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Reduction in hippocampal volumes subsequent to heavy cannabis use: a 3-year longitudinal study. Psychiatry Res 2021; 295:113588. [PMID: 33261923 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Cannabis exposure is related to neuroanatomical changes in brain regions rich in cannabinoid receptors, such as the hippocampus. However, researchers have not clearly determined whether persistent heavy cannabis use leads to morphological changes in the hippocampus or whether an earlier age of onset of first cannabis use and/or higher doses of cannabis exposure exacerbate these alterations. In this longitudinal study, we investigated whether continued heavy cannabis use in young adults is associated with an altered hippocampal volume. Twenty heavy cannabis users (CBs) and 22 healthy controls (HCs) underwent a comprehensive psychological assessment and a T1 structural scan at baseline and at a 3-year follow-up visit. Volumes of the hippocampus and its subregions were estimated using volBrain software. Except for the cornu ammonis 2 (CA2)/CA3 subregions, age had significant effects on all hippocampal subregions in both the CB and HC groups. The relative right hippocampal volume and absolute and relative right CA1 volumes displayed a greater rate of decrease in CBs compared to HCs. In addition, we explored the relationship between alterations in hippocampal volume and cannabis use characteristics. Changes in the relative right hippocampal volume and the relative right CA1 volume were related to age at first cannabis use but not to age at onset of frequent cannabis use. Alterations in the relative right hippocampal volume and absolute and relative right CA1 volumes were associated with Cannabis Use Disorder Identification Test (CUDIT) scores. Based on these results, heavy cannabis use in early adulthood is a risk factor for a greater rate of decrease in the volume of the right hippocampus (particularly the right CA1).
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2
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Ganmore I, Livny A, Ravona-Springer R, Cooper I, Alkelai A, Shelly S, Tsarfaty G, Heymann A, Schnaider Beeri M, Greenbaum L. TCF7L2 polymorphisms are associated with amygdalar volume in elderly individuals with Type 2 Diabetes. Sci Rep 2019; 9:15818. [PMID: 31676834 PMCID: PMC6825182 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48899-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 08/08/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between several Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) within the transcription factor 7-like 2 (TCF7L2) gene and Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) as well as additional T2D-related traits is well established. Since alteration in total and regional brain volumes are consistent findings among T2D individuals, we studied the association of four T2D susceptibility SNPS within TCF7L2 (rs7901695, rs7903146, rs11196205, and rs12255372) with volumes of white matter hyperintensities (WMH), gray matter, and regional volumes of amygdala and hippocampus obtained from structural MRI among 191 T2D elderly Jewish individuals. Under recessive genetic model (controlling for age, sex and intracranial volume), we found that for all four SNPs, carriers of two copies of the T2D risk allele (homozygous genotype) had significantly smaller amygdalar volume: rs7901695- CC genotype vs. CT + TT genotypes, p = 0.002; rs7903146-TT vs. TC + CC, p = 0.003; rs11196205- CC vs. CG + GG, p = 0.0003; and rs12255372- TT vs. TG + GG, p = 0.003. Adjusting also for T2D-related covariates, body mass index (BMI), and ancestry did not change the results substantively (rs7901695, p = 0.003; rs7903146, p = 0.005; rs11196205, p = 0.001; and rs12255372, p = 0.005). Conditional analysis demonstrated that only rs11196205 was independently associated with amygdalar volume at a significant level. Separate analysis of left and right amygdala revealed stronger results for left amygdalar volume. Taken together, we report association of TCF7L2 SNPs with amygdalar volume among T2D elderly Jewish patients. Further studies in other populations are required to support these findings and reach more definitive conclusions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ithamar Ganmore
- Department of Neurology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel. .,The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel. .,Memory clinic, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel. .,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Abigail Livny
- The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Ramit Ravona-Springer
- The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Memory clinic, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Itzik Cooper
- The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Anna Alkelai
- Institute for Genomic Medicine, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Shahar Shelly
- Department of Neurology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Galia Tsarfaty
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Anthony Heymann
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,Maccabi Healthcare Services, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Michal Schnaider Beeri
- The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lior Greenbaum
- The Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel.,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.,The Danek Gertner Institute of Human Genetics, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
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3
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Kawamoto T, Endo T. Sources of variances in personality change during adolescence. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2019.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
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4
