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Nunes EJ, Kebede N, Rajadhyaksha AM, Addy NA. L-type calcium channel regulation of depression, anxiety and anhedonia-related behavioral phenotypes following chronic stress exposure. Neuropharmacology 2024; 257:110031. [PMID: 38871116 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2024.110031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2024] [Revised: 05/18/2024] [Accepted: 06/05/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to chronic and unpredictable stressors can precipitate mood-related disorders in humans, particularly in individuals with pre-existing mental health challenges. L-type calcium channels (LTCCs) have been implicated in numerous neuropsychiatric disorders, as LTCC encoding genes have been identified as candidate risk factors for neuropsychiatric illnesses. In these sets of experiments, we sought to examine the ability of LTCC blockade to alter depression, anxiety, and anhedonic-related behavioral responses to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) exposure in female and male rats. Rats first underwent either 21 days of CUS or no exposure to chronic stressors, serving as home cage controls (HCC). Then rats were examined for anhedonia-related behavior, anxiety and depression-like behavioral responses as measured by the sucrose preference test (SPT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and forced swim test (FST). CUS exposed females and males showed anhedonic and anxiogenic-like behavioral responses on the SPT and EPM, respectively, when compared to HCCs. In female and male rats, systemic administration of the LTCC blocker isradipine (0.4 mg/kg and 1.2 mg/kg, I.P.) attenuated the CUS-induced decrease in sucrose preference and reversed the CUS-induced decrease in open arm time. In the FST, systemic isradipine decreased immobility time across all groups, consistent with an antidepressant-like response. However, there were no significant differences in forced swim test immobility time between HCC and CUS exposed animals. Taken together, these data point to a role of LTCCs in the regulation of mood disorder-related behavioral phenotype responses to chronic stress exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J Nunes
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Nardos Kebede
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Anjali M Rajadhyaksha
- Center for Substance Abuse Research and Department of Neural Sciences, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Nii A Addy
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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Datta D, Yang S, Joyce MKP, Woo E, McCarroll SA, Gonzalez-Burgos G, Perone I, Uchendu S, Ling E, Goldman M, Berretta S, Murray J, Morozov Y, Arellano J, Duque A, Rakic P, O’Dell R, van Dyck CH, Lewis DA, Wang M, Krienen FM, Arnsten AFT. Key Roles of CACNA1C/Cav1.2 and CALB1/Calbindin in Prefrontal Neurons Altered in Cognitive Disorders. JAMA Psychiatry 2024:2818736. [PMID: 38776078 PMCID: PMC11112502 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 03/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
Importance The risk of mental disorders is consistently associated with variants in CACNA1C (L-type calcium channel Cav1.2) but it is not known why these channels are critical to cognition, and whether they affect the layer III pyramidal cells in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex that are especially vulnerable in cognitive disorders. Objective To examine the molecular mechanisms expressed in layer III pyramidal cells in primate dorsolateral prefrontal cortices. Design, Setting, and Participants The design included transcriptomic analyses from human and macaque dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and connectivity, protein expression, physiology, and cognitive behavior in macaques. The research was performed in academic laboratories at Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and the University of Pittsburgh. As dorsolateral prefrontal cortex only exists in primates, the work evaluated humans and macaques. Main Outcomes and Measures Outcome measures included transcriptomic signatures of human and macaque pyramidal cells, protein expression and interactions in layer III macaque pyramidal cells using light and electron microscopy, changes in neuronal firing during spatial working memory, and working memory performance following pharmacological treatments. Results Layer III pyramidal cells in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex coexpress a constellation of calcium-related proteins, delineated by CALB1 (calbindin), and high levels of CACNA1C (Cav1.2), GRIN2B (NMDA receptor GluN2B), and KCNN3 (SK3 potassium channel), concentrated in dendritic spines near the calcium-storing smooth endoplasmic reticulum. L-type calcium channels influenced neuronal firing needed for working memory, where either blockade or increased drive by β1-adrenoceptors, reduced neuronal firing by a mean (SD) 37.3% (5.5%) or 40% (6.3%), respectively, the latter via SK potassium channel opening. An L-type calcium channel blocker or β1-adrenoceptor antagonist protected working memory from stress. Conclusions and Relevance The layer III pyramidal cells in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex especially vulnerable in cognitive disorders differentially express calbindin and a constellation of calcium-related proteins including L-type calcium channels Cav1.2 (CACNA1C), GluN2B-NMDA receptors (GRIN2B), and SK3 potassium channels (KCNN3), which influence memory-related neuronal firing. The finding that either inadequate or excessive L-type calcium channel activation reduced neuronal firing explains why either loss- or gain-of-function variants in CACNA1C were associated with increased risk of cognitive disorders. The selective expression of calbindin in these pyramidal cells highlights the importance of regulatory mechanisms in neurons with high calcium signaling, consistent with Alzheimer tau pathology emerging when calbindin is lost with age and/or inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Shengtao Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Mary Kate P. Joyce
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Elizabeth Woo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Steven A. McCarroll
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Isabella Perone
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Stacy Uchendu
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Emi Ling
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Melissa Goldman
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Sabina Berretta
- Basic Neuroscience Division, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - John Murray
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Yury Morozov
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Jon Arellano
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Alvaro Duque
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Pasko Rakic
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Ryan O’Dell
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Christopher H. van Dyck
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - David A. Lewis
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Fenna M. Krienen
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - Amy F. T. Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
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Yang ZH, Cai X, Ding ZL, Li W, Zhang CY, Huo JH, Zhang Y, Wang L, Zhang LM, Li SW, Li M, Zhang C, Chang H, Xiao X. Identification of a psychiatric risk gene NISCH at 3p21.1 GWAS locus mediating dendritic spine morphogenesis and cognitive function. BMC Med 2023; 21:254. [PMID: 37443018 PMCID: PMC10347724 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-023-02931-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (BD) are believed to share clinical symptoms, genetic risk, etiological factors, and pathogenic mechanisms. We previously reported that single nucleotide polymorphisms spanning chromosome 3p21.1 showed significant associations with both schizophrenia and BD, and a risk SNP rs2251219 was in linkage disequilibrium with a human specific Alu polymorphism rs71052682, which showed enhancer effects on transcriptional activities using luciferase reporter assays in U251 and U87MG cells. METHODS CRISPR/Cas9-directed genome editing, real-time quantitative PCR, and public Hi-C data were utilized to investigate the correlation between the Alu polymorphism rs71052682 and NISCH. Primary neuronal culture, immunofluorescence staining, co-immunoprecipitation, lentiviral vector production, intracranial stereotaxic injection, behavioral assessment, and drug treatment were used to examine the physiological impacts of Nischarin (encoded by NISCH). RESULTS Deleting the Alu sequence in U251 and U87MG cells reduced mRNA expression of NISCH, the gene locates 180 kb from rs71052682, and Hi-C data in brain tissues confirmed the extensive chromatin contacts. These data suggested that the genetic risk of schizophrenia and BD predicted elevated NISCH expression, which was also consistent with the observed higher NISCH mRNA levels in the brain tissues from psychiatric patients compared with controls. We then found that overexpression of NISCH resulted in a significantly decreased density of mushroom dendritic spines with a simultaneously increased density of thin dendritic spines in primary cultured neurons. Intriguingly, elevated expression of this gene in mice also led to impaired spatial working memory in the Y-maze. Given that Nischarin is the target of anti-hypertensive agents clonidine and tizanidine, which have shown therapeutic effects in patients with schizophrenia and patients with BD in preliminary clinical trials, we demonstrated that treatment with those antihypertensive drugs could reduce NISCH mRNA expression and rescue the impaired working memory in mice. CONCLUSIONS We identify a psychiatric risk gene NISCH at 3p21.1 GWAS locus influencing dendritic spine morphogenesis and cognitive function, and Nischarin may have potentials for future therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Hui Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xin Cai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhong-Li Ding
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Blood Transfusion, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chu-Yi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jin-Hua Huo
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lin-Ming Zhang
- Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Shi-Wu Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Chen Zhang
- Clinical Research Center & Division of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China.
