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Proshin AT. Comparative Analysis of Dopaminergic and Cholinergic Mechanisms of Sensory and Sensorimotor Gating in Healthy Individuals and in Patients With Schizophrenia. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:887312. [PMID: 35846783 PMCID: PMC9282644 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.887312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory and sensorimotor gating provide the early processing of information under conditions of rapid presentation of multiple stimuli. Gating deficiency is observed in various psychopathologies, in particular, in schizophrenia. However, there is also a significant proportion of people in the general population with low filtration rates who do not show any noticeable cognitive decline. The review article presents a comparative analysis of existing data on the peculiarities of cholinergic and dopaminergic mechanisms associated with lowering gating in healthy individuals and in patients with schizophrenia. The differences in gating mechanisms in cohorts of healthy individuals and those with schizophrenia are discussed.
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Sadaghiani S, Ng B, Altmann A, Poline JB, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Bromberg U, Büchel C, Burke Quinlan E, Conrod P, Desrivières S, Flor H, Frouin V, Garavan H, Gowland P, Gallinat J, Heinz A, Ittermann B, Martinot JL, Paillère Martinot ML, Lemaitre H, Nees F, Papadopoulos Orfanos D, Paus T, Poustka L, Millenet S, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Napolioni V, Greicius M. Overdominant Effect of a CHRNA4 Polymorphism on Cingulo-Opercular Network Activity and Cognitive Control. J Neurosci 2017; 37:9657-9666. [PMID: 28877969 PMCID: PMC6596609 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0991-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 08/20/2017] [Accepted: 08/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The nicotinic system plays an important role in cognitive control and is implicated in several neuropsychiatric conditions. However, the contributions of genetic variability in this system to individuals' cognitive control abilities are poorly understood and the brain processes that mediate such genetic contributions remain largely unidentified. In this first large-scale neuroimaging genetics study of the human nicotinic receptor system (two cohorts, males and females, fMRI total N = 1586, behavioral total N = 3650), we investigated a common polymorphism of the high-affinity nicotinic receptor α4β2 (rs1044396 on the CHRNA4 gene) previously implicated in behavioral and nicotine-related studies (albeit with inconsistent major/minor allele impacts). Based on our prior neuroimaging findings, we expected this polymorphism to affect neural activity in the cingulo-opercular (CO) network involved in core cognitive control processes including maintenance of alertness. Consistent across the cohorts, all cortical areas of the CO network showed higher activity in heterozygotes compared with both types of homozygotes during cognitive engagement. This inverted U-shaped relation reflects an overdominant effect; that is, allelic interaction (cumulative evidence p = 1.33 * 10-5). Furthermore, heterozygotes performed more accurately in behavioral tasks that primarily depend on sustained alertness. No effects were observed for haplotypes of the surrounding CHRNA4 region, supporting a true overdominant effect at rs1044396. As a possible mechanism, we observed that this polymorphism is an expression quantitative trait locus modulating CHRNA4 expression levels. This is the first report of overdominance in the nicotinic system. These findings connect CHRNA4 genotype, CO network activation, and sustained alertness, providing insights into how genetics shapes individuals' cognitive control abilities.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The nicotinic acetylcholine system plays a central role in neuromodulatory regulation of cognitive control processes and is dysregulated in several neuropsychiatric disorders. Despite this functional importance, no large-scale neuroimaging genetics studies have targeted the contributions of genetic variability in this system to human brain activity. Here, we show the impact of a common polymorphism of the high-affinity nicotinic receptor α4β2 that is consistent across brain activity and behavior in two large human cohorts. We report a hitherto unknown overdominant effect (allelic interaction) at this locus, where the heterozygotes show higher activity in the cingulo-opercular network underlying alertness maintenance and higher behavioral alertness performance than both homozygous groups. This gene-brain-behavior relationship informs about the biological basis of interindividual differences in cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sepideh Sadaghiani
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305,
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois 61801
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Urbana, Illinois 61801
| | - Bernard Ng
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
- Department of Statistics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Andre Altmann
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
- Translational Imaging Group, Centre for Medical Image Computing, Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
| | | | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Uli Bromberg
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, 20246 Hamburg, Germany
| | - Erin Burke Quinlan
