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Zimmer H, Richter F. Electrodermal lability and sensorimotor preparation: effects on reaction time, contingent negative variation, and heart rate. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024:10.3758/s13415-024-01206-8. [PMID: 39143369 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01206-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/16/2024]
Abstract
Electrodermal lability is a trait-like measure of spontaneous sympathetic resting activity. In the present study, we addressed whether interindividual differences in this lability have an impact on the reaction time (RT) and on two physiological indicators of a goal-oriented sensorimotor preparation in a long-running, forewarned RT task (S1-S2 paradigm). The two indicators were the brain's contingent negative variation (CNV) and a heart rate deceleration (HRD). The interindividual differences were determined by counting spontaneous skin conductance fluctuations during a 5-min resting phase and dividing the subjects into two groups: individuals below (stable) and above (labile) the median of these fluctuations. In the task, labile individuals had a shorter RT compared with stable individuals and showed in the final phase of preparation in both physiological indicators the stronger response. Thus, lability-dependent effects in forewarned RT tasks cannot be explained by differences in stimulus-driven or passively controlled processes alone. Rather, goal-oriented, deliberately controlled processes that serve to adequately prepare for an imperative stimulus-the S2 in our paradigm-also must be considered to explain them. Labile individuals not only react faster than stable ones but also intentionally prepare themselves more appropriately for the imperative stimulus. A norepinephrine hypothesis focusing on the tonic activity of the locus coeruleus (LC) is proposed as an explanation for these and other lability-dependent effects. The frequency of spontaneous electrodermal fluctuations at rest may represent a peripheral, noninvasive, and easily measurable indicator of the baseline LC activity during wakefulness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heinz Zimmer
- Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, 50931, Cologne, Germany
| | - Fabian Richter
- Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité - Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, 10117, Germany.
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Kleckner IR, Wormwood JB, Jones RM, Culakova E, Barrett LF, Lord C, Quigley KS, Goodwin MS. Adaptive thresholding increases sensitivity to detect changes in the rate of skin conductance responses to psychologically arousing stimuli in both laboratory and ambulatory settings. Int J Psychophysiol 2024; 196:112280. [PMID: 38104772 PMCID: PMC10872538 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2023.112280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Psychophysiologists recording electrodermal activity (EDA) often derive measures of slow, tonic activity-skin conductance level (SCL)-and faster, more punctate changes-skin conductance responses (SCRs). A SCR is conventionally considered to have occurred when the local amplitude of the EDA signal exceeds a researcher-determined threshold (e.g., 0.05 μS), typically fixed across study participants and conditions. However, fixed SCR thresholds can preferentially exclude data from individuals with low SCL because their SCRs are smaller on average, thereby reducing statistical power for group-level analyses. Thus, we developed a fixed plus adaptive (FA) thresholding method that adjusts identification of SCRs based on an individual's SC at the onset of the SCR to increase statistical power and include data from more participants. We assess the utility of applying FA thresholding across two independent samples and explore age and race-related associations with EDA outcomes. Study 1 uses wired EDA measurements from 254 healthy adults responding to evocative images and sounds in a laboratory setting. Study 2 uses wireless EDA measurements from 20 children with autism in a clinical environment while they completed behavioral tasks. Compared to a 0.01, 0.03, and 0.05 μS fixed threshold, FA thresholding at 1.9% modestly increases statistical power to detect a difference in SCR rate between tasks with higher vs. lower subjective arousal and reduces exclusion of participants by up to 5% across both samples. This novel method expands the EDA analytical toolbox and may be useful in populations with highly variable basal SCL or when comparing groups with different basal SCL. Future research should test for reproducibility and generalizability in other tasks, samples, and contexts. IMPACT STATEMENTS: This article is important because it introduces a novel method to enhance sensitivity and statistical power in analyses of skin conductance responses from electrodermal data.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Rebecca M Jones
- Weill Cornell Medicine, The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, White Plains, NY, USA
| | - Eva Culakova
- University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Lisa Feldman Barrett
- Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Psychiatry and the Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA
| | - Catherine Lord
