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Serrao F, Chirico A, Gabbiadini A, Gallace A, Gaggioli A. Enjoying art: an evolutionary perspective on the esthetic experience from emotion elicitors. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1341122. [PMID: 38469222 PMCID: PMC10925773 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1341122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The ubiquity of human art prompted evolutionary psychologists to explore its origins as a potential adaptation to the environment. Here we focus on emotionally charged art and posit that affective affordances embedded into some artworks play a pivotal role in explaining why these artworks are enjoyed from an evolutionary perspective. Such features, recurring in various art forms, are interpreted as cues to the emotional state of others, enabling art consumers to engage in empathetic experiences and vicarious emotions. We explore the adaptive value of deriving pleasure from vicarious emotions, while also addressing the seemingly counterintuitive enjoyment of artworks that evoke negative emotions. We discuss the appreciation of vicarious emotions irrespective of their valence and maintain this appreciation to hold adaptive significance for three key reasons. Firstly, it aids art consumers in refining their interpretational schemes of internal states, potentially enhancing emotional regulation skills. Secondly, it contributes to a deeper understanding of the emotions of others, thereby fostering emotional intelligence and empathy. Lastly, the enjoyment of affectively charged artworks reinforces social cohesion by harmonizing the emotions of group members. This perspective provides a comprehensive framework for understanding the evolutionary underpinnings of the human capacity for art appreciation and emotional engagement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrizio Serrao
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Alice Chirico
- Research Center in Communication Psychology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Alberto Gallace
- Department of Psychology, University of Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
| | - Andrea Gaggioli
- Research Center in Communication Psychology, Universitá Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy
- IRCCS Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Milan, Italy
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2
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Sun X, Ming Q, Zhong X, Dong D, Li C, Xiong G, Cheng C, Cao W, He J, Wang X, Yi J, Yao S. The MAOA Gene Influences the Neural Response to Psychosocial Stress in the Human Brain. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:65. [PMID: 32499684 PMCID: PMC7243356 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.00065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The stress response is regulated by many mechanisms. Monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) has been related to many mental illnesses. However, few studies have explored the relationship between MAOA and acute laboratory-induced psychosocial stress with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In the current study, the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST) and fMRI were used to investigate how MAOA influences the stress response. Increased cortisol concentrations were observed after the task; functional connectivity between the bilateral anterior hippocampus and other brain regions was reduced during stress. MAOA-H allele carriers showed greater deactivation of the right anterior hippocampus and greater cortisol response after stress than did MAOH-L allele carriers. Hippocampal deactivation may lead to disinhibition of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the initiation of stress hormone release under stress. Our results suggest that the MAOA gene regulates the stress response by influencing the right anterior hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sochoow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xue Zhong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Chuting Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Ge Xiong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Chang Cheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Wanyi Cao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Jiayue He
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Jinyao Yi
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Changsha, China
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3
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Sun X, Li C, Zhong X, Dong D, Ming Q, Gao Y, Xiong G, Cheng C, Zhao H, Wang X, Yao S. Influence of psychosocial stress on activation in human brain regions: moderation by the 5-HTTLPR genetic locus. Physiol Behav 2020; 220:112876. [PMID: 32194071 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2019] [Revised: 02/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Variants of the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) of the serotonin transporter gene SLC6A4 have been related with the onset of depression, anxiety, and other mental disorders. Homozygotes for the short 5-HTTLPR variant, referred to as the SS genotype, have greater cortisol responses to experimentally induced psychosocial stress. In the current study, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare regional brain activations across 5-HTTLPR genotypes in subjects performing the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST). Subjects with an SS genotype had significant greater increases in cortisol concentrations after the task than subjects with at least one long 5-HTTLPR allele. Additionally, relative to L carriers, the SS group had greater activation in the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex(dmPFC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, anterior insula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Chuting Li
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Xue Zhong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Sochoow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Yidian Gao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Ge Xiong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Chang Cheng
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Haofei Zhao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Xiang Wang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha 410011, Hunan, China; National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders.