| | - Hong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
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Zhang C, Li X, Zhao L, Guo W, Deng W, Wang Q, Hu X, Du X, Sham PC, Luo X, Li T. Brain transcriptome-wide association study implicates novel risk genes underlying schizophrenia risk. Psychol Med 2023:1-11. [PMID: 37092861 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723000417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND To identify risk genes whose expression are regulated by the reported risk variants and to explore the potential regulatory mechanism in schizophrenia (SCZ). METHODS We systematically integrated three independent brain expression quantitative traits (eQTLs) (CommonMind, GTEx, and BrainSeq Phase 2, a total of 1039 individuals) and GWAS data (56 418 cases and 78 818 controls), with the use of transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS). Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging was utilized to quantify the integrity of white matter bundles and determine whether polygenic risk of novel genes linked to brain structure was present in patients with first-episode antipsychotic SCZ. RESULTS TWAS showed that eight risk genes (CORO7, DDAH2, DDHD2, ELAC2, GLT8D1, PCDHA8, THOC7, and TYW5) reached transcriptome-wide significance (TWS) level. These findings were confirmed by an independent integrative approach (i.e. Sherlock). We further conducted conditional analyses and identified the potential risk genes that driven the TWAS association signal in each locus. Gene expression analysis showed that several TWS genes (including CORO7, DDAH2, DDHD2, ELAC2, GLT8D1, THOC7 and TYW5) were dysregulated in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of SCZ cases compared with controls. TWS genes were mainly expressed on the surface of glutamatergic neurons, GABAergic neurons, and microglia. Finally, SCZ cases had a substantially greater TWS genes-based polygenic risk (PRS) compared to controls, and we showed that fractional anisotropy of the cingulum-hippocampus mediates the influence of TWS genes PRS on SCZ. CONCLUSIONS Our findings identified novel SCZ risk genes and highlighted the importance of the TWS genes in frontal-limbic dysfunctions in SCZ, indicating possible therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengcheng Zhang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiaojing Li
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Liansheng Zhao
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wanjun Guo
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Deng
- Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Mental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China
| | - Xun Hu
- The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiangdong Du
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Soochow University's Affiliated Guangji Hospital, Suzhou, Jiangsu, China
| | - Pak Chung Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Centre for PanorOmic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Xiongjian Luo
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Tao Li
- Affiliated Mental Health Center & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Guangzhou, China
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Schmitt A, Falkai P, Papiol S. Neurodevelopmental disturbances in schizophrenia: evidence from genetic and environmental factors. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2023; 130:195-205. [PMID: 36370183 PMCID: PMC9660136 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-022-02567-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Since more than 3 decades, schizophrenia (SZ) has been regarded as a neurodevelopmental disorder. The neurodevelopmental hypothesis proposes that SZ is associated with genetic and environmental risk factors, which influence connectivity in neuronal circuits during vulnerable developmental periods. We carried out a non-systematic review of genetic/environmental factors that increase SZ risk in light of its neurodevelopmental hypothesis. We also reviewed the potential impact of SZ-related environmental and genetic risk factors on grey and white matter pathology and brain function based on magnetic resonance imaging and post-mortem studies. Finally, we reviewed studies that have used patient-derived neuronal models to gain knowledge of the role of genetic and environmental factors in early developmental stages. Taken together, these studies indicate that a variety of environmental factors may interact with genetic risk factors during the pre- or postnatal period and/or during adolescence to induce symptoms of SZ in early adulthood. These risk factors induce disturbances of macro- and microconnectivity in brain regions involving the prefrontal, temporal and parietal cortices and the hippocampus. On the molecular and cellular level, a disturbed synaptic plasticity, loss of oligodendrocytes and impaired myelination have been shown in brain regions of SZ patients. These cellular/histological phenotypes are related to environmental risk factors such as obstetric complications, maternal infections and childhood trauma and genetic risk factors identified in recent genome-wide association studies. SZ-related genetic risk may contribute to active processes interfering with synaptic plasticity in the adult brain. Advances in stem cell technologies are providing promising mechanistic insights into how SZ risk factors impact the developing brain. Further research is needed to understand the timing of the different complex biological processes taking place as a result of the interplay between genetic and environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Schmitt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany.