- Weill Cornell Medicine, The Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, White Plains, NY, USA; Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Kurinec CA, Stenson AR, Hinson JM, Whitney P, Van Dongen HPA. Electrodermal Activity Is Sensitive to Sleep Deprivation but Does Not Moderate the Effect of Total Sleep Deprivation on Affect. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:885302. [PMID: 35860724 PMCID: PMC9289674 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.885302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotion is characterized by dimensions of affective valence and arousal, either or both of which may be altered by sleep loss, thereby contributing to impaired regulatory functioning. Controlled laboratory studies of total sleep deprivation (TSD) generally show alterations in physiological arousal and affective state, but the relationship of affect and emotion with physiological arousal during TSD has not been well characterized. Established methods for examining physiological arousal include electrodermal activity (EDA) measures such as non-specific skin conductance responses (NSSCR) and skin conductance level (SCL). These measures are robust physiological markers of sympathetic arousal and have been linked to changes in experienced emotion. To explore the link between physiological arousal and affect during sleep deprivation, we investigated individuals' EDA under TSD and its relationship to self-reported affect. We also investigated the relationship of EDA to two other measures known to be particularly sensitive to the arousal-decreasing effects of TSD, i.e., self-reported sleepiness and performance on a vigilant attention task. Data were drawn from three previously published laboratory experiments where participants were randomly assigned to either well-rested control (WRC) or 38 h of TSD. In this data set, comprising one of the largest samples ever used in an investigation of TSD and EDA (N = 193 with 74 WRC and 119 TSD), we found the expected impairing effects of TSD on self-reported affect and sleepiness and on vigilant attention. Furthermore, we found that NSSCR, but not SCL, were sensitive to TSD, with significant systematic inter-individual differences. Across individuals, the change in frequency of NSSCR during TSD was not predictive of the effect of TSD on affect, sleepiness, or vigilant attention, nor was it related to these outcomes during the rested baseline. Our findings indicate that while physiological arousal, as measured by EDA, may be useful for assessing TSD-related changes in non-specific arousal at the group level, it is not associated with individuals' self-reported affect at rest nor their change in affect during TSD. This suggests that an essential aspect of the relationship between physiological arousal and self-reported affect is not well captured by EDA as measured by NSSCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney A. Kurinec
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Anthony R. Stenson
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
| | - John M. Hinson
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Paul Whitney
- Department of Psychology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
- Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
| | - Hans P. A. Van Dongen
- Sleep and Performance Research Center, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, United States
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Rhythm and blues: Influence of CLOCK T3111C on peripheral electrophysiological indicators of negative affective processing. Physiol Behav 2020; 219:112831. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2020.112831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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Younis RM, Taylor RM, Beardsley PM, McClay JL. The ANKS1B gene and its associated phenotypes: focus on CNS drug response. Pharmacogenomics 2019; 20:669-684. [PMID: 31250731 PMCID: PMC6912848 DOI: 10.2217/pgs-2019-0015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The ANKS1B gene was a top finding in genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of antipsychotic drug response. Subsequent GWAS findings for ANKS1B include cognitive ability, educational attainment, body mass index, response to corticosteroids and drug dependence. We review current human association evidence for ANKS1B, in addition to functional studies that include two published mouse knockouts. The several GWAS findings in humans indicate that phenotypically relevant variation is segregating at the ANKS1B locus. ANKS1B shows strong plausibility for involvement in CNS drug response because it encodes a postsynaptic effector protein that mediates long-term changes to neuronal biology. Forthcoming data from large biobanks should further delineate the role of ANKS1B in CNS drug response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rabha M Younis
- Department of Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Rachel M Taylor
- Center for Military Psychiatry & Neuroscience, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MA 20910, USA
| | - Patrick M Beardsley
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
- Center for Biomarker Research & Personalized Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
| | - Joseph L McClay
- Department of Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science, Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, Richmond, VA 23298, USA
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The utility of twins in developmental cognitive neuroscience research: How twins strengthen the ABCD research design. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 32:30-42. [PMID: 29107609 PMCID: PMC5847422 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 09/05/2017] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The ABCD twin study will elucidate the genetic and environmental contributions to a wide range of mental and physical health outcomes in children, including substance use, brain and behavioral development, and their interrelationship. Comparisons within and between monozygotic and dizygotic twin pairs, further powered by multiple assessments, provide information about genetic and environmental contributions to developmental associations, and enable stronger tests of causal hypotheses, than do comparisons involving unrelated children. Thus a sub-study of 800 pairs of same-sex twins was embedded within the overall Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) design. The ABCD Twin Hub comprises four leading centers for twin research in Minnesota, Colorado, Virginia, and Missouri. Each site is enrolling 200 twin pairs, as well as singletons. The twins are recruited from registries of all twin births in each State during 2006-2008. Singletons at each site are recruited following the same school-based procedures as the rest of the ABCD study. This paper describes the background and rationale for the ABCD twin study, the ascertainment of twin pairs and implementation strategy at each site, and the details of the proposed analytic strategies to quantify genetic and environmental influences and test hypotheses critical to the aims of the ABCD study.
