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Koyama Y, Nawa N, Ochi M, Surkan PJ, Fujiwara T. Joint Roles of Oxytocin- and Dopamine-Related Genes and Childhood Parenting Experience in Maternal Supportive Social Network. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:614-621. [PMID: 36098825 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01434-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [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] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
How genes and parenting determine maternal social support availability, an important preventive factor of postpartum depression, has been little studied. Our study aimed to examine the interaction effects of maternal sociality-related gene and parenting on maternal social support. We analyzed data of 115 triads of Japanese grandmothers, mothers, and their infants. An interaction between parenting and cumulative genetic risk, calculated on the sociality-related genes (OXTR rs53576, rs2254298, rs1042778; COMT rs4680), was found. Mothers with high genetic risk received less social support if received poorer parenting (B = - 0.02, 95%CI = - 0.04 to - 0.01), while no association among low-risk mothers. Poorer social support was associated with severer depression in high-risk mothers (B = - 0.88, 95%CI = - 1.45 to -0.30). Our results suggest that mothers carrying risk alleles of sociality-related genes are particularly sensitive to childhood parenting, underscoring the importance of childhood parenting and genetic risk to understand maternal help-seeking behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuna Koyama
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Nobutoshi Nawa
- Department of Medical Education Research and Development, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
| | - Manami Ochi
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan
- Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan
- Department of Health and Welfare Services, National Institute of Public Health, Saitama, 351-0197, Japan
| | - Pamela J Surkan
- Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Takeo Fujiwara
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
- Department of Social Medicine, National Center for Child Health and Development, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan.
- Department of Global Health Promotion, Tokyo Medical and Dental University (TMDU), 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8510, Japan.
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2
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Abozaid A, Gerlai R. A search for effective reinforcers in appetitive conditioning for adult zebrafish: Ecologically relevant unconditioned stimuli. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 131:110946. [PMID: 38237886 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.110946] [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: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/14/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024]
Abstract
Learning and memory related brain disorders represent a large unmet medical need. Laboratory studies with animals may model brain disorders and facilitate uncovering their mechanisms. The zebrafish has been proposed for such studies. However, numerous factors that influence performance in learning tasks have yet to be understood in zebrafish. One such factor is what motivates zebrafish. Here we introduce a novel reinforcer, an ecologically relevant unconditioned stimulus (US). We placed a photograph of gravel underneath quarter of the bottom of an experimental tank on one side and also positioned artificial plants there, the "natural" US. First, we showed that this stimulus was preferred by zebrafish. Next, we investigated whether this stimulus could serve as US for associative learning. We marked the walls of the tank on the side where the US was presented with red paper, the conditioned stimulus (CS+) we found neutral before, and we also marked the walls on the other side of the tank where no US was placed with blue paper (CS-). In addition to fish receiving this "paired" training, we also ran unpaired training with another group of zebrafish, in which the fish saw the US associated with blue and red in a random manner. After having trained the fish in this manner, we tested the performance of the paired and unpaired group of zebrafish in a memory probe trial during which no US was present, and only the CSs (blue and red walls) were shown. We found the paired group of zebrafish to show significant preference for the CS+, as they spent more time and swam closer to the red side compared to the unpaired group and compared to chance. We conclude that ecologically relevant stimuli can serve as efficient US in appetitive conditioning of zebrafish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amira Abozaid
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G5, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, 25 Harbord Street Toronto, Ontario, M5S 3G5, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario, L5L 1C6, Canada.
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3
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Ghanem K, Saltoun K, Suvrathan A, Draganski B, Bzdok D. Longitudinal microstructural changes in 18 amygdala nuclei resonate with cortical circuits and phenomics. Commun Biol 2024; 7:477. [PMID: 38637627 PMCID: PMC11026520 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06187-5] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The amygdala nuclei modulate distributed neural circuits that most likely evolved to respond to environmental threats and opportunities. So far, the specific role of unique amygdala nuclei in the context processing of salient environmental cues lacks adequate characterization across neural systems and over time. Here, we present amygdala nuclei morphometry and behavioral findings from longitudinal population data (>1400 subjects, age range 40-69 years, sampled 2-3 years apart): the UK Biobank offers exceptionally rich phenotyping along with brain morphology scans. This allows us to quantify how 18 microanatomical amygdala subregions undergo plastic changes in tandem with coupled neural systems and delineating their associated phenome-wide profiles. In the context of population change, the basal, lateral, accessory basal, and paralaminar nuclei change in lockstep with the prefrontal cortex, a region that subserves planning and decision-making. The central, medial and cortical nuclei are structurally coupled with the insular and anterior-cingulate nodes of the salience network, in addition to the MT/V5, basal ganglia, and putamen, areas proposed to represent internal bodily states and mediate attention to environmental cues. The central nucleus and anterior amygdaloid area are longitudinally tied with the inferior parietal lobule, known for a role in bodily awareness and social attention. These population-level amygdala-brain plasticity regimes in turn are linked with unique collections of phenotypes, ranging from social status and employment to sleep habits and risk taking. The obtained structural plasticity findings motivate hypotheses about the specific functions of distinct amygdala nuclei in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karam Ghanem
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Karin Saltoun
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Aparna Suvrathan
- Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Pediatrics, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Brain Repair and Integrative Neuroscience (BRaIN) Research Program, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Bogdan Draganski
- LREN, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Neurology Department, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Danilo Bzdok
- The Neuro - Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McConnell Brain Imaging Centre, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Medicine, School of Computer Science, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
- Mila - Quebec Artificial Intelligence Institute, Montreal, QC, Canada.
