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Treble-Barna A, Petersen BA, Stec Z, Conley YP, Fink EL, Kochanek PM. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor in Pediatric Acquired Brain Injury and Recovery. Biomolecules 2024; 14:191. [PMID: 38397427 PMCID: PMC10886547 DOI: 10.3390/biom14020191] [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: 12/20/2023] [Revised: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
We review emerging preclinical and clinical evidence regarding brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) protein, genotype, and DNA methylation (DNAm) as biomarkers of outcomes in three important etiologies of pediatric acquired brain injury (ABI), traumatic brain injury, global cerebral ischemia, and stroke. We also summarize evidence suggesting that BDNF is (1) involved in the biological embedding of the psychosocial environment, (2) responsive to rehabilitative therapies, and (3) potentially modifiable. BDNF's unique potential as a biomarker of neuroplasticity and neural repair that is reflective of and responsive to both pre- and post-injury environmental influences separates it from traditional protein biomarkers of structural brain injury with exciting potential to advance pediatric ABI management by increasing the accuracy of prognostic tools and informing clinical decision making through the monitoring of therapeutic effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amery Treble-Barna
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (B.A.P.); (Z.S.)
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.L.F.); (P.M.K.)
| | - Bailey A. Petersen
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (B.A.P.); (Z.S.)
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.L.F.); (P.M.K.)
| | - Zachary Stec
- Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (B.A.P.); (Z.S.)
| | - Yvette P. Conley
- Department of Health Promotion & Development, University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;
| | - Ericka L. Fink
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.L.F.); (P.M.K.)
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
| | - Patrick M. Kochanek
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; (E.L.F.); (P.M.K.)
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
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Shan MA, Khan MU, Ishtiaq W, Rehman R, Khan S, Javed MA, Ali Q. In silico analysis of the Val66Met mutation in BDNF protein: implications for psychological stress. AMB Express 2024; 14:11. [PMID: 38252222 PMCID: PMC10803716 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-024-01664-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) involves stress regulation and psychiatric disorders. The Val66Met polymorphism in the BDNF gene has been linked to altered protein function and susceptibility to stress-related conditions. This in silico analysis aimed to predict and analyze the consequences of the Val66Met mutation in the BDNF gene of stressed individuals. Computational techniques, including ab initio, comparative, and I-TASSER modeling, were used to evaluate the functional and stability effects of the Val66Met mutation in BDNF. The accuracy and reliability of the models were validated. Sequence alignment and secondary structure analysis compared amino acid residues and structural components. The phylogenetic analysis assessed the conservation of the mutation site. Functional and stability prediction analyses provided mixed results, suggesting potential effects on protein function and stability. Structural models revealed the importance of BDNF in key biological processes. Sequence alignment analysis showed the conservation of amino acid residues across species. Secondary structure analysis indicated minor differences between the wild-type and mutant forms. Phylogenetic analysis supported the evolutionary conservation of the mutation site. This computational study suggests that the Val66Met mutation in BDNF may have implications for protein stability, structural conformation, and function. Further experimental validation is needed to confirm these findings and elucidate the precise effects of this mutation on stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Adnan Shan
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Umer Khan
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
| | - Warda Ishtiaq
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Raima Rehman
- Center for Applied Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Samiullah Khan
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Arshad Javed
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Qurban Ali
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab Lahore, Lahore, Pakistan.
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Strońska-Pluta A, Suchanecka A, Chmielowiec K, Chmielowiec J, Boroń A, Masiak J, Sipak-Szmigiel O, Recław R, Grzywacz A. The Relationship between the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene Polymorphism (Val66Met) and Substance Use Disorder and Relapse. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:788. [PMID: 38255861 PMCID: PMC10815198 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020788] [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: 12/12/2023] [Revised: 12/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Substance addiction is a neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by a recurring desire to continue using a substance despite harmful consequences. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a protein that plays a role in the activity-dependent remodeling of neural function in adult nervous systems. This study analyzed the association of the rs6265 polymorphism of the BDNF gene in a group of patients addicted to psychoactive substances who were participating in addiction treatment for the first time, in a group of post-relapse psychoactive substance abusers and in a control group. The study also assessed personality and anxiety in all study groups. Statistically significant differences in the frequency of genotypes and alleles were found between all study groups. Compared to the control, both study groups had statistically significantly higher scores for trait and state anxiety. Addicted patients in both groups also had higher scores on the Neuroticism and Openness scales and lower scores on the Extraversion and Agreeableness scales. The results of this study provide further evidence that personality traits, anxiety and the rs6265 polymorphism of the BDNF gene may be risk factors for susceptibility to addiction to psychoactive substances. In addition, they can be a predictor of addiction relapse, but further extensive studies are required to confirm these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandra Strońska-Pluta
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; (A.S.-P.); (A.S.)
| | - Aleksandra Suchanecka
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; (A.S.-P.); (A.S.)
| | - Krzysztof Chmielowiec
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 28 Zyty St., 65-046 Zielona Góra, Poland; (K.C.); (J.C.)
| | - Jolanta Chmielowiec
- Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 28 Zyty St., 65-046 Zielona Góra, Poland; (K.C.); (J.C.)
| | - Agnieszka Boroń
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Biochemistry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Aleja Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Jolanta Masiak
- Second Department of Psychiatry and Psychiatric Rehabilitation, Medical University of Lublin, 1 Głuska St., 20-059 Lublin, Poland;
| | - Olimpia Sipak-Szmigiel
- Department of Obstetrics and Pathology of Pregnancy, Pomeranian Medical University, 48 Żołnierska St., 71-210 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Remigiusz Recław
- Foundation Strong in the Spirit, 60 Sienkiewicza St., 90-058 Łódź, Poland;
| | - Anna Grzywacz
- Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Powstańców Wielkopolskich 72 St., 70-111 Szczecin, Poland; (A.S.-P.); (A.S.)
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Lv Y, Wen L, Hu WJ, Deng C, Ren HW, Bao YN, Su BW, Gao P, Man ZY, Luo YY, Li CJ, Xiang ZX, Wang B, Luan ZL. Schizophrenia in the genetic era: a review from development history, clinical features and genomic research approaches to insights of susceptibility genes. Metab Brain Dis 2024; 39:147-171. [PMID: 37542622 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-023-01271-x] [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: 04/20/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a devastating neuropsychiatric disorder affecting 1% of the world population and ranks as one of the disorders providing the most severe burden for society. Schizophrenia etiology remains obscure involving multi-risk factors, such as genetic, environmental, nutritional, and developmental factors. Complex interactions of genetic and environmental factors have been implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia. This review provides an overview of the historical origins, pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnosis, clinical symptoms and corresponding treatment of schizophrenia. In addition, as schizophrenia is a polygenic, genetic disorder caused by the combined action of multiple micro-effective genes, we further detail several approaches, such as candidate gene association study (CGAS) and genome-wide association study (GWAS), which are commonly used in schizophrenia genomics studies. A number of GWASs about schizophrenia have been performed with the hope to identify novel, consistent and influential risk genetic factors. Finally, some schizophrenia susceptibility genes have been identified and reported in recent years and their biological functions are also listed. This review may serve as a summary of past research on schizophrenia genomics and susceptibility genes (NRG1, DISC1, RELN, BDNF, MSI2), which may point the way to future schizophrenia genetics research. In addition, depending on the above discovery of susceptibility genes and their exact function, the development and application of antipsychotic drugs will be promoted in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Lv
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Lin Wen
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Wen-Juan Hu
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Chong Deng
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116027, China
| | - Hui-Wen Ren
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Ya-Nan Bao
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Bo-Wei Su
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Ping Gao
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Zi-Yue Man
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Yi-Yang Luo
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Cheng-Jie Li
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Zhi-Xin Xiang
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China
| | - Bing Wang
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, The Central hospital of Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116000, China.
| | - Zhi-Lin Luan
- Advanced Institute for Medical Sciences, Dalian Medical University, Dalian, 116044, China.
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Zhao T, Tang S, Gao X, Li J, Hao R, Chen H, Huang G. Association of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor level and early response to antipsychotic drug in first-episode patients with schizophrenia. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2023; 33:e1982. [PMID: 37485797 PMCID: PMC10804348 DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate the role of Brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the psychotic symptoms in first-episode patients with schizophrenia and whether BDNF levels were associated with the improvement of psychotic symptoms after risperidone treatment. METHODS 89 schizophrenia patients and 90 healthy controls were recruited, the schizophrenia patients were assigned into early response or early non-response groups at 2 weeks based on improvement in the positive and negative symptoms scale (PANSS) total score. All patients were treated with risperidone for 2 weeks, their serum BDNF levels were compared at baseline and after 2 weeks treatment. RESULTS We found that patients had lower BDNF levels, compared to controls at baseline. After 2 weeks of treatment of risperidone, BDNF levels were significantly increased and psychotic symptoms were decreased in early response group. Correlation analysis showed that the change of BDNF levels after treatment was correlated with the change of PANSS total score. Further regression analysis showed that the change in BDNF levels was an independent predictor for the improvement in psychotic symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings reveal that the level of BDNF was lower in first-episode schizophrenic patients, moreover, the changes in serum BDNF levels may have a predictive effect on the early improvement in psychotic symptoms in the first 2 weeks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tong Zhao
- Department of PsychiatryQuZhou Third Municipal HospitalQuZhouChina
| | - SuFang Tang
- Department of PsychiatryHuzhou Third Municipal HospitalThe Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou UniversityHuzhouChina
| | - XiaoLei Gao
- School of NursingXinxiang Medical UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Juan Li
- Department of PsychiatryThe Second Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Ran Hao
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - HaiZhi Chen
- Department of PsychiatryHuzhou Third Municipal HospitalThe Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou UniversityHuzhouChina
| | - GuangBiao Huang
- Department of PsychiatryHuzhou Third Municipal HospitalThe Affiliated Hospital of Huzhou UniversityHuzhouChina
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Elhawary NA, AlJahdali IA, Abumansour IS, Azher ZA, Falemban AH, Madani WM, Alosaimi W, Alghamdi G, Sindi IA. Phenotypic variability to medication management: an update on fragile X syndrome. Hum Genomics 2023; 17:60. [PMID: 37420260 DOI: 10.1186/s40246-023-00507-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/09/2023] Open
Abstract
This review discusses the discovery, epidemiology, pathophysiology, genetic etiology, molecular diagnosis, and medication-based management of fragile X syndrome (FXS). It also highlights the syndrome's variable expressivity and common comorbid and overlapping conditions. FXS is an X-linked dominant disorder associated with a wide spectrum of clinical features, including but not limited to intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, language deficits, macroorchidism, seizures, and anxiety. Its prevalence in the general population is approximately 1 in 5000-7000 men and 1 in 4000-6000 women worldwide. FXS is associated with the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene located at locus Xq27.3 and encodes the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP). Most individuals with FXS have an FMR1 allele with > 200 CGG repeats (full mutation) and hypermethylation of the CpG island proximal to the repeats, which silences the gene's promoter. Some individuals have mosaicism in the size of the CGG repeats or in hypermethylation of the CpG island, both produce some FMRP and give rise to milder cognitive and behavioral deficits than in non-mosaic individuals with FXS. As in several monogenic disorders, modifier genes influence the penetrance of FMR1 mutations and FXS's variable expressivity by regulating the pathophysiological mechanisms related to the syndrome's behavioral features. Although there is no cure for FXS, prenatal molecular diagnostic testing is recommended to facilitate early diagnosis. Pharmacologic agents can reduce some behavioral features of FXS, and researchers are investigating whether gene editing can be used to demethylate the FMR1 promoter region to improve patient outcomes. Moreover, clustered regularly interspaced palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/Cas9 and developed nuclease defective Cas9 (dCas9) strategies have promised options of genome editing in gain-of-function mutations to rewrite new genetic information into a specified DNA site, are also being studied.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasser A Elhawary
- Department of Medical Genetics, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, 21955, Saudi Arabia.
