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Ferretjans R, de Souza RP, Panizzutti B, Ferrari P, Mantovani L, de Campos-Carli SM, Santos RR, Guimarães FC, Teixeira AL, Gama CS, Salgado JV. Cannabinoid receptor gene polymorphisms and cognitive performance in patients with schizophrenia and controls. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2021; 44:26-34. [PMID: 34190825 PMCID: PMC8827365 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2020-1650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To test the hypothesis that genetic variations of cannabinoid receptors contribute to the pathophysiology of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. Methods: In this genetic association case-control study, cannabinoid receptor polymorphisms CNR1 rs12720071 and CNR2 rs2229579 were tested for association with neurocognitive performance in 69 patients with schizophrenia and 45 healthy controls. Neurocognition was assessed by the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia (BACS). Results: We found a consistent association between CNR1 rs12720071 polymorphism and the cognitive performance of patients in several cognitive domains. Patients with C/C polymorphism presented significantly worse performance in motor speed, verbal fluency, attention/processing speed and reasoning/problem solving. Conclusion: Although limited, our data support the hypothesis that CNR1 variations may be associated with the pathogenesis of cognitive deficits of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Ferretjans
- Programa Interdisciplinar de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Renan P de Souza
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Bruna Panizzutti
- The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, Deakin University, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia.,Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
| | - Pâmela Ferrari
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento (PPGPSIQ), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.,Laboratório de Psiquiatria Molecular, Centro de Pesquisa Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lucas Mantovani
- Programa Interdisciplinar de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Salvina M de Campos-Carli
- Programa Interdisciplinar de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Rafael R Santos
- Programa Interdisciplinar de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Fernanda C Guimarães
- Programa Interdisciplinar de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
| | - Antonio L Teixeira
- Instituto de Ensino e Pesquisa, Santa Casa BH, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Neuropsychiatry Program, UTHealth Houston, TX, USA
| | - Clarissa S Gama
- Centre for Molecular and Medical Research, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psiquiatria e Ciências do Comportamento (PPGPSIQ), Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - João V Salgado
- Programa Interdisciplinar de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.,Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, UFMG, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil
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Leukel C, Schümann D, Kalisch R, Sommer T, Bunzeck N. Dopamine Related Genes Differentially Affect Declarative Long-Term Memory in Healthy Humans. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:539725. [PMID: 33328916 PMCID: PMC7673390 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.539725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In humans, monetary reward can promote behavioral performance including response times, accuracy, and subsequent recognition memory. Recent studies have shown that the dopaminergic system plays an essential role here, but the link to interindividual differences remains unclear. To further investigate this issue, we focused on previously described polymorphisms of genes affecting dopaminergic neurotransmission: DAT1 40 base pair (bp), DAT1 30 bp, DRD4 48 bp, and cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CNR1). Specifically, 669 healthy humans participated in a delayed recognition memory paradigm on two consecutive days. On the first day, male vs. female faces served as cues predicting an immediate monetary reward upon correct button presses. Subsequently, participants performed a remember/know recognition memory task on the same day and 1 day later. As predicted, reward increased accuracy and accelerated response times, which were modulated by DAT 30 bp. However, reward did not promote subsequent recognition memory performance and there was no interaction with any genotype tested here. Importantly, there were differential effects of genotype on declarative long-term memory independent of reward: (a) DAT1 40 bp was linked to the quality of memory with a more pronounced difference between recollection and familiarity in the heterozygous and homozygous 10-R as compared to homozygous 9-R; (b) DAT1 30 bp was linked to memory decay, which was most pronounced in homozygous 4-R; (c) DRD4 48 bp was linked to overall recognition memory with higher performance in the short allele group; and (d) CNR1 was linked to overall memory with reduced performance in the homozygous short group. These findings give new insights into how polymorphisms, which are related to dopaminergic neuromodulation, differentially affect long-term recognition memory performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Leukel
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Dirk Schümann
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Raffael Kalisch
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
| | - Tobias Sommer
- Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Nico Bunzeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Center of Brain, Behavior and Metabolism (CBBM), University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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Soriano D, Vacotto M, Brusco A, Caltana L. Neuronal and synaptic morphological alterations in the hippocampus of cannabinoid receptor type 1 knockout mice. J Neurosci Res 2020; 98:2245-2262. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.24694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Delia Soriano
