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Bours CCAH, Bakker-Huvenaars MJ, Tramper J, Bielczyk N, Scheepers F, Nijhof KS, Baanders AN, Lambregts-Rommelse NNJ, Medendorp P, Glennon JC, Buitelaar JK. Emotional face recognition in male adolescents with autism spectrum disorder or disruptive behavior disorder: an eye-tracking study. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2018; 27:1143-1157. [PMID: 29922873 PMCID: PMC6133091 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-018-1174-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), and Conduct Disorder (CD) are often associated with emotion recognition difficulties. This is the first eye-tracking study to examine emotional face recognition (i.e., gazing behavior) in a direct comparison of male adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder or Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder, and typically developing (TD) individuals. We also investigate the role of psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional (CU) traits, and subtypes of aggressive behavior in emotional face recognition. A total of 122 male adolescents (N = 50 ASD, N = 44 ODD/CD, and N = 28 TD) aged 12-19 years (M = 15.4 years, SD= 1.9) were included in the current study for the eye-tracking experiment. Participants were presented with neutral and emotional faces using a Tobii 1750 eye-tracking monitor to record gaze behavior. Our main dependent eye-tracking variables were: (1) fixation duration to the eyes of a face and (2) time to the first fixation to the eyes. Since distributions of eye-tracking variables were not completely Gaussian, non-parametric tests were chosen to investigate gaze behavior across the diagnostic groups with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder, and Typically Developing individuals. Furthermore, we used Spearman correlations to investigate the links with psychopathy, callous, and unemotional traits and subtypes of aggression as assessed by questionnaires. The relative total fixation duration to the eyes was decreased in both the Autism Spectrum Disorder group and the Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder group for several emotional expressions. In both the Autism Spectrum Disorder and the Oppositional Defiant Disorder/Conduct Disorder group, increased time to first fixation on the eyes of fearful faces only was nominally significant. The time to first fixation on the eyes was nominally correlated with psychopathic traits and proactive aggression. The current findings do not support strong claims for differential cross-disorder eye-gazing deficits and for a role of shared underlying psychopathic traits, callous-unemotional traits, and aggression subtypes. Our data provide valuable and novel insights into gaze timing distributions when looking at the eyes of a fearful face.
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Jager A, Maas DA, Fricke K, de Vries RB, Poelmans G, Glennon JC. Aggressive behavior in transgenic animal models: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 91:198-217. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Revised: 08/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Mogavero F, Jager A, Glennon JC. Clock genes, ADHD and aggression. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 91:51-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2016] [Revised: 10/31/2016] [Accepted: 11/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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Ruisch IH, Buitelaar JK, Glennon JC, Hoekstra PJ, Dietrich A. Pregnancy risk factors in relation to oppositional-defiant and conduct disorder symptoms in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. J Psychiatr Res 2018; 101:63-71. [PMID: 29550610 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.02.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pregnancy factors have been implicated in offspring oppositional-defiant disorder (ODD) and conduct disorder (CD) symptoms. Literature still holds notable limitations, such as studying only a restricted set of pregnancy factors, use of screening questionnaires which assess broadly defined outcome measures, and lack of control for disruptive behavior comorbidity and genetic confounds. We aimed to address these gaps by prospectively studying a broad range of pregnancy factors in relation to both offspring ODD and CD symptomatology in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parent and Children. METHODS Outcomes were ODD and CD symptom scores at age 7;9 years using the Development and Well-Being Assessment interview. We analyzed maternal (N ≈ 6300) and teacher ratings (N ≈ 4400) of ODD and CD scores separately using negative binomial regression in multivariable models. Control variables included comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms, ODD or CD symptoms as appropriate, and genetic risk scores based on an independent CD genome-wide association study. RESULTS Higher ODD symptom scores were linked to paracetamol use (IRR = 1.24 [98.3% confidence interval 1.05-1.47], P = 0.002, teacher ratings) and life events stress (IRR = 1.22 [1.07-1.39], P = 0.002, maternal ratings) during pregnancy. Higher CD symptom scores were linked to maternal smoking (IRR = 1.33 [1.18-1.51], P < 0.001, maternal ratings), life events stress (IRR = 1.24 [1.11-1.38], P < 0.001, maternal ratings) and depressive symptoms (IRR = 1.14 [1.01-1.30], P = 0.006, maternal ratings) during pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS Common and potentially preventable pregnancy risk factors were independently related to both offspring ODD and CD symptomatology in children from the general population. Future studies should further address genetic confounds and confounding by environmental factors later in life.
