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Shen T, Sheriff S, You Y, Jiang J, Schulz A, Francis H, Mirzaei M, Saks D, Palanivel V, Basavarajappa D, Chitranshi N, Gupta V, Wen W, Sachdev PS, Jia H, Sun X, Graham SL, Gupta VK. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met is Associated with Variation in Cortical Structure in Healthy Aging Subjects. Aging Dis 2024; 15:2315-2327. [PMID: 38916728 PMCID: PMC11346411 DOI: 10.14336/ad.2024.0346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Aging is associated with progressive brain atrophy and declines in learning and memory, often attributed to hippocampal or cortical deterioration. The role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in modulating the structural and functional changes in the brain and visual system, particularly in relation to BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, remains underexplored. In this present cross-sectional observational study, we aimed to assess the effects of BDNF polymorphism on brain structural integrity, cognitive function, and visual pathway alterations. A total of 108 older individuals with no evidence of dementia and a mean (SD) age of 67.3 (9.1) years were recruited from the Optic Nerve Decline and Cognitive Change (ONDCC) study cohort. The BDNF Met allele carriage had a significant association with lower entorhinal cortex volume (6.7% lower compared to the Val/Val genotype, P = 0.02) and posterior cingulate volume (3.2% lower than the Val/Val group, P = 0.03), after adjusting for confounding factors including age, sex and estimated total intracranial volumes (eTIV). No significant associations were identified between the BDNF Val66Met genotype and other brain volumetric or diffusion measures, cognitive performances, or vision parameters except for temporal retinal nerve fibre layer thickness. Small but significant correlations were found between visual structural and functional, cognitive, and brain morphological metrics. Our findings suggest that carriage of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with lower entorhinal cortex and posterior cingulate volumes and may be involved in modulating the cortical morphology along the aging process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Shen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Diseases, Shanghai 200080, China
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Samran Sheriff
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Yuyi You
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Jiyang Jiang
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Angela Schulz
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Heather Francis
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Neurology Department, Royal North Shore Hospital, St Leonards NSW 2065, Australia
| | - Mehdi Mirzaei
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Danit Saks
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | | | | | - Nitin Chitranshi
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Veer Gupta
- Faculty of Health, Deakin University, VIC 3125, Australia
| | - Wei Wen
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Perminder S Sachdev
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Clinical Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
- Neuropsychiatric Institute, Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick NSW 2031, Australia
| | - Huixun Jia
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Diseases, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Xiaodong Sun
- Department of Ophthalmology, Shanghai General Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, National Clinical Research Center for Eye Diseases, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Ocular Fundus Diseases, Shanghai Engineering Center for Precise Diagnosis and Treatment of Eye Diseases, Shanghai 200080, China
| | - Stuart L Graham
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
- Save Sight Institute, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
| | - Vivek K Gupta
- Macquarie Medical School, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia
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Huang W, Fateh AA, Zhao Y, Zeng H, Yang B, Fang D, Zhang L, Meng X, Hassan M, Wen F. Effects of the SNAP-25 Mnll variant on hippocampal functional connectivity in children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1219189. [PMID: 37635807 PMCID: PMC10447972 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1219189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Objectives Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most widespread and highly heritable neurodevelopmental disorders affecting children worldwide. Although synaptosomal-associated protein 25 (SNAP-25) is a possible gene hypothesized to be associated with working memory deficits in ADHD, little is known about its specific impact on the hippocampus. The goal of the current study was to determine how variations in ADHD's SNAP-25 Mnll polymorphism (rs3746544) affect hippocampal functional connectivity (FC). Methods A total of 88 boys between the ages of 7 and 10 years were recruited for the study, including 60 patients with ADHD and 28 healthy controls (HCs). Data from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and clinical information were acquired and assessed. Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the SNAP-25 gene were genotyped, according to which the study's findings separated ADHD patients into two groups: TT homozygotes (TT = 35) and G-allele carriers (TG = 25). Results Based on the rs-fMRI data, the FC of the right hippocampus and left frontal gyrus was evaluated using group-based comparisons. The corresponding sensitivities and specificities were assessed. Following comparisons between the patient groups, different hippocampal FCs were identified. When compared to TT patients, children with TG had a lower FC between the right precuneus and the right hippocampus, and a higher FC between the right hippocampus and the left middle frontal gyrus. Conclusion The fundamental neurological pathways connecting the SNAP-25 Mnll polymorphism with ADHD via the FC of the hippocampus were newly revealed in this study. As a result, the hippocampal FC may further serve as an imaging biomarker for ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenxian Huang
- Department of Pediatric China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Healthy Care Center, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ahmed Ameen Fateh
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Department of Pediatric China Medical University, Shenyang, China
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongwu Zeng
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Binrang Yang
- Healthy Care Center, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Diangang Fang
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Linlin Zhang
- Healthy Care Center, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xianlei Meng
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Muhammad Hassan
- Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Feiqiu Wen
- Department of Pediatrics, Shenzhen Children’s Hospital, Shenzhen, China
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Leblanc É, Dégeilh F, Beauchamp MH, Bernier A. Disorganized attachment behaviors in infancy as predictors of brain morphology and peer rejection in late childhood. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:833-848. [PMID: 35146642 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-00987-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Studies show robust links between disorganized attachment in infancy and socioemotional maladjustment in childhood. Little is known, however, about the links between disorganized attachment and brain development, and whether attachment-related differences in brain morphology translate into meaningful variations in child socioemotional functioning. This study examined the links between infants' disorganized attachment behaviors toward their mothers, whole-brain regional grey matter volume and thickness, and peer rejection in late childhood. Thirty-three children and their mothers took part in this study. The Strange Situation Procedure was used to assess mother-infant attachment when infants were 18 months old. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed when they were 10 years old to assess cortical thickness and grey matter volumes. Children and teachers reported on peer rejection 1 year later, as an indicator of socioemotional maladjustment. Results indicated that disorganized attachment was not associated with grey matter volumes. However, children who exhibited more disorganized attachment behaviors in infancy had significantly thicker cortices in bilateral middle and superior frontal gyri, and extending to the inferior frontal gyrus, as well as the orbitofrontal and insular cortices in the right hemisphere in late childhood. Moreover, children with thicker cortices in these regions experienced greater peer rejection, as rated by themselves and their teachers. Although preliminary, these results are the first to indicate that disorganized attachment may play a role in cortical thickness development and that changes in cortical thickness are associated with differences in child socioemotional functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Élizabel Leblanc
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, P.O. Box 6128, Downtown Station, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
| | - Fanny Dégeilh
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, P.O. Box 6128, Downtown Station, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
- Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
- University of Rennes, CNRS, Inria, Inserm, IRISA UMR 6074, Empenn Team ERL U 1228, Rennes, France
| | - Miriam H Beauchamp
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, P.O. Box 6128, Downtown Station, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada
- Sainte-Justine Research Center, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Annie Bernier
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, P.O. Box 6128, Downtown Station, Montreal, QC, H3C 3J7, Canada.
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Di Benedetto MG, Scassellati C, Cattane N, Riva MA, Cattaneo A. Neurotrophic factors, childhood trauma and psychiatric disorders: A systematic review of genetic, biochemical, cognitive and imaging studies to identify potential biomarkers. J Affect Disord 2022; 308:76-88. [PMID: 35378148 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Revised: 03/01/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to traumatic experience represents one of the key environmental factors influencing the risk for several psychiatric disorders, in particular when suffered during childhood, a critical period for brain development, characterized by a high level of neuroplasticity. Abnormalities affecting neurotrophic factors might play a fundamental role in the link between childhood trauma (CT) and early life stress (ELS) and psychiatric disorders. METHODS A systematic review was conducted, considering genetic, biochemical and expression studies along with cognitive and brain structure imaging investigations, based on PubMed and Web of Science databases (available up until November 2021), to identify potential neuroplasticity related biomarkers associated both with CT/ELS and psychiatric disorders. The search was followed by data abstraction and study quality assessment (Newcastle-Ottawa Scale). RESULTS 103 studies met our eligibility criteria. Among them, 65 were available for genetic, 30 for biochemical and 3 for mRNA data; 45 findings were linked to specific symptomatology/pathologies, 16 with various cognitive functions, 19 with different brain areas, 6 on methylation and 36 performed on control subjects for the Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF); whereas 4 expression/biochemical studies covered Neurotrophin 4 (NT-4), Vascular Endothelium Growth Factor (VEGF), Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), and Transforming Growth Factor β1 (TGF-β1). LIMITATIONS Heterogeneity of assessments (biological, psychological, of symptomatology, and CT/ELS), age range and ethnicity of samples for BDNF studies; limited studies for other neurotrophins. CONCLUSIONS Results support the key role of BDNF (in form of Met allele) as biomarker, both at genetic and biochemical level, in mediating the effect of CT/ELS in psychiatric disorders, passing through specific cognitive functions and specific brain region architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Grazia Di Benedetto
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Catia Scassellati
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Nadia Cattane
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy
| | - Marco Andrea Riva
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy
| | - Annamaria Cattaneo
- Biological Psychiatry Unit, IRCCS Istituto Centro S. Giovanni di Dio Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy; Department of Pharmacological and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Milan, Italy.
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Almeida D, Fiori LM, Chen GG, Aouabed Z, Lutz PE, Zhang TY, Mechawar N, Meaney MJ, Turecki G. Oxytocin receptor expression and epigenetic regulation in the anterior cingulate cortex of individuals with a history of severe childhood abuse. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 136:105600. [PMID: 34839083 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/17/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Childhood abuse significantly increases the lifetime risk of negative mental health outcomes. The oxytocinergic system, which plays a role in complex social and emotional behaviors, has been shown to be sensitive to early-life experiences. While previous studies have investigated the relationship between early-life adversity and oxytocin, they did so with peripheral samples. We, therefore, aimed to characterize the relationship between early-life adversity and oxytocin receptor (OXTR) expression in the brain, using post-mortem human samples, as well as a rodent model of naturally occurring variation in early-life environment. Focusing on the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, we compared OXTR expression and epigenetic regulation between MDD suicides with (N = 26) and without history of childhood abuse (N = 24), as well as psychiatrically healthy controls (N = 23). We also compared Oxtr expression in the cingulate cortex of adult rats raised by dams displaying high (N = 13) and low levels (N = 12) of licking and grooming (LG) behavior. Overall, our results indicate that childhood abuse associates with an upregulation of OXTR expression, and that similarly, this relationship is also observed in the cingulate cortex of adult rats raised by low-LG dams. Additionally, we found an effect of rs53576 genotype on expression, showing that carriers of the A variant also show upregulated OXTR expression. The effects of early-life adversity and rs53576 genotype on OXTR expression are, however, not explained by differences in DNA methylation within and around the MT region of the OXTR gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Almeida
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Laura M Fiori
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Gary G Chen
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Zahia Aouabed
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Pierre-Eric Lutz
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg, Fédération de Médecine Translationnelle de Strasbourg, Institut des Neurosciences Cellulaires et Intégratives UPR3212, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Tie-Yuan Zhang
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada; Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montréal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada; Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T5, Canada; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Singapore City, Singapore; Department of Pediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1A1, Canada.