| | - Imad A AlJahdali
- Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
| | - Iman S Abumansour
- Department of Medical Genetics, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Zohor A Azher
- Department of Medical Genetics, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Alaa H Falemban
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, 24382, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wefaq M Madani
- Department of Hematology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
| | - Wafaa Alosaimi
- Department of Hematology, Maternity and Children Hospital, Mecca, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ghydda Alghamdi
- Department of Medical Genetics, College of Medicine, Umm Al-Qura University, Mecca, 21955, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ikhlas A Sindi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 21589, Saudi Arabia
- Preparatory Year Program, Batterjee Medical College, Jeddah, 21442, Saudi Arabia
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Bonetti L, Bruzzone S, Paunio T, Kantojärvi K, Kliuchko M, Vuust P, Palva S, Brattico E. Moderate associations between BDNF Val66Met gene polymorphism, musical expertise, and mismatch negativity. Heliyon 2023; 9:e15600. [PMID: 37153429 PMCID: PMC10160759 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e15600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Auditory predictive processing relies on a complex interaction between environmental, neurophysiological, and genetic factors. In this view, the mismatch negativity (MMN) and intensive training on a musical instrument for several years have been used for studying environment-driven neural adaptations in audition. In addition, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown crucial for both the neurogenesis and the later adaptation of the auditory system. The functional single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) Val66Met (rs6265) in the BDNF gene can affect BDNF protein levels, which are involved in neurobiological and neurophysiological processes such as neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity. In this study, we hypothesised that genetic variation within the BDNF gene would be associated with different levels of neuroplasticity of the auditory cortex in 74 musically trained participants. To achieve this goal, musicians and non-musicians were recruited and divided in Val/Val and Met- (Val/Met and Met/Met) carriers and their brain activity was measured with magnetoencephalography (MEG) while they listened to a regular auditory sequence eliciting different types of prediction errors. MMN responses indexing those prediction errors were overall enhanced in Val/Val carriers who underwent intensive musical training, compared to Met-carriers and non-musicians with either genotype. Although this study calls for replications with larger samples, our results provide a first glimpse of the possible role of gene-regulated neurotrophic factors in the neural adaptations of automatic predictive processing in the auditory domain after long-term training.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Bonetti
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
- Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Italy
- Corresponding author. Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark, and Centre for Eudaimonia and Human Flourishing, Linacre College, University of Oxford, UK.
| | - S.E.P. Bruzzone
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
- Neurobiology Research Unit, Copenhagen University Hospital Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - T. Paunio
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - K. Kantojärvi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Helsinki, Finland
| | - M. Kliuchko
- Hearing Systems Section, Department of Health Technology, Technical University of Denmark, DK-2800, Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - P. Vuust
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
| | - S. Palva
- Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences, Neuroscience Center, University of Helsinki, Finland
- Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, School of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, United Kingdom
| | - E. Brattico
- Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Education, Psychology, Communication, University of Bari Aldo Moro, Italy
- Corresponding author. Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & the Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark.
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Treble-Barna A, Wade SL, Pilipenko V, Martin LJ, Yeates KO, Taylor HG, Kurowski BG. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met and neuropsychological functioning after early childhood traumatic brain injury. J Int Neuropsychol Soc 2023; 29:246-256. [PMID: 35465864 PMCID: PMC9592678 DOI: 10.1017/s1355617722000194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study examined the differential effect of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism on neuropsychological functioning in children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) relative to orthopedic injury (OI). METHODS Participants were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal study of children who sustained a TBI (n = 69) or OI (n = 72) between 3 and 7 years of age. Children completed a battery of neuropsychological measures targeting attention, memory, and executive functions at four timepoints spanning the immediate post-acute period to 18 months post-injury. Children also completed a comparable age-appropriate battery of measures approximately 7 years post-injury. Parents rated children's dysexecutive behaviors at all timepoints. RESULTS Longitudinal mixed models revealed a significant allele status × injury group interaction with a medium effect size for verbal fluency. Cross-sectional models at 7 years post-injury revealed non-significant but medium effect sizes for the allele status x injury group interaction for fluid reasoning and immediate and delayed verbal memory. Post hoc stratified analyses revealed a consistent pattern of poorer neuropsychological functioning in Met carriers relative to Val/Val homozygotes in the TBI group, with small effect sizes; the opposite trend or no appreciable effect was observed in the OI group. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest a differential effect of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on verbal fluency, and possibly fluid reasoning and immediate and delayed verbal memory, in children with early TBI relative to OI. The Met allele-associated with reduced activity-dependent secretion of BDNF-may confer risk for poorer neuropsychological functioning in children with TBI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amery Treble-Barna
- Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 3471 Fifth Avenue, KAU-910, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Shari L. Wade
- Professor, Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Valentina Pilipenko
- Biostatistician, Division of Human Genetics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45229
| | - Lisa J. Martin
- Professor, Division of Human Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. 3333 Burnett Av, MLC 4012, Cincinnati OH 45229
| | - Keith Owen Yeates
- Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Dr NW, Calgary, AB, T2N1N4 Canada
| | - H. Gerry Taylor
- Professor, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, and Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH, 43205
| | - Brad G. Kurowski
- Associate Professor, Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Departments of Pediatrics and Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, 3333 Burnett Av, MLC 4009, Cincinnati OH 45229
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9
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Ben-Zion Z, Korem N, Spiller TR, Duek O, Keynan JN, Admon R, Harpaz-Rotem I, Liberzon I, Shalev AY, Hendler T. Longitudinal volumetric evaluation of hippocampus and amygdala subregions in recent trauma survivors. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:657-667. [PMID: 36280750 PMCID: PMC9918676 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01842-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus and the amygdala play a central role in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) pathogenesis. While alternations in volumes of both regions have been consistently observed in individuals with PTSD, it remains unknown whether these reflect pre-trauma vulnerability traits or acquired post-trauma consequences of the disorder. Here, we conducted a longitudinal panel study of adult civilian trauma survivors admitted to a general hospital emergency department (ED). One hundred eligible participants (mean age = 32.97 ± 10.97, n = 56 females) completed both clinical interviews and structural MRI scans at 1-, 6-, and 14-months after ED admission (alias T1, T2, and T3). While all participants met PTSD diagnosis at T1, only n = 29 still met PTSD diagnosis at T3 (a "non-Remission" Group), while n = 71 did not (a "Remission" Group). Bayesian multilevel modeling analysis showed robust evidence for smaller right hippocampus volume (P+ of ~0.014) and moderate evidence for larger left amygdala volume (P+ of ~0.870) at T1 in the "non-Remission" group, compared to the "Remission" group. Subregion analysis further demonstrated robust evidence for smaller volume in the subiculum and right CA1 hippocampal subregions (P+ of ~0.021-0.046) in the "non-Remission" group. No time-dependent volumetric changes (T1 to T2 to T3) were observed across all participants or between groups. Results support the "vulnerability trait" hypothesis, suggesting that lower initial volumes of specific hippocampus subregions are associated with non-remitting PTSD. The stable volume of all hippocampal and amygdala subregions does not support the idea of consequential, progressive, stress-related atrophy during the first critical year following trauma exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziv Ben-Zion
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.
- Sagol Brain Institute Tel Aviv, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Nachshon Korem
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tobias R Spiller
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Or Duek
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jackob Nimrod Keynan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Roee Admon
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Texas A&M, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Arieh Y Shalev
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Talma Hendler
- Sagol Brain Institute Tel Aviv, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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10
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Phillips DJ, Blaine S, Wallace NK, Karatsoreos IN. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism modulates the effects of circadian desynchronization on activity and sleep in male mice. Front Neurosci 2023; 16:1013673. [PMID: 36699530 PMCID: PMC9868941 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.1013673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Understanding how environmental interact challenges with genetic predispositions modulate health and wellbeing is an important area of biomedical research. Circadian rhythms play an important role in coordinating the multitude of cellular and tissue processes that organisms use to predict and adapt to regular changes in the environment, and robust circadian rhythms contribute to optimal physiological and behavioral responses to challenge. However, artificial lighting and modern round-the-clock lifestyles can disrupt the circadian system, leading to desynchronization of clocks throughout the brain and body. When coupled with genetic predispositions, circadian desynchronization may compound negative outcomes. Polymorphisms in the brain-derived neurotrophic (BDNF) gene contribute to variations in neurobehavioral responses in humans, including impacts on sleep, with the common Val66Met polymorphism linked to several negative outcomes. Methods We explored how the Val66Met polymorphism modulates the response to environmental circadian desynchronization (ECD) in a mouse model. ECD was induced by housing adult male mice in a 20 h light-dark cycle (LD10:10; 10 h light, 10 h dark). Sleep and circadian activity were recorded in homozygous (Met) mice and their wild-type (Val) littermates in a standard 24 h LD cycle (LD12:12), then again after 20, 40, and 60 days of ECD. Results We found ECD significantly affected the sleep/wake timing in Val mice, however, Met mice maintained appropriate sleep timing after 20 days ECD, but not after 40 and 60 days of ECD. In addition, the rise in delta power at lights on was absent in Val mice but was maintained in Met mice. To elucidate the circadian and homeostatic contribution to disrupted sleep, mice were sleep deprived by gentle handling in LD12:12 and after 20 days in ECD. Following 6 h of sleep deprivation delta power was increased for both Val and Met mice in LD12:12 and ECD conditions. However, the time constant was significantly longer in the Val mice during ECD compared to LD12:12, suggesting a functioning but altered sleep homeostat. Discussion These data suggest the Val66Met mutation is associated with an ability to resist the effects of LD10:10, which may result in carriers suffering fewer negative impacts of ECD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derrick J. Phillips
- WWAMI Medical Education Program, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, United States,*Correspondence: Derrick J. Phillips,
| | - Scott Blaine
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Naomi K. Wallace
- Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - Ilia N. Karatsoreos
- Neuroscience and Behavior Program, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, United States,Ilia N. Karatsoreos,
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11
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Khan MM, Parikh V. Prospects for Neurotrophic Factor-Based Early Intervention in Schizophrenia: Lessons Learned from the Effects of Antipsychotic Drugs on Cognition, Neurogenesis, and Neurotrophic Factors. CNS & NEUROLOGICAL DISORDERS DRUG TARGETS 2023; 22:289-303. [PMID: 35366786 DOI: 10.2174/1871527321666220401124151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Although reducing psychotic symptoms in schizophrenia has been a major focus of therapeutic interventions for decades, improving cognition is considered a better predictor of functional outcomes. However, the most commonly prescribed antipsychotic drugs (APDs) show only marginal beneficial effects on cognition in patients with schizophrenia. The neural mechanisms underlying cognitive disturbances in schizophrenia remain unknown that making drug development efforts very challenging. Since neurotrophic factors are the primary architects of neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, learning, and memory, the findings from preclinical and clinical studies that assess changes in neurogenesis and neurotrophic factors and their relationship to cognitive performance in schizophrenia, and how these mechanisms might be impacted by APD treatment, may provide valuable clues in developing therapies to combat cognitive deficit in schizophrenia. Numerous evidence produced over the years suggests a deficit in a wide spectrum of neurotrophic factors in schizophrenia. Since schizophrenia is considered a neurodevelopmental disorder, early intervention with neurotrophic factors may be more effective in ameliorating the cognitive deficits and psychopathological symptoms associated with this pathology. In this context, results from initial clinical trials with neurotrophic factors and their future potential to improve cognition and psychosocial functioning in schizophrenia are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad M Khan
- Laboratory of Translational Neurology and Molecular Psychiatry, Department of Biotechnology, Era\'s Lucknow Medical College and Hospital, and Faculty of Science, Era University, Lucknow, UP, India
| | - Vinay Parikh
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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12
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Louras P, Brown LM, Gomez R, Warren SL, Fairchild JK. BDNF Val66Met Moderates the Effects of Hypertension on Executive Functioning in Older Adults Diagnosed With aMCI. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2022; 30:1223-1233. [PMID: 35779988 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2022.05.012] [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] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate whether the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism influences the associations of hypertension, executive functioning and processing speed in older adults diagnosed with amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment (aMCI). DESIGN Secondary data analysis using moderation modeling. SETTING Veterans Affairs Hospital, Palo Alto, CA. PARTICIPANTS Sample included 108 community-dwelling volunteers (mean age 71.3 ± 9.2 years) diagnosed with aMCI. MEASUREMENTS Cognitive performance was evaluated from multiple baseline assessments (Trail Making Test; Stroop Color-Word Test; Symbol Digit Modality Test) and grouped into standardized composite scores representing executive function and processing speed domains. BDNF genotypes were determined from whole blood samples. Hypertension was assessed from resting blood pressures or by self-report. RESULTS Controlling for age, BDNF Val66Met moderated the effects of hypertension on executive functioning, but added no significant variance to processing speed scores. Specifically, hypertensive carriers of the BDNF Met allele performed significantly below the sample mean on tasks of executive functioning, and evidenced significantly lower scores when compared to Val-Val homozygotes and normotensive participants. CONCLUSIONS Results posit that the executive functioning of non-demented older adults may be susceptible to interactions between BDNF genotype and hypertension, and Val-Val homozygotes and normotensive older adults may be more resilient to these effects of cognitive change. Further research is needed to understand the underlying processes and to implement strategies that target modifiable risk factors and promote cognitive resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Louras
- Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research (PL, JKF), Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (PL, LMB, JKF), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA
| | - Lisa M Brown
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (PL, LMB, JKF), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA; Department of Psychology (LMB, RG, SLW), Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Rowena Gomez
- Department of Psychology (LMB, RG, SLW), Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Stacie L Warren
- Department of Psychology (LMB, RG, SLW), Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Jennifer Kaci Fairchild
- Sierra Pacific Mental Illness Research (PL, JKF), Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) at VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (PL, LMB, JKF), Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA.
