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Chen G, Li L, Sun T, Jiang C, Xu W, Chen S, Hu C, Yue Y, Wang T, Jiang W, Yuan Y. The Interaction of LAMA2 and Duration of Illness Affects the Thickness of the Right Transverse Temporal Gyrus in Major Depressive Disorder. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2023; 19:2807-2816. [PMID: 38144699 PMCID: PMC10749177 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s435025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Depression is a heritable brain disorder. Laminin genes were recently identified to affect the brain's overall thickness through neurogenesis, differentiation, and migration in depression. This study aims to explore the effects of the LAMA2's single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), a subunit gene of laminin, on the detected brain regions of patients with major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods The study included 89 patients with MDD and 60 healthy controls with T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging and blood samples for genotyping. The interactions between LAMA2 gene SNPs and diagnosis as well as duration of illness (DOI) were explored on brain measures controlled for age, gender, and site. Results The right transverse temporal gyrus and right parahippocampal gyrus showed reduced thickness in MDD. Almost all seven LAMA2 SNPs showed significant interactions with diagnosis on both gyrus (corrected p < 0.05 or trending). In MDD, rs6569604, rs2229848, rs2229849, rs2229850, and rs2784895 interacted with DOI on the right transverse temporal gyrus (corrected p < 0.05), but not the right parahippocampal gyrus. Conclusion The thickness of the right transverse temporal gyrus in patients with MDD may be affected by LAMA2 gene and DOI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Chen
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Medical Psychology, Huai’an NO 3 People’s Hospital, Huaian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Li
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Sleep Medicine, The Fourth People’s Hospital of Lianyungang, Lianyungang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Taipeng Sun
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Department of Medical Psychology, Huai’an NO 3 People’s Hospital, Huaian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chenguang Jiang
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wei Xu
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Suzhen Chen
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Changchun Hu
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yingying Yue
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Tianyu Wang
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Wenhao Jiang
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yonggui Yuan
- Department of Psychosomatics and Psychiatry, ZhongDa Hospital, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
- Institute of Psychosomatics, School of Medicine, Southeast University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, People’s Republic of China
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Misir E, Ozbek MM, Halac E, Turan S, Alkas GE, Ciray RO, Ermis C. The effects of catechol-O-methyltransferase single nucleotide polymorphisms on positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psych J 2022; 11:779-791. [PMID: 35642295 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene is thought to have an important role in the etiopathogenesis of schizophrenia, but there are conflicting results regarding its role in clinical presentation. We aimed to elucidate the relationship between the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the COMT gene and the severity of positive and negative symptoms. In order to investigate the relationship, the PubMed, PubMed Central, Scopus, and Cochrane CENTRAL databases were screened for eligible articles. Thirty-eight studies, including 4443 adult patients with schizophrenia, were included in the quantitative analyses, and four studies were qualitatively assessed. Quantitative analyses were performed for acutely ill and clinically stable patient subgroups regarding the different genotypes of rs4680 SNP. Our results showed that the severity of negative symptoms was higher in patients who were rs4680 Met homozygous compared to Val/Met heterozygotes only in acutely ill samples. There was no other significant difference between genotypes. Meta-regression did not reveal any significant moderator effect on the difference in negative symptoms. General psychopathology, positive, negative, and total psychotic symptom levels also were similar between Val homozygotes and Met carriers. Nonetheless, there are some limitations in the study. First, SNPs except for rs4680 were under-researched because of the limited number of studies. Second, high heterogeneity across studies was the main concern. Our results suggested that the COMT rs4680 Met allele was associated with higher levels of negative symptoms within acutely ill patients. Future studies should focus on specific patient subgroups to reveal the moderating effects of SNPs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Misir
- Department of Psychiatry, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey
| | | | - Eren Halac
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Dokuz Eylul University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Serkan Turan
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Uludağ University Faculty of Medicine, Bursa, Turkey
| | - Gokce Elif Alkas
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Bakırköy Mazhar Osman Mental Health and Neurological Diseases Education and Research Hospital, İstanbul, Turkey
| | - Remzi Ogulcan Ciray
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Mardin State Hospital, Mardin, Turkey
| | - Cagatay Ermis
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Clinic, Diyarbakır Children Hospital, Diyarbakır, Turkey