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Lai CH. Fronto-limbic neuroimaging biomarkers for diagnosis and prediction of treatment responses in major depressive disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2021; 107:110234. [PMID: 33370569 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2020.110234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 12/02/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The neuroimaging is an important tool for understanding the biomarkers and predicting treatment responses in major depressive disorder (MDD). The potential biomarkers and prediction of treatment response in MDD will be addressed in the review article. The brain regions of cognitive control and emotion regulation, such as the frontal and limbic regions, might represent the potential targets for MDD biomarkers. The potential targets of frontal lobes might include anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). For the limbic system, hippocampus and amygdala might be the potentially promising targets for MDD. The potential targets of fronto-limbic regions have been found in the studies of several major neuroimaging modalities, such as the magnetic resonance imaging, near-infrared spectroscopy, electroencephalography, positron emission tomography, and single-photon emission computed tomography. Additional regions, such as brainstem and midbrain, might also play a part in the MDD biomarkers. For the prediction of treatment response, the gray matter volumes, white matter tracts, functional representations and receptor bindings of ACC, DLPFC, OFC, amygdala, and hippocampus might play a role in the prediction of antidepressant responses in MDD. For the response prediction of psychotherapies, the fronto-limbic, reward regions, and insula will be the potential targets. For the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation, the DLPFC, ACC, limbic, and visuospatial regions might represent the predictive targets for treatment. The neuroimaging targets of MDD might be focused in the fronto-limbic regions. However, the neuroimaging targets for the prediction of treatment responses might be inconclusive and beyond the fronto-limbic regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chien-Han Lai
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan; PhD Psychiatry & Neuroscience Clinic, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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Vanneste S, Mohan A, De Ridder D, To WT. The BDNF Val 66Met polymorphism regulates vulnerability to chronic stress and phantom perception. PROGRESS IN BRAIN RESEARCH 2021; 260:301-326. [PMID: 33637225 DOI: 10.1016/bs.pbr.2020.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Auditory phantom percepts, such as tinnitus, are a heterogeneous condition with great interindividual variations regarding both the percept itself and its concomitants. Tinnitus causes a considerable amount of distress, with as many as 25% of affected people reporting that it interferes with their daily lives. Although previous research gives an idea about the neural correlates of tinnitus-related distress, it cannot explain why some tinnitus patients develop distress and while others are not bothered by their tinnitus. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) is a known risk factor for affective disorders due to its common frequency and established functionality. To elucidate, we explore the neural activation pattern of tinnitus associated with the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism using electrophysiological data to assess activity and connectivity changes. A total of 110 participants (55 tinnitus and 55 matched control subjects) were included. In this study, we validate that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism plays an important role in the susceptibility to the clinical manifestation of tinnitus-related distress. We demonstrate that Val/Met carriers have increased alpha power in the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex that correlates with distress levels. Furthermore, distress mediates the relationship between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and tinnitus loudness. In other words, for Val/Met carriers, the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex sends distress-related information to the parahippocampus, which likely integrates the loudness and distress of the tinnitus percept.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sven Vanneste
- Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States.
| | - Anusha Mohan
- Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
| | - Dirk De Ridder
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Section of Neurosurgery, Dunedin School of Medicine, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Wing Ting To
- Lab for Clinical and Integrative Neuroscience, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, United States
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Nielsen JD, Mennies RJ, Olino TM. Application of a diathesis-stress model to the interplay of cortical structural development and emerging depression in youth. Clin Psychol Rev 2020; 82:101922. [PMID: 33038741 PMCID: PMC8594424 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Cross-sectional studies in adults have long identified differences in cortical structure in adults with depression compared to healthy adults, with most studies identifying reductions in grey matter volume, cortical thickness, and surface area in primarily frontal cortical regions including the OFC, ACC, and variable sub-regions of the PFC. However, when, why, and for whom these neural correlates of depression emerge remains poorly understood, necessitating developmental study of associations between depression and cortical structure. We systematically reviewed studies examining these associations in child/adolescent samples, and applied a developmentally-focused diathesis-stress model to understand the impacts of depressogenic risk-factors and stressors on the development of structural neural correlates of depression. Cross-sectional findings in youth are generally similar to those found in adults, but vary in magnitude and direction of effects. Preliminary evidence suggests that age, sex, severity, and comorbidity moderate these associations. Longitudinal studies show depression prospectively predicting cortical structure and structure predicting emerging depression. Consistent with a diathesis-stress model, associations have been noted between risk-factors for depression (e.g., genetic risk, family risk) and environmental stressors (e.g., early life stress) and structural neural correlates. Further investigation of these associations across development with attention to vulnerability factors and stressors is indicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna D Nielsen
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA..
| | - Rebekah J Mennies
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA..
| | - Thomas M Olino
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA..
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Tian T, Li J, Zhang G, Wang J, Liu D, Wan C, Fang J, Wu D, Zhou Y, Zhu W. Effects of childhood trauma experience and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on brain plasticity relate to emotion regulation. Behav Brain Res 2020; 398:112949. [PMID: 33053385 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.112949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism may modulate the link between childhood trauma experience and psychopathology by altering trophic signaling on neuroplasticity. However, few multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) researches have investigated this gene-environment interaction on both structural and functional plasticity, thereby advancing knowledge about the etiology, prevention, and customized therapeutic directions of mental disease in individuals with childhood trauma experience. We recruited a large non-clinical sample of young adults that completed Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), behavioral scores, multimodal MRI scans, and genotyping. Morphometric similarity network (MSN) and independent component analysis were adopted to quantify brain structural and functional changes. Gene-environment-brain-behavior relationships were identified by multiple regression and mediation effect analysis. CTQ score was positively associated with depression and anxiety scores. We found interactions on MSN in sensorimotor, temporal, and orbitofrontal cortex. For intra-network connectivity, significant interaction was noted in clusters within sensorimotor network. For inter-network connectivity, connectivity between dorsal attention network and salience network showed an interactive effect. For mean connectivity strength of each network, we found a main effect of CTQ score on self-reference network that was an outstanding mediator supporting the relationship between CTQ score and anxiety. Our findings demonstrate that childhood trauma and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism are associated with brain plasticity involving emotion regulation, structurally and functionally, which may contribute to understanding psychotic mechanisms and predicting differential susceptibility. Imaging genetics may be useful as biomarkers to provide early assessment and guide cognitive interventions to avoid or decrease the risk of developing psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tian Tian
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Jia Li
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Guiling Zhang
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Jian Wang
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Dong Liu
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Changhua Wan
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Jicheng Fang
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Di Wu
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Yiran Zhou
- Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China
| | - Wenzhen Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, PR China.
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Affiliation(s)
- J John Mann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York (Mann, Rizk); Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Mann, Rizk); Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York (Mann)
| | - Mina M Rizk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Columbia University, New York (Mann, Rizk); Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York (Mann, Rizk); Department of Radiology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York (Mann)
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11
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The long shadow of violence: The impact of exposure to intimate partner violence in infancy and early childhood. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED PSYCHOANALYTIC STUDIES 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/aps.1668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
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12
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Jiang Y, Ming Q, Gao Y, Dong D, Sun X, Zhang X, Situ W, Yao S, Rao H. Effects of BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms on brain structures and behaviors in adolescents with conduct disorder. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 29:479-488. [PMID: 31264106 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-019-01363-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that neural abnormalities in conduct disorder (CD) may be subject to genetic influences, but few imaging studies have taken genetic variants into consideration. The Val66Met polymorphism of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has emerged as a high-interest genetic variant due to its importance in cortical maturation, and several studies have implicated its involvement in neurodevelopmental disorders. Thus, it is unclear how this polymorphism may influence brain anatomy and aberrant behaviors in CD. A total of 65 male adolescents with CD and 69 gender-, IQ- and socioeconomic status-matched healthy controls (HCs) (age range 13-17 years) were enrolled in this study. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to assess the main effects of CD diagnosis, BDNF genotype, and diagnosis-genotype interactions on brain anatomy and behaviors. We detected a significant main effect of BDNF genotype on temporal gyrification and antisocial behaviors, but not on CD symptoms. Diagnosis-genotype interactive effects were found for cortical thickness of the superior temporal and adjacent areas. These results suggest that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism may exert its influence both on neural alterations and delinquent behaviors in CD patients. This initial evidence highlights the importance of elucidating potentially different pathways between BDNF genotype and cortical alterations or delinquent behaviors in CD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Jiang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China.,Center for Studies of Psychological Application, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Qingsen Ming
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yidian Gao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Daifeng Dong
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaoqiang Sun
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiaocui Zhang
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Weijun Situ
- Department of Radiology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuqiao Yao
- Medical Psychological Center, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, No. 139, Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, 410011, Hunan, People's Republic of China. .,National Clinical Research Center on Psychiatry and Psychology, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China. .,Medical Psychological Institute of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hengyi Rao
- Center of Functional Neuroimaging, Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA
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13
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Additional Insights into the Relationship Between Brain Network Architecture and Susceptibility and Resilience to the Psychiatric Sequelae of Childhood Maltreatment. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020; 1:49-64. [PMID: 34368783 DOI: 10.1007/s42844-020-00002-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is associated with increased risk for psychiatric and substance use disorders. However, some maltreated individuals appear resilient to these consequences while manifesting the same array of brain changes as maltreated individuals with psychopathology. Hence, a critical issue has been to identify compensatory brain alterations in these resilient individuals. We recently reported that maltreatment is associated with a more vulnerable structural brain network architecture. Resilient individuals have this same vulnerability but appeared to be able to effectively compensate due to reduced nodal efficiency (ability of a node to influence the global network) in 9 specific brain regions that moderate the relationship between maltreatment and psychopathology. Following up we now report that network vulnerability increases progressively during late adolescence to plateau at about 21 years of age, which may help to explain age of onset of psychopathology. Further, we found that network vulnerability was most significantly affected by parental verbal abuse between 16-18 years of age and number of types of maltreatment during childhood. Asymptomatic individuals with no history of psychopathology had more prominent alterations in nodal efficiency than asymptomatic individuals with prior history, who specifically showed reduced nodal efficiency in right amygdala and right subcallosal gyrus. Experiencing inadequate financial sufficiency during childhood increased risk of susceptibility versus resilience by 2.98-fold (95% CI 1.49-5.97, p = 0.002) after adjusting for differences in exposure to maltreatment. Interestingly, adequate-to-higher financial sufficiency appeared to be protective and was associated with reduced nodal efficiency in the right postcentral gyrus and subcallosal gyrus 'resilience' nodes.
