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Heitzer AM, Rashkin SR, Trpchevska A, Longoria JN, Rampersaud E, Olufadi Y, Wang WC, Raches D, Potter B, Steinberg MH, King AA, Kang G, Takemoto CM, Hankins JS. Catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) is associated with neurocognitive functioning in patients with sickle cell disease. Curr Res Transl Med 2024; 72:103433. [PMID: 38244277 PMCID: PMC11106217 DOI: 10.1016/j.retram.2023.103433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Neurocognitive impairment is a common and debilitating complication of sickle cell disease (SCD) resulting from a combination of biological and environmental factors. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene modulates levels of dopamine availability in the prefrontal cortex. COMT has repeatedly been implicated in the perception of pain stimuli and frequency of pain crises in patients with SCD and is known to be associated with neurocognitive functioning in the general population. The current study aimed to examine the associations of genetic variants in COMT and neurocognitive functioning in patients with SCD. PATIENTS AND METHODS The Sickle Cell Clinical Research and Intervention Program (SCCRIP) longitudinal cohort was used as a discovery cohort (n = 166). The genotypes for 5 SNPs (rs6269, rs4633, rs4818, rs4680, and rs165599) in COMT were extracted from whole genome sequencing data and analyzed using a dominant model. A polygenic score for COMT (PGSCOMT) integrating these 5 SNPs was analyzed as a continuous variable. The Cooperative Study of Sickle Cell Disease (CSSCD, n = 156) and the Silent Cerebral Infarction Transfusion (SIT, n = 114) Trial were used as 2 independent replication cohorts. Due to previously reported sex differences, all analyses were conducted separately in males and females. The Benjamini and Hochberg approach was used to calculate false discovery rate adjusted p-value (q-value). RESULTS In SCCRIP, 1 out of 5 SNPs (rs165599) was associated with IQ at q<0.05 in males but not females, and 2 other SNPs (rs4633 and rs4680) were marginally associated with sustained attention at p<0.05 in males only but did not maintain at q<0.05. PGSCOMT was negatively associated with IQ and sustained attention at p<0.05 in males only. Using 3 cohorts' data, 4 out of 5 SNPs (rs6269, rs4633, rs4680, rs165599) were associated with IQ (minimum q-value = 0.0036) at q<0.05 among male participants but not female participants. The PGSCOMT was negatively associated with IQ performance among males but not females across all cohorts. CONCLUSION Select COMT SNPs are associated with neurocognitive abilities in males with SCD. By identifying genetic predictors of neurocognitive performance in SCD, it may be possible to risk-stratify patients from a young age to guide implementation of early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Heitzer
- Department of Psychology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States.
| | - Sara R Rashkin
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Ana Trpchevska
- Department of Psychology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Jennifer N Longoria
- Department of Psychology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Evadnie Rampersaud
- Center for Applied Bioinformatics, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Yunusa Olufadi
- Biostatistics Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Winfred C Wang
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Darcy Raches
- Department of Psychology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Brian Potter
- Department of Psychology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Martin H Steinberg
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avidesian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Allison A King
- Program in Occupational Therapy and Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Guolian Kang
- Biostatistics Department, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Clifford M Takemoto
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
| | - Jane S Hankins
- Department of Hematology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States; Global Pediatric Medicine, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, Memphis, TN, United States
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Vogelsang DA, Furman DJ, Nee DE, Pappas I, White RL, Kayser AS, D'Esposito M. Dopamine Modulates Effective Connectivity in Frontal Cortex. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:155-166. [PMID: 37902578 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that the left lateral frontal cortex is hierarchically organized such that higher-order regions have an asymmetric top-down influence over lower order regions. However, questions remain about the underlying neuroarchitecture of this hierarchical control organization. Within the frontal cortex, dopamine plays an important role in cognitive control functions, and we hypothesized that dopamine may preferentially influence top-down connections within the lateral frontal hierarchy. Using a randomized, double-blind, within-subject design, we analyzed resting-state fMRI data of 66 healthy young participants who were scanned once each after administration of bromocriptine (a dopamine agonist with preferential affinity for D2 receptor), tolcapone (an inhibitor of catechol-O-methyltransferase), and placebo, to determine whether dopaminergic stimulation modulated effective functional connectivity between hierarchically organized frontal regions in the left hemisphere. We found that dopaminergic drugs modulated connections from the caudal middle frontal gyrus and the inferior frontal sulcus to both rostral and caudal frontal areas. In dorsal frontal regions, effectivity connectivity strength was increased, whereas in ventral frontal regions, effective connectivity strength was decreased. These findings suggest that connections within frontal cortex are differentially modulated by dopamine, which may bias the influence that frontal regions exert over each other.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ioannis Pappas
- University of California
- University of Southern California
| | - Robert L White
- Washington University School of Medicine, Saint Louis, MO
| | - Andrew S Kayser
- University of California
- VA Northern California Health Care System
| | - Mark D'Esposito
- University of California
- VA Northern California Health Care System
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Genetic profile for dopamine signaling predicts brain functional reactivity to repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2023; 273:99-111. [PMID: 35951113 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01436-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Research integrating molecular and imaging data provides important insights into how the genetic profile associated with dopamine signaling influences inter-individual differences in brain functions. However, the effects of genetic variations in dopamine signaling on the heterogeneity of brain changes induced by repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) still remain unclear. The current study examined the composite effects of genetic variations in dopamine-related genes on rTMS-induced brain responses in terms of the functional network connectivity and working memory performance. Healthy individuals (n = 30) participated in a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled study with a crossover design of five consecutive days where active rTMS or sham stimulation sessions were administered over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) of the brain. Participants were mostly women (n = 29) and genotyped for polymorphisms in the catechol-O-methyltransferase and D2 dopamine receptor genes and categorized according to their genetic composite scores: high vs. low dopamine signaling groups. Pre- and post-intervention data of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging and working memory performance were obtained from 27 individuals with active rTMS and 30 with sham stimulation sessions. The mean functional connectivity within the resting-state networks centered on the DLPFC increased in the high dopamine signaling group. Working memory performance also improved with rTMS in the high dopamine signaling group compared to that in the low dopamine signaling group. The present results suggest that genetic predisposition to higher dopamine signaling may be a promising neurobiological predictor for rTMS effects on cognitive enhancement.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02932085).
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Scholz V, Hook RW, Kandroodi MR, Algermissen J, Ioannidis K, Christmas D, Valle S, Robbins TW, Grant JE, Chamberlain SR, den Ouden HEM. Cortical dopamine reduces the impact of motivational biases governing automated behaviour. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:1503-1512. [PMID: 35260787 PMCID: PMC9206002 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-022-01291-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Motivations shape our behaviour: the promise of reward invigorates, while in the face of punishment, we hold back. Abnormalities of motivational processing are implicated in clinical disorders characterised by excessive habits and loss of top-down control, notably substance and behavioural addictions. Striatal and frontal dopamine have been hypothesised to play complementary roles in the respective generation and control of these motivational biases. However, while dopaminergic interventions have indeed been found to modulate motivational biases, these previous pharmacological studies used regionally non-selective pharmacological agents. Here, we tested the hypothesis that frontal dopamine controls the balance between Pavlovian, bias-driven automated responding and instrumentally learned action values. Specifically, we examined whether selective enhancement of cortical dopamine either (i) enables adaptive suppression of Pavlovian control when biases are maladaptive; or (ii) non-specifically modulates the degree of bias-driven automated responding. Healthy individuals (n = 35) received the catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) inhibitor tolcapone in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over design, and completed a motivational Go NoGo task known to elicit motivational biases. In support of hypothesis (ii), tolcapone globally decreased motivational bias. Specifically, tolcapone improved performance on trials where the bias was unhelpful, but impaired performance in bias-congruent conditions. These results indicate a non-selective role for cortical dopamine in the regulation of motivational processes underpinning top-down control over automated behaviour. The findings have direct relevance to understanding neurobiological mechanisms underpinning addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorders, as well as highlighting a potential trans-diagnostic novel mechanism to address such symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Scholz
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. .,Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Centre of Mental Health, University of Würzburg, Margarete-Höppel-Platz1, 97080, Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Roxanne W. Hook
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Mojtaba Rostami Kandroodi
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ,grid.46072.370000 0004 0612 7950School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Johannes Algermissen
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Konstantinos Ioannidis
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,grid.450563.10000 0004 0412 9303Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK ,grid.5012.60000 0001 0481 6099Department of International Health, Care and Public Health Research Institute, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - David Christmas
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,grid.450563.10000 0004 0412 9303Cambridgeshire & Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Stephanie Valle
- grid.170205.10000 0004 1936 7822Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Trevor W. Robbins