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Bielczyk NZ, Walocha F, Ebel PW, Haak KV, Llera A, Buitelaar JK, Glennon JC, Beckmann CF. Thresholding functional connectomes by means of mixture modeling. Neuroimage 2018; 171:402-414. [PMID: 29309896 PMCID: PMC5981009 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2017] [Revised: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional connectivity has been shown to be a very promising tool for studying the large-scale functional architecture of the human brain. In network research in fMRI, functional connectivity is considered as a set of pair-wise interactions between the nodes of the network. These interactions are typically operationalized through the full or partial correlation between all pairs of regional time series. Estimating the structure of the latent underlying functional connectome from the set of pair-wise partial correlations remains an open research problem though. Typically, this thresholding problem is approached by proportional thresholding, or by means of parametric or non-parametric permutation testing across a cohort of subjects at each possible connection. As an alternative, we propose a data-driven thresholding approach for network matrices on the basis of mixture modeling. This approach allows for creating subject-specific sparse connectomes by modeling the full set of partial correlations as a mixture of low correlation values associated with weak or unreliable edges in the connectome and a sparse set of reliable connections. Consequently, we propose to use alternative thresholding strategy based on the model fit using pseudo-False Discovery Rates derived on the basis of the empirical null estimated as part of the mixture distribution. We evaluate the method on synthetic benchmark fMRI datasets where the underlying network structure is known, and demonstrate that it gives improved performance with respect to the alternative methods for thresholding connectomes, given the canonical thresholding levels. We also demonstrate that mixture modeling gives highly reproducible results when applied to the functional connectomes of the visual system derived from the n-back Working Memory task in the Human Connectome Project. The sparse connectomes obtained from mixture modeling are further discussed in the light of the previous knowledge of the functional architecture of the visual system in humans. We also demonstrate that with use of our method, we are able to extract similar information on the group level as can be achieved with permutation testing even though these two methods are not equivalent. We demonstrate that with both of these methods, we obtain functional decoupling between the two hemispheres in the higher order areas of the visual cortex during visual stimulation as compared to the resting state, which is in line with previous studies suggesting lateralization in the visual processing. However, as opposed to permutation testing, our approach does not require inference at the cohort level and can be used for creating sparse connectomes at the level of a single subject.
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Ruisch IH, Dietrich A, Glennon JC, Buitelaar JK, Hoekstra PJ. Maternal substance use during pregnancy and offspring conduct problems: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 84:325-336. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2017] [Revised: 07/27/2017] [Accepted: 08/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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Naaijen J, Zwiers MP, Forde NJ, Williams SC, Durston S, Brandeis D, Glennon JC, The Tactics Consortium, Franke B, Lythgoe DJ, Buitelaar JK. Striatal structure and its association with N-Acetylaspartate and glutamate in autism spectrum disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 28:118-129. [PMID: 29169826 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Revised: 10/11/2017] [Accepted: 11/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) are often comorbid and are associated with changes in striatal volumes and N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) and glutamate levels. Here, we investigated the relation between dorsal striatal volume and NAA and glutamate levels. We additionally compared striatal volume and shape between ASD, OCD and controls. T1-weighted magnetic resonance (MR) images, proton spectra (1H-MRS) in the left striatum, and phenotypic information were collected from 54 children with ASD, 32 with OCD, and 56 controls (aged 8-13 years) in a four-site study. Dorsal striatal volume and shape were determined using the FMRIB integrated registration and segmentation tool (FIRST). Spectra were processed with Linear Combination Model. The relationship of left striatal volume with NAA and glutamate was investigated, and group comparisons were performed for NAA levels and for bilateral striatal volume and shape. NAA levels were lower in subjects with ASD compared with controls (t=2.86, p=0.005) and were associated with striatal volume (β=0.37, t=2.78, p=0.008). Glutamate levels were also associated with volume in the ASD group (β=0.38, t=2.46, p=0.018). No group differences were found for striatal volume or shape, but a post-hoc diagnosis-by-hemisphere interaction (F(2,129)=3.86, p=0.024) revealed greater asymmetry (right>left) in striatal volume for the disorder-groups compared with controls. Our findings show involvement of NAA and glutamate in striatal volume in ASD and suggest greater asymmetry in paediatric ASD and OCD compared with controls, pointing to overlapping subcortical abnormalities. The lower NAA in ASD reflects reduced neuronal integrity or impaired neuronal functioning.