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13
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Vouga Ribeiro N, Tavares V, Bramon E, Toulopoulou T, Valli I, Shergill S, Murray R, Prata D. Effects of psychosis-associated genetic markers on brain volumetry: a systematic review of replicated findings and an independent validation. Psychol Med 2022; 52:1-16. [PMID: 36168994 PMCID: PMC9811278 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722002896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 08/13/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Given psychotic illnesses' high heritability and associations with brain structure, numerous neuroimaging-genetics findings have been reported in the last two decades. However, few findings have been replicated. In the present independent sample we aimed to replicate any psychosis-implicated SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms), which had previously shown at least two main effects on brain volume. METHODS A systematic review for SNPs showing a replicated effect on brain volume yielded 25 studies implicating seven SNPs in five genes. Their effect was then tested in 113 subjects with either schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, 'at risk mental state' or healthy state, for whole-brain and region-of-interest (ROI) associations with grey and white matter volume changes, using voxel-based morphometry. RESULTS We found FWER-corrected (Family-wise error rate) (i.e. statistically significant) associations of: (1) CACNA1C-rs769087-A with larger bilateral hippocampus and thalamus white matter, across the whole brain; and (2) CACNA1C-rs769087-A with larger superior frontal gyrus, as ROI. Higher replication concordance with existing literature was found, in decreasing order, for: (1) CACNA1C-rs769087-A, with larger dorsolateral-prefrontal/superior frontal gyrus and hippocampi (both with anatomical and directional concordance); (2) ZNF804A-rs11681373-A, with smaller angular gyrus grey matter and rectus gyri white matter (both with anatomical and directional concordance); and (3) BDNF-rs6265-T with superior frontal and middle cingulate gyri volume change (with anatomical and allelic concordance). CONCLUSIONS Most literature findings were not herein replicated. Nevertheless, high degree/likelihood of replication was found for two genome-wide association studies- and one candidate-implicated SNPs, supporting their involvement in psychosis and brain structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuno Vouga Ribeiro
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Vânia Tavares
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Elvira Bramon
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’ College London, London, UK
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
| | - Timothea Toulopoulou
- Department of Psychology & National Magnetic Resonance Research Center (UMRAM), Aysel Sabuncu Brain Research Centre (ASBAM), Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey
| | - Isabel Valli
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’ College London, London, UK
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sukhi Shergill
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’ College London, London, UK
| | - Robin Murray
- Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’ College London, London, UK
| | - Diana Prata
- Instituto de Biofísica e Engenharia Biomédica, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
- Department of Old Age Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
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14
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Williams RA, Johnson KW, Lee FS, Hemmings HC, Platholi J. A Common Human Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Polymorphism Leads to Prolonged Depression of Excitatory Synaptic Transmission by Isoflurane in Hippocampal Cultures. Front Mol Neurosci 2022; 15:927149. [PMID: 35813074 PMCID: PMC9260310 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2022.927149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Multiple presynaptic and postsynaptic targets have been identified for the reversible neurophysiological effects of general anesthetics on synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. However, the synaptic mechanisms involved in persistent depression of synaptic transmission resulting in more prolonged neurological dysfunction following anesthesia are less clear. Here, we show that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a growth factor implicated in synaptic plasticity and dysfunction, enhances glutamate synaptic vesicle exocytosis, and that attenuation of vesicular BDNF release by isoflurane contributes to transient depression of excitatory synaptic transmission in mice. This reduction in synaptic vesicle exocytosis by isoflurane was acutely irreversible in neurons that release less endogenous BDNF due to a polymorphism (BDNF Val66Met; rs6265) compared to neurons from wild-type mice. These effects were prevented by exogenous application of BDNF. Our findings identify a role for a common human BDNF single nucleotide polymorphism in persistent changes of synaptic function following isoflurane exposure. These short-term persistent alterations in excitatory synaptic transmission indicate a role for human genetic variation in anesthetic effects on synaptic plasticity and neurocognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riley A. Williams
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Kenneth W. Johnson
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Department of Psychiatry, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Hugh C. Hemmings
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jimcy Platholi
- Department of Anesthesiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States,Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States,*Correspondence: Jimcy Platholi,
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15
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Chu L, Sun X, Jia X, Li D, Gao P, Zhang Y, Li J. The Relationship Among BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism, Plasma BDNF Level, and Trait Anxiety in Chinese Patients With Panic Disorder. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:932235. [PMID: 35815047 PMCID: PMC9259790 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.932235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a candidate for susceptibility locus of Panic disorder (PD). However, the findings about the role of the BDNF Val66Met variant in PD were not consistent. Till now, the relationship between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and anxiety-related traits in PD patients has been rarely explored. This study aimed to explore the relationship among BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, plasma BDNF level and anxiety-related trait in Chinese PD patients. METHOD This multi-center study included 116 PD patients and 99 health controls. We detected single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of BDNF rs6265 (Val66Met) and BDNF plasma level in the two groups. In addition, PD patients were administered the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), Panic Disorder Severity Scale-Chinese Version (PDSS-CV) and Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA-14). Quantitative comparison of the differences of BDNF concentration among subjects with different genotypes and association between BDNF Val66Met genotype and trait anxiety were performed. RESULTS There were no significant differences in the genotype frequency (p = 0.79) or allele frequency (p = 0.88) between PD patients and health controls. BDNF plasma levels of PD patients were significantly lower than those in control group (p = 0.003). BDNF plasma levels of the Met/Met genotype were significantly lower than those of Val/Met genotype in PD patients (p = 0.033). PD patients carried Met/Met genotype showed significantly higher scores in STAI trait compared to those carried Val/Val genotype (p = 0.045) and Val/Met genotype (p = 0.018). STAI trait scores of PD patients with agoraphobia were significantly higher than those of patients without agoraphobia (p < 0.05). The ANCOVA showed that the dependent variable STAI trait score was significantly affected by factor "genotype" (Val/Val, Val/Met, Met/Met, p = 0.029), and covariate "agoraphobia" (p = 0.008). In this model, 11.5% of the variance of the STAI trait score was explained by the BDNF genotype. Contrast analysis showed STAI trait scores of Met/Met subjects were significantly higher than those of Val/Met (p = 0.018) and Val/Val individuals (p = 0.045). CONCLUSION We found that anxiety trait was associated with the BDNF polymorphism in PD patients. BDNF Met/Met genotype may decrease plasma BDNF level and increase trait anxiety in panic disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijun Chu
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xia Sun
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Xiaoju Jia
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Dazhi Li
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Ping Gao
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yong Zhang
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
| | - Jie Li
- Laboratory of Biological Psychiatry, Institute of Mental Health, Tianjin Anding Hospital, Mental Health Center of Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China
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16
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Ahmed AO, Kramer S, Hofman N, Flynn J, Hansen M, Martin V, Pillai A, Buckley PF. A Meta-Analysis of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Effects on Brain Volume in Schizophrenia: Genotype and Serum Levels. Neuropsychobiology 2021; 80:411-424. [PMID: 33706323 PMCID: PMC8619762 DOI: 10.1159/000514126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
AIM The Val66Met single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) on the BDNF gene has established pleiotropic effects on schizophrenia incidence and morphologic alterations in the illness. The effects of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) on brain volume measurements are however mixed seeming to be less established for most brain regions. The current meta-analytic review examined (1) the association of the Val66Met SNP and brain volume alterations in schizophrenia by comparing Met allele carriers to Val/Val homozygotes and (2) the association of serum BDNF with brain volume measurements. METHOD Studies included in the meta-analyses were identified through an electronic search of PubMed and PsycInfo (via EBSCO) for English language publications from January 2000 through December 2017. Included studies had conducted a genotyping procedure of Val66Met or obtained assays of serum BDNF and obtained brain volume data in patients with psychotic disorders. Nonhuman studies were excluded. RESULTS Study 1 which included 52 comparisons of Met carriers and Val/Val homozygotes found evidence of lower right and left hippocampal volumes among Met allele carriers with schizophrenia. Frontal measurements, while also lower among Met carriers, did not achieve statistical significance. Study 2 which included 7 examinations of the correlation between serum BDNF and brain volume found significant associations between serum BDNF levels and right and left hippocampal volume with lower BDNF corresponding to lower volumes. DISCUSSION The meta-analyses provided evidence of associations between brain volume alterations in schizophrenia and variations on the Val66Met SNP and serum BDNF. Given the limited number of studies, it remains unclear if BDNF effects are global or regionally specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony O. Ahmed
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, White Plains, New York, USA,*Anthony O. Ahmed, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, 21 Bloomingdale Road, White Plains, NY 10605 (USA),
| | - Samantha Kramer
- Department of Psychology, Long Island University Post, New York, New York, USA
| | - Naama Hofman
- Department of Psychology, St. John's University, New York, New York, USA
| | - John Flynn
- Department of Psychology, Long Island University Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marie Hansen
- Department of Psychology, Long Island University Brooklyn, New York, New York, USA
| | - Victoria Martin
- Department of Psychology, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anilkumar Pillai
- Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior, Augusta University, Augusta, Georgia, USA
| | - Peter F. Buckley
- Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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17
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West GL, Konishi K, MacDonald K, Ni A, Joober R, Bohbot VD. The BDNF val66met polymorphism is associated with decreased use of landmarks and decreased fMRI activity in the hippocampus during virtual navigation. Eur J Neurosci 2021; 54:6406-6421. [PMID: 34467592 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
People can navigate in a new environment using multiple strategies dependent on different memory systems. A series of studies have dissociated between hippocampus-dependent 'spatial' navigation and habit-based 'response' learning mediated by the caudate nucleus. The val66met polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene leads to decreased secretion of BDNF in the brain, including the hippocampus. Here, we aim to investigate the role of the BDNF val66met polymorphism on virtual navigation behaviour and brain activity in healthy older adults. A total of 139 healthy older adult participants (mean age = 65.8 ± 4.4 years) were tested in this study. Blood samples were collected, and BDNF val66met genotyping was performed. Participants were divided into two genotype groups: val homozygotes and met carriers. Participants were tested on virtual dual-solution navigation tasks in which they could use either a hippocampus-dependent spatial strategy or a caudate nucleus-dependent response strategy to solve the task. A subset of the participants (n = 66) were then scanned in a 3T functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanner while engaging in another dual-solution navigation task. BDNF val/val individuals and met carriers did not differ in learning performance. However, the two BDNF groups differed in learning strategy. BDNF val/val individuals relied more on landmarks to remember target locations (i.e., increased use of flexible spatial learning), while met carriers relied more on sequences and patterns to remember target locations (i.e., increased use of inflexible response learning). Additionally, BDNF val/val individuals had more fMRI activity in the hippocampus compared with BDNF met carriers during performance on the navigation task. This is the first study to show in older adults that BDNF met carriers use alternate learning strategies from val/val individuals and to identify differential brain activation of this behavioural difference between the two groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greg L West
- Department of Psychology, University of Montreal, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kyoko Konishi
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Kathleen MacDonald
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Anjie Ni
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Ridha Joober
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Veronique D Bohbot
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
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18
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Payán-Gómez C, Ramirez-Cheyne J, Saldarriaga W. Variable Expressivity in Fragile X Syndrome: Towards the Identification of Molecular Characteristics That Modify the Phenotype. Appl Clin Genet 2021; 14:305-312. [PMID: 34262328 PMCID: PMC8273740 DOI: 10.2147/tacg.s265835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Fragile X syndrome (FXS), is an X-linked inherited genetic disease. FXS is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disability and autism in the world. Those affected are characterized by intellectual disability, language deficit, typical facies, and macroorchidism. Alterations in the FMR1 gene have been associated with FXS. The majority of people with this condition have an allele with an expansion of more than 200 repeats in a tract of CGGs within the 5' untranslated region, and this expansion is associated with a hypermethylated state of the gene promoter. FXS has incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity. Intellectual disability is present in 100% of males and 60% of females. Autism spectrum disorder symptoms appear in 50% to 60% of males and 20% of females. Other characteristics such as behavioral and physical alterations have significant variations in presentation frequency. The molecular causes of the variable phenotype in FXS patients are becoming clear: these causes are related to the FMR1 gene itself and to secondary, modifying gene effects. In FXS patients, size and methylation mosaicisms are common. Secondary to mosaicism, there is a variation in the quantity of FMR1 mRNA and the protein coded by the gene Fragile Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP). Potential modifier genes have also been proposed, with conflicting results. Characterizing patients according to CGG expansion, methylation status, concentration of mRNA and FMRP, and genotypification for possible modifier genes in a clinical setting offers an opportunity to identify predictors for treatment response evaluation. When intervention strategies become available to modulate the course of the disease they could be crucial for selecting patients and identifying the best therapeutic intervention. The purpose of this review is to present the information available about the molecular causes of the variability of the expression incomplete penetrance and variable expressivity in FXS and their potential clinical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- César Payán-Gómez