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14
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Monoamine and neuroendocrine gene-sets associate with frustration-based aggression in a gender-specific manner. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2020; 30:75-86. [PMID: 29191428 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.11.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2017] [Revised: 11/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Investigating phenotypic heterogeneity in aggression and understanding the molecular biological basis of aggression subtypes may lead to new prevention and treatment options. In the current study, we evaluated the taxonomy of aggression and examined specific genetic mechanisms underlying aggression subtypes in healthy males and females. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was used to replicate a recently reported three-factor model of the Reactive Proactive Questionnaire (RPQ) in healthy adults (n = 661; median age 24.0 years; 41% male). Gene-set association analysis, aggregating common genetic variants within (a combination of) three molecular pathways previously implicated in aggression, i.e. serotonergic, dopaminergic, and neuroendocrine signaling, was conducted with MAGMA software in males and females separately (total n = 395) for aggression subtypes. We replicate the three-factor CFA model of the RPQ, and found males to score significantly higher on one of these factors compared to females: proactive aggression. The genetic association analysis showed a female-specific association of genetic variation in the combined gene-set with a different factor of the RPQ; reactive aggression due to internal frustration. Both the neuroendocrine and serotonergic gene-sets contributed significantly to this association. Our genetic findings are subtype- and sex-specific, stressing the value of efforts to reduce heterogeneity in research of aggression etiology. Importantly, subtype- and sex-differences in the underlying pathophysiology of aggression suggest that optimal treatment options will have to be tailored to the individual patient. Male and female needs of intervention might differ, stressing the need for sex-specific further research of aggression. Our work highlights opportunities for sample size maximization offered by population-based studies of aggression.
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15
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Interactive effects of genetic polymorphisms and childhood adversity on brain morphologic changes in depression. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2019. [PMID: 29535036 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The etiology of depression is characterized by the interplay of genetic and environmental factors and brain structural alteration. Childhood adversity is a major contributing factor in the development of depression. Interactions between childhood adversity and candidate genes for depression could affect brain morphology via the modulation of neurotrophic factors, serotonergic neurotransmission, or the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and this pathway may explain the subsequent onset of depression. Childhood adversity is associated with structural changes in the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC), as well as white matter tracts such as the corpus callosum, cingulum, and uncinate fasciculus. Childhood adversity showed an interaction with the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene Val66Met polymorphism, serotonin transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR), and FK506 binding protein 51 (FKBP5) gene rs1360780 in brain morphologic changes in patients with depression and in a non-clinical population. Individuals with the Met allele of BDNF Val66Met and a history of childhood adversity had reduced volume in the hippocampus and its subfields, amygdala, and PFC and thinner rostral ACC in a study of depressed patients and healthy controls. The S allele of 5-HTTLPR combined with exposure to childhood adversity or a poorer parenting environment was associated with a smaller hippocampal volume and subsequent onset of depression. The FKBP5 gene rs160780 had a significant interaction with childhood adversity in the white matter integrity of brain regions involved in emotion processing. This review identified that imaging genetic studies on childhood adversity may deepen our understanding on the neurobiological background of depression by scrutinizing complicated pathways of genetic factors, early psychosocial environments, and the accompanying morphologic changes in emotion-processing neural circuitry.
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16
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Jin MJ, Jeon H, Hyun MH, Lee SH. Influence of childhood trauma and brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism on posttraumatic stress symptoms and cortical thickness. Sci Rep 2019; 9:6028. [PMID: 30988377 PMCID: PMC6465240 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-42563-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Interaction between childhood trauma and genetic factors influences the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This study examined the interaction effect of childhood trauma and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism on PTSD symptoms and brain cortical thickness. A total of 216 participants (133 healthy volunteers and 83 PTSD patients) were recruited. T1-weighted structural magnetic resonance imaging, BDNF rs6265 genotyping through blood sampling, and clinical assessments including the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) and posttraumatic stress disorder Checklist (PCL) were performed. A moderated regression analysis, two-way multivariate analysis of covariance, and correlation analysis were conducted. An interaction between the CTQ and the BDNF polymorphism significantly influenced PTSD symptom severity. In fact, people with rs6265 Val/Val genotype and higher CTQ scores showed higher PCL scores. Additionally, this interaction was significant on both left fusiform and transverse temporal gyri thickness. Furthermore, the thickness of both brain regions was significantly correlated with psychological symptoms including depression, anxiety, rumination, and cognitive emotion regulation methods; yet this was mainly observed in people with the Val/Val genotype. The interaction between childhood trauma and BDNF polymorphism significantly influences both PTSD symptoms and cortical thickness and the Val/Val genotype may increase the risk in Korean population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Jin Jin
- Clinical Emotion and Cognition Research Laboratory, Inje University, Goyang, Republic of Korea
- Department of Psychology, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeonjin Jeon
- Clinical Emotion and Cognition Research Laboratory, Inje University, Goyang, Republic of Korea
| | - Myoung Ho Hyun
- Department of Psychology, Chung-Ang University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seung-Hwan Lee
- Clinical Emotion and Cognition Research Laboratory, Inje University, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Psychiatry, Inje University, Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
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17
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Susceptibility or Resilience to Maltreatment Can Be Explained by Specific Differences in Brain Network Architecture. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:690-702. [PMID: 30528381 PMCID: PMC6440838 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.10.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Revised: 10/15/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for psychopathology. However, some maltreated individuals appear remarkably resilient to the psychiatric effects while manifesting the same array of brain abnormalities as maltreated individuals with psychopathology. Hence, a critical aim is to identify compensatory brain alterations that enable resilient individuals to maintain mental well-being despite alterations in stress-susceptible regions. METHODS Network models were constructed from diffusion tensor imaging and tractography in physically healthy unmedicated 18- to 25-year-old participants (N = 342, n = 192 maltreated) to develop network-based explanatory models. RESULTS First, we determined that susceptible and resilient individuals had the same alterations in global fiber stream network architecture using two different definitions of resilience: 1) no lifetime history of Axis I or II disorders, and 2) no clinically significant symptoms of anxiety, depression, anger-hostility, or somatization. Second, we confirmed an a priori hypothesis that right amygdala nodal efficiency was lower in asymptomatic resilient than in susceptible participants or control subjects. Third, we identified eight other nodes with reduced nodal efficiency in resilient individuals and showed that nodal efficiency moderated the relationship between maltreatment and psychopathology. Fourth, we found that models based on global network architecture and nodal efficiency could delineate group membership (control, susceptible, resilient) with 75%, 82%, and 80% cross-validated accuracy. CONCLUSIONS Together these findings suggest that sparse fiber networks with increased small-worldness following maltreatment render individuals vulnerable to psychopathology if abnormalities occur in specific nodes, but that decreased ability of certain nodes to propagate information throughout the network mitigates the effects and leads to resilience.