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Sokolova E, Oerlemans AM, Rommelse NN, Groot P, Hartman CA, Glennon JC, Claassen T, Heskes T, Buitelaar JK. A Causal and Mediation Analysis of the Comorbidity Between Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:1595-1604. [PMID: 28255761 PMCID: PMC5432632 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3083-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are often comorbid. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationships between ASD and ADHD symptoms by applying causal modeling. We used a large phenotypic data set of 417 children with ASD and/or ADHD, 562 affected and unaffected siblings, and 414 controls, to infer a structural equation model using a causal discovery algorithm. Three distinct pathways between ASD and ADHD were identified: (1) from impulsivity to difficulties with understanding social information, (2) from hyperactivity to stereotypic, repetitive behavior, (3) a pairwise pathway between inattention, difficulties with understanding social information, and verbal IQ. These findings may inform future studies on understanding the pathophysiological mechanisms behind the overlap between ASD and ADHD.
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Naaijen J, Zwiers MP, Amiri H, Williams SCR, Durston S, Oranje B, Brandeis D, Boecker-Schlier R, Ruf M, Wolf I, Banaschewski T, Glennon JC, Franke B, Buitelaar JK, Lythgoe DJ. Fronto-Striatal Glutamate in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 2017; 42:2466-2467. [PMID: 29026257 PMCID: PMC5645742 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2017.163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
This corrects the article DOI: 10.1038/npp.2016.260.
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Mechler K, Häge A, Schweinfurth N, Glennon JC, Dijkhuizen RM, Murphy D, Durston S, Williams S, K Buitelaar J, Banaschewski T, Dittmann RW, Tactics Consortium T. Glutamatergic Agents in the Treatment of Compulsivity and Impulsivity in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: a Systematic Review of the Literature. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR KINDER-UND JUGENDPSYCHIATRIE UND PSYCHOTHERAPIE 2017; 46:246-263. [PMID: 28922069 DOI: 10.1024/1422-4917/a000546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Research has implicated glutamatergic projections between the various frontal subregions in the pathogenesis of compulsivity and impulsivity. Reducing striatal glutamate release, or antagonising the action of glutamate at its receptors, may therefore represent viable treatment strategies. Several glutamatergic agents with regulatory approval for other indications are available and may be of potential benefit in the treatment of compulsivity/impulsivity in psychiatric disorders in paediatric patients. METHOD This review was performed according to PRISMA guidelines and evaluates available scientific literature concerning the use of glutamatergic agents in these patients, in order to determine their reported effectiveness/efficacy and tolerability/safety. RESULTS Out of a total of 1,426 publications, 21 trials examining six glutamatergic substances in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder, autism spectrum disorders, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder were included. CONCLUSIONS Trial designs as well as results were heterogeneous and thus comparability was limited. Available data support the hypothesis that glutamatergic agents are of potential value in the treatment of compulsivity/impulsivity in children and adolescents. Based on the data reviewed, memantine and N-acetylcysteine suggest the best risk-benefit profile for future trials. Riluzole should primarily be further investigated in adults. Clinical research of this nature is a key element of the TACTICS Consortium project funded by the European Union (FP7).
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Bielczyk NZ, Llera A, Buitelaar JK, Glennon JC, Beckmann CF. The impact of hemodynamic variability and signal mixing on the identifiability of effective connectivity structures in BOLD fMRI. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00777. [PMID: 28828228 PMCID: PMC5561328 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Multiple computational studies have demonstrated that essentially all current analytical approaches to determine effective connectivity perform poorly when applied to synthetic functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) datasets. In this study, we take a theoretical approach to investigate the potential factors facilitating and hindering effective connectivity research in fMRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this work, we perform a simulation study with use of Dynamic Causal Modeling generative model in order to gain new insights on the influence of factors such as the slow hemodynamic response, mixed signals in the network and short time series, on the effective connectivity estimation in fMRI studies. RESULTS First, we perform a Linear Discriminant Analysis study and find that not the hemodynamics itself but mixed signals in the neuronal networks are detrimental to the signatures of distinct connectivity patterns. This result suggests that for statistical methods (which do not involve lagged signals), deconvolving the BOLD responses is not necessary, but at the same time, functional parcellation into Regions of Interest (ROIs) is essential. Second, we study the impact of hemodynamic variability on the inference with use of lagged methods. We find that the local hemodynamic variability provide with an upper bound on the success rate of the lagged methods. Furthermore, we demonstrate that upsampling the data to TRs lower than the TRs in state-of-the-art datasets does not influence the performance of the lagged methods. CONCLUSIONS Factors such as background scale-free noise and hemodynamic variability have a major impact on the performance of methods for effective connectivity research in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging.