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Liu M, Malone SM, Vaidyanathan U, Keller MC, McGue M, Iacono WG, Vrieze SI. Psychophysiological endophenotypes to characterize mechanisms of known schizophrenia genetic loci. Psychol Med 2017; 47:1116-1125. [PMID: 27995817 PMCID: PMC5352523 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291716003184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Endophenotypes are laboratory-based measures hypothesized to lie in the causal chain between genes and clinical disorder, and to serve as a more powerful way to identify genes associated with the disorder. One promise of endophenotypes is that they may assist in elucidating the neurobehavioral mechanisms by which an associated genetic polymorphism affects disorder risk in complex traits. We evaluated this promise by testing the extent to which variants discovered to be associated with schizophrenia through large-scale meta-analysis show associations with psychophysiological endophenotypes. METHOD We genome-wide genotyped and imputed 4905 individuals. Of these, 1837 were whole-genome-sequenced at 11× depth. In a community-based sample, we conducted targeted tests of variants within schizophrenia-associated loci, as well as genome-wide polygenic tests of association, with 17 psychophysiological endophenotypes including acoustic startle response and affective startle modulation, antisaccade, multiple frequencies of resting electroencephalogram (EEG), electrodermal activity and P300 event-related potential. RESULTS Using single variant tests and gene-based tests we found suggestive evidence for an association between contactin 4 (CNTN4) and antisaccade and P300. We were unable to find any other variant or gene within the 108 schizophrenia loci significantly associated with any of our 17 endophenotypes. Polygenic risk scores indexing genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia were not related to any of the psychophysiological endophenotypes after correction for multiple testing. CONCLUSIONS The results indicate significant difficulty in using psychophysiological endophenotypes to characterize the genetically influenced neurobehavioral mechanisms by which risk loci identified in genome-wide association studies affect disorder risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Liu
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - S. M. Malone
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - M. C. Keller
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - M. McGue
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - W. G. Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - S. I. Vrieze
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
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Savage JE, Sawyers C, Roberson-Nay R, Hettema JM. The genetics of anxiety-related negative valence system traits. Am J Med Genet B Neuropsychiatr Genet 2017; 174:156-177. [PMID: 27196537 PMCID: PMC5349709 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.b.32459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2015] [Accepted: 05/05/2016] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) domain of negative valence systems (NVS) captures constructs of negative affect such as fear and distress traditionally subsumed under the various internalizing disorders. Through its aims to capture dimensional measures that cut across diagnostic categories and are linked to underlying neurobiological systems, a large number of phenotypic constructs have been proposed as potential research targets. Since "genes" represent a central "unit of analysis" in the RDoC matrix, it is important for studies going forward to apply what is known about the genetics of these phenotypes as well as fill in the gaps of existing knowledge. This article reviews the extant genetic epidemiological data (twin studies, heritability) and molecular genetic association findings for a broad range of putative NVS phenotypic measures. We find that scant genetic epidemiological data is available for experimentally derived measures such as attentional bias, peripheral physiology, or brain-based measures of threat response. The molecular genetic basis of NVS phenotypes is in its infancy, since most studies have focused on a small number of candidate genes selected for putative association to anxiety disorders (ADs). Thus, more research is required to provide a firm understanding of the genetic aspects of anxiety-related NVS constructs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanne E. Savage
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Chelsea Sawyers
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - Roxann Roberson-Nay
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA,Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
| | - John M. Hettema
- Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA,Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
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Iacono WG, Malone SM, Vrieze SI. Endophenotype best practices. Int J Psychophysiol 2017; 111:115-144. [PMID: 27473600 PMCID: PMC5219856 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.07.516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