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18
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Chau CMY, Ranger M, Bichin M, Park MTM, Amaral RSC, Chakravarty M, Poskitt K, Synnes AR, Miller SP, Grunau RE. Hippocampus, Amygdala, and Thalamus Volumes in Very Preterm Children at 8 Years: Neonatal Pain and Genetic Variation. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:51. [PMID: 30941021 PMCID: PMC6433974 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Accepted: 03/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Altered hippocampal morphology and reduced volumes have been found in children born preterm compared to full-term. Stress inhibits neurogenesis in the hippocampus, and neonatal stress/noxious stimulation in rodent pups are associated with long-term alterations in hippocampal volumes. We have previously shown reduced cortical thickness and cerebellar volumes in relation to more exposure to pain-related stress of neonatal invasive procedures in children born very preterm. We have reported targeted gene-by-pain environment interactions that contribute to long-term brain development and outcomes in this population. We now aim to determine whether exposure to pain-related stress (adjusted for clinical factors and genotype) differentially impacts regional structures within the limbic system and thalamus, and investigate relationships with outcomes in very preterm children. Our study included 57 children born very preterm (<32 weeks GA) followed longitudinally from birth who underwent 3-D T1 MRI neuroimaging at ∼8 years. Hippocampal subfields and white matter tracts, thalamus and amygdala were automatically segmented using the MAGeT Brain algorithm. The relationship between those subcortical brain volumes (adjusted for total brain volume) and neonatal invasive procedures, gestational age (GA), illness severity, postnatal infection, days of mechanical ventilation, number of surgeries, morphine exposure, and genotype (COMT, SLC6A4, and BDNF) was examined using constrained principal component analysis. We found that neonatal clinical factors and genotypes accounted for 46% of the overall variance in volumes of hippocampal subregions, tracts, basal ganglia, thalamus and amygdala. After controlling for clinical risk factors and total brain volume, greater neonatal invasive procedures was associated with lower volumes in the amygdala and thalamus (p = 0.0001) and an interaction with COMT genotype predicted smaller hippocampal subregional volume (p = 0.0001). More surgeries, days of ventilation, and lower GA were also related to smaller volumes in various subcortical regions (p < 0.002). These reduced volumes were in turn differentially related to poorer cognitive, visual-motor and behavioral outcomes. Our findings highlight the complexity that interplays when examining how exposure to early-life stress may impact brain development both at the structural and functional level, and provide new insight on possible novel avenues of research to discover brain-protective treatments to improve the care of children born preterm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecil M Y Chau
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Manon Ranger
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,School of Nursing, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Mark Bichin
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Min Tae M Park
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.,Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Robert S C Amaral
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Mallar Chakravarty
- Cerebral Imaging Centre, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Kenneth Poskitt
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Anne R Synnes
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Steven P Miller
- Department of Paediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ruth E Grunau
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.,BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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19
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Jiang W, King TZ, Turner JA. Imaging Genetics Towards a Refined Diagnosis of Schizophrenia. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:494. [PMID: 31354550 PMCID: PMC6639711 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 06/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Current diagnoses of schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders are classified by phenomenological principles and clinical descriptions while ruling out other symptoms and conditions. Specific biomarkers are needed to assist the current diagnostic system. However, complicated gene and environment interactions induce great disease heterogeneity. This unclear etiology and heterogeneity raise difficulties in distinguishing schizophrenia-related effects. Simultaneously, the overlap in symptoms, genetic variations, and brain alterations in schizophrenia and related psychiatric disorders raises similar difficulties in determining disease-specific effects. Imaging genetics is a unique methodology to assess the impact of genetic factors on both brain structure and function. More importantly, imaging genetics builds a bridge to understand the behavioral and clinical implications of genetics and neuroimaging. By characterizing and quantifying the brain measures affected in psychiatric disorders, imaging genetics is contributing to identifying potential biomarkers for schizophrenia and related disorders. To date, candidate gene analysis, genome-wide association studies, polygenetic risk score analysis, and large-scale collaborative studies have made contributions to the understanding of schizophrenia with the potential to serve as biomarkers. Despite limitations, imaging genetics remains promising as more aggregative, clustering methods and imaging genetics-compatible clinical assessments are employed in future studies. We review imaging genetics' contribution to our understanding of the heterogeneity within schizophrenia and the commonalities across schizophrenia and other diagnostic borders, and we will discuss whether imaging genetics is ready to form its own diagnostic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao Jiang
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tricia Z King
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica A Turner
- Department of Psychology and the Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States.,Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, United States
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20
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Huang P, Gao T, Dong Z, Zhou C, Lai Y, Pan T, Liu Y, Zhao X, Sun X, Hua H, Wen G, Gao L, Lv Z. Neural circuitry among connecting the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala in a mouse depression model: Associations correlations between BDNF levels and BOLD – fMRI signals. Brain Res Bull 2018; 142:107-115. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2018.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/28/2018] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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21
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Young DA, Chao L, Neylan TC, O'Donovan A, Metzler TJ, Inslicht SS. Association among anterior cingulate cortex volume, psychophysiological response, and PTSD diagnosis in a Veteran sample. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:189-196. [PMID: 30086395 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 07/11/2018] [Accepted: 08/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with fear response system dysregulation. Research has shown that the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) may modulate the fear response and that individuals with PTSD have abnormalities in ACC structure and functioning. Our objective was to assess whether ACC volume moderates the relationship between PTSD and fear-potentiated psychophysiological response in a sample of Gulf War Veterans. 142 Veteran participants who were associated with a larger study associated with Gulf War Illness were exposed to no threat, ambiguous threat, and high threat conditions in a fear conditioned startle response paradigm and also provided MRI imaging data. PTSD was assessed using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS). Decreased caudal ACC volume predicted greater psychophysiological responses with a slower habituation of psychophysiological magnitudes across trials (p < 0.001). PTSD diagnosis interacted significantly with both caudal and rostral ACC volumes on psychophysiological response magnitudes, where participants with PTSD and smaller rostral and caudal ACC volumes had greater psychophysiological magnitudes across trials (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively) and threat conditions (p < 0.05 and p < 0.005). Our results suggest that ACC volume may moderate both threat sensitivity and threat response via impaired habituation in individuals who have been exposed to traumatic events. More research is needed to assess whether ACC size and these associated response patterns are due to neurological processes resulting from trauma exposure or if they are indicative of a premorbid risk for PTSD subsequent to trauma exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitri A Young
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, 4150 Clement St. (116P), San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), The Veterans Health Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States.
| | - Linda Chao
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, 4150 Clement St. (116P), San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), The Veterans Health Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States; Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Thomas C Neylan
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, 4150 Clement St. (116P), San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), The Veterans Health Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Aoife O'Donovan
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, 4150 Clement St. (116P), San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), The Veterans Health Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Thomas J Metzler
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, 4150 Clement St. (116P), San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), The Veterans Health Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
| | - Sabra S Inslicht
- San Francisco VA Health Care System, 4150 Clement St. (116P), San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Northern California Institute for Research and Education (NCIRE), The Veterans Health Research Institute, San Francisco, CA 94121, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, United States
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22
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Vandenberg A, Lin WC, Tai LH, Ron D, Wilbrecht L. Mice engineered to mimic a common Val66Met polymorphism in the BDNF gene show greater sensitivity to reversal in environmental contingencies. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2018; 34:34-41. [PMID: 29909248 PMCID: PMC6596311 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A new line of mice,Val68Met, mimic human BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. New knock-in BDNF Met mice reverse more efficiently than Val in two separate tasks. Supports theory that BDNF Met allele confers greater sensitivity to the environment. Reversal performance can be dissociated from go/no-go and extinction performance. Phenotypes differ between newer and older BDNF Val66Met mouse models.
A common human polymorphism in the gene that encodes brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), Val66Met, is considered a marker of vulnerability for mental health issues and has been associated with cognitive impairment. An alternate framework has been proposed in which “risk alleles” are reinterpreted as “plasticity alleles” that confer vulnerability in adverse environments and positive effects in neutral or positive environments (Belsky et al., 2009). These frameworks produce divergent predictions for tests of learning and cognitive flexibility. Here, we examined multiple aspects of learning and cognitive flexibility in a relatively new BDNF Val66Met mouse model (BDNF Val68Met, Warnault et al., 2016), including multiple choice discrimination and reversal, go/no-go learning and reversal, and appetitive extinction learning. We found that mice homozygous for the Met allele show more efficient reversal learning in two different paradigms, but learn at rates comparable to Val homozygotes on the multiple choice discrimination task, a go/no-go task, and in appetitive extinction. Our results dissociate reversal performance from go/no-go learning and appetitive extinction and support the plasticity allele framework that suggests BDNF Met carriers are potentially more sensitive to changes in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela Vandenberg
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Wan Chen Lin
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Lung-Hao Tai
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Dorit Ron
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Linda Wilbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA; Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, 94720 USA.
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23
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Nees F, Witt SH, Flor H. Neurogenetic Approaches to Stress and Fear in Humans as Pathophysiological Mechanisms for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Biol Psychiatry 2018; 83:810-820. [PMID: 29454655 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2017.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this review article, genetic variation associated with brain responses related to acute and chronic stress reactivity and fear learning in humans is presented as an important mechanism underlying posttraumatic stress disorder. We report that genes related to the regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, as well as genes that modulate serotonergic, dopaminergic, and neuropeptidergic functions or plasticity, play a role in this context. The strong overlap of the genetic targets involved in stress and fear learning suggests that a dimensional and mechanistic model of the development of posttraumatic stress disorder based on these constructs is promising. Genome-wide genetic analyses on fear and stress mechanisms are scarce. So far, reliable replication is still lacking for most of the molecular genetic findings, and the proportion of explained variance is rather small. Further analysis of neurogenetic stress and fear learning needs to integrate data from animal and human studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frauke Nees
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stephanie H Witt
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany; Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.
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24
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van Donkelaar MMJ, Hoogman M, Pappa I, Tiemeier H, Buitelaar JK, Franke B, Bralten J. Pleiotropic Contribution of MECOM and AVPR1A to Aggression and Subcortical Brain Volumes. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:61. [PMID: 29666571 PMCID: PMC5891600 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Reactive and proactive subtypes of aggression have been recognized to help parse etiological heterogeneity of this complex phenotype. With a heritability of about 50%, genetic factors play a role in the development of aggressive behavior. Imaging studies implicate brain structures related to social behavior in aggression etiology, most notably the amygdala and striatum. This study aimed to gain more insight into the pathways from genetic risk factors for aggression to aggression phenotypes. To this end, we conducted genome-wide gene-based cross-trait meta-analyses of aggression with the volumes of amygdala, nucleus accumbens and caudate nucleus to identify genes influencing both aggression and aggression-related brain volumes. We used data of large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of: (a) aggressive behavior in children and adolescents (EAGLE, N = 18,988); and (b) Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)-based volume measures of aggression-relevant subcortical brain regions (ENIGMA2, N = 13,171). Second, the identified genes were further investigated in a sample of healthy adults (mean age (SD) = 25.28 (4.62) years; 43% male) who had genome-wide genotyping data and questionnaire data on aggression subtypes available (Brain Imaging Genetics, BIG, N = 501) to study their effect on reactive and proactive subtypes of aggression. Our meta-analysis identified two genes, MECOM and AVPR1A, significantly associated with both aggression risk and nucleus accumbens (MECOM) and amygdala (AVPR1A) brain volume. Subsequent in-depth analysis of these genes in healthy adults (BIG), including sex as an interaction term in the model, revealed no significant subtype-specific gene-wide associations. Using cross-trait meta-analysis of brain measures and psychiatric phenotypes, this study generated new hypotheses about specific links between genes, the brain and behavior. Results indicate that MECOM and AVPR1A may exert an effect on aggression through mechanisms involving nucleus accumbens and amygdala volumes, respectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein M J van Donkelaar
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Martine Hoogman
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Irene Pappa
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands.,Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Janita Bralten
- Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Han KM, Choi S, Kim A, Kang J, Won E, Tae WS, Kim YK, Lee MS, Ham BJ. The effects of 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms on neurostructural changes in major depressive disorder. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2018; 273:25-34. [PMID: 29414128 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2017] [Revised: 12/07/2017] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism have been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). We aimed to investigate the effects of genetic variants of the 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms and their interactions with MDD on cortical volume and white matter integrity. Ninety-five patients with MDD and 65 healthy participants aged 20-65 years were recruited. The subjects were genotyped for the 5-HTTLPR and BDNF Val66Met polymorphisms and scanned with T1-weighted and diffusion tensor imaging. The gray matter volumes of 24 gyri in the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices and the fractional anisotropy values of nine white matter tracts in both hemispheres were determined. In the pooled sample of subjects from both groups, 5-HTTLPR L-allele carriers had significantly decreased cortical volume in the right anterior midcingulate gyrus compared to S-allele homozygotes. A significant effect of the interaction of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and MDD on the fractional anisotropy values of the right uncinate fasciculus was observed. Our results suggested that these genetic polymorphisms play important roles in the neurostructural changes of emotion-processing regions in subjects with MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyu-Man Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunyoung Choi
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Aram Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - June Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunsoo Won
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo-Suk Tae
- Brain Convergence Research Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Ku Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Ansan Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Ansan, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Soo Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Ham
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Brain Convergence Research Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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26
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BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, life stress and depression: A meta-analysis of gene-environment interaction. J Affect Disord 2018; 227:226-235. [PMID: 29102837 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2017] [Revised: 09/25/2017] [Accepted: 10/04/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression is thought to be multifactorial in etiology, including genetic and environmental components. While a number of gene-environment interaction studies have been carried out, meta-analyses are scarce. The present meta-analysis aimed to quantify evidence on the interaction between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and stress in depression. METHODS Included were 31 peer-reviewed with a pooled total of 21060 participants published before October 2016 and literature searches were conducted using PubMed, Wolters Kluwer, Web of Science, EBSCO, Elsevier Science Direct and Baidu Scholar databases. RESULTS The results indicated that the Met allele of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism significantly moderated the relationship between stress and depression (Z=2.666, p = 0.003). The results of subgroup analysis concluded that stressful life events and childhood adversity separately interacted with the Met allele of BDNF Val66Met polymorphism in depression (Z = 2.552, p = 0.005; Z = 1.775, p = 0.03). LIMITATIONS The results could be affected by errors or bias in primary studies which had small sample sizes with relatively lower statistic power. We could not estimate how strong the interaction effect between gene and environment was. CONCLUSIONS We found evidence that supported the hypothesis that BDNF Val66Met polymorphism moderated the relationship between stress and depression, despite the fact that many included individual studies did not show this effect.
