues and “alien spaceships” as targets. Cues were equally likely to appear on the left or right side of a display following targets. Participants were instructed to press a left or right key corresponding to a left or right target. In Experiment 1, we obtained data from 203 children (10.58–16.55 years old). We discovered unexpected costs following cues that typically provide RT benefits. In Experiment 2, we explored IOR, masking, and age differences in the occurrence of these costs. We manipulated the cue-target temporal distance (“stimulus onset asynchrony” or SOA) to explore IOR and the cue-target spatial distance to explore masking. We also considered a wider age range. Sixty-three children and 41 young adults participated. Experiment 2 revealed a three-way interaction between SOA, spatial distance, and age. At the shorter SOA (100 ms) and moderate spatial distance, unexpected costs followed valid cues for younger children (7.07–10.15 years old). These costs also occurred in young adults (18.00–23.02 years old) following far distance cues at this SOA. At the longer SOA (200 ms), these costs followed moderate and far cues for younger children and near cues for young adults. Older children (10.31–14.92 years) did not have unexpected costs. We explain the findings in terms of masking, IOR, and possible developmental mechanisms.
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Quan J, Ong ML, Bureau JF, Sim LW, Sanmugam S, Abdul Malik AB, Wong E, Wong J, Chong YS, Saw SM, Kwek K, Qiu A, Holbrook JD, Rifkin-Graboi A. The influence of CHRNA4, COMT, and maternal sensitivity on orienting and executive attention in 6-month-old infants. Brain Cogn 2017; 116:17-28. [PMID: 28582665 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite claims concerning biological mechanisms sub-serving infant attention, little experimental work examines its underpinnings. This study examines how candidate polymorphisms from the cholinergic (CHRNA4 rs1044396) and dopaminergic (COMT rs4680) systems, respectively indicative of parietal and prefrontal/anterior cingulate involvement, are related to 6-month-olds' (n=217) performance during a visual expectation eye-tracking paradigm. As previous studies suggest that both cholinergic and dopaminergic genes may influence susceptibility to the influence of other genetic and environmental factors, we further examined whether these candidate genes interact with one another and/or with early caregiving experience in predicting infants' visual attention. We detected an interaction between CHRNA4 genotype and observed maternal sensitivity upon infants' orienting to random stimuli and a CHRNA4-COMT interaction effect upon infants' orienting to patterned stimuli. Consistent with adult research, we observed a direct effect of COMT genotype on anticipatory looking to patterned stimuli. Findings suggest that CHRNA4 genotype may influence susceptibility to other attention-related factors in infancy. These interactions may account for the inability to establish a link between CHRNA4 and orienting in infant research to date, despite developmental theorizing suggesting otherwise. Moreover, findings suggest that by 6months, dopamine, and relatedly, the prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate, may be important to infant attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffry Quan
- University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Private, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Mei-Lyn Ong
- University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Private, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Jean-Francois Bureau
- University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Private, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Lit Wee Sim
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Shamini Sanmugam
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Adam B Abdul Malik
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Eric Wong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Johnny Wong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Yap-Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore; National University Health System, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Seang Mei Saw
- National University Health System, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Kenneth Kwek
- KK Women's & Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899, Singapore
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore; National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Joanna D Holbrook
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Anne Rifkin-Graboi
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore.
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Lundwall RA, Dannemiller JL, Goldsmith HH. Genetic associations with reflexive visual attention in infancy and childhood. Dev Sci 2015; 20. [PMID: 26613685 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2014] [Accepted: 08/28/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
This study elucidates genetic influences on reflexive (as opposed to sustained) attention in children (aged 9-16 years; N = 332) who previously participated as infants in visual attention studies using orienting to a moving bar (Dannemiller, 2004). We investigated genetic associations with reflexive attention measures in infancy and childhood in the same group of children. The genetic markers (single nucleotide polymorphisms and variable number tandem repeats on the genes APOE, BDNF, CHRNA4, COMT, DRD4, HTR4, IGF2, MAOA, SLC5A7, SLC6A3, and SNAP25) are related to brain development and/or to the availability of neurotransmitters such as acetylcholine, dopamine, or serotonin. This study shows that typically developing children have differences in reflexive attention associated with their genes, as we found in adults (Lundwall, Guo & Dannemiller, 2012). This effort to extend our previous findings to outcomes in infancy and childhood was necessary because genetic influence may differ over the course of development. Although two of the genes that were tested in our adult study (Lundwall et al., 2012) were significant in either our infant study (SLC6A3) or child study (DRD4), the specific markers tested differed. Performance on the infant task was associated with SLC6A3. In addition, several genetic associations with an analogous child task occurred with markers on CHRNA4, COMT, and DRD4. Interestingly, the child version of the task involved an interaction such that which genotype group performed poorer on the child task depended on whether we were examining the higher or lower infant scoring group. These findings are discussed in terms of genetic influences on reflexive attention in infancy and childhood.
