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Pandya CD, Kutiyanawalla A, Pillai A. BDNF-TrkB signaling and neuroprotection in schizophrenia. Asian J Psychiatr 2013; 6:22-8. [PMID: 23380313 PMCID: PMC3565158 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajp.2012.08.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2012] [Accepted: 08/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF), play critical role in neuronal survival, synaptic plasticity and cognitive functions. BDNF is known to mediate its action through various intracellular signaling pathways triggered by activation of tyrosine kinase receptor B (TrkB). Evidence from clinical as well pre-clinical studies indicate alterations in BDNF signaling in schizophrenia. Moreover, several antipsychotic drugs have time-dependent effects on BDNF levels in both schizophrenia subjects and animal models of schizophrenia. Given the emerging interest in neuroplasticity in schizophrenia understanding the neuroprotective and cell survival roles of BDNF signaling will enhance our knowledge of its diverse effects, which may lead to more effective treatments for schizophrenia. This article will present an overview of recent findings on the role of BDNF signaling in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia, with a special focus on its neuroprotective effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chirayu D Pandya
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Medical College of Georgia, Georgia Health Sciences University, Augusta, GA 30912, USA
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252
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Klengel T, Binder EB. Gene-environment interactions in major depressive disorder. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2013; 58:76-83. [PMID: 23442893 DOI: 10.1177/070674371305800203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Family, twin, and epidemiologic studies have suggested that both genes and environment are important risk factors for the development of major depressive disorder (MDD). In the absence of consistent and strong main genetic effects, numerous studies have supported gene-environment interactions in this disorder. While the impact of negative environmental factors, such as early life stress, traumatic experiences, and negative life events have been established as risk factors, they are not sufficient to predict MDD. This article will review evidence suggesting that genetic variants moderate the effects of adversities on the development of MDD, with a focus on the importance of careful characterization of the stressful life events as well as systemic and molecular mechanisms that potentially mediate these gene-environment interactions.
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253
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Miller S, Hallmayer J, Wang PW, Hill SJ, Johnson SL, Ketter TA. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor val66met genotype and early life stress effects upon bipolar course. J Psychiatr Res 2013; 47. [PMID: 23182421 PMCID: PMC3529984 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gene-environment interactions may contribute to bipolar disorder (BD) clinical course variability. We examined effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) val66met genotype and early life stress (ELS) upon illness severity and chronicity in adult BD patients. METHODS 80 patients (43 BD I, 33 BD II, 4 BD not otherwise specified, mean ± SD age 46.4 ± 14.0 years, 63.7% female) receiving open evidence-based and measurement-based care in the Stanford Bipolar Disorders Clinic for at least 12 months underwent BDNF val66met genotyping and completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. BDNF met allele carrier genotype and history of childhood sexual and physical abuse were evaluated in relation to mean prior-year Clinical Global Impressions-Bipolar Version-Overall Severity of Illness (MPY-CGI-BP-OS) score and clinical and demographic characteristics. RESULTS BDNF met allele carriers (but not non-met allele carriers) with compared to without childhood sexual abuse had 21% higher MPY-CGI-BP-OS scores (3.5 ± 0.7 versus 2.9 ± 0.7, respectively, t = -2.4, df = 28, p = 0.025) and 35% earlier BD onset age (14.6 ± 5.7 versus 22.8 ± 7.9 years, respectively, t = 3.0, df = 27, p = 0.006). Regression analysis, however, was non-significant for a BDNF-childhood sexual abuse interaction. LIMITATIONS small sample of predominantly female Caucasian insured outpatients taking complex medication regimens; only one gene polymorphism considered. CONCLUSIONS Between group comparisons suggested BDNF met allele carrier genotype might amplify negative effects of ELS upon BD illness severity/chronicity, although with regression analysis, there was not a significant gene-environment interaction. Further studies with larger samples are warranted to assess whether BDNF met allele carriers with ELS are at risk for more severe/chronic BD illness course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Miller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, USA.
| | - Joachim Hallmayer
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
| | - Po W. Wang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
| | - Shelley J. Hill
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
| | - Sheri L. Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA.
| | - Terence A. Ketter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
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Pesonen AK, Eriksson JG, Heinonen K, Kajantie E, Tuovinen S, Alastalo H, Henriksson M, Leskinen J, Osmond C, Barker DJP, Räikkönen K. Cognitive ability and decline after early life stress exposure. Neurobiol Aging 2013; 34:1674-9. [PMID: 23337341 DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2012.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2012] [Revised: 11/30/2012] [Accepted: 12/18/2012] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
We examined the effects of early life stress on cognitive ability and decline among men of the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study, 10% of whom were separated temporarily (mean age at separation = 4.1 years) from their parent(s) during World War II. The men underwent the Finnish Defense Forces Basic Intellectual Ability Test twice, at 20 years and retest at 70 years. Compared with the men without childhood separation and matched for year of birth (n = 186), men separated from their parents (n = 93) scored lower by 5.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], -9.2 to -1.7), 4.2 (95% CI, -8.1 to -0.3), 3.1 (95% CI, -7.0 to 0.8), and 4.5 (95% CI, -10.5 to -1.4) standardized points (SD = 15) on verbal, visuospatial, arithmetic, and general cognitive ability, respectively, at 70 years. Longer duration of separation was associated with lower test scores. Though early life stress was also associated significantly with weaker cognitive performance at the ages 20 and 70 years, it was not associated with cognitive decline over the 50-year period within this sample.
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255
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Chu DA, Williams LM, Harris AWF, Bryant RA, Gatt JM. Early life trauma predicts self-reported levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms in nonclinical community adults: relative contributions of early life stressor types and adult trauma exposure. J Psychiatr Res 2013; 47:23-32. [PMID: 23020924 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2012] [Revised: 08/03/2012] [Accepted: 08/08/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early life trauma is a known risk factor for depression and anxiety disorders in adulthood. This study aimed to evaluate the relative contributions of early life versus adult trauma in predicting levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms in nonclinical community adults. 1209 nonclinical community adults (18-70 years; 45% male) were assessed for mental health status, early life stressors, lifetime trauma exposure, and self-reported levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms. A subset of the full sample subjected to group comparisons (n = 1088) indicated that early life stressor exposure primarily accounted for significantly higher depressive and anxiety symptom scores when compared against adults reporting to be free of childhood stressor or adult trauma exposure. Subsequent hierarchical multiple regression analyses of this subset using five distinct early life stressor types, namely 'Interpersonal violation', 'Family breakup', 'Disasters/war', 'Familial health trauma/death' and 'Personal health trauma' derived from principal component analysis of a wide range of self-reported early stressor events in the full sample, showed childhood 'Interpersonal violation' differentially predicted higher self-reported depressive and anxiety symptom scores in both males and females. Adult trauma exposure did not significantly predict these symptom scores. These findings underline the relative importance of exposure to 'interpersonal violation' relative to other types of early life stressors and adult trauma in the risk of depressive and anxiety symptoms in nonclinical community adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise A Chu
- Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Millennium Institute & Discipline of Psychiatry, University of Sydney Medical School, Westmead, NSW 2145, Australia.