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Effects of COMT rs4680 and BDNF rs6265 polymorphisms on brain degree centrality in Han Chinese adults who lost their only child. Transl Psychiatry 2020; 10:46. [PMID: 32066722 PMCID: PMC7026113 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-020-0728-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2019] [Revised: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Losing one's only child is a major traumatic life event that may lead to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, not all parents who experience this trauma develop PTSD. Genetic variants are associated with the risk of developing PTSD. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) rs4680 and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) rs6265 are two most well-described single-nucleotide polymorphisms that relate to stress response; however, the neural mechanism underlying their effects on adults who lost an only child remains poorly understood. Two hundred and ten Han Chinese adults who had lost their only child (55 with PTSD and 155 without PTSD) were included in this imaging genetics study. Participants were divided into subgroups according to their COMT rs4680 and BDNF rs6265 genotypes. Degree Centrality (DC)-a resting-state fMRI index reflecting the brain network communication-was compared with a three-way (PTSD diagnosis, COMT, and BDNF polymorphisms) analysis of covariance. Diagnosis state had a significant effect on DC in bilateral inferior parietal lobules and right middle frontal gyrus (MFG), where PTSD adults showed weaker DC. BDNF × diagnosis interaction effect was found in the right MFG and hippocampus, and these two regions were reversely modulated. Also, there was a significant COMT × BDNF interaction effect in left cuneus, middle temporal gyrus, right inferior occipital gyrus, and bilateral putamen, independent of PTSD diagnosis. These findings suggest that the modulatory effect of BDNF polymorphism on the MFG and hippocampus may contribute to PTSD development in bereaved adults. Interactions of COMT × BDNF polymorphisms modulate some cortices and basal ganglia, irrespective of PTSD development.
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Association between catechol-O-methyltransferase genetic variation and functional connectivity in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. Schizophr Res 2018; 199:214-220. [PMID: 29730044 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.04.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2017] [Revised: 04/11/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role in cognitive performance and regulates by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) expression. To clarify the effect of COMT genotype on cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia, we performed DNA genotyping, cognitive evaluations, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in antipsychotic-naïve patients with first-episode schizophrenia (FES) and matched healthy control subjects. We found that all cognitive domains were impaired in patients with FES compared with healthy subjects. Moreover, COMT genotype influenced the verbal learning performance in healthy subjects, but not in patients with FES. Resting-state fMRI data revealed that patients with FES exhibited higher functional connectivity degree centrality in the medial PFC and lower degree centrality in the parietal-occipital junction than healthy subjects. Furthermore, patients with FES who were COMT Met allele carriers had higher degree centrality in the medial PFC than those with the Val/Val genotype. In contrast, in healthy controls, Met allele carriers exhibited higher degree centrality than healthy controls with the Val/Val genotype in the left hippocampus and left amygdala. There was a negative correlation between the degree centrality value in medial PFC and score of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test-Revised (HVLT-R) in FES patients with the Met allele. Our findings suggest that COMT genotype differentially influences pathways related to cognitive performance in patients with FES versus healthy individuals, providing an important insight into schizophrenia pathophysiology.
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Ji Y, Shi Z, Liu M, Liu S, Liu S, Wang J. Association between the COMTVal158Met Genotype and Alzheimer's Disease in the Han Chinese Population. Dement Geriatr Cogn Dis Extra 2014; 4:14-21. [PMID: 24575113 PMCID: PMC3934601 DOI: 10.1159/000357161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the leading cause of dementia worldwide and is associated with individual, familial and social burdens. Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) may have a prominent role in AD pathophysiology by affecting the metabolism of catecholamine neurotransmitters and estrogen. Although the COMT rs4680 gene polymorphism has been investigated as a susceptibility factor for AD, the results are inconsistent. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of the COMT rs4680 gene polymorphism as a risk factor for AD in the Han Chinese population and its synergistic effect with the apolipoprotein E (APOE)gene. Methods A total of 137 AD patients and 194 healthy controls were analyzed. Clinical criteria and neuropsychological tests were used to establish diagnostic groups. All subjects were analyzed for the COMTrs4680 polymorphism and APOEgenotype. Results No significant differences were observed between AD and control subjects regarding the COMT genotype frequencies of Val/Val, Val/Met and Met/Met, but Met alleles were higher in AD than in control subjects (35.4 and 28.1%, p = 0.045). A minor synergistic effect between the genotypes GG and APOEε4 was observed in AD patients (OR: 5.707, 95% CI: 2.505-13.002, p < 0.001). This synergistic effect was greater in women, who showed higher OR of AD (16.007, 95% CI: 4.606-56.118, p < 0.001) versus the AD group with APOE ε4 (11.972, 95% CI: 5.534-25.902, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the COMT Met allele was an independent risk factor for AD without APOE ε4 allele carriers (OR: 1.806, 95% CI: 1.160-2.810, p = 0.009), especially in men (OR: 4.904, 95% CI: 2.381-10.099, p < 0.001). Conclusion The COMT(Val158Met) polymorphism is not an independent risk factor for AD but shows a synergistic effect between the genotypes GG and APOEε4 that proves greater in women with AD. The COMT Met allele represents a risk factor in AD without APOE ε4 allele carriers, which is notable in men with AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Ji