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Koenders L, Lorenzetti V, de Haan L, Suo C, Vingerhoets WAM, van den Brink W, Wiers RW, Meijer CJ, Machielsen MWJ, Goudriaan AE, Veltman DJ, Yücel M, Cousijn J. Longitudinal study of hippocampal volumes in heavy cannabis users. J Psychopharmacol 2017; 31:1027-1034. [PMID: 28741422 PMCID: PMC5544121 DOI: 10.1177/0269881117718380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cannabis exposure, particularly heavy cannabis use, has been associated with neuroanatomical alterations in regions rich with cannabinoid receptors such as the hippocampus in some but not in other (mainly cross-sectional) studies. However, it remains unclear whether continued heavy cannabis use alters hippocampal volume, and whether an earlier age of onset and/or a higher dosage exacerbate these changes. METHODS Twenty heavy cannabis users (mean age 21 years, range 18-24 years) and 23 matched non-cannabis using healthy controls were submitted to a comprehensive psychological assessment and magnetic resonance imaging scan at baseline and at follow-up (average of 39 months post-baseline; standard deviation=2.4). Cannabis users started smoking around 16 years and smoked on average five days per week. A novel aspect of the current study is that hippocampal volume estimates were obtained from manual tracing the hippocampus on T1-weighted anatomical magnetic resonance imaging scans, using a previously validated protocol. RESULTS Compared to controls, cannabis users did not show hippocampal volume alterations at either baseline or follow-up. Hippocampal volumes increased over time in both cannabis users and controls, following similar trajectories of increase. Cannabis dose and age of onset of cannabis use did not affect hippocampal volumes. CONCLUSIONS Continued heavy cannabis use did not affect hippocampal neuroanatomical changes in early adulthood. This contrasts with prior evidence on alterations in this region in samples of older adult cannabis users. In young adults using cannabis at this level, cannabis use may not be heavy enough to affect hippocampal neuroanatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Koenders
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - V Lorenzetti
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - L de Haan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - C Suo
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
| | - WAM Vingerhoets
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - W van den Brink
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - RW Wiers
- Addiction Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT)-lab, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - CJ Meijer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - MWJ Machielsen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - AE Goudriaan
- Amsterdam Institute for Addiction Research, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Arkin Mental Health Care, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - DJ Veltman
- VU Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - M Yücel
- Brain and Mental Health Laboratory, Monash University, Clayton, Australia
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia
| | - J Cousijn
- Addiction Development and Psychopathology (ADAPT)-lab, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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5
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Klein M, van Donkelaar M, Verhoef E, Franke B. Imaging genetics in neurodevelopmental psychopathology. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2017; 174:485-537. [PMID: 29984470 PMCID: PMC7170264 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2016] [Revised: 02/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Neurodevelopmental disorders are defined by highly heritable problems during development and brain growth. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), and intellectual disability (ID) are frequent neurodevelopmental disorders, with common comorbidity among them. Imaging genetics studies on the role of disease-linked genetic variants on brain structure and function have been performed to unravel the etiology of these disorders. Here, we reviewed imaging genetics literature on these disorders attempting to understand the mechanisms of individual disorders and their clinical overlap. For ADHD and ASD, we selected replicated candidate genes implicated through common genetic variants. For ID, which is mainly caused by rare variants, we included genes for relatively frequent forms of ID occurring comorbid with ADHD or ASD. We reviewed case-control studies and studies of risk variants in healthy individuals. Imaging genetics studies for ADHD were retrieved for SLC6A3/DAT1, DRD2, DRD4, NOS1, and SLC6A4/5HTT. For ASD, studies on CNTNAP2, MET, OXTR, and SLC6A4/5HTT were found. For ID, we reviewed the genes FMR1, TSC1 and TSC2, NF1, and MECP2. Alterations in brain volume, activity, and connectivity were observed. Several findings were consistent across studies, implicating, for example, SLC6A4/5HTT in brain activation and functional connectivity related to emotion regulation. However, many studies had small sample sizes, and hypothesis-based, brain region-specific studies were common. Results from available studies confirm that imaging genetics can provide insight into the link between genes, disease-related behavior, and the brain. However, the field is still in its early stages, and conclusions about shared mechanisms cannot yet be drawn.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke Klein
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Marjolein van Donkelaar
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ellen Verhoef
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Franke
- Department of Human Genetics, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud university medical center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Mühle C, Kreczi J, Rhein C, Richter-Schmidinger T, Alexopoulos P, Doerfler A, Lenz B, Kornhuber J. Additive sex-specific influence of common non-synonymous DISC1 variants on amygdala, basal ganglia, and white cortical surface area in healthy young adults. Brain Struct Funct 2016; 222:881-894. [PMID: 27369464 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-016-1253-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2014] [Accepted: 06/16/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1) gene is known for its role in the development of mental disorders. It is also involved in neurodevelopment, cognition, and memory. To investigate the association between DISC1 variants and brain morphology, we analyzed the influence of the three common non-synonymous polymorphisms in DISC1 on specific brain structures in healthy young adults. The volumes of brain regions were determined in 145 subjects by magnetic resonance imaging and automated analysis using FreeSurfer. Genotyping was performed by high resolution melting of amplified products. In an additive genetic model, rs6675281 (Leu607Phe), rs3738401 (Arg264Gln), and rs821616 (Ser704Cys) significantly explained the volume variance of the amygdala (p = 0.007) and the pallidum (p = 0.004). A higher cumulative portion of minor alleles was associated with larger volumes of the amygdala (p = 0.005), the pallidum (p = 0.001), the caudate (p = 0.024), and the putamen (p = 0.007). Sex-stratified analysis revealed a strong genetic effect of rs6675281 on putamen and pallidum in females but not in males and an opposite influence of rs3738401 on the white cortical surface in females compared to males. The strongest single association was found for rs821616 and the amygdala volume in male subjects (p < 0.001). No effect was detected for the nucleus accumbens. We report-to our knowledge-for the first time a significant and sex-specific influence of common DISC1 variants on volumes of the basal ganglia, the amygdala and on the cortical surface area. Our results demonstrate that the additive model of all three polymorphisms outperforms their single analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christiane Mühle