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Quinlan EB, Cattrell A, Jia T, Artiges E, Banaschewski T, Barker G, Bokde ALW, Bromberg U, Büchel C, Brühl R, Conrod PJ, Desrivieres S, Flor H, Frouin V, Gallinat J, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Martinot JL, Paillère Martinot ML, Nees F, Papadopoulos-Orfanos D, Paus T, Poustka L, Smolka MN, Vetter NC, Walter H, Whelan R, Glennon JC, Buitelaar JK, Happé F, Loth E, Barker ED, Schumann G. Psychosocial Stress and Brain Function in Adolescent Psychopathology. Am J Psychiatry 2017; 174:785-794. [PMID: 28618856 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2017.16040464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The authors sought to explore how conduct, hyperactivity/inattention, and emotional symptoms are associated with neural reactivity to social-emotional stimuli, and the extent to which psychosocial stress modulates these relationships. METHOD Participants were community adolescents recruited as part of the European IMAGEN study. Bilateral amygdala regions of interest were used to assess the relationship between the three symptom domains and functional MRI neural reactivity during passive viewing of dynamic angry and neutral facial expressions. Exploratory functional connectivity and whole brain multiple regression approaches were used to analyze how the symptoms and psychosocial stress relate to other brain regions. RESULTS In response to the social-emotional stimuli, adolescents with high levels of conduct or hyperactivity/inattention symptoms who had also experienced a greater number of stressful life events showed hyperactivity of the amygdala and several regions across the brain. This effect was not observed with emotional symptoms. A cluster in the midcingulate was found to be common to both conduct problems and hyperactivity symptoms. Exploratory functional connectivity analyses suggested that amygdala-precuneus connectivity is associated with hyperactivity/inattention symptoms. CONCLUSIONS The results link hyperactive amygdala responses and regions critical for top-down emotional processing with high levels of psychosocial stress in individuals with greater conduct and hyperactivity/inattention symptoms. This work highlights the importance of studying how psychosocial stress affects functional brain responses to social-emotional stimuli, particularly in adolescents with externalizing symptoms.
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Olde Loohuis NFM, Nadif Kasri N, Glennon JC, van Bokhoven H, Hébert SS, Kaplan BB, Martens GJM, Aschrafi A. The schizophrenia risk gene MIR137 acts as a hippocampal gene network node orchestrating the expression of genes relevant to nervous system development and function. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 73:109-118. [PMID: 26925706 PMCID: PMC5002268 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2016.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2015] [Revised: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 02/21/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
MicroRNAs (miRs) are small regulatory molecules, which orchestrate neuronal development and plasticity through modulation of complex gene networks. MicroRNA-137 (miR-137) is a brain-enriched RNA with a critical role in regulating brain development and in mediating synaptic plasticity. Importantly, mutations in this miR are associated with the pathoetiology of schizophrenia (SZ), and there is a widespread assumption that disruptions in miR-137 expression lead to aberrant expression of gene regulatory networks associated with SZ. To systematically identify the mRNA targets for this miR, we performed miR-137 gain- and loss-of-function experiments in primary rat hippocampal neurons and profiled differentially expressed mRNAs through next-generation sequencing. We identified 500 genes that were bidirectionally activated or repressed in their expression by the modulation of miR-137 levels. Gene ontology analysis using two independent software resources suggested functions for these miR-137-regulated genes in neurodevelopmental processes, neuronal maturation processes and cell maintenance, all of which known to be critical for proper brain circuitry formation. Since many of the putative miR-137 targets identified here also have been previously shown to be associated with SZ, we propose that this miR acts as a critical gene network hub contributing to the pathophysiology of this neurodevelopmental disorder.
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Naaijen J, Bralten J, Poelmans G, Glennon JC, Franke B, Buitelaar JK. Glutamatergic and GABAergic gene sets in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: association to overlapping traits in ADHD and autism. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e999. [PMID: 28072412 PMCID: PMC5545734 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2016.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Revised: 11/13/2016] [Accepted: 11/27/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD) often co-occur. Both are highly heritable; however, it has been difficult to discover genetic risk variants. Glutamate and GABA are main excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters in the brain; their balance is essential for proper brain development and functioning. In this study we investigated the role of glutamate and GABA genetics in ADHD severity, autism symptom severity and inhibitory performance, based on gene set analysis, an approach to investigate multiple genetic variants simultaneously. Common variants within glutamatergic and GABAergic genes were investigated using the MAGMA software in an ADHD case-only sample (n=931), in which we assessed ASD symptoms and response inhibition on a Stop task. Gene set analysis for ADHD symptom severity, divided into inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity symptoms, autism symptom severity and inhibition were performed using principal component regression analyses. Subsequently, gene-wide association analyses were performed. The glutamate gene set showed an association with severity of hyperactivity/impulsivity (P=0.009), which was robust to correcting for genome-wide association levels. The GABA gene set showed nominally significant association with inhibition (P=0.04), but this did not survive correction for multiple comparisons. None of single gene or single variant associations was significant on their own. By analyzing multiple genetic variants within candidate gene sets together, we were able to find genetic associations supporting the involvement of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitter systems in ADHD and ASD symptom severity in ADHD.