- Medical Research Council, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Medical Research Council, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Medical Research Council, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Vincent Frouin
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont 05405
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Jürgen Gallinat
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, 10587 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 "Neuroimaging & Psychiatry", University Paris Sud - Paris Saclay, 91400 Orsay, France
- University Paris Descartes, 75006 Paris, France
- Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, 91400 Orsay, France
- Maison de Solenn, Cochin Hospital, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- University Paris Descartes, 75006 Paris, France
- AP-HP, Department of Adolescent Psychopathology and Medicine, Maison de Solenn, Cochin Hospital, 75014 Paris, France
| | - Hervé Lemaitre
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 "Neuroimaging & Psychiatry", University Paris Sud - Paris Saclay, 91400 Orsay, France
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Tomáš Paus
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest and Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario M6A 2E1, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, 37075 Göttingen, Germany
- Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Sabina Millenet
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Juliane H Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany, and
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany, and
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus Charité Mitte, Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117 Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Medical Research Council, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London WC2R 2LS, United Kingdom
| | - Valerio Napolioni
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
| | - Michael Greicius
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305
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Quan J, Ong ML, Bureau JF, Sim LW, Sanmugam S, Abdul Malik AB, Wong E, Wong J, Chong YS, Saw SM, Kwek K, Qiu A, Holbrook JD, Rifkin-Graboi A. The influence of CHRNA4, COMT, and maternal sensitivity on orienting and executive attention in 6-month-old infants. Brain Cogn 2017; 116:17-28. [PMID: 28582665 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Despite claims concerning biological mechanisms sub-serving infant attention, little experimental work examines its underpinnings. This study examines how candidate polymorphisms from the cholinergic (CHRNA4 rs1044396) and dopaminergic (COMT rs4680) systems, respectively indicative of parietal and prefrontal/anterior cingulate involvement, are related to 6-month-olds' (n=217) performance during a visual expectation eye-tracking paradigm. As previous studies suggest that both cholinergic and dopaminergic genes may influence susceptibility to the influence of other genetic and environmental factors, we further examined whether these candidate genes interact with one another and/or with early caregiving experience in predicting infants' visual attention. We detected an interaction between CHRNA4 genotype and observed maternal sensitivity upon infants' orienting to random stimuli and a CHRNA4-COMT interaction effect upon infants' orienting to patterned stimuli. Consistent with adult research, we observed a direct effect of COMT genotype on anticipatory looking to patterned stimuli. Findings suggest that CHRNA4 genotype may influence susceptibility to other attention-related factors in infancy. These interactions may account for the inability to establish a link between CHRNA4 and orienting in infant research to date, despite developmental theorizing suggesting otherwise. Moreover, findings suggest that by 6months, dopamine, and relatedly, the prefrontal cortex/anterior cingulate, may be important to infant attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffry Quan
- University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Private, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Mei-Lyn Ong
- University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Private, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Jean-Francois Bureau
- University of Ottawa, 136 Jean-Jacques-Lussier Private, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Lit Wee Sim
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Shamini Sanmugam
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Adam B Abdul Malik
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Eric Wong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Johnny Wong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Yap-Seng Chong
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore; National University Health System, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Seang Mei Saw
- National University Health System, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228, Singapore; Singapore Eye Research Institute, 11 Third Hospital Avenue, Singapore 168751, Singapore; Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School, 8 College Road, Singapore 169857, Singapore
| | - Kenneth Kwek
- KK Women's & Children's Hospital, 100 Bukit Timah Road, Singapore 229899, Singapore
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore; National University of Singapore, 1 Engineering Drive 2, Singapore 117576, Singapore
| | - Joanna D Holbrook
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore
| | - Anne Rifkin-Graboi
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, 30 Medical Drive, Singapore 117609, Singapore.