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Jakob Kreczi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Cosima Rhein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Tanja Richter-Schmidinger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Panagiotis Alexopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Arnd Doerfler
- Department of Neuroradiology, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Bernd Lenz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Johannes Kornhuber
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schwabachanlage 6, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
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7
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Li J, Chen C, Wu K, Zhang M, Zhu B, Chen C, Moyzis RK, Dong Q. Genetic variations in the serotonergic system contribute to amygdala volume in humans. Front Neuroanat 2015; 9:129. [PMID: 26500508 PMCID: PMC4598478 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2015.00129] [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: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala plays a critical role in emotion processing and psychiatric disorders associated with emotion dysfunction. Accumulating evidence suggests that amygdala structure is modulated by serotonin-related genes. However, there is a gap between the small contributions of single loci (less than 1%) and the reported 63–65% heritability of amygdala structure. To understand the “missing heritability,” we systematically explored the contribution of serotonin genes on amygdala structure at the gene set level. The present study of 417 healthy Chinese volunteers examined 129 representative polymorphisms in genes from multiple biological mechanisms in the regulation of serotonin neurotransmission. A system-level approach using multiple regression analyses identified that nine SNPs collectively accounted for approximately 8% of the variance in amygdala volume. Permutation analyses showed that the probability of obtaining these findings by chance was low (p = 0.043, permuted for 1000 times). Findings showed that serotonin genes contribute moderately to individual differences in amygdala volume in a healthy Chinese sample. These results indicate that the system-level approach can help us to understand the genetic basis of a complex trait such as amygdala structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China ; Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China ; National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Chunhui Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China ; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China
| | - Karen Wu
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Mingxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing, China
| | - Bi Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China ; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China
| | - Chuansheng Chen
- Department of Psychology and Social Behavior, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Robert K Moyzis
- Department of Biological Chemistry, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA ; Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, University of California, Irvine Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Qi Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China ; Center for Collaboration and Innovation in Brain and Learning Sciences, Beijing Normal University Beijing, China
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8
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Clauss JA, Avery SN, Blackford JU. The nature of individual differences in inhibited temperament and risk for psychiatric disease: A review and meta-analysis. Prog Neurobiol 2015; 127-128:23-45. [PMID: 25784645 PMCID: PMC4516130 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2015.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2014] [Revised: 03/03/2015] [Accepted: 03/08/2015] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
What makes us different from one another? Why does one person jump out of airplanes for fun while another prefers to stay home and read? Why are some babies born with a predisposition to become anxious? Questions about individual differences in temperament have engaged the minds of scientists, psychologists, and philosophers for centuries. Recent technological advances in neuroimaging and genetics provide an unprecedented opportunity to answer these questions. Here we review the literature on the neurobiology of one of the most basic individual differences-the tendency to approach or avoid novelty. This trait, called inhibited temperament, is innate, heritable, and observed across species. Importantly, inhibited temperament also confers risk for psychiatric disease. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of inhibited temperament, including neuroimaging and genetic studies in human and non-human primates. We conducted a meta-analysis of neuroimaging findings in inhibited humans that points to alterations in a fronto-limbic-basal ganglia circuit; these findings provide the basis of a model of inhibited temperament neurocircuitry. Lesion and neuroimaging studies in non-human primate models of inhibited temperament highlight roles for the amygdala, hippocampus, orbitofrontal cortex, and dorsal prefrontal cortex. Genetic studies highlight a role for genes that regulate neurotransmitter function, such as the serotonin transporter polymorphisms (5-HTTLPR), as well as genes that regulate stress response, such as corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH). Together these studies provide a foundation of knowledge about the genetic and neural substrates of this most basic of temperament traits. Future studies using novel imaging methods and genetic approaches promise to expand upon these biological bases of inhibited temperament and inform our understanding of risk for psychiatric disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Clauss
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, United States
| | - S N Avery
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Vanderbilt Brain Institute, Vanderbilt University, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, United States
| | - J U Blackford
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, United States.