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Bakker MJ, Greven CU, Buitelaar JK, Glennon JC. Practitioner Review: Psychological treatments for children and adolescents with conduct disorder problems - a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2017; 58:4-18. [PMID: 27501434 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This meta-analysis evaluates the efficacy of nonpharmacological treatments for conduct disorder (CD) problems in children and adolescents, based on child, parent and teacher report. METHODS PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE were searched for peer-reviewed articles published between January 1970 and March 2015. Main inclusion criteria were nonpharmacological treatment, participants younger than 18 years, clinical CD problems/diagnosis, randomized controlled trials and inclusion of at least one CD problem-related outcome. Treatment efficacy is expressed in effect sizes (ESs) calculated for each rater (parent, teacher, self and blinded observer). RESULTS Of 1,549 articles retrieved, 17 (published between June 2004 and January 2014) describing 19 interventions met the inclusion criteria. All studies used psychological treatments; only three studies included a blinded observer to rate CD problems. Most studies were of very poor to fair quality. ESs were significant but small for parent-reported outcomes (0.36, 95% CI = 0.27-0.47), teacher-reported outcomes (0.26, 95% CI = 0.12-0.49) and blinded observer outcomes (0.26, 95% CI = 0.06-0.47), and they were nonsignificant for self-reported outcomes (-0.01, 95% CI = -0.25 to 0.23). Comorbidity, gender, age, number of sessions, duration, intervention type, setting, medication use or dropout percentage did not influence the effect of treatment. CONCLUSIONS Psychological treatments have a small effect in reducing parent-, teacher- and observer-rated CD problems in children and adolescents with clinical CD problems/diagnosis. There is not enough evidence to support one specific psychological treatment over another. Future studies should investigate the influence of participant characteristics (e.g. age of CD onset), use more homogeneous outcome measures and allow better evaluation of study quality. Many reports failed to provide detailed information to allow optimization of psychological treatment strategies.
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Naaijen J, de Ruiter S, Zwiers MP, Glennon JC, Durston S, Lythgoe DJ, Williams SCR, Banaschewski T, Brandeis D, Franke B, Buitelaar JK. COMPULS: design of a multicenter phenotypic, cognitive, genetic, and magnetic resonance imaging study in children with compulsive syndromes. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:361. [PMID: 27782808 PMCID: PMC5080712 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-1072-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Compulsivity, the closely linked trait impulsivity and addictive behaviour are associated with several neurodevelopmental disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). All three disorders show impaired fronto-striatal functioning, which may be related to altered glutamatergic signalling. Genetic factors are also thought to play an important role in the aetiology of compulsivity-related disorders. METHODS The COMPULS study is a multi-center study designed to investigate the relationship between the traits compulsivity, impulsivity, and, to a lesser extent, addictive behaviour within and across the neurodevelopmental disorders ADHD, ASD, and OCD. This will be done at the phenotypic, cognitive, neural, and genetic level. In total, 240 participants will take part in COMPULS across four different sites in Europe. Data collection will include diagnostic interviews, behavioural questionnaires, cognitive measures, structural, functional and spectral neuroimaging, and genome-wide genetic information. DISCUSSION The COMPULS study will offer the unique opportunity to investigate several key aspects of compulsivity across a large cohort of ADHD, ASD and OCD patients.