- Key Laboratory of Cerebral Vascular Disease and Neurodegenerative Disease, Tianjin, China ; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Zhihong Shi
- Key Laboratory of Cerebral Vascular Disease and Neurodegenerative Disease, Tianjin, China ; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China
| | - Mengyuan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cerebral Vascular Disease and Neurodegenerative Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cerebral Vascular Disease and Neurodegenerative Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Shuling Liu
- Key Laboratory of Cerebral Vascular Disease and Neurodegenerative Disease, Tianjin, China
| | - Jinhuan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cerebral Vascular Disease and Neurodegenerative Disease, Tianjin, China ; Department of Neurology, Tianjin Huanhu Hospital, Tianjin, China
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Ira E, Zanoni M, Ruggeri M, Dazzan P, Tosato S. COMT, neuropsychological function and brain structure in schizophrenia: a systematic review and neurobiological interpretation. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2013; 38:366-80. [PMID: 23527885 PMCID: PMC3819150 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.120178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endophenotypes in genetic psychiatry may increase our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying disease risk and its manifestations. We sought to investigate the link between neuropsychological impairments and brain structural abnormalities associated with the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism in patients with schizophrenia to improve understanding of the pathophysiology of this disorder. METHODS We performed a systematic review using studies identified in PubMed and MEDLINE (from the date of the first available article to July 2012). Our review examined evidence of an association between the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism and both neuropsychological performance and brain structure in patients with psychosis, in their relatives and in healthy individuals (step 1). The review also explored whether the neuropsychological tasks and brain structures identified in step 1 met the criteria for an endophenotype (step 2). Then we evaluated evidence that the neuropsychological endophenotypes identified in step 2 are associated with the brain structure endophenotypes identified in that step (step 3). Finally, we propose a neurobiological interpretation for this evidence. RESULTS A poorer performance on the n-back task and the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and smaller temporal and frontal brain areas were associated with the COMT Val allele in patients with schizophrenia and their relatives and met most of the criteria for an endophenotype. It is possible that the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism therefore contributes to the development of these neuropsychological and brain structural endophenotypes of schizophrenia, in which the prefrontal cortex may represent the neural substrate underlying both n-back and CPT performances. LIMITATIONS The association between a single genetic variant and an endophenotype does not necessarily imply a causal relationship between them. CONCLUSION This evidence and the proposed interpretation contribute to explain, at least in part, the biological substrate of 4 important endophenotypes that characterize schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Ira
- Correspondence to: E. Ira, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Verona, Policlinico G.B. Rossi, P.le L.A. Scuro 10, 37134 Verona, Italy;
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Opmeer EM, Kortekaas R, van Tol MJ, van der Wee NJA, Woudstra S, van Buchem MA, Penninx BW, Veltman DJ, Aleman A. Influence of COMT val158met genotype on the depressed brain during emotional processing and working memory. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73290. [PMID: 24069183 PMCID: PMC3772077 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2013] [Accepted: 07/19/2013] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) has been associated with abnormal prefrontal-limbic interactions and altered catecholaminergic neurotransmission. The val158met polymorphism on the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) gene has been shown to influence prefrontal cortex (PFC) activation during both emotional processing and working memory (WM). Although COMT-genotype is not directly associated with MDD, it may affect MDD pathology by altering PFC activation, an endophenotype associated with both COMT and MDD. 125 participants, including healthy controls (HC, n=28) and MDD patients were genotyped for the COMT val158met polymorphism and underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI-neuroimaging) during emotion processing (viewing of emotional facial expressions) and a WM task (visuospatial planning). Within HC, we observed a positive correlation between the number of met-alleles and right inferior frontal gyrus activation during emotional processing, whereas within patients the number of met-alleles was not correlated with PFC activation. During WM a negative correlation between the number of met-alleles and middle frontal gyrus activation was present in the total sample. In addition, during emotional processing there was an effect of genotype in a cluster including the amygdala and hippocampus. These results demonstrate that COMT genotype is associated with relevant endophenotypes for MDD. In addition, presence of MDD only interacts with genotype during emotional processing and not working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther M. Opmeer
- Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Rudie Kortekaas
- Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Marie-José van Tol
- Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Nic J. A. van der Wee
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Saskia Woudstra
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Genomics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mark A. van Buchem
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Brenda W. Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dick J. Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - André Aleman
- Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University Medical Center Groningen and University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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Di Giorgio A, Gelao B, Caforio G, Romano R, Andriola I, D'Ambrosio E, Papazacharias A, Elifani F, Bianco LL, Taurisano P, Fazio L, Popolizio T, Blasi G, Bertolino A. Evidence that hippocampal-parahippocampal dysfunction is related to genetic risk for schizophrenia. Psychol Med 2013; 43:1661-1671. [PMID: 23111173 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291712002413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormalities in hippocampal-parahippocampal (H-PH) function are prominent features of schizophrenia and have been associated with deficits in episodic memory. However, it remains unclear whether these abnormalities represent a phenotype related to genetic risk for schizophrenia or whether they are related to disease state. METHOD We investigated H-PH-mediated behavior and physiology, using blood oxygenation level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI), during episodic memory in a sample of patients with schizophrenia, clinically unaffected siblings and healthy subjects. RESULTS Patients with schizophrenia and unaffected siblings displayed abnormalities in episodic memory performance. During an fMRI memory encoding task, both patients and siblings demonstrated a similar pattern of reduced H-PH engagement compared with healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that the pathophysiological mechanism underlying the inability of patients with schizophrenia to properly engage the H-PH during episodic memory is related to genetic risk for the disorder. Therefore, H-PH dysfunction can be assumed as a schizophrenia susceptibility-related phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Di Giorgio
- IRCCS 'Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza', San Giovanni Rotondo, Foggia, Italy
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Brauns S, Gollub RL, Walton E, Hass J, Smolka MN, White T, Wassink TH, Calhoun VD, Ehrlich S. Genetic variation in GAD1 is associated with cortical thickness in the parahippocampal gyrus. J Psychiatr Res 2013; 47:872-9. [PMID: 23566421 PMCID: PMC4115611 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2013.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2012] [Revised: 03/10/2013] [Accepted: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Patients with schizophrenia show widespread cortical thickness reductions throughout the brain. Likewise, reduced expression of the γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) synthesizing enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD1) and a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3749034 in the corresponding gene have been associated with schizophrenia. We tested whether this SNP is associated with reduced cortical thickness, an intermediate phenotype for schizophrenia. Because of the well known interactions between the GABAergic and dopaminergic systems, we examined whether associations between GAD1 rs3749034 and cortical thickness are modulated by the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype. Structural MRI and genotype data was obtained from 94 healthy subjects enrolled in the Mind Clinical Imaging Consortium study to examine the relations between GAD1 genotype and cortical thickness. Our data show a robust reduction of cortical thickness in the left parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) in G allele homozygotes of GAD1 rs3749034. When we stratified our analyses according to the COMT Val158Met genotype, cortical thickness reductions of G allele homozygotes were only found in the presence of the Val allele. Genetic risk variants of schizophrenia in the GABAergic system might interact with the dopaminergic system and impact brain structure and functioning. Our findings point to the importance of the GABAergic system in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Brauns
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Germany,MGH/MIT/HMS Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany
| | - Randy L. Gollub
- MGH/MIT/HMS Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Esther Walton
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Germany,MGH/MIT/HMS Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Johanna Hass
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, Dresden, Germany
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Erasmus MC – Sophia, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Vince D. Calhoun
- The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Stefan Ehrlich
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, TU Dresden, Germany,MGH/MIT/HMS Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA,Harvard Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA,Corresponding author. Dresden University of Technology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Translational Developmental Neuroscience Section, Fetscherstraβe 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany. Tel.: +49 (0)351 458 5095; fax: +49 (0)351 458 5754. (S. Ehrlich)