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256
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Laucht M, Brandeis D, Zohsel K. Gene-environment interactions in the etiology of human violence. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2013; 17:267-95. [PMID: 24362945 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2013_260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
This chapter reviews the current research on gene-environment interactions (G × E) with regard to human violence. Findings are summarized from both behavioral and molecular genetic studies that have investigated the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in terms of influencing violence-related behavior. Together, these studies reveal promising evidence that genetic factors combine with environmental influences to impact on the development of violent behavior and related phenotypes. G × E have been identified for a number of candidate genes implicated in violence. Moreover, the reviewed G × E were found to extend to a broad range of environmental characteristics, including both adverse and favorable conditions. As has been the case with other G × E research, findings have been mixed, with considerable heterogeneity between studies. Lack of replication together with serious methodological limitations remains a major challenge for drawing definitive conclusions about the nature of violence-related G × E. In order to fulfill its potential, it is recommended that future G × E research needs to shift its focus to dissecting the neural mechanisms and the underlying pathophysiological pathways by which genetic variation may influence differential susceptibility to environmental exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manfred Laucht
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, P.O. Box 122120, 68072, Mannheim, Germany,
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257
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Zhang TY, Labonté B, Wen XL, Turecki G, Meaney MJ. Epigenetic mechanisms for the early environmental regulation of hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor gene expression in rodents and humans. Neuropsychopharmacology 2013; 38:111-23. [PMID: 22968814 PMCID: PMC3521971 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2012.149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 231] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2012] [Revised: 05/31/2012] [Accepted: 05/31/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Parental care influences development across mammals. In humans such influences include effects on phenotypes, such as stress reactivity, which determine individual differences in the vulnerability for affective disorders. Thus, the adult offspring of rat mothers that show an increased frequency of pup licking/grooming (ie, high LG mothers) show increased hippocampal glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression and more modest hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal responses to stress compared with the offspring of low LG mothers. In humans, childhood maltreatment associates decreased hippocampal GR expression and increased stress responses in adulthood. We review the evidence suggesting that such effects are mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation and hydroxymethylation across GR promoter regions. We also present new findings revealing associated histone post-translational modifications of a critical GR promoter in rat hippocampus. Taken together these existing evidences are consistent with the idea that parental influences establish stable phenotypic variation in the offspring through effects on intracellular signaling pathways that regulate the epigenetic state and function of specific regions of the genome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tie Yuan Zhang
- Sackler Program for Epigenetics Psychobiology and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Benoit Labonté
- Sackler Program for Epigenetics Psychobiology and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Xiang Lan Wen
- Sackler Program for Epigenetics Psychobiology and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- Sackler Program for Epigenetics Psychobiology and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Sackler Program for Epigenetics Psychobiology and Departments of Psychiatry and Neurology & Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore, Singapore
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258
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Abstract
Neurotrophins and other growth factors have been advanced as critical modulators of depressive behavior. Support for this model is based on analyses of knockout and transgenic mouse models, human genetic studies, and screens for gene products that are regulated by depressive behavior and/or antidepressants. Even subtle alteration in the regulated secretion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), for example, due to a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-encoded Val-Met substitution in proBDNF that affects processing and sorting, impacts behavior and cognition. Alterations in growth factor expression result in changes in neurogenesis as well as structural changes in neuronal cytoarchitecture, including effects on dendritic length and spine density, in the hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal cortex. These changes have the potential to impact the plasticity and stability of synapses in the CNS, and the complex brain circuitry that regulates behavior. Here we review the role that neurotrophins play in the modulation of depressive behavior, and the downstream signaling targets they regulate that potentially mediate these behavioral pro-depressant and antidepressant effects.
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259
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Mood disorders are expressed in many heterogeneous forms, varying from anxiety to severe major clinical depression. The disorders are expressed in individual variety through manifestations governed by co-morbidities, symptom frequency, severity, and duration, and the effects of genes on phenotypes. The underlying etiologies of mood disorders consist of complex interactive operations of genetic and environmental factors. The notion of endophenotypes, which encompasses the markers of several underlying liabilities to the disorders, may facilitate efforts to detect and define, through staging, the genetic risks inherent to the extreme complexity of disease state. AIMS This review evaluates the role of genetic biomarkers in assisting clinical diagnosis, identification of risk factors, and treatment of mood disorders. METHODS Through a systematic assessment of studies investigating the epigenetic basis for mood disorders, the present review examines the interaction of genes and environment underlying the pathophysiology of these disorders. RESULTS The majority of research findings suggest that the notion of endophenotypes, which encompasses the markers of several underlying liabilities to the disorders, may facilitate efforts to detect and define, through staging, the genetic risks inherent to the extreme complexity of the disease states. Several strategies under development and refinement show the propensity for derivation of essential elements in the etiopathogenesis of the disorders affecting drug-efficacy, drug metabolism, and drug adverse effects, e.g., with regard to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. These include: transporter gene expression and genes encoding receptor systems, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis factors, neurotrophic factors, and inflammatory factors affecting neuroimmune function. Nevertheless, procedural considerations of pharmacogenetics presume the parallel investment of policies and regulations to withstand eventual attempts at misuse, thereby ensuring patient integrity. CONCLUSIONS Identification of genetic biomarkers facilitates choice of treatment, prediction of response, and prognosis of outcome over a wide spectrum of symptoms associated with affective states, thereby optimizing clinical practice procedures. Epigenetic regulation of primary brain signaling, e.g., serotonin and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function, and factors governing their metabolism are necessary considerations. The participation of neurotrophic factors remains indispensable for neurogenesis, survival, and functional maintenance of brain systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Archer
- Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Box 500, SE-40530 Gothenburg, Sweden
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260
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Suzuki A, Matsumoto Y, Shibuya N, Ryoichi S, Kamata M, Enokido M, Goto K, Otani K. Interaction effect between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and parental rearing for interpersonal sensitivity in healthy subjects. Psychiatry Res 2012; 200:945-8. [PMID: 22542952 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2012.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2011] [Revised: 10/18/2011] [Accepted: 03/15/2012] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Interpersonal sensitivity is defined as undue and excessive awareness of, and sensitivity to, the behaviour and feelings of others and is one of the vulnerable factors to depression. In a twin study, it was suggested that this personality trait was characterised by both genetic and environmental factors. In the present study, we examined the effects of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and parental rearing on interpersonal sensitivity in 725 healthy Japanese subjects. Assessment of interpersonal sensitivity was performed by the Japanese version of the Interpersonal Sensitivity Measure (IPSM). Perceived parental rearing was assessed by the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI), which consists of the care and protection factors. The BDNF polymorphism was detected by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. There was no main effect of the BDNF genotype on the IPSM score, while the PBI factors except maternal care had significant main effect on the IPSM score. There was significant interaction effect between the BDNF genotype and maternal care of the PBI on the IPSM score. Post-hoc analysis of simple slopes showed that the negative relationship between the IPSM score and maternal care was strongest and significant in the Met/Met genotype group, intermediate in the Val/Met genotype group and weakest in the Val/Val genotype group. The present study suggests that the interaction between the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and parental rearing, especially maternal care, influences interpersonal sensitivity in healthy subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihito Suzuki
- Department of Psychiatry, Yamagata University School of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan.
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261
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Chronic unpredictable stress decreases expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in mouse ovaries: relationship to oocytes developmental potential. PLoS One 2012; 7:e52331. [PMID: 23284991 PMCID: PMC3527516 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2012] [Accepted: 11/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) was originally described in the nervous system but has been shown to be expressed in ovary tissues recently, acting as a paracrine/autocrine regulator required for developments of follicles and oocytes. Although it is generally accepted that chronic stress impairs female reproduction and decreases the expression of BDNF in limbic structures of central nervous system, which contributes to mood disorder. However, it is not known whether chronic stress affects oocytes developments, nor whether it affects expression of BDNF in ovary. Methods Mice were randomly assigned into control group, stressed group, BDNF-treated group and BDNF-treated stressed group. The chronic unpredictable mild stress model was used to produce psychosocial stress in mice, and the model was verified by open field test and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity. The methods of immunohistochemistry and western blotting were used to detect BDNF protein level and distribution. The number of retrieved oocytes, oocyte maturation, embryo cleavage and the rates of blastocyst formation after parthenogenetic activation were evaluated. Results Chronic unpredictable stress decreased the BDNF expression in antral follicles, but didn’t affect the BDNF expression in primordial, primary and secondary follicles. Chronic unpredictable stress also decreased the number of retrieved oocytes and the rate of blastocyst formation, which was rescued by exogenous BDNF treatment. Conclusion BDNF in mouse ovaries may be related to the decreased number of retrieved oocytes and impaired oocytes developmental potential induced by chronic unpredictable stress.
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262
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Ritchie K, Jaussent I, Portet F, Courtet P, Malafosse A, Maller J, Meslin C, Bonafé A, Le Bars E, de Champfleur NM, Artero S, Ancelin ML. Depression in elderly persons subject to childhood maltreatment is not modulated by corpus callosum and hippocampal loss. J Affect Disord 2012; 141:294-9. [PMID: 22537685 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2012.03.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2011] [Revised: 02/21/2012] [Accepted: 03/31/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Childhood adversity has been observed to engender structural changes in the hippocampus and corpus callosum associated with increased risk for depression in childhood and early adulthood. This study investigated this association in the elderly. Corpus callosum area and hippocampal volume were measured from structural MRI in 427 community dwelling elderly. Information on childhood adversity was obtained in the course of a clinical examination using a questionnaire covering multiple aspects of abuse. Multivariate analyses found a significant increase in corpus callosum area and hippocampal volume in subjects exposed to mental disorder in parents and poverty, respectively. No association was found with childhood sexual and physical abuse.