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Psychology, and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jon E. Grant
- grid.170205.10000 0004 1936 7822Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Samuel R. Chamberlain
- grid.5335.00000000121885934Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ,grid.5491.90000 0004 1936 9297Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, UK. Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, Southampton, UK
| | - Hanneke E. M. den Ouden
- grid.5590.90000000122931605Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Roomaney AA, Womersley JS, Swart PC, Spies G, Seedat S, Hemmings SMJ. Childhood trauma and genetic variation in the DAT 40-bp VNTR contribute to HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 12:45-54. [PMID: 35746967 PMCID: PMC9210473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
HIV/AIDS is a major public health burden in South Africa, currently affecting an estimated 13.5% of the population. Despite improved access to antiretroviral therapies, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), characterised by a spectrum of neurocognitive impairment, emotional disturbances and motor abnormalities, continue to persist. Gene-environment interactions contribute to HAND pathophysiology and previous research has identified childhood trauma as an environmental risk factor. Dopaminergic signalling in the prefrontal cortex plays a key role in cognitive function. Thus, variants in genes encoding the dopamine transporter (DAT) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), which are responsible for dopamine transport and metabolism, could represent genetic risk factors for HAND. This study investigated whether the DAT variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and COMT Val158Met (rs4680) polymorphisms are associated with longitudinal change in cognitive function in the context of childhood trauma and HIV. Participants (n = 49 HIV-negative and n = 64 HIV-positive women) completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire - Short Form (CTQ-SF) and provided blood for genetic analyses. Global cognitive scores were generated from baseline and one-year follow-up assessments. Following polymerase chain reaction, genotypes were determined using gel electrophoresis and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Baseline global cognitive scores, genotype, HIV status and CTQ-SF scores were regressed on one-year global cognitive scores in regression models. Analysis of variance was used to examine the effect of including predictor variable interactions on model fit. HIV seropositivity was associated with poorer cognitive performance at one-year follow-up (p = 2.46 ×10-4). The combination of HIV and DAT 10-repeat homozygosity (DAT 10/10) was associated with reduced global cognitive scores in longitudinal models (p = 0.010). Including the interaction between DAT 10/10, childhood trauma, and HIV explained significantly more of the variance in longitudinal cognitive scores (p = 0.008). There were no significant associations with the COMT genotype. Our research indicates that childhood trauma and genetic variation in DAT contribute toward the aetiology of HAND. Future studies in larger cohorts are warranted to verify these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqeedah Abbas Roomaney
- Division of Molecular and Human Genetics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council / Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jacqueline Samantha Womersley
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council / Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Patricia Cathryn Swart
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council / Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Georgina Spies
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council / Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council / Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Research Chair in PTSD, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sian Megan Joanna Hemmings
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- South African Medical Research Council / Stellenbosch University Genomics of Brain Disorders Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Blujus JK, Korthauer LE, Awe E, Frahmand M, Driscoll I. BDNF and KIBRA Polymorphisms Are Related to Altered Resting State Network Connectivity in Middle Age. J Alzheimers Dis 2022; 88:323-334. [PMID: 35599479 DOI: 10.3233/jad-215477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Disease-modifying treatments for Alzheimer's disease (AD) may be more successful if interventions occur early, prior to significant neurodegeneration and subsequent to the onset of clinical symptoms, potentially during middle age. Polymorphisms within BDNF, COMT, and KIBRA have been implicated in AD and relate to episodic memory and executive functioning, two domains that decline early in AD. OBJECTIVE The purpose of the current study was to use an endophenotype approach to examine in healthy, non-demented middle-aged adults the association between polymorphisms in BDNF, COMT, and KIBRA and functional connectivity within networks related to episodic memory and executive function (i.e., default mode network (DMN), executive control network (ECN), and frontoparietal network (FPN)). METHODS Resting state networks were identified using independent component analysis and spatial maps with associated time courses were extracted using a dual regression approach. RESULTS Functional connectivity within the DMN was associated with polymorphisms in BDNF (rs11030096, rs1491850) and KIBRA (rs1030182, rs6555791, rs6555802) (ps < 0.05), ECN connectivity was associated with polymorphisms in KIBRA (rs10475878, rs6555791) (ps < 0.05), and FPN connectivity was associated with KIBRA rs6555791 (p < 0.05). There were no COMT-related differences in functional connectivity of any of the three networks investigated (ps > 0.05). CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that in middle age, polymorphisms in BDNF and KIBRA are associated with altered functional connectivity in networks that are affected early in AD. Future preclinical work should consider these polymorphisms to further elucidate their role in pathological aging and to aid in the identification of biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura Elizabeth Korthauer
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Elizabeth Awe
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA.,Department of Neurology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Marijam Frahmand
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
| | - Ira Driscoll
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, USA
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Kim K, Jeon HJ, Suh SW, Seong SJ, Hwang JY. Bridging the Gap From a Clinician's Perspective to Patient-Oriented Remission: Focusing on Cognitive Dysfunction in Depression. Psychiatr Ann 2022. [DOI: 10.3928/00485713-20220221-03] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Gass N, Peterson Z, Reinwald J, Sartorius A, Weber-Fahr W, Sack M, Chen J, Cao H, Didriksen M, Stensbøl TB, Klemme G, Schwarz AJ, Schwarz E, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Nickl-Jockschat T. Differential resting-state patterns across networks are spatially associated with Comt and Trmt2a gene expression patterns in a mouse model of 22q11.2 deletion. Neuroimage 2021; 243:118520. [PMID: 34455061 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2021] [Revised: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Copy number variations (CNV) involving multiple genes are ideal models to study polygenic neuropsychiatric disorders. Since 22q11.2 deletion is regarded as the most important single genetic risk factor for developing schizophrenia, characterizing the effects of this CNV on neural networks offers a unique avenue towards delineating polygenic interactions conferring risk for the disorder. We used a Df(h22q11)/+ mouse model of human 22q11.2 deletion to dissect gene expression patterns that would spatially overlap with differential resting-state functional connectivity (FC) patterns in this model (N = 12 Df(h22q11)/+ mice, N = 10 littermate controls). To confirm the translational relevance of our findings, we analyzed tissue samples from schizophrenia patients and healthy controls using machine learning to explore whether identified genes were co-expressed in humans. Additionally, we employed the STRING protein-protein interaction database to identify potential interactions between genes spatially associated with hypo- or hyper-FC. We found significant associations between differential resting-state connectivity and spatial gene expression patterns for both hypo- and hyper-FC. Two genes, Comt and Trmt2a, were consistently over-expressed across all networks. An analysis of human datasets pointed to a disrupted co-expression of these two genes in the brain in schizophrenia patients, but not in healthy controls. Our findings suggest that COMT and TRMT2A form a core genetic component implicated in differential resting-state connectivity patterns in the 22q11.2 deletion. A disruption of their co-expression in schizophrenia patients points out a prospective cause for the aberrance of brain networks communication in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome on a molecular level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Gass
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Zeru Peterson
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jonathan Reinwald
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexander Sartorius
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Weber-Fahr
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus Sack
- Department of Neuroimaging, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Junfang Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Han Cao
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | | | | | - Gabrielle Klemme
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Adam J Schwarz
- Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA; Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Emanuel Schwarz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Nickl-Jockschat
- Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Carver College of Medicine, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
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Martens M, McConnell FK, Filippini N, Mackay CE, Harrison PJ, Tunbridge EM. Dopaminergic modulation of regional cerebral blood flow: An arterial spin labelling study of genetic and pharmacological manipulation of COMT activity. Neuroimage 2021; 234:117999. [PMID: 33789133 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 03/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dopamine has direct and complex vasoactive effects on cerebral circulation. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) regulates cortical dopamine, and its activity can be influenced both genetically and pharmacologically. COMT activity influences the functional connectivity of the PFC at rest, as well as its activity during task performance, determined using blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) fMRI. However, its effects on cerebral perfusion have been relatively unexplored. Here, 76 healthy males, homozygous for the functional COMT Val158Met polymorphism, were administered either the COMT inhibitor tolcapone or placebo in a double-blind, randomised design. We then assessed regional cerebral blood flow at rest using pulsed arterial spin labelling. Perfusion was affected by both genotype and drug. COMT genotype affected frontal regions (Val158 > Met158), whilst tolcapone influenced parietal and temporal regions (placebo > tolcapone). There was no genotype by drug interaction. Our data demonstrate that lower COMT activity is associated with lower cerebral blood flow, although the regions affected differ between those affected by genotype compared with those altered by acute pharmacological inhibition. The results extend the evidence for dopaminergic modulation of cerebral blood flow. Our findings also highlight the importance of considering vascular effects in functional neuroimaging studies, and of exercising caution in ascribing group differences in BOLD signal solely to altered neuronal activity if information about regional perfusion is not available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mag Martens