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Bakoev SY, Korobeinikova AV, Mishina AI, Kabieva SS, Mitrofanov SI, Ivashechkin AA, Akinshina AI, Snigir EA, Yudin SM, Yudin VS, Getmantseva LV, Anderzhanova EA. Genomic Signatures of Positive Selection in Human Populations of the OXT, OXTR, AVP, AVPR1A and AVR1B Gene Variants Related to the Regulation of Psychoemotional Response. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:2053. [PMID: 38002996 PMCID: PMC10670988 DOI: 10.3390/genes14112053] [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: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/04/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The neurobiological systems of maintenance and control of behavioral responses result from natural selection. We have analyzed the selection signatures for single nucleotide variants (SNV) of the genes of oxytocin (OXT, OXTR) and vasopressin (AVP, AVPR1A, AVPR1B) systems, which are associated with the regulation of social and emotional behavior in distinct populations. The analysis was performed using original WGS (whole genome sequencing) data on Eastern Slavs (SlEast), as well as publicly available data from the 1000 Genomes Project on GBR, FIN, IBR, PUR, BEB, CHB, and ACB populations (the latter were taken as reference). To identify selection signatures, we rated the integrated haplotype scores (iHS), the numbers of segregating sites by length (nSl), and the integrated haplotype homozygosity pooled (iHH12) measures; the fixation index Fst was implemented to assess genetic differentiation between populations. We revealed that the strongest genetic differentiation of populations was found with respect to the AVPR1B gene, with the greatest differentiation observed in GRB (Fst = 0.316) and CHB (Fst = 0.325) in comparison to ACB. Also, high Fst values were found for SNVs of the AVPR1B gene rs28499431, rs33940624, rs28477649, rs3883899, and rs28452187 in most of the populations. Selection signatures have also been identified in the AVP, AVPR1A, OXT, and OXTR genes. Our analysis shows that the OXT, OXTR, AVP, AVPR1A, and AVPR1B genes were subject to positive selection in a population-specific process, which was likely contributing to the diversity of adaptive emotional response types and social function realizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siroj Yu. Bakoev
- Federal State Budgetary Institution “Centre for Strategic Planning and Management of Biomedical Health Risks” of the Federal Medical Biological Agency (Centre for Strategic Planning of FMBA of Russia), Pogodinskaya Street, 10, Bld. 1, 119121 Moscow, Russia; (A.V.K.); (A.I.M.); (S.S.K.); (S.I.M.); (A.A.I.); (A.I.A.); (E.A.S.); (S.M.Y.); (V.S.Y.); (L.V.G.); (E.A.A.)
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Oppenheimer AV, Weisskopf MG, Lyall K. An Examination of Family Transmission of Traits Measured by the Social Responsiveness Scale-Short Form. J Autism Dev Disord 2023:10.1007/s10803-023-06115-2. [PMID: 37702820 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-023-06115-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) is frequently used in research settings to measure characteristics associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). A short version has been developed but not yet tested for certain properties of the full SRS, such as familiality. The purpose of this study was to determine if prior familiality findings for the full SRS can be replicated using the short form by measuring the associations of the parental Social Responsiveness Scale-Short Form (SRS-SF) scores with child ASD diagnoses and child SRS-SF scores. METHODS We used a nested case-control study within a longitudinal cohort study design. Participants were selected from the Nurses' Health Study II (NHS II). Cases were children of study participants who had been diagnosed with ASD, while controls had not been diagnosed with ASD and were frequency matched by year of birth to cases. 2144 out of 3161 eligible participants returned SRS forms for a child and at least one parent. Participants in NHS II completed SRS forms for their spouses and spouses completed SRS forms for NHS II participants. Parental SRS-SF scores were based on a subset of 16 questions from the SRS. ASD diagnosis among children was reported by the mothers and validated in a subset using the Autism Diagnostic Interview-Revised, as well as child SRS-SF scores. RESULTS Children whose parents both had elevated SRS-SF scores (those in the top 20% of the study distribution) had a higher odds of ASD diagnosis than those who did not have elevated parental scores (OR 2.25; 95% CI 1.41, 3.58). Additionally, children whose fathers had elevated SRS-SF scores had a higher odds of ASD diagnosis (OR 2.18; 95% CI 1.60, 2.97) than those whose fathers scores were not elevated. In sex-stratified analyses, male children with elevated parental SRS-SF scores had a higher odds of ASD diagnosis than those who did not have elevated parental scores. These associations were not as evident among female children. Parental SRS-SF scores also predicted child SRS-SF scores among controls. CONCLUSION These findings are similar to prior findings for the full SRS and support the ability of the SRS-SF to capture familiality of ASD-related traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna V Oppenheimer
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Marc G Weisskopf
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kristen Lyall
- A.J. Drexel Autism Institute, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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6
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Faraji J, Metz GAS. Toward reframing brain-social dynamics: current assumptions and future challenges. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1211442. [PMID: 37484686 PMCID: PMC10359502 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1211442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary analyses suggest that the human social brain and sociality appeared together. The two fundamental tools that accelerated the concurrent emergence of the social brain and sociality include learning and plasticity. The prevailing core idea is that the primate brain and the cortex in particular became reorganised over the course of evolution to facilitate dynamic adaptation to ongoing changes in physical and social environments. Encouraged by computational or survival demands or even by instinctual drives for living in social groups, the brain eventually learned how to learn from social experience via its massive plastic capacity. A fundamental framework for modeling these orchestrated dynamic responses is that social plasticity relies upon neuroplasticity. In the present article, we first provide a glimpse into the concepts of plasticity, experience, with emphasis on social experience. We then acknowledge and integrate the current theoretical concepts to highlight five key intertwined assumptions within social neuroscience that underlie empirical approaches for explaining the brain-social dynamics. We suggest that this epistemological view provides key insights into the ontology of current conceptual frameworks driving future research to successfully deal with new challenges and possible caveats in favour of the formulation of novel assumptions. In the light of contemporary societal challenges, such as global pandemics, natural disasters, violent conflict, and other human tragedies, discovering the mechanisms of social brain plasticity will provide new approaches to support adaptive brain plasticity and social resilience.
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7
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Fetcho RN, Hall BS, Estrin DJ, Walsh AP, Schuette PJ, Kaminsky J, Singh A, Roshgodal J, Bavley CC, Nadkarni V, Antigua S, Huynh TN, Grosenick L, Carthy C, Komer L, Adhikari A, Lee FS, Rajadhyaksha AM, Liston C. Regulation of social interaction in mice by a frontostriatal circuit modulated by established hierarchical relationships. Nat Commun 2023; 14:2487. [PMID: 37120443 PMCID: PMC10148889 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-37460-6] [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: 07/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Social hierarchies exert a powerful influence on behavior, but the neurobiological mechanisms that detect and regulate hierarchical interactions are not well understood, especially at the level of neural circuits. Here, we use fiber photometry and chemogenetic tools to record and manipulate the activity of nucleus accumbens-projecting cells in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC-NAcSh) during tube test social competitions. We show that vmPFC-NAcSh projections signal learned hierarchical relationships, and are selectively recruited by subordinate mice when they initiate effortful social dominance behavior during encounters with a dominant competitor from an established hierarchy. After repeated bouts of social defeat stress, this circuit is preferentially activated during social interactions initiated by stress resilient individuals, and plays a necessary role in supporting social approach behavior in subordinated mice. These results define a necessary role for vmPFC-NAcSh cells in the adaptive regulation of social interaction behavior based on prior hierarchical interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert N Fetcho
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY, USA
| | - Baila S Hall
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - David J Estrin
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexander P Walsh
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter J Schuette
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jesse Kaminsky
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ashna Singh
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jacob Roshgodal
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charlotte C Bavley
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Viraj Nadkarni
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Susan Antigua
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Thu N Huynh
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Logan Grosenick
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Camille Carthy
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lauren Komer
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Avishek Adhikari
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Francis S Lee
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anjali M Rajadhyaksha
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Conor Liston
- Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
- Weill Cornell Autism Research Program, New York, NY, USA.