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263
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Huang P, Yang Z, Miao D, Lu H, Zhu X. Trait anxiety among undergraduates according to the Implicit Association Test. Psychol Rep 2012; 111:13-23. [PMID: 23045843 DOI: 10.2466/09.02.16.pr0.111.4.13-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Trait anxiety, which includes stress and anxiety, affects mental health. However, early studies using the Implicit Association Test-Anxiety (IAT-Anxiety) did not consider the participants' trait anxiety. In the present study, the hypothesis that trait anxiety would influence the results of the IAT-Anxiety was tested. A total of 148 healthy undergraduates were assessed with the Profile of Mood State (POMS) test and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) to test explicit anxiety; they were then assessed for implicit anxiety with the IAT-Anxiety. High trait anxiety was positively correlated with negative mood; low trait anxiety tended to be associated with greater vigor and higher self-esteem. Significant main effects were found for both critical block and group among participants who received the IAT-Anxiety. Future studies of the IAT-Anxiety should consider trait anxiety as a within-subject factor for group matching to enhance the persuasiveness of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Huang
- Department of Psychology, School of Aerospace Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
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264
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Noble KG, Grieve SM, Korgaonkar MS, Engelhardt LE, Griffith EY, Williams LM, Brickman AM. Hippocampal volume varies with educational attainment across the life-span. Front Hum Neurosci 2012; 6:307. [PMID: 23162453 PMCID: PMC3494123 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2012.00307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2012] [Accepted: 10/24/2012] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic disparities—and particularly differences in educational attainment—are associated with remarkable differences in cognition and behavior across the life-span. Decreased educational attainment has been linked to increased exposure to life stressors, which in turn have been associated with structural differences in the hippocampus and the amygdala. However, the degree to which educational attainment is directly associated with anatomical differences in these structures remains unclear. Recent studies in children have found socioeconomic differences in regional brain volume in the hippocampus and amygdala across childhood and adolescence. Here we expand on this work, by investigating whether disparities in hippocampal and amygdala volume persist across the life-span. In a sample of 275 individuals from the BRAINnet Foundation database ranging in age from 17 to 87, we found that socioeconomic status (SES), as operationalized by years of educational attainment, moderates the effect of age on hippocampal volume. Specifically, hippocampal volume tended to markedly decrease with age among less educated individuals, whereas age-related reductions in hippocampal volume were less pronounced among more highly educated individuals. No such effects were found for amygdala volume. Possible mechanisms by which education may buffer age-related effects on hippocampal volume are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly G Noble
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, NY, USA ; Gertrude H. Sergievsky Center, College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University New York, NY, USA
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265
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Abstract
Women are twice as likely as men to develop major depressive disorder (MDD) and are more prone to recurring episodes. Hence, we tested the hypothesis that the illness may associate with robust molecular changes in female subjects, and investigated large-scale gene expression in the post-mortem brain of MDD subjects paired with matched controls (n=21 pairs). We focused on the lateral/basolateral/basomedian complex of the amygdala as a neural hub of mood regulation affected in MDD. Among the most robust findings were downregulated transcripts for genes coding for γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) interneuron-related peptides, including somatostatin (SST), tachykinin, neuropeptide Y (NPY) and cortistatin, in a pattern reminiscent to that previously reported in mice with low brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Changes were confirmed by quantitative PCR and not explained by demographic, technical or known clinical parameters. BDNF itself was significantly downregulated at the RNA and protein levels in MDD subjects. Investigating putative mechanisms, we show that this core MDD-related gene profile (including SST, NPY, TAC1, RGS4 and CORT) is recapitulated by complementary patterns in mice with constitutive (BDNF-heterozygous) or activity-dependent (exon IV knockout) decreases in BDNF function, with a common effect on SST and NPY. Together, these results provide both direct (low RNA/protein) and indirect (low BDNF-dependent gene pattern) evidence for reduced BDNF function in the amygdala of female subjects with MDD. Supporting studies in mutant mice models suggest a complex mechanism of low constitutive and activity-dependent BDNF function in MDD, particularly affecting SST/NPY-related GABA neurons, thus linking the neurotrophic and GABA hypotheses of depression.
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266
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Outhred T, Das P, Dobson-Stone C, Griffiths K, Felmingham KL, Bryant RA, Malhi G, Kemp AH. The functional epistasis of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met on emotion processing: a preliminary study. Brain Behav 2012; 2:778-88. [PMID: 23170240 PMCID: PMC3500464 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.99] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2012] [Accepted: 09/12/2012] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
An epistatic interaction of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms has been implicated in the structure of rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and amygdala (AMY): key regions associated with emotion processing. However, a functional epistasis of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met on overt emotion processing has yet to be determined. Twenty-eight healthy, Caucasian female participants provided saliva samples for genotyping and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during which an emotion processing protocol were presented. Confirming the validity of this protocol, we observed blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) activity consistent with fMRI meta-analyses on emotion processing. Region-of-interest analysis of the rACC and AMY revealed main effects of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met, and an interaction of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met. The effect of the BDNF Met66 allele was dependent on 5-HTTLPR alleles, such that participants with S and Met alleles had the greatest rACC and AMY activation during the presentation of emotional images relative to other genetic groupings. Increased activity in these regions was interpreted as increased reactivity to emotional stimuli, suggesting that those with S and Met alleles are more reactive to emotional stimuli relative to other groups. Although limited by a small sample, this study contributes novel and preliminary findings relating to a functional epistasis of the 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met genes in emotion processing and provides guidance on appropriate methods to determine genetic epistasis in fMRI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Outhred
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney New South Wales, 2006, Australia
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267
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Associations between parenting behavior and anxiety in a rodent model and a clinical sample: relationship to peripheral BDNF levels. Transl Psychiatry 2012; 2:e195. [PMID: 23168995 PMCID: PMC3565759 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2012.126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse early-life environment is associated with anxiety-like behaviors and disorders. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is sensitive to this environment and could be a marker of underlying brain changes. We aimed at evaluating the development of anxiety-like behaviors in a rat model of early adversity, as well as the possible association with BDNF levels. Similar associations were investigated in a sample of adolescent humans. For the rat study, Wistar rat litters were divided into: early-life stress (ELS, limited access to nesting material) and control groups. Maternal behavior was observed from days 1 to 9 of life and, as adults, rats were subjected to behavioral testing and BDNF measurements in plasma, hippocampus, amygdala and periaqueductal gray. For the human study, 129 adolescents were evaluated for anxiety symptoms and perceived parental care. Serum BDNF levels and the Val66Met polymorphism of the BDNF gene were investigated. We found that ELS dams showed more pure contact, that is, contact with low care and high control, toward pups, and their adult offspring demonstrated higher anxiety-like behaviors and plasma BDNF. Also the pure contact correlated positively with adult peripheral BDNF. Similarly in humans, there was a positive correlation between maternal overprotection and serum BDNF only in Met carriers. We also found negative correlations between maternal warmth and separation anxiety, social phobia and school phobia. Finally, our translational approach revealed that ELS, mediated through variations in maternal care, is associated with anxiety in both rats and humans and increased peripheral BDNF may be marking these phenomena.
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268
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Fucoidan prevents depression-like behavior in rats exposed to repeated restraint stress. J Nat Med 2012; 67:534-44. [PMID: 23090005 DOI: 10.1007/s11418-012-0712-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2012] [Accepted: 09/29/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that repeated restraint stress in rodents increased depression-like behavior and altered the expression of corticotrophin-releasing factor in the hypothalamus. The current study focused on verifying the impact of fucoidan (FCN) administration on repeated restraint stress-induced behavioral responses using the forced swimming test (FST). Additionally, we examined the effect of FCN on the central noradrenergic system by observing changes in neuronal tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunoreactivity and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) mRNA expression in the rat brains. Male rats received 10, 20, or 50 mg/kg FCN (i.p.) 30 min before daily exposures to repeated restraint stress (2 h/day) for 14 days. Repeated restraint stress increased immobility in the FST. Daily administration of FCN during the repeated restraint stress period significantly inhibited the stress-induced behavioral deficits in this behavioral test. Administration of FCN also significantly blocked the increase in TH expression in the locus coeruleus and the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, and the decrease in BDNF mRNA expression in the hippocampus. Taken together, these findings indicate that administration of FCN prior to restraint stress significantly improved helpless behavior in rats, possibly through modulating the central noradrenergic system. Therefore, FCN may be a useful agent for treating complex symptoms of depression disorder.