- Deparment of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Universidad del Rosario, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Julian Ramirez-Cheyne
- Health Faculty, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
- Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia
| | - Wilmar Saldarriaga
- Health Faculty, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
- Hospital Universitario del Valle, Cali, Colombia
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19
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Cechova K, Andel R, Angelucci F, Chmatalova Z, Markova H, Laczó J, Vyhnalek M, Matoska V, Kaplan V, Nedelska Z, Ward DD, Hort J. Impact of APOE and BDNF Val66Met Gene Polymorphisms on Cognitive Functions in Patients with Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment. J Alzheimers Dis 2021; 73:247-257. [PMID: 31771052 DOI: 10.3233/jad-190464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Apolipoprotein (APOE) ɛ4 is a well-known risk factor for late-onset Alzheimer's disease (AD), but other AD-related gene polymorphisms might also be important, such as the polymorphism within the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. Carriage of BDNF Val66Met has been associated with faster cognitive decline and greater hippocampal atrophy in cognitively normal elderly. Thus, we examined the effects of the concurrent presence of APOE and BDNF polymorphisms on cognitive functions and brain morphometry in amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI) patients. 107 aMCI patients (mean age = 72.2) were recruited from the Czech Brain Aging Study and, based on APOE and BDNF genes polymorphisms, were divided into four groups: ɛ4-BDNFVal/Val (n = 37), ɛ4-BDNFMet (n = 19), ɛ4+BDNFVal/Val (n = 35), and ɛ4+BDNFMet (n = 16). All patients underwent clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging, and complex neuropsychological battery. The combination of APOEɛ4+ and BDNF Met was associated with significantly worse memory performance in immediate and delayed recall compared to other polymorphism groups. We did not observe increased atrophy in areas related to memory function in the ɛ4+BDNFMet group. Our findings suggest that carriage of ɛ4+BDNFMet is associated with more pronounced memory dysfunction, a typical feature of early AD, but not with structural brain changes in aMCI patients. These findings suggest that in APOEɛ4/BDNF Met carriers, synaptic dysfunction affecting memory may precede pronounced structural changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Cechova
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ross Andel
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.,School of Aging Studies, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Francesco Angelucci
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Chmatalova
- International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Medical Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Hana Markova
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Laczó
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Vyhnalek
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Vaclav Matoska
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hematology and Immunology, Homolka Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Vojtech Kaplan
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hematology and Immunology, Homolka Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Nedelska
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David D Ward
- Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatric Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.,Centre for Health Care of the Elderly, QEII Health Sciences Centre, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Jakub Hort
- Department of Neurology, Memory Clinic, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University and Motol University Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic.,International Clinical Research Center, St. Anne's University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
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Arosio B, Guerini FR, Voshaar RCO, Aprahamian I. Blood Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) and Major Depression: Do We Have a Translational Perspective? Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:626906. [PMID: 33643008 PMCID: PMC7906965 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.626906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) affects millions of people worldwide and is a leading cause of disability. Several theories have been proposed to explain its pathological mechanisms, and the “neurotrophin hypothesis of depression” involves one of the most relevant pathways. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is an important neurotrophin, and it has been extensively investigated in both experimental models and clinical studies of MDD. Robust empirical findings have indicated an association between increased BDNF gene expression and peripheral concentration with improved neuronal plasticity and neurogenesis. Additionally, several studies have indicated the blunt expression of BDNF in carriers of the Val66Met gene polymorphism and lower blood BDNF (serum or plasma) levels in depressed individuals. Clinical trials have yielded mixed results with different treatment options, peripheral blood BDNF measurement techniques, and time of observation. Previous meta-analyses of MDD treatment have indicated that antidepressants and electroconvulsive therapy showed higher levels of blood BDNF after treatment but not with physical exercise, psychotherapy, or direct current stimulation. Moreover, the rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine has presented an early increase in blood BDNF concentration. Although evidence has pointed to increased levels of BDNF after antidepressant therapy, several factors, such as heterogeneous results, low sample size, publication bias, and different BDNF measurements (serum or plasma), pose a challenge in the interpretation of the relation between peripheral blood BDNF and MDD. These potential gaps in the literature have not been properly addressed in previous narrative reviews. In this review, current evidence regarding BDNF function, genetics and epigenetics, expression, and results from clinical trials is summarized, putting the literature into a translational perspective on MDD. In general, blood BDNF cannot be recommended for use as a biomarker in clinical practice. Moreover, future studies should expand the evidence with larger samples, use the serum or serum: whole blood concentration of BDNF as a more accurate measure of peripheral BDNF, and compare its change upon different treatment modalities of MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beatrice Arosio
- Geriatric Unit, Fondazione Ca' Granda, IRCCS Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Richard C Oude Voshaar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Ivan Aprahamian
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands.,Group of Investigation on Multimorbidity and Mental Health in Aging (GIMMA), Geriatrics Division, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine of Jundiaí, Jundiaí, Brazil
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21
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Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism affects cortical thickness of rostral anterior cingulate in patients with major depressive disorder. Neuroreport 2020; 31:1146-1153. [PMID: 32991522 DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000001528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The neuro-anatomical substrates of major depressive disorder (MDD) remain poorly understood. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene polymorphism (Val66Met/rs6265) is associated with neuro-plasticity and development. In the present study, we explore the influence of BDNF gene polymorphism on cortical thickness in nonelderly, first episode, drug-naive patients with MDD. METHODS Two hundred and sixteen participants (105 MDD patients and 111 healthy controls) were divided into subgroups based on the BDNF genotype. High-resolution MRI was obtained in all participants. A relationship of BDNF Val66Met gene polymorphism and cortical thickness was investigated. RESULTS The significant main effect of diagnosis was identified in the left rostal anterior cingulate (rACC), right inferior temporal and right lateral orbitofrontal (lOFC). The main effect of the genotype was observed in the left posterior cingulate cortex. The diagnosis-by-genotype interaction effect was found located in the left rACC. MDD patients who were Met-carriers exhibited thinner cortical thickness in the left rACC than healthy controls Met-carriers. Neither the symptom severity nor the illness duration was correlated significantly with cortical thickness. CONCLUSION Our findings suggested that the BDNF gene polymorphism was associated with cortical thickness alterations of the left rACC in MDD patients, and genotype that carries Met may serve as a vulnerability factor in MDD regarding the cortical thickness loss in the left rACC. This finding can be considered as a supportive evidence for the neurotrophic factor hypothesis of depression.
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Fedorenko OY, Ivanova SA. [A new look at the genetics of neurocognitive deficits in schizophrenia]. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2020; 120:183-192. [PMID: 32929943 DOI: 10.17116/jnevro2020120081183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The article presents current literature data on genetic studies of neurocognitive deficit in schizophrenia, including the genes of neurotransmitter systems (dopaminergic, glutamatergic, and serotonergic); genes analyzed in genome-wide association studies (GWAS), as well as other genetic factors related to the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying schizophrenia and neurocognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- O Yu Fedorenko
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia.,National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia
| | - S A Ivanova
- Mental Health Research Institute, Tomsk National Research Medical Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Tomsk, Russia.,National Research Tomsk Polytechnic University, Tomsk, Russia
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Pujol N, Mané A, Bergé D, Mezquida G, Amoretti S, Pérez L, González-Pinto A, Barcones F, Cuesta MJ, Sánchez-Tomico G, Vieta E, Castro-Fornieles J, Bernardo M, Parellada M. Influence of BDNF and MTHFR polymorphisms on hippocampal volume in first-episode psychosis. Schizophr Res 2020; 223:345-352. [PMID: 32988741 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.08.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The BDNF and MTHFR genes are independently linked to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and its neuroimaging correlates. The aim of this study was to explore, for the first time, the individual and interactional effects of the Val66Met and C677T polymorphisms on hippocampal atrophy in first-episode psychosis (FEP). METHOD Multi-site case-control study based on clinical, genetic (rs 6265, rs 1801133) and structural magnetic resonance imaging data from 98 non-affective FEP patients and 117 matched healthy controls (HC). Hippocampal volume was estimated using FreeSurfer software and this volume was compared between diagnostic (FEP vs HC) and genotype (Val66Met, C677T) groups. The BDNF Val66Met x MTHFR C677T effect on hippocampal volume was further evaluated through stratified analyses. RESULTS After applying Bonferroni correction, diagnosis showed a significant effect for adjusted left and right hippocampal volume (FEP < HC). Stratified analyses showed that the interactive effect contributed to adjusted hippocampal size in both the HC (left and right hippocampus) and FEP groups (right hippocampus); among BDNF Met carriers, those with the CT-TT genotype exhibited decreased hippocampal volume compared to individuals with the homozygous normal CC genotype. CONCLUSIONS Our results provide preliminary evidence indicating that the Val66Met x C677T interaction may be a potential genetic risk factor for reduced hippocampal size in both healthy controls and in patients with FEP. Further research in independent samples including different ethnic groups is warranted to confirm this new finding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nuria Pujol
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Anna Mané
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Daniel Bergé
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain; Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Gisela Mezquida
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Neuroscience Institute; August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS); University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Amoretti
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Neuroscience Institute; August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS); University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Lucía Pérez
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana González-Pinto
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Servicio de Psiquiatría, Hospital Santiago, OSI Araba, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Fe Barcones
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Department of Family Medicine, Hospital Universitario Miguel Servet, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón (IIS Aragón), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Manuel J Cuesta
- Department of Psychiatry, Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra, IdiSNA, Navarra Institute for Health Research, Pamplona, Spain
| | - Georgina Sánchez-Tomico
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addiction of the Barcelona MAR Health Park, Barcelona, Spain; Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eduard Vieta
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Bipolar Disorder Unit, Institute of Neurosciences, August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josefina Castro-Fornieles
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Department, 2017SGR881, Institute of Neurosciences, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miquel Bernardo
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Barcelona Clinic Schizophrenia Unit, Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Neuroscience Institute; August Pi I Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS); University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- Biomedical Research Networking Center for Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), Spain; Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, Madrid, Spain
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van Haren N, Cahn W, Hulshoff Pol H, Kahn R. Schizophrenia as a progressive brain disease. Eur Psychiatry 2020; 23:245-54. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2007.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2007] [Revised: 10/11/2007] [Accepted: 10/18/2007] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractThere is convincing evidence that schizophrenia is characterized by abnormalities in brain volume. At the Department of Psychiatry of the University Medical Centre Utrecht, Netherlands, we have been carrying out neuroimaging studies in schizophrenia since 1995. We focused our research on three main questions. First, are brain volume abnormalities static or progressive in nature? Secondly, can brain volume abnormalities in schizophrenia be explained (in part) by genetic influences? Finally, what environmental factors are associated with the brain volume abnormalities in schizophrenia?Based on our findings we suggest that schizophrenia is a progressive brain disease. We showed different age-related trajectories of brain tissue loss suggesting that brain maturation that occurs in the third and fourth decade of life is abnormal in schizophrenia. Moreover, brain volume has been shown to be a useful phenotype for studying schizophrenia. Brain volume is highly heritable and twin and family studies show that unaffected relatives show abnormalities that are similar, but usually present to a lesser extent, to those found in the patients. However, also environmental factors play a role. Medication intake is indeed a confounding factor when interpreting brain volume (change) abnormalities, while independent of antipsychotic medication intake brain volume abnormalities appear influenced by the outcome of the illness.In conclusion, schizophrenia can be considered as a progressive brain disease with brain volume abnormalities that are for a large part influenced by genetic factors. Whether the progressive volume change is also mediated by genes awaits the results of longitudinal twin analyses. One of the main challenges for the coming years, however, will be the search for gene-by-environment interactions on the progressive brain changes in schizophrenia.