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Lundwall RA, Dannemiller JL. Genetic contributions to attentional response time slopes across repeated trials. BMC Neurosci 2015; 16:66. [PMID: 26471374 PMCID: PMC4608133 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-015-0201-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Attention provides vital contribution to everyday functioning, and deficits in attention feature in many psychological disorders. Improved understanding of attention may eventually be critical to early identification and treatment of attentional deficits. One step in that direction is to acquire a better understanding of genetic associations with performance on a task measuring reflexive (exogenous) visual attention. Reflexive attention is an important component of overall attention because (along with voluntary selective attention) it participates in determining where attention is allocated and how susceptible to distractors the subject might be. The task that we used involves the presentation of a target that is preceded by one of several different types of cues (none, double, or single, either ipsilateral or contralateral to where the target subsequently appears). We used several different outcome measures depending on the cue presented. We have previously studied the relationship between selected genes and mean response time (RT). Here we report on the contributions of genetic markers to RT increases or decreases over the course of the task (linear trend in RT slope). Results Specifically, we find that RT slope for a variety of reflexive attention outcome measures is dependent on DAT1 genotype. DRD4 was near significant for one outcome measure in the final (best) model. APOE, COMT, and DBH were not significant in any models. Conclusions It is especially interesting that genotype predicts linear changes in RT across trials (and not just mean differences or moment-to-moment variability). DAT1 is a gene that produces a protein involved in the transport of dopamine from the synapse. To our knowledge, this is the first study that has associated neurotransmitter genotypes with RT slope on a reflexive attention experiment. The direction of these effects is consistent with genetic risk for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). That is, those with two risk alleles for ADHD (6R/6R on the DAT1 intron 8 VNTR) either got slower as the task progressed or had the least improvement. Those with no risk alleles (5R/5R) had the most improvement in RT as the task progressed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - James L Dannemiller
- Department of Psychology, MS-25, Rice University, P. O. Box 1892, Houston, TX, 77251-1892, USA.
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Williams LJ, Butler JS, Molloy A, McGovern E, Beiser I, Kimmich O, Quinlivan B, O'Riordan S, Hutchinson M, Reilly RB. Young Women do it Better: Sexual Dimorphism in Temporal Discrimination. Front Neurol 2015. [PMID: 26217303 PMCID: PMC4497309 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2015.00160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The temporal discrimination threshold (TDT) is the shortest time interval at which two sensory stimuli presented sequentially are detected as asynchronous by the observer. TDTs are known to increase with age. Having previously observed shorter thresholds in young women than in men, in this work we sought to systematically examine the effect of sex and age on temporal discrimination. The aims of this study were to examine, in a large group of men and women aged 20–65 years, the distribution of TDTs with an analysis of the individual participant’s responses, assessing the “point of subjective equality” and the “just noticeable difference” (JND). These respectively assess sensitivity and accuracy of an individual’s response. In 175 participants (88 women) aged 20–65 years, temporal discrimination was faster in women than in men under the age of 40 years by a mean of approximately 13 ms. However, age-related decline in temporal discrimination was three times faster in women so that, in the age group of 40–65 years, the female superiority was reversed. The point of subjective equality showed a similar advantage in younger women and more marked age-related decline in women than men, as the TDT. JND values declined equally in both sexes, showing no sexual dimorphism. This observed sexual dimorphism in temporal discrimination is important for both (a) future clinical research assessing disordered mid-brain covert attention in basal-ganglia disorders, and (b) understanding the biology of this sexual dimorphism which may be genetic or hormonal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Jane Williams
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - John S Butler
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Anna Molloy
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Eavan McGovern
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Ines Beiser
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Okka Kimmich
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Brendan Quinlivan
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Sean O'Riordan
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Michael Hutchinson
- Department of Neurology, St. Vincent's University Hospital , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine and Medical Science, University College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
| | - Richard B Reilly
- Trinity Centre for Bioengineering, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Engineering, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland ; School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin , Dublin , Ireland