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269
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Murphy ML, Carballedo A, Fagan AJ, Morris D, Fahey C, Meaney J, Frodl T. Neurotrophic tyrosine kinase polymorphism impacts white matter connections in patients with major depressive disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 72:663-70. [PMID: 22609366 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2012] [Revised: 04/02/2012] [Accepted: 04/12/2012] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Polymorphisms in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene and its receptor neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor type 2 (NTRK2) have been implicated in mood disorders. The aim of this study was to examine whether the NTRK2 and BDNF polymorphisms impact brain white matter connections in major depressive disorder and whether they may also have an interactive effect with environmental stress in the form of early life adversity. METHODS The study group comprised 45 depressed patients and 45 age- and gender-matched control subjects. High angular resolution diffusion images were obtained and analyzed using tract-based spatial statistics. Analysis of a single nucleotide polymorphism in the BDNF (rs6265/Valine66Methionine) and NTRK2 (rs11140714) genes was performed. RESULTS An interactive effect was found between NTRK2 and depression diagnosis maximally affecting the cingulum. Depressed patients homozygous for the A allele of NTRK2 showed significantly reduced fractional anisotropy compared with depressed patients with at least one copy of the G allele or control subjects with either the A/A or G carrier genotypes in the left and right corona radiata, left uncinate fasciculus, left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, left cerebral peduncle, posterior thalamic radiation, and middle cerebral peduncle. Significantly smaller gray matter volume was seen in frontal lobe regions in patients homozygous for the A allele. CONCLUSIONS Polymorphisms in NTRK2 gene increase risk of architectural changes in several brain regions involved in emotional regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa L Murphy
- Integrated Neuroimaging Group, Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, College Green, Dublin, Ireland
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270
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Tumor necrosis factor gene variation predicts hippocampus volume in healthy individuals. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 72:655-62. [PMID: 22554453 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2012.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2012] [Revised: 03/20/2012] [Accepted: 04/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) α have been implicated in neurodegeneration relevant to various neuropsychiatric disorders. Little is known about the genetic predisposition to neurodegenerative properties of cytokine genes on brain function and on hippocampus (HC) function in particular. In this study we investigate the neurodegenerative role of TNF polymorphisms on brain morphology in healthy individuals. METHODS Voxel-based morphometry was used in a large sample of healthy individuals (n = 303) to analyze the associations between genetic variants of TNF (rs1800629; rs361525) and brain morphology (gray matter concentration). RESULTS In a region of interest analysis of the HC, for rs1800629, we observed a strong genotype effect on bilateral HC gray matter concentration. Carriers of one or two A-alleles had significantly smaller volumes compared with GG-homozygotes. For rs361525, a similar effect was observed at almost the same location, with the A-allele resulting in smaller HC volumes compared with GG homozygotes. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest a neurodegenerative role of the A-alleles of the TNF single nucleotide polymorphisms rs1800629 (-308G/A) and rs361525 (-238G/A) on hippocampal volumes in healthy individuals. Future imaging studies on the role of these single nucleotide polymorphisms in psychiatric populations of diseases with neurodegenerative components are warranted.
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271
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Abstract
Basic and clinical studies demonstrate that depression is associated with reduced size of brain regions that regulate mood and cognition, including the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, and decreased neuronal synapses in these areas. Antidepressants can block or reverse these neuronal deficits, although typical antidepressants have limited efficacy and delayed response times of weeks to months. A notable recent discovery shows that ketamine, a N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, produces rapid (within hours) antidepressant responses in patients who are resistant to typical antidepressants. Basic studies show that ketamine rapidly induces synaptogenesis and reverses the synaptic deficits caused by chronic stress. These findings highlight the central importance of homeostatic control of mood circuit connections and form the basis of a synaptogenic hypothesis of depression and treatment response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, USA.
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272
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Rabl U, Scharinger C, Müller M, Pezawas L. Imaging genetics: implications for research on variable antidepressant drug response. Expert Rev Clin Pharmacol 2012; 3:471-89. [PMID: 22111678 DOI: 10.1586/ecp.10.35] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Genetic variation of SLC6A4, HTR1A, MAOA, COMT and BDNF has been associated with depression, variable antidepressant drug responses as well as impacts on brain regions of emotion processing that are modulated by antidepressants. Pharmacogenetic studies are using psychometric outcome measures of drug response and are hampered by small effect sizes that might be overcome by the use of intermediate endophenotypes of drug response, which are suggested by imaging studies. Such an approach will not only tighten the relationship between genes and drug response, but also yield new insights into the neurobiology of depression and individual drug responses. This article provides a comprehensive overview of pharmacogenetic, imaging genetics and drug response studies, utilizing imaging techniques within the context of antidepressive drug therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrich Rabl
- >Division of Biological Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria
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273
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Licznerski P, Duman RS. Remodeling of axo-spinous synapses in the pathophysiology and treatment of depression. Neuroscience 2012; 251:33-50. [PMID: 23036622 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.09.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2012] [Revised: 09/10/2012] [Accepted: 09/22/2012] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Dendritic spines provide a compartment for assembly and functional organization of synaptic machinery that plays a fundamental role in neuronal communication and neuroplasticity. Studies in humans as well as in animal models have demonstrated abnormal spine architecture in several psychiatric disorders, including depression and other stress-related illnesses. The negative impact of stress on the density and organization of spines is thought to contribute to the behavioral deficits caused by stress exposure. Moreover, there is now evidence that medication-induced recovery involves changes in synaptic plasticity and dendrite morphology, including increased expression of pre- and postsynaptic plasticity-related proteins, as well as the density and function of axo-spinous synapses. Here we review the evidence from brain imaging and postmortem studies demonstrating that depression is accompanied by structural and functional alterations of cortical and limbic brain regions, including the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala. In addition, we present more direct evidence from basic research studies that exposure to stress alters spine morphology, function and plasticity and that antidepressants, particularly new rapid acting agents, reverse these effects. Elucidation of the signaling pathways and molecular mechanisms that control spine synapse assembly and plasticity will contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of depression and development of novel, more effective therapeutic agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Licznerski
- Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Abraham Ribicoff Research Facilities, Connecticut Mental Health Center, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508, United States
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274
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Effect of BDNF val66met polymorphism on declarative memory and its neural substrate: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:2165-77. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2011] [Revised: 03/16/2012] [Accepted: 07/07/2012] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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275
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Brietzke E, Mansur RB, Soczynska J, Powell AM, McIntyre RS. A theoretical framework informing research about the role of stress in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2012; 39:1-8. [PMID: 22613185 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2012.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2012] [Revised: 04/17/2012] [Accepted: 05/08/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The staggering illness burden associated with Bipolar Disorder (BD) invites the need for primary prevention strategies. Before preventative strategies can be considered in individuals during a pre-symptomatic period (i.e., at risk), unraveling the mechanistic steps wherein external stress is transduced and interacts with genetic vulnerability in the early stages of BD will be a critical conceptual necessity. METHODS Herein we comprehensively review extant studies reporting on stress and bipolar disorder. The overarching aim is to propose a conceptual framework to inform research about the role of stress in the pathophysiology of BD. Computerized databases i.e. PubMed, PsychInfo, Cochrane Library and Scielo were searched using the following terms: "bipolar disorder" cross-referenced with "stress", "general reaction to stress", "resilience", "resistance", "recovery" "stress-diathesis", "allostasis", and "hormesis". RESULTS Data from literature indicate the existence of some theoretical models to understand the influence of stress in the pathophysiology of BD, including classical stress-diathesis model and new models such as allostasis and hormesis. In addition, molecular mechanisms involved in stress adaptation (resistance, resilience and recovery) can also be translated in research strategies to investigate the impact of stress in the pathophysiology of BD. LIMITATIONS Most studies are retrospective and/or cross sectional, do not consider the period of development, assess brain function with only one or few methodologies, and use animal models which are not always similar to human phenotypes. CONCLUSION The interaction between stress and brain development is dynamic and complex. In this article we proposed a theoretical model for investigation about the role of stress in the pathophysiology of BD, based on the different kinds of stress adaptation response and their putative neurobiological underpinnings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Brietzke
- Program for Recognition and Intervention in Individuals in at Risk Mental State, Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
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The TWIN-E project in emotional wellbeing: study protocol and preliminary heritability results across four MRI and DTI measures. Twin Res Hum Genet 2012; 15:419-41. [PMID: 22856376 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2012.12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Despite the significant advancements being made in the neurogenetics for mental health, the identification and validation of potential endophenotype markers of risk and resilience remain to be confirmed. The TWIN-E study (The Twin study in Wellbeing using Integrative Neuroscience of Emotion) aims to validate endophenotype markers of mental health across cognitive, brain, and autonomic measures by testing the heritability, clinical plausibility, and reliability of each of these measures in a large adult twin cohort. The specific gene and environmental mechanisms that moderate prospective links between endophenotype-phenotype markers and the final outcome of wellbeing will also be identified. TWIN-E is a national prospective study with three phases: I) baseline testing on a battery of online questionnaires and cognitive tasks, and EEG, MRI, and autonomic testing; II) 12-month follow-up testing on the online assessments; and III) randomized controlled trial of brain training. Minimum target numbers include 1,500 male/female twins (18-65 years) for the online assessments (Phase I and II), 300 twins for the EEG testing component, and 244 twins for the MRI testing component. For Phase III, each twin out of the pair will be randomized to either the treatment or waitlist control group to test the effects of brain training on mental health over a 30-day period, and to confirm the gene-environment and endophenotype contributions to treatment response. Preliminary heritability results are provided for the first 50% of the MRI subgroup (n = 142) for the grey matter volume, thickness, and surface area measures, and white matter diffuse tensor imaging fractional anisotropy.