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9
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Knowles EEM, McKay DR, Kent JW, Sprooten E, Carless MA, Curran JE, de Almeida MAA, Dyer TD, Göring HHH, Olvera R, Duggirala R, Fox P, Almasy L, Blangero J, Glahn DC. Pleiotropic locus for emotion recognition and amygdala volume identified using univariate and bivariate linkage. Am J Psychiatry 2015; 172:190-9. [PMID: 25322361 PMCID: PMC4314438 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14030311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The role of the amygdala in emotion recognition is well established, and amygdala volume and emotion recognition performance have each been shown separately to be highly heritable traits, but the potential role of common genetic influences on both traits has not been explored. The authors investigated the pleiotropic influences of amygdala volume and emotion recognition performance. METHOD In a sample of randomly selected extended pedigrees (N=858), the authors used a combination of univariate and bivariate linkage to investigate pleiotropy between amygdala volume and emotion recognition performance and followed up with association analysis. RESULTS The authors found a pleiotropic region for amygdala volume and emotion recognition performance on chromosome 4q26 (LOD score=4.40). Association analysis conducted in the region underlying the bivariate linkage peak revealed a variant meeting the corrected significance level (Bonferroni-corrected p=5.01×10(-5)) within an intron of PDE5A (rs2622497, p=4.4×10(-5)) as being jointly influential on both traits. PDE5A has been implicated previously in recognition-memory deficits and is expressed in subcortical structures that are thought to underlie memory ability, including the amygdala. CONCLUSIONS This study extends our understanding of the shared etiology between the amygdala and emotion recognition by showing that the overlap between amygdala volume and emotion recognition performance is due at least in part to common genetic influences. Moreover, this study identifies a pleiotropic locus for the two traits and an associated variant, which localizes the genetic signal even more precisely. These results, when taken in the context of previous research, highlight the potential utility of PDE5 inhibitors for ameliorating emotion recognition deficits in individuals suffering from mental or neurodegenerative illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma E. M. Knowles
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut and Olin Neuropsychiatric Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut
| | - D. Reese McKay
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut and Olin Neuropsychiatric Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut
| | - Jack W. Kent
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Emma Sprooten
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut and Olin Neuropsychiatric Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut
| | - Melanie A. Carless
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Joanne E. Curran
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | | | - Thomas D. Dyer
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Harald H. H. Göring
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Rene Olvera
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Ravi Duggirala
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - Peter Fox
- Research Imaging Institute, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas,South Texas Veterans Health System, 7400 Merton Minter, San Antonio, Texas 78229
| | - Laura Almasy
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - John Blangero
- Department of Genetics, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas
| | - David. C. Glahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut and Olin Neuropsychiatric Research Center, Institute of Living, Hartford Hospital, Hartford, Connecticut
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10
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Phillips ML, Chase HW, Sheline YI, Etkin A, Almeida JR, Deckersbach T, Trivedi MH. Identifying predictors, moderators, and mediators of antidepressant response in major depressive disorder: neuroimaging approaches. Am J Psychiatry 2015; 172:124-38. [PMID: 25640931 PMCID: PMC4464814 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.14010076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Despite significant advances in neuroscience and treatment development, no widely accepted biomarkers are available to inform diagnostics or identify preferred treatments for individuals with major depressive disorder. METHOD In this critical review, the authors examine the extent to which multimodal neuroimaging techniques can identify biomarkers reflecting key pathophysiologic processes in depression and whether such biomarkers may act as predictors, moderators, and mediators of treatment response that might facilitate development of personalized treatments based on a better understanding of these processes. RESULTS The authors first highlight the most consistent findings from neuroimaging studies using different techniques in depression, including structural and functional abnormalities in two parallel neural circuits: serotonergically modulated implicit emotion regulation circuitry, centered on the amygdala and different regions in the medial prefrontal cortex; and dopaminergically modulated reward neural circuitry, centered on the ventral striatum and medial prefrontal cortex. They then describe key findings from the relatively small number of studies indicating that specific measures of regional function and, to a lesser extent, structure in these neural circuits predict treatment response in depression. CONCLUSIONS Limitations of existing studies include small sample sizes, use of only one neuroimaging modality, and a focus on identifying predictors rather than moderators and mediators of differential treatment response. By addressing these limitations and, most importantly, capitalizing on the benefits of multimodal neuroimaging, future studies can yield moderators and mediators of treatment response in depression to facilitate significant improvements in shorter- and longer-term clinical and functional outcomes.
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