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4
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Brain monoamine oxidase A in seasonal affective disorder and treatment with bright light therapy. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:198. [PMID: 30242221 PMCID: PMC6155094 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0227-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2017] [Revised: 04/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Increased cerebral monoamine oxidase A (MAO-A) levels have been shown in non-seasonal depression using positron emission tomography (PET). Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a sub-form of major depressive disorder and is typically treated with bright light therapy (BLT). The serotonergic system is affected by season and light. Hence, this study aims to assess the relevance of brain MAO-A levels to the pathophysiology and treatment of SAD. Changes to cerebral MAO-A distribution (1) in SAD in comparison to healthy controls (HC), (2) after treatment with BLT and (3) between the seasons, were investigated in 24 patients with SAD and 27 HC using [11C]harmine PET. PET scans were performed in fall/winter before and after 3 weeks of placebo-controlled BLT, as well as in spring/summer. Cerebral MAO-A distribution volume (VT, an index of MAO-A density) did not differ between patients and HC at any of the three time-points. However, MAO-A VT decreased from fall/winter to spring/summer in the HC group (F1, 187.84 = 4.79, p < 0.050), while SAD showed no change. In addition, BLT, but not placebo, resulted in a significant reduction in MAO-A VT (F1, 208.92 = 25.96, p < 0.001). This is the first study to demonstrate an influence of BLT on human cerebral MAO-A levels in vivo. Furthermore, we show that SAD may lack seasonal dynamics in brain MAO-A levels. The lack of a cross-sectional difference between patients and HC, in contrast to studies in non-seasonal depression, may be due to the milder symptoms typically shown by patients with SAD.
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Brandl EJ, Lett TA, Bakanidze G, Heinz A, Bermpohl F, Schouler-Ocak M. Weather conditions influence the number of psychiatric emergency room patients. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIOMETEOROLOGY 2018; 62:843-850. [PMID: 29204686 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-017-1485-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The specific impact of weather factors on psychiatric disorders has been investigated only in few studies with inconsistent results. We hypothesized that meteorological conditions influence the number of cases presenting in a psychiatric emergency room as a measure of mental health conditions. We analyzed the number of patients consulting the emergency room (ER) of a psychiatric hospital in Berlin, Germany, between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2014. A total of N = 22,672 cases were treated in the ER over the study period. Meteorological data were obtained from a publicly available data base. Due to collinearity among the meteorological variables, we performed a principal component (PC) analysis. Association of PCs with the daily number of patients was analyzed with autoregressive integrated moving average model. Delayed effects were investigated using Granger causal modeling. Daily number of patients in the ER was significantly higher in spring and summer compared to fall and winter (p < 0.001). Three PCs explained 76.8% percent of the variance with PC1 loading mostly on temperature, PC2 on cloudiness and low pressure, and PC3 on windiness. PC1 and PC2 showed strong association with number of patients in the emergency room (p < 0.010) indicating higher patient numbers on warmer and on cloudy days. Further, PC1, PC2, and PC3 predicted the number of patients presenting in the emergency room for up to 7 days (p < 0.050). A secondary analysis revealed that the effect of temperature on number of patients was mostly due to lower patient numbers on cold days. Although replication of our findings is required, our results suggest that weather influences the number of psychiatric patients consulting the emergency room. In particular, our data indicate lower patient numbers during very cold temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Janina Brandl
- Psychiatric University Hospital of Charité at St. Hedwig-Hospital, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115, Berlin, Germany.
- Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Tristram A Lett
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - George Bakanidze
- Psychiatric University Hospital of Charité at St. Hedwig-Hospital, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Psychiatric University Hospital of Charité at St. Hedwig-Hospital, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Mitte, Berlin, Germany
| | - Felix Bermpohl
- Psychiatric University Hospital of Charité at St. Hedwig-Hospital, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Meryam Schouler-Ocak
- Psychiatric University Hospital of Charité at St. Hedwig-Hospital, Große Hamburger Str. 5-11, 10115, Berlin, Germany
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6
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Landefeld CC, Hodgkinson CA, Spagnolo PA, Marietta CA, Shen PH, Sun H, Zhou Z, Lipska BK, Goldman D. Effects on gene expression and behavior of untagged short tandem repeats: the case of arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1a) and externalizing behaviors. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:72. [PMID: 29581423 PMCID: PMC5913313 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0120-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of complex, heritable, behavioral phenotypes have yielded an incomplete accounting of the genetic influences. The identified loci explain only a portion of the observed heritability, and few of the loci have been shown to be functional. It is clear that current GWAS techniques overlook key components of phenotypically relevant genetic variation, either because of sample size, as is frequently asserted, or because of methodology. Here we use arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1a) as an in-depth model of a methodologic limitation of GWAS: the functional genetic variation (in the form of short tandem repeats) of this key gene involved in affiliative behavior cannot be captured by current GWAS methodologies. Importantly, we find evidence of differential allele expression, twofold or more, in at least a third of human brain samples heterozygous for a reporter SNP in the AVPR1a transcript. We also show that this functional effect and a downstream phenotype, externalizing behavior, are predicted by AVPR1a STRs but not SNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clare C Landefeld
- 0000 0004 0435 0569grid.254293.bCleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH 44195 USA ,0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
| | - Colin A Hodgkinson
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
| | - Primavera A Spagnolo
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dOffice of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20852 USA
| | - Cheryl A Marietta
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
| | - Pei-Hong Shen
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
| | - Hui Sun
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
| | - Zhifeng Zhou
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dLaboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852 USA
| | - Barbara K Lipska
- 0000 0001 2297 5165grid.94365.3dHuman Brain Collection Core, National Institutes of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
| | - David Goldman
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, 20852, USA. .,Office of the Clinical Director, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20852, USA.
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Münch M, Ladaique M, Roemer S, Hashemi K, Kawasaki A. Melanopsin-Mediated Acute Light Responses Measured in Winter and in Summer: Seasonal Variations in Adults with and without Cataracts. Front Neurol 2017; 8:464. [PMID: 28955293 PMCID: PMC5601987 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/21/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal adaptation is a ubiquitous behavior seen in many species on both global hemispheres and is conveyed by changing photoperiods. In humans this seasonal adaptation is less apparent, in part because changes in daylength are masked by the use of electrical lighting at night. On the other hand, cataracts which reduce light transmission, may compound seasonal changes related to the reduced daylength of winter. To better understand the effects of different photoperiod lengths in healthy adults without and with cataracts, we tested their melanopsin-mediated light responses in summer vs. winter. Fifty-two participants (mean age 67.4 years; 30 with bilateral cataracts and 22 age-matched controls with clear lenses; pseudophakes) were tested twice, once in summer and once in winter. At each test session we assessed the electroretinogram and pupil responses during daytime and we determined melatonin suppression, subjective sleepiness and mood in response to light exposure in the evening. Circadian rest-activity cycles and sleep from activity recordings were also analyzed for both seasons. Both groups had similar visual function. There were no seasonal differences in the electroretinogram. For the pupil responses to bright blue light, the post-illumination pupil response (PIPR) was greater in winter than summer in pseudophakes, but not in cataract participants, whereas melatonin suppression to acute light exposure showed no differences between both groups and seasons. Overall, intra-daily variability of rest-activity was worse in winter but participants felt sleepier and reported worse mood at the laboratory in evening time in the summer. Those with cataracts had poorer sleep quality with lower sleep efficiency, and higher activity during sleep in winter than summer. In this study, the PIPR showed a seasonal variation in which a larger response was found during winter. This variation was only detected in participants with a clear intraocular lens. In the cataract group, visual function was not impaired yet these participants showed a lack of seasonal changes in the pupil response to blue light and poorer sleep in winter. These findings raise the question for tailored lighting conditions for cataract patients in order to counter potentially deleterious effects of living with chronically lower light exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mirjam Münch
- Group Sleep Research & Clinical Chronobiology, Institute of Physiology, Charité University Médicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Myriam Ladaique