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25
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Wu Y, Lu YC, Jacobs M, Pradhan S, Kapse K, Zhao L, Niforatos-Andescavage N, Vezina G, du Plessis AJ, Limperopoulos C. Association of Prenatal Maternal Psychological Distress With Fetal Brain Growth, Metabolism, and Cortical Maturation. JAMA Netw Open 2020; 3:e1919940. [PMID: 31995213 PMCID: PMC6991285 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.19940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Prenatal maternal stress is increasingly associated with adverse outcomes in pregnant women and their offspring. However, the association between maternal stress and human fetal brain growth and metabolism is unknown. OBJECTIVE To identify the association between prenatal maternal psychological distress and fetal brain growth, cortical maturation, and biochemical development using advanced 3-dimensional volumetric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS This cohort study prospectively recruited pregnant women from low-risk obstetric clinics in Washington, DC, from January 1, 2016, to April 17, 2019. Participants were healthy volunteers with a normal prenatal medical history, no chronic or pregnancy-induced physical or mental illnesses, and normal results on fetal ultrasonography and biometry studies. Fetal brain MRI studies were performed at 2 time points between 24 and 40 weeks' gestation. EXPOSURES Prenatal maternal stress, anxiety, and depression. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Volumes of fetal total brain, cortical gray matter, white matter, deep gray matter, cerebellum, brainstem, and hippocampus were measured from 3-dimensional reconstructed T2-weighted MRI scans. Cortical folding measurements included local gyrification index, sulcal depth, and curvedness. Fetal brain N-acetylaspartate, creatine, and choline levels were quantified using 1H-MRS. Maternal stress, depression, and anxiety were measured with the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Spielberger State Anxiety Inventory (SSAI), and Spielberger Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS A total of 193 MRI studies were performed in 119 pregnant women (67 [56%] carrying male fetuses and 52 [44%], female fetuses; maternal mean [SD] age, 34.46 [5.95] years) between 24 and 40 gestational weeks. All women were high school graduates, 99 (83%) were college graduates, and 100 (84%) reported professional employment. Thirty-two women (27%) had positive scores for stress, 31 (26%) for anxiety, and 13 (11%) for depression. Maternal trait anxiety was associated with smaller fetal left hippocampal volume (STAI score: -0.002 cm3; 95% CI, -0.003 to -0.0008 cm3; P = .004). Maternal anxiety and stress were associated with increased fetal cortical gyrification in the frontal lobe (β for SSAI score: 0.004 [95% CI, 0.001-0.006; P = .002]; β for STAI score: 0.004 [95% CI, 0.002-0.006; P < .001]; β for PSS score: 0.005 [95% CI, 0.001-0.008; P = .005]) and temporal lobe (β for SSAI score: 0.004 [95% CI, 0.001-0.007; P = .004]; β for STAI score: 0.004 [95% CI, 0.0008-0.006; P = .01]). Elevated maternal depression was associated with decreased creatine (EPDS score: -0.04; 95% CI, -0.06 to -0.02; P = .005) and choline (EPDS score: -0.03; 95% CI, -0.05 to -0.01; P = .02) levels in the fetal brain. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE This study found that the prevalence of maternal psychological distress in healthy, well-educated, and employed pregnant women was high, underappreciated, and associated with impaired fetal brain biochemistry and hippocampal growth as well as accelerated cortical folding. These findings appear to support the need for routine mental health surveillance for all pregnant women and targeted interventions in women with elevated psychological distress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wu
- Center for the Developing Brain, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Yuan-Chiao Lu
- Center for the Developing Brain, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Marni Jacobs
- Department of Biostatistics and Study Methodology, Children’s Research Institute, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Subechhya Pradhan
- Center for the Developing Brain, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Kushal Kapse
- Center for the Developing Brain, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | - Li Zhao
- Center for the Developing Brain, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | | | - Gilbert Vezina
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
| | | | - Catherine Limperopoulos
- Center for the Developing Brain, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC
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Halonen R, Kuula L, Lahti J, Makkonen T, Räikkönen K, Pesonen AK. BDNF Val66Met polymorphism moderates the association between sleep spindles and overnight visual recognition. Behav Brain Res 2019; 375:112157. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.112157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2019] [Revised: 08/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Kristinsson S, Yourganov G, Xiao F, Bonilha L, Stark BC, Rorden C, Basilakos A, Fridriksson J. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Genotype-Specific Differences in Cortical Activation in Chronic Aphasia. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2019; 62:3923-3936. [PMID: 31756156 PMCID: PMC7203521 DOI: 10.1044/2019_jslhr-l-rsnp-19-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Revised: 06/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/29/2019] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Purpose The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene has been shown to be important for synaptic plasticity in animal models. Human research has suggested that BDNF genotype may influence stroke recovery. Some studies have suggested a genotype-specific motor-related brain activation in stroke recovery. However, recovery from aphasia in relation to BDNF genotype and language-related brain activation has received limited attention. We aimed to explore functional brain activation by BDNF genotype in individuals with chronic aphasia. Consistent with findings in healthy individuals and individuals with poststroke motor impairment, we hypothesized that, among individuals with aphasia, the presence of the Met allele of the BDNF gene is associated with reduced functional brain activation compared to noncarriers of the Met allele. Method Eighty-seven individuals with chronic stroke-induced aphasia performed a naming task during functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning and submitted blood or saliva samples for BDNF genotyping. The mean number of activated voxels was compared between groups, and group-based activation maps were directly compared. Neuropsychological testing was conducted to compare language impairment between BDNF genotype groups. The Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia Quotient (Kertesz, 2007) was included as a covariate in all analyses. Results While lesion size was comparable between groups, the amount of activation, quantified as the number of activated voxels, was significantly greater in noncarriers of the Met allele (whole brain: 98,500 vs. 28,630, p < .001; left hemisphere only: 37,209 vs. 7,000, p < .001; right hemisphere only: 74,830 vs. 30,630, p < .001). This difference was most strongly expressed in the right hemisphere posterior temporal area, pre- and postcentral gyrus, and frontal lobe, extending into the white matter. Correspondingly, the atypical BDNF genotype group was found to have significantly less severe aphasia (Western Aphasia Battery Aphasia Quotient of 64.2 vs. 54.3, p = .033) and performed better on a naming task (Philadelphia Naming Test [Roach, Schwartz, Martin, Grewal, & Brecher, 1996] score of 74.7 vs. 52.8, p = .047). A region of interest analysis of intensity of activation revealed no group differences, and a direct comparison of average activation maps across groups similarly yielded null results. Conclusion BDNF genotype mediates cortical brain activation in individuals with chronic aphasia. Correspondingly, individuals carrying the Met allele present with more severe aphasia compared to noncarriers. These findings warrant further study into the effects of BDNF genotype in aphasia. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.10073147 Presentation Video https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.10257581.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sigfus Kristinsson
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | | | - Feifei Xiao
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | - Leonardo Bonilha
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | - Brielle C. Stark
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington
| | - Chris Rorden
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | - Alexandra Basilakos
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia
| | - Julius Fridriksson
- Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders, University of South Carolina, Columbia
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Finan JD, Udani SV, Patel V, Bailes JE. The Influence of the Val66Met Polymorphism of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor on Neurological Function after Traumatic Brain Injury. J Alzheimers Dis 2019; 65:1055-1064. [PMID: 30149456 DOI: 10.3233/jad-180585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Functional outcomes after traumatic brain injury (TBI) vary widely across patients with apparently similar injuries. This variability hinders prognosis, therapy, and clinical innovation. Recently, single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) that influence outcome after TBI have been identified. These discoveries create opportunities to personalize therapy and stratify clinical trials. Both of these changes would propel clinical innovation in the field. This review focuses on one of most well-characterized of these SNPs, the Val66Met SNP in the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene. This SNP influences neurological function in healthy subjects as well as TBI patients and patients with similar acute insults to the central nervous system. A host of other patient-specific factors including ethnicity, age, gender, injury severity, and post-injury time point modulate this influence. These interactions confound efforts to define a simple relationship between this SNP and TBI outcomes. The opportunities and challenges associated with personalizing TBI therapy around this SNP and other similar SNPs are discussed in light of these results.
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Affiliation(s)
- John D Finan
- Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Shreya V Udani
- Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Vimal Patel
- Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Julian E Bailes
- Department of Neurosurgery, NorthShore University Health System, Evanston, IL, USA
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Miranda M, Morici JF, Zanoni MB, Bekinschtein P. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor: A Key Molecule for Memory in the Healthy and the Pathological Brain. Front Cell Neurosci 2019; 13:363. [PMID: 31440144 PMCID: PMC6692714 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2019.00363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 722] [Impact Index Per Article: 144.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is a key molecule involved in plastic changes related to learning and memory. The expression of BDNF is highly regulated, and can lead to great variability in BDNF levels in healthy subjects. Changes in BDNF expression are associated with both normal and pathological aging and also psychiatric disease, in particular in structures important for memory processes such as the hippocampus and parahippocampal areas. Some interventions like exercise or antidepressant administration enhance the expression of BDNF in normal and pathological conditions. In this review, we will describe studies from rodents and humans to bring together research on how BDNF expression is regulated, how this expression changes in the pathological brain and also exciting work on how interventions known to enhance this neurotrophin could have clinical relevance. We propose that, although BDNF may not be a valid biomarker for neurodegenerative/neuropsychiatric diseases because of its disregulation common to many pathological conditions, it could be thought of as a marker that specifically relates to the occurrence and/or progression of the mnemonic symptoms that are common to many pathological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magdalena Miranda
- Laboratory of Memory Research and Molecular Cognition, Institute for Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, Instituto de Neurología Cognitiva, CONICET, Universidad Favaloro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Juan Facundo Morici
- Laboratory of Memory Research and Molecular Cognition, Institute for Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, Instituto de Neurología Cognitiva, CONICET, Universidad Favaloro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - María Belén Zanoni
- Laboratory of Memory Research and Molecular Cognition, Institute for Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, Instituto de Neurología Cognitiva, CONICET, Universidad Favaloro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Pedro Bekinschtein
- Laboratory of Memory Research and Molecular Cognition, Institute for Cognitive and Translational Neuroscience, Instituto de Neurología Cognitiva, CONICET, Universidad Favaloro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Jones RM, Pattwell SS. Future considerations for pediatric cancer survivorship: Translational perspectives from developmental neuroscience. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 38:100657. [PMID: 31158802 PMCID: PMC6697051 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 04/26/2019] [Accepted: 05/06/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Breakthroughs in modern medicine have increased pediatric cancer survival rates throughout the last several decades. Despite enhanced cure rates, a subset of pediatric cancer survivors exhibit life-long psychological side effects. A large body of work has addressed potential mechanisms for secondary symptoms of anxiety, post-traumatic stress, impaired emotion regulation and cognitive deficits in adults. Yet, absent from many studies are the ways in which cancer treatment can impact the developing brain. Additionally, it remains less known whether typical neurobiological changes during adolescence and early adulthood may potentially buffer or exacerbate some of the known negative cancer survivorship outcomes. This review highlights genetic, animal, and human neuroimaging research across development. We focus on the neural circuitry associated with aversive learning, which matures throughout childhood, adolescence and early adulthood. We argue that along with other individual differences, the precise timing of oncological treatment insults on such neural circuitry may expose particular vulnerabilities for pediatric cancer patients. We also explore other moderators of treatment outcomes, including genetic polymorphisms and neural mechanisms underlying memory and cognitive control. We discuss how neural maturation extending into young adulthood may also provide a sensitive period for intervention to improve psychological and cognitive outcomes in pediatric cancer survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca M Jones
- The Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, United States
| | - Siobhan S Pattwell
- Human Biology Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, 1100 Fairview Avenue North, Mailstop C3-168, Seattle, WA 98109, United States.