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Ceaser A, Csernansky JG, Barch DM. COMT influences on prefrontal and striatal blood oxygenation level-dependent responses during working memory among individuals with schizophrenia, their siblings, and healthy controls. Cogn Neuropsychiatry 2013; 18:257-83. [PMID: 23030509 PMCID: PMC3874114 DOI: 10.1080/13546805.2012.698100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Recent theories have suggested that corticostriatal interactions may play an important part in mediating working memory demands and may impact clinical symptomology of schizophrenia. These effects are thought to occur through changes in dopamine signalling from the midbrain and via feedback from the frontal cortex. The catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism may prove useful for studying these effects in vivo. METHODS In this study, patients with schizophrenia, their well siblings, and healthy controls were genotyped and scanned using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) while they performed a working memory task. RESULTS We found that patients and their siblings, but not controls, who were Val homozygotes displayed greater activity of the DLPFC, striatum, and the cerebellum during the task than respective Met carriers. We also found a relationship between striatal activity and negative symptoms for the Val homozygote group. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support and extend previous studies of COMT effects on cognition and neural activity, and suggest that changes in dopamine availability may differentially impact corticostriatal functioning of individuals at risk for schizophrenia from those who are not. We also found some evidence supporting the proposed role of striatal dopamine signalling and clinical symptoms associated with anhedonia and apathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Ceaser
- Department of Psychology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
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Memory deficits in schizophrenia: a selective review of functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) studies. Behav Sci (Basel) 2013; 3:330-347. [PMID: 25379242 PMCID: PMC4217593 DOI: 10.3390/bs3030330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/20/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex chronic mental illness that is characterized by positive, negative and cognitive symptoms. Cognitive deficits are most predictive of long-term outcomes, with abnormalities in memory being the most robust finding. The advent of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has allowed exploring neural correlates of memory deficits in vivo. In this article, we will give a selective review of fMRI studies probing brain regions and functional networks that are thought to be related to abnormal memory performance in two memory systems prominently affected in schizophrenia; working memory and episodic memory. We revisit the classic "hypofrontality" hypothesis of working memory deficits and explore evidence for frontotemporal dysconnectivity underlying episodic memory abnormalities. We conclude that fMRI studies of memory deficits in schizophrenia are far from universal. However, the current literature does suggest that alterations are not isolated to a few brain regions, but are characterized by abnormalities within large-scale brain networks.
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Lo Bianco L, Blasi G, Taurisano P, Di Giorgio A, Ferrante F, Ursini G, Fazio L, Gelao B, Romano R, Papazacharias A, Caforio G, Sinibaldi L, Popolizio T, Bellantuono C, Bertolino A. Interaction between catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met genotype and genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia during explicit processing of aversive facial stimuli. Psychol Med 2013; 43:279-292. [PMID: 22617427 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291712001134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emotion dysregulation is a key feature of schizophrenia, a brain disorder strongly associated with genetic risk and aberrant dopamine signalling. Dopamine is inactivated by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), whose gene contains a functional polymorphism (COMT Val158Met) associated with differential activity of the enzyme and with brain physiology of emotion processing. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether genetic risk for schizophrenia and COMT Val158Met genotype interact on brain activity during implicit and explicit emotion processing. METHOD A total of 25 patients with schizophrenia, 23 healthy siblings of patients and 24 comparison subjects genotyped for COMT Val158Met underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during implicit and explicit processing of facial stimuli with negative emotional valence. RESULTS We found a main effect of diagnosis in the right amygdala, with decreased activity in patients and siblings compared with control subjects. Furthermore, a genotype × diagnosis interaction was found in the left middle frontal gyrus, such that the effect of genetic risk for schizophrenia was evident in the context of the Val/Val genotype only, i.e. the phenotype of reduced activity was present especially in Val/Val patients and siblings. Finally, a complete inversion of the COMT effect between patients and healthy subjects was found in the left striatum during explicit processing. CONCLUSIONS Overall, these results suggest complex interactions between genetically determined dopamine signalling and risk for schizophrenia on brain activity in the prefrontal cortex during emotion processing. On the other hand, the effects in the striatum may represent state-related epiphenomena of the disorder itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Lo Bianco
- Psychiatric Neuroscience Group, Department of Psychiatry and Neurology, University of Bari, Italy
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Current world literature. Curr Opin Psychiatry 2012; 25:155-62. [PMID: 22297717 DOI: 10.1097/yco.0b013e3283514a53] [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: 11/26/2022]
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