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. 1° Unidad Académica del Departamento de Histología, Embriología, Biología Celular y Genética. Buenos Aires. Argentina. Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia Prof. E. De Robertis (IBCN) CONICET‐Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Marina Vacotto
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia Prof. E. De Robertis (IBCN) CONICET‐Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Alicia Brusco
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. 1° Unidad Académica del Departamento de Histología, Embriología, Biología Celular y Genética. Buenos Aires. Argentina. Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia Prof. E. De Robertis (IBCN) CONICET‐Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
| | - Laura Caltana
- Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. 1° Unidad Académica del Departamento de Histología, Embriología, Biología Celular y Genética. Buenos Aires. Argentina. Buenos Aires Argentina
- Instituto de Biología Celular y Neurociencia Prof. E. De Robertis (IBCN) CONICET‐Universidad de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires Argentina
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Najafi H, Hosseini SM, Tavallaie M, Soltani BM. A Predicted Molecular Model for Development of Human Intelligence. NEUROCHEM J+ 2018. [DOI: 10.1134/s1819712418030091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Heitland I, Kenemans JL, Böcker KBE, Baas JMP. Genetic variability in the human cannabinoid receptor 1 is associated with resting state EEG theta power in humans. Behav Brain Res 2014; 274:344-8. [PMID: 25116250 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2014.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2013] [Revised: 07/31/2014] [Accepted: 08/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
It has long been postulated that exogenous cannabinoids have a profound effect on human cognitive functioning. These cannabinoid effects are thought to depend, at least in parts, on alterations of phase-locking of local field potential neuronal firing. The latter can be measured as activity in the theta frequency band (4-7Hz) by electroencephalogram. Theta oscillations are supposed to serve as a mechanism in neural representations of behaviorally relevant information. However, it remains unknown whether variability in endogenous cannabinoid activity is involved in theta rhythms and therefore, may serve as an individual differences index of human cognitive functioning. To clarify this issue, we recorded resting state EEG activity in 164 healthy human subjects and extracted EEG power across frequency bands (δ, θ, α, and β). To assess variability in the endocannabinoid system, two genetic polymorphisms (rs1049353, rs2180619) within the cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1) were determined in all participants. As expected, we observed significant effects of rs1049353 on EEG power in the theta band at frontal, central and parietal electrode regions. Crucially, these effects were specific for the theta band, with no effects on activity in the other frequency bands. Rs2180619 showed no significant associations with theta power after Bonferroni correction. Taken together, we provide novel evidence in humans showing that genetic variability in the cannabinoid receptor 1 is associated with resting state EEG power in the theta frequency band. This extends prior findings of exogenous cannabinoid effects on theta power to the endogenous cannabinoid system.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Heitland
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Psychopharmacology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; Helmholtz Research Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - J L Kenemans
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Psychopharmacology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; Helmholtz Research Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - K B E Böcker
- Alan Turing Institute Almere, Almere, The Netherlands
| | - J M P Baas
- Department of Experimental Psychology & Psychopharmacology, Utrecht University, Heidelberglaan 1, 3584CS Utrecht, The Netherlands; Helmholtz Research Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Ruiz-Contreras AE, Carrillo-Sánchez K, Ortega-Mora I, Barrera-Tlapa MA, Román-López TV, Rosas-Escobar CB, Flores-Barrera L, Caballero-Sánchez U, Muñoz-Torres Z, Romero-Hidalgo S, Hernández-Morales S, González-Barrios JA, Vadillo-Ortega F, Méndez-Díaz M, Aguilar-Roblero R, Prospéro-García O. Performance in working memory and attentional control is associated with the rs2180619 SNP in the CNR1 gene. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2013; 13:173-8. [PMID: 24152087 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2013] [Revised: 09/27/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Individual differences in cognitive performance are partly dependent, on genetic polymporhisms. One of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the CNR1 gene, which codes for cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R), is the rs2180619, located in a regulatory region of this gene (6q14-q15). The alleles of the rs2180619 are A > G; the G allele has been associated with addiction and high levels of anxiety (when the G allele interacts with the SS genotype of the 5-HTTLPR gene). However, GG genotype is observed also in healthy subjects. Considering G allele as risk for 'psychopathological conditions', it is possible that GG healthy subjects do not be addicted or anxious, but would have reduced performance, compared to AA subjects, in attentional control and working memory processing. One hundred and sixty-four healthy young Mexican-Mestizo subjects (100 women and 64, men; mean age: 22.86 years, SD=2.72) participated in this study, solving a task where attentional control and working memory were required. GG subjects, compared to AA subjects showed: (1) a general lower performance in the task (P = 0.02); (2) lower performance only when a high load of information was held in working memory (P = 0.02); and (3) a higher vulnerability to distractors (P = 0.03). Our results suggest that, although the performance of GG subjects was at normal levels, a lower efficiency of the endocannabinoid system, probably due to a lowered expression of CB1R, produced a reduction in the performance of these subjects when attentional control and working memory processing is challenged.