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Nicotinic α4β2 Cholinergic Receptor Influences on Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortical Neuronal Firing during a Working Memory Task. J Neurosci 2017; 37:5366-5377. [PMID: 28450546 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0364-17.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2017] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) subserves top-down regulation of attention and working memory abilities. Depletion studies show that the neuromodulator acetylcholine (ACh) is essential to dlPFC working memory functions, but the receptor and cellular bases for cholinergic actions are just beginning to be understood. The current study found that nicotinic receptors comprised of α4 and β2 subunits (α4β2-nAChR) enhance the task-related firing of delay and fixation cells in the dlPFC of monkeys performing a working memory task. Iontophoresis of α4β2-nAChR agonists increased the neuronal firing and enhanced the spatial tuning of delay cells, neurons that represent visual space in the absence of sensory stimulation. These enhancing effects were reversed by coapplication of a α4β2-nAChR antagonist, consistent with actions at α4β2-nAChR. Delay cell firing was reduced when distractors were presented during the delay epoch, whereas stimulation of α4β2-nAChR protected delay cells from these deleterious effects. Iontophoresis of α4β2-nAChR agonists also enhanced the firing of fixation cells, neurons that increase firing when the monkey initiates a trial, and maintain firing until the trial is completed. These neurons are thought to contribute to sustained attention and top-down motor control and have never before been the subject of pharmacological inquiry. These findings begin to build a picture of the cellular actions underlying the beneficial effects of ACh on attention and working memory. The data may also help to explain why genetic insults to α4 subunits are associated with working memory and attentional deficits and why α4β2-nAChR agonists may have therapeutic potential.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The acetylcholine (ACh) arousal system in the brain is needed for robust attention and working memory functions, but the receptor and cellular bases for its beneficial effects are poorly understood in the newly evolved primate brain. The current study found that ACh stimulation of nicotinic receptors comprised of α4 and β2 subunits (α4β2-nAChR) enhanced the firing of neurons in the primate prefrontal cortex that subserve top-down attentional control and working memory. α4β2-nAChR stimulation also protected neuronal responding from the detrimental effects of distracters presented during the delay epoch, when information is held in working memory. These results illuminate how ACh strengthens higher cognition and help to explain why genetic insults to the α4 subunit weaken cognitive and attentional abilities.
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Shi J, Wang Z, Tan Y, Fan H, An H, Zuo L, Yang F, Tan S, Li J, Zhang X, Zhou D, Luo X. CHRNA4 was associated with prepulse inhibition of schizophrenia in Chinese: a pilot study. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2016; 21:156-67. [PMID: 26982087 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2016.1155437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the auditory startle reflex, as an operational measurement used to evaluate the function of brain sensorimotor gating, appears to be a sensitive potential endophenotype for schizophrenia. CHRNA4 is highly expressed in the central nervous system and has been demonstrated to be significantly associated with schizophrenia by previous studies. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of CHRNA4 on PPI and acoustic startle parameters in schizophrenia. METHODS 77 patients with schizophrenia and 62 controls were administered the test PPI, and 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3746372, rs1044396, and rs3787140) of CHRNA4 were genotyped in these subjects. RESULTS Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly lower levels of PPI at the 120 ms prepulse intervals and longer peak latency than controls, and the GG genotype of rs3746372 and the TT genotype of rs1044396 were associated with decreased PPI levels in schizophrenia but not in controls. CONCLUSION PPI may be influenced by the polymorphisms of the CHRNA4 in schizophrenia and it may be a potential endophenotype of schizophrenia. An independent replication would greatly increase the value of this study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Shi
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiren Wang
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Yunlong Tan
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Hongzhen Fan
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Huimei An
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Lingjun Zuo
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Fude Yang
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Shuping Tan
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Jia Li
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Xiangyang Zhang
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Dongfeng Zhou
- b Institute of Mental Health , Peking University , Beijing , People's Republic of China
| | - Xingguang Luo
- a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China
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Nicotine restores functional connectivity of the ventral attention network in schizophrenia. Neuropharmacology 2016; 108:144-51. [PMID: 27085606 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2016.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2015] [Revised: 02/24/2016] [Accepted: 04/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
While previous work has suggested that nicotine may transiently improve attention deficits in schizophrenia, the neuronal mechanisms are poorly understood. This study is the first to examine the effects of nicotine on connectivity within the ventral attention network (VAN) during a selective attention task in schizophrenia. Using a crossover design, 17 nonsmoking patients with schizophrenia and 20 age/gender-matched nonsmoking healthy controls performed a go/no-go task with environmental noise distractors during application of a 7 mg nicotine or placebo patch. Psychophysiological interaction analysis was performed to analyze task-associated changes in connectivity between a ventral parietal cortex (VPC) seed and the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), key components of the human VAN. Effects of nicotine on resting state VAN connectivity were also examined. A significant diagnosis × drug interaction was observed on task-associated connectivity between the VPC seed and the left IFG (F(1,35) = 8.03, p < 0.01). This effect was driven by decreased connectivity after placebo in patients and greater connectivity after nicotine. Resting state connectivity analysis showed a significant main effect of diagnosis between the seed and right IFG (F = 4.25, p = 0.023) due to increased connectivity in patients during placebo, but no drug × diagnosis interactions or main effects of drug. This study is the first to demonstrate that 1) the VAN is disconnected in schizophrenia during selective attention, and 2) nicotine may normalize this pathological state.