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277
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Chen J, Li X, McGue M. Interacting effect of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and stressful life events on adolescent depression. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2012; 11:958-65. [PMID: 22931410 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2012.00843.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2012] [Revised: 06/24/2012] [Accepted: 08/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
There is a strong etiological link between brain-derived neurotrophic factor and depression, but the neurocellular mechanisms and gene-environment interactions remain obscure. This study investigated whether one functional polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene (BDNF Val66Met) modulates the influence of stressful life events on adolescent depressive symptoms. A total of 780 pairs of ethnic Han Chinese adolescent twins, 11-17 years of age, were randomly assigned to one of two subgroups (twin1 and twin2). All subjects were genotyped as Val/Val, Val/Met or Met/Met, and assessed for depressive symptoms using the Children's Depression Inventory. The level of environmental stress was estimated by the frequency of stressful life events using the Life Events Checklist. The frequency of stressful life events was significantly correlated with depressive symptoms (twin1: β = 0.21, P = 0.01; twin2: β = 0.27, P < 0.01), but there was no significant main effect of the BDNF Val66Met genotype on depressive symptoms. In both subgroups, however, the interaction between the BDNF Val66Met genotype and stressful life event frequency was significant (twin1: β = 0.19, P = 0.01; twin2: β = 0.15, P = 0.04); individuals with one or two Val alleles demonstrated a greater susceptibility to both the detrimental effects of higher stress and the beneficial effects of lower stress compared to the Met/Met genotype. These findings support the 'differential-susceptibility' hypothesis, whereby the BDNF Val allele modulates the influence of environmental stress on depression by enhancing the neuroplastic response to all life events.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Chen
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - X Li
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - M McGue
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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278
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Duman RS, Li N. A neurotrophic hypothesis of depression: role of synaptogenesis in the actions of NMDA receptor antagonists. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 367:2475-84. [PMID: 22826346 PMCID: PMC3405673 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 217] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Molecular and cellular studies have demonstrated opposing actions of stress and antidepressant treatment on the expression of neurotrophic factors, particularly brain-derived neurotrophic factor, in limbic structures of the brain. These changes in neurotrophic factor expression and function result in structural alterations, including regulation of neurogenesis, dendrite length and spine density in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex (PFC). The deleterious effects of stress could contribute to the reduced volume of these brain regions in depressed patients. Conversely, the actions of antidepressant treatment could be mediated in part by blocking or reversing the atrophy caused by stress and depression. Recent studies have identified a novel, rapid-acting antidepressant, ketamine, in treatment-resistant depressed patients that addresses the limitations of currently available agents (i.e. delayed onset of action and low response rates). We have found that ketamine, an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, causes a rapid induction of synaptogenesis and spine formation in the PFC via stimulation of the mammalian target of the rapamycin signalling pathway and increased synthesis of synaptic proteins. These effects of ketamine rapidly reverse the atrophy of PFC neurons caused by chronic stress and correspond to rapid behavioural actions of ketamine in models of depression. Characterization of a novel signalling pathway also identifies new cellular targets that could result in rapid and efficacious antidepressant actions without the side effects of ketamine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ronald S Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, , 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06508, USA.
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279
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Eyre H, Baune BT. Neuroplastic changes in depression: a role for the immune system. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2012; 37:1397-416. [PMID: 22525700 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2012.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2011] [Revised: 03/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/22/2012] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that there is a rich cross-talk between the neuroimmune system and neuroplasticity mechanisms under both physiological conditions and pathophysiological conditions in depression. Anti-neuroplastic changes which occur in depression include a decrease in proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs), decreased survival of neuroblasts and immature neurons, impaired neurocircuitry (cortical-striatal-limbic circuits), reduced levels of neurotrophins, reduced spine density and dendritic retraction. Since both humoral and cellular immune factors have been implicated in neuroplastic processes, in this review we present a model suggesting that neuroplastic processes in depression are mediated through various neuroimmune mechanisms. The review puts forward a model in that both humoral and cellular neuroimmune factors are involved with impairing neuroplasticity under pathophysiological conditions such as depression. Specifically, neuroimmune factors including interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, CD4⁺CD25⁺T regulatory cells (T reg), self-specific CD4⁺T cells, monocyte-derived macrophages, microglia and astrocytes are shown to be vital to processes of neuroplasticity such as long-term potentiation (LTP), NSC survival, synaptic branching, neurotrophin regulation and neurogenesis. In rodent models of depression, IL-1, IL-6 and TNF are associated with reduced hippocampal neurogenesis; mechanisms which are associated with this include the stress-activated protein kinase (SAPK)/Janus Kinase (JNK) pathway, hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF)-1α, JAK-Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (STAT) pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) pathway, Ras-MAPK, PI-3 kinase, IKK/nuclear factor (NF)-κB and TGFβ activated kinase-1 (TAK-1). Neuroimmunological mechanisms have an active role in the neuroplastic changes associated with depression. Since therapies in depression, including antidepressants (AD), omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and physical activity exert neuroplasticity-enhancing effects potentially mediated by neuroimmune mechanisms, the immune system might serve as a promising target for interventions in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harris Eyre
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia
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280
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Molendijk ML, Bus BAA, Spinhoven P, Kaimatzoglou A, Oude Voshaar RC, Penninx BWJH, van IJzendoorn MH, Elzinga BM. A systematic review and meta-analysis on the association between BDNF val(66)met and hippocampal volume--a genuine effect or a winners curse? Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2012; 159B:731-40. [PMID: 22815222 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2012] [Accepted: 06/28/2012] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Inconsistenties have been reported with regard to an association between val(66)met, a polymorphism on the BDNF gene, and hippocampal volume. We performed a systematic review and a meta-analysis to determine the magnitude and direction of this putative association and estimated the potential influence of demographic, clinical, and methodological characteristics of studies. Tests of publication bias and time-related trends were performed and statistical power of the included studies was calculated. The literature search for MRI studies on differences in total hippocampal volume as a function of BDNF val(66)met returned 25 records that fulfilled our criteria (total N = 3,620). Meta-analysis showed that carriers of a met allele had lower hippocampal volumes relative to val/val homozygotes (d = 0.13, P = 0.02). Between-study heterogeneity in effect size estimates was substantial (Q = 54.47, P < .001) and this could not be explained by demographic, clinical, and methodological differences across studies. Funnel plot inspection and trim-and-fill estimations suggested evidence for publication bias and effect sizes decreased substantially over the years (Pearson's r = -0.54, P < .01). All included studies were underpowered. This meta-analysis shows that carriers of a met allele have lower total hippocampal volumes relative to val/val homozygotes. However, effect sizes converged closer to null with virtually each attempt at replication and were based on underpowered studies. Altogether, this may call into question whether the observed effect is a genuine biological effect of the met allele or whether it is subject to a winners curse, with large effect sizes found in a few early studies and increasingly smaller effect sizes in later studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marc L Molendijk
- Clinical, Health, and Neuropsychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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281
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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val⁶⁶Met polymorphism affects resting regional cerebral blood flow and functional connectivity differentially in women versus men. J Neurosci 2012; 32:7074-81. [PMID: 22593075 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5375-11.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
The human Val⁶⁶Met single nucleotide polymorphism in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene impacts BDNF signaling at the cellular level. At the neural-systems level, it is associated with differences in prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampal function during performance of cognitive and affective tasks. Because the impact of this variant on basal prefrontal and hippocampal activity is not known but may be relevant to understanding the function of this gene in health and disease, we studied 94 healthy individuals with H₂ ¹⁵O PET to assess regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) during rest and tested for between-genotype differences. Because BDNF and gonadal steroid hormones conjointly influence neuronal growth, survival, and plasticity in hippocampus and PFC, we also tested for sex × genotype interactions. Finally, in light of the known impact of BDNF on plasticity and dendritic arborization, we complimented direct rCBF comparisons with connectivity analyses to determine how activity in hippocampal and prefrontal regions showing between-genotype group differences covaries with rCBF in other nodes throughout the brain in a genotype- or sex-dependent manner. Compared with Val homozygotes, Met carriers had higher rCBF in prefrontal (BA25 extending into BA10) and hippocampal/parahippocampal regions. Moreover, there were significant sex × genotype interactions in regions (including frontal, parahippocampal, and lateral temporal cortex) in which Val homozygotes showed higher rCBF in females than males, but Met carriers showed the opposite relationship. Functional connectivity analysis demonstrated that correlations of BA25, hippocampus, and parahippocampus with frontal and temporal networks were positive for Val homozygotes and negative for Met carriers. In addition, sex × genotype analysis of functional connectivity revealed that genotype affected directionality of the inter-regional correlations differentially in men versus women. Our data indicate that BDNF allelic variation and sex interactively affect basal prefrontal and hippocampal function.