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Lundwall RA, Watkins JK. Genetic Influence on Slope Variability in a Childhood Reflexive Attention Task. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0130668. [PMID: 26102342 PMCID: PMC4477886 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0130668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals are not perfectly consistent, and interindividual variability is a common feature in all varieties of human behavior. Some individuals respond more variably than others, however, and this difference may be important to understanding how the brain works. In this paper, we explore genetic contributions to response time (RT) slope variability on a reflexive attention task. We are interested in such variability because we believe it is an important part of the overall picture of attention that, if understood, has the potential to improve intervention for those with attentional deficits. Genetic association studies are valuable in discovering biological pathways of variability and several studies have found such associations with a sustained attention task. Here, we expand our knowledge to include a reflexive attention task. We ask whether specific candidate genes are associated with interindividual variability on a childhood reflexive attention task in 9–16 year olds. The genetic makers considered are on 11 genes: APOE, BDNF, CHRNA4, COMT, DRD4, HTR4, IGF2, MAOA, SLC5A7, SLC6A3, and SNAP25. We find significant associations with variability with markers on nine and we discuss the results in terms of neurotransmitters associated with each gene and the characteristics of the associated measures from the reflexive attention task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca A. Lundwall
- Psychology Department, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
- Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Jeffrey K. Watkins
- Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States of America
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Brain dopaminergic system related genetic variability interacts with target/mask timing in metacontrast masking. Neuropsychologia 2015; 71:112-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.03.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2014] [Revised: 02/21/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Campbell D, Bick J, Yrigollen CM, Lee M, Joseph A, Chang JT, Grigorenko EL. Schooling and variation in the COMT gene: the devil is in the details. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2013; 54:1056-65. [PMID: 23952646 PMCID: PMC3786416 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/22/2013] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schooling is considered one of the major contributors to the development of intelligence within societies and individuals. Genetic variation might modulate the impact of schooling and explain, at least partially, the presence of individual differences in classrooms. METHOD We studied a sample of 1,502 children (mean age = 11.7 years) from Zambia. Approximately 57% of these children were enrolled in school, and the rest were not. To quantify genetic variation, we investigated a number of common polymorphisms in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene that controls the production of the protein thought to account for >60% of the dopamine degradation in the prefrontal cortex. RESULTS Haplotype analyses generated results ranging from the presence to absence of significant interactions between a number of COMT haplotypes and indicators of schooling (i.e., in- vs. out-of-school and grade completed) in the prediction of nonverbal intelligence, depending on the parameter specification. However, an investigation of the distribution of corresponding p-values suggested that these positive results were false. CONCLUSIONS Convincing evidence that the variation in the COMT gene is associated with individual differences in nonverbal intelligence either directly or through interactions with schooling was not found. p-values produced by the method of testing for haplotype effects employed here may be sensitive to parameter settings, invalid under default settings, and should be checked for validity through simulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Campbell
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Johanna Bick
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | - Maria Lee
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | | | - Elena L. Grigorenko
- Child Study Center, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States,Columbia University, New York, NY, USA,Moscow State University for Psychology and Education, Russia
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Markant J, Cicchetti D, Hetzel S, Thomas KM. Relating dopaminergic and cholinergic polymorphisms to spatial attention in infancy. Dev Psychol 2013; 50:360-9. [PMID: 23731290 DOI: 10.1037/a0033172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Early selective attention skills are a crucial building block for cognitive development, as attention orienting serves as a primary means by which infants interact with and learn from the environment. Although several studies have examined infants' attention orienting using the spatial cueing task, relatively few studies have examined neurodevelopmental factors associated with attention orienting during infancy. The present study examined the relationship between normative genetic polymorphisms affecting dopamine and acetylcholine signaling and attention orienting in 7-month-old infants during a spatial cueing task. We focused on 3 genes, including the CHRNA4 C¹⁵⁴⁵T SNP (rs10344946), DAT1 3'UTR VNTR, and COMT Val¹⁵⁸Met SNP (rs4680), as previous adult research has linked spatial attention skills to these polymorphisms. Behavioral measures included both facilitation of orienting at the cued location as well as inhibition of return (IOR), in which attention orienting is suppressed at the cued location. Results indicated that COMT Val carriers showed robust IOR relative to infants with the Met/Met genotype. However, COMT was unrelated to infants' facilitation responses, and there were no effects of CHRNA4 or DAT1 on either facilitation or IOR. Overall, this study suggests that variations in dopamine signaling, likely in prefrontal cortex, contribute to individual differences in orienting during early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Markant
- Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences, Brown University
| | | | - Susan Hetzel
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota
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