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Mobascher A, Diaz-Lacava A, Wagner M, Gallinat J, Wienker TF, Drichel D, Becker T, Steffens M, Dahmen N, Gründer G, Thürauf N, Kiefer F, Kornhuber J, Toliat MR, Thiele H, Nürnberg P, Steinlein O, Winterer G. Association of Common Polymorphisms in the Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor Alpha4 Subunit Gene with an Electrophysiological Endophenotype in a Large Population-Based Sample. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0152984. [PMID: 27054571 PMCID: PMC4824511 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0152984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 03/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in genes coding for nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits affect cognitive processes and may contribute to the genetic architecture of neuropsychiatric disorders. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the CHRNA4 gene that codes for the alpha4 subunit of alpha4/beta2-containing receptors have previously been implicated in aspects of (mostly visual) attention and smoking-related behavioral measures. Here we investigated the effects of six synonymous but functional CHRNA4 exon 5 SNPs on the N100 event-related potential (ERP), an electrophysiological endophenotype elicited by a standard auditory oddball. A total of N = 1,705 subjects randomly selected from the general population were studied with electroencephalography (EEG) as part of the German Multicenter Study on nicotine addiction. Two of the six variants, rs1044396 and neighboring rs1044397, were significantly associated with N100 amplitude. This effect was pronounced in females where we also observed an effect on reaction time. Sequencing of the complete exon 5 region in the population sample excluded the existence of additional/functional variants that may be responsible for the observed effects. This is the first large-scale population-based study investigation the effects of CHRNA4 SNPs on brain activity measures related to stimulus processing and attention. Our results provide further evidence that common synonymous CHRNA4 exon 5 SNPs affect cognitive processes and suggest that they also play a role in the auditory system. As N100 amplitude reduction is considered a schizophrenia-related endophenotype the SNPs studied here may also be associated with schizophrenia outcome measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Mobascher
- Department of Psychiatry, Mainz University Hospital, Mainz, Germany
| | - A. Diaz-Lacava
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - M. Wagner
- Department of Psychiatry, Bonn University Hospital, Bonn, Germany
| | - J. Gallinat
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany
| | - T. F. Wienker
- Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics, Berlin, Germany
| | - D. Drichel
- University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - T. Becker
- University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - M. Steffens
- Research Division, Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM), Bonn, Germany
| | - N. Dahmen
- Department of Psychiatry, Mainz University Hospital, Mainz, Germany
| | - G. Gründer
- Department of Psychiatry, Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule (RWTH) Aachen, University Hospital, Aachen, Germany
| | - N. Thürauf
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedrich-Alexander University, University Hospital, Erlangen- Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - F. Kiefer
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, Germany
| | - J. Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry, Friedrich-Alexander University, University Hospital, Erlangen- Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - M. R. Toliat
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - H. Thiele
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - P. Nürnberg
- Cologne Center for Genomics, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - O. Steinlein
- Department of Human Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians University, Munich, Germany
| | - G. Winterer
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Charité – University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