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Egervari G, Ciccocioppo R, Jentsch JD, Hurd YL. Shaping vulnerability to addiction - the contribution of behavior, neural circuits and molecular mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 85:117-125. [PMID: 28571877 PMCID: PMC5708151 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2017] [Revised: 05/11/2017] [Accepted: 05/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Substance use disorders continue to impose increasing medical, financial and emotional burdens on society in the form of morbidity and overdose, family disintegration, loss of employment and crime, while advances in prevention and treatment options remain limited. Importantly, not all individuals exposed to abused substances effectively develop the disease. Genetic factors play a significant role in determining addiction vulnerability and interactions between innate predisposition, environmental factors and personal experiences are also critical. Thus, understanding individual differences that contribute to the initiation of substance use as well as on long-term maladaptations driving compulsive drug use and relapse propensity is of critical importance to reduce this devastating disorder. In this paper, we discuss current topics in the field of addiction regarding individual vulnerability related to behavioral endophenotypes, neural circuits, as well as genetics and epigenetic mechanisms. Expanded knowledge of these factors is of importance to improve and personalize prevention and treatment interventions in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabor Egervari
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA
| | - Roberto Ciccocioppo
- School of Pharmacy, Pharmacology Unit, University of Camerino, 62032 Camerino, Italy
| | - J David Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, 13902 Binghamton, NY, USA
| | - Yasmin L Hurd
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 10029 New York, NY, USA.
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28
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Mufford MS, Stein DJ, Dalvie S, Groenewold NA, Thompson PM, Jahanshad N. Neuroimaging genomics in psychiatry-a translational approach. Genome Med 2017; 9:102. [PMID: 29179742 PMCID: PMC5704437 DOI: 10.1186/s13073-017-0496-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging genomics is a relatively new field focused on integrating genomic and imaging data in order to investigate the mechanisms underlying brain phenotypes and neuropsychiatric disorders. While early work in neuroimaging genomics focused on mapping the associations of candidate gene variants with neuroimaging measures in small cohorts, the lack of reproducible results inspired better-powered and unbiased large-scale approaches. Notably, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of brain imaging in thousands of individuals around the world have led to a range of promising findings. Extensions of such approaches are now addressing epigenetics, gene–gene epistasis, and gene–environment interactions, not only in brain structure, but also in brain function. Complementary developments in systems biology might facilitate the translation of findings from basic neuroscience and neuroimaging genomics to clinical practice. Here, we review recent approaches in neuroimaging genomics—we highlight the latest discoveries, discuss advantages and limitations of current approaches, and consider directions by which the field can move forward to shed light on brain disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary S Mufford
- UCT/MRC Human Genetics Research Unit, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pathology, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925
| | - Dan J Stein
- MRC Unit on Risk and Resilience, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925.,Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925
| | - Shareefa Dalvie
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925
| | - Nynke A Groenewold
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, South Africa, 7925
| | - Paul M Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90292, USA
| | - Neda Jahanshad
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90292, USA.
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29
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Meng J, Hao L, Wei D, Sun J, Li Y, Qiu J. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism modulates the effect of loneliness on white matter microstructure in young adults. Biol Psychol 2017; 130:41-49. [PMID: 28988974 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Loneliness is a common experience. Susceptibility to loneliness is a stable trait and is heritable. Previous studies have suggested that loneliness may impact regional gray matter density and brain activation to social stimuli, but its relation to white matter structure and how it may interact with genetic factors remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether and how a common polymorphism (Val66Met) in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor gene modulated the association between loneliness and white matter microstructure in 162 young adults. The tract-based spatial statistics analyses revealed that the relationships between loneliness and white matter microstructures were significantly different between Val/Met heterozygotes and Val/Val homozygotes. Specifically, loneliness was significantly correlated with reduced fractional anisotropy and increased radial diffusivity in widespread white matter fibers within Val/Met heterozygotes. It was also significantly correlated with increased radial diffusivity in Met/Met genotypes but showed no significant association with white matter measures in Val/Val genotypes. Furthermore, the associations between loneliness and fractional anisotropy (or radial diffusivity) in Val/Met heterozygotes turned out to be global effects. These results provide evidence that loneliness may interact with the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism to shape the microstructures of white matter, and the Val/Met heterozygotes may be more susceptible to social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Meng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Lei Hao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China; Department of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Dongtao Wei
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiangzhou Sun
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Yu Li
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Jiang Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (SWU), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China; Department of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
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30
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Jabbi M, Cropp B, Nash T, Kohn P, Kippenhan JS, Masdeu JC, Mattay R, Kolachana B, Berman KF. BDNF Val 66Met polymorphism tunes frontolimbic circuitry during affective contextual learning. Neuroimage 2017; 162:373-383. [PMID: 28867340 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.08.080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 08/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Adaptive learning impairments are common in cognitive and behavioral disorders, but the neurogenetic mechanisms supporting human affective learning are poorly understood. We designed a higher-order contextual learning task in which healthy participants genotyped for the Val66Met polymorphism of the brain derived neurotropic factor gene (BDNF) were required to choose the member of a picture pair most congruent with the emotion in a previously-viewed facial expression video in order to produce an advantageous monetary outcome. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) identified frontolimbic blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) reactivity that was associated with BDNF Val66Met genotype during all three phases of the learning task: aversive and reward-predictive learning, contextually-challenging decision-making, and choice-related monetary loss-avoidance and gain outcomes. Relative to Val homozygotes, Met carriers showed attenuated ventromedial prefrontal response to predictive affective cues, dorsolateral prefrontal signaling that depended on decision difficulty, and enhanced ventromedial prefrontal reactivity that was specific to loss-avoidance. These findings indicate that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism is associated with functional tuning of behaviorally-relevant frontolimbic circuitry, particularly involving the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, during higher-order learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mbemba Jabbi
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, TX 78712, USA.
| | - Brett Cropp
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Tiffany Nash
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Philip Kohn
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - J Shane Kippenhan
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Joseph C Masdeu
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Nantz National Alzheimer Center, 6560 Fannin St, Suite 802, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Raghav Mattay
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Bhaskar Kolachana
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Karen F Berman
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging, Clinical & Translational Neuroscience Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Intramural Research Program, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
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31
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Phillips C. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Depression, and Physical Activity: Making the Neuroplastic Connection. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:7260130. [PMID: 28928987 PMCID: PMC5591905 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7260130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 249] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin that is vital to the survival, growth, and maintenance of neurons in key brain circuits involved in emotional and cognitive function. Convergent evidence indicates that neuroplastic mechanisms involving BDNF are deleteriously altered in major depressive disorder (MDD) and animal models of stress. Herein, clinical and preclinical evidence provided that stress-induced depressive pathology contributes to altered BDNF level and function in persons with MDD and, thereby, disruptions in neuroplasticity at the regional and circuit level. Conversely, effective therapeutics that mitigate depressive-related symptoms (e.g., antidepressants and physical activity) optimize BDNF in key brain regions, promote neuronal health and recovery of function in MDD-related circuits, and enhance pharmacotherapeutic response. A greater knowledge of the interrelationship between BDNF, depression, therapeutic mechanisms of action, and neuroplasticity is important as it necessarily precedes the derivation and deployment of more efficacious treatments.
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32
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Sheldrick A, Camara S, Ilieva M, Riederer P, Michel TM. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin 3 (NT3) levels in post-mortem brain tissue from patients with depression compared to healthy individuals - a proof of concept study. Eur Psychiatry 2017; 46:65-71. [PMID: 29102768 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2017.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2017] [Revised: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 06/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The neurotrophic factors (NTF) hypothesis of depression was postulated nearly a decade ago and is nowadays widely acknowledged. Previous reports suggest that cerebral concentrations of NTF may be reduced in suicide victims who received minimal or no antidepressant pharmacotherapy. Recent evidence suggests that antidepressant treatment may improve or normalise cerebral concentrations of neurotrophic factors. Therefore, we examined the concentration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and neurotrophin 3 (NT3) in different brain regions (cortex, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, hippocampus, putamen and nucleus caudatus) of 21 individuals - 7 patients of which 4 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and overall age 86.8±5 years who received antidepressant pharmacotherapy (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors [SSRI]; tricyclic antidepressants [TCA]), 3 patients with MDD without antidepressant treatment and overall age 84.3±5 years versus 14 unaffected subjects at age 70.3±13.8. We detected significant elevation of BDNF (parietal cortex) and NT3 (parietal, temporal and occipital cortex, cingulate gyrus, thalamus, putamen and nucleus caudatus regions) in MDD patients who received antidepressant medication compared to MDD untreated patients and controls. Moreover, we detected a significant decrease of NT3 levels in the parietal cortex of patients suffering from MDD non-treated patients without treatment compared to healthy individuals. Although the limited statistical power due to the small sample size in this proof of concept study corroborates data from previous studies, which show that treatment with antidepressants mediates alterations in neuroplasticity via the action of NTF. However, more research using post-mortem brain tissue with larger samples needs to be carried out as well as longitudinal studies to further verify these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Sheldrick
- Department Psychiatry Odense, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 20, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | - S Camara
- Clinical Neurochemistry, Department Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Fürchsleinstr. 15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany
| | - M Ilieva
- Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 19, 5000 Odense C, Denmark.