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Veroude K, von Rhein D, Chauvin RJM, van Dongen EV, Mennes MJJ, Franke B, Heslenfeld DJ, Oosterlaan J, Hartman CA, Hoekstra PJ, Glennon JC, Buitelaar JK. The link between callous-unemotional traits and neural mechanisms of reward processing: An fMRI study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2016; 255:75-80. [PMID: 27564545 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2016] [Revised: 08/12/2016] [Accepted: 08/13/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Callous-unemotional (CU) traits, i.e., unconcernedness and lack of prosocial feelings, may manifest in Conduct Disorder (CD), but also in Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). These disorders have been associated with aberrant reward processing, while the influence of CU traits is unclear. Using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), we examined whether CU traits affect the neural circuit for reward. A Monetary Incentive Delay (MID) task was administered to 328 adolescents and young adults with varying levels of CU traits: 40 participants with ODD/CD plus ADHD, 101 participants with ADHD only, 84 siblings of probands with ADHD and 103 typically developing (TD) individuals. During reward anticipation, CU traits related negatively to medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity, independent of ADHD symptoms and ODD/CD diagnosis. Our results indicate that CU traits are a valuable dimension for assessing the neural basis of reward processing.
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Aschrafi A, Verheijen JM, Gordebeke PM, Olde Loohuis NF, Menting K, Jager A, Palkovits M, Geenen B, Kos A, Martens GJ, Glennon JC, Kaplan BB, Gaszner B, Kozicz T. MicroRNA-326 acts as a molecular switch in the regulation of midbrain urocortin 1 expression. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2016; 41:342-53. [PMID: 27045550 PMCID: PMC5008923 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.150154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered levels of urocortin 1 (Ucn1) in the centrally projecting Edinger-Westphal nucleus (EWcp) of depressed suicide attempters or completers mediate the brain's response to stress, while the mechanism regulating Ucn1 expression is unknown. We tested the hypothesis that microRNAs (miRNAs), which are vital fine-tuners of gene expression during the brain's response to stress, have the capacity to modulate Ucn1 expression. METHODS Computational analysis revealed that the Ucn1 3' untranslated region contained a conserved binding site for miR-326. We examined miR-326 and Ucn1 levels in the EWcp of depressed suicide completers. In addition, we evaluated miR-326 and Ucn1 levels in the serum and the EWcp of a chronic variable mild stress (CVMS) rat model of behavioural despair and after recovery from CVMS, respectively. Gain and loss of miR-326 function experiments examined the regulation of Ucn1 by this miRNA in cultured midbrain neurons. RESULTS We found reduced miR-326 levels concomitant with elevated Ucn1 levels in the EWcp of depressed suicide completers as well as in the EWcp of CVMS rats. In CVMS rats fully recovered from stress, both serum and EWcp miR-326 levels rebounded to nonstressed levels. While downregulation of miR-326 levels in primary midbrain neurons enhanced Ucn1 expression levels, miR-326 overexpression selectively reduced the levels of this neuropeptide. LIMITATIONS This study lacked experiments showing that in vivo alteration of miR-326 levels alleviate depression-like behaviours. We show only correlative data for miR-325 and cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript levels in the EWcp. CONCLUSION We identified miR-326 dysregulation in depressed suicide completers and characterized this miRNA as an upstream regulator of the Ucn1 neuropeptide expression in midbrain neurons.
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van de Vondervoort I, Poelmans G, Aschrafi A, Pauls DL, Buitelaar JK, Glennon JC, Franke B. An integrated molecular landscape implicates the regulation of dendritic spine formation through insulin-related signalling in obsessive-compulsive disorder. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2016; 41:280-5. [PMID: 26854754 PMCID: PMC4915937 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.140327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder with onset in childhood and is characterized by obsessions (recurrent, intrusive, persistent thoughts, impulses and/or ideas that often cause anxiety or distress) and compulsions (ritualized and stereotypic behaviours or mental acts that are often performed to relieve anxiety or distress associated with obsessions). Although OCD is a heritable disorder, its complex molecular etiology is poorly understood. METHODS We combined enrichment analyses and an elaborate literature review of the top-ranked genes emerging from the 2 published genome-wide association studies of OCD and candidate genes implicated through other evidence in order to identify biological processes that, when dysregulated, increase the risk for OCD. RESULTS The resulting molecular protein landscape was enriched for proteins involved in regulating postsynaptic dendritic spine formation - and hence synaptic plasticity - through insulin-dependent molecular signalling cascades. LIMITATIONS This study is a first attempt to integrate molecuar information from different sources in order to identify biological mechanisms underlying OCD etiology. Our findings are constrained by the limited information from hypothesis-free studies and the incompleteness and existing limitations of the OCD literature and the gene function annotations of gene enrichment tools. As this study was solely based on in silico analyses, experimental validation of the provided hypotheses is warranted. CONCLUSION Our work suggests a key role for insulin and insulin-related signalling in OCD etiology and - if confirmed by independent studies - could eventually pave the way for the development of novel OCD treatments.