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282
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Outhred T, Kemp AH. Impact of genetic epistasis on emotion and executive function: methodological issues and generalizability of findings. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2012; 11:751-2. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2012.00811.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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283
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Baune BT, Konrad C, Grotegerd D, Suslow T, Birosova E, Ohrmann P, Bauer J, Arolt V, Heindel W, Domschke K, Schöning S, Rauch AV, Uhlmann C, Kugel H, Dannlowski U. Interleukin-6 gene (IL-6): a possible role in brain morphology in the healthy adult brain. J Neuroinflammation 2012; 9:125. [PMID: 22695063 PMCID: PMC3464888 DOI: 10.1186/1742-2094-9-125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2012] [Accepted: 06/13/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Cytokines such as interleukin 6 (IL-6) have been implicated in dual functions in neuropsychiatric disorders. Little is known about the genetic predisposition to neurodegenerative and neuroproliferative properties of cytokine genes. In this study the potential dual role of several IL-6 polymorphisms in brain morphology is investigated. Methodology In a large sample of healthy individuals (N = 303), associations between genetic variants of IL-6 (rs1800795; rs1800796, rs2069833, rs2069840) and brain volume (gray matter volume) were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Selection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) followed a tagging SNP approach (e.g., Stampa algorigthm), yielding a capture 97.08% of the variation in the IL-6 gene using four tagging SNPs. Principal findings/results In a whole-brain analysis, the polymorphism rs1800795 (−174 C/G) showed a strong main effect of genotype (43 CC vs. 150 CG vs. 100 GG; x = 24, y = −10, z = −15; F(2,286) = 8.54, puncorrected = 0.0002; pAlphaSim-corrected = 0.002; cluster size k = 577) within the right hippocampus head. Homozygous carriers of the G-allele had significantly larger hippocampus gray matter volumes compared to heterozygous subjects. None of the other investigated SNPs showed a significant association with grey matter volume in whole-brain analyses. Conclusions/significance These findings suggest a possible neuroprotective role of the G-allele of the SNP rs1800795 on hippocampal volumes. Studies on the role of this SNP in psychiatric populations and especially in those with an affected hippocampus (e.g., by maltreatment, stress) are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernhard T Baune
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.
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Naismith SL, Norrie LM, Mowszowski L, Hickie IB. The neurobiology of depression in later-life: Clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging and pathophysiological features. Prog Neurobiol 2012; 98:99-143. [DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 169] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2011] [Revised: 05/03/2012] [Accepted: 05/09/2012] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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285
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Mood disorders. Transl Neurosci 2012. [DOI: 10.1017/cbo9780511980053.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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286
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Revise the revised? New dimensions of the neuroanatomical hypothesis of panic disorder. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2012; 120:3-29. [PMID: 22692647 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-012-0811-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2012] [Accepted: 04/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In 2000, Gorman et al. published a widely acknowledged revised version of their 1989 neuroanatomical hypothesis of panic disorder (PD). Herein, a 'fear network' was suggested to mediate fear- and anxiety-related responses: panic attacks result from a dysfunctional coordination of 'upstream' (cortical) and 'downstream' (brainstem) sensory information leading to heightened amygdala activity with subsequent behavioral, autonomic and neuroendocrine activation. Given the emergence of novel imaging methods such as fMRI and the publication of numerous neuroimaging studies regarding PD since 2000, a comprehensive literature search was performed regarding structural (CT, MRI), metabolic (PET, SPECT, MRS) and functional (fMRI, NIRS, EEG) studies on PD, which will be reviewed and critically discussed in relation to the neuroanatomical hypothesis of PD. Recent findings support structural and functional alterations in limbic and cortical structures in PD. Novel insights regarding structural volume increase or reduction, hyper- or hypoactivity, laterality and task-specificity of neural activation patterns emerged. The assumption of a generally hyperactive amygdala in PD seems to apply more to state than trait characteristics of PD, and involvement of further areas in the fear circuit, such as anterior cingulate and insula, is suggested. Furthermore, genetic risk variants have been proposed to partly drive fear network activity. Thus, the present state of knowledge generally supports limbic and cortical prefrontal involvement as originally proposed in the neuroanatomical hypothesis. Some modifications might be suggested regarding a potential extension of the fear circuit, genetic factors shaping neural network activity and neuroanatomically informed clinical subtypes of PD potentially guiding future treatment decisions.