- Laboratory of Neuroscience (LIM27), Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Peter Falkai
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstr. 2-10, Munich, Germany
| | - Sergi Papiol
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Nußbaumstr. 7, 80336, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
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Nunes EJ, Addy NA. L-type calcium channel regulation of dopamine activity in the ventral tegmental area to nucleus accumbens pathway: Implications for substance use, mood disorders and co-morbidities. Neuropharmacology 2023; 224:109336. [PMID: 36414149 PMCID: PMC11215796 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
L-type calcium channels (LTCCs), including the Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 LTCC subtypes, are important regulators of calcium entry into neurons, which mediates neurotransmitter release and synaptic plasticity. Cav1.2 and Cav1.3 are encoded by the CACNA1C and CACNA1D genes, respectively. These genes are implicated in substance use disorders and depression in humans, as demonstrated by genetic-wide association studies (GWAS). Pre-clinical models have also revealed a critical role of LTCCs on drug and mood related behavior, including the co-morbidity of substance use and mood disorders. Moreover, LTCCs have been shown to regulate the neuronal firing of dopamine (DA) neurons as well as drug and stress-induced plasticity within the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to nucleus accumbens (NAc) pathway. Thus, LTCCs are interesting targets for the treatment of neuropsychiatric diseases. In this review, we provide a brief introduction to voltage-gated calcium channels, specifically focusing on the LTCCs. We place particular emphasis on the ability of LTCCs to regulate DA neuronal activity and downstream signaling in the VTA to NAc pathway, and how such processes mediate substance use and mood disorder-related behavioral responses. We also discuss the bi-directional control of VTA LTCCs on drug and mood-related behaviors in pre-clinical models, with implications for co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis. We conclude with a section on the clinical implications of LTCC blockers, many which are already FDA approved as cardiac medications. Thus, pre-clinical and clinical work should examine the potential of LTCC blockers to be repurposed for neuropsychiatric illness. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'L-type calcium channel mechanisms in neuropsychiatric disorders'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric J. Nunes
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
- Yale Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Yale School of Medicine
| | - Nii A. Addy
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine
- Yale Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Yale School of Medicine
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale School of Medicine
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University
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Jiang X, Sultan AA, Dimick MK, Zai CC, Kennedy JL, MacIntosh BJ, Goldstein BI. The association of genetic variation in CACNA1C with resting-state functional connectivity in youth bipolar disorder. Int J Bipolar Disord 2023; 11:3. [PMID: 36637564 PMCID: PMC9839925 DOI: 10.1186/s40345-022-00281-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND CACNA1C rs1006737 A allele, identified as a genetic risk variant for bipolar disorder (BD), is associated with anomalous functional connectivity in adults with and without BD. Studies have yet to investigate the association of CACNA1C rs1006737 with resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in youth BD. METHODS Participants included 139 youth with BD-I, -II, or -not otherwise specified, ages 13-20 years, including 27 BD A-carriers, 41 BD non-carriers, 32 healthy controls (HC) A-carriers, and 39 HC non-carriers. Anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), amygdala, and orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) were examined as regions-of-interest in seed-to-voxel analyses. General linear models included main effects of diagnosis and rs1006737, and an interaction term, controlling for age, sex, and race. RESULTS We observed a main effect of BD diagnosis on rsFC between the right amygdala and the right occipital pole (p = 0.02), and a main effect of rs1006737 genotypes on rsFC between the right OFC and bilateral occipital cortex (p < 0.001). Two significant BD diagnosis-by-CACNA1C rs1006737 interactions were also identified. The A allele was associated with positive rsFC between the right ACC and right amygdala in BD but negative rsFC in HC (p = 0.01), and negative rsFC between the left OFC and left putamen in BD but positive rsFC in HC (p = 0.01). CONCLUSION This study found that the rs1006737 A allele, identified as a genetic risk variant for BD in adults, was differentially associated with rsFC in youth with BD in regions relevant to emotion, executive function, and reward. Future task-based approaches are warranted to better understand brain connectivity in relation to CACNA1C in BD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyue Jiang
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Alysha A. Sultan
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Mikaela K. Dimick
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Clement C. Zai
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Psychiatric Neurogenetics Section, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - James L. Kennedy
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Tanenbaum Centre for Pharmacogenetics, Psychiatric Neurogenetics Section, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Bradley J. MacIntosh
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Benjamin I. Goldstein
- grid.155956.b0000 0000 8793 5925Centre for Youth Bipolar Disorder, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada ,grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Guardiola-Ripoll M, Almodóvar-Payá C, Lubeiro A, Sotero A, Salvador R, Fuentes-Claramonte P, Salgado-Pineda P, Papiol S, Ortiz-Gil J, Gomar JJ, Guerrero-Pedraza A, Sarró S, Maristany T, Molina V, Pomarol-Clotet E, Fatjó-Vilas M. A functional neuroimaging association study on the interplay between two schizophrenia genome-wide associated genes (CACNA1C and ZNF804A). Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2022; 272:1229-1239. [PMID: 35796825 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-022-01447-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The CACNA1C and the ZNF804A genes are among the most relevant schizophrenia GWAS findings. Recent evidence shows that the interaction of these genes with the schizophrenia diagnosis modulates brain functional response to a verbal fluency task. To better understand how these genes might influence the risk for schizophrenia, we aimed to study the interplay between CACNA1C and ZNF804A on working memory brain functional correlates. The analyses included functional and behavioural N-back task data (obtained from an fMRI protocol) and CACNA1C-rs1006737 and ZNF804A-rs1344706 genotypes for 78 healthy subjects and 78 patients with schizophrenia (matched for age, sex and premorbid IQ). We tested the effects of the epistasis between these genes as well as of the three-way interaction (CACNA1C × ZNAF804A × diagnosis) on working memory-associated activity (N-back: 2-back vs 1-back). We detected a significant CACNA1C × ZNAF804A interaction on working memory functional response in regions comprising the ventral caudate medially and within the left hemisphere, the superior and inferior orbitofrontal gyrus, the superior temporal pole and the ventral-anterior insula. The individuals with the GWAS-identified risk genotypes (CACNA1C-AA/AG and ZNF804A-AA) displayed a reduced working memory modulation response. This genotypic combination was also associated with opposite brain activity patterns between patients and controls. While further research will help to comprehend the neurobiological mechanisms of this interaction, our data highlight the role of the epistasis between CACNA1C and ZNF804A in the functional mechanisms underlying the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Guardiola-Ripoll
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Almodóvar-Payá
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
| | - Alba Lubeiro
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Alejandro Sotero
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Raymond Salvador
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
| | - Paola Fuentes-Claramonte
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar Salgado-Pineda
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
| | - Sergi Papiol
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
- Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics (IPPG), University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, University Hospital, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Jordi Ortiz-Gil
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
- Hospital General de Granollers, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jesús J Gomar
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- The Litwin-Zucker Alzheimer's Research Center, Manhasset, NY, USA
| | | | - Salvador Sarró
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Maristany
- Diagnostic Imaging Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Vicente Molina
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
- Neurosciences Institute of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
- Psychiatry Service, University Hospital of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Edith Pomarol-Clotet
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Mar Fatjó-Vilas
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Barcelona, Spain.
- CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health, Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain.
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
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9
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Arnsten AFT, Woo E, Yang S, Wang M, Datta D. Unusual Molecular Regulation of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex Layer III Synapses Increases Vulnerability to Genetic and Environmental Insults in Schizophrenia. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 92:480-490. [PMID: 35305820 PMCID: PMC9372235 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with reduced numbers of spines and dendrites from layer III of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), the layer that houses the recurrent excitatory microcircuits that subserve working memory and abstract thought. Why are these synapses so vulnerable, while synapses in deeper or more superficial layers are little affected? This review describes the special molecular properties that govern layer III neurotransmission and neuromodulation in the primate dlPFC and how they may render these circuits particularly vulnerable to genetic and environmental insults. These properties include a reliance on NMDA receptor rather than AMPA receptor neurotransmission; cAMP (cyclic adenosine monophosphate) magnification of calcium signaling near the glutamatergic synapse of dendritic spines; and potassium channels opened by cAMP/PKA (protein kinase A) signaling that dynamically alter network strength, with built-in mechanisms to take dlPFC "offline" during stress. A variety of genetic and/or environmental insults can lead to the same phenotype of weakened layer III connectivity, in which mechanisms that normally strengthen connectivity are impaired and those that normally weaken connectivity are intensified. Inflammatory mechanisms, such as increased kynurenic acid and glutamate carboxypeptidase II expression, are especially detrimental to layer III dlPFC neurotransmission and modulation, mimicking genetic insults. The combination of genetic and inflammatory insults may cross the threshold into pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy F T Arnsten
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut.