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Persico AM, Arango C, Buitelaar JK, Correll CU, Glennon JC, Hoekstra PJ, Moreno C, Vitiello B, Vorstman J, Zuddas A. Unmet needs in paediatric psychopharmacology: Present scenario and future perspectives. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2015; 25:1513-31. [PMID: 26166453 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2015.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2015] [Revised: 05/17/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Paediatric psychopharmacology holds great promise in two equally important areas of enormous biomedical and social impact, namely the treatment of behavioural abnormalities in children and adolescents, and the prevention of psychiatric disorders with adolescent- or adult-onset. Yet, in striking contrast, pharmacological treatment options presently available in child and adolescent psychiatry are dramatically limited. The most important currently unmet needs in paediatric psychopharmacology are: the frequent off-label prescription of medications to children and adolescents based exclusively on data from randomized controlled studies involving adult patients; the frequent lack of age-specific dose, long-term efficacy and tolerability/safety data; the lack of effective medications for many paediatric psychiatric disorders, most critically autism spectrum disorder; the scarcity and limitations of randomized placebo-controlled trials in paediatric psychopharmacology; the unexplored potential for the prevention of psychiatric disorders with adolescent- and adult-onset; the current lack of biomarkers to predict treatment response and severe adverse effects; the need for better preclinical data to foster the successful development of novel drug therapies; and the effective dissemination of evidence-based treatments to the general public, to better inform patients and families of the benefits and risks of pharmacological interventions during development. Priorities and strategies are proposed to overcome some of these limitations, including the European Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychopharmacology Network, as an overarching Pan-European infrastructure aimed at reliably carrying out much needed psychopharmacological trials in children and adolescents, in order to fill the identified gaps and improve overall outcomes.
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Olde Loohuis NFM, Kole K, Glennon JC, Karel P, Van der Borg G, Van Gemert Y, Van den Bosch D, Meinhardt J, Kos A, Shahabipour F, Tiesinga P, van Bokhoven H, Martens GJM, Kaplan BB, Homberg JR, Aschrafi A. Elevated microRNA-181c and microRNA-30d levels in the enlarged amygdala of the valproic acid rat model of autism. Neurobiol Dis 2015; 80:42-53. [PMID: 25986729 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2015.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2014] [Revised: 04/14/2015] [Accepted: 05/10/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders are severe neurodevelopmental disorders, marked by impairments in reciprocal social interaction, delays in early language and communication, and the presence of restrictive, repetitive and stereotyped behaviors. Accumulating evidence suggests that dysfunction of the amygdala may be partially responsible for the impairment of social behavior that is a hallmark feature of ASD. Our studies suggest that a valproic acid (VPA) rat model of ASD exhibits an enlargement of the amygdala as compared to controls rats, similar to that observed in adolescent ASD individuals. Since recent research suggests that altered neuronal development and morphology, as seen in ASD, may result from a common post-transcriptional process that is under tight regulation by microRNAs (miRs), we examined genome-wide transcriptomics expression in the amygdala of rats prenatally exposed to VPA, and detected elevated miR-181c and miR-30d expression levels as well as dysregulated expression of their cognate mRNA targets encoding proteins involved in neuronal system development. Furthermore, selective suppression of miR-181c function attenuates neurite outgrowth and branching, and results in reduced synaptic density in primary amygdalar neurons in vitro. Collectively, these results implicate the small non-coding miR-181c in neuronal morphology, and provide a framework of understanding how dysregulation of a neurodevelopmentally relevant miR in the amygdala may contribute to the pathophysiology of ASD.