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287
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Zucchi FCR, Yao Y, Metz GA. The secret language of destiny: stress imprinting and transgenerational origins of disease. Front Genet 2012; 3:96. [PMID: 22675331 PMCID: PMC3366387 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2012.00096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Accepted: 05/10/2012] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Epigenetic regulation modulates gene expression without altering the DNA sequence to facilitate rapid adjustments to dynamically changing environmental conditions. The formation of an epigenetic memory allows passing on this information to subsequent generations. Here we propose that epigenetic memories formed by adverse environmental conditions and stress represent a critical determinant of health and disease in the F3 generation and beyond. Transgenerational programming of epigenetic regulation may represent a key to understand adult-onset complex disease pathogenesis and cumulative effects of life span and familial disease etiology. Ultimately, the mechanisms of generating an epigenetic memory may become of potentially promising diagnostic and therapeutic relevance due to their reversible nature. Exploring the role of environmental factors, such as stress, in causing variations in epigenetic profiles may lead to new avenues of personalized, preventive medicine based on epigenetic signatures and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiola C R Zucchi
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada
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288
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Gerritsen L, Tendolkar I, Franke B, Vasquez AA, Kooijman S, Buitelaar J, Fernández G, Rijpkema M. BDNF Val66Met genotype modulates the effect of childhood adversity on subgenual anterior cingulate cortex volume in healthy subjects. Mol Psychiatry 2012; 17:597-603. [PMID: 21577214 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2011.51] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
According to the neurotrophic hypothesis of depression, stress can lead to brain atrophy by modifying brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) levels. Given that BDNF secretion is affected by a common polymorphism (rs6265, Val66Met), which also is associated with depression, we investigated whether this polymorphism modifies the effect of childhood adversity (CA) on local gray matter (GM) volume in depression-relevant brain regions, using data from two large cohorts of healthy subjects. We included 568 healthy volunteers (aged 18-50 years, 63% female) in our study, for whom complete data were available, with magnetic resonance imaging data at 1.5 Tesla (N=275) or 3 Tesla (N=293). We used a whole brain optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach assessing genotype-dependent GM differences, with focus on the amygdala, hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (PFC; including anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and orbitomedial PFC). CA was assessed using a validated questionnaire. In both cohorts, we found that BDNF methionine (Met)-allele carriers with a history of CA had significantly less GM in subgenual ACC (P<0.05) compared with Met-allele carriers without CA and Val/Val homozygotes with CA. No differences were found in hippocampus, amygdala and orbitomedial PFC. On the basis of our findings, we conclude that BDNF Met-allele carriers are particularly sensitive to CA. Given the key role of the subgenual ACC in emotion regulation, this finding provides an important mechanistic link between stress and BDNF on one hand and mood impairments on the other hand.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Gerritsen
- Department of Cognitive Neuroimaging, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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289
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Liu RJ, Lee FS, Li XY, Bambico F, Duman RS, Aghajanian GK. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met allele impairs basal and ketamine-stimulated synaptogenesis in prefrontal cortex. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 71:996-1005. [PMID: 22036038 PMCID: PMC3290730 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.09.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 305] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2011] [Revised: 09/27/2011] [Accepted: 09/28/2011] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Knock-in mice with the common human brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism have impaired trafficking of BDNF messenger RNA to dendrites. It was hypothesized, given evidence that local synapse formation is dependent on dendritic translation of BDNF messenger RNA, that loss-of-function Met allele mice would show synaptic deficits both at baseline and in response to ketamine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist that stimulates synaptogenesis in prefrontal cortex (PFC). METHODS Whole-cell recordings from layer V medial PFC pyramidal cells in brain slices were combined with two-photon laser scanning for analysis of wildtype, Val/Met, and Met/Met mice both at baseline and in response to a low dose of ketamine. RESULTS Val/Met and Met/Met mice were found to have constitutive atrophy of distal apical dendrites and decrements in apically targeted excitatory postsynaptic currents in layer V pyramidal cells of PFC. In addition, spine density and diameter were decreased, indicative of impaired synaptic formation/maturation (synaptogenesis). In Met/Met mice the synaptogenic effect of ketamine was markedly impaired, consistent with the idea that synaptogenesis is dependent on dendritic translation/release of BDNF. In parallel behavioral studies, we found that the antidepressant response to ketamine in the forced swim test was blocked in Met/Met mice. CONCLUSIONS The results demonstrate that expression of the BDNF Met allele in mice results in basal synaptic deficits and blocks synaptogenic and antidepressant actions of ketamine in PFC, suggesting that the therapeutic response to this drug might be attenuated or blocked in depressed patients who carry the loss of function Met allele.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong-Jian Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021
| | - Xiao-Yuan Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508
| | - Francis Bambico
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508
| | - Ronald S. Duman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508
,Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508
| | - George K. Aghajanian
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508
,Department of Pharmacology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06508
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290
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Variant brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism alters vulnerability to stress and response to antidepressants. J Neurosci 2012; 32:4092-101. [PMID: 22442074 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.5048-11.2012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 206] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) plays important roles in cell survival, neural plasticity, learning, and stress regulation. However, whether the recently found human BDNF Val66Met (BDNF(Met)) polymorphism could alter stress vulnerability remains controversial. More importantly, the molecular and structural mechanisms underlying the interaction between the BDNF(Met) polymorphism and stress are unclear. We found that heterozygous BDNF(+/Met) mice displayed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis hyperreactivity, increased depressive-like and anxiety-like behaviors, and impaired working memory compared with WT mice after 7 d restraint stress. Moreover, BDNF(+/Met) mice exhibited more prominent changes in BDNF levels and apical dendritic spine density in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala after stress, which correlated with the impaired working memory and elevated anxiety-like behaviors. Finally, the depressive-like behaviors in BDNF(+/Met) mice could be selectively rescued by acute administration of desipramine but not fluoxetine. These data indicate selective behavioral, molecular, and structural deficits resulting from the interaction between stress and the human genetic BDNF(Met) polymorphism. Importantly, desipramine but not fluoxetine has antidepressant effects on BDNF(+/Met) mice, suggesting that specific classes of antidepressant may be a more effective treatment option for depressive symptoms in humans with this genetic variant BDNF.
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291
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Abstract
Therapygenetics, the study of genetic determinants of response to psychological therapies, is in its infancy. Here, we investigate whether single-nucleotide polymorphisms in nerve growth factor (NGF) (rs6330) and brain-derived neutrotrophic factor (BDNF) (rs6265) genes predict the response to cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). Neurotrophic genes represent plausible candidate genes: they are implicated in synaptic plasticity, response to stress, and are widely expressed in brain areas involved in mood and cognition. Allelic variation at both loci has shown associations with anxiety-related phenotypes. A sample of 374 anxiety-disordered children with white European ancestry was recruited from clinics in Reading, UK, and in Sydney, Australia. Participants received manualised CBT treatment and DNA was collected from buccal cells using cheek swabs. Treatment response was assessed at post-treatment and follow-up time points. We report first evidence that children with one or more copies of the T allele of NGF rs6330 were significantly more likely to be free of their primary anxiety diagnosis at follow-up (OR = 0.60 (0.42-0.85), P = 0.005). These effects remained even when other clinically relevant covariates were accounted for (OR = 0.62 (0.41-0.92), P = 0.019). No significant associations were observed between BDNF rs6265 and response to psychological therapy. These findings demonstrate that knowledge of genetic markers has the potential to inform clinical treatment decisions for psychotherapeutic interventions.
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292
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Differential effects of acute and regular physical exercise on cognition and affect. Neuroscience 2012; 215:59-68. [PMID: 22554780 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.04.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2012] [Revised: 04/13/2012] [Accepted: 04/20/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The effects of regular exercise versus a single bout of exercise on cognition, anxiety, and mood were systematically examined in healthy, sedentary young adults who were genotyped to determine brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) allelic status (i.e., Val-Val or Val66Met polymorphism). Participants were evaluated on novel object recognition (NOR) memory and a battery of mental health surveys before and after engaging in either (a) a 4-week exercise program, with exercise on the final test day, (b) a 4-week exercise program, without exercise on the final test day, (c) a single bout of exercise on the final test day, or (d) remaining sedentary between test days. Exercise enhanced object recognition memory and produced a beneficial decrease in perceived stress, but only in participants who exercised for 4 weeks including the final day of testing. In contrast, a single bout of exercise did not affect recognition memory and resulted in increased perceived stress levels. An additional novel finding was that the improvements on the NOR task were observed exclusively in participants who were homozygous for the BDNF Val allele, indicating that altered activity-dependent release of BDNF in Met allele carriers may attenuate the cognitive benefits of exercise. Importantly, exercise-induced changes in cognition were not correlated with changes in mood/anxiety, suggesting that separate neural systems mediate these effects. These data in humans mirror recent data from our group in rodents. Taken together, these current findings provide new insights into the behavioral and neural mechanisms that mediate the effects of physical exercise on memory and mental health in humans.