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McKay NS, Moreau D, Henare DT, Kirk IJ. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met genotype does not influence the grey or white matter structures underlying recognition memory. Neuroimage 2019; 197:1-12. [PMID: 30954706 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.03.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Revised: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/30/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
Abstract
A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the gene coding for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has previously been associated with a reduction in recognition memory performance. While previous findings have highlighted that this SNP contributes to recognition memory, little is known about its influence on subprocesses of recognition, familiarity and recollection. Previous research has reported reduced hippocampal volume and decreased fractional anisotropy in carriers of the Met allele across a range of white matter tracts, including those networks that may support recognition memory. Here, in a sample of 61 healthy young adults, we used a source memory task to measure accuracy on each recognition subprocess, in order to determine whether the Val66Met SNP (rs6265) influences these equally. Additionally, we compared grey matter volume between these groups for structures that underpin familiarity and recollection separately. Finally, we used probabilistic tractography to reconstruct tracts that subserve each of these two recognition systems. Behaviourally, we found group differences on the familiarity measure, but not on recollection. However, we did not find any group difference on grey- or white-matter structures. Together, these results suggest a functional influence of the Val66Met SNP that is independent of coarse structural changes, and nuance previous research highlighting the relationship between BDNF, brain structure, and behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole S McKay
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
| | - David Moreau
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Dion T Henare
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Ian J Kirk
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, New Zealand; Brain Research New Zealand, New Zealand
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Abstract
This review examines the putative link between glucocorticoid and hippocampal abnormalities in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Increased glucocorticoid receptor (GR) sensitivity in PTSD may permit enhanced negative feedback inhibition of cortisol at the pituitary, hypothalamus, or other brain regions comprising the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and would be expected to affect other physiological systems that are regulated by glucocorticoids. Molecular and transcriptional studies of cortisol are consistent with the hypothesis that cortisol actions may be amplified in PTSD as a result of enhanced GR sensitivity in monocytes and some brain regions, although cortisol levels themselves are unchanged and oftentimes lower than normal. Concurrently, magnetic resonance imaging studies have demonstrated that individuals with PTSD have smaller hippocampal volume than individuals without PTSD. Initial hypotheses regarding the mechanism underlying hippocampal alterations in PTSD focused on elevated glucocorticoid levels in combination with extreme stress as the primary cause, but this explanation has not been well supported in human studies. Lack of data from neuroimaging studies preclude a firm link between PTSD onset and hippocampal volume changes. Rather, the available evidence is consistent with the possibility that smaller hippocampal volume (like reduced cortisol levels and enhanced GR sensitivity) may be a vulnerability factor for developing the disorder; limitations of hippocampal-based models of PTSD are described. We further review neuroimaging studies examining hippocampal structure and function following manipulation of glucocorticoid levels and also examining changes in the hippocampus in relationship to other brain regions. Evidence that the GR may be an important therapeutic target for the treatment of PTSD, especially for functions subserved by the hippocampus, is discussed. Implications of the current review for future research are described, with an emphasis on the need to integrate findings of glucocorticoid abnormalities with functional-imaging paradigms to formulate a comprehensive model of HPA-axis functioning in PTSD.
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González-Castro TB, Pool-García S, Tovilla-Zárate CA, Juárez-Rojop IE, López-Narváez ML, Frésan A, Genis-Mendoza AD, Pérez-Hernández N, Nicolini H. Association between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and generalized anxiety disorder and clinical characteristics in a Mexican population: A case-control study. Medicine (Baltimore) 2019; 98:e14838. [PMID: 30882674 PMCID: PMC6426483 DOI: 10.1097/md.0000000000014838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2018] [Revised: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present case-control study was to explore the association between BDNF Val66Met (rs6265) polymorphism and generalized anxiety disorder in Mexican individuals, and whether this polymorphism plays a role in the symptomatology of anxiety.A total of 212 subjects were included in the study. Around 75 patients with generalized anxiety disorder were diagnosed by psychiatrists based on the DSM-IV instrument and 137 unrelated subjects psychiatrically healthy were used as comparison group. The subclinical symptomatology in patients was assessed with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. BDNF rs6265 genotypes were analyzed using the polymerase chain reaction end-point method.The association between BDNF Val66Met with the risk for generalized anxiety disorder was evaluated using 4 inheritance models. The present study showed that carrying the Met allele confers increased risk for the presence of generalized anxiety disorder (χ = 4.7, P = .03; OR (95%) 1.96 (1.05-3.56)) when patients with generalized anxiety disorder were compared with the comparison group.Our results provide evidence of an association between the Val66Met polymorphism of the BDNF gene and generalized anxiety disorder in a Mexican population. However, no association was observed between this polymorphism and the symptomatology of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thelma Beatriz González-Castro
- División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Jalpa de Méndez, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Jalpa de Méndez, Tabasco, México
| | | | - Carlos Alfonso Tovilla-Zárate
- División Académica Multidisciplinaria de Comalcalco, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Comalcalco, Tabasco, México
| | - Isela Esther Juárez-Rojop
- División Académica de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Juárez Autónoma de Tabasco, Villahermosa, Tabasco, México
| | - María Lilia López-Narváez
- Hospital General de Yajalón “Dr. Manuel Velazco Suarez”, Secretaría de Salud, Yajalón, Chiapas, México
| | - Ana Frésan
- Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alma Delia Genis-Mendoza
- Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica (SAP), Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Ciudad de México, México
| | - Nonanzit Pérez-Hernández
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Cardiología Ignacio Chávez, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Humberto Nicolini
- Servicios de Atención Psiquiátrica (SAP), Instituto Nacional de Medicina Genómica (INMEGEN), Ciudad de México, México
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Kim KM, Choi SW, Lee J, Kim JW. EEG correlates associated with the severity of gambling disorder and serum BDNF levels in patients with gambling disorder. J Behav Addict 2018; 7:331-338. [PMID: 29865867 PMCID: PMC6174577 DOI: 10.1556/2006.7.2018.43] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and aims This study aimed to evaluate the association between the severity of pathological gambling, serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) level, and the characteristics of quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) in patients with gambling disorder. Methods A total of 55 male patients aged 18-65 with gambling disorder participated. The severity of pathological gambling was assessed with the nine-item Problem Gambling Severity Index from the Canadian Problem Gambling Index (CPGI-PGSI). The Beck Depression Inventory and Lubben Social Network Scale were also assessed. Serum BDNF levels were assessed from blood samples. The resting-state EEG was recorded while the eyes were closed, and the absolute power of five frequency bands was analyzed: delta (1-4 Hz), theta (4-8 Hz), alpha (8-12 Hz), beta (12-30 Hz), and gamma (30-50 Hz). Results Serum BDNF level was positively correlated with theta power in the right parietal region (P4, r = .403, p = .011), beta power in the right parietal region (P4, r = .456, p = .010), and beta power in the right temporal region (T8, r = .421, p = .008). Gambling severity (CPGI-PGSI) was positively correlated with absolute beta power in the left frontal region (F7, r = .284, p = .043) and central region [(C3, r = .292, p = .038), (C4, r = .304, p = .030)]. Conclusions These findings support the hypothesis that right-dominant lateralized correlations between BDNF and beta and theta power reflect right-dominant brain activation in addiction. The positive correlations between beta power and the severity of gambling disorder may be associated with hyperexcitability and increased cravings. These findings contribute to a better understanding of brain-based electrophysiological changes and BDNF levels in patients with pathological gambling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung Min Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Dankook University Hospital, Cheonan, Republic of Korea
| | - Sam-Wook Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea Institute on Behavioral Addictions, True Mind Mental Health Clinic, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewon Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea Institute on Neuromodulation, Easybrain Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea,Corresponding authors: Jaewon Lee, MD, PhD; Department of Psychiatry, Korea Institute on Neuromodulation, EasyBrain Center, 1330-9 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Phone: +82 2 583 9081; Fax: +82 2 583 9082; E-mail: ; Jun Won Kim, MD, PhD; Department of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, 33 Duryugongwon-ro 17-gil, Nam-Gu, Daegu 42472, Republic of Korea; Phone: +82 53 650 4332; Fax: +82 53 623 1694; E-mail:
| | - Jun Won Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, Daegu, Republic of Korea,Corresponding authors: Jaewon Lee, MD, PhD; Department of Psychiatry, Korea Institute on Neuromodulation, EasyBrain Center, 1330-9 Seocho-dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea; Phone: +82 2 583 9081; Fax: +82 2 583 9082; E-mail: ; Jun Won Kim, MD, PhD; Department of Psychiatry, Catholic University of Daegu School of Medicine, 33 Duryugongwon-ro 17-gil, Nam-Gu, Daegu 42472, Republic of Korea; Phone: +82 53 650 4332; Fax: +82 53 623 1694; E-mail:
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Youssef MM, Underwood MD, Huang YY, Hsiung SC, Liu Y, Simpson NR, Bakalian MJ, Rosoklija GB, Dwork AJ, Arango V, Mann JJ. Association of BDNF Val66Met Polymorphism and Brain BDNF Levels with Major Depression and Suicide. Int J Neuropsychopharmacol 2018; 21:528-538. [PMID: 29432620 PMCID: PMC6007393 DOI: 10.1093/ijnp/pyy008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 100] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2017] [Revised: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Brain-derived neurotrophic factor is implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder and suicide. Both are partly caused by early life adversity, which reduces brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein levels. This study examines the association of brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism and brain brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels with depression and suicide. We hypothesized that both major depressive disorder and early life adversity would be associated with the Met allele and lower brain brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. Such an association would be consistent with low brain-derived neurotrophic factor mediating the effect of early life adversity on adulthood suicide and major depressive disorder. Methods Brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism was genotyped in postmortem brains of 37 suicide decedents and 53 nonsuicides. Additionally, brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein levels were determined by Western blot in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 9), anterior cingulate cortex (Brodmann area 24), caudal brainstem, and rostral brainstem. The relationships between these measures and major depressive disorder, death by suicide, and reported early life adversity were examined. Results Subjects with the Met allele had an increased risk for depression. Depressed patients also have lower brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in anterior cingulate cortex and caudal brainstem compared with nondepressed subjects. No effect of history of suicide death or early life adversity was observed with genotype, but lower brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the anterior cingulate cortex were found in subjects who had been exposed to early life adversity and/or died by suicide compared with nonsuicide decedents and no reported early life adversity. Conclusions This study provides further evidence implicating low brain brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor Met allele in major depression risk. Future studies should seek to determine how altered brain-derived neurotrophic factor expression contributes to depression and suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariam M Youssef
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Mark D Underwood
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Yung-Yu Huang
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Shu-chi Hsiung
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Yan Liu
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Norman R Simpson
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Mihran J Bakalian
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
| | - Gorazd B Rosoklija
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Macedonian Academy of Sciences & Arts, Republic of Macedonia
| | - Andrew J Dwork
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Victoria Arango
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - J John Mann
- Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology Division, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York
- Department of Radiology, Columbia University, New York, New York
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Man L, Lv X, Du XD, Yin G, Zhu X, Zhang Y, Soares JC, Yang XN, Chen X, Zhang XY. Cognitive impairments and low BDNF serum levels in first-episode drug-naive patients with schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2018; 263:1-6. [PMID: 29482040 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 01/24/2018] [Accepted: 02/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Evidence shows that BDNF may regulate activity-dependent forms of synaptic plasticity underlying learning and memory. Previous studies reported low BDNF levels and cognitive impairment in the early stage of schizophrenia. Our current study aimed to explore the association between serum BDNF and cognitive functions in first-episode drug-naïve (FEDN) patients with schizophrenia, which has been under-investigated. We recruited 80 FEDN patients and 80 healthy controls and examined the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and serum BDNF in both groups. Patient psychopathology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). BDNF levels were significantly lower in patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). The RBANS total score and nearly all indexes (all p < 0.001) except for visuospatial/constructional index (p > 0.05) were significantly lower in patients than controls. No significant correlation was found between BDNF and any index or total scores of RBANS in either patients or healthy controls (all p > 0.05). However, the PANSS negative subscale score were negatively associated with both the immediate memory and language indexes (both p < 0.005). Our findings suggest that excessive cognitive impairments are present in the early stage of schizophrenia. Low BDNF may contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia, but maybe not to its cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lijuan Man
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Lv
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, 286 Guangji Rd 21500, Suzhou Shi 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiang-Dong Du
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, 286 Guangji Rd 21500, Suzhou Shi 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Guangzhong Yin
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, 286 Guangji Rd 21500, Suzhou Shi 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Xiaomin Zhu
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, 286 Guangji Rd 21500, Suzhou Shi 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Yingyang Zhang
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, 286 Guangji Rd 21500, Suzhou Shi 215008, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Road, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xu-Na Yang
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, 286 Guangji Rd 21500, Suzhou Shi 215008, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Xingshi Chen
- Suzhou Psychiatric Hospital, The Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, 286 Guangji Rd 21500, Suzhou Shi 215008, Jiangsu Province, China.