| | - P Riederer
- Department Psychiatry Odense, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 20, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Clinical Neurochemistry, Department Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Fürchsleinstr. 15, 97080 Würzburg, Germany; Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 19, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Department Neurobiology, Instiute for Molecular Medicine, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Center for applied Neuroscience, BRIDGE, Odense University Hospital, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
| | - T M Michel
- Department Psychiatry Odense, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 20, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Department of Psychiatry, Institute for Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, J.B. Winslowsvej 19, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Department Neurobiology, Instiute for Molecular Medicine, 5000 Odense C, Denmark; Center for applied Neuroscience, BRIDGE, Odense University Hospital, Psychiatry in the Region of Southern Denmark, University of Southern Denmark, 5000 Odense C, Denmark
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van der Meer D, Hoekstra PJ, van Donkelaar M, Bralten J, Oosterlaan J, Heslenfeld D, Faraone SV, Franke B, Buitelaar JK, Hartman CA. Predicting attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder severity from psychosocial stress and stress-response genes: a random forest regression approach. Transl Psychiatry 2017; 7:e1145. [PMID: 28585928 PMCID: PMC5537639 DOI: 10.1038/tp.2017.114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 04/24/2017] [Accepted: 04/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying genetic variants contributing to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is complicated by the involvement of numerous common genetic variants with small effects, interacting with each other as well as with environmental factors, such as stress exposure. Random forest regression is well suited to explore this complexity, as it allows for the analysis of many predictors simultaneously, taking into account any higher-order interactions among them. Using random forest regression, we predicted ADHD severity, measured by Conners' Parent Rating Scales, from 686 adolescents and young adults (of which 281 were diagnosed with ADHD). The analysis included 17 374 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across 29 genes previously linked to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, together with information on exposure to 24 individual long-term difficulties or stressful life events. The model explained 12.5% of variance in ADHD severity. The most important SNP, which also showed the strongest interaction with stress exposure, was located in a region regulating the expression of telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). Other high-ranking SNPs were found in or near NPSR1, ESR1, GABRA6, PER3, NR3C2 and DRD4. Chronic stressors were more influential than single, severe, life events. Top hits were partly shared with conduct problems. We conclude that random forest regression may be used to investigate how multiple genetic and environmental factors jointly contribute to ADHD. It is able to implicate novel SNPs of interest, interacting with stress exposure, and may explain inconsistent findings in ADHD genetics. This exploratory approach may be best combined with more hypothesis-driven research; top predictors and their interactions with one another should be replicated in independent samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- D van der Meer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research/Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorder Research (NORMENT), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - P J Hoekstra
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - M van Donkelaar
- Department of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J Bralten
- Department of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J Oosterlaan
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - D Heslenfeld
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - S V Faraone
- Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Psychiatric Disorders, Department of Biomedicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - B Franke
- Department of Human Genetics and Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - J K Buitelaar
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - C A Hartman
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
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34
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Vrijsen JN, van Amen CT, Koekkoek B, van Oostrom I, Schene AH, Tendolkar I. Childhood trauma and negative memory bias as shared risk factors for psychopathology and comorbidity in a naturalistic psychiatric patient sample. Brain Behav 2017; 7:e00693. [PMID: 28638703 PMCID: PMC5474701 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Both childhood trauma and negative memory bias are associated with the onset and severity level of several psychiatric disorders, such as depression and anxiety disorders. Studies on these risk factors, however, generally use homogeneous noncomorbid samples. Hence, studies in naturalistic psychiatric samples are lacking. Moreover, we know little about the quantitative relationship between the frequency of traumatic childhood events, strength of memory bias and number of comorbid psychiatric disorders; the latter being an index of severity. The current study examined the association of childhood trauma and negative memory bias with psychopathology in a large naturalistic psychiatric patient sample. METHODS Frequency of traumatic childhood events (emotional neglect, psychological-, physical- and sexual abuse) was assessed using a questionnaire in a sample of 252 adult psychiatric patients with no psychotic or bipolar-I disorder and no cognitive disorder as main diagnosis. Patients were diagnosed for DSM-IV Axis-I and Axis-II disorders using a structured clinical interview. This allowed for the assessment of comorbidity between disorders. Negative memory bias for verbal stimuli was measured using a computer task. RESULTS Linear regression models revealed that the frequency of childhood trauma as well as negative memory bias was positively associated with psychiatric comorbidity, separately and above and beyond each other (all p < .01). CONCLUSIONS The results indicate that childhood trauma and negative memory bias may be of importance for a broader spectrum of psychiatric diagnoses, besides the frequently studied affective disorders. Importantly, frequently experiencing traumatic events during childhood increases the risk of comorbid psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna N Vrijsen
- Department of Psychiatry Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen The Netherlands.,Pro Persona Mental Health Care Depression Expertise Center Nijmegen The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Center for Neuroscience Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Camiel T van Amen
- Department of Psychiatry Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Bauke Koekkoek
- Research Group Social Psychiatry & Mental Health Nursing HAN University of Applied Sciences Nijmegen The Netherlands.,Pro Persona Mental Health Care ProCES Wolfheze The Netherlands
| | - Iris van Oostrom
- Department of Psychiatry Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Center for Neuroscience Nijmegen The Netherlands
| | - Aart H Schene
- Department of Psychiatry Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Center for Neuroscience Nijmegen The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry Academic Medical Center Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Indira Tendolkar
- Department of Psychiatry Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain Cognition and Behavior Center for Neuroscience Nijmegen The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy University Hospital Essen Essen Germany
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35
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Wei SM, Eisenberg DP, Nabel KG, Kohn PD, Kippenhan JS, Dickinson D, Kolachana B, Berman KF. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Val66Met Polymorphism Affects the Relationship Between an Anxiety-Related Personality Trait and Resting Regional Cerebral Blood Flow. Cereb Cortex 2017; 27:2175-2182. [PMID: 27005989 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhw072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important modulator of constitutive stress responses mediated by limbic frontotemporal circuits, and its gene contains a functional polymorphism (Val66Met) that may influence trait stress sensitivity. Reports of an association of this polymorphism with anxiety-related personality traits have been controversial and without clear neurophysiological support. We, therefore, determined the relationship between resting regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and a well-validated measure of anxiety-related personality, the TPQ Harm Avoidance (HA) scale, as a function of BDNF Val66Met genotype. Sixty-four healthy participants of European ancestry underwent resting H215O positron emission tomography scans. For each genotype group separately, we first determined the relationship between participants' HA scores and their resting rCBF values in each voxel across the entire brain, and then directly compared these HA-rCBF relationships between Val66Met genotype groups. HA-rCBF relationships differed between Val homozygotes and Met carriers in several regions relevant to stress regulation: subgenual cingulate, orbital frontal cortex, and the hippocampal/parahippocampal region. In each of these areas, the relationship was positive in Val homozygotes and negative in Met carriers. These data demonstrate a coupling between trait anxiety and basal resting blood flow in frontolimbic neurocircuitry that may be determined in part by genetically mediated BDNF signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shau-Ming Wei
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging.,Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel P Eisenberg
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging.,Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Katherine G Nabel
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging.,Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Philip D Kohn
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging.,Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - J Shane Kippenhan
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging.,Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Dwight Dickinson
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Bhaskar Kolachana
- Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Karen F Berman
- Section on Integrative Neuroimaging.,Clinical and Translational Neuroscience Branch, NIMH IRP, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
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36
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Jasińska KK, Molfese PJ, Kornilov SA, Mencl WE, Frost SJ, Lee M, Pugh KR, Grigorenko EL, Landi N. The BDNF Val 66Met polymorphism is associated with structural neuroanatomical differences in young children. Behav Brain Res 2017; 328:48-56. [PMID: 28359883 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Revised: 02/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has been associated with individual differences in brain structure and function, and cognition. Research on BDNF's influence on brain and cognition has largely been limited to adults, and little is known about the association of this gene, and specifically the Val66Met polymorphism, with developing brain structure and emerging cognitive functions in children. We performed a targeted genetic association analysis on cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volume in 78 children (ages 6-10) who were Val homozygotes (homozygous Val/Val carriers) or Met carriers (Val/Met, Met/Met) for the Val66Met locus using Atlas-based brain segmentation. We observed greater cortical thickness for Val homozygotes in regions supporting declarative memory systems (anterior temporal pole/entorhinal cortex), consistent with adult findings. Met carriers had greater surface area in the prefrontal and parietal cortices and greater cortical thickness in lateral occipital/parietal cortex in contrast to prior adult findings that may relate to performance on cognitive tasks supported by these regions in Met carriers. Finally, we found larger right hippocampal volume in Met carriers, although inconsistent with adult findings (generally reports larger volumes for Val homozygotes), is consistent with a recent finding in children. Gene expression levels vary across different brain regions and across development and our findings highlight the need to consider this developmental change in explorations of BDNF-brain relationships. The impact of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on the structure of the developing brain therefore reflects regionally-specific developmental changes in BDNF expression and cortical maturation trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja K Jasińska
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Peter J Molfese
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Sergey A Kornilov
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation; Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - W Einar Mencl
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Elena L Grigorenko
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation; Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation; Moscow State University for Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Nicole Landi
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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37
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van Velzen LS, Schmaal L, Jansen R, Milaneschi Y, Opmeer EM, Elzinga BM, van der Wee NJA, Veltman DJ, Penninx BWJH. Effect of childhood maltreatment and brain-derived neurotrophic factor on brain morphology. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:1841-1852. [PMID: 27405617 PMCID: PMC5091678 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2015] [Revised: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been associated with altered brain morphology, which may partly be due to a direct impact on neural growth, e.g. through the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) pathway. Findings on CM, BDNF and brain volume are inconsistent and have never accounted for the entire BDNF pathway. We examined the effects of CM, BDNF (genotype, gene expression and protein level) and their interactions on hippocampus, amygdala and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) morphology. Data were collected from patients with depression and/or an anxiety disorder and healthy subjects within the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) (N = 289). CM was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Interview. BDNF Val66Met genotype, gene expression and serum protein levels were determined in blood and T1 MRI scans were acquired at 3T. Regional brain morphology was assessed using FreeSurfer. Covariate-adjusted linear regression analyses were performed. Amygdala volume was lower in maltreated individuals. This was more pronounced in maltreated met-allele carriers. The expected positive relationship between BDNF gene expression and volume of the amygdala is attenuated in maltreated subjects. Finally, decreased cortical thickness of the ACC was identified in maltreated subjects with the val/val genotype. CM was associated with altered brain morphology, partly in interaction with multiple levels of the BNDF pathway. Our results suggest that CM has different effects on brain morphology in met-carriers and val-homozygotes and that CM may disrupt the neuroprotective effect of BDNF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura S van Velzen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center and GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center and GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rick Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center and GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Yuri Milaneschi
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center and GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Esther M Opmeer
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, NeuroImaging Center, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Bernet M Elzinga
- Institute of Psychology and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nic J A van der Wee
- Institute of Psychiatry and Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Dick J Veltman
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center and GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Brenda W J H Penninx
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Campus Amsterdam, VU University Medical Center and GGZ inGeest, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry and the EMGO+ Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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38
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Understanding heterogeneity in grey matter research of adults with childhood maltreatment—A meta-analysis and review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 69:299-312. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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39
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Teicher MH, Samson JA, Anderson CM, Ohashi K. The effects of childhood maltreatment on brain structure, function and connectivity. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:652-66. [DOI: 10.1038/nrn.2016.111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 785] [Impact Index Per Article: 98.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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40
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Jasińska KK, Molfese PJ, Kornilov SA, Mencl WE, Frost SJ, Lee M, Pugh KR, Grigorenko EL, Landi N. The BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism Influences Reading Ability and Patterns of Neural Activation in Children. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0157449. [PMID: 27551971 PMCID: PMC4995017 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0157449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding how genes impact the brain’s functional activation for learning and cognition during development remains limited. We asked whether a common genetic variant in the BDNF gene (the Val66Met polymorphism) modulates neural activation in the young brain during a critical period for the emergence and maturation of the neural circuitry for reading. In animal models, the bdnf variation has been shown to be associated with the structure and function of the developing brain and in humans it has been associated with multiple aspects of cognition, particularly memory, which are relevant for the development of skilled reading. Yet, little is known about the impact of the Val66Met polymorphism on functional brain activation in development, either in animal models or in humans. Here, we examined whether the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism (dbSNP rs6265) is associated with children’s (age 6–10) neural activation patterns during a reading task (n = 81) using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), genotyping, and standardized behavioral assessments of cognitive and reading development. Children homozygous for the Val allele at the SNP rs6265 of the BDNF gene outperformed Met allele carriers on reading comprehension and phonological memory, tasks that have a strong memory component. Consistent with these behavioral findings, Met allele carriers showed greater activation in reading–related brain regions including the fusiform gyrus, the left inferior frontal gyrus and left superior temporal gyrus as well as greater activation in the hippocampus during a word and pseudoword reading task. Increased engagement of memory and spoken language regions for Met allele carriers relative to Val/Val homozygotes during reading suggests that Met carriers have to exert greater effort required to retrieve phonological codes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja K. Jasińska
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Peter J. Molfese
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States of America
| | - Sergey A. Kornilov
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation
- Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - W. Einar Mencl
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | | | - Maria Lee
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Kenneth R. Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States of America
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Elena L. Grigorenko
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States of America
- Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
- Moscow City University for Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Nicole Landi
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
- University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States of America
- Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States of America
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41
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Nemeroff CB. Paradise Lost: The Neurobiological and Clinical Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect. Neuron 2016; 89:892-909. [PMID: 26938439 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2016.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 388] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In the past two decades, much evidence has accumulated unequivocally demonstrating that child abuse and neglect is associated with a marked increase in risk for major psychiatric disorders (major depression, bipolar disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder [PTSD], substance and alcohol abuse, and others) and medical disorders (cardiovascular disease, diabetes, irritable bowel syndrome, asthma, and others). Moreover, the course of psychiatric disorders in individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment is more severe. Recently, the biological substrates underlying this diathesis to medical and psychiatric morbidity have been studied. This Review summarizes many of the persistent biological alterations associated with childhood maltreatment including changes in neuroendocrine and neurotransmitter systems and pro-inflammatory cytokines in addition to specific alterations in brain areas associated with mood regulation. Finally, I discuss several candidate gene polymorphisms that interact with childhood maltreatment to modulate vulnerability to major depression and PTSD and epigenetic mechanisms thought to transduce environmental stressors into disease vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA.
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42
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Richards JS, Arias Vásquez A, Franke B, Hoekstra PJ, Heslenfeld DJ, Oosterlaan J, Faraone SV, Buitelaar JK, Hartman CA. Developmentally Sensitive Interaction Effects of Genes and the Social Environment on Total and Subcortical Brain Volumes. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0155755. [PMID: 27218681 PMCID: PMC4878752 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0155755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2015] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Smaller total brain and subcortical volumes have been linked to psychopathology including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Identifying mechanisms underlying these alterations, therefore, is of great importance. We investigated the role of gene-environment interactions (GxE) in interindividual variability of total gray matter (GM), caudate, and putamen volumes. Brain volumes were derived from structural magnetic resonance imaging scans in participants with (N = 312) and without ADHD (N = 437) from N = 402 families (age M = 17.00, SD = 3.60). GxE effects between DAT1, 5-HTT, and DRD4 and social environments (maternal expressed warmth and criticism; positive and deviant peer affiliation) as well as the possible moderating effect of age were examined using linear mixed modeling. We also tested whether findings depended on ADHD severity. Deviant peer affiliation was associated with lower caudate volume. Participants with low deviant peer affiliations had larger total GM volumes with increasing age. Likewise, developmentally sensitive GxE effects were found on total GM and putamen volume. For total GM, differential age effects were found for DAT1 9-repeat and HTTLPR L/L genotypes, depending on the amount of positive peer affiliation. For putamen volume, DRD4 7-repeat carriers and DAT1 10/10 homozygotes showed opposite age relations depending on positive peer affiliation and maternal criticism, respectively. All results were independent of ADHD severity. The presence of differential age-dependent GxE effects might explain the diverse and sometimes opposing results of environmental and genetic effects on brain volumes observed so far.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S. Richards
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
| | - Alejandro Arias Vásquez
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Pieter J. Hoekstra
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk J. Heslenfeld
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jaap Oosterlaan
- Department of Clinical Neuropsychology, VU University Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Stephen V. Faraone
- Departments of Psychiatry and of Neuroscience and Physiology, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, United States of America
- K.G. Jebsen Centre for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jan K. Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Catharina A. Hartman
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Department of Psychiatry, Groningen, The Netherlands
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43
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Holz NE, Boecker R, Jennen-Steinmetz C, Buchmann AF, Blomeyer D, Baumeister S, Plichta MM, Esser G, Schmidt M, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Banaschewski T, Brandeis D, Laucht M. Positive coping styles and perigenual ACC volume: two related mechanisms for conferring resilience? Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:813-20. [PMID: 26743466 PMCID: PMC4847701 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2015] [Accepted: 01/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure has been linked to increased rates of depression and anxiety in adults, particularly in females, and has been associated with maladaptive changes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is an important brain structure involved in internalizing disorders. Coping styles are important mediators of the stress reaction by establishing homeostasis, and may thus confer resilience to stress-related psychopathology. Anatomical scans were acquired in 181 healthy participants at age 25 years. Positive coping styles were determined using a self-report questionnaire (German Stress Coping Questionnaire, SVF78) at age 22 years. Adult anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed at ages 22, 23 and 25 years with the Young Adult Self-Report. Information on previous internalizing diagnoses was obtained by diagnostic interview (2-19 years). Positive coping styles were associated with increased ACC volume. ACC volume and positive coping styles predicted anxiety and depression in a sex-dependent manner with increased positive coping and ACC volume being related to lower levels of psychopathology in females, but not in males. These results remained significant when controlled for previous internalizing diagnoses. These findings indicate that positive coping styles and ACC volume are two linked mechanisms, which may serve as protective factors against internalizing disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathalie E Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany,
| | - Regina Boecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christine Jennen-Steinmetz
- Department of Biostatistics, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arlette F Buchmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany, University Outpatient Clinic of the Institute for Psychiatric and Psychosomatic Psychotherapy, ,Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Dorothea Blomeyer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sarah Baumeister
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael M Plichta
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy ,Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Günter Esser
- Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Martin Schmidt
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy ,Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Manfred Laucht
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim/Heidelberg University, J5, 68159 Mannheim, Germany, Department of Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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44
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Marusak HA, Kuruvadi N, Vila AM, Shattuck DW, Joshi SH, Joshi AA, Jella PK, Thomason ME. Interactive effects of BDNF Val66Met genotype and trauma on limbic brain anatomy in childhood. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2016; 25:509-18. [PMID: 26286685 PMCID: PMC4760899 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-015-0759-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Childhood trauma is a major precipitating factor in psychiatric disease. Emerging data suggest that stress susceptibility is genetically determined, and that risk is mediated by changes in limbic brain circuitry. There is a need to identify markers of disease vulnerability, and it is critical that these markers be investigated in childhood and adolescence, a time when neural networks are particularly malleable and when psychiatric disorders frequently emerge. In this preliminary study, we evaluated whether a common variant in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene (Val66Met; rs6265) interacts with childhood trauma to predict limbic gray matter volume in a sample of 55 youth high in sociodemographic risk. We found trauma-by-BDNF interactions in the right subcallosal area and right hippocampus, wherein BDNF-related gray matter changes were evident in youth without histories of trauma. In youth without trauma exposure, lower hippocampal volume was related to higher symptoms of anxiety. These data provide preliminary evidence for a contribution of a common BDNF gene variant to the neural correlates of childhood trauma among high-risk urban youth. Altered limbic structure in early life may lay the foundation for longer term patterns of neural dysfunction, and hold implications for understanding the psychiatric and psychobiological consequences of traumatic stress on the developing brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary A. Marusak
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Nisha Kuruvadi
- Liberty University College of Osteopathic Medicine, Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Angela M. Vila
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - David W. Shattuck
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Shantanu H. Joshi
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Anand A. Joshi
- Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California USA,Signal and Image Processing Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Pavan K. Jella
- Department of Radiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Moriah E. Thomason
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI USA,Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHSS, Bethesda, Maryland, and Detroit, Michigan, USA
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45
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Jaworska N, MacMaster FP, Foster J, Ramasubbu R. The influence of 5-HTTLPR and Val66Met polymorphisms on cortical thickness and volume in limbic and paralimbic regions in depression: a preliminary study. BMC Psychiatry 2016; 16:61. [PMID: 26976307 PMCID: PMC4791880 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-016-0777-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2015] [Accepted: 03/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Structural brain abnormalities have been investigated in multi-genetic and complex disorders such as major depressive disorder (MDD). Among the various candidate genes implicated in MDD, the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism and 5-HT transporter gene linked polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) have garnered the most attention due to their putative roles in neural plasticity and antidepressant response. However, relatively few studies have assessed the influence of these polymorphysims on cortical thickness or brain volume in para-limbic and limbic regions in MDD, which was the aim of this study. METHODS Forty-three adults with MDD and 15 healthy controls (HC) underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Cortical thickness was assessed in frontal, cingulate and temporal regions. Volumetric measures were carried out in the thalamus, caudate, putamen, pallidum, hippocampus and amygdala. Participants were genotyped to determine their 5-HTTLPR (tri-allelic) and Val66Met polymorphisms. RESULTS In the combined sample (MDD + HC), smaller right pallidum volumes were found in LA/S (LA/S & LA/LG) heterozygotes compared to S/S (S/S, LG/S & LG/LG) homozygotes, though the effect was modest. In the MDD group, larger left thalamus and putamen volumes were observed in LA/LA homozygotes. No Val66Met or 5-HTTLPR genotype effects existed on cortical thickness and no main effects of the Val66Met polymorphism were observed. CONCLUSION Our preliminary results suggest that the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is associated with morphometric changes in regions known to play an important role in emotional and reward processing in depression. A larger sample size is required to replicate these findings and to potentially reveal subtle morphometric changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Jaworska
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, PQ Canada ,Department of Psychiatry, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, University of Calgary, #4D64 TRW Building, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N4Z6 Canada
| | - Frank P. MacMaster
- Department of Psychiatry, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, University of Calgary, #4D64 TRW Building, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB T2N4Z6 Canada ,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB Canada ,Child & Adolescent Imaging Research (CAIR) Program, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute for Child & Maternal Health, Calgary, AB Canada
| | - Jane Foster
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Canada
| | - Rajamannar Ramasubbu
- Department of Psychiatry, Mathison Centre for Mental Health Research & Education, University of Calgary, #4D64 TRW Building, 3280 Hospital Drive NW, Calgary, AB, T2N4Z6, Canada. .,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada.