| | - Elizabeth Woo
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Shengtao Yang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Min Wang
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Dibyadeep Datta
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale Medical School, New Haven, Connecticut
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10
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Phenotypes, mechanisms and therapeutics: insights from bipolar disorder GWAS findings. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:2927-2939. [PMID: 35351989 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01523-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have reported substantial genomic loci significantly associated with clinical risk of bipolar disorder (BD), and studies combining techniques of genetics, neuroscience, neuroimaging, and pharmacology are believed to help tackle clinical problems (e.g., identifying novel therapeutic targets). However, translating findings of psychiatric genetics into biological mechanisms underlying BD pathogenesis remains less successful. Biological impacts of majority of BD GWAS risk loci are obscure, and the involvement of many GWAS risk genes in this illness is yet to be investigated. It is thus necessary to review the progress of applying BD GWAS risk genes in the research and intervention of the disorder. A comprehensive literature search found that a number of such risk genes had been investigated in cellular or animal models, even before they were highlighted in BD GWAS. Intriguingly, manipulation of many BD risk genes (e.g., ANK3, CACNA1C, CACNA1B, HOMER1, KCNB1, MCHR1, NCAN, SHANK2 etc.) resulted in altered murine behaviors largely restoring BD clinical manifestations, including mania-like symptoms such as hyperactivity, anxiolytic-like behavior, as well as antidepressant-like behavior, and these abnormalities could be attenuated by mood stabilizers. In addition to recapitulating phenotypic characteristics of BD, some GWAS risk genes further provided clues for the neurobiology of this illness, such as aberrant activation and functional connectivity of brain areas in the limbic system, and modulated dendritic spine morphogenesis as well as synaptic plasticity and transmission. Therefore, BD GWAS risk genes are undoubtedly pivotal resources for modeling this illness, and might be translational therapeutic targets in the future clinical management of BD. We discuss both promising prospects and cautions in utilizing the bulk of useful resources generated by GWAS studies. Systematic integrations of findings from genetic and neuroscience studies are called for to promote our understanding and intervention of BD.
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11
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Alkan E, Evans SL. Clustering of cognitive subtypes in schizophrenia patients and their siblings: relationship with regional brain volumes. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2022; 8:50. [PMID: 35853888 PMCID: PMC9261107 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-022-00242-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSchizophrenia patients (SZH) often show impaired cognition and reduced brain structural volumes; these deficits are also detectable in healthy relatives of SZH. However, there is considerable heterogeneity: a sizable percentage of SZH are relatively cognitively intact; clustering strategies have proved useful for categorising into cognitive subgroups. We used a clustering strategy to investigate relationships between subgroup assignment and brain volumes, in 102 SZH (N = 102) and 32 siblings of SZH (SZH-SIB), alongside 92 controls (CON) and 48 of their siblings. SZH had poorer performance in all cognitive domains, and smaller brain volumes within prefrontal and temporal regions compared to controls. We identified three distinct cognitive clusters (‘neuropsychologically normal’, ‘intermediate’, ‘cognitively impaired’) based on age- and gender-adjusted cognitive domain scores. The majority of SZH (60.8%) were assigned to the cognitively impaired cluster, while the majority of SZH-SIB (65.6%) were placed in the intermediate cluster. Greater right middle temporal volume distinguished the normal cluster from the more impaired clusters. Importantly, the observed brain volume differences between SZH and controls disappeared after adjustment for cluster assignment. This suggests an intimate link between cognitive performance levels and regional brain volume differences in SZH. This highlights the importance of accounting for heterogeneity in cognitive performance within SZH populations when attempting to characterise the brain structural abnormalities associated with the disease.
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12
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Navakkode S, Zhai J, Wong YP, Li G, Soong TW. Enhanced long-term potentiation and impaired learning in mice lacking alternative exon 33 of Ca V1.2 calcium channel. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:1. [PMID: 35013113 PMCID: PMC8748671 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01683-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 09/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The CACNA1C (calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha 1 C) gene that encodes the CaV1.2 channel is a prominent risk gene for neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders with cognitive and social impairments like schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, depression and autistic spectrum disorders (ASD). We have shown previously that mice with exon 33 deleted from CaV1.2 channel (CaV1.2-exon 33-/-) displayed increased CaV1.2 current density and single channel open probability in cardiomyocytes, and were prone to develop arrhythmia. As Ca2+ entry through CaV1.2 channels activates gene transcription in response to synaptic activity, we were intrigued to explore the possible role of Cav1.2Δ33 channels in synaptic plasticity and behaviour. Homozygous deletion of alternative exon 33 resulted in enhanced long-term potentiation (LTP), and lack of long- term depression (LTD), which did not correlate with enhanced learning. Exon 33 deletion also led to a decrease in social dominance, sociability and social novelty. Our findings shed light on the effect of gain-of-function of CaV1.2Δ33 signalling on synaptic plasticity and behaviour and provides evidence for a link between CaV1.2 and distinct cognitive and social behaviours associated with phenotypic features of psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheeja Navakkode
- grid.4280.e0000 0001 2180 6431Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore ,grid.59025.3b0000 0001 2224 0361Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jing Zhai
- grid.4280.e0000 0001 2180 6431Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Yuk Peng Wong
- grid.4280.e0000 0001 2180 6431Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guang Li
- grid.4280.e0000 0001 2180 6431Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore ,grid.410578.f0000 0001 1114 4286Present Address: Key Laboratory of Medical Electrophysiology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Cardiovascular Research, Southwest Medical University, Luzhou, Sichuan China
| | - Tuck Wah Soong
- Department of Physiology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore. .,Healthy Longevity Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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13
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Zhou J, Li J, Zhao Q, Ou P, Zhao W. Working memory deficits in children with schizophrenia and its mechanism, susceptibility genes, and improvement: A literature review. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:899344. [PMID: 35990059 PMCID: PMC9389215 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.899344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The negative influence on the cognitive ability of schizophrenia is one of the issues widely discussed in recent years. Working memory deficits are thought to be a core cognitive symptom of schizophrenia and lead to poorer social functions and worse academic performance. Previous studies have confirmed that working memory deficits tend to appear in the prodromal phase of schizophrenia. Therefore, considering that children with schizophrenia have better brain plasticity, it is critical to explore the development of their working memory. Although the research in this field developed gradually in recent years, few researchers have summarized these findings. The current study aims to review the recent studies from both behavior and neuroimaging aspects to summarize the working memory deficits of children with schizophrenia and to discuss the pathogenic factors such as genetic susceptibility. In addition, this study put forward some practicable interventions to improve cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia from psychological and neural perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jintao Zhou
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Psychology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jingfangzhou Li
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qi Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Peixin Ou
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Macau, Macao, Macao SAR, China
| | - Wan Zhao
- School of Psychology, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, China
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14
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Hidalgo S, Campusano JM, Hodge JJL. The Drosophila ortholog of the schizophrenia-associated CACNA1A and CACNA1B voltage-gated calcium channels regulate memory, sleep and circadian rhythms. Neurobiol Dis 2021; 155:105394. [PMID: 34015490 DOI: 10.1016/j.nbd.2021.105394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia exhibits up to 80% heritability. A number of genome wide association studies (GWAS) have repeatedly shown common variants in voltage-gated calcium (Cav) channel genes CACNA1C, CACNA1I and CACNA1G have a major contribution to the risk of the disease. More recently, studies using whole exome sequencing have also found that CACNA1B (Cav2.2 N-type) deletions and rare disruptive variants in CACNA1A (Cav2.1 P/Q-type) are associated with schizophrenia. The negative symptoms of schizophrenia include behavioural defects such as impaired memory, sleep and circadian rhythms. It is not known how variants in schizophrenia-associated genes contribute to cognitive and behavioural symptoms, thus hampering the development of treatment for schizophrenia symptoms. In order to address this knowledge gap, we studied behavioural phenotypes in a number of loss of function mutants for the Drosophila ortholog of the Cav2 gene family called cacophony (cac). cac mutants showed several behavioural features including decreased night-time sleep and hyperactivity similar to those reported in human patients. The change in timing of sleep-wake cycles suggested disrupted circadian rhythms, with the loss of night-time sleep being caused by loss of cac just in the circadian clock neurons. These animals also showed a reduction in rhythmic circadian behaviour a phenotype that also could be mapped to the central clock. Furthermore, reduction of cac just in the clock resulted in a lengthening of the 24 h period. In order to understand how loss of Cav2 function may lead to cognitive deficits and underlying cellular pathophysiology we targeted loss of function of cac to the memory centre of the fly, called the mushroom bodies (MB). This manipulation was sufficient to cause reduction in both short- and intermediate-term associative memory. Memory impairment was accompanied by a decrease in Ca2+ transients in response to a depolarizing stimulus, imaged in the MB presynaptic terminals. This work shows loss of cac Cav2 channel function alone causes a number of cognitive and behavioural deficits and underlying reduced neuronal Ca2+ transients, establishing Drosophila as a high-throughput in vivo genetic model to study the Cav channel pathophysiology related to schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Hidalgo
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Life Science, University of Bristol, UK; Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
| | - Jorge M Campusano
- Departamento de Biología Celular y Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Chile
| | - James J L Hodge
- School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, Faculty of Life Science, University of Bristol, UK.