- Hôpital Ophtalmique Jules Gonin, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ségolène Roemer
- Hôpital Ophtalmique Jules Gonin, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kattayoon Hashemi
- Hôpital Ophtalmique Jules Gonin, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Aki Kawasaki
- Hôpital Ophtalmique Jules Gonin, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Kalbitzer U, Roos C, Kopp GH, Butynski TM, Knauf S, Zinner D, Fischer J. Insights into the genetic foundation of aggression in Papio and the evolution of two length-polymorphisms in the promoter regions of serotonin-related genes (5-HTTLPR and MAOALPR) in Papionini. BMC Evol Biol 2016; 16:121. [PMID: 27287312 PMCID: PMC4901440 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-016-0693-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aggressive behaviors are an integral part of competitive interactions. There is considerable variation in aggressiveness among individuals both within and among species. Aggressiveness is a quantitative trait that is highly heritable. In modern humans and macaques (Macaca spp.), variation in aggressiveness among individuals is associated with polymorphisms in the serotonergic (5-HT) neurotransmitter system. To further investigate the genetics underlying interspecific variation in aggressiveness, 123 wild individuals from five baboon species (Papio papio, P. hamadryas, P. anubis, P. cynocephalus, and P. ursinus) were screened for two polymorphisms in promoter regions of genes relevant for the 5-HT system (5-HTTLPR and MAOALPR). RESULTS Surprisingly, despite considerable interspecific variation in aggressiveness, baboons are monomorphic in 5-HTTLPR, except for P. hamadryas, which carries one additional allele. Accordingly, this locus cannot be linked to behavioral variation among species. A comparison among 19 papionin species, including nine species of macaques, shows that the most common baboon allele is similar to the one described for Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus), probably representing the ancestral allele in this tribe. It should be noted that (almost) all baboons live in Africa, but within Macaca only M. sylvanus lives on this continent. Baboons are, however, highly polymorphic in the so-called 'warrior gene' MAOALPR, carrying three alleles. Due to considerable variation in allele frequencies among populations of the same species, this genotype cannot be invoked to explain variation in aggressiveness at the species level. CONCLUSIONS This study provides another indication that 5-HTTLPR is not related to aggressiveness in primates per se, but may have been under differential selective pressures among taxa and potentially among populations in different geographic regions. The results on MAOALPR alleles in Papio indicate that variation in the metabolism of monoamine neurotransmitters and associated behaviors is more important among populations than among species. We, therefore, propose to compile behavioral data from additional populations of Papio to obtain further insight into the genetics underlying behavioral differences among primate species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Urs Kalbitzer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany.
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Christian Roos
- Gene Bank of Primates and Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Gisela H Kopp
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457, Constance, Germany
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Thomas M Butynski
- Lolldaiga Hills Research Programme, Sustainability Centre Eastern Africa, P. O. Box 149, Nanyuki, 10400, Kenya
| | - Sascha Knauf
- Work Group Neglected Tropical Diseases, Pathology Unit, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dietmar Zinner
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center (DPZ), Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg 4, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
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Gryglewski G, Lanzenberger R, Kranz GS, Cumming P. Meta-analysis of molecular imaging of serotonin transporters in major depression. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 2014; 34:1096-103. [PMID: 24802331 PMCID: PMC4083395 DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2014.82] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2014] [Revised: 04/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The success of serotonin-selective reuptake inhibitors has lent support to the monoamine theory of major depressive disorder (MDD). This issue has been addressed in a number of molecular imaging studies by positron emission tomography or single-photon emission computed tomography of serotonin reuptake sites (5-HTT) in the brain of patients with MDD, with strikingly disparate conclusions. Our meta-analysis of the 18 such studies, totaling 364 MDD patients free from significant comorbidities or medication and 372 control subjects, revealed reductions in midbrain 5-HTT (Hedges' g=-0.49; 95% CI: (-0.84, -0.14)) and amygdala (Hedges' g=-0.50; 95% CI: (-0.78, -0.22)), which no individual study possessed sufficient power to detect. Only small effect sizes were found in other regions with high binding (thalamus: g=-0.24, striatum: g=-0.32, and brainstem g=-0.22), and no difference in the frontal or cingulate cortex. Age emerged as an important moderator of 5-HTT availability in MDD, with more severe reductions in striatal 5-HTT evident with greater age of the study populations (P<0.01). There was a strong relationship between severity of depression and 5-HTT reductions in the amygdala (P=0.01). Thus, molecular imaging findings indeed reveal widespread reductions of ∼10% in 5-HTT availability in MDD, which may predict altered spatial-temporal dynamics of serotonergic neurotransmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregor Gryglewski
- Functional, Molecular & Translational Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Functional, Molecular & Translational Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Functional, Molecular & Translational Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Paul Cumming
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Friederich-Alexanders Universitaet, Erlangen/Nurenberg, Germany
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