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Fa Kennedy McConnell
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ, UK
| | - N Filippini
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; IRCCS San Camillo Hospital, Venice, Italy
| | - C E Mackay
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - P J Harrison
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - E M Tunbridge
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Wu S, Upadhyay N, Lu J, Jiang X, Li S, Qing Z, Wang J, Liang X, Zhang X, Zhang B. Interaction of Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val 158 Met polymorphism and sex influences association of parietal intrinsic functional connectivity and immediate verbal memory. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01784. [PMID: 32772512 PMCID: PMC7559624 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Revised: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Sex differences modulate catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genotype effect at a synaptic dopamine level, which influences brain function as well as cognitive performance. In this study, we investigated how COMT Val158 Met polymorphism and sex affect intrinsic functional connectivity and memory. METHODS Intrinsic functional networks were extracted using independent component analysis of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 186 healthy young COMT-genotyped participants. The association of these functional networks and memory function was tested to investigate whether the effect of COMT × sex interaction influences the association of intrinsic functional connectivity and memory performance. Quadratic curve fit estimation was used to examine the relationship between functional connectivity and speculative dopamine level among groups. RESULTS COMT MM/MV carriers, relative to VV carriers, showed increased functional connectivity in left superior parietal lobule and right inferior frontal gyrus. Further, male MM/MV carriers showed significant higher mean functional connectivity in left inferior parietal lobule relative to male VV carriers and female MM/MV carriers, which was associated with worse immediate verbal recall performance. Additionally, the relationship between inferior parietal lobule functional connectivity and speculative dopamine level among groups fits the quadratic curve. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the interaction of COMT genotype and sex might regulate synaptic dopaminergic concentrations and influence the association of intrinsic functional connectivity and immediate verbal memory in left inferior parietal lobule.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sichu Wu
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Neeraj Upadhyay
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Jiaming Lu
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xueyan Jiang
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Shumei Li
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Zhao Qing
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Junxia Wang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xue Liang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bing Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
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11
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Park JH, Son YD, Kim Y, Han DH. Brain Network Connectivity and Association with Catechol-O-Methyltransferase Gene Polymorphism in Korean Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Children. Psychiatry Investig 2020; 17:925-933. [PMID: 32894926 PMCID: PMC7538244 DOI: 10.30773/pi.2020.0132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We sought to determine if the links between and within the default mode network (DMN) and dorsal attention network (DAT) exhibited different conditions according to catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene polymorphism in relationship to attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms. METHODS Fifty-seven children with ADHD and 48 healthy controls (HCs) were administered an intelligence test, the Children's Depression Inventory, the Korean ADHD rating scale, and continuous performance test. Resting-state brain functional MRI scans were obtained, and COMT genotyping was performed to distinguish valine carriers and methionine homozygotes. RESULTS Compared to controls, children with ADHD showed increased ADHD scale scores, increased visual commission errors, and increased functional connectivity (FC) within the DMN and DAT. Compared to all children with ADHD, children with the methionine homozygote and those who were valine carriers showed increased FC within the DMN and DAT and decreased FC between the DMN and DAT. FC within the DMN was also increased in HC valine carriers compared to HC children with the methionine homozygote, and in children with ADHD who were valine carriers compared to HC valine carriers. CONCLUSION We observed increased brain connectivity within the DMN and DAT and altered brain connectivity within and between the DMN and DAT associated with COMT polymorphism in children with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeong Ha Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Woorisoa Children's Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Don Son
- Department of Health Sciences & Technology, Gachon University, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeni Kim
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, National Center for Mental Health, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Doug Hyun Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Chung-Ang University Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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12
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Morris KA, Grace SA, Woods W, Dean B, Rossell SL. The influence of COMT rs4680 on functional connectivity in healthy adults: A systematic review. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 52:3851-3878. [PMID: 32306439 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this systematic review was to qualitatively synthesise the available research that investigated the influence of COMT genotype at SNP rs4680 on both task-based and resting-state connectivity in healthy adults. Thirty-five studies were identified that met inclusion criteria. Of the included studies, 20 studies reported resting-state findings and 16 studies reported task-based findings (emotion-processing, memory, working memory, reward-based learning and executive function). Studies were highly heterogeneous but an overall trend towards an association of the Val allele with greater resting-state connectivity and the Met allele with greater task-based connectivity is reported. A possible interpretation of current findings is discussed, whereby the Val allele is associated with improved cognitive flexibility allowing integration of novel relevant stimuli, and the Met allele allows improved sustained attention and targeted neural processing, particularly between limbic regions and prefrontal cortex. The most promising brain regions implicated in a COMT genotype influence on functional connectivity include prefrontal regions, amygdala and hippocampus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim A Morris
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Sally A Grace
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Will Woods
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Brian Dean
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,The Florey Institute for Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - Susan L Rossell
- Centre for Mental health, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia.,Psychiatry, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
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13
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Kang Y, Zhang W, Lv Y, Xu H, Lin Y, Cai S, Wang J, Huang L. Genetic polymorphism in catechol-O-methyltransferase associated with the functional connectivity of frontostriatal circuits in first episode schizophrenia patients. Eur J Neurosci 2019; 51:2134-2142. [PMID: 31876034 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2019] [Revised: 08/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Negative symptoms in schizophrenia have been associated with functional changes in frontostriatal pathways. Dysregulation of the dopamine signal in frontostriatal pathways leads to the symptomology observed in schizophrenia. Although the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, one of the susceptibility genes for schizophrenia, has been associated with dopamine activities in prefrontal and striatal regions, it is still unclear whether the disease state and COMT val158 met genotype have an interaction effect on the functional connectivity of frontostriatal pathways. In this study, we evaluated the possible interactions between COMT val158 met variations and the disease state on the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of frontostriatal pathways in fifty-one first episode schizophrenia (FES) patients (val/val: 29, met +: 22) with prominent negative symptoms and forty-eight healthy controls (val/val: 31, met +: 17). Regions of interest were defined by the result of a meta-analysis of frontostriatal pathways using the Neurosynth database. We found a significant genotype × disease interaction effect on the RSFC between the bilateral anterior cingulate (ACC) and right caudate, which overlapped with the main effect of the disease state. Behavioural regression analysis suggested that RSFC between the right ACC and right caudate correlated with the severity of SANS avolition-apathy scores in patients who were met carriers but not in patients who were val homozygous. Our findings suggest that the RSFC of frontostriatal pathways may differentially affected by an individual's COMT val158 met genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yafei Kang
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yahui Lv
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Hanxiao Xu
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Yanyan Lin
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Suping Cai
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
| | - Jijun Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Liyu Huang
- School of Life Sciences and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
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14
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Impact of COMT haplotypes on functional connectivity density and its association with the gene expression of dopamine receptors. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 224:2619-2630. [PMID: 31332515 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-01924-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) affects brain connectivity via modulating the dopamine system, with an expected greater effect of haplotypes than single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP). The action pathway from COMT to dopamine to connectivity is theoretically dependent on the gene expression of dopamine receptors. Here, we aimed to investigate the impact of COMT haplotypes on brain functional connectivity density (FCD) in hundreds of healthy young subjects, and to disclose the association between the COMT-FCD statistical map and the spatial expression of the dopamine receptor genes. We found an inverted U-shaped modulation of COMT haplotypes on FCD in the left inferior parietal lobule that is mainly connected to the frontal and parietal cortices, with APS homozygotes exhibiting greater FCD than the other five groups. However, we failed to identify any significant effect of any SNP on FCD. Utilizing gene expression data collected from Allen human brain atlas, we found the COMT-FCD statistical map was significantly associated with the expression patterns of the dopamine receptor genes. Our results suggest that COMT haplotypes have greater impact on functional connectivity than a single genetic variation and that the association between COMT and functional connectivity may be dependent on the gene expression of dopamine receptors.
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15
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Colliva C, Ferrari M, Benatti C, Guerra A, Tascedda F, Blom JMC. Executive functioning in children with epilepsy: Genes matter. Epilepsy Behav 2019; 95:137-147. [PMID: 31054523 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2019.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2019] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Pediatric epilepsy has emerged as a chronic medical disease with a characteristic behavioral and cognitive phenotype, which includes compromised executive functioning (EF) and attention-related deficits. However, considerable interindividual variability exists; children often display very different or even opposite outcomes, and some children are more likely than others to develop neurocognitive problems in the face of similar individual and disease-related problems. The factors responsible for this interindividual variability are still largely unknown, but we do know that some genetic factors render the developing brain more susceptible to damage or traumatic experiences than others. Dopamine availability has a neuromodulatory function in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and especially affects EF. Dopamine availability relates to polymorphisms in the gene encoding catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT Val158Met), which in turn is affected by the methylation state of its promoter. Allelic variation of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR C677T) gene, alters methylation and may influence the methylation state of the COMT promoter. Given this, we tested the hypothesis that these polymorphisms interact in children with epilepsy, and that variability in allelic expression is associated with variability in cognitive phenotype. Executive function was tested directly and indirectly (parent-rated) in 42 children between 5 and 12 years of age. The MTHFR T allele carriers performed worse than MTHFR homozygous CC carriers on indirect EF, and a significant decline was observed when T allele carriers had at least one met allele of the COMT gene, especially on Working Memory. Direct EF was significantly compromised in COMT Val/Val carriers where reduced dopamine availability seems to confer a higher risk in a test that requests a high degree of executive attention and planning. This finding suggests that in children with epilepsy, genes that influence methylation and dopamine availability affect PFC-related EF. Therefore, we should consider genetic vulnerability as a polygenic risk, which might predispose for a particular phenotype and include specific genetic signatures as part of each patient's behavioral and cognitive profile from the moment that we start to take care of the child.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara Colliva
- Dept. of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | | | - Cristina Benatti
- Dept. of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Azzurra Guerra
- Dept. of Medical and Surgical science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Fabio Tascedda
- Dept. of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy
| | - Joan M C Blom
- Center for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; Dept. of Education and Human Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
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16
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Yang X, Zhang J, Zhang S. No association of COMT with insight problem solving in Chinese college students. PeerJ 2019; 7:e6755. [PMID: 31024766 PMCID: PMC6472467 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 03/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes involved in dopamine (DA) neurotransmission, such as the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT), have been suggested as key genetic candidates that might underlie the genetic basis of insight. In a sample of Chinese college students, this study examined whether COMT was associated with individual differences in the ability to solve classic insight problems. The results demonstrated that COMT was not associated with insight problem solving and there was no gender-dependent effect. This study, together with previous studies, raises the possibility of a complex relationship between COMT and insight problem solving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Yang
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
- College of Life Science, Qilu Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Jinghuan Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
| | - Shun Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, Shandong, China
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17
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Kokhan VS, Lebedeva-Georgievskaya KB, Kudrin VS, Bazyan AS, Maltsev AV, Shtemberg AS. An investigation of the single and combined effects of hypogravity and ionizing radiation on brain monoamine metabolism and rats' behavior. LIFE SCIENCES IN SPACE RESEARCH 2019; 20:12-19. [PMID: 30797429 DOI: 10.1016/j.lssr.2018.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2018] [Revised: 11/23/2018] [Accepted: 11/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Ionizing radiation and hypogravity can cause central nervous system (CNS) dysfunctions. This is a key limiting factor for deep space missions. Up until now, the mechanisms through which they affect the neural tissue are not completely understood. OBJECTIVES We studied how the combination of hypogravity (antiorthostatic suspension model, AS) and ionizing radiations (γ-quanta and 1H+ together, R) affects the CNS. METHODS We applied separately and in combination AS and R to determine the influence of these factors on behavior and metabolism of monoamines in Wistar rat's brain. RESULTS We found out that R has a slight effect on both the behavior and metabolism of monoamines. However, when applied in combination with AS the former was able to reduce the negative effects of the latter. The combined effect of ionizing radiation and hypogravity led to the recovery of locomotor activity, orientation and exploratory behavior, and long-term context memory impaired under the impact of hypogravity only. These changes came together with an increase in the serotonin and dopamine turnover in all of the brain structures that were studied. CONCLUSIONS We received the first evidence of interferential interaction between the effects of ionizing radiation and hypogravity factors with regard to a behavior and monoamine turnover in the brain. Further studies with heavy nuclei at relevant doses (<0.5 Gy) are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viktor S Kokhan
- Laboratory of Radiation and Extreme Neurophysiology, Institute of Biomedical Problems RAS, Khoroshevskoe shosse 76A, Moscow 123007, Russia.
| | - Kseniya B Lebedeva-Georgievskaya
- Laboratory of Radiation and Extreme Neurophysiology, Institute of Biomedical Problems RAS, Khoroshevskoe shosse 76A, Moscow 123007, Russia
| | - Vladimir S Kudrin
- Laboratory of Radiation and Extreme Neurophysiology, Institute of Biomedical Problems RAS, Khoroshevskoe shosse 76A, Moscow 123007, Russia
| | - Ara S Bazyan
- Laboratory of Radiation and Extreme Neurophysiology, Institute of Biomedical Problems RAS, Khoroshevskoe shosse 76A, Moscow 123007, Russia; Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology RAS, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey V Maltsev
- Institute of Physiologically Active Compounds RAS, Chernogolovka, Russia
| | - Andrey S Shtemberg
- Laboratory of Radiation and Extreme Neurophysiology, Institute of Biomedical Problems RAS, Khoroshevskoe shosse 76A, Moscow 123007, Russia
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18
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Tardiff N, Graves KN, Thompson-Schill SL. The Role of Frontostriatal Systems in Instructed Reinforcement Learning: Evidence From Genetic and Experimentally-Induced Variation. Front Hum Neurosci 2019; 12:472. [PMID: 30618672 PMCID: PMC6304395 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Instructions have a powerful effect on learning and decision-making, biasing choice even in the face of disconfirming feedback. Detrimental biasing effects have been reported in a number of studies in which instruction was given prior to trial-and-error learning. Previous work has attributed individual differences in instructional bias to variations in prefrontal and striatal dopaminergic genes, suggesting a role for prefrontally-mediated cognitive control processes in biasing learning. The current study replicates and extends these findings. Human subjects performed a probabilistic reinforcement learning task after receiving inaccurate instructions about the quality of one of the options. In order to establish a causal relationship between prefrontal cortical mechanisms and instructional bias, we applied transcranial direct current stimulation over dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (anodal, cathodal, or sham) while subjects performed the task. We additionally genotyped subjects for the COMT Val158Met genetic polymorphism, which influences the breakdown of prefrontal dopamine, and for the DAT1/SLC6A3 variable number tandem repeat, which affects expression of striatal dopamine transporter. We replicated the finding that the COMT Met allele is associated with increased instructional bias and further demonstrated that variation in DAT1 has similar effects to variation in COMT, with 9-repeat carriers demonstrating increased bias relative to 10-repeat homozygotes. Consistent with increased top-down regulation of reinforcement learning, anodal subjects demonstrated greater bias relative to sham, though this effect was present only early in training. In contrast, there was no effect of cathodal stimulation. Finally, we fit computational models to subjects' data to better characterize the mechanisms underlying instruction bias. A novel choice bias model, in which instructions influence decision-making rather than learning, was found to best account for subjects' behavior. Overall, these data provide further evidence for the role of frontostriatal interactions in biasing instructed reinforcement learning, which adds to the growing literature documenting both costs and benefits of cognitive control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathan Tardiff
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Kathryn N Graves
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA, United States
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19
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Vanneste S, Alsalman O, De Ridder D. COMT and the neurogenetic architecture of hearing loss induced tinnitus. Hear Res 2018; 365:1-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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20
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Na KS, Won E, Kang J, Kim A, Choi S, Tae WS, Kim YK, Lee MS, Joe SH, Ham BJ. Differential effect of COMT gene methylation on the prefrontal connectivity in subjects with depression versus healthy subjects. Neuropharmacology 2018; 137:59-70. [PMID: 29723539 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2018.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Expression of the catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene mainly determines prefrontal dopaminergic availability. Deficient prefrontal dopaminergic activity leads to loss of interest, energy, and motivation, which are core symptoms of depression. Given the role of stress-environmental interactions in major depressive disorder (MDD), we investigated the impact of COMT gene methylation status on prefrontal connectivity. We measured COMT gene methylation and polymorphisms (Val158Met) at the rs4468 locus in peripheral blood samples of healthy controls (n = 90) and patients with MDD (n = 90). We used diffusion tensor imaging to calculate the fractional anisotropy (FA) and radial diffusivity (RD) of the white matter tracts related to prefrontal cortex. Finally, we examined the effects of COMT gene methylation on the white matter connectivity in patients with MDD. The FA and RD values in the prefrontal white matter tracts of patients with MDD were positively and negatively associated with COMT gene methylation, respectively. In the control group, on the other hand, the association between white matter connectivity and COMT gene methylation showed opposite pattern to those of MDD. COMT gene methylation has a substantial effect on the prefrontal connectivity in patients with MDD. Moreover, COMT gene methylation and prefrontal connectivity showed opposite relationships in patients and controls. Thus, stress-related alterations in dopaminergic neurotransmission have a differential effect on white matter connectivity according to the microenvironment in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Sae Na
- Department of Psychiatry, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunsoo Won
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - June Kang
- Department of Biomedical Science, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Aram Kim
- Department of Biomedical Science, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunyoung Choi
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Suk Tae
- Brain Convergence Research Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Ku Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Soo Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sook-Haeng Joe
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Ham
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Brain Convergence Research Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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A Dopamine Pathway Gene Risk Score for Cognitive Recovery Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Methodological Considerations, Preliminary Findings, and Interactions With Sex. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2018; 31:E15-29. [PMID: 26580694 DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES With evidence of sexual dimorphism involving the dopamine (DA)-pathway, and the importance of DA pathways in traumatic brain injury (TBI) recovery, we hypothesized that sex × DA-gene interactions may influence cognition post-TBI. PARTICIPANTS Adult survivors of severe TBI (n = 193) consecutively recruited from a level 1 trauma center. DESIGN Risk allele assignments were made for multiple DA pathway genes using a sex-specific stratified approach. Genetic risk alleles, and their impacts on cognition, were assessed at 6 and 12 months postinjury using unweighted, semiweighted, and weighted gene risk score (GRS) approaches. MAIN MEASURES A cognitive composite score generated from 8 standardized neuropsychological tests targeting multiple cognitive domains. RESULTS A significant sex × gene interaction was observed at 6 and 12 months for ANKK1 rs1800497 (6M: P = .002, 12M: P = .001) and COMT rs4680 (6M: P = .048; 12M: P = .004); DRD2 rs6279 (P = .001) and VMAT rs363226 (P = .043) genotypes were independently associated with cognition at 6 months, with trends for a sex × gene interaction at 12 months. All GRS methods were significant predictors of cognitive performance in multivariable models. Weighted GRS multivariate models captured the greatest variance in cognition: R = 0.344 (6 months); R = 0.441 (12 months), significantly increasing the variance captured from the base prediction models. CONCLUSIONS A sex-specific DA-pathway GRS may be a valuable tool when predicting cognitive recovery post-TBI. Future work should validate these findings and explore how DA-pathway genetics may guide therapeutic intervention.
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22
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McCane AM, DeLory MJ, Timm MM, Janetsian-Fritz SS, Lapish CC, Czachowski CL. Differential COMT expression and behavioral effects of COMT inhibition in male and female Wistar and alcohol preferring rats. Alcohol 2018; 67:15-22. [PMID: 29310047 PMCID: PMC5818329 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2017.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Polymorphisms of the catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) gene have been associated with alcoholism, suggesting that alterations in the metabolism of catecholamines may be a critical component of the neuropathology of alcoholism. In the current experiments, the COMT inhibitor tolcapone was utilized in an operant behavioral model of reinforcer-seeking and drinking to determine if this compound was capable of remediating the excessive seeking and drinking phenotype of the alcohol-preferring P rat. Tolcapone was administered to male and female alcohol-reinforced P and Wistar rats. Additionally, tolcapone was administered to male sucrose-reinforced P and Wistar rats to determine if its effects also extended to a natural reinforcer. Animals were trained to make an operant response that resulted in 20 min uninterrupted access to the reinforcer solutions. Tolcapone had no effect in female rats on either seeking or consumption of ethanol. However, reductions of both reinforcer seeking and consumption were observed in male P rats, but only of seeking in Wistars. In separate experiments, using reinforcer naïve male and female animals, COMT expression was assessed via Western Blot analysis. Sex differences in COMT expression were also observed, where male P rats exhibited a marked reduction in protein expression relative to females in the PFC. Sex differences were not observed for Wistars or in the striatum and hippocampus. These data complement our previous findings in which tolcapone reduced cue-evoked responses in P rats and further suggest clinical utility of COMT inhibitors in the treatment of addiction disorders, specifically in male high drinkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aqilah M McCane
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA.
| | - Michael J DeLory
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Maureen M Timm
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Sarine S Janetsian-Fritz
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Christopher C Lapish
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Institute for Mathematical Modeling and Computational Sciences, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
| | - Cristine L Czachowski
- Department of Psychology, Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA; Stark Neuroscience Research Institute, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN 46202, USA
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23
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Sugiura L, Toyota T, Matsuba-Kurita H, Iwayama Y, Mazuka R, Yoshikawa T, Hagiwara H. Age-Dependent Effects of Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT) Gene Val158Met Polymorphism on Language Function in Developing Children. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:104-116. [PMID: 27909011 PMCID: PMC6044402 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The genetic basis controlling language development remains elusive. Previous studies of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and cognition have focused on prefrontally guided executive functions involving dopamine. However, COMT may further influence posterior cortical regions implicated in language perception. We investigated whether COMT influences language ability and cortical language processing involving the posterior language regions in 246 children aged 6–10 years. We assessed language ability using a language test and cortical responses recorded during language processing using a word repetition task and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The COMT genotype had significant effects on language performance and processing. Importantly, Met carriers outperformed Val homozygotes in language ability during the early elementary school years (6–8 years), whereas Val homozygotes exhibited significant language development during the later elementary school years. Both genotype groups exhibited equal language performance at approximately 10 years of age. Val homozygotes exhibited significantly less cortical activation compared with Met carriers during word processing, particularly at older ages. These findings regarding dopamine transmission efficacy may be explained by a hypothetical inverted U-shaped curve. Our findings indicate that the effects of the COMT genotype on language ability and cortical language processing may change in a narrow age window of 6–10 years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Sugiura
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.,Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan.,Research Center for Language, Brain and Genetics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-037, Japan
| | - Tomoko Toyota
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroko Matsuba-Kurita
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.,Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan.,Laboratory for Language Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Iwayama
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Reiko Mazuka
- Laboratory for Language Development, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Takeo Yoshikawa
- Laboratory for Molecular Psychiatry, RIKEN Brain Science Institute, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan
| | - Hiroko Hagiwara
- Department of Language Sciences, Graduate School of Humanities, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan.,Research Institute of Science and Technology for Society (RISTEX), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan.,Research Center for Language, Brain and Genetics, Tokyo Metropolitan University, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-037, Japan
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Elton A, Smith CT, Parrish MH, Boettiger CA. COMT Val 158Met Polymorphism Exerts Sex-Dependent Effects on fMRI Measures of Brain Function. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:578. [PMID: 29270116 PMCID: PMC5723646 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Accepted: 11/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that dopamine levels in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) modulate executive functions. A key regulator of PFC dopamine is catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). The activity level of the COMT enzyme are influenced by sex and the Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680) of the COMT gene, with male sex and Val alleles both being associated with higher bulk enzyme activity, and presumably lower PFC dopamine. COMT genotype has not only been associated with individual differences in frontal dopamine-mediated behaviors, but also with variations in neuroimaging measures of brain activity and functional connectivity. In this study, we investigated whether COMT genotype predicts individual differences in neural activity and connectivity, and whether such effects are sex-dependent. We tested 93 healthy adults (48 females), genotyped for the Val158Met polymorphism, in a delay discounting task and at rest during fMRI. Delay discounting behavior was predicted by an interaction of COMT genotype and sex, consistent with a U-shaped relationship with enzyme activity. COMT genotype and sex similarly exhibited U-shaped relationships with individual differences in neural activation, particularly among networks that were most engaged by the task, including the default-mode network. Effects of COMT genotype and sex on functional connectivity during rest were also U-shaped. In contrast, flexible reorganization of network connections across task conditions varied linearly with COMT among both sexes. These data provide insight into the potential influences of COMT-regulated variations in catecholamine levels on brain function, which may represent endophenotypes for disorders of impulsivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Elton
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Christopher T Smith
- Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Michael H Parrish
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Charlotte A Boettiger
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Bowles Center for Alcohol Studies, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Neuroscience Curriculum, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States.,Biomedical Research Imaging Center, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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25
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Effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism on resting-state brain default mode network after acupuncture stimulation. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 12:798-805. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9735-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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26
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Bastos P, Gomes T, Ribeiro L. Catechol-O-Methyltransferase (COMT): An Update on Its Role in Cancer, Neurological and Cardiovascular Diseases. Rev Physiol Biochem Pharmacol 2017; 173:1-39. [DOI: 10.1007/112_2017_2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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27
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Kim J, Pan W. Adaptive testing for multiple traits in a proportional odds model with applications to detect SNP-brain network associations. Genet Epidemiol 2017; 41:259-277. [PMID: 28191669 DOI: 10.1002/gepi.22033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
There has been increasing interest in developing more powerful and flexible statistical tests to detect genetic associations with multiple traits, as arising from neuroimaging genetic studies. Most of existing methods treat a single trait or multiple traits as response while treating an SNP as a predictor coded under an additive inheritance mode. In this paper, we follow an earlier approach in treating an SNP as an ordinal response while treating traits as predictors in a proportional odds model (POM). In this way, it is not only easier to handle mixed types of traits, e.g., some quantitative and some binary, but it is also potentially more robust to the commonly adopted additive inheritance mode. More importantly, we develop an adaptive test in a POM so that it can maintain high power across many possible situations. Compared to the existing methods treating multiple traits as responses, e.g., in a generalized estimating equation (GEE) approach, the proposed method can be applied to a high dimensional setting where the number of phenotypes (p) can be larger than the sample size (n), in addition to a usual small P setting. The promising performance of the proposed method was demonstrated with applications to the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) data, in which either structural MRI driven phenotypes or resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) derived brain functional connectivity measures were used as phenotypes. The applications led to the identification of several top SNPs of biological interest. Furthermore, simulation studies showed competitive performance of the new method, especially for p>n.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junghi Kim
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Wei Pan
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | -
- Data used in preparation of this article were obtained from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) database (adni.loni.usc.edu). As such, the investigators within the ADNI contributed to the design and implementation of ADNI and/or provided data but did not participate in analysis or writing of this report. A complete listing of ADNI investigators can be found at: http: //adni.loni.usc.edu/wp-content/uploads/how to apply/ADNI Acknowledgement List.pdf
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28
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Bas-Hoogendam JM, Blackford JU, Brühl AB, Blair KS, van der Wee NJ, Westenberg PM. Neurobiological candidate endophenotypes of social anxiety disorder. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:362-378. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2016] [Revised: 07/15/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Brain white matter structure and COMT gene are linked to second-language learning in adults. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:7249-54. [PMID: 27298360 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1606602113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Adult human brains retain the capacity to undergo tissue reorganization during second-language learning. Brain-imaging studies show a relationship between neuroanatomical properties and learning for adults exposed to a second language. However, the role of genetic factors in this relationship has not been investigated. The goal of the current study was twofold: (i) to characterize the relationship between brain white matter fiber-tract properties and second-language immersion using diffusion tensor imaging, and (ii) to determine whether polymorphisms in the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene affect the relationship. We recruited incoming Chinese students enrolled in the University of Washington and scanned their brains one time. We measured the diffusion properties of the white matter fiber tracts and correlated them with the number of days each student had been in the immersion program at the time of the brain scan. We found that higher numbers of days in the English immersion program correlated with higher fractional anisotropy and lower radial diffusivity in the right superior longitudinal fasciculus. We show that fractional anisotropy declined once the subjects finished the immersion program. The relationship between brain white matter fiber-tract properties and immersion varied in subjects with different COMT genotypes. Subjects with the Methionine (Met)/Valine (Val) and Val/Val genotypes showed higher fractional anisotropy and lower radial diffusivity during immersion, which reversed immediately after immersion ended, whereas those with the Met/Met genotype did not show these relationships. Statistical modeling revealed that subjects' grades in the language immersion program were best predicted by fractional anisotropy and COMT genotype.
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30
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Roffman JL, Tanner AS, Eryilmaz H, Rodriguez-Thompson A, Silverstein NJ, Ho NF, Nitenson AZ, Chonde DB, Greve DN, Abi-Dargham A, Buckner RL, Manoach DS, Rosen BR, Hooker JM, Catana C. Dopamine D1 signaling organizes network dynamics underlying working memory. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2016; 2:e1501672. [PMID: 27386561 PMCID: PMC4928887 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1501672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Accepted: 05/11/2016] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Local prefrontal dopamine signaling supports working memory by tuning pyramidal neurons to task-relevant stimuli. Enabled by simultaneous positron emission tomography-magnetic resonance imaging (PET-MRI), we determined whether neuromodulatory effects of dopamine scale to the level of cortical networks and coordinate their interplay during working memory. Among network territories, mean cortical D1 receptor densities differed substantially but were strongly interrelated, suggesting cross-network regulation. Indeed, mean cortical D1 density predicted working memory-emergent decoupling of the frontoparietal and default networks, which respectively manage task-related and internal stimuli. In contrast, striatal D1 predicted opposing effects within these two networks but no between-network effects. These findings specifically link cortical dopamine signaling to network crosstalk that redirects cognitive resources to working memory, echoing neuromodulatory effects of D1 signaling on the level of cortical microcircuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua L. Roffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Alexandra S. Tanner
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Hamdi Eryilmaz
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Anais Rodriguez-Thompson
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Noah J. Silverstein
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - New Fei Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Adam Z. Nitenson
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Daniel B. Chonde
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Douglas N. Greve
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Anissa Abi-Dargham
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, Harkness Pavilion, 180 Fort Washington Avenue, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Randy L. Buckner
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Dara S. Manoach
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, Boston, MA 02114, USA
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Bruce R. Rosen
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Jacob M. Hooker
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
| | - Ciprian Catana
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, 149 13th Street, Charlestown, MA 02129, USA
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31
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Lee A, Qiu A. Modulative effects of COMT haplotype on age-related associations with brain morphology. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:2068-82. [PMID: 26920810 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/16/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), located on chromosome 22q11.2, encodes an enzyme critical for dopamine flux in the prefrontal cortex. Genetic variants of COMT have been suggested to functionally manipulate prefrontal morphology and function in healthy adults. This study aims to investigate modulative roles of individuals COMT SNPs (rs737865, val158met, rs165599) and its haplotypes in age-related brain morphology using an Asian sample with 174 adults aged from 21 to 80 years. We showed an age-related decline in cortical thickness of the dorsal visual pathway, including the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, bilateral angular gyrus, right superior frontal cortex, and age-related shape compression in the basal ganglia as a function of the genotypes of the individual COMT SNPs, especially COMT val158met. Using haplotype trend regression analysis, COMT haplotype probabilities were estimated and further revealed an age-related decline in cortical thickness in the default mode network (DMN), including the posterior cingulate, precuneus, supramarginal and paracentral cortex, and the ventral visual system, including the occipital cortex and left inferior temporal cortex, as a function of the COMT haplotype. Our results provided new evidence on an antagonistic pleiotropic effect in COMT, suggesting that genetically programmed neural benefits in early life may have a potential bearing towards neural susceptibility in later life. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2068-2082, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Lee
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117576, Singapore
| | - Anqi Qiu
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117576, Singapore.,Clinical Imaging Research Center, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Singapore.,Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore, 117609, Singapore
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32
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Gao X, Gong P, Liu J, Hu J, Li Y, Yu H, Gong X, Xiang Y, Jiang C, Zhou X. COMT Val158Met polymorphism influences the susceptibility to framing in decision-making: OFC-amygdala functional connectivity as a mediator. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:1880-92. [PMID: 26917235 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals tend to avoid risk in a gain frame, in which options are presented in a positive way, but seek risk in a loss frame, in which the same options are presented negatively. Previous studies suggest that emotional responses play a critical role in this "framing effect." Given that the Met allele of COMT Val158Met polymorphism (rs4680) is associated with the negativity bias during emotional processing, this study investigated whether this polymorphism is associated with individual susceptibility to framing and which brain areas mediate this gene-behavior association. Participants were genotyped, scanned in resting state, and completed a monetary gambling task with options (sure vs risky) presented as potential gains or losses. The Met allele carriers showed a greater framing effect than the Val/Val homozygotes as the former gambled more than the latter in the loss frame. Moreover, the gene-behavior association was mediated by resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) between orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and bilateral amygdala. Met allele carriers showed decreased RSFC, thereby demonstrating higher susceptibility to framing than Val allele carriers. These findings demonstrate the involvement of COMT Val158Met polymorphism in the framing effect in decision-making and suggest RSFC between OFC and amygdala as a neural mediator underlying this gene-behavior association. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1880-1892, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoxue Gao
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Pingyuan Gong
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,Institute of Population and Health, College of Life Science, Northwest University, Shanxi, 710069, China
| | - Jinting Liu
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,China Center for Special Economic Zone Research, Shenzhen University, Guangdong, 518060, China.,Research Centre for Brain Function and Psychological Science, Shenzhen University, Guangdong, 518060, China
| | - Jie Hu
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yue Li
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Hongbo Yu
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Xiaoliang Gong
- Key Laboratory of Embedded System and Service Computing (Ministry of Education), Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China
| | - Yang Xiang
- Key Laboratory of Embedded System and Service Computing (Ministry of Education), Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China
| | - Changjun Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Embedded System and Service Computing (Ministry of Education), Tongji University, Shanghai, 201804, China
| | - Xiaolin Zhou
- Center for Brain and Cognitive Sciences and Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,Key Laboratory of Machine Perception (Ministry of Education), Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China.,PKU-IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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33
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Jin J, Liu L, Gao Q, Chan RCK, Li H, Chen Y, Wang Y, Qian Q. The divergent impact ofCOMTVal158Met on executive function in children with and without attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2016; 15:271-9. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 10/28/2015] [Accepted: 11/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. Jin
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital)
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health; Ministry of Health (Peking University)
| | - L. Liu
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital)
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health; Ministry of Health (Peking University)
| | - Q. Gao
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital)
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health; Ministry of Health (Peking University)
| | - R. C. K. Chan
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing China
| | - H. Li
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital)
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health; Ministry of Health (Peking University)
| | - Y. Chen
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital)
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health; Ministry of Health (Peking University)
| | - Y. Wang
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital)
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health; Ministry of Health (Peking University)
| | - Q. Qian
- Peking University Sixth Hospital/Institute of Mental Health
- National Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders (Peking University Sixth Hospital)
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health; Ministry of Health (Peking University)
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34
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COMT genotype, gambling activity, and cognition. J Psychiatr Res 2015; 68:371-6. [PMID: 26028545 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.04.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/30/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Neuropsychological studies of adults with problem gambling indicate impairments across multiple cognitive domains. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays a unique role in the regulation of dopamine in the prefrontal cortex, and has been implicated in the cognitive dysfunction evident in problem gambling. This study examined adults with varying levels of gambling behavior to determine whether COMT genotype was associated with differences in gambling symptoms and cognitive functioning. 260 non-treatment-seeking adults aged 18-29 years with varying degrees of gambling behavior provided saliva samples for genotyping COMT val158met (rs4680). All subjects underwent clinical evaluations and neurocognitive assessment of decision-making, working memory, and impulsivity. The Val/Val COMT genotype was associated with the largest percentage of subjects with gambling disorder (31.8%), a rate significantly different from the Val/Met (13.2%) group (p = 0.001). The Val/Val COMT group was also associated with significantly more gambling disorder diagnostic criteria being met, greater frequency of gambling behavior, and significantly worse cognitive performance on the Cambridge Gamble Task (risk adjustment and delay aversion) and the Spatial Working Memory task (total errors). This study adds to the growing literature on the role of COMT in impulsive behaviors by showing that the Val/Val genotype was associated with specific clinical and cognitive elements among young adults who gamble, in the absence of differences on demographic measures and other cognitive domains. Future work should consider using genotyping to explore whether certain polymorphisms predict subsequent development of impulsive behaviors including gambling disorder, and treatment outcomes.