| | - Xiang Yang Zhang
- The First Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical College, Wenzhou, China; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, 1941 East Road, Houston, TX, USA.
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Arslan A. Mapping the Schizophrenia Genes by Neuroimaging: The Opportunities and the Challenges. Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19010219. [PMID: 29324666 PMCID: PMC5796168 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19010219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia (SZ) is a heritable brain disease originating from a complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. The genes underpinning the neurobiology of SZ are largely unknown but recent data suggest strong evidence for genetic variations, such as single nucleotide polymorphisms, making the brain vulnerable to the risk of SZ. Structural and functional brain mapping of these genetic variations are essential for the development of agents and tools for better diagnosis, treatment and prevention of SZ. Addressing this, neuroimaging methods in combination with genetic analysis have been increasingly used for almost 20 years. So-called imaging genetics, the opportunities of this approach along with its limitations for SZ research will be outlined in this invited paper. While the problems such as reproducibility, genetic effect size, specificity and sensitivity exist, opportunities such as multivariate analysis, development of multisite consortia for large-scale data collection, emergence of non-candidate gene (hypothesis-free) approach of neuroimaging genetics are likely to contribute to a rapid progress for gene discovery besides to gene validation studies that are related to SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayla Arslan
- Genetics and Bioengineering Program, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, International University of Sarajevo, Hrasnica cesta, 15 Ilidza, Sarajevo 71210, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Uskudar University, Istanbul 34662, Turkey.
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Abstract
Imaging genetics is a research methodology studying the effect of genetic variation on brain structure, function, behavior, and risk for psychopathology. Since the early 2000s, imaging genetics has been increasingly used in the research of schizophrenia (SZ). SZ is a severe mental disorder with no precise knowledge of its underlying neurobiology, however, new genetic and neurobiological data generate a climate for new avenues. The accumulating data of genome wide association studies (GWAS) continuously decode SZ risk genes. Global neuroimaging consortia produce collections of brain phenotypes from tens of thousands of people. In this context, imaging genetics will be strategically important both for the validation and discovery of SZ related findings. Thus, the study of GWAS supported risk variants as candidate genes to validate by neuroimaging is one trend. The study of epigenetic differences in relation to variations of brain phenotypes and the study of large scale multivariate analysis of genome wide and brain wide associations are other trends. While these studies hold a big potential for understanding the neurobiology of SZ, the problem of reproducibility appears as a major challenge, which requires standardizations in study designs and compensations of methodological limitations such as sensitivity and specificity. On the other hand, advancements of neuroimaging, optical and electron microscopy along with the use of genetically encoded fluorescent probes and robust statistical approaches will not only catalyze integrative methodologies but also will help better design the imaging genetics studies. In this invited paper, I will discuss the current perspective of imaging genetics and emerging opportunities of SZ research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayla Arslan
- Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Genetics and Bioengineering, International University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina; Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Uskudar University, Istanbul, Turkey.
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Association of DISC1, BDNF, and COMT polymorphisms with exploratory eye movement of schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population. Psychiatr Genet 2017; 26:258-265. [PMID: 27285059 DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies suggested that exploratory eye movement (EEM) dysfunction appears to be a biological marker specific to schizophrenia, with an unknown molecular mechanism. Genetic studies indicate that disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) genes might be implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia, but not in all populations. OBJECTIVES The present study aimed to explore associations between these candidate genes and EEM endophenotypes for schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population. METHODS EEM recordings were examined in 139 patients with schizophrenia and 143 healthy control participants. RESULTS All five EEM parameters, responsive search score, cognitive search score, number of eye fixations, total eye scanning length, and mean eye scanning length, of schizophrenic patients differed significantly from those of healthy controls (P<0.001). The DISC1 SerCys, BDNF ValMet, and COMT ValMet were genotyped in a total sample of 818 schizophrenic patients and 827 healthy control participants, including the above EEM samples. We found that DISC1 Cys and BDNF Met were associated with an increased risk of developing schizophrenia (P<0.001). Furthermore, responsive search score scores of BDNF Met/Met carriers were significantly lower than those of Val allele carriers (P=0.022), which remained modest after Bonferroni correction. CONCLUSION The BDNF MetMet polymorphism might be associated with the EEM dysfunction of schizophrenia.
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Tsai CL, Ukropec J, Ukropcová B, Pai MC. An acute bout of aerobic or strength exercise specifically modifies circulating exerkine levels and neurocognitive functions in elderly individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Neuroimage Clin 2017; 17:272-284. [PMID: 29527475 PMCID: PMC5842646 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.10.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Revised: 10/09/2017] [Accepted: 10/28/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Although exercise is an effective way to decrease the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease, the biological basis for such benefits from the different exercise modes remains elusive. The present study thus aimed (i) to investigate the effects of acute aerobic or resistance exercise on neurocognitive performances and molecular markers when performing a cognitive task involving executive functioning in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and (ii) to explore relationships of acute exercise-induced neurocognitive changes with changes in circulating levels of neuroprotective growth factors (e.g., BDNF, IGF-1, VEGF, and FGF-2, collectively termed 'exerkines'), elicited by different acute exercise modes. Sixty-six older adults with aMCI were recruited and randomly assigned to an aerobic exercise (AE) group, a resistance exercise (RE) group, or a non-exercise-intervention (control) group. The behavioral [i.e., accuracy rate (AR) and reaction time (RT)] and electrophysiological [i.e., event-related potential (ERP) P3 latency and amplitude collected from the Fz, Cz, and Pz electrodes] indices were simultaneously measured when participants performed a Flanker task at baseline and after either an acute bout of 30 min of moderate-intensity AE, RE or a control period. Blood samples were taken at three time points, one at baseline (T1) and two after an acute exercise intervention (T2 and T3: before and after cognitive task test, respectively). The results showed that the acute AE and RE not only improved behavioral (i.e., RTs) performance but also increased the ERP P3 amplitudes in the older adults with aMCI. Serum FGF-2 levels did not change with acute aerobic or resistance exercise. However, an acute bout of aerobic exercise significantly increased serum levels of BDNF and IGF-1 and tended to increase serum levels of VEGF in elderly aMCI individuals. Acute resistance exercise increased only serum IGF-1 levels. However, the exercise-induced elevated levels of these molecular markers returned almost to baseline levels in T3 (about 20 min after acute exercise). In addition, changes in the levels of neurotrophic and angiogenic factors were not correlated with changes in RTs and P3 amplitudes. The present findings of changes in neuroprotective growth factors and neurocognitive performances through acute AE or RE suggest that molecular and neural prerequisites for exercise-dependent plasticity are preserved in elderly aMCI individuals. However, the distinct pattern of changes in circulating molecular biomarkers induced by two different exercise modes in aMCI elderly individuals and the potentially interactive mechanisms of the effects of BDNF, IGF-1, and VEGF on amyloid-β provide a basis for future long-term exercise intervention to investigate whether AE relative to RE might be more effective in prevention/treatment of an early stage neurodegenerative disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Liang Tsai
- Institute of Physical Education, Health and Leisure Studies, National Cheng Kung University, No. 1, University Road, Tainan, 701, Taiwan, ROC..
| | - Jozef Ukropec
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Barbara Ukropcová
- Institute of Experimental Endocrinology, Biomedical Research Center, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Dubravska cesta 9, 84505 Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Pathological Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
| | - Ming-Chyi Pai
- Division of Behavioral Neurology, Department of Neurology, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, No.138, Sheng Li Road, Tainan 704, Taiwan, ROC.; Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, Taiwan.
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41
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Ji LL, Peng JB, Fu CH, Tong L, Wang ZY. Sigma-1 receptor activation ameliorates anxiety-like behavior through NR2A-CREB-BDNF signaling pathway in a rat model submitted to single-prolonged stress. Mol Med Rep 2017; 16:4987-4993. [PMID: 28791385 DOI: 10.3892/mmr.2017.7185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that the σ-1 receptor (σ‑1R) possesses neuroprotective effects and is a potential novel therapeutic target for certain psychiatric diseases, including post‑traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) accompanied with anxiety disorder. It has been reported that σ‑1R agonist treatment could be modulated by the brain‑derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling pathway. However, it remains unclear whether BDNF and its upstream regulator are mechanistically involved in the therapeutic effect of σ‑1R in PTSD. To address this question, rats were subjected to a single‑prolonged stress (SPS) paradigm and σ‑1R agonist administration. Open‑field and elevated plus maze tests were implemented to evaluate the effect of σ‑1R activation on the improvement of anxiety‑like behaviors. Furthermore, the expression levels of BDNF, phosphorylated cAMP responsive element‑binding protein (CREB) and glutamate receptor ionotropic N‑methyl D‑aspartate 2A (NMDAR2A) were investigated in the hippocampi of rats. It was revealed that the downregulation of BDNF, phosphorylated CREB and NMDAR2A induced by SPS were reversed by σ‑1R activation. Collectively, the results of the present study suggest that the NMDAR2A/CREB/BDNF signaling pathway is involved in the activation of σ‑1R resulting in therapeutic effects for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Li-Li Ji
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Bo Peng
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, P.R. China
| | - Chang-Hai Fu
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, P.R. China
| | - Lei Tong
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, P.R. China
| | - Zhen-Yu Wang
- Department of Anatomy, College of Basic Medical Sciences, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110122, P.R. China
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Phillips C. Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, Depression, and Physical Activity: Making the Neuroplastic Connection. Neural Plast 2017; 2017:7260130. [PMID: 28928987 PMCID: PMC5591905 DOI: 10.1155/2017/7260130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 252] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a neurotrophin that is vital to the survival, growth, and maintenance of neurons in key brain circuits involved in emotional and cognitive function. Convergent evidence indicates that neuroplastic mechanisms involving BDNF are deleteriously altered in major depressive disorder (MDD) and animal models of stress. Herein, clinical and preclinical evidence provided that stress-induced depressive pathology contributes to altered BDNF level and function in persons with MDD and, thereby, disruptions in neuroplasticity at the regional and circuit level. Conversely, effective therapeutics that mitigate depressive-related symptoms (e.g., antidepressants and physical activity) optimize BDNF in key brain regions, promote neuronal health and recovery of function in MDD-related circuits, and enhance pharmacotherapeutic response. A greater knowledge of the interrelationship between BDNF, depression, therapeutic mechanisms of action, and neuroplasticity is important as it necessarily precedes the derivation and deployment of more efficacious treatments.