This review examines the current state of electrophysiological endophenotype research and recommends best practices that are based on knowledge gleaned from the last decade of molecular genetic research with complex traits. Endophenotype research is being oversold for its potential to help discover psychopathology relevant genes using the types of small samples feasible for electrophysiological research. This is largely because the genetic architecture of endophenotypes appears to be very much like that of behavioral traits and disorders: they are complex, influenced by many variants (e.g., tens of thousands) within many genes, each contributing a very small effect. Out of over 40 electrophysiological endophenotypes covered by our review, only resting heart, a measure that has received scant advocacy as an endophenotype, emerges as an electrophysiological variable with verified associations with molecular genetic variants. To move the field forward, investigations designed to discover novel variants associated with endophenotypes will need extremely large samples best obtained by forming consortia and sharing data obtained from genome wide arrays. In addition, endophenotype research can benefit from successful molecular genetic studies of psychopathology by examining the degree to which these verified psychopathology-relevant variants are also associated with an endophenotype, and by using knowledge about the functional significance of these variants to generate new endophenotypes. Even without molecular genetic associations, endophenotypes still have value in studying the development of disorders in unaffected individuals at high genetic risk, constructing animal models, and gaining insight into neural mechanisms that are relevant to clinical disorder.
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What can time-frequency and phase coherence measures tell us about the genetic basis of P3 amplitude? Int J Psychophysiol 2016; 115:40-56. [PMID: 27871913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Revised: 10/26/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
In a recent comprehensive investigation, we largely failed to identify significant genetic markers associated with P3 amplitude or to corroborate previous associations between P3 and specific single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) or genes. In the present study we extended this line of investigation to examine time-frequency (TF) activity and intertrial phase coherence (ITPC) in the P3 time window, both of which are associated with P3 amplitude. Previous genome-wide research has reported associations between P3-related theta and delta activity and individual genetic variants. A large, population-based sample of 4211 subjects, comprising male and female adolescent twins and their parents, was genotyped for 527,828 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), from which over six million SNPs were accurately imputed. Heritability estimates were greater for TF energy than ITPC, whether based on biometric models or the combined influence of all measured SNPs (derived from genome-wide complex trait analysis). The magnitude of overlap in the specific SNPs associated with delta energy and ITPC and P3 amplitude was significant. A genome-wide analysis of all SNPs, accompanied by an analysis of approximately 17,600 genes, indicated a region of chromosome 2 around TEKT4 that was significantly associated with theta ITPC. Analysis of candidate SNPs and genes previously reported to be associated with P3 or related phenotypes yielded one association surviving correction for multiple tests: between theta energy and CRHR1. However, we did not obtain significant associations for SNPs implicated in previous genome-wide studies of TF measures. Identifying specific genetic variants associated with P3 amplitude remains a challenge.
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Modifiable Arousal in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Its Etiological Association With Fluctuating Reaction Times. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2016; 1:539-547. [PMID: 27840854 PMCID: PMC5094448 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2016.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Cognitive theories of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) propose that high within-subject fluctuations of cognitive performance in ADHD, particularly reaction time (RT) variability (RTV), may reflect arousal dysregulation. However, direct evidence of arousal dysregulation and how it may account for fluctuating RTs in ADHD is limited. We used skin conductance (SC) as a measure of peripheral arousal and aimed to investigate its phenotypic and familial association with RTV in a large sample of ADHD and control sibling pairs. Methods Adolescents and young adults (N = 292), consisting of 73 participants with ADHD and their 75 siblings, and 72 controls and their 72 siblings, completed the baseline (slow, unrewarded) and fast-incentive conditions of a RT task, while SC was simultaneously recorded. Results A significant group-by-condition interaction emerged for SC level (SCL). Participants with ADHD had decreased SCL, compared with controls, in the baseline condition but not the fast-incentive condition. Baseline SCL was negatively associated with RTV, and multivariate model fitting demonstrated that the covariance of SCL with RTV, and of SCL with ADHD, was mostly explained by shared familial effects. Conclusions ADHD is associated with decreased, but modifiable, tonic peripheral arousal. A shared familial cause underlies the relationship between arousal and RTV and between arousal and ADHD. Given the malleability of SCL, if our findings are replicated, it warrants further exploration as a potential treatment target for ADHD.