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Breckel TPK, Giessing C, Gieseler A, Querbach S, Reuter M, Thiel CM. Nicotinergic Modulation of Attention-Related Neural Activity Differentiates Polymorphisms of DRD2 and CHRNA4 Receptor Genes. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126460. [PMID: 26079805 PMCID: PMC4469651 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive and neuronal effects of nicotine show high interindividual variability. Recent findings indicate that genetic variations that affect the cholinergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter system impact performance in cognitive tasks and effects of nicotine. The current pharmacogenetic functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study aimed to investigate epistasis effects of CHRNA4/DRD2 variations on behavioural and neural correlates of visuospatial attention after nicotine challenge using a data driven partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) approach. Fifty young healthy non-smokers were genotyped for CHRNA4 (rs1044396) and DRD2 (rs6277). They received either 7 mg transdermal nicotine or a matched placebo in a double blind within subject design prior to performing a cued target detection task with valid and invalid trials. On behavioural level, the strongest benefits of nicotine in invalid trials were observed in participants carrying both, the DRD2 T- and CHRNA4 C+ variant. Neurally, we were able to demonstrate that different DRD2/CHRNA4 groups can be decoded from the pattern of brain activity in invalid trials under nicotine. Neural substrates of interindividual variability were found in a network of attention-related brain regions comprising the pulvinar, the striatum, the middle and superior frontal gyri, the insula, the left precuneus, and the right middle temporal gyrus. Our findings suggest that polymorphisms in the CHRNA4 and DRD2 genes are a relevant source of individual variability in pharmacological studies with nicotine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas P. K. Breckel
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Carsten Giessing
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Anja Gieseler
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Sarah Querbach
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Martin Reuter
- Personality & Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Center for Economics & Neuroscience (CENs), Laboratory of Neurogenetics, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Christiane M. Thiel
- Biological Psychology, Department of Psychology, European Medical School, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Research Center Neurosensory Science, Carl-von-Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- Cluster of Excellence “Hearing4all”, Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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9
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Eggert M, Winterer G, Wanischeck M, Hoda JC, Bertrand D, Steinlein O. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 4 subunit contains a functionally relevant SNP Haplotype. BMC Genet 2015; 16:46. [PMID: 25934188 PMCID: PMC4417232 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-015-0204-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2014] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-coding single nucleotide polymorphisms within the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor alpha 4 subunit gene (CHRNA4) are robustly associated with various neurological and behavioral phenotypes including schizophrenia, cognition and smoking. The most commonly associated polymorphisms are located in exon 5 and segregate as part of a haplotype. So far it is unknown if this haplotype is indeed functional, or if the observed associations are an indirect effect caused by linkage disequilibrium with not yet identified adjacent functional variants. We therefore analyzed the functional relevance of the exon 5 haplotype alleles. RESULTS Using voltage clamp experiments we were able to show that the CHRNA4 haplotype alleles differ with respect to their functional effects on receptor sensitivity including reversal of receptor sensitivity between low and high acetylcholine concentrations. The results indicate that underlying mechanisms might include differences in codon usage bias and changes in mRNA stability. CONCLUSIONS Our data demonstrate that the complementary alleles of the CHRNA4 exon 5 haplotype are functionally relevant, and might therefore be causative for the above mentioned associations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Eggert
- Marlene Eggert, Institute of Human Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Georg Winterer
- Georg Winterer, Experimental and Clinical Research Center (ECRC), Charité - University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Mario Wanischeck
- Mario Wanischeck, Institute of Human Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, 80336, Munich, Germany.
| | - Jean-Charles Hoda
- Jean-Charles Hoda, SwissCheckUp SA, 1400, Yverdon-Les-Bains, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel Bertrand
- Daniel Bertrand, HiQScreen, 1222, Vésenaz, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Ortrud Steinlein
- Ortrud K Steinlein, Institute of Human Genetics, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Hospital, 80336, Munich, Germany.