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Affiliation(s)
- A E Ruiz-Contreras
- Lab. Neurogenómica Cognitiva, Coord. Psicofisiología, Fac. Psicología; Lab. Canabinoides, Depto. Fisiología, Fac. Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México City, Mexico
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Ruiz-Contreras AE, Carrillo-Sánchez K, Gómez-López N, Vadillo-Ortega F, Hernández-Morales S, Carnevale-Cantoni A, Espejel-Núñez A, Méndez-Díaz M, Prospéro-García O. Working memory performance in young adults is associated to the AATn polymorphism of the CNR1 gene. Behav Brain Res 2012; 236:62-66. [PMID: 22944513 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2012.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2012] [Revised: 08/14/2012] [Accepted: 08/17/2012] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Working memory (WM) depends on several neural networks and neurochemical systems. One of them is the endocannabinoid (eCB) system, which CB1 receptor (CB1R) is widely distributed all over the brain. The stimulation of CB1R by agonists reduces WM efficiency. The CNR1 human gene (6q14-15) encodes the CB1R. AATn polymorphism of the CNR1 gene has been related to psychiatric disorders, and to procedural learning and attention in healthy subjects. The aim of this exploratory research was to test whether AATn polymorphism of the CNR1 is related to the WM performance, by measuring n-back task. Mexican healthy young adults (n = 94) performed the WM n-back task. One of the most frequent AATn allele in our sample was the AAT12. We formed three groups, as a function of the AATn genotype: AAT ≤ 12/AAT≤12, AAT ≤ 12/AAT > 12 and AAT > 12/AAT > 12, and their accuracy on the n-back task was compared. WM accuracy differed among genotypes (P=0.03): AAT ≤ 12/AAT≤12 group had a higher performance than the AAT > 12/AAT > 12 group (statistical power: 0.65, f(2) = 0.20, P<0.05). These results suggest that the fewer AATn repeats of the CNR1 gene, the better WM performance, and sustain the idea that eCB system participates in the modulation of the human brain network involved in WM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra E Ruiz-Contreras
- Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Neurogenomica Cognitiva, Depto. Psicofisiologia, Fac. Psicologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM), Mexico; Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Canabinoides, Depto. Fisiologia, Fac. Medicina, UNAM, Mexico.
| | | | - Nardhy Gómez-López
- Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia Isidro Espinosa de los Reyes, Mexico; Dept. Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | - Mónica Méndez-Díaz
- Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Canabinoides, Depto. Fisiologia, Fac. Medicina, UNAM, Mexico
| | - Oscar Prospéro-García
- Gpo. Neurociencias: Lab. Canabinoides, Depto. Fisiologia, Fac. Medicina, UNAM, Mexico
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Hillard CJ, Weinlander KM, Stuhr KL. Contributions of endocannabinoid signaling to psychiatric disorders in humans: genetic and biochemical evidence. Neuroscience 2011; 204:207-29. [PMID: 22123166 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2011.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2011] [Revised: 11/05/2011] [Accepted: 11/08/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The endocannabinoid signaling system is a widespread, neuromodulatory system in brain and is also widely utilized in the periphery to modulate metabolic functions and the immune system. Preclinical data demonstrate that endocannabinoid signaling is an important stress buffer and modulates emotional and cognitive functions. These data suggest the hypothesis that endocannabinoid signaling could be dysfunctional in a number of mental disorders. Genetic polymorphisms in the human genes for two important proteins of the endocannabinoid signaling system, the CB1 cannabinoid receptor (CB1R) and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), have been explored in the context of normal and pathological conditions. In the case of the gene for FAAH, the mechanistic relationships among the common genetic polymorphism, the expression of the FAAH protein, and its likely impact on endocannabinoid signaling are understood. However, multiple polymorphisms in the gene for the CB1R occur and are associated with human phenotypic differences without an understanding of the functional relationships among the gene, mRNA, protein, and protein function. The endocannabinoid ligands are found in the circulation, and several studies have identified changes in their concentrations under various conditions. These data are reviewed for the purpose of generating hypotheses and to encourage further studies in this very interesting and important area.
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Affiliation(s)
- C J Hillard
- Department of Pharmacology and Neuroscience Research Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA.
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