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Naaijen J, Lythgoe DJ, Amiri H, Buitelaar JK, Glennon JC. Fronto-striatal glutamatergic compounds in compulsive and impulsive syndromes: A review of magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 52:74-88. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 02/13/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Bezzina G, Body S, Cheung THC, Hampson CL, Bradshaw CM, Glennon JC, Szabadi E. Evidence for a role of 5-HT2C receptors in the motor aspects of performance, but not the efficacy of food reinforcers, in a progressive ratio schedule. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2015; 232:699-711. [PMID: 25134499 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-014-3700-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE 5-Hydroxytryptamine2C (5-HT2C) receptor agonists reduce the breakpoint in progressive ratio schedules of reinforcement, an effect that has been attributed to a decrease of the efficacy of positive reinforcers. However, a reduction of the breakpoint may also reflect motor impairment. Mathematical models can help to differentiate between these processes. OBJECTIVE The effects of the 5-HT2C receptor agonist Ro-600175 ((αS)-6-chloro-5-fluoro-α-methyl-1H-indole-1-ethanamine) and the non-selective 5-HT receptor agonist 1-(m-chlorophenyl)piperazine (mCPP) on rats' performance on a progressive ratio schedule maintained by food pellet reinforcers were assessed using a model derived from Killeen's Behav Brain Sci 17:105-172, 1994 general theory of schedule-controlled behaviour, 'mathematical principles of reinforcement'. METHOD Rats were trained under the progressive ratio schedule, and running and overall response rates in successive ratios were analysed using the model. The effects of the agonists on estimates of the model's parameters, and the sensitivity of these effects to selective antagonists, were examined. RESULTS Ro-600175 and mCPP reduced the breakpoint. Neither agonist significantly affected a (the parameter expressing incentive value), but both agonists increased δ (the parameter expressing minimum response time). The effects of both agonists could be attenuated by the selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist SB-242084 (6-chloro-5-methyl-N-{6-[(2-methylpyridin-3-yl)oxy]pyridin-3-yl}indoline-1-carboxamide). The effect of mCPP was not altered by isamoltane, a selective 5-HT1B receptor antagonist, or MDL-100907 ((±)2,3-dimethoxyphenyl-1-(2-(4-piperidine)methanol)), a selective 5-HT2A receptor antagonist. CONCLUSIONS The results are consistent with the hypothesis that the effect of the 5-HT2C receptor agonists on progressive ratio schedule performance is mediated by an impairment of motor capacity rather than by a reduction of the incentive value of the food reinforcer.
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Bielczyk NZ, Buitelaar JK, Glennon JC, Tiesinga PHE. Circuit to construct mapping: a mathematical tool for assisting the diagnosis and treatment in major depressive disorder. Front Psychiatry 2015; 6:29. [PMID: 25767450 PMCID: PMC4341511 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.00029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a serious condition with a lifetime prevalence exceeding 16% worldwide. MDD is a heterogeneous disorder that involves multiple behavioral symptoms on the one hand and multiple neuronal circuits on the other hand. In this review, we integrate the literature on cognitive and physiological biomarkers of MDD with the insights derived from mathematical models of brain networks, especially models that can be used for fMRI datasets. We refer to the recent NIH research domain criteria initiative, in which a concept of "constructs" as functional units of mental disorders is introduced. Constructs are biomarkers present at multiple levels of brain functioning - cognition, genetics, brain anatomy, and neurophysiology. In this review, we propose a new approach which we called circuit to construct mapping (CCM), which aims to characterize causal relations between the underlying network dynamics (as the cause) and the constructs referring to the clinical symptoms of MDD (as the effect). CCM involves extracting diagnostic categories from behavioral data, linking circuits that are causal to these categories with use of clinical neuroimaging data, and modeling the dynamics of the emerging circuits with attractor dynamics in order to provide new, neuroimaging-related biomarkers for MDD. The CCM approach optimizes the clinical diagnosis and patient stratification. It also addresses the recent demand for linking circuits to behavior, and provides a new insight into clinical treatment by investigating the dynamics of neuronal circuits underneath cognitive dimensions of MDD. CCM can serve as a new regime toward personalized medicine, assisting the diagnosis and treatment of MDD.
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Vorstman JAS, Spooren W, Persico AM, Collier DA, Aigner S, Jagasia R, Glennon JC, Buitelaar JK. Using genetic findings in autism for the development of new pharmaceutical compounds. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2014; 231:1063-78. [PMID: 24292384 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-013-3334-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2013] [Accepted: 10/11/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
RATIONALE The main reason for the current lack of effective treatments for the core symptoms of autism is our limited understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying this heterogeneous group of disorders. A primary value of genetic research is enhancing our insight into the biology of autism through the study of identified autism risk genes. OBJECTIVES In the current review we discuss (1) the genes and loci that are associated with autism, (2) how these provide us with essential cues as to what neurobiological mechanisms may be involved, and (3) how these mechanisms may be used as targets for novel treatments. Next, we provide an overview of currently ongoing clinical trials registered at clinicaltrials.gov with a variety of compounds. Finally, we review current approaches used to translate knowledge derived from gene discovery into novel pharmaceutical compounds and discuss their pitfalls and problems. CONCLUSIONS An increasing number of genetic variants associated with autism have been identified. This will generate new ideas about the biological mechanisms involved in autism, which in turn may provide new leads for the development of novel pharmaceutical compounds. To optimize this pipeline of drug discovery, large-scale international collaborations are needed for gene discovery, functional validation of risk genes, and improvement of clinical outcome measures and clinical trial methodology in autism.
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