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The nicotinic cholinergic system function in the human brain. Neuropharmacology 2014; 96:289-301. [PMID: 25446570 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2014.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2014] [Revised: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Research on the nicotinic cholinergic system function in the brain was previously mainly derived from animal studies, yet, research in humans is growing. Up to date, findings allow significant advances on the understanding of nicotinic cholinergic effects on human cognition, emotion and behavior using a range of functional brain imaging approaches such as pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging or positron emission tomography. Studies provided insights across various mechanistic psychological domains using different tasks as well as at rest in both healthy individuals and patient populations, with so far partly mixed results reporting both enhancements and decrements of neural activity related to the nicotinic cholinergic system. Moreover, studies on the relation between brain structure and the nicotinic cholinergic system add important information in this context. The present review summarizes the current status of human brain imaging studies and presents the findings within a theoretical and clinical perspective as they may be useful not only for an advancement of the understanding of basic nicotinic cholinergic-related mechanisms, but also for the development and integration of psychological and pharmacological treatment approaches. Patterns of functional neuroanatomy and neural circuitry across various cognitive and emotional domains may be used as neuropsychological markers of mental disorders such as addiction, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson disease or schizophrenia, where nicotinic cholinergic system changes are characteristic. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'The Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptor: From Molecular Biology to Cognition'.
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11
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Orekhova EV, Stroganova TA. Arousal and attention re-orienting in autism spectrum disorders: evidence from auditory event-related potentials. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:34. [PMID: 24567709 PMCID: PMC3915101 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/17/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The extended phenotype of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) includes a combination of arousal regulation problems, sensory modulation difficulties, and attention re-orienting deficit. A slow and inefficient re-orienting to stimuli that appear outside of the attended sensory stream is thought to be especially detrimental for social functioning. Event-related potentials (ERPs) and magnetic fields (ERFs) may help to reveal which processing stages underlying brain response to unattended but salient sensory event are affected in individuals with ASD. Previous research focusing on two sequential stages of the brain response-automatic detection of physical changes in auditory stream, indexed by mismatch negativity (MMN), and evaluation of stimulus novelty, indexed by P3a component,-found in individuals with ASD either increased, decreased, or normal processing of deviance and novelty. The review examines these apparently conflicting results, notes gaps in previous findings, and suggests a potentially unifying hypothesis relating the dampened responses to unattended sensory events to the deficit in rapid arousal process. Specifically, "sensory gating" studies focused on pre-attentive arousal consistently demonstrated that brain response to unattended and temporally novel sound in ASD is already affected at around 100 ms after stimulus onset. We hypothesize that abnormalities in nicotinic cholinergic arousal pathways, previously reported in individuals with ASD, may contribute to these ERP/ERF aberrations and result in attention re-orienting deficit. Such cholinergic dysfunction may be present in individuals with ASD early in life and can influence both sensory processing and attention re-orienting behavior. Identification of early neurophysiological biomarkers for cholinergic deficit would help to detect infants "at risk" who can potentially benefit from particular types of therapies or interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena V Orekhova
- MEG Centre, Moscow State University of Psychology and Education Moscow, Russia ; MedTech West, Sahlgrenska Academy Gothenburg, Sweden
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Greenwood PM, Parasuraman R, Espeseth T. A cognitive phenotype for a polymorphism in the nicotinic receptor gene CHRNA4. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2012; 36:1331-41. [PMID: 22373960 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2011] [Revised: 02/10/2012] [Accepted: 02/13/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Drawing on converging behavioral, electrophysiological, and imaging evidence, we advance an hypothesis for a cognitive phenotype of a SNP in the CHRNA4 gene encoding the α(4) subunit of α(4)β(2) nicotinic receptors. First, we review evidence that visuospatial attention can be decomposed into several component processes. Secondly, we consider evidence that one component, redirection of attention, is modulated by the nicotinic cholinergic system. Third, we review evidence that nicotinic stimulation exerts effects at the network level. Fourth, we consider evidence that normal variation in this SNP exerts nicotine-like modulatory effects on visuospatial attention. Fifth, we hypothesize that the cognitive phenotype of the CHRNA4 rs1044396 SNP is characterized by greater ability of T allele carriers to preferentially process events in the attentional focus compared to events outside the attentional focus. Finally, we consider effects of the CHNRA4 rs1044396 SNP on brain activity and cognition in light of our hypothesized cognitive phenotype. This hypothesis makes an important contribution to the development of cognitive phenomics by arguing for a cognitive phenotype of CHRNA4.
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Affiliation(s)
- P M Greenwood
- Arch Lab, Psychology Department, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA 22030-4444, USA.
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