Genetic variant for behavioral regulation factor of executive function and its possible brain mechanism in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

FOXP2 down expression is associated with executive dysfunctions and electrophysiological abnormalities of brain in Autism spectrum disorder; a neuroimaging genetic study

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by language impairment, and challenges with social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors. Although genetics are a primary cause of ASD, the exact genes and molecular mechanisms involved in its pathogenesis are not completely clear. The FOXP2 gene encodes a transcription factor that is known for its major role in language development and severe speech problems. The present study aimed to evaluate the role of FOXP2 in ASD etiology, executive functions, and brain activities.

METHODS

In the present study, we recruited 450 children with ASD and 490 neurotypical control children. Three domains of executive functions (working memory, response inhibition, and vigilance) were assessed. In addition, five-minute eyes closed electroencephalography was obtained from some of the children with ASD and neurotypical children. DNA sequence and expression level of FOXP2 in blood samples of children with ASD and the control group were evaluated by using sequencing and Real-time PCR, respectively.

RESULTS

The results showed no mutations but a significant down expression of FOXP2 genes in children with ASD vs. neurotypical children. Several cognitive and executive function deficiencies were detected in children with ASD. Low alpha and gamma bands in the frontal lobe and high theta bands in the occipital lobe were revealed in children with ASD. We also found several correlations between FOXP2 expression levels and clinical assessments.

CONCLUSIONS

Our finding revealed the down expression of FOXP2, which could be considered as a biomarker for ASD as well as cognitive and executive dysfunction. Based on brain mapping data, FOXP2 may be related to the theta wave abnormality of children with ASD. FOXP2 may be considered a target of novel treatment to improve memory and executive functions.

IMPLICATIONS

Our findings highlight the role of FOXP2 mRNA level in ASD etiology, executive functions, and brain wave frequencies.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Glycemic Control, and Diabetic Complications in Type 1 Diabetes: a Nationwide Cohort Study

CONTEXT

Neurodevelopmental disorders are more prevalent in childhood-onset type 1 diabetes than in the general population, and the symptoms may limit the individual's ability for diabetes management.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated whether comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with long-term glycemic control and risk of diabetic complications.

METHODS

This population-based cohort study used longitudinally collected data from Swedish registers. We identified 11 326 individuals born during 1973-2013, diagnosed with type 1 diabetes during 1990-2013 (median onset age: 9.6 years). Among them, 764 had a comorbid neurodevelopmental disorder, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, and intellectual disability. We used multinomial logistic regression to calculate odds ratios (ORs) of having poor glycemic control (assessed by glycated hemoglobin [HbA1c]) and Cox regression to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) of nephropathy and retinopathy.

RESULTS

The median follow-up was 7.5 years (interquartile range [IQR] 3.9, 11.2). Having any neurodevelopmental disorder (ORadjusted 1.51 [95% CI 1.13, 2.03]), or ADHD (ORadjusted 2.31 [95% CI 1.54, 3.45]) was associated with poor glycemic control (mean HbA1c > 8.5%). Increased risk of diabetic complications was observed in patients with comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders (HRadjusted 1.72 [95% CI 1.21, 2.44] for nephropathy, HRadjusted 1.18 [95% CI 1.00, 1.40] for retinopathy) and patients with ADHD (HRadjusted 1.90 [95% CI 1.20, 3.00] for nephropathy, HRadjusted 1.33 [95% CI 1.07, 1.66] for retinopathy). Patients with intellectual disability have a particularly higher risk of nephropathy (HRadjusted 2.64 [95% CI 1.30, 5.37]).

CONCLUSION

Comorbid neurodevelopmental disorders, primarily ADHD and intellectual disability, were associated with poor glycemic control and a higher risk of diabetic complications in childhood-onset type 1 diabetes.

DNA methylation of GFI1 as a mediator of the association between prenatal smoking exposure and ADHD symptoms at 6 years: the Hokkaido Study on Environment and Children's Health

BACKGROUND

Prenatal smoking exposure has been associated with childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, the mechanism underlying this relationship remains unclear. We assessed whether DNA methylation differences may mediate the association between prenatal smoking exposure and ADHD symptoms at the age of 6 years.

RESULTS

We selected 1150 mother-infant pairs from the Hokkaido Study on the Environment and Children's Health. Mothers were categorized into three groups according to plasma cotinine levels at the third trimester: non-smokers (≤ 0.21 ng/mL), passive smokers (0.21-11.48 ng/mL), and active smokers (≥ 11.49 ng/mL). The children's ADHD symptoms were determined by the ADHD-Rating Scale at the age of 6 years. Maternal active smoking during pregnancy was significantly associated with an increased risk of ADHD symptoms (odds ratio, 1.89; 95% confidence interval, 1.14-3.15) compared to non-smoking after adjusting for covariates. DNA methylation of the growth factor-independent 1 transcriptional repressor (GFI1) region, as determined by bisulfite next-generation sequencing of cord blood samples, mediated 48.4% of the total effect of the association between maternal active smoking during pregnancy and ADHD symptoms. DNA methylation patterns of other genes (aryl-hydrocarbon receptor repressor [AHRR], cytochrome P450 family 1 subfamily A member 1 [CYP1A1], estrogen receptor 1 [ESR1], and myosin IG [MYO1G]) regions did not exert a statistically significant mediation effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrated that DNA methylation of GFI1 mediated the association between maternal active smoking during pregnancy and ADHD symptoms at the age of 6 years.