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Yoon HH, Malone SM, Iacono WG. Longitudinal stability and predictive utility of the visual P3 response in adults with externalizing psychopathology. Psychophysiology 2015; 52:1632-45. [PMID: 26402396 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
We determined whether time-domain P3 amplitude and time-frequency principal component (TF-PC) reductions could serve as stable and predictive developmental endophenotypes of externalizing psychopathology. Participants from the Minnesota Twin Family Study were assessed at age 17 and again at age 29 for lifetime externalizing (EXT) disorders. Comparisons of P3 amplitude and TF-PCs at delta and theta frequencies were made between EXT and unaffected comparison subjects. P3 amplitude and all five extracted TF-PCs were significantly reduced in those presenting lifetime EXT disorders at both ages 17 and 29 and showed substantial 12-year rank-order stability. P3 amplitude and delta TF-PCs measured at age 17 also predicted subsequent development of EXT by age 29, with every 1-microvolt decrease in age 17 amplitude associated with an approximately 5% increase in risk for an EXT diagnosis by age 29. Overall, results from this study further confirm that these P3-derived brain measures maintain their potential as putative EXT endophenotypes through the third decade of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry H Yoon
- Department of Psychology, Augsburg College, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Stephen M Malone
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - William G Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Vaidyanathan U, Vrieze SI, Iacono WG. The Power of Theory, Research Design, and Transdisciplinary Integration in Moving Psychopathology Forward. PSYCHOLOGICAL INQUIRY 2015; 26:209-230. [PMID: 27030789 PMCID: PMC4809358 DOI: 10.1080/1047840x.2015.1015367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
While the past few decades have seen much work in psychopathology research that has yielded provocative insights, relatively little progress has been made in understanding the etiology of mental disorders. We contend that this is due to an overreliance on statistics and technology with insufficient attention to adequacy of experimental design, a lack of integration of data across various domains of research, and testing of theoretical models using relatively weak study designs. We provide a conceptual discussion of these issues and follow with a concrete demonstration of our proposed solution. Using two different disorders - depression and substance use - as examples, we illustrate how we can evaluate competing theories regarding their etiology by integrating information from various domains including latent variable models, neurobiology, and quasi-experimental data such as twin and adoption studies, rather than relying on any single methodology alone. More broadly, we discuss the extent to which such integrative thinking allows for inferences about the etiology of mental disorders, rather than focusing on descriptive correlates alone. Greater scientific insight will require stringent tests of competing theories and a deeper conceptual understanding of the advantages and pitfalls of methodologies and criteria we use in our studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uma Vaidyanathan
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, N218 Elliot Hall, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Scott I Vrieze
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado – Boulder, 1480 30 Street, Boulder, CO 80303
| | - William G. Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, N218 Elliot Hall, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455
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Vaidyanathan U, Malone SM, Donnelly JM, Hammer MA, Miller MB, McGue M, Iacono WG. Heritability and molecular genetic basis of antisaccade eye tracking error rate: a genome-wide association study. Psychophysiology 2014; 51:1272-84. [PMID: 25387707 PMCID: PMC4238043 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Antisaccade deficits reflect abnormalities in executive function linked to various disorders including schizophrenia, externalizing psychopathology, and neurological conditions. We examined the genetic bases of antisaccade error in a sample of community-based twins and parents (N = 4,469). Biometric models showed that about half of the variance in the antisaccade response was due to genetic factors and half due to nonshared environmental factors. Molecular genetic analyses supported these results, showing that the heritability accounted for by common molecular genetic variants approximated biometric estimates. Genome-wide analyses revealed several SNPs as well as two genes-B3GNT7 and NCL-on Chromosome 2 associated with antisaccade error. SNPs and genes hypothesized to be associated with antisaccade error based on prior work, although generating some suggestive findings for MIR137, GRM8, and CACNG2, could not be confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uma Vaidyanathan
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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Iacono WG, Malone SM, Vaidyanathan U, Vrieze SI. Genome-wide scans of genetic variants for psychophysiological endophenotypes: a methodological overview. Psychophysiology 2014; 51:1207-24. [PMID: 25387703 PMCID: PMC4231489 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
This article provides an introductory overview of the investigative strategy employed to evaluate the genetic basis of 17 endophenotypes examined as part of a 20-year data collection effort from the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research. Included are characterization of the study samples, descriptive statistics for key properties of the psychophysiological measures, and rationale behind the steps taken in the molecular genetic study design. The statistical approach included (a) biometric analysis of twin and family data, (b) heritability analysis using 527,829 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), (c) genome-wide association analysis of these SNPs and 17,601 autosomal genes, (d) follow-up analyses of candidate SNPs and genes hypothesized to have an association with each endophenotype, (e) rare variant analysis of nonsynonymous SNPs in the exome, and (f) whole genome sequencing association analysis using 27 million genetic variants. These methods were used in the accompanying empirical articles comprising this special issue, Genome-Wide Scans of Genetic Variants for Psychophysiological Endophenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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16
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Vrieze SI, Malone SM, Pankratz N, Vaidyanathan U, Miller MB, Kang HM, McGue M, Abecasis G, Iacono WG. Genetic associations of nonsynonymous exonic variants with psychophysiological endophenotypes. Psychophysiology 2014; 51:1300-8. [PMID: 25387709 PMCID: PMC4231532 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
We mapped ∼85,000 rare nonsynonymous exonic single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to 17 psychophysiological endophenotypes in 4,905 individuals, including antisaccade eye movements, resting EEG, P300 amplitude, electrodermal activity, affect-modulated startle eye blink. Nonsynonymous SNPs are predicted to directly change or disrupt proteins encoded by genes and are expected to have significant biological consequences. Most such variants are rare, and new technologies can efficiently assay them on a large scale. We assayed 247,870 mostly rare SNPs on an Illumina exome array. Approximately 85,000 of the SNPs were polymorphic, rare (MAF < .05), and nonsynonymous. Single variant association tests identified a SNP in the PARD3 gene associated with theta resting EEG power. The sequence kernel association test, a gene-based test, identified a gene PNPLA7 associated with pleasant difference startle, the difference in startle magnitude between pleasant and neutral images. No other single nonsynonymous variant, or gene-based group of variants, was strongly associated with any endophenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott I. Vrieze
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Stephen M. Malone
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Nathan Pankratz
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Uma Vaidyanathan
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Michael B. Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Hyun Min Kang
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Matt McGue
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Gonçalo Abecasis
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - William G. Iacono
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
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17
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Vrieze SI, Malone SM, Vaidyanathan U, Kwong A, Kang HM, Zhan X, Flickinger M, Irons D, Jun G, Locke AE, Pistis G, Porcu E, Levy S, Myers RM, Oetting W, McGue M, Abecasis G, Iacono WG. In search of rare variants: preliminary results from whole genome sequencing of 1,325 individuals with psychophysiological endophenotypes. Psychophysiology 2014; 51:1309-20. [PMID: 25387710 PMCID: PMC4231480 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.12350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Whole genome sequencing was completed on 1,325 individuals from 602 families, identifying 27 million autosomal variants. Genetic association tests were conducted for those individuals who had been assessed for one or more of 17 endophenotypes (N range = 802-1,185). No significant associations were found. These 27 million variants were then imputed into the full sample of individuals with psychophysiological data (N range = 3,088-4,469) and again tested for associations with the 17 endophenotypes. No association was significant. Using a gene-based variable threshold burden test of nonsynonymous variants, we obtained five significant associations. These findings are preliminary and call for additional analysis of this rich sample. We argue that larger samples, alternative study designs, and additional bioinformatics approaches will be necessary to discover associations between these endophenotypes and genomic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott I Vrieze
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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