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Hopkins WD, Staes N, Guevara EE, Mulholland MM, Sherwood CC, Bradley BJ. Vasopressin, and not oxytocin, receptor gene methylation is associated with individual differences in receptive joint attention in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Autism Res 2023; 16:713-722. [PMID: 36738470 PMCID: PMC10308317 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 01/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Joint attention (JA) is an important milestone in human infant development and is predictive of the onset of language later in life. Clinically, it has been reported that children at risk for or with a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perform more poorly on measures of JA compared to neurotypical controls. JA is not unique to humans but has also been reported in great apes and to a lesser extent in more distantly related monkeys. Further, individual differences in JA among chimpanzees are associated with polymorphisms in the vasopressin and oxytocin genes, AVPR1A and OXTR. Here, we tested whether individual variation in DNA methylation of OXTR and AVPR1A were associated with performance on JA tasks in chimpanzees. We found that individual differences in JA performance was associated with AVPR1A methylation, but not OXTR methylation in the chimpanzees. The collective results provide further evidence of the role of AVPR1A in JA abilities in chimpanzees. The results further suggest that methylation values for AVPR1A may be useful biomarkers for identifying individuals at risk for ASD or related neurodevelopmental disorders associated with impairments in JA abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- William D Hopkins
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, USA
| | - Nicky Staes
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Elaine E Guevara
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Michele M Mulholland
- Michale E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, Texas, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Brenda J Bradley
- Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, Department of Anthropology, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA
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Can Translational Social Neuroscience Research Offer Insights to Mitigate Structural Racism in the United States? BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:1258-1267. [PMID: 35609781 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Social isolation and conflict due to structural racism may result in human suffering and loneliness across the life span. Given the rising prevalence of these problems in the United States, combined with disruptions experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, the neurobiology of affiliative behaviors may offer practical solutions to the pressing challenges associated with structural racism. Controlled experiments across species demonstrate that social connections are critical to survival, although strengthening individual resilience is insufficient to address the magnitude and impact of structural racism. In contrast, the multilevel construct of social resilience, defined by the power of groups to cultivate, engage in, and sustain positive relationships that endure and recuperate from social adversities, offers unique insights that may have greater impact, reach, and durability than individual-level interventions. Here, we review putative social resilience-enhancing interventions and, when available, their biological mediators, with the hope to stimulate discovery of novel approaches to mitigate structural racism. We first explore the social neuroscience principles underlying psychotherapy and other psychiatric interventions. Then, we explore translational efforts across species to tailor treatments that increase social resilience, with context and cultural sensitivity in mind. Finally, we conclude with some practical future directions for understudied areas that may be essential for progress in biological psychiatry, including ethical ways to increase representation in research and developing social paradigms that inform dynamics toward or away from socially resilient outcomes.
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10
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Marazziti D, Diep PT, Carter S, Carbone MG. Oxytocin: An Old Hormone, A Novel Psychotropic Drug And Possible Use In Treating Psychiatric Disorders. Curr Med Chem 2022; 29:5615-5687. [PMID: 35894453 DOI: 10.2174/0929867329666220727120646] [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: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 03/17/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Oxytocin is a nonapeptide synthesized in the paraventricular and supraoptic nuclei of the hypothalamus. Historically, this molecule has been involved as a key factor in the formation of infant attachment, maternal behavior and pair bonding and, more generally, in linking social signals with cognition, behaviors and reward. In the last decades, the whole oxytocin system has gained a growing interest as it was proposed to be implicated in etiopathogenesis of several neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. METHODS With the main goal of an in-depth understanding of the oxytocin role in the regulation of different functions and complex behaviors as well as its intriguing implications in different neuropsychiatric disorders, we performed a critical review of the current state of art. We carried out this work through PubMed database up to June 2021 with the search terms: 1) "oxytocin and neuropsychiatric disorders"; 2) "oxytocin and neurodevelopmental disorders"; 3) "oxytocin and anorexia"; 4) "oxytocin and eating disorders"; 5) "oxytocin and obsessive-compulsive disorder"; 6) "oxytocin and schizophrenia"; 7) "oxytocin and depression"; 8) "oxytocin and bipolar disorder"; 9) "oxytocin and psychosis"; 10) "oxytocin and anxiety"; 11) "oxytocin and personality disorder"; 12) "oxytocin and PTSD". RESULTS Biological, genetic, and epigenetic studies highlighted quality and quantity modifications in the expression of oxytocin peptide or in oxytocin receptor isoforms. These alterations would seem to be correlated with a higher risk of presenting several neuropsychiatric disorders belonging to different psychopathological spectra. Collaterally, the exogenous oxytocin administration has shown to ameliorate many neuropsychiatric clinical conditions. CONCLUSION Finally, we briefly analyzed the potential pharmacological use of oxytocin in patient with severe symptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection due to its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and immunoregulatory properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Marazziti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Italy.,Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Phuoc-Tan Diep
- Department of Histopathology, Royal Lancaster Infirmary, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Lancaster, United Kingdom
| | - Sue Carter
- Director Kinsey Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Manuel G Carbone
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, Division of Psychiatry, University of Insubria, 21100 Varese, Italy
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11
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Neoh MJY, Setoh P, Bizzego A, Tandiono M, Foo JN, Lee A, Bornstein MH, Esposito G. Gene-Environment Interactions in Face Categorization: Oxytocin Receptor Genotype x Childcare Experience Shortens Reaction Time. Front Psychol 2022; 13:873676. [PMID: 35756198 PMCID: PMC9222134 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.873676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Human faces capture attention, provide information about group belonging, and elicit automatic prepared responses. Early experiences with other-race faces play a critical role in acquiring face expertise, but the exact mechanism through which early experience exerts its influence is still to be elucidated. Genetic factors and a multi-ethnic context are likely involved, but their specific influences have not been explored. This study investigated how oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) genotypes and childcare experience interacted to regulate face categorization in adults. Information about single nucleotide polymorphisms of OXTR (rs53576) and experiences with own- and other-race child caregivers was collected from 89 Singaporean adults, who completed a visual categorization task with own- versus other-race faces. Participants were grouped into A/A homozygotes and G carriers and assigned a score to account for their type of child caregiver experience. A multivariate linear regression model was used to estimate the effect of genetic group, child caregiver experience, and their interaction on categorization reaction time. A significant interaction of genetic group and child caregiver experience (t = 2.48, p = 0.015), as well as main effects of both genetic group (t = −2.17, p = 0.033) and child caregiver experience (t = −4.29, p < 0.001) emerged. Post-hoc analysis revealed that the correlation between categorization reaction time and child caregiver experience was significantly different between the two genetic groups. A significant gene x environment interaction on face categorization appears to represent an indirect pathway through which genes and experiences interact to shape mature social sensitivity to faces in human adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Jin Yee Neoh
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peipei Setoh
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Andrea Bizzego
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Moses Tandiono
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jia Nee Foo
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.,Human Genetics, Genome Institute of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Albert Lee
- Psychology Program, School of Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Marc H Bornstein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, United States.,Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, United Kingdom.,UNICEF, New York, NY, United States
| | - Gianluca Esposito
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
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12
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Landoni M, Dalla Muta A, Di Tella S, Ciuffo G, Di Blasio P, Ionio C. Parenting and the Serotonin Transporter Gene (5HTTLPR), Is There an Association? A Systematic Review of the Literature. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19074052. [PMID: 35409736 PMCID: PMC8997909 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19074052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2022] [Revised: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The current systematic review examines whether there is an association between the genetic 5-HTTPLR polymorphism and parenting, and the mechanisms by which this association operates. The literature was searched in various databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and ScienceDirect. In line with our inclusion criteria, nine articles were eligible out of 22. Most of the studies analysed in this review found an association between 5HTTLPR and parenting. Four studies found a direct association between 5-HTTLPR and parenting with conflicting findings: two studies found that mothers carrying the short variant were more sensitive to their infants, while two studies found that parents carrying the S allele were less sensitive. In addition, several studies found strong interaction between genetic and environmental factors, such as childhood stress and disruptive child behaviour, quality of early care experiences, poor parenting environment, and quality of the environment. Only one study found an association between children's 5HTTLPR and parenting. Parenting can be described as a highly complex construct influenced by multiple factors, including the environment, as well as parent and child characteristics. According to the studies, maternal 5-HTTLPR polymorphism is most likely to be associated with sensitive parenting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Landoni
- CRIdee, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (G.C.); (P.D.B.); (C.I.)
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (A.D.M.); (S.D.T.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Alice Dalla Muta
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (A.D.M.); (S.D.T.)
| | - Sonia Di Tella
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (A.D.M.); (S.D.T.)
| | - Giulia Ciuffo
- CRIdee, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (G.C.); (P.D.B.); (C.I.)
| | - Paola Di Blasio
- CRIdee, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (G.C.); (P.D.B.); (C.I.)
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (A.D.M.); (S.D.T.)
| | - Chiara Ionio
- CRIdee, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (G.C.); (P.D.B.); (C.I.)
- Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 20123 Milan, Italy; (A.D.M.); (S.D.T.)
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13
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Staes N, Guevara EE, Helsen P, Eens M, Stevens JMG. The Pan social brain: An evolutionary history of neurochemical receptor genes and their potential impact on sociocognitive differences. J Hum Evol 2021; 152:102949. [PMID: 33578304 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2021.102949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Humans have unique cognitive capacities that, compared with apes, are not only simply expressed as a higher level of general intelligence, but also as a quantitative difference in sociocognitive skills. Humans' closest living relatives, bonobos (Pan paniscus), and chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), show key between-species differences in social cognition despite their close phylogenetic relatedness, with bonobos arguably showing greater similarities to humans. To better understand the evolution of these traits, we investigate the neurochemical mechanisms underlying sociocognitive skills by focusing on variation in genes encoding proteins with well-documented roles in mammalian social cognition: the receptors for vasopressin (AVPR1A), oxytocin (OXTR), serotonin (HTR1A), and dopamine (DRD2). Although these genes have been well studied in humans, little is known about variation in these genes that may underlie differences in social behavior and cognition in apes. We comparatively analyzed sequence data for 33 bonobos and 57 chimpanzees, together with orthologous sequence data for other apes. In all four genes, we describe genetic variants that alter the amino acid sequence of the respective receptors, raising the possibility that ligand binding or signal transduction may be impacted. Overall, bonobos show 57% more fixed substitutions than chimpanzees compared with the ancestral Pan lineage. Chimpanzees, show 31% more polymorphic coding variation, in line with their larger historical effective population size estimates and current wider distribution. An extensive literature review comparing allelic changes in Pan with known human behavioral variants revealed evidence of homologous evolution in bonobos and humans (OXTR rs4686301(T) and rs237897(A)), while humans and chimpanzees shared OXTR rs2228485(A), DRD2 rs6277(A), and DRD2 rs11214613(A) to the exclusion of bonobos. Our results offer the first in-depth comparison of neurochemical receptor gene variation in Pan and put forward new variants for future behavior-genotype association studies in apes, which can increase our understanding of the evolution of social cognition in modern humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicky Staes
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium; Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018, Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Elaine E Guevara
- Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, 130 Science Dr, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Philippe Helsen
- Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Koningin Astridplein 26, 2018, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Marcel Eens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Jeroen M G Stevens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Wilrijk, Belgium
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14
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Kovalaskas S, Rilling JK, Lindo J. Comparative analyses of the Pan lineage reveal selection on gene pathways associated with diet and sociality in bonobos. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2020; 20:e12715. [PMID: 33200560 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and bonobos (Pan paniscus) diverged into distinct species approximately 1.7 million years ago when the ancestors of modern-day bonobo populations were separated by the Congo River. This geographic boundary separates the two species today and the associated ecological factors, including resource distribution and feeding competition, have likely shaped the divergent social behavior of both species. The most striking behavioral differences pertain to between group interactions in which chimpanzees behave aggressively towards unfamiliar conspecifics, while bonobos display remarkable tolerance. Several hypotheses attempt to explain how different patterns of social behavior have come to exist in the two species, some with specific genetic predictions, likening the evolution of bonobos to a process of domestication. Here, we utilize 73 ape genomes and apply linkage haplotype homozygosity and structure informed allele frequency differentiation methods to identify positively selected regions in bonobos since their split from a common pan ancestor to better understand the environment and processes that resulted in the behavioral differences observed today. We find novel evidence of selection in genetic regions that aid in starch digestion (AMY2) along with support for two genetic predictions related to self-domestication processes hypothesized to have occurred in the bonobo. We also find evidence for selection on neuroendocrine pathways associated with social behavior including the oxytocin, serotonin, and gonadotropin releasing hormone pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Kovalaskas
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - James K Rilling
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.,Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - John Lindo
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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15
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Felix C, Rosano C, Zhu X, Flatt JD, Rosso AL. Greater Social Engagement and Greater Gray Matter Microstructural Integrity in Brain Regions Relevant to Dementia. J Gerontol B Psychol Sci Soc Sci 2020; 76:1027-1035. [PMID: 33219690 DOI: 10.1093/geronb/gbaa173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Social engagement (SE) may protect against cognitive decline in older adults. We estimate associations of SE with gray matter (GM) microstructure in regions of interest (ROI) relevant to social cognition, among community-dwelling older adults. METHOD Cross-sectional analysis of 293 Health ABC study participants who underwent 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging with diffusion tensor and free from cognitive impairment was conducted. Linear regression models tested associations between SE index (marital status, not living alone, social activities, work, and volunteering) and mean diffusivity (MD) of GM ROIs, adjusted for age, race, gender, and education. Hearing and activities of daily living (ADL) difficulties were tested as confounders. Effect modification by gender was tested with interaction terms and stratification by gender. RESULTS Higher SE was significantly related to lower MD (greater GM microstructural integrity) (shown as standardized estimate [p-value]) in left middle frontal gyrus-orbital part: -.168 (.005), left caudate nucleus: -.141 (.02), left temporal pole-middle temporal gyrus: -.136 (.03), right middle frontal gyrus: -.160 (.006), right superior frontal gyrus-orbital part: -.187 (.002), and right middle frontal gyrus-orbital part: -.124 (.04), when adjusted for demographic attributes. Associations were robust to adjustments for hearing or ADL difficulty. There was significant effect modification by gender for some ROIs, with associations only for females. DISCUSSION SE is related to greater microstructural integrity of specific GM regions relevant to social cognition, that have described roles in dementia. SE may therefore be a useful preventive mechanism against loss of GM integrity in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cynthia Felix
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Caterina Rosano
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Xiaonan Zhu
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| | - Jason D Flatt
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of Nevada Las Vegas
| | - Andrea L Rosso
- Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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16
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Abstract
Objective: The current study compared empathy and theory of mind (ToM) between children with ADHD and healthy controls, and assessed changes in ToM among children with ADHD following administration of methylphenidate (MPH). Method: Twenty-four children with ADHD (mean age = 10.3 years) were compared with 36 healthy controls. All children completed the interpersonal reactivity index (IRI), a self-reported empathy questionnaire, and performed the "faux-pas" recognition task (FPR). Children with ADHD performed the task with and without MPH. Results: Children with ADHD showed significantly lower levels of self-reported empathy on most IRI subscales. FPR scores were significantly lower in children with ADHD and were improved, following the administration of MPH, to a level equal to that found in healthy controls. Conclusion: Children with ADHD show impaired self-reported empathy and FPR when compared with healthy controls. Stimulants improve FPR in children with ADHD to a level equal to that in healthy controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hagai Maoz
- 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod Hasharon, Israel.,2 Tel Aviv University, Israel
| | - Hila Z Gvirts
- 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod Hasharon, Israel.,3 University of Haifa, Israel
| | - Maya Sheffer
- 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod Hasharon, Israel
| | - Yuval Bloch
- 1 Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod Hasharon, Israel.,2 Tel Aviv University, Israel
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17
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Dumontheil I, Kilford EJ, Blakemore SJ. Development of dopaminergic genetic associations with visuospatial, verbal and social working memory. Dev Sci 2019; 23:e12889. [PMID: 31336006 PMCID: PMC7064996 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Dopamine transmission in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) supports working memory (WM), the temporary holding, processing and manipulation of information in one's mind. The gene coding the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) enzyme, which degrades dopamine, in particular in the PFC, has a common single nucleotide polymorphism leading to two versions of the COMT enzyme which vary in their enzymatic activity. The methionine (Met) allele has been associated with higher WM performance and lower activation of the PFC in executive function tasks than the valine (Val) allele. In a previous study, COMT genotype was associated with performance on verbal and visuospatial WM tasks in adults, as well as with performance on a novel social WM paradigm that requires participants to maintain and manipulate information about the traits of their friends or family over a delay. Here, data collected in children and adolescents (N = 202) were compared to data from the adult sample (N = 131) to investigate possible age differences in genetic associations. Our results replicate and extend previous work showing that the pattern of superior WM performance observed in Met/Met adults emerges during development. These findings are consistent with a decrease in prefrontal dopamine levels during adolescence. Developmentally moderated genetic effects were observed for both visuospatial and social WM, even when controlling for non-social WM performance, suggesting that the maintenance and manipulation of social information may also recruit the dopamine neurotransmitter system. These findings show that development should be considered when trying to understand the impact of genetic polymorphisms on cognitive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iroise Dumontheil
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Emma J Kilford
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, London, UK
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18
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Caring helps: Trait empathy is related to better coping strategies and differs in the poor versus the rich. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0213142. [PMID: 30917144 PMCID: PMC6436718 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Coping has been extensively studied in health psychology; however, factors influencing the usage of different coping strategies have received limited attention. In five studies (N = 3702), we explored the relationship between trait empathy and coping strategies, and how subjective socioeconomic status (SES) moderates this relationship. In Studies 1–4, we found that people with higher level of empathic concern use more adaptive coping strategies, seek more social support, and use fewer maladaptive coping strategies. Moreover, higher trait empathy related to more adaptive coping strategies among the poor, and fewer maladaptive coping strategies among the rich. In Study 5, we tested the potential biological basis of the relationship between trait empathy and coping by examining the effect of the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR) rs53576 polymorphism on coping. We found that individuals with the GG phenotype—who in previous research have been found to be more empathic—were more likely to seek social support than AG or AA individuals. Furthermore, in line with findings in Studies 1–4, amongst people with low SES, individuals with GG genotype used more adaptive coping strategies than AG or AA individuals. Our results highlight the selective role trait empathy plays in influencing coping strategy deployment, depending on the SES of individuals.
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19
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Caldú X, Ottino-González J, Sánchez-Garre C, Hernan I, Tor E, Sender-Palacios MJ, Dreher JC, Garolera M, Jurado MÁ. Effect of the catechol-O-methyltransferase Val 158 Met polymorphism on theory of mind in obesity. EUROPEAN EATING DISORDERS REVIEW 2019; 27:401-409. [PMID: 30761671 DOI: 10.1002/erv.2665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2018] [Revised: 11/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Obesity is often accompanied with psychosocial adjustment problems, such as difficulties in social interactions and social withdrawal. A key aspect of social cognition is theory of mind, which allows inferring mental states, feelings, motivations, and beliefs of others and to use this information to predict their future behaviour. Theory of mind is highly dependent on prefrontal dopaminergic neurotransmission, which is regulated by catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) activity. We aimed at determining whether theory of mind is altered in obesity and if this ability is modulated by COMT. Fifty patients with obesity and 47 normal-weight individuals underwent the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, and the Vocabulary subscale of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. The genotype for the COMT Val 158 Met functional polymorphism was determined for all subjects. Patients with obesity obtained significantly lower scores in the negative items of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test than normal-weight subjects. Further, an interaction effect was observed between group and COMT genotype. Specifically, the presence of the Met allele was associated to a better identification of negative mental states only in patients with obesity. Our results indicate that obesity is accompanied with difficulties in theory of mind and that this ability is influenced by the COMT genotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xavier Caldú
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Jonatan Ottino-González
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Consuelo Sánchez-Garre
- Unitat d'Endocrinologia Pediàtrica, Departament de Pediatria, Hospital de Terrassa, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Imma Hernan
- Unitat de Genètica Molecular, Hospital de Terrassa, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - Encarnació Tor
- Centre d'atenció primària Terrassa Nord, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | | | - Jean-Claude Dreher
- Neuroeconomics, Reward and Decision Making Team, Cognitive Neuroscience Centre, CNRS UMR 5229, Bron, France.,Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Maite Garolera
- Unitat de Neuropsicologia, Hospital de Terrassa, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Terrassa, Spain
| | - María Ángeles Jurado
- Departament de Psicologia Clínica i Psicobiologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Neurociències, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut de Recerca Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
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20
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Social brain, social dysfunction and social withdrawal. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 97:10-33. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 132] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2017] [Revised: 05/31/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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21
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Dupong I, Guilmin-Crepon S, Hugo P. ADHD symptoms in a young patient with central diabetes insipidus. ATTENTION DEFICIT AND HYPERACTIVITY DISORDERS 2018; 10:317-320. [PMID: 30159702 DOI: 10.1007/s12402-018-0264-y] [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: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Diabetes insipidus is known to be associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. In this case report, we present a child suffering from a central diabetes insipidus (DI) and an attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The DI was due to a mutation on the vasopressin gene, impairing its secretion. We discuss the effects of this impairment on the central nervous system and how it might be linked to ADHD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Dupong
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France
| | - Sophie Guilmin-Crepon
- Clinical Epidemiology Unit and Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetology, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France
| | - Peyre Hugo
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Department, Robert Debré Hospital, 48 Boulevard Sérurier, 75019, Paris, France.
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22
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Luyten P, Fonagy P. The stress–reward–mentalizing model of depression: An integrative developmental cascade approach to child and adolescent depressive disorder based on the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) approach. Clin Psychol Rev 2018; 64:87-98. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2015] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 09/22/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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23
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Millenet SK, Nees F, Heintz S, Bach C, Frank J, Vollstädt-Klein S, Bokde A, Bromberg U, Büchel C, Quinlan EB, Desrivières S, Fröhner J, Flor H, Frouin V, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Ittermann B, Lemaire H, Martinot JL, Martinot MLP, Papadoulos DO, Paus T, Poustka L, Rietschel M, Smolka MN, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Banaschewski T, Hohmann S. COMT Val158Met Polymorphism and Social Impairment Interactively Affect Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Symptoms in Healthy Adolescents. Front Genet 2018; 9:284. [PMID: 30108607 PMCID: PMC6079264 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2018.00284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The dopaminergic system has been shown to have substantial effects on the etiology of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, while some studies found a significant direct effect, others did not. In this context, social behavior might play an important role as a factor that is related both to the dopaminergic system and ADHD. In a large epidemiological sample of adolescents (N = 462; 16-17 years), we assessed the level of ADHD symptoms using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, social behavior using the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the allelic distribution of the dopaminergic catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism. We found a significant association between COMT and social impairment, insofar as Met-allele carriers showed increased levels of social impairment. Moreover, social impairment significantly determined an association between COMT and ADHD (explained variance: 19.09%). This effect did not significantly differ between males and females. COMT and social impairment might interactively affect ADHD symptomatology, and could thus represent significant gene-phenotypic risk factors for ADHD symptomatology. This might have interesting implications for prevention and intervention strategies with a focus on social behavior in genetically at-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabina K. Millenet
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Stefan Heintz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christiane Bach
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Josef Frank
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sabine Vollstädt-Klein
- Department of Addictive Behavior and Addiction Medicine, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Uli Bromberg
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Erin B. Quinlan
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Juliane Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Vincent Frouin
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Bernd Ittermann
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Braunschweig Institute Berlin, Germany
| | - Herve Lemaire
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry,” Faculté de Médecine, Université Paris-Sud, Le Kremlin-Bicêtre; and Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry,” University Paris Sud – Paris Saclay, University Paris Descartes; Service Hospitalier Frédéric Joliot, Orsay; and Maison de Solenn, Paris, France
| | - Marie-Laure P. Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM Unit 1000 “Neuroimaging & Psychiatry,” University Paris Sud – Paris Saclay, University Paris Descartes; and AP-HP, Department of Adolescent Psychopathology and Medicine, Maison de Solenn, Cochin Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Tomáš Paus
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest Centre for Geriatric Care, Department of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Centre Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Marcella Rietschel
- Department of Genetic Epidemiology in Psychiatry, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine and MRC-SGDP Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
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Staes N, Bradley BJ, Hopkins WD, Sherwood CC. Genetic signatures of socio-communicative abilities in primates. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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Knoll AT, Jiang K, Levitt P. Quantitative trait locus mapping and analysis of heritable variation in affiliative social behavior and co-occurring traits. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 17:e12431. [PMID: 29052939 PMCID: PMC5910301 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 10/04/2017] [Accepted: 10/14/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Humans exhibit broad heterogeneity in affiliative social behavior. Twin and family studies show that individual differences in core dimensions of social behavior are heritable, yet there are knowledge gaps in understanding the underlying genetic and neurobiological mechanisms. Animal genetic reference panels (GRPs) provide a tractable strategy for examining the behavioral and genetic architecture of complex traits. Here, using males from 50 mouse strains from the BXD GRP, 4 domains of affiliative social behavior-social approach, social recognition, direct social interaction (DSI) (partner sniffing) and vocal communication-were examined in 2 widely used behavioral tasks-the 3-chamber and DSI tasks. There was continuous and broad variation in social and nonsocial traits, with moderate to high heritability of social approach sniff preference (0.31), ultrasonic vocalization (USV) count (0.39), partner sniffing (0.51), locomotor activity (0.54-0.66) and anxiety-like behavior (0.36). Principal component analysis shows that variation in social and nonsocial traits are attributable to 5 independent factors. Genome-wide mapping identified significant quantitative trait loci for USV count on chromosome (Chr) 18 and locomotor activity on Chr X, with suggestive loci and candidate quantitative trait genes identified for all traits with one notable exception-partner sniffing in the DSI task. The results show heritable variation in sociability, which is independent of variation in activity and anxiety-like traits. In addition, a highly heritable and ethological domain of affiliative sociability-partner sniffing-appears highly polygenic. These findings establish a basis for identifying functional natural variants, leading to a new understanding typical and atypical sociability.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. T. Knoll
- Program in Developmental NeurogeneticsInstitute for the Developing Mind, The Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCA
- Department of PediatricsKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCA
| | - K. Jiang
- Department of PediatricsKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCA
| | - P. Levitt
- Program in Developmental NeurogeneticsInstitute for the Developing Mind, The Saban Research Institute, Children’s Hospital Los AngelesLos AngelesCA
- Department of PediatricsKeck School of Medicine of the University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesCA
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Dubourg L, Vrticka P, Debbané M, Chambaz L, Eliez S, Schneider M. Neural correlates of socio-emotional perception in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. J Neurodev Disord 2018; 10:13. [PMID: 29631546 PMCID: PMC5891973 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-018-9232-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/23/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Social impairments are described as a common feature of the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS). However, the neural correlates underlying these impairments are largely unknown in this population. In this study, we investigated neural substrates of socio-emotional perception. Methods We used event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to explore neural activity in individuals with 22q11DS and healthy controls during the visualization of stimuli varying in social (social or non-social) or emotional (positive or negative valence) content. Results Neural hyporesponsiveness in regions of the default mode network (inferior parietal lobule, precuneus, posterior and anterior cingulate cortex and frontal regions) in response to social versus non-social images was found in the 22q11DS population compared to controls. A similar pattern of activation for positive and negative emotional processing was observed in the two groups. No correlation between neural activation and social functioning was observed in patients with the 22q11DS. Finally, no social × valence interaction impairment was found in patients. Conclusions Our results indicate atypical neural correlates of social perception in 22q11DS that appear to be independent of valence processing. Abnormalities in the social perception network may lead to social impairments observed in 22q11DS individuals. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s11689-018-9232-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Dubourg
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Chemin des mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Pascal Vrticka
- Department of Social Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Martin Debbané
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Chemin des mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland.,Developmental Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Léa Chambaz
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Chemin des mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Stephan Eliez
- Developmental Imaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Geneva, Campus Biotech, Chemin des mines 9, 1202, Geneva, Switzerland.,Department of Genetic Medicine and Development, School of Medicine, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Maude Schneider
- Center for Contextual Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences, Research Group Psychiatry, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Donadon MF, Martin-Santos R, Osório FDL. The Associations Between Oxytocin and Trauma in Humans: A Systematic Review. Front Pharmacol 2018; 9:154. [PMID: 29545749 PMCID: PMC5838009 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2018.00154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Studies have shown that traumatic experiences may affect hormonal systems mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the oxytocinergic system. This effect is the result of long-term impairments in hypothalamic structures and negative feedback mechanisms within the HPA axis, structures that mediate the response to stress. This deregulation reduces the production and release of cortisol and oxytocin (OXT), which may alter stress responses and lead to increased vulnerability to impairments from stressful experiences. The presence of gene polymorphisms might also have an impact on the vulnerability to psychopathology. We made a systematic review of articles dealing with the relationship between OXT and traumatic emotional experiences in humans. Thirty-five studies were reviewed and significant associations between experiences of emotional trauma (ET) and OXT were found. The main results showed that the presence of ET and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is strongly associated with reductions in endogenous OXT, and also that the acute effects of OXT administrations in individuals with ET tend to be anxiolytic only in less severe forms. In victims of recent traumatic experiences (RTE), OXT increased the re-experience of traumas and restored the function of different neural networks associated with fear control/extinction in PTSD patients. The results available also suggest that gene receptor polymorphisms may have a protective function in different outcomes after the experience of traumatic events. We conclude that the relationship between ET and OXT is multifaceted, complex, and mediated by contextual and individual factors. Directions for future studies are suggested considering the gaps in the available literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariana Fortunata Donadon
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rocio Martin-Santos
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Hospital Clínic, Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Centro de Investigación en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Barcelona, Spain.,Department of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasília, Brazil
| | - Flávia de Lima Osório
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Technology Institute for Translational Medicine (INCT), National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq), Brasília, Brazil
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Ko J. Neuroanatomical Substrates of Rodent Social Behavior: The Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Its Projection Patterns. Front Neural Circuits 2017; 11:41. [PMID: 28659766 PMCID: PMC5468389 DOI: 10.3389/fncir.2017.00041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 05/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Social behavior encompasses a number of distinctive and complex constructs that form the core elements of human imitative culture, mainly represented as either affiliative or antagonistic interactions with conspecifics. Traditionally considered in the realm of psychology, social behavior research has benefited from recent advancements in neuroscience that have accelerated identification of the neural systems, circuits, causative genes and molecular mechanisms that underlie distinct social cognitive traits. In this review article, I summarize recent findings regarding the neuroanatomical substrates of key social behaviors, focusing on results from experiments conducted in rodent models. In particular, I will review the role of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and downstream subcortical structures in controlling social behavior, and discuss pertinent future research perspectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaewon Ko
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science and Technology (DGIST)Daegu, South Korea
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Mariath LM, Silva AMD, Kowalski TW, Gattino GS, Araujo GAD, Figueiredo FG, Tagliani-Ribeiro A, Roman T, Vianna FSL, Schuler-Faccini L, Schuch JB. Music genetics research: Association with musicality of a polymorphism in the AVPR1A gene. Genet Mol Biol 2017; 40:421-429. [PMID: 28534928 PMCID: PMC5488451 DOI: 10.1590/1678-4685-gmb-2016-0021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Musicality is defined as a natural tendency, sensibility, knowledge, or talent to
create, perceive, and play music. Musical abilities involve a great range of social
and cognitive behaviors, which are influenced by both environmental and genetic
factors. Although a number of studies have yielded insights into music genetics
research, genes and biological pathways related to these traits are not fully
understood. Our hypothesis in the current study is that genes associated with
different behaviors could also influence the musical phenotype. Our aim was to
investigate whether polymorphisms in six genes (AVPR1A, SLC6A4, ITGB3, COMT, DRD2 and
DRD4) related to social and cognitive traits are associated with musicality in a
sample of children. Musicality was assessed through an individualized music therapy
assessment profile (IMTAP) which has been validated in Brazil to measure musical
ability. We show here that the RS1 microsatellite of the AVPR1A gene is nominally
associated with musicality, corroborating previous results linking AVPR1A with
musical activity. This study is one of the first to investigate musicality in a
comprehensive way, and it contributes to better understand the genetic basis
underlying musical ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza Monteavaro Mariath
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Mauat da Silva
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Thayne Woycinck Kowalski
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Schulz Gattino
- Programa de Pos-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e Adolescente, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Gustavo Andrade de Araujo
- Programa de Pos-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e Adolescente, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Felipe Grahl Figueiredo
- Programa de Pos-Graduação em Saúde da Criança e Adolescente, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Alice Tagliani-Ribeiro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Tatiana Roman
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Sales Luiz Vianna
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Lavínia Schuler-Faccini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
| | - Jaqueline Bohrer Schuch
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Genética, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil
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Oxytocin effects in schizophrenia: Reconciling mixed findings and moving forward. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 80:36-56. [PMID: 28506922 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2016] [Revised: 05/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe mental illness that causes major functional impairment. Current pharmacologic treatments are inadequate, particularly for addressing negative and cognitive symptoms of the disorder. Oxytocin, a neuropeptide known to moderate social behaviors, has been investigated as a potential therapeutic for schizophrenia in recent years. Results have been decidedly mixed, leading to controversy regarding oxytocin's utility. In this review, we outline several considerations for interpreting the extant literature and propose a focused agenda for future work that builds on the most compelling findings regarding oxytocin effects in schizophrenia to date. Specifically, we examine underlying causes of heterogeneity in randomized clinical trials (RCTs) conducted thus far and highlight the complexity of the human oxytocin system. We then review evidence of oxytocin's effects on specific deficits in schizophrenia, arguing for further study using objective, precise outcome measures in order to determine whether oxytocin has the potential to improve functional impairment in schizophrenia.
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Peñagarikano O. Oxytocin in animal models of autism spectrum disorder. Dev Neurobiol 2017; 77:202-213. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2016] [Revised: 07/30/2016] [Accepted: 09/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Olga Peñagarikano
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine; University of the Basque Country; Sarriena s/n Leioa 48940 Spain
- Center for Biomedical Research Network in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), ISCIII; Spain
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Raab K, Kirsch P, Mier D. Understanding the impact of 5-HTTLPR, antidepressants, and acute tryptophan depletion on brain activation during facial emotion processing: A review of the imaging literature. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:176-197. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2016] [Revised: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 08/26/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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Schneider-Hassloff H, Straube B, Jansen A, Nuscheler B, Wemken G, Witt SH, Rietschel M, Kircher T. Oxytocin receptor polymorphism and childhood social experiences shape adult personality, brain structure and neural correlates of mentalizing. Neuroimage 2016; 134:671-684. [PMID: 27109357 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The oxytocin system is involved in human social behavior and social cognition such as attachment, emotion recognition and mentalizing (i.e. the ability to represent mental states of oneself and others). It is shaped by social experiences in early life, especially by parent-infant interactions. The single nucleotid polymorphism rs53576 in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene has been linked to social behavioral phenotypes. METHOD In 195 adult healthy subjects we investigated the interaction of OXTR rs53576 and childhood attachment security (CAS) on the personality traits "adult attachment style" and "alexithymia" (i.e. emotional self-awareness), on brain structure (voxel-based morphometry) and neural activation (fMRI) during an interactive mentalizing paradigm (prisoner's dilemma game; subgroup: n=163). RESULTS We found that in GG-homozygotes, but not in A-allele carriers, insecure childhood attachment is - in adulthood - associated with a) higher attachment-related anxiety and alexithymia, b) higher brain gray matter volume of left amygdala and lower volumes in right superior parietal lobule (SPL), left temporal pole (TP), and bilateral frontal regions, and c) higher mentalizing-related neural activity in bilateral TP and precunei, and right middle and superior frontal gyri. Interaction effects of genotype and CAS on brain volume and/or function were associated with individual differences in alexithymia and attachment-related anxiety. Interactive effects were in part sexually dimorphic. CONCLUSION The interaction of OXTR genotype and CAS modulates adult personality as well as brain structure and function of areas implicated in salience processing and mentalizing. Rs53576 GG-homozygotes are partially more susceptible to childhood attachment experiences than A-allele carriers.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Schneider-Hassloff
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany.
| | - B Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - A Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - B Nuscheler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - G Wemken
- Institute of Psychology, Social Psychology, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
| | - S H Witt
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - M Rietschel
- Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - T Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps University Marburg, Germany
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Abstract
Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous, debilitating disorder characterized by three distinct sets of clinical features: positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive deficits. Extant antipsychotic drugs have been most successful at treating the positive symptoms of patients with schizophrenia but have minimal therapeutic effects on negative symptoms and cognitive deficits, which are the symptoms that best predict the poor prognosis of these patients. Therefore, there has been a major effort towards identifying compounds that alleviate these symptoms. Oxytocin (OT) is a nonapeptide that regulates peripheral reproductive-relevant functions, and also acts as a neurotransmitter in the brain. Converging evidence from both preclinical and clinical research suggests that OT may have therapeutic efficacy for the positive symptoms, negative symptoms, and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. In the majority of the small, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials conducted to date, OT has shown particular promise in its potential to treat the intractable negative symptoms and social cognitive deficits exhibited by most of the patients with this debilitating disorder. In this leading article, we summarize the clinical evidence relevant to (1) endogenous OT and schizophrenia, and (2) the putative therapeutic effects of OT on each of the three clinical domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D Shilling
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - David Feifel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego Medical Center, 200 West Arbor Drive, San Diego, CA, 92103-8218, USA.
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Social cognition and brain morphology: implications for developmental brain dysfunction. Brain Imaging Behav 2016; 9:264-74. [PMID: 24788335 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-014-9304-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The social-cognitive deficits associated with several neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders have been linked to structural and functional brain anomalies. Given the recent appreciation for quantitative approaches to behavior, in this study we examined the brain-behavior links in social cognition in healthy young adults from a quantitative approach. Twenty-two participants were administered quantitative measures of social cognition, including the social responsiveness scale (SRS), the empathizing questionnaire (EQ) and the systemizing questionnaire (SQ). Participants underwent a structural, 3-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure that yielded both volumetric (voxel count) and asymmetry indices. Model fitting with backward elimination revealed that a combination of cortical, limbic and striatal regions accounted for significant variance in social behavior and cognitive styles that are typically associated with neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric disorders. Specifically, as caudate and amygdala volumes deviate from the typical R > L asymmetry, and cortical gray matter becomes more R > L asymmetrical, overall SRS and Emotion Recognition scores increase. Social Avoidance was explained by a combination of cortical gray matter, pallidum (rightward asymmetry) and caudