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Zhou H, Cai S, Zhang X, Chen Y, Wang A. Cross-modal conflict deficit in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 243:105917. [PMID: 38579588 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105917] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
The difference between the audiovisual incongruent condition and the audiovisual congruent condition is known as cross-modal conflict, which is an important behavioral index to measure the conflict control function. Previous studies have found conflict control deficits in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but it is not clear whether and how cross-modal conflict occurs in children with ADHD at different processing levels. The current study adopted the cross-modal matching paradigm to recruit 25 children with ADHD (19 boys and 6 girls) and 24 TD children (17 boys and 7 girls), aiming to investigate the cross-modal conflict effect at the perception and response levels of children with ADHD. The results showed that both groups of children showed significant cross-modal conflict, and there was no significant difference between the ADHD and TD groups in the number of error trials and mean response time. However, the cross-modal conflict effect caused by auditory distractors was different between the ADHD and TD groups; the TD group had stronger auditory conflict at the response level, whereas the ADHD group had weaker auditory conflict. This indicates that the ADHD group had a deficit of auditory conflict at the response level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heng Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 101408, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Shizhong Cai
- Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215025, China
| | - Xianghui Zhang
- Department of Psychology, Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215025, China.
| | - Aijun Wang
- Department of Psychology, Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
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Li X, Cai S, Chen Y, Tian X, Wang A. Enhancement of visual dominance effects at the response level in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 242:105897. [PMID: 38461557 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have widely demonstrated that individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) exhibit deficits in conflict control tasks. However, there is limited evidence regarding the performance of children with ADHD in cross-modal conflict processing tasks. The current study aimed to investigate whether children with ADHD have poor conflict control, which has an impact on sensory dominance effects at different levels of information processing under the influence of visual similarity. A total of 82 children aged 7 to 14 years, including 41 children with ADHD and 41 age- and sex-matched typically developing (TD) children, were recruited. We used the 2:1 mapping paradigm to separate levels of conflict, and the congruency of the audiovisual stimuli was divided into three conditions. In C trials, the target stimulus and the distractor stimulus were identical, and the bimodal stimuli corresponded to the same response keys. In PRIC trials, the distractor stimulus differed from the target stimulus and did not correspond to any response keys. In RIC trials, the distractor stimulus differed from the target stimulus, and the bimodal stimuli corresponded to different response keys. Therefore, we explicitly differentiated cross-modal conflict into a preresponse level (PRIC > C), corresponding to the encoding process, and a response level (RIC > PRIC), corresponding to the response selection process. Our results suggested that auditory distractors caused more interference during visual processing than visual distractors caused during auditory processing (i.e., typical auditory dominance) at the preresponse level regardless of group. However, visual dominance effects were observed in the ADHD group, whereas no visual dominance effects were observed in the TD group at the response level. A possible explanation is that the increased interference effects due to visual similarity and children with ADHD made it more difficult to control conflict when simultaneously confronted with incongruent visual and auditory inputs. The current study highlights how children with ADHD process cross-modal conflicts at multiple levels of information processing, thereby shedding light on the mechanisms underlying ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Li
- Department of Psychology, Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
| | - Shizhong Cai
- Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215025, China
| | - Yan Chen
- Department of Child and Adolescent Healthcare, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215025, China.
| | - Xiaoming Tian
- Department of Psychology, Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215011, China.
| | - Aijun Wang
- Department of Psychology, Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China.
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Westwood SJ, Radua J, Rubia K. Noninvasive brain stimulation in children and adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2021; 46:E14-E33. [PMID: 33009906 PMCID: PMC7955851 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.190179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) or transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) could provide treatment alternatives to stimulant medication for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), given some evidence for improvements in cognition and clinical symptoms. However, despite a lack of solid evidence for their use, rTMS and tDCS are already offered clinically and commercially in ADHD. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to critically appraise rTMS and tDCS studies in ADHD to inform good research and clinical practice. METHODS A systematic search (up to February 2019) identified 18 studies (rTMS 4, tDCS 14; 311 children and adults with ADHD) stimulating mainly the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). We included 12 anodal tDCS studies (232 children and adults with ADHD) in 3 random-effects meta-analyses of cognitive measures of attention, inhibition and processing speed. RESULTS The review of rTMS and tDCS showed positive effects in some functions but not others, and little evidence for clinical improvement. The meta-analyses of 1 to 5 sessions of anodal tDCS over mainly the left or bilateral dlPFC showed trend-level improvements in inhibition and processing speed, but not in attention. LIMITATIONS Heterogeneity in stimulation parameters, patient age and outcome measures limited the interpretation of findings. CONCLUSION The review and meta-analysis showed limited evidence that 1 to 5 sessions of rTMS and tDCS, mostly of the dlPFC, improved clinical or cognitive measures of ADHD. These findings did not support using rTMS or tDCS of the dlPFC as an alternative neurotherapy for ADHD as yet. Larger, multi-session stimulation studies identifying more optimal sites and stimulation parameters in combination with cognitive training could achieve larger effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Westwood
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (Westwood, Rubia); the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain (Radua); the Mental Health Research Networking Centre (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain (Radua); the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Stockholm, Sweden (Radua); and the Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom (Radua)
| | - Joaquim Radua
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (Westwood, Rubia); the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain (Radua); the Mental Health Research Networking Centre (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain (Radua); the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Stockholm, Sweden (Radua); and the Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom (Radua)
| | - Katya Rubia
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom (Westwood, Rubia); the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain (Radua); the Mental Health Research Networking Centre (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain (Radua); the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Centre for Psychiatric Research and Education, Karolinska Institutet, Tomtebodavägen 18A, Stockholm, Sweden (Radua); and the Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De Crespigny Park, London, United Kingdom (Radua)
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Tistarelli N, Fagnani C, Troianiello M, Stazi MA, Adriani W. The nature and nurture of ADHD and its comorbidities: A narrative review on twin studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 109:63-77. [PMID: 31838192 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Revised: 12/06/2019] [Accepted: 12/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children worldwide, and also the recognition of its persistence into adulthood is increasing. While ADHD in childhood is highly heritable and mostly driven by familial factors, during adulthood it appears to show a lower heritability, even if there is not total agreement on this yet. This disorder often co-occurs with many other conditions, which also vary across the different stages of development, and several studies have used the twin design to investigate these comorbidities, giving valuable insights into the origins of the observed co-occurrence. This review aims to summarize the main results of twin research, according to the following domains: individual traits, cognitive impairment, behavioral manifestations, clinical conditions and psychosocial risk factors. Individual features seem to play a role in this symptomatology and include personality traits such as negative emotionality, personality disorders and temperamental dimensions with a predominance of novelty seeking. At a lower level, ADHD is associated with both functional and anatomic brain characteristics. ADHD is also associated with some forms of cognitive impairment, such as sluggish cognitive tempo, and learning disabilities, with a specific predisposition to reading disability. In addition, ADHD is strongly associated with externalizing disorders such as conduct disorder and oppositional defiant disorder, and some behavioral outcomes, particularly substance use and abuse both in adolescence and adulthood. Moreover, ADHD symptoms often overlap with other psychological disorders, namely affective and internalizing disorders, as well as autism spectrum disorder and autistic-like traits in a wider sense. Notably, a genetic overlap has been found between asthma and ADHD, particularly with respect to hyperactivity/impulsivity dimensions. ADHD also appears to represent a risk factor for disordered eating, and, more specifically, for binge eating and bulimia nervosa. Finally, among psychosocial factors, an association has been proposed between childhood maltreatment and ADHD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Tistarelli
- Department of Brain & Behavioral Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy
| | - Corrado Fagnani
- Center "Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health", Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Maria Antonietta Stazi
- Center "Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health", Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Walter Adriani
- Center "Behavioral Sciences and Mental Health", Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
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The Netherlands Twin Register: Longitudinal Research Based on Twin and Twin-Family Designs. Twin Res Hum Genet 2019; 22:623-636. [PMID: 31666148 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2019.93] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) is a national register in which twins, multiples and their parents, siblings, spouses and other family members participate. Here we describe the NTR resources that were created from more than 30 years of data collections; the development and maintenance of the newly developed database systems, and the possibilities these resources create for future research. Since the early 1980s, the NTR has enrolled around 120,000 twins and a roughly equal number of their relatives. The majority of twin families have participated in survey studies, and subsamples took part in biomaterial collection (e.g., DNA) and dedicated projects, for example, for neuropsychological, biomarker and behavioral traits. The recruitment into the NTR is all inclusive without any restrictions on enrollment. These resources - the longitudinal phenotyping, the extended pedigree structures and the multigeneration genotyping - allow for future twin-family research that will contribute to gene discovery, causality modeling, and studies of genetic and cultural inheritance.
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Soltaninejad Z, Nejati V, Ekhtiari H. Effect of Anodal and Cathodal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation on DLPFC on Modulation of Inhibitory Control in ADHD. J Atten Disord 2019; 23:325-332. [PMID: 26689935 DOI: 10.1177/1087054715618792] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to improve the inhibitory control functions through transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in adolescents with ADHD symptoms. METHOD Twenty high school students with ADHD symptoms participated in this single-blinded, crossover, sham-controlled study. All the participants were tested during the application of Stroop and Go/No-Go tasks that is used to measure inhibitory control, using 1.5 mA of tDCS for 15 min over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). RESULTS Anodal stimulation on left DLPFC had no effect on interference inhibition during the Stroop task and increased the proportion of correct responses in the "Go stage" of the Go/No-Go test compared with sham condition. Cathodal stimulation on the left DLPFC increased the inhibition accuracy in the inhibition stage during Go/No-Go task in comparison with sham. CONCLUSION tDCS over the left DLPFC of adolescents who suffer from ADHD symptoms can improve inhibitory control in prepotent response inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hamed Ekhtiari
- 2 Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran.,3 Institute for Cognitive Science Studies, Tehran, Iran
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McKenna R, Rushe T, Woodcock KA. Informing the Structure of Executive Function in Children: A Meta-Analysis of Functional Neuroimaging Data. Front Hum Neurosci 2017; 11:154. [PMID: 28439231 PMCID: PMC5383671 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The structure of executive function (EF) has been the focus of much debate for decades. What is more, the complexity and diversity provided by the developmental period only adds to this contention. The development of executive function plays an integral part in the expression of children's behavioral, cognitive, social, and emotional capabilities. Understanding how these processes are constructed during development allows for effective measurement of EF in this population. This meta-analysis aims to contribute to a better understanding of the structure of executive function in children. A coordinate-based meta-analysis was conducted (using BrainMap GingerALE 2.3), which incorporated studies administering functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during inhibition, switching, and working memory updating tasks in typical children (aged 6-18 years). The neural activation common across all executive tasks was compared to that shared by tasks pertaining only to inhibition, switching or updating, which are commonly considered to be fundamental executive processes. Results support the existence of partially separable but partially overlapping inhibition, switching, and updating executive processes at a neural level, in children over 6 years. Further, the shared neural activation across all tasks (associated with a proposed "unitary" component of executive function) overlapped to different degrees with the activation associated with each individual executive process. These findings provide evidence to support the suggestion that one of the most influential structural models of executive functioning in adults can also be applied to children of this age. However, the findings also call for careful consideration and measurement of both specific executive processes, and unitary executive function in this population. Furthermore, a need is highlighted for a new systematic developmental model, which captures the integrative nature of executive function in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Róisín McKenna
- School of Psychology, Queen's UniversityBelfast, Northern Ireland
| | | | - Kate A. Woodcock
- School of Psychology, Queen's UniversityBelfast, Northern Ireland
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Familial risk and ADHD-specific neural activity revealed by case-control, discordant twin pair design. Psychiatry Res 2015; 233:458-65. [PMID: 26256128 PMCID: PMC4898056 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2015.07.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2014] [Revised: 05/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/10/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with ADHD, as well as their family members who do not meet clinical criteria, have shown deficits in executive function. However, it remains unclear whether underlying neural alterations are familial or ADHD-specific. To investigate this issue, neural activation underlying executive function was assessed using functional magnetic resonance imaging during performance of a Stroop task in three groups of individuals: 20 young adults who were diagnosed with ADHD in childhood, their 20 dizygotic co-twins without ADHD in childhood, and 20 unrelated controls selected from dizygotic twin pairs in which neither twin had ADHD in childhood (total n=60). Implicating the frontoparietal network as a location of effects specific to ADHD, activation in the superior frontal (Brodmann's Area - BA 6) and parietal regions (BA 40) was significantly reduced in twins with childhood ADHD compared to both their control co-twins and unrelated control twins. Consistent with familial influences, activity in the anterior cingulate and insula was significantly reduced in both the twins with ADHD and their co-twins compared to the unrelated controls. These results show that both ADHD-specific and familial influences related to an ADHD diagnosis impact neural systems underlying executive function.
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Wade M, Prime H, Madigan S. Using Sibling Designs to Understand Neurodevelopmental Disorders: From Genes and Environments to Prevention Programming. BIOMED RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2015; 2015:672784. [PMID: 26258141 PMCID: PMC4518166 DOI: 10.1155/2015/672784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders represent a broad class of childhood neurological conditions that have a significant bearing on the wellbeing of children, families, and communities. In this review, we draw on evidence from two common and widely studied neurodevelopmental disorders-autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)-to demonstrate the utility of genetically informed sibling designs in uncovering the nature and pathogenesis of these conditions. Specifically, we examine how twin, recurrence risk, and infant prospective tracking studies have contributed to our understanding of genetic and environmental liabilities towards neurodevelopmental morbidity through their impact on neurocognitive processes and structural/functional neuroanatomy. It is suggested that the siblings of children with ASD and ADHD are at risk not only of clinically elevated problems in these areas, but also of subthreshold symptoms and/or subtle impairments in various neurocognitive skills and other domains of psychosocial health. Finally, we close with a discussion on the practical relevance of sibling designs and how these might be used in the service of early screening, prevention, and intervention efforts that aim to alleviate the negative downstream consequences associated with disorders of neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Wade
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street W., Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1V6
| | - Heather Prime
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, 252 Bloor Street W., Toronto, ON, Canada M5S 1V6
| | - Sheri Madigan
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 1N4
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Fassbender C, Krafft CE, Schweitzer JB. Differentiating SCT and inattentive symptoms in ADHD using fMRI measures of cognitive control. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2015; 8:390-7. [PMID: 26106564 PMCID: PMC4474281 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Revised: 04/24/2015] [Accepted: 05/17/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with different impairment profiles in the symptom domains of hyperactivity/impulsivity and/or inattention. An additional symptom domain of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) has also been proposed. Although there is a degree of correlation between the SCT symptom domain and inattention, it has been proposed as a distinct disorder independent of ADHD. The objective of this study was to examine the neural substrates of cue-related preparatory processes associated with SCT symptoms versus inattentive symptoms in a group of adolescents with ADHD. We also compared cue-related effects in the entire ADHD group compared with a group of typically developing (TD) peers. A modified cued flanker paradigm and fMRI examined brain activity associated with attention preparation and motor response preparation. Between group contrasts between the ADHD and TD group revealed significant hypoactivity in the ADHD group during general attention preparation in the supplementary motor area (SMA) and in the right superior parietal lobe (SPL) during response preparation. In the ADHD group, greater numbers of SCT symptoms were associated with hypoactivity in the left SPL to cues in general whereas greater numbers of inattentive symptoms were associated with greater activity in the SMA to cues that provided no information and less activity in the thalamus during response preparation. Hypoactivity in the SPL with increasing SCT symptoms may be associated with impaired reorienting or shifting of attention. Altered activity in the SMA and thalamus with increasing inattention may be associated with a general problem with response preparation, which may also reflect inefficient processing of the response preparation cue. Our results support a degree of differentiation between SCT and inattentive symptom profiles within adolescents with ADHD. We examine cognitive control activity in ADHD SCT versus inattentive symptomatology. An increase in SCT symptoms was associated with impaired attention orienting. More inattentive symptoms were associated with impaired response preparation. SCT activity differed from inattentive activity in adolescents with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Fassbender
- University of California Davis MIND Institute, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Cynthia E Krafft
- University of California Davis MIND Institute, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
| | - Julie B Schweitzer
- University of California Davis MIND Institute, UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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11
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Preliminary findings on the heritability of the neural correlates of response inhibition. Biol Psychol 2014; 103:19-23. [PMID: 25101865 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2014.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2013] [Revised: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 07/26/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Imaging genetics examines genetic influences on brain structure and function. This preliminary study tested a fundamental assumption of that approach by estimating the heritability of the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal during antisaccades, a measure of response inhibition impaired in different psychiatric conditions. One hundred thirty-two healthy same-sex reared-together twins (90 monozygotic (MZ; 32 male) and 42 dizygotic (DZ; 24 male)) performed antisaccades in the laboratory. Of these, 96 twins (60 MZ, 28 male; 36 DZ, 22 male) subsequently underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during antisaccades. Variation in antisaccade direction errors in the laboratory showed significant heritability (47%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 22-65). In fMRI, the contrast of antisaccades with prosaccades yielded BOLD signal in fronto-parietal-subcortical networks. Twin modelling provided tentative evidence of significant heritability (50%, 95% CI: 18-72) of BOLD in the left thalamus only. However, due to the limited power to detect heritability in this study, replications in larger samples are needed.
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12
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Mevel K, Fransson P, Bölte S. Multimodal brain imaging in autism spectrum disorder and the promise of twin research. AUTISM : THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND PRACTICE 2014; 19:527-41. [PMID: 24916451 DOI: 10.1177/1362361314535510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Current evidence suggests the phenotype of autism spectrum disorder to be driven by a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors impacting onto brain maturation, synaptic function, and cortical networks. However, findings are heterogeneous, and the exact neurobiological pathways of autism spectrum disorder still remain poorly understood. The co-twin control or twin-difference design is a potentially powerful tool to disentangle causal genetic and environmental contributions on neurodevelopment in autism spectrum disorder. To this end, monozygotic twins discordant for this condition provide unique means for the maximum control of potentially confounding factors. Unfortunately, only few studies of a rather narrow scope, and limited sample size, have been conducted. In an attempt to highlight the great potential of combining the brain connectome approach with monozygotic twin design, we first give an overview of the existing neurobiological evidence for autism spectrum disorder and its cognitive correlates. Then, a special focus is made onto the brain imaging findings reported within populations of monozygotic twins phenotypically discordant for autism spectrum disorder. Finally, we introduce the brain connectome model and describe an ongoing project using this approach among the largest cohort of monozygotic twins discordant for autism spectrum disorder ever recruited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katell Mevel
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden CNRS UMR 8240, University of Caen Basse-Normandie and University of Paris Descartes - Sorbonne Paris Cité, France
| | - Peter Fransson
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
| | - Sven Bölte
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Stockholm County Council, Sweden
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Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders affect a substantial minority of the general population. Their origins are still largely unknown, but a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors causing disturbances of the central nervous system's maturation and a variety of higher cognitive skills is presumed. Only limited research of rather small sample size and narrow scope has been conducted in neurodevelopmental disorders using a twin-differences design. The Roots of Autism and ADHD Twin Study in Sweden (RATSS) is an ongoing project targeting monozygotic twins discordant for categorical or dimensional autistic and inattentive/hyperactive-impulsive phenotypes as well as other neurodevelopmental disorders, and typically developing twin controls. Included pairs are 9 years of age or older, and comprehensively assessed for psychopathology, medical history, neuropsychology, and dysmorphology, as well as structural, functional, and molecular brain imaging. Specimens are collected for induced pluripotent (iPS) and neuroepithelial stem cells, genetic, gut bacteria, protein-/monoamine, and electron microscopy analyses. RATSS's objective is to generate a launch pad for novel surveys to understand the complexity of genotype-environment-phenotype interactions in autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By October 2013, RATSS had collected data from 55 twin pairs, among them 10 monozygotic pairs discordant for autism spectrum disorder, seven for ADHD, and four for other neurodevelopmental disorders. This article describes the design, recruitment, data collection, measures, collected pairs' characteristics, as well as ongoing and planned analyses in RATSS. Potential gains of the study comprise the identification of environmentally mediated biomarkers, the emergence of candidates for drug development, translational modeling, and new leads for prevention of incapacitating outcomes.
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Hulvershorn LA, Mennes M, Castellanos FX, Di Martino A, Milham MP, Hummer TA, Roy AK. Abnormal amygdala functional connectivity associated with emotional lability in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2014; 53:351-61.e1. [PMID: 24565362 PMCID: PMC3961844 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.11.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2013] [Revised: 09/05/2013] [Accepted: 12/12/2013] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE A substantial proportion of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also display emotion regulation deficits manifesting as chronic irritability, severe temper outbursts, and aggression. The amygdala is implicated in emotion regulation, but its connectivity and relation to emotion regulation in ADHD has yet to be explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of amygdala circuits and emotion regulation deficits in youth with ADHD. METHOD Bilateral amygdala iFC was examined using functional magnetic resonance imaging in 63 children with ADHD, aged 6 to 13 years. First, we examined the relationship between amygdala IFC and parent ratings of emotional lability (EL) in children with ADHD. Second, we compared amygdala iFC across subgroups of children with ADHD and high EL (n = 18), ADHD and low EL (n = 20), and typically developing children (TDC), all with low EL (n = 19). RESULTS Higher EL ratings were associated with greater positive iFC between the amygdala and rostral anterior cingulate cortex in youth with ADHD. EL scores were also negatively associated with iFC between bilateral amygdala and posterior insula/superior temporal gyrus. Patterns of amygdala-cortical iFC in ADHD participants with low EL were not different from the comparison group, and the effect sizes for these comparisons were smaller than those for the trend-level differences observed between the high-EL and TDC groups. CONCLUSIONS In children with ADHD and a range of EL, deficits in emotion regulation were associated with altered amygdala-cortical iFC. When comparing groups that differed on ADHD status but not EL, differences in amygdala iFC were small and nonsignificant, highlighting the specificity of this finding to emotional deficits, independent of other ADHD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Maarten Mennes
- Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience, New York University Child Study Center. Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre
| | - F. Xavier Castellanos
- Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience, New York University Child Study Center. Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research
| | - Adriana Di Martino
- Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience, New York University Child Study Center
| | - Michael P. Milham
- Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research. Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute
| | - Tom A. Hummer
- Indiana University School of Medicine, Riley Hospital for Children
| | - Amy Krain Roy
- Phyllis Green and Randolph Cowen Institute for Pediatric Neuroscience, New York University Child Study Center. Fordham University
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15
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Kan KJ, Dolan CV, Nivard MG, Middeldorp CM, van Beijsterveldt CEM, Willemsen G, Boomsma DI. Genetic and environmental stability in attention problems across the lifespan: evidence from the Netherlands twin register. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2013; 52:12-25. [PMID: 23265630 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2012.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2012] [Revised: 09/19/2012] [Accepted: 10/16/2012] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review findings on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and attention problems (AP) in children, adolescents, and adults, as established in the database of the Netherlands Twin Register and increase the understanding of stability in AP across the lifespan as a function of genetic and environmental influences. METHOD A longitudinal model was fitted on Netherlands Twin Register AP scores from 44,607 child (<12-year-old), adolescent (12- to 18-year-old), and adult (>18-year-old) twins. RESULTS Mean AP showed a downward trend with age. Age-to-age correlations ranged from 0.33 (50-≥60 years old) to 0.73 (10-12 years old). Stability in individual differences in AP was due to genetic and environmental factors, and change was due primarily to environmental factors. Nonadditive genetic influences were present from childhood to adulthood. Total genetic variance decreased slightly throughout aging, whereas environmental variance increased substantially with the switch from maternal to self-ratings at 12 years of age. As a result, heritability coefficients decreased from 0.70 to 0.74 in childhood (maternal ratings) to 0.51 to 0.56 in adolescence (self-ratings), and 0.40 to 0.54 in adulthood (self-ratings). In childhood, male subjects scored higher than female subjects. After the rater switch at 12 years of age, female subjects tended to score higher than male subjects. CONCLUSIONS Stability of AP is the result of genetic and environmental stability. The decrease in estimated heritability at 12 years of age is due to an increase in occasion-specific environmental variance and likely reflects a methodologic effect. Because environmental influences have lasting effects on AP, their early detection is crucial.
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16
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Brain activation during response interference in twins discordant or concordant for obsessive compulsive symptoms. Twin Res Hum Genet 2012; 15:372-83. [PMID: 22856371 DOI: 10.1017/thg.2012.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
One of the core behavioral features associated with obsessive compulsive symptomatology is the inability to inhibit thoughts and/or behaviors. Neuroimaging studies have indicated abnormalities in frontostriatal and dorsolateral prefrontal - anterior cingulate circuits during inhibitory control in patients with obsessive compulsive disorder compared with controls. In the present study, task performance and brain activation during Stroop color-word and Flanker interference were compared within monozygotic twin pairs discordant for obsessive compulsive symptoms and between groups of pairs scoring very low or very high on obsessive compulsive symptoms, in order to examine the differential impact of non-shared environmental versus genetic risk factors for obsessive compulsive symptomatology on inhibitory control related functional brain activation. Although performance was intact, brain activation during inhibition of distracting information differed between obsessive compulsive symptom high-scoring compared to low-scoring subjects. Regions affected in the discordant group (e.g., temporal and anterior cingulate gyrus) were partly different from those observed to be affected in the concordant groups (e.g., parietal gyrus and thalamus). A robust increase in dorsolateral prefrontal activity during response interference was observed in both the high-scoring twins of the discordant sample and the high-scoring twins of the concordant sample, marking this structure as a possible key region for disturbances in inhibitory control in obsessive compulsive disorder.
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Booij L, Turecki G, Leyton M, Gravel P, Lopez De Lara C, Diksic M, Benkelfat C. Tryptophan hydroxylase(2) gene polymorphisms predict brain serotonin synthesis in the orbitofrontal cortex in humans. Mol Psychiatry 2012; 17:809-17. [PMID: 21747395 DOI: 10.1038/mp.2011.79] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Brain regional serotonin synthesis can be estimated in vivo using positron emission tomography (PET) and α-[((11))C]methyl-L-tryptophan ((11)C-AMT) trapping (K*) as a proxy. Recently, we reported evidence of lower normalized (11)C-AMT trapping in the orbitofrontal cortex (OBFC) of subjects meeting the criteria for an impulsive and/or aggressive behavioral phenotype. In this study, we examined whether part of the variance in OBFC serotonin synthesis is related to polymorphisms of the gene that encodes for the indoleamine's rate-limiting enzyme in the brain, tryptophan hydroxylase-2 (TPH(2)). In all, 46 healthy controls had PET (11)C-AMT scans and were genotyped for 11 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed across the TPH(2) gene and its 5' upstream region. Several TPH(2) SNPs were associated with lower normalized blood-to-brain clearance of (11)C-AMT in the OBFC. Dose-effect relationships were found for two variants (rs6582071 and rs4641527, respectively, located in the 5' upstream region and intron 1) that have previously been associated with suicide. Associations in the OBFC remained statistically significant in a mixed larger sample of patients and controls. These results suggest that in humans, genetic factors might partly account for variations in serotonin synthesis in the OBFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Booij
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
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18
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De novo and inherited CNVs in MZ twin pairs selected for discordance and concordance on Attention Problems. Eur J Hum Genet 2012; 20:1037-43. [PMID: 22490988 PMCID: PMC3449078 DOI: 10.1038/ejhg.2012.49] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Copy number variations (CNVs) have been reported to be causal suspects in a variety of psychopathologic traits. We investigate whether de novo and/or inherited CNVs contribute to the risk for Attention Problems (APs) in children. Based on longitudinal phenotyping, 50 concordant and discordant monozygotic (MZ) twin pairs were selected from a sample of ∼3200 MZ pairs. Two types of de novo CNVs were investigated: (1) CNVs shared by both MZ twins, but not inherited (pre-twinning de novo CNVs), which were detected by comparing copy number (CN) calls between parents and twins and (2) CNVs not shared by co-twins (post-twinning de novo CNVs), which were investigated by comparing the CN calls within MZ pairs. The association between the overall CNV burden and AP was also investigated for CNVs genome-wide, CNVs within genes and CNVs outside of genes. Two de novo CNVs were identified and validated using quantitative PCR: a pre-twinning de novo duplication in a concordant-unaffected twin pair and a post-twinning deletion in the higher scoring twin from a concordant-affected pair. For the overall CNV burden analyses, affected individuals had significantly larger CNVs that overlapped with genes than unaffected individuals (P=0.008). This study suggests that the presence of larger CNVs may increase the risk for AP, because they are more likely to affect genes, and confirms that MZ twins are not always genetically identical.
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Huang J, Yang BR, Zou XB, Jing J, Pen G, McAlonan GM, Chan RCK. Temporal processing impairment in children with attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2012; 33:538-548. [PMID: 22119703 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2011.10.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2011] [Revised: 10/25/2011] [Accepted: 10/26/2011] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
The current study aimed to investigate temporal processing in Chinese children with Attention-Deficit-Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD) using time production, time reproduction paradigm and duration discrimination tasks. A battery of tests specifically designed to measure temporal processing was administered to 94 children with ADHD and 100 demographically matched healthy children. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and a repeated measure MANOVA indicated that children with ADHD were impaired in time processing functions. The results of pairwise comparisons showed that the probands with a family history of ADHD performed significantly worse than those without family history in the time production tasks and the time reproduction task. Logistic regression analysis showed duration discrimination had a significant role in predicting whether the children were suffering from ADHD or not, while temporal processing had a significant role in predicting whether the ADHD children had a family history or not. This study provides further support for the existence of a generic temporal processing impairment in ADHD children and suggests that abnormalities in time processing and ADHD share some common genetic factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jia Huang
- Neuropsychology and Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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20
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Evidence for a causal association of low birth weight and attention problems. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2011; 50:1247-54.e2. [PMID: 22115145 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2011.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2011] [Revised: 08/05/2011] [Accepted: 09/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Low birth weight (LBW) is associated with attention problems (AP) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The etiology of this association is unclear. We investigate whether there is a causal influence of birth weight (BW) on AP and whether the BW effect is mediated by catch-up growth (CUG) in low-BW children. METHOD Longitudinal data from >29,000 twins registered with the Netherlands Twin Register with BW ≥1,500 g and gestational age (GA) ≥32 weeks were analyzed with the cotwin control method. Hyperactivity and AP were assessed at ages 3, 7, 10, and 12 years; weight was assessed at birth and age 2 years. RESULTS Children in the lowest BW category of 1,500 to 2,000 g scored 0.18 to 0.37 standard deviations (SD) higher on AP than children in the reference category of 3,000 to 3,500 g. This effect was present in term-born and preterm-born children. Importantly, in BW discordant monozygotic (MZ), dizygotic (DZ), and unrelated (UR) pairs, the child with the lower BW scored higher on hyperactivity and AP than the child with the higher BW and within-pair differences were similar for MZ, DZ, and UR pairs. This pattern is consistent with a causal effect of BW on AP. MZ and DZ twin pairs concordant for LBW but discordant for CUG showed similar AP scores, thus ruling out any effect of CUG on AP. CONCLUSIONS These results strongly indicate that the association of birth weight and AP represents a causal relationship. The effects of BW are not explained by CUG in LBW children.
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White matter differences in monozygotic twins discordant or concordant for obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a combined diffusion tensor imaging/voxel-based morphometry study. Biol Psychiatry 2011; 70:969-77. [PMID: 21549354 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.03.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2010] [Revised: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 03/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neuroimaging studies of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) patients point to deficits in cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical circuits that might include changes in white matter. The contribution of environmental and genetic factors to the various OCD-related changes in brain structures remains to be established. METHODS White matter structures were analyzed in 140 subjects with both diffusion tensor imaging and voxel-based morphometry. We studied 20 monozygotic twin pairs discordant for obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) to detect the effects of environmental risk factors for obsessive-compulsive (OC) symptomatology. Furthermore, we compared 28 monozygotic twin pairs concordant for low OCS scores with 23 twin pairs concordant for high OCS scores to detect the effects of genetic risk factors for OC symptomatology. RESULTS Discordant pair analysis showed that the environmental risk was associated with an increase in dorsolateral-prefrontal white matter. Analysis of concordant pairs showed that the genetic risk was associated with a decrease in inferior frontal white matter. Various white matter tracts showed opposite effects of environmental and genetic risk factors (e.g., right medial frontal, left parietal, and right middle temporal), illustrating the need for designs that separate these classes of risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Different white matter regions were affected by environmental and genetic risk factors for OC symptomatology, but both classes of risk factors might, in aggregate, create an imbalance between the indirect loop of the cortico-striato-thalamo-cortical network (to the dorsolateral-prefrontal region)-important for inhibition and switching between behaviors-and the direct loop (involving the inferior frontal region) that contributes to the initiation and continuation of behaviors.
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22
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van Mourik R, Sergeant JA, Heslenfeld D, Konig C, Oosterlaan J. Auditory conflict processing in ADHD. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2011; 52:265-74. [PMID: 21073461 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02339.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Impaired cognitive control has been implicated as an important developmental pathway to attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Cognitive control is crucial to suppress interference resulting from conflicting information and can be measured by Stroop-like tasks. This study was conducted to gain insight into conflict processing in children with ADHD. METHODS Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in an auditory Stroop task. Twenty-four children with ADHD were compared with 24 control children (aged 8-12 years). RESULTS No deficit in interference control was found on the auditory Stroop task in children with ADHD. Children with ADHD responded more slowly, less accurately and more variably compared to controls. No differences between the groups occurred in the early conflict-related ERPs. However, the difference between the congruent and the incongruent condition in the 450-550 ms time window was absent in the ADHD group compared to controls. In addition, the conflict sustained potential was found frontally in the ADHD group but parietally in the control group. CONCLUSIONS These ERP findings suggest that children with ADHD evaluate conflict to a lesser extent and differ in the way their brains select appropriate responses during conflict compared with controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosa van Mourik
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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23
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den Braber A, van 't Ent D, Cath DC, Wagner J, Boomsma DI, de Geus EJC. Brain activation during cognitive planning in twins discordant or concordant for obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Brain 2010; 133:3123-40. [PMID: 20823085 PMCID: PMC2947427 DOI: 10.1093/brain/awq229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies have indicated abnormalities in cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical circuits in patients with obsessive–compulsive disorder compared with controls. However, there are inconsistencies between studies regarding the exact set of brain structures involved and the direction of anatomical and functional changes. These inconsistencies may reflect the differential impact of environmental and genetic risk factors for obsessive–compulsive disorder on different parts of the brain. To distinguish between functional brain changes underlying environmentally and genetically mediated obsessive–compulsive disorder, we compared task performance and brain activation during a Tower of London planning paradigm in monozygotic twins discordant (n = 38) or concordant (n = 100) for obsessive–compulsive symptoms. Twins who score high on obsessive–compulsive symptoms can be considered at high risk for obsessive–compulsive disorder. We found that subjects at high risk for obsessive–compulsive disorder did not differ from the low-risk subjects behaviourally, but we obtained evidence that the high-risk subjects differed from the low-risk subjects in the patterns of brain activation accompanying task execution. These regions can be separated into those that were affected by mainly environmental risk (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and lingual cortex), genetic risk (frontopolar cortex, inferior frontal cortex, globus pallidus and caudate nucleus) and regions affected by both environmental and genetic risk factors (cingulate cortex, premotor cortex and parts of the parietal cortex). Our results suggest that neurobiological changes related to obsessive–compulsive symptoms induced by environmental factors involve primarily the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, whereas neurobiological changes induced by genetic factors involve orbitofrontal–basal ganglia structures. Regions showing similar changes in high-risk twins from discordant and concordant pairs may be part of compensatory networks that keep planning performance intact, in spite of cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anouk den Braber
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University, van der Boechorststraat 1, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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24
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Nigg J, Nikolas M, Burt SA. Measured gene-by-environment interaction in relation to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2010; 49:863-73. [PMID: 20732623 PMCID: PMC2928573 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2010.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 181] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2009] [Revised: 12/21/2009] [Accepted: 03/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To summarize and evaluate the state of knowledge regarding the role of measured gene-by-environment interactions in relation to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. METHOD A selective review of methodologic issues was followed by a systematic search for relevant articles on measured gene-by-environment interactions; the search yielded 16 studies, which are discussed in qualitative fashion. RESULTS Relatively consistent evidence points to the interaction of genotype with psychosocial factors in the development of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The next step is to identify the mechanisms on the environment side and the gene combinations on the genetic side accounting for this effect. In contrast, evidence for gene-by-environment interactions involving pre- and perinatal risk factors is generally negative or unreplicated. The aggregate effect size for psychosocial interaction with genotype is more than double that for the interaction of pre- and perinatal risks with genotype. Only a small fraction of candidate environments and gene markers has been studied, and multivariate methods to integrate multiple gene or environment markers have yet to be implemented. CONCLUSIONS Gene-by-environment interaction appears likely to prove fruitful in understanding the etiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Findings to date already suggest new avenues of investigation particularly involving psychosocial mechanisms and their interplay with genotype. Further pursuit of theoretically promising leads is recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joel Nigg
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health and Science University, 3181 Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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25
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Willemsen G, de Geus EJC, Bartels M, van Beijsterveldt CEMT, Brooks AI, Estourgie-van Burk GF, Fugman DA, Hoekstra C, Hottenga JJ, Kluft K, Meijer P, Montgomery GW, Rizzu P, Sondervan D, Smit AB, Spijker S, Suchiman HED, Tischfield JA, Lehner T, Slagboom PE, Boomsma DI. The Netherlands Twin Register biobank: a resource for genetic epidemiological studies. Twin Res Hum Genet 2010; 13:231-45. [PMID: 20477721 DOI: 10.1375/twin.13.3.231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
In 2004 the Netherlands Twin Register (NTR) started a large scale biological sample collection in twin families to create a resource for genetic studies on health, lifestyle and personality. Between January 2004 and July 2008, adult participants from NTR research projects were invited into the study. During a home visit between 7:00 and 10:00 am, fasting blood and morning urine samples were collected. Fertile women were bled on day 2-4 of the menstrual cycle, or in their pill-free week. Biological samples were collected for DNA isolation, gene expression studies, creation of cell lines and for biomarker assessment. At the time of blood sampling, additional phenotypic information concerning health, medication use, body composition and smoking was collected. Of the participants contacted, 69% participated. Blood and urine samples were collected in 9,530 participants (63% female, average age 44.4 (SD 15.5) years) from 3,477 families. Lipid profile, glucose, insulin, HbA1c, haematology, CRP, fibrinogen, liver enzymes and creatinine have been assessed. Longitudinal survey data on health, personality and lifestyle are currently available for 90% of all participants. Genome-wide SNP data are available for 3,524 participants, with additional genotyping ongoing. The NTR biobank, combined with the extensive phenotypic information available within the NTR, provides a valuable resource for the study of genetic determinants of individual differences in mental and physical health. It offers opportunities for DNA-based and gene expression studies as well as for future metabolomic and proteomic projects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
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Siebner HR, Callicott JH, Sommer T, Mattay VS. From the genome to the phenome and back: linking genes with human brain function and structure using genetically informed neuroimaging. Neuroscience 2009; 164:1-6. [PMID: 19751805 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2009.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, an array of brain mapping techniques has been successfully employed to link individual differences in circuit function or structure in the living human brain with individual variations in the human genome. Several proof-of-principle studies provided converging evidence that brain imaging can establish important links between genes and behaviour. The overarching goal is to use genetically informed brain imaging to pinpoint neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to behavioural intermediate phenotypes or disease states. This special issue on "Linking Genes to Brain Function in Health and Disease" provides an overview over how the "imaging genetics" approach is currently applied in the various fields of systems neuroscience to reveal the genetic underpinnings of complex behaviours and brain diseases. While the rapidly emerging field of imaging genetics holds great promise, the integration of genetic and neuroimaging data also poses major methodological and conceptual challenges. Therefore, this special issue also focuses on how these challenges can be met to fully exploit the synergism of genetically informed brain imaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- H R Siebner
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Hvidovre Hospital, Copenhagen University, Denmark.
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