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43
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Xu X, Garcia J, Ewalt R, Nason S, Pozzo-Miller L. The BDNF val-66-met Polymorphism Affects Neuronal Morphology and Synaptic Transmission in Cultured Hippocampal Neurons from Rett Syndrome Mice. Front Cell Neurosci 2017; 11:203. [PMID: 28751857 PMCID: PMC5508027 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2017.00203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2017] [Accepted: 06/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) has been implicated in several neurological disorders including Rett syndrome (RTT), an X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the transcriptional modulator methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (MECP2). The human BDNF gene has a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)—a methionine (met) substitution for valine (val) at codon 66—that affects BDNF’s trafficking and activity-dependent release and results in cognitive dysfunction. Humans that are carriers of the met-BDNF allele have subclinical memory deficits and reduced hippocampal volume and activation. It is still unclear whether this BDNF SNP affects the clinical outcome of RTT individuals. To evaluate whether this BDNF SNP contributes to RTT pathophysiology, we examined the consequences of expression of either val-BDNF or met-BDNF on dendrite and dendritic spine morphology, and synaptic function in cultured hippocampal neurons from wildtype (WT) and Mecp2 knockout (KO) mice. Our findings revealed that met-BDNF does not increase dendritic growth and branching, dendritic spine density and individual spine volume, and the number of excitatory synapses in WT neurons, as val-BDNF does. Furthermore, met-BDNF reduces dendritic complexity, dendritic spine volume and quantal excitatory synaptic transmission in Mecp2 KO neurons. These results suggest that the val-BDNF variant contributes to RTT pathophysiology, and that BDNF-based therapies should take into consideration the BDNF genotype of the RTT individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Xu
- Department of Neurobiology, Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL, United States
| | - Jordi Garcia
- Department of Neurobiology, Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL, United States
| | - Rachel Ewalt
- Department of Neurobiology, Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL, United States
| | - Shelly Nason
- Department of Neurobiology, Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL, United States
| | - Lucas Pozzo-Miller
- Department of Neurobiology, Civitan International Research Center, University of Alabama at BirminghamBirmingham, AL, United States
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Distinct effects on the dendritic arbor occur by microbead versus bath administration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Cell Mol Life Sci 2017; 74:4369-4385. [PMID: 28698933 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-017-2589-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2017] [Revised: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Proper communication among neurons depends on an appropriately formed dendritic arbor, and thus, aberrant changes to the arbor are implicated in many pathologies, ranging from cognitive disorders to neurodegenerative diseases. Due to the importance of dendritic shape to neuronal network function, the morphology of dendrites is tightly controlled and is influenced by both intrinsic and extrinsic factors. In this work, we examine how brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), one of the most well-studied extrinsic regulators of dendritic branching, affects the arbor when it is applied locally via microbeads to cultures of hippocampal neurons. We found that local application of BDNF increases both proximal and distal branching in a time-dependent manner and that local BDNF application attenuates pruning of dendrites that occurs with neuronal maturation. Additionally, we examined whether cytosolic PSD-95 interactor (cypin), an intrinsic regulator of dendritic branching, plays a role in these changes and found strong evidence for the involvement of cypin in BDNF-promoted increases in dendrites after 24 but not 48 h of application. This current study extends our previous work in which we found that bath application of BDNF for 72 h, but not shorter times, increases proximal dendrite branching and that this increase occurs through transcriptional regulation of cypin. Moreover, this current work illustrates how dendritic branching is regulated differently by the same growth factor depending on its spatial localization, suggesting a novel pathway for modulation of dendritic branching locally.
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45
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Bettio LEB, Rajendran L, Gil-Mohapel J. The effects of aging in the hippocampus and cognitive decline. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 79:66-86. [PMID: 28476525 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.04.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 346] [Impact Index Per Article: 49.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2016] [Revised: 03/15/2017] [Accepted: 04/10/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Aging is a natural process that is associated with cognitive decline as well as functional and social impairments. One structure of particular interest when considering aging and cognitive decline is the hippocampus, a brain region known to play an important role in learning and memory consolidation as well as in affective behaviours and mood regulation, and where both functional and structural plasticity (e.g., neurogenesis) occur well into adulthood. Neurobiological alterations seen in the aging hippocampus including increased oxidative stress and neuroinflammation, altered intracellular signalling and gene expression, as well as reduced neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, are thought to be associated with age-related cognitive decline. Non-invasive strategies such as caloric restriction, physical exercise, and environmental enrichment have been shown to counteract many of the age-induced alterations in hippocampal signalling, structure, and function. Thus, such approaches may have therapeutic value in counteracting the deleterious effects of aging and protecting the brain against age-associated neurodegenerative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis E B Bettio
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Luckshi Rajendran
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Joana Gil-Mohapel
- Division of Medical Sciences, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada; UBC Island Medical program, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada.
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46
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Jasińska KK, Molfese PJ, Kornilov SA, Mencl WE, Frost SJ, Lee M, Pugh KR, Grigorenko EL, Landi N. The BDNF Val 66Met polymorphism is associated with structural neuroanatomical differences in young children. Behav Brain Res 2017; 328:48-56. [PMID: 28359883 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2016] [Revised: 02/05/2017] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) has been associated with individual differences in brain structure and function, and cognition. Research on BDNF's influence on brain and cognition has largely been limited to adults, and little is known about the association of this gene, and specifically the Val66Met polymorphism, with developing brain structure and emerging cognitive functions in children. We performed a targeted genetic association analysis on cortical thickness, surface area, and subcortical volume in 78 children (ages 6-10) who were Val homozygotes (homozygous Val/Val carriers) or Met carriers (Val/Met, Met/Met) for the Val66Met locus using Atlas-based brain segmentation. We observed greater cortical thickness for Val homozygotes in regions supporting declarative memory systems (anterior temporal pole/entorhinal cortex), consistent with adult findings. Met carriers had greater surface area in the prefrontal and parietal cortices and greater cortical thickness in lateral occipital/parietal cortex in contrast to prior adult findings that may relate to performance on cognitive tasks supported by these regions in Met carriers. Finally, we found larger right hippocampal volume in Met carriers, although inconsistent with adult findings (generally reports larger volumes for Val homozygotes), is consistent with a recent finding in children. Gene expression levels vary across different brain regions and across development and our findings highlight the need to consider this developmental change in explorations of BDNF-brain relationships. The impact of the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on the structure of the developing brain therefore reflects regionally-specific developmental changes in BDNF expression and cortical maturation trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaja K Jasińska
- University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA; Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Peter J Molfese
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Sergey A Kornilov
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation; Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - W Einar Mencl
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Kenneth R Pugh
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Elena L Grigorenko
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA; Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA; Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation; Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation; Moscow State University for Psychology and Education, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Nicole Landi
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, USA; University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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47
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ZNF804A rs1344706 interacts with COMT rs4680 to affect prefrontal volume in healthy adults. Brain Imaging Behav 2017; 12:13-19. [DOI: 10.1007/s11682-016-9671-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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48
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Takeda Y, Oue H, Okada S, Kawano A, Koretake K, Michikawa M, Akagawa Y, Tsuga K. Molar loss and powder diet leads to memory deficit and modifies the mRNA expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the hippocampus of adult mice. BMC Neurosci 2016; 17:81. [PMID: 27919226 PMCID: PMC5137215 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-016-0319-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is known that tooth loss is known to be a risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and soft diet feeding induces memory impairment. Recent studies have shown that brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated with tooth loss or soft diet in young animal model, and that BDNF expression is decreased in patients with Alzheimer's disease. However, single or combined effect of tooth loss and/or soft diet on brain function has not fully understood. Here we examined the effect of molar loss and powder diet on memory ability and the expression of BDNF mRNA in the hippocampus of adult C57BL/6J mice. Twenty eight-weeks-old C57BL/6J mice were divided into intact molar group and extracted molar group. They were randomly divided into the I/S group (Intact upper molar teeth/Solid diet feeding), the E/S group (Extracted upper molar teeth/Solid diet feeding), the I/P group (Intact upper molar teeth/Powder diet feeding), and the E/P group (Extracted upper molar teeth/Powder diet feeding). The observation periods were 4 and 16-week. To analyze the memory ability, the step-through passive avoidance test was conducted. BDNF-related mRNA in the hippocampus was analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). RESULTS At 4 weeks later, we performed memory test and isolated brains to analyze. There were no differences in memory function and BDNF mRNA level between these four groups. However, at 16 weeks later, E/S and E/P group showed memory impairment, and decreased level of BDNF mRNA. Whereas, the powder diet had no effect on memory function and BDNF mRNA level even at 16 weeks later. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the effect of molar loss and powder diet on memory function and BDNF mRNA levels were different, molar loss may have a greater long-term effect on memory ability than powder diet does.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yosuke Takeda
- Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Oue
- Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan.
| | - Shinsuke Okada
- Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Akira Kawano
- Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Katsunori Koretake
- Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Makoto Michikawa
- Department of Biochemistry, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yasumasa Akagawa
- Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Kazuhiro Tsuga
- Department of Advanced Prosthodontics, Hiroshima University Graduate School of Biomedical and Health Sciences, Hiroshima, Japan
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The study aimed to explore cognitive outcomes after electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) depending on which version of common single nucleotide polymorphisms the patient expressed for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). METHODS A total of 87 patients from the clinical ECT service in Aberdeen, Scotland, were included in the study. Cognitive function testing (using Spatial Recognition Memory task from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery and Mini-Mental State Examination) and mood ratings (Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale) were performed before ECT, after 4 treatments, at the end of ECT and 1 and 3 months after the end of treatment. These scores were compared depending on BDNF and COMT variant at each time point using the Student t test and using a time series generalized least squares random effects model. RESULTS No differences were found between the val and met versions of the BDNF or COMT polymorphism in either cognitive or mood outcomes at any time point during ECT treatment or up to 3 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS This study did not detect significant differences in cognitive or mood outcomes between patients who have the val66val or met versions of the BDNF polymorphism. Our results suggest that these polymorphisms will not be helpful in clinical practice for predicting cognitive outcomes after ECT.
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50
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Wegman J, Tyborowska A, Hoogman M, Arias Vásquez A, Janzen G. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor Val66Met polymorphism affects encoding of object locations during active navigation. Eur J Neurosci 2016; 45:1501-1511. [PMID: 27717213 PMCID: PMC5484279 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2016] [Revised: 09/10/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
The brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was shown to be involved in spatial memory and spatial strategy preference. A naturally occurring single nucleotide polymorphism of the BDNF gene (Val66Met) affects activity‐dependent secretion of BDNF. The current event‐related fMRI study on preselected groups of ‘Met’ carriers and homozygotes of the ‘Val’ allele investigated the role of this polymorphism on encoding and retrieval in a virtual navigation task in 37 healthy volunteers. In each trial, participants navigated toward a target object. During encoding, three positional cues (columns) with directional cues (shadows) were available. During retrieval, the invisible target had to be replaced while either two objects without shadows (objects trial) or one object with a shadow (shadow trial) were available. The experiment consisted of blocks, informing participants of which trial type would be most likely to occur during retrieval. We observed no differences between genetic groups in task performance or time to complete the navigation tasks. The imaging results show that Met carriers compared to Val homozygotes activate the left hippocampus more during successful object location memory encoding. The observed effects were independent of non‐significant performance differences or volumetric differences in the hippocampus. These results indicate that variations of the BDNF gene affect memory encoding during spatial navigation, suggesting that lower levels of BDNF in the hippocampus results in less efficient spatial memory processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joost Wegman
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - Anna Tyborowska
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
| | - Martine Hoogman
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Language and Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Alejandro Arias Vásquez
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Gabriele Janzen
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Postbus 9104, Nijmegen, 6500 HE, The Netherlands.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, PO Box 9101, Nijmegen, 6500 HB, The Netherlands
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