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293
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Abstract
This article discusses recent findings on the neurobiology of pediatric depression as well as the interplay between genetic and environmental factors in determining the risk for the disorder. Utilizing data from both animal and human studies, the authors focus on the evolving understanding of the developmental neurobiology of emotional regulation, cognitive function and social behavior as it applies to the risk and clinical course of depression. Treatment implications and directions for future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- John M. Weir
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Meharry Medical College, Nashville Tennessee
| | - Arthurine Zakama
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville Tennessee
| | - Uma Rao
- Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience, Meharry Medical College, Nashville Tennessee
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville Tennessee
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Meharry Medical College, Nashville Tennessee
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294
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Gould F, Clarke J, Heim C, Harvey PD, Majer M, Nemeroff CB. The effects of child abuse and neglect on cognitive functioning in adulthood. J Psychiatr Res 2012; 46:500-6. [PMID: 22336639 PMCID: PMC3307950 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2012.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 210] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2011] [Revised: 12/23/2011] [Accepted: 01/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Recent research has revealed that early life trauma (ELS), including abuse (sexual and/or physical) and neglect, produce lasting changes in the CNS. We posited that cognitive deficits, often observed in psychiatric patients, result, in part, due to the neurobiological consequences of ELS. Additionally, we hypothesized that the nature and magnitude of cognitive deficits would differ according to the subtype of ELS experienced. METHOD The Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) was used to assess neurocognitive functioning in 93 subjects (60 with ELS and 33 without). In the patients with a history of ELS, 35% and 16.7%, respectively, met criteria for current major depression and PTSD. RESULTS Significant associations between ELS status and CANTAB measures of memory and executive and emotional functioning were found. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that exposure to ELS results in a cascade of neurobiological changes associated with cognitive deficits in adulthood that vary according to the type of trauma experienced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia Gould
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Jennifer Clarke
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida,Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Christine Heim
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Philip D. Harvey
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
| | - Matthias Majer
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Charles B. Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida
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295
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Danese A, McEwen BS. Adverse childhood experiences, allostasis, allostatic load, and age-related disease. Physiol Behav 2012; 106:29-39. [PMID: 21888923 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1176] [Impact Index Per Article: 98.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2011] [Revised: 08/16/2011] [Accepted: 08/17/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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296
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Association of serotonin and dopamine gene pathways with behavioral subphenotypes in dementia. Neurobiol Aging 2012; 33:791-803. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2010.06.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2010] [Revised: 06/10/2010] [Accepted: 06/16/2010] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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297
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Bath KG, Jing DQ, Dincheva I, Neeb CC, Pattwell SS, Chao MV, Lee FS, Ninan I. BDNF Val66Met impairs fluoxetine-induced enhancement of adult hippocampus plasticity. Neuropsychopharmacology 2012; 37:1297-304. [PMID: 22218094 PMCID: PMC3306891 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2011.318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Recently, a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene (BDNF Val66Met) has been linked to the development of multiple forms of neuropsychiatric illness. This SNP, when genetically introduced into mice, recapitulates core phenotypes identified in human BDNF Val66Met carriers. In mice, this SNP also leads to elevated expression of anxiety-like behaviors that are not rescued with the prototypic selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), fluoxetine. A prominent hypothesis is that SSRI-induced augmentation of BDNF protein expression and the beneficial trophic effects of BDNF on neural plasticity are critical components for drug response. Thus, these mice represent a potential model to study the biological mechanism underlying treatment-resistant forms of affective disorders. To test whether the BDNF Val66Met SNP alters SSRI-induced changes in neural plasticity, we used wild-type (BDNF(Val/Val)) mice, and mice homozygous for the BDNF Val66Met SNP (BDNF(Met/Met)). We assessed hippocampal BDNF protein levels, survival rates of adult born cells, and synaptic plasticity (long-term potentiation, LTP) in the dentate gyrus either with or without chronic (28-day) fluoxetine treatment. BDNF(Met/Met) mice had decreased basal BDNF protein levels in the hippocampus that did not significantly increase following fluoxetine treatment. BDNF(Met/Met) mice had impaired survival of newly born cells and LTP in the dentate gyrus; the LTP effects remained blunted following fluoxetine treatment. The observed effects of the BDNF Val66Met SNP on hippocampal BDNF expression and synaptic plasticity provide a possible mechanistic basis by which this common BDNF SNP may impair efficacy of SSRI drug treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin G Bath
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell, New York, NY 10021, USA.
| | - Deqiang Q Jing
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell, New York, NY, USA
| | - Iva Dincheva
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christine C Neeb
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell, New York, NY, USA
| | - Siobhan S Pattwell
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell, New York, NY, USA
| | - Moses V Chao
- Department of Cell Biology, Physiology and Neuroscience, and Psychiatry, The Helen L. and Martin S. Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute for Biomolecular Medicine, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Francis S Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell, New York, NY, USA,Department of Pharmacology, Weill Medical College of Cornell, New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, Weill Cornell Medical College, 1300 York Avenue (LC-905), Box 244, New York, NY 10021, USA, Tel: +1 212 746 5403, Fax: +1 212 746 8529, E-mail:
| | - Ipe Ninan
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA,Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, 540 1Ave, SKI 5-3, New York NY 10016, USA, Tel: +1 347 535 0710, Fax: +1 212 263 0723, E-mail:
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298
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Autry AE, Monteggia LM. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor and neuropsychiatric disorders. Pharmacol Rev 2012; 64:238-58. [PMID: 22407616 DOI: 10.1124/pr.111.005108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 951] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is the most prevalent growth factor in the central nervous system (CNS). It is essential for the development of the CNS and for neuronal plasticity. Because BDNF plays a crucial role in development and plasticity of the brain, it is widely implicated in psychiatric diseases. This review provides a summary of clinical and preclinical evidence for the involvement of this ubiquitous growth factor in major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, addiction, Rett syndrome, as well as other psychiatric and neurodevelopmental diseases. In addition, the review includes a discussion of the role of BDNF in the mechanism of action of pharmacological therapies currently used to treat these diseases, such antidepressants and antipsychotics. The review also covers a critique of experimental therapies such as BDNF mimetics and discusses the value of BDNF as a target for future drug development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita E Autry
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 5323 Harry Hines Blvd, Dallas, TX 75390-9070, USA
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299
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Dannlowski U, Stuhrmann A, Beutelmann V, Zwanzger P, Lenzen T, Grotegerd D, Domschke K, Hohoff C, Ohrmann P, Bauer J, Lindner C, Postert C, Konrad C, Arolt V, Heindel W, Suslow T, Kugel H. Limbic scars: long-term consequences of childhood maltreatment revealed by functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging. Biol Psychiatry 2012; 71:286-93. [PMID: 22112927 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 661] [Impact Index Per Article: 55.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2011] [Revised: 09/20/2011] [Accepted: 10/18/2011] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood maltreatment represents a strong risk factor for the development of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in later life. In the present study, we investigated the neurobiological underpinnings of this association. Since both depression and PTSD have been associated with increased amygdala responsiveness to negative stimuli as well as reduced hippocampal gray matter volume, we speculated that childhood maltreatment results in similar functional and structural alterations in previously maltreated but healthy adults. METHODS One hundred forty-eight healthy subjects were enrolled via public notices and newspaper announcements and were carefully screened for psychiatric disorders. Amygdala responsiveness was measured by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging and an emotional face-matching paradigm particularly designed to activate the amygdala in response to threat-related faces. Voxel-based morphometry was used to study morphological alterations. Childhood maltreatment was assessed by the 25-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). RESULTS We observed a strong association of CTQ scores with amygdala responsiveness to threat-related facial expressions. The morphometric analysis yielded reduced gray matter volumes in the hippocampus, insula, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and caudate in subjects with high CTQ scores. Both of these associations were not influenced by trait anxiety, depression level, age, intelligence, education, or more recent stressful life events. CONCLUSIONS Childhood maltreatment is associated with remarkable functional and structural changes even decades later in adulthood. These changes strongly resemble findings described in depression and PTSD. Therefore, the present results might suggest that limbic hyperresponsiveness and reduced hippocampal volumes could be mediators between the experiences of adversities during childhood and the development of emotional disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Udo Dannlowski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse 11, Münster, Germany.
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300
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Wang L, Ashley-Koch A, Steffens DC, Krishnan KRR, Taylor WD. Impact of BDNF Val66Met and 5-HTTLPR polymorphism variants on neural substrates related to sadness and executive function. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2012; 11:352-9. [PMID: 22225729 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2012.00764.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val(66) Met allelic variation is linked to both the occurrence of mood disorders and antidepressant response. These findings are not universally observed, and the mechanism by which this variation results in increased risk for mood disorders is unclear. One possible explanation is an epistatic relationship with other neurotransmitter genes associated with depression risk, such as the serotonin-transporter-linked promotor region (5-HTTLPR). Further, it is unclear how the coexistence of the BDNF Met and 5-HTTLPR S variants affects the function of the affective and cognitive control systems. To address this question, we conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study in 38 older adults (20 healthy and 18 remitted from major depressive disorder). Subjects performed an emotional oddball task during the fMRI scan and provided blood samples for genotyping. Our analyses examined the relationship between genotypes and brain activation to sad distractors and attentional targets. We found that 5-HTTLPR S allele carriers exhibited stronger activation in the amygdala in response to sad distractors, whereas BDNF Met carriers exhibited increased activation to sad stimuli but decreased activation to attentional targets in the dorsolateral prefrontal and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices. In addition, subjects with both the S allele and Met allele genes exhibited increased activation to sad stimuli in the subgenual cingulate and posterior cingulate. Our results indicate that the Met allele alone or in combination with 5-HTTLPR S allele may increase reactivity to sad stimuli, which might represent a neural mechanism underlying increased depression vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Wang
- Brain Imaging and Analysis Center, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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