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15
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Burdick KE, Perez-Rodriguez M, Birnbaum R, Shanahan M, Larsen E, Harper C, Poskus J, Sklar P. A molecular approach to treating cognition in schizophrenia by calcium channel blockade: An open-label pilot study of the calcium-channel antagonist isradipine. Schizophr Res Cogn 2020; 21:100180. [PMID: 32455122 PMCID: PMC7235642 DOI: 10.1016/j.scog.2020.100180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment is a prominent and difficult to treat symptom in schizophrenia (SZ), which is directly related to functional disability. A variant in the gene coding for the alpha 1C subunit of L-type voltage gated calcium channel (CACNA1C) has been shown to negatively affect several neurocognitive domains. We conducted a 4-week, open label, pilot study of isradipine, a calcium channel blocker, to determine its feasibility, safety, and efficacy in improving cognition in SZ patients. Ten adults with stable SZ were started on a flexible dose of isradipine 5 mg/day (up to 10 mg/day) for 4 weeks. Weekly in-person visits tracked side effects and symptoms while neurocognition and functional capacity were assessed at baseline and week 4. There were no serious adverse events reported. Newly emergent side effects were dizziness (1 new incidence at week 4); difficulty sleeping (2 new incidences at week 4); and decreased energy (3 new incidences at week 4). 1 patient discontinued medication and was withdrawn. Treatment did not exacerbate clinical symptoms. Although power is limited, results indicate no clear benefit on neurocognition but a positive effect (baseline mean = 6.8 ± 1.3 to week 4 mean = 7.9 ± 1.1; t = 2.91, p = 0.017) on functional capacity was noted. This open label, pilot study provides preliminary evidence that isradipine is a relatively safe medication when used adjunctively in SZ patients. This study suggests that isradipine offers no clear cognitive and only minimal functional benefit; however, additional studies may be warranted in symptomatic patients, or those with specific CACNA1C genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Megan Shanahan
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Emmett Larsen
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cierra Harper
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jessica Poskus
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Pamela Sklar
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
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16
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Lubeiro A, Fatjó-Vilas M, Guardiola M, Almodóvar C, Gomez-Pilar J, Cea-Cañas B, Poza J, Palomino A, Gómez-García M, Zugasti J, Molina V. Analysis of KCNH2 and CACNA1C schizophrenia risk genes on EEG functional network modulation during an auditory odd-ball task. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 270:433-442. [PMID: 30607529 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-018-0977-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A deficit in task-related functional connectivity modulation from electroencephalogram (EEG) has been described in schizophrenia. The use of measures of neuronal connectivity as an intermediate phenotype may allow identifying genetic factors involved in these deficits, and therefore, establishing underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. Genes involved in neuronal excitability and previously associated with the risk for schizophrenia may be adequate candidates in relation to functional connectivity alterations in schizophrenia. The objective was to study the association of two genes of voltage-gated ion channels (CACNA1C and KCNH2) with the functional modulation of the cortical networks measured with EEG and graph-theory parameter during a cognitive task, both in individuals with schizophrenia and healthy controls. Both CACNA1C (rs1006737) and KCNH2 (rs3800779) were genotyped in 101 controls and 50 schizophrenia patients. Small-world index (SW) was calculated from EEG recorded during an odd-ball task in two different temporal windows (pre-stimulus and response). Modulation was defined as the difference in SW between both windows. Genetic, group and their interaction effects on SW in the pre-stimulus window and in modulation were evaluated using ANOVA. The CACNA1C genotype was not associated with SW properties. KCNH2 was significantly associated with SW modulation. Healthy subjects showed a positive SW modulation irrespective of the KCNH2 genotype, whereas within patients allele-related differences were observed. Patients carrying the KCNH2 risk allele (A) presented a negative SW modulation and non-carriers showed SW modulation similar to the healthy subjects. Our data suggest that KCNH2 genotype contributes to the efficient modulation of brain electrophysiological activity during a cognitive task in schizophrenia patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alba Lubeiro
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005, Valladolid, Spain.
| | - Mar Fatjó-Vilas
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Carrer Del Dr. Antoni Pujadas, 38 Sant Boi De Llobregat, 08830, Barcelona, Spain. .,Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain. .,CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health; Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain.
| | - Maria Guardiola
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Carrer Del Dr. Antoni Pujadas, 38 Sant Boi De Llobregat, 08830, Barcelona, Spain.,Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain.,CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health; Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain
| | - Carmen Almodóvar
- FIDMAG Germanes Hospitalàries Research Foundation, Carrer Del Dr. Antoni Pujadas, 38 Sant Boi De Llobregat, 08830, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Javier Gomez-Pilar
- Biomedical Engineering Group, Department TSCIT, ETS Ingenieros de Telecomunicación, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Benjamin Cea-Cañas
- Neurophysiology service, University Hospital of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jesús Poza
- Biomedical Engineering Group, Department TSCIT, ETS Ingenieros de Telecomunicación, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain.,Neurosciences Institute of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Pintor Fernando Gallego, 1, 37007, Salamanca, Spain.,IMUVA, Mathematics Research Institute, University of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Aitor Palomino
- Achucarro Basque Center for Neurosciences, CIBERNED and Departamento de Neurociencias, Universidad del País Vasco, Leioa, Spain
| | - Marta Gómez-García
- Psychiatry service, University Hospital of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
| | - Jone Zugasti
- Psychiatry Department, University Hospital of Álava, Álava, Spain
| | - Vicente Molina
- Psychiatry Department, School of Medicine, University of Valladolid, Av. Ramón y Cajal, 7, 47005, Valladolid, Spain.,CIBERSAM (Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health; Instituto de Salud Carlos III), Madrid, Spain.,Neurosciences Institute of Castilla y León (INCYL), University of Salamanca, Pintor Fernando Gallego, 1, 37007, Salamanca, Spain.,Psychiatry service, University Hospital of Valladolid, Valladolid, Spain
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17
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Mallet J, Le Strat Y, Dubertret C, Gorwood P. Polygenic Risk Scores Shed Light on the Relationship between Schizophrenia and Cognitive Functioning: Review and Meta-Analysis. J Clin Med 2020; 9:E341. [PMID: 31991840 PMCID: PMC7074036 DOI: 10.3390/jcm9020341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Revised: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 01/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a multifactorial disease associated with widespread cognitive impairment. Although cognitive deficits are one of the factors most strongly associated with functional impairment in schizophrenia (SZ), current treatment strategies hardly tackle these impairments. To develop more efficient treatment strategies in patients, a better understanding of their pathogenesis is needed. Recent progress in genetics, driven by large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and the use of polygenic risk scores (PRS), has provided new insights about the genetic architecture of complex human traits, including cognition and SZ. Here, we review the recent findings examining the genetic links between SZ and cognitive functions in population-based samples as well as in participants with SZ. The performed meta-analysis showed a negative correlation between the polygenetic risk score of schizophrenia and global cognition (p < 0.001) when the samples rely on general and healthy participants, while no significant correlation was detected when the three studies devoted to schizophrenia patients were meta-analysed (p > 0.05). Our review and meta-analysis therefore argues against universal pleiotropy for schizophrenia alleles and cognition, since cognition in SZ patients would be underpinned by the same genetic factors than in the general population, and substantially independent of common variant liability to the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmina Mallet
- APHP; Department of Psychiatry, Universitary Hospital Louis Mourier, 92700 Colombes, France; (Y.L.S.); (C.D.)
- Université de Paris, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Yann Le Strat
- APHP; Department of Psychiatry, Universitary Hospital Louis Mourier, 92700 Colombes, France; (Y.L.S.); (C.D.)
- Université de Paris, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Caroline Dubertret
- APHP; Department of Psychiatry, Universitary Hospital Louis Mourier, 92700 Colombes, France; (Y.L.S.); (C.D.)
- Université de Paris, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, F-75014 Paris, France
| | - Philip Gorwood
- Université de Paris, Institute of Psychiatry and Neuroscience of Paris (IPNP), INSERM U1266, F-75014 Paris, France
- GHU Paris Psychiatrie et Neurosciences, Hôpital Sainte Anne, F-75014 Paris, France
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18
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Sevoflurane Impairs Short-Term Memory by Affecting PSD-95 and AMPA Receptor in the Hippocampus of a Mouse Model. Behav Neurol 2019; 2019:1068260. [PMID: 31772680 PMCID: PMC6854262 DOI: 10.1155/2019/1068260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2019] [Revised: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To explore the effects of sevoflurane on the latency and error times of the passive avoidance and levels of PSD-95 and AMPA receptors in the hippocampus. We evaluated the effects of sevoflurane on short-term memory in adult mice and explored the possible mechanism. Methods 144 Kunming mice (2-3 months, 30-35 g) were randomly divided into two groups A (n = 64) and B (n = 80) and received the dark-avoidance (DA) and step-down avoidance (SA) tests, respectively. The groups DA and SA were further divided into control (inhaled 40% O2 2 h) and sevoflurane (3.3% sevoflurane and 40% O2 2 h) subgroups. Before inhalation intervention, all mice were trained to be familiar with the Morris water maze (MWM). According to the test points of behavioral indicators, 8 mice were randomly selected from each subgroup at point 12 h (T1), 24 h (T2), 48 h (T3), and 72 h (T4) after inhalation intervention. The step-through latency and error times were measured in 5 min. After the behavioral test, the mice were killed and the tissues of the hippocampus were taken for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining. The expression level of PSD-95 and AMPA receptors in the hippocampus was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western Blot. The changes of synaptic transmission were measured via electrophysiology analysis of hippocampal slices. Results The mice in the control subgroups found the platform in a shorter pathway than those in the sevoflurane subgroups during an MWM test. The step-through latency of T1 and T2 in the sevoflurane subgroup was shorter than baseline time, and the error times were increased in 5 min and higher than baseline time when compared with the control subgroup (P < 0.05) in the A and B groups. Compared with the control subgroup, the expression level of PSD-95 and AMPA receptors in the hippocampus was decreased at T1 and T2 in the sevoflurane subgroup (P < 0.05). The nerve cells were partially swelling. Electrophysiology analysis showed that the levels of PSD-95 and AMPA receptor expression were associated with synaptic transmission. Conclusion Sevoflurane impaired short-term memory in adult mice by inhibiting the expression of PSD-95 and AMPA receptors in the hippocampus, which led to the decrease in synaptic transmission.
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Sykes L, Haddon J, Lancaster TM, Sykes A, Azzouni K, Ihssen N, Moon AL, Lin TCE, Linden DE, Owen MJ, O’Donovan MC, Humby T, Wilkinson LS, Thomas KL, Hall J. Genetic Variation in the Psychiatric Risk Gene CACNA1C Modulates Reversal Learning Across Species. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:1024-1032. [PMID: 30304534 PMCID: PMC6737471 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Genetic variation in CACNA1C, which encodes the alpha-1 subunit of Cav1.2 L-type voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), has been strongly linked to risk for psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. How genetic variation in CACNA1C contributes to risk for these disorders is however not fully known. Both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder are associated with impairments in reversal learning (RL), which may contribute to symptoms seen in these conditions. We used a translational RL paradigm to investigate whether genetic variation in CACNA1C affects RL in both humans and transgenic rats. Associated changes in gene expression were explored using in situ hybridization and quantitative PCR in rats and the BRAINEAC online human database. Risk-associated genetic variation in CACNA1C in healthy human participants was associated with impairments in RL. Consistent with this finding, rats bearing a heterozygous deletion of Cacna1c were impaired in an analogous touchscreen RL task. We investigated the possible molecular mechanism underlying this impairment and found that Cacna1c +/- rats show decreased expression of Bdnf in prefrontal cortex. Examination of BRAINEAC data showed that human risk-associated genetic variation in CACNA1C is also associated with altered expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the prefrontal cortex in humans. These results indicate that genetic variation in CACNA1C may contribute to risk for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder by impacting behavioral flexibility, potentially through altered regulation of BDNF expression in the prefrontal cortex. Tests of RL may be useful for translational studies and in the development of therapies targeting VGCCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy Sykes
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | | | - Thomas M Lancaster
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Arabella Sykes
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Karima Azzouni
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Niklas Ihssen
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Anna L Moon
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Medicine, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Tzu-Ching E Lin
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - David E Linden
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Medicine, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Michael J Owen
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Medicine, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Michael C O’Donovan
- School of Medicine, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Trevor Humby
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lawrence S Wilkinson
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Medicine, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kerrie L Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,School of Medicine, MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Hadyn Ellis Building, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK; tel: 02920-688-342, fax: +44 2920 687 068, e-mail:
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20
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Andrade A, Brennecke A, Mallat S, Brown J, Gomez-Rivadeneira J, Czepiel N, Londrigan L. Genetic Associations between Voltage-Gated Calcium Channels and Psychiatric Disorders. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:E3537. [PMID: 31331039 PMCID: PMC6679227 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20143537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2019] [Revised: 07/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders are mental, behavioral or emotional disorders. These conditions are prevalent, one in four adults suffer from any type of psychiatric disorders world-wide. It has always been observed that psychiatric disorders have a genetic component, however, new methods to sequence full genomes of large cohorts have identified with high precision genetic risk loci for these conditions. Psychiatric disorders include, but are not limited to, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder, anxiety disorders, major depressive disorder, and attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder. Several risk loci for psychiatric disorders fall within genes that encode for voltage-gated calcium channels (CaVs). Calcium entering through CaVs is crucial for multiple neuronal processes. In this review, we will summarize recent findings that link CaVs and their auxiliary subunits to psychiatric disorders. First, we will provide a general overview of CaVs structure, classification, function, expression and pharmacology. Next, we will summarize tools to study risk loci associated with psychiatric disorders. We will examine functional studies of risk variations in CaV genes when available. Finally, we will review pharmacological evidence of the use of CaV modulators to treat psychiatric disorders. Our review will be of interest for those studying pathophysiological aspects of CaVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arturo Andrade
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA.