Autism spectrum disorder polygenic scores are associated with every day executive function in children admitted for clinical assessment

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) are behaviorally defined disorders with overlapping clinical features that are often associated with higher-order cognitive dysfunction, particularly executive dysfunction. Our aim was to determine if the polygenic score (PGS) for ASD is associated with parent-reported executive dysfunction in everyday life using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Furthermore, we investigated if PGS for general intelligence (INT) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also correlate with BRIEF. We included 176 children, adolescents and young adults aged 5-22 years with full-scale intelligence quotient (IQ) above 70. All were admitted for clinical assessment of ASD symptoms and 68% obtained an ASD diagnosis. We found a significant difference between low and high ASD PGS groups in the BRIEF behavior regulation index (BRI) (P = 0.015, Cohen's d = 0.69). A linear regression model accounting for age, sex, full-scale IQ, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) total score, ASD, ADHD and INT PGS groups as well as genetic principal components, significantly predicted the BRI score; F(11,130) = 8.142, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.41 (unadjusted). Only SRS total (P < 0.001), ASD PGS 0.1 group (P = 0.018), and sex (P = 0.022) made a significant contribution to the model. This suggests that the common ASD risk gene variants have a stronger association to behavioral regulation aspects of executive dysfunction than ADHD risk or INT variants in a clinical sample with ASD symptoms. Autism Res 2020, 13: 207-220. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. LAY SUMMARY: People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties with higher-order cognitive processes that regulate thoughts and actions during goal-directed behavior, also known as executive function (EF). We studied the association between genetics related to ASD and EF and found a relation between high polygenic score (PGS) for ASD and difficulties with behavior regulation aspects of EF in children and adolescents under assessment for ASD. Furthermore, high PGS for general intelligence was related to social problems.

Genetic Intersections of Language and Neuropsychiatric Conditions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To better understand the shared basis of language and mental health, this review examines the behavioral and neurobiological features of aberrant language in five major neuropsychiatric conditions. Special attention is paid to genes implicated in both language and neuropsychiatric disorders, as they reveal biological domains likely to underpin the processes controlling both.

RECENT FINDINGS

Abnormal language and communication are common manifestations of neuropsychiatric conditions, and children with impaired language are more likely to develop psychiatric disorders than their peers. Major themes in the genetics of both language and psychiatry include master transcriptional regulators, like FOXP2; key developmental regulators, like AUTS2; and mediators of neurotransmission, like GRIN2A and CACNA1C.

Impact of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder on metabolic control in adolescents with type1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE

Diabetes mellitus type 1 (T1D) incidence is increasing in pediatric population. Good metabolic control, measured by glycated hemoglobin (HbA_1c), significantly reduces the risk for chronic complications. Comorbid disorders, including attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), may influence glycemic control. To date little is known about the prevalence of ADHD among adolescents with T1D and its influence on diabetes self-management. Therefore, we aimed to identify adolescents with T1D and ADHD and assess the effect of ADHD on metabolic control.

METHOD

This cross-sectional case-control study included 101 patients (11-17 years old) with T1D. Development and Well-Being Assessment (DAWBA) questionnaire and subsequent psychiatric clinical examination were used to identify ADHD in a group with T1D. Indicators of metabolic control were collected from available medical documentation for preceding 12 months and compared between the group of patients with T1D and ADHD and the group of T1D patients without ADHD.

RESULTS

ADHD was diagnosed in 11.9% adolescents with T1D (12 of 101). We found a statistically significant difference (p = .022) in HbA_1c between the two groups - higher in the group with T1D and ADHD (8.4% or 68.3 mmol/mol) than in the group with T1D without ADHD (7.8% or 61.7 mmol/mol).

CONCLUSIONS

Almost 12% of adolescents with type 1 diabetes were diagnosed with ADHD and they had poorer glycemic control. Adolescents with T1D and ADHD must be diagnosed early and offered appropriate treatment focused on preventing negative ADHD impact on metabolic control.

Confirmatory Factor Analysis of the BRIEF-2 Parent and Teacher Form: Relationship to Performance-Based Measures of Executive Functions and Academic Achievement

We conducted two empirical studies to (1) explore the dimensionality of the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-2 (BRIEF-2) parent and teacher forms, (2) examine the association between the parent and teacher reports, and (3) analyze the relationship between the BRIEF-2 ratings and performance-based measures of executive functions (EFs) (including working memory, inhibition, and shifting tasks) and academic achievement in children. In Study 1 (n = 212 parents; n = 111 teachers), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed that a three-factor solution that included the indices of (1) behavior regulation, (2) emotion regulation, and (3) cognitive regulation best fit the data. In Study 2 (n = 275 8- to 12-year-old Spanish-speaking children), selective and low correlations were found between performance- and rater-based measures of EFs. In addition, low to moderate correlations were found between parent and teacher reports. However, the three indices of both forms of the BRIEF-2 were associated with the diverse academic domains analyzed, although differences emerged depending on the informant (teacher vs. parent). Our results support the hypothesis that the two EF measures document different underlying processes. The clinical and educational implications of considering both perspectives in the assessment of EFs in children with typical development and in children with neurodevelopmental disorders are discussed.

Association of Affected Neurocircuitry With Deficit of Response Inhibition and Delayed Gratification in Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Narrative Review

The neural networks that constitute corticostriatothalamocortical circuits between prefrontal cortex and subcortical structure provide a heuristic framework for bridging gaps between neurocircuitry and executive dysfunction in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). “Cool” and “Hot” executive functional theory and the models of dual pathway are supposed to be applied within the neuropsychology of ADHD. The theoretical model elaborated response inhibition and delayed gratification in ADHD. We aimed to review and summarize the literature about the circuits on ADHD and ADHD-related comorbidities, as well as the effects of neurocircuitry on the executive dysfunction in ADHD.