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35
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Shibata N, Nagata T, Tagai K, Shinagawa S, Ohnuma T, Kawai E, Kasanuki K, Shimazaki H, Toda A, Tagata Y, Nakada T, Nakayama K, Yamada H, Arai H. Association between the catechol-O-methyltransferase polymorphism Val158Met and Alzheimer's disease in a Japanese population. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry 2015; 30:927-33. [PMID: 25491588 DOI: 10.1002/gps.4237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays an important role in dopamine degradation, which is associated with the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and alcoholism. A functional COMT polymorphism, Val158Met (rs4680 G > A), affects the onset of AD and is associated with alcohol dependence through dopamine receptor sensitivity in the prefrontal cortex. METHODS The aim of this case-control study (398 cases and 149 controls) was to investigate whether Val158Met polymorphism influences the onset of AD stratified according to alcohol consumption and apolipoprotein E (APOE) status. We also used single photon-emission computed tomography (SPECT) to analyse 26 patients with AD with the polymorphism. RESULTS As a function of APOE status, the genotypic frequencies of rs4680 in patients with AD did not differ from those in controls. We detected a significant association between high alcohol consumption in patients with AD (HAC-AD group) and the polymorphism in genotypic and allelic frequencies. Logistic regression analyses demonstrated that the presence of the APOE genotype with rs4680 increased the risk for HAC-AD synergistically. Hyperperfusion in the right sub-lobar insula of patients with the G/G genotype was found compared with that of patients with the G/A genotype. SPECT studies showed a relationship between the polymorphism and compensatory reactions for dysfunctions of dopaminergic neurotransmission in AD pathophysiology. CONCLUSION Although genetic association between the polymorphism and the onset of AD in a Japanese population were not observed, the polymorphism affected the risk for HAC-AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nobuto Shibata
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoyuki Nagata
- Department of Psychiatry, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.,Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute of DNA Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenji Tagai
- Department of Psychiatry, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Tohru Ohnuma
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Eri Kawai
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Koji Kasanuki
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hiromi Shimazaki
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Aiko Toda
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yuko Tagata
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Tomoko Nakada
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Nakayama
- Department of Psychiatry, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hisashi Yamada
- Division of Molecular Genetics, Institute of DNA Medicine, Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Heii Arai
- Department of Psychiatry, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
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36
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Wang C, Liu B, Long H, Fan L, Li J, Zhang X, Qiu C, Yu C, Jiang T. Epistatic interaction of BDNF and COMT on the frontostriatal system. Neuroscience 2015; 298:380-8. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2015.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Revised: 03/24/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Zhang X, Li J, Qin W, Yu C, Liu B, Jiang T. The catechol-o-methyltransferase Val¹⁵⁸Met polymorphism modulates the intrinsic functional network centrality of the parahippocampal cortex in healthy subjects. Sci Rep 2015; 5:10105. [PMID: 26054510 PMCID: PMC4460568 DOI: 10.1038/srep10105] [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: 10/12/2014] [Accepted: 03/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met on brain activation and functional connectivity has been widely reported. However, voxel-wise effects of this genotype on resting-state brain networks remain unclear. Here, we used resting-state fMRI and eigenvector centrality to examine the effects of COMT Val158Met genotypes on the connection patterns of the brain network and working memory (WM) in healthy, young Val/Val and Met carrier subjects. There were significant differences in the performance level on the 2-back WM task between the different COMT genotypes: Val/Val individuals exhibited a higher correct rate compared to the Met carriers. A two-sample t test was used to examine the differences in the eigenvector centrality maps, using age and gender as covariates of no interest, between the Val/Val and Met carriers. We found that the Val/Val individuals exhibited significantly higher eigenvector centrality compared to the Met carriers in the left parahippocampal cortex. Furthermore, a significantly positive correlation between the mean eigenvector centrality of the significant cluster and the correct rate of the 2-back WM task was observed. By using a voxel-wise data-driven method, our findings may provide plausible implications regarding individual differences in the genetic contribution of COMT Val158Met to the brain network and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jin Li
- 1] Brainnetome Center [2] National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Chunshui Yu
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, China
| | - Bing Liu
- 1] Brainnetome Center [2] National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- 1] Brainnetome Center [2] National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China [3] Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia [4] Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
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Bastiaansen JA, Cummins TDR, Riese H, van Roon AM, Nolte IM, Oldehinkel AJ, Bellgrove MA. A Population Based Study of the Genetic Association between Catecholamine Gene Variants and Spontaneous Low-Frequency Fluctuations in Reaction Time. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0126461. [PMID: 25978426 PMCID: PMC4433112 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0126461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2014] [Accepted: 04/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The catecholamines dopamine and noradrenaline have been implicated in spontaneous low-frequency fluctuations in reaction time, which are associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and subclinical attentional problems. The molecular genetic substrates of these behavioral phenotypes, which reflect frequency ranges of intrinsic neuronal oscillations (Slow-4: 0.027-0.073 Hz; Slow-5: 0.010-0.027 Hz), have not yet been investigated. In this study, we performed regression analyses with an additive model to examine associations between low-frequency fluctuations in reaction time during a sustained attention task and genetic markers across 23 autosomal catecholamine genes in a large young adult population cohort (n = 964), which yielded greater than 80% power to detect a small effect size (f2 = 0.02) and 100% power to detect a small/medium effect size (f2 = 0.15). At significance levels corrected for multiple comparisons, none of the gene variants were associated with the magnitude of low-frequency fluctuations. Given the study’s strong statistical power and dense coverage of the catecholamine genes, this either indicates that associations between low-frequency fluctuation measures and catecholamine gene variants are absent or that they are of very small effect size. Nominally significant associations were observed between variations in the alpha-2A adrenergic receptor gene (ADRA2A) and the Slow-5 band. This is in line with previous reports of an association between ADRA2A gene variants and general reaction time variability during response selection tasks, but the specific association of these gene variants and low-frequency fluctuations requires further confirmation. Pharmacological challenge studies could in the future provide convergent evidence for the noradrenergic modulation of both general and time sensitive measures of intra-individual variability in reaction time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jojanneke A. Bastiaansen
- Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Harriëtte Riese
- Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Arie M. van Roon
- Department of Vascular Medicine, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Ilja M. Nolte
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Albertine J. Oldehinkel
- Interdisciplinary Center Psychopathology and Emotion regulation, Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A. Bellgrove
- School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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Oppositional COMT Val158Met effects on resting state functional connectivity in adolescents and adults. Brain Struct Funct 2014; 221:103-14. [PMID: 25319752 PMCID: PMC4667398 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-014-0895-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 09/19/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Prefrontal dopamine levels are relatively increased in adolescence compared to adulthood. Genetic variation of COMT (COMT Val158Met) results in lower enzymatic activity and higher dopamine availability in Met carriers. Given the dramatic changes of synaptic dopamine during adolescence, it has been suggested that effects of COMT Val158Met genotypes might have oppositional effects in adolescents and adults. The present study aims to identify such oppositional COMT Val158Met effects in adolescents and adults in prefrontal brain networks at rest. Resting state functional connectivity data were collected from cross-sectional and multicenter study sites involving 106 healthy young adults (mean age 24 ± 2.6 years), gender matched to 106 randomly chosen 14-year-olds. We selected the anterior medial prefrontal cortex (amPFC) as seed due to its important role as nexus of the executive control and default mode network. We observed a significant age-dependent reversal of COMT Val158Met effects on resting state functional connectivity between amPFC and ventrolateral as well as dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and parahippocampal gyrus. Val homozygous adults exhibited increased and adolescents decreased connectivity compared to Met homozygotes for all reported regions. Network analyses underscored the importance of the parahippocampal gyrus as mediator of observed effects. Results of this study demonstrate that adolescent and adult resting state networks are dose-dependently and diametrically affected by COMT genotypes following a hypothetical model of dopamine function that follows an inverted U-shaped curve. This study might provide cues for the understanding of disease onset or dopaminergic treatment mechanisms in major neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
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Baeken C, Marinazzo D, Claes S, Wu GR, Van Schuerbeek P, De Mey J, Luypaert R, De Raedt R. COMT Val(158)Met genotypes differentially influence subgenual cingulate functional connectivity in healthy females. Front Hum Neurosci 2014; 8:481. [PMID: 25071511 PMCID: PMC4074702 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain imaging studies have consistently shown subgenual Anterior Cingulate Cortical (sgACC) involvement in emotion processing. catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val(158) and Met(158) polymorphisms may influence such emotional brain processes in specific ways. Given that resting-state fMRI (rsfMRI) may increase our understanding on brain functioning, we integrated genetic and rsfMRI data and focused on sgACC functional connections. No studies have yet investigated the influence of the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism (rs4680) on sgACC resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in healthy individuals. A homogeneous group of 61 Caucasian right-handed healthy female university students, all within the same age range, underwent rsfMRI. Compared to Met(158) homozygotes, Val(158) allele carriers displayed significantly stronger rsFC between the sgACC and the left parahippocampal gyrus, ventromedial parts of the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and the nucleus accumbens (NAc). On the other hand, compared to Val(158) homozygotes, we found in Met(158) allele carriers stronger sgACC rsFC with the medial frontal gyrus (MFG), more in particular the anterior parts of the medial orbitofrontal cortex. Although we did not use emotional or cognitive tasks, our sgACC rsFC results point to possible distinct differences in emotional and cognitive processes between Val(158) and Met(158) allele carriers. However, the exact nature of these directions remains to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Baeken
- Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium ; Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZBrussel) Brussels, Belgium ; Ghent Experimental Psychiatry (GHEP) Lab, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
| | | | - Stephan Claes
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital (UZLeuven) Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guo-Rong Wu
- Department of Data Analysis, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium ; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University Chongqing, China
| | - Peter Van Schuerbeek
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University Hospital (UZBrussel) Brussels, Belgium
| | - Johan De Mey
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University Hospital (UZBrussel) Brussels, Belgium
| | - Robert Luypaert
- Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University Hospital (UZBrussel) Brussels, Belgium
| | - Rudi De Raedt
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium
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Strengthening connections: functional connectivity and brain plasticity. Neuropsychol Rev 2014; 24:63-76. [PMID: 24496903 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-014-9252-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/28/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The ascendancy of functional neuroimaging has facilitated the addition of network-based approaches to the neuropsychologist's toolbox for evaluating the sequelae of brain insult. In particular, intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) mapping of resting state fMRI (R-fMRI) data constitutes an ideal approach to measuring macro-scale networks in the human brain. Beyond the value of iFC mapping for charting how the functional topography of the brain is altered by insult and injury, iFC analyses can provide insights into experience-dependent plasticity at the macro level of large-scale functional networks. Such insights are foundational to the design of training and remediation interventions that will best facilitate recovery of function. In this review, we consider what is currently known about the origin and function of iFC in the brain, and how this knowledge is informative in neuropsychological settings. We then summarize studies that have examined experience-driven plasticity of iFC in healthy control participants, and frame these findings in terms of a schema that may aid in the interpretation of results and the generation of hypotheses for rehabilitative studies. Finally, we outline some caveats to the R-fMRI approach, as well as some current developments that are likely to bolster the utility of the iFC paradigm for neuropsychology.
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Pergola G, Suchan B. Associative learning beyond the medial temporal lobe: many actors on the memory stage. Front Behav Neurosci 2013; 7:162. [PMID: 24312029 PMCID: PMC3832901 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2013.00162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Decades of research have established a model that includes the medial temporal lobe, and particularly the hippocampus, as a critical node for episodic memory. Neuroimaging and clinical studies have shown the involvement of additional cortical and subcortical regions. Among these areas, the thalamus, the retrosplenial cortex, and the prefrontal cortices have been consistently related to episodic memory performance. This article provides evidences that these areas are in different forms and degrees critical for human memory function rather than playing only an ancillary role. First we briefly summarize the functional architecture of the medial temporal lobe with respect to recognition memory and recall. We then focus on the clinical and neuroimaging evidence available on thalamo-prefrontal and thalamo-retrosplenial networks. The role of these networks in episodic memory has been considered secondary, partly because disruption of these areas does not always lead to severe impairments; to account for this evidence, we discuss methodological issues related to the investigation of these regions. We propose that these networks contribute differently to recognition memory and recall, and also that the memory stage of their contribution shows specificity to encoding or retrieval in recall tasks. We note that the same mechanisms may be in force when humans perform non-episodic tasks, e.g., semantic retrieval and mental time travel. Functional disturbance of these networks is related to cognitive impairments not only in neurological disorders, but also in psychiatric medical conditions, such as schizophrenia. Finally we discuss possible mechanisms for the contribution of these areas to memory, including regulation of oscillatory rhythms and long-term potentiation. We conclude that integrity of the thalamo-frontal and the thalamo-retrosplenial networks is necessary for the manifold features of episodic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Pergola
- Department of Basic Medical Science, Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of Bari ‘Aldo Moro’, Bari, Italy
- Neuroscience Area, International School for Advanced Studies (SISSA), Trieste, Italy
| | - Boris Suchan
- Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Tian T, Qin W, Liu B, Wang D, Wang J, Jiang T, Yu C. Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism modulates gray matter volume and functional connectivity of the default mode network. PLoS One 2013; 8:e78697. [PMID: 24147141 PMCID: PMC3797700 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism on brain structure and function has been previously investigated separately and regionally; this prevents us from obtaining a full picture of the effect of this gene variant. Additionally, gender difference must not be overlooked because estrogen exerts an interfering effect on COMT activity. We examined 323 young healthy Chinese Han subjects and analyzed the gray matter volume (GMV) differences between Val/Val individuals and Met carriers in a voxel-wise manner throughout the whole brain. We were interested in genotype effects and genotype × gender interactions. We then extracted these brain regions with GMV differences as seeds to compute resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) with the rest of the brain; we also tested the genotypic differences and gender interactions in the rsFCs. Val/Val individuals showed decreased GMV in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) compared with Met carriers; decreased GMV in the medial superior frontal gyrus (mSFG) was found only in male Val/Val subjects. The rsFC analysis revealed that both the PCC and mSFG were functionally correlated with brain regions of the default mode network (DMN). Both of these regions showed decreased rsFCs with different parts of the frontopolar cortex of the DMN in Val/Val individuals than Met carriers. Our findings suggest that the COMT Val158Met polymorphism modulates both the structure and functional connectivity within the DMN and that gender interactions should be considered in studies of the effect of this genetic variant, especially those involving prefrontal morphology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tian
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Wen Qin
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Bing Liu
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dawei Wang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Junping Wang
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
- The Queensland Brain Institute, the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Chunshui Yu
- Department of Radiology and Tianjin Key Laboratory of Functional Imaging, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin, China
- * E-mail:
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Thompson PM, Ge T, Glahn DC, Jahanshad N, Nichols TE. Genetics of the connectome. Neuroimage 2013; 80:475-88. [PMID: 23707675 PMCID: PMC3905600 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2013.05.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2013] [Revised: 05/05/2013] [Accepted: 05/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Connectome genetics attempts to discover how genetic factors affect brain connectivity. Here we review a variety of genetic analysis methods--such as genome-wide association studies (GWAS), linkage and candidate gene studies--that have been fruitfully adapted to imaging data to implicate specific variants in the genome for brain-related traits. Studies that emphasized the genetic influences on brain connectivity. Some of these analyses of brain integrity and connectivity using diffusion MRI, and others have mapped genetic effects on functional networks using resting state functional MRI. Connectome-wide genome-wide scans have also been conducted, and we review the multivariate methods required to handle the extremely high dimension of the genomic and network data. We also review some consortium efforts, such as ENIGMA, that offer the power to detect robust common genetic associations using phenotypic harmonization procedures and meta-analysis. Current work on connectome genetics is advancing on many fronts and promises to shed light on how disease risk genes affect the brain. It is already discovering new genetic loci and even entire genetic networks that affect brain organization and connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Laboratory of NeuroImaging, Dept. of Neurology, UCLA School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Fallon SJ, Hampshire A, Williams-Gray CH, Barker RA, Owen AM. Putative cortical dopamine levels affect cortical recruitment during planning. Neuropsychologia 2013; 51:2194-201. [PMID: 23911779 PMCID: PMC3808120 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 07/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Planning, the decomposition of an ultimate goal into a number of sub-goals is critically dependent upon fronto-striatal dopamine (DA) levels. Here, we examined the extent to which the val158met polymorphism in the catechol O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene, which is thought to primarily alter cortical DA levels, affects performance and fronto-parietal activity during a planning task (Tower of London). COMT genotype was found to modulate activity in the left superior posterior parietal cortex (SPC) during planning, relative to subtracting, trials. Specifically, left SPC blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) response was reduced in groups with putatively low or high cortical DA levels (COMT homozygotes) relative to those with intermediate cortical DA levels (COMT heterozygotes). These set of results are argued to occur either due to differences in neuronal processing in planning (and perhaps subtracting) caused by the COMT genotype and/or the cognitively heterogeneous nature of the TOL, which allows different cognitive strategies to be used whilst producing indistinguishable behavioural performance in healthy adults. The implications of this result for our understanding of COMT's effect on cognition in health and disease are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Fallon
- Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, CB2 7EF, United Kingdom; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
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