| | - Ashton Brennecke
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Shayna Mallat
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Julian Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | | | - Natalie Czepiel
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Laura Londrigan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
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21
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Zhang Z, Wang Y, Zhang Q, Zhao W, Chen X, Zhai J, Chen M, Du B, Deng X, Ji F, Wang C, Xiang Y, Li D, Wu H, Dong Q, Chen C, Li J. The effects of CACNA1C gene polymorphism on prefrontal cortex in both schizophrenia patients and healthy controls. Schizophr Res 2019; 204:193-200. [PMID: 30268820 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2017] [Revised: 11/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
CACNA1C gene polymorphism rs2007044 has been reported to be associated with schizophrenia, but its underlying brain mechanism is not clear. First, we conducted an exploratory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study using an N-BACK task and a Stroop task in 194 subjects (55 schizophrenia patients and 139 healthy controls). Our whole brain analysis found that the risk allele was associated with reduced activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) during the Stroop task (cluster size = 390 voxels, P < 0.05 TFCE-FWE corrected; peak MNI coordinates: x = -57, y = -6, z = 30). We also conducted a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study using the same Stroop task in an independent sample of 126 healthy controls to validate the fMRI finding. Our repeated-measures ANCOVA on the six channels (20, 27, 33, 34, 40 and 46) within the left IFG also found significant result. The polymorphism rs2007044 showed significant effect on the oxy-Hb data (F = 5.072, P = 0.026) and showed significant interaction effect with channels on the deoxy-Hb data (F = 2.841, P = 0.015). Taken together, results of this study suggested that rs2007044 could affect the activation of the left IFG, which was a possible brain mechanism underlying the association between CACNA1C gene polymorphism and schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Yanyan Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, HePing Hospital of Chang Zhou, Jiangsu 213003, China
| | - Qiumei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China; School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining 272013, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Wan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Xiongying Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Jinguo Zhai
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining 272013, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Min Chen
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining 272013, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Boqi Du
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Xiaoxiang Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Feng Ji
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, 45# Jianshe South Road, Jining 272013, Shandong Province, PR China
| | | | - Yutao Xiang
- Beijing Anding Hospital, Beijing 100088, PR China; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, Taipa, Macau
| | - Dawei Li
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hongjie Wu
- Shengli Hospital of Shengli Petroleum Administration Bureau, Dongying 257022, Shandong Province, PR China
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, United States
| | - Jun Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University, PR China.
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22
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Zhao L, Chang H, Zhou DS, Cai J, Fan W, Tang W, Tang W, Li X, Liu W, Liu F, He Y, Bai Y, Sun Y, Dai J, Li L, Xiao X, Zhang C, Li M. Replicated associations of FADS1, MAD1L1, and a rare variant at 10q26.13 with bipolar disorder in Chinese population. Transl Psychiatry 2018; 8:270. [PMID: 30531795 PMCID: PMC6286364 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-018-0337-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2018] [Revised: 10/07/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic analyses of psychiatric illnesses, such as bipolar disorder (BPD), have revealed essential information regarding the underlying pathological mechanisms. While such studies in populations of European ancestry have achieved prominent success, understanding the genetic risk factors of these illnesses (especially BPD) in Chinese population remains an urgent task. Given the lack of genome-wide association study (GWAS) of BPD in Chinese population from Mainland China, replicating the previously reported GWAS hits in distinct populations will provide valuable information for future GWAS analysis in Han Chinese. In the present study, we have recruited 1146 BPD cases and 1956 controls from Mainland China for genetic analyses, as well as 65 Han Chinese brain amygdala tissues for mRNA expression analyses. Using this clinical sample, one of the largest Han Chinese BPD samples till now, we have conducted replication analyses of 21 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) extracted from previous GWAS of distinct populations. Among the 21 tested SNPs, 16 showed the same direction of allelic effects in our samples compared with previous studies; 6 SNPs achieved nominal significance (p < 0.05) at one-tailed test, and 2 additional SNPs showed marginal significance (p < 0.10). Aside from replicating previously reported BPD risk SNPs, we herein also report several intriguing findings: (1) the SNP rs174576 was associated with BPD in our Chinese sample and in the overall global meta-analysis, and was significantly correlated with FADS1 mRNA in diverse public RNA-seq datasets as well as our in house collected Chinese amygdala samples; (2) two (partially) independent SNPs in MAD1L1 were both significantly associated with BPD in our Chinese sample, which was also supported by haplotype analysis; (3) a rare SNP rs78089757 in 10q26.13 region was a genome-wide significant variant for BPD in East Asians, and this SNP was near monomorphic in Europeans. In sum, these results confirmed several significant BPD risk genes. We hope this Chinese BPD case-control sample and the current brain amygdala tissues (with continuous increasing sample size in the near future) will provide helpful resources in elucidating the genetic and molecular basis of BPD in this major world population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Kunming College of Life Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Hong Chang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Dong-Sheng Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Jun Cai
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China
| | - Weixing Fan
- Jinhua Second Hospital, Jinhua, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wei Tang
- Wenzhou Kangning Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Wenxin Tang
- Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xingxing Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Ningbo Kangning Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weiqing Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Fang Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yuanfang He
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yan Bai
- Department of Psychiatry, the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yan Sun
- Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Chinese Brain Bank Center, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Jiapei Dai
- Wuhan Institute for Neuroscience and Neuroengineering, South-Central University for Nationalities, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Chinese Brain Bank Center, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lingyi Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiao Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
| | - Chen Zhang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Models and Human Disease Mechanisms of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Yunnan Province, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.