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46
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Teicher MH, Samson JA. Annual Research Review: Enduring neurobiological effects of childhood abuse and neglect. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2016; 57:241-66. [PMID: 26831814 PMCID: PMC4760853 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 637] [Impact Index Per Article: 79.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood maltreatment is the most important preventable cause of psychopathology accounting for about 45% of the population attributable risk for childhood onset psychiatric disorders. A key breakthrough has been the discovery that maltreatment alters trajectories of brain development. METHODS This review aims to synthesize neuroimaging findings in children who experienced caregiver neglect as well as from studies in children, adolescents and adults who experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse. In doing so, we provide preliminary answers to questions regarding the importance of type and timing of exposure, gender differences, reversibility and the relationship between brain changes and psychopathology. We also discuss whether these changes represent adaptive modifications or stress-induced damage. RESULTS Parental verbal abuse, witnessing domestic violence and sexual abuse appear to specifically target brain regions (auditory, visual and somatosensory cortex) and pathways that process and convey the aversive experience. Maltreatment is associated with reliable morphological alterations in anterior cingulate, dorsal lateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex, corpus callosum and adult hippocampus, and with enhanced amygdala response to emotional faces and diminished striatal response to anticipated rewards. Evidence is emerging that these regions and interconnecting pathways have sensitive exposure periods when they are most vulnerable. CONCLUSIONS Early deprivation and later abuse may have opposite effects on amygdala volume. Structural and functional abnormalities initially attributed to psychiatric illness may be a more direct consequence of abuse. Childhood maltreatment exerts a prepotent influence on brain development and has been an unrecognized confound in almost all psychiatric neuroimaging studies. These brain changes may be best understood as adaptive responses to facilitate survival and reproduction in the face of adversity. Their relationship to psychopathology is complex as they are discernible in both susceptible and resilient individuals with maltreatment histories. Mechanisms fostering resilience will need to be a primary focus of future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin H. Teicher
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Jacqueline A. Samson
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA,Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
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47
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Brown S, Fite PJ, Stone K, Bortolato M. Accounting for the associations between child maltreatment and internalizing problems: The role of alexithymia. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2016; 52:20-8. [PMID: 26774529 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Revised: 12/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/15/2015] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Internalizing difficulties are one of the most widely documented consequences of child maltreatment. However, there is a need for studies delineating the factors that account for this association. Despite research showing that alexithymia is associated with both child maltreatment and internalizing problems, the role of alexithymia in the link between child maltreatment and internalizing problems has not received much attention in the literature. The current study evaluated whether a history of child maltreatment was associated with symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness in emerging adulthood, and whether alexithymia partially accounted for these associations. Participants included 339 emerging adults ranging between 18 and 25 years of age (M=19.00, SD=1.26, 51.3% male). Exposure to child maltreatment (i.e., physical abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and emotional neglect) was positively associated with depression, anxiety, and loneliness symptoms. Tests of indirect effects suggested that associations between emotional neglect and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and loneliness were partially explained by alexithymia. However, alexithymia did not account for any other associations between the remaining four maltreatment types and internalizing problems. Findings highlight the need for further evaluation of the factors that might account for associations between child maltreatment and internalizing difficulties. Future directions and implications for interventions are reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaquanna Brown
- Clinical Child Psychology Program and Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA), University of Kansas, 2009 Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Paula J Fite
- Clinical Child Psychology Program and Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA), University of Kansas, 2009 Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Katie Stone
- Clinical Child Psychology Program and Consortium for Translational Research on Aggression and Drug Abuse (ConTRADA), University of Kansas, 2009 Dole Human Development Center, 1000 Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Marco Bortolato
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and ConTRADA, University of Kansas, 5040 Malott Hall, 1251 Wescoe Hall Road, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
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48
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Won E, Ham BJ. Imaging genetics studies on monoaminergic genes in major depressive disorder. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2016; 64:311-9. [PMID: 25828849 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2015] [Revised: 03/17/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Although depression is the leading cause of disability worldwide, current understanding of the neurobiology of depression has failed to be translated into clinical practice. Major depressive disorder (MDD) pathogenesis is considered to be significantly influenced by multiple risk genes, however genetic effects are not simply expressed at a behavioral level. Therefore the concept of endophenotype has been applied in psychiatric genetics. Imaging genetics applies anatomical or functional imaging technologies as phenotypic assays to evaluate genetic variation and their impact on behavior. This paper attempts to provide a comprehensive review of available imaging genetics studies, including reports on genetic variants that have most frequently been linked to MDD, such as the monoaminergic genes (serotonin transporter gene, monoamine oxidase A gene, tryptophan hydroxylase-2 gene, serotonin receptor 1A gene and catechol-O-methyl transferase gene), with regard to key structures involved in emotion processing, such as the hippocampus, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunsoo Won
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Ham
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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49
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Bogdan R, Pagliaccio D, Baranger DAA, Hariri AR. Genetic Moderation of Stress Effects on Corticolimbic Circuitry. Neuropsychopharmacology 2016; 41:275-96. [PMID: 26189450 PMCID: PMC4677127 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Revised: 07/09/2015] [Accepted: 07/11/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Stress exposure is associated with individual differences in corticolimbic structure and function that often mirror patterns observed in psychopathology. Gene x environment interaction research suggests that genetic variation moderates the impact of stress on risk for psychopathology. On the basis of these findings, imaging genetics, which attempts to link variability in DNA sequence and structure to neural phenotypes, has begun to incorporate measures of the environment. This research paradigm, known as imaging gene x environment interaction (iGxE), is beginning to contribute to our understanding of the neural mechanisms through which genetic variation and stress increase psychopathology risk. Although awaiting replication, evidence suggests that genetic variation within the canonical neuroendocrine stress hormone system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, contributes to variability in stress-related corticolimbic structure and function, which, in turn, confers risk for psychopathology. For iGxE research to reach its full potential it will have to address many challenges, of which we discuss: (i) small effects, (ii) measuring the environment and neural phenotypes, (iii) the absence of detailed mechanisms, and (iv) incorporating development. By actively addressing these challenges, iGxE research is poised to help identify the neural mechanisms underlying genetic and environmental associations with psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Bogdan
- Department of Psychology, BRAIN Lab, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Neurosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - David Pagliaccio
- Neurosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - David AA Baranger
- Department of Psychology, BRAIN Lab, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
- Neurosciences Program, Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
| | - Ahmad R Hariri
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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50
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Hashimoto R, Ohi K, Yamamori H, Yasuda Y, Fujimoto M, Umeda-Yano S, Watanabe Y, Fukunaga M, Takeda M. Imaging genetics and psychiatric disorders. Curr Mol Med 2015; 15:168-75. [PMID: 25732148 PMCID: PMC4460286 DOI: 10.2174/1566524015666150303104159] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2014] [Revised: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Imaging genetics is an integrated research method that uses neuroimaging and genetics to assess the impact of genetic variation on brain function and structure. Imaging genetics is both a tool for the discovery of risk genes for psychiatric disorders and a strategy for characterizing the neural systems affected by risk gene variants to elucidate quantitative and mechanistic aspects of brain function implicated in psychiatric disease. Early studies of imaging genetics included association analyses between brain morphology and single nucleotide polymorphisms whose function is well known, such as catechol-Omethyltransferase (COMT) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). GWAS of psychiatric disorders have identified genes with unknown functions, such as ZNF804A, and imaging genetics has been used to investigate clues of the biological function of these genes. The difficulty in replicating the findings of studies with small sample sizes has motivated the creation of largescale collaborative consortiums, such as ENIGMA, CHARGE and IMAGEN, to collect thousands of images. In a genome-wide association study, the ENIGMA consortium successfully identified common variants in the genome associated with hippocampal volume at 12q24, and the CHARGE consortium replicated this finding. The new era of imaging genetics has just begun, and the next challenge we face is the discovery of small effect size signals from large data sets obtained from genetics and neuroimaging. New methods and technologies for data reduction with appropriate statistical thresholds, such as polygenic analysis and parallel independent component analysis (ICA), are warranted. Future advances in imaging genetics will aid in the discovery of genes and provide mechanistic insight into psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - M Takeda
- Molecular Research Center for Children's Mental Development, United Graduate School of Child Development, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
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