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23
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Sudesh R, Thalamuthu A, John S, Thara R, Mowry B, Munirajan AK. Replication of GWAS identified miR-137 and its target gene polymorphisms in Schizophrenia of South Indian population and meta-analysis with Psychiatric Genomics Consortium. Schizophr Res 2018; 199:189-194. [PMID: 29599094 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.03.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2018] [Revised: 03/17/2018] [Accepted: 03/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a complex psychiatric disorder involving multiple genes each contributing a small risk. Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified hundreds of risk loci for schizophrenia including miR-137, a miRNA shown to be involved in neuronal development. Several genes regulated by miR-137 were also reported as top risk genes associated with schizophrenia and has been hypothesised that the dysregulation of miR-137 and its target could be involved in the aetiology of schizophrenia. Here, we replicated the four European GWAS hits, miR-137-rs1625579 and three of its validated target gene loci SNPs (ZNF804a-rs1344706, CACNA1C-rs4765905 and TCF4-rs9960767) by genotyping in 2074 samples (schizophrenia cases-1005; controls-1069) from South Indian Population. In this study, only the CACNA1C rs4765905 showed a significant association (OR=1.24, p=0.006). Three SNPs (rs1625579, rs1344706 and rs4765905) showed a consistent direction of effect with previous studies and the polygenic risk score constructed using the weighted sum of these three SNPs showed a significant association with Schizophrenia in this population (OR=3.78, p=0.005). Further, we carried out meta-analysis combining our results with the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC2) data and observed a considerable increase in GWAS significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Sudesh
- Department of Genetics, University of Madras, Dr. ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Taramani Campus, Chennai 600 113, India
| | - Anbupalam Thalamuthu
- Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Sujit John
- Schizophrenia Research Foundation, Chennai 600 101, India
| | | | - Bryan Mowry
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Queensland Centre for Mental Health Research, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Arasamabattu Kannan Munirajan
- Department of Genetics, University of Madras, Dr. ALM PG Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Taramani Campus, Chennai 600 113, India.
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Identifying the genetic risk factors for treatment response to lurasidone by genome-wide association study: A meta-analysis of samples from three independent clinical trials. Schizophr Res 2018; 199:203-213. [PMID: 29730043 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2018.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
A genome-wide association study (GWAS) of response of schizophrenia patients to the atypical antipsychotic drug, lurasidone, based on two double-blind registration trials, identified SNPs from four classes of genes as predictors of efficacy, but none were genome wide significant (GWS). After inclusion of data from a third lurasidone trial, meta-analysis identified a GWS marker and other findings consistent with our first study. The primary end-point was change in Total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) between baseline and last observation carried forward. rs4736253, a genetic locus near KCNK9, encoding the K2P9.1 potassium channel, with a role in cognition and neurodevelopment, was the top marker in patients of European ancestry (EUR) (n = 264), reaching GWS (p = 4.78 × 10-8). rs10180106 (p = 4.92 × 10-7), located at an intron region of CTNNA2, a SCZ risk gene important for dendritic spine stabilization, was one of other best response markers for EUR patients. SNPs at STXBP5L (rs511841, p = 2.63 × 10-7) were the top markers for patients of African ancestry (n = 158). The association between PTPRD, NRG1, and MAGI1 previously reported to be related to response to lurasidone in the first two trials, showed a trend of significant association in the third trial. None of these genetic loci showed significant associations with clinical response in the corresponding placebo groups (n = 107 for EUR; n = 58 for AFR). This meta-analysis yielded the first GWAS-based GWS biomarker for lurasidone response and additional support for the conclusion that genes related to synaptic biology and/or risk for SCZ are the strongest predictors of response to lurasidone in schizophrenia patients.
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Moon AL, Haan N, Wilkinson LS, Thomas KL, Hall J. CACNA1C: Association With Psychiatric Disorders, Behavior, and Neurogenesis. Schizophr Bull 2018; 44:958-965. [PMID: 29982775 PMCID: PMC6101623 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Large-scale genome-wide association studies have consistently shown that genetic variation in CACNA1C, a gene that encodes calcium voltage-gated channel subunit alpha1C, increases risk for psychiatric disorders. CACNA1C encodes the Cav1.2 subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels, which themselves have been functionally implicated in a broad spectrum of neuropsychiatric syndromes. Research has concentrated on uncovering the underlying biological mechanisms that could be responsible for this increased risk. This review presents an overview of recent findings regarding Cacna1c variation in animal models, particularly focusing on behavioral phenotypes associated with neurodevelopmental disorders such as cognition, anxiety and depressive phenotypes, and fear conditioning. The impact of reduced gene dosage of Cacna1c on adult hippocampal neurogenesis is also assessed, including new data from a novel Cacna1c+/- rat model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Moon
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Niels Haan
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lawrence S Wilkinson
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Kerrie L Thomas
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jeremy Hall
- Neuroscience and Mental Health Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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26
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Braun MD, Kisko TM, Vecchia DD, Andreatini R, Schwarting RKW, Wöhr M. Sex-specific effects of Cacna1c haploinsufficiency on object recognition, spatial memory, and reversal learning capabilities in rats. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2018; 155:543-555. [PMID: 29800644 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2018.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2018] [Revised: 05/03/2018] [Accepted: 05/17/2018] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
The CACNA1C gene is strongly implicated in the etiology of multiple major neuropsychiatric disorders, such as bipolar disorder, major depression, and schizophrenia, with cognitive deficits being a common feature. It is unclear, however, by which mechanisms CACNA1C variants advance the risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders. This study set out to investigate cognitive functioning in a newly developed genetic Cacna1c rat model. Specifically, spatial and reversal learning, as well as object recognition memory were assessed in heterozygous Cacna1c+/- rats and compared to wildtype Cacna1c+/+ littermate controls in both sexes. Our results show that both Cacna1c+/+ and Cacna1c+/- animals were able to learn the rewarded arm configuration of a radial maze over the course of seven days. Both groups also showed reversal learning patterns indicative of intact abilities. In females, genotype differences were evident in the initial spatial learning phase, with Cacna1c+/- females showing hypo-activity and fewer mixed errors. In males, a difference was found during probe trials for both learning phases, with Cacna1c+/- rats displaying better distinction between previously baited and non-baited arms; and regarding cognitive flexibility in favor of the Cacna1c+/+ animals. All experimental groups proved to be sensitive to reward magnitude and fully able to distinguish between novel and familiar objects in the novel object recognition task. Taken together, these results indicate that Cacna1c haploinsufficiency has a minor, but positive impact on (spatial) memory functions in rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moria D Braun
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Theresa M Kisko
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Débora Dalla Vecchia
- Laboratory of Physiology and Pharmacology of the Central Nervous System, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná, Centro Politécnico, 81540-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Roberto Andreatini
- Laboratory of Physiology and Pharmacology of the Central Nervous System, Department of Pharmacology, Federal University of Paraná, Centro Politécnico, 81540-990 Curitiba, PR, Brazil
| | - Rainer K W Schwarting
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, D-35032 Marburg, Germany
| | - Markus Wöhr
- Behavioral Neuroscience, Experimental and Biological Psychology, Philipps-University of Marburg, Gutenberg-Str. 18, D-35032 Marburg, Germany; Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior, Philipps-University of Marburg, Hans-Meerwein-Str. 6, D-35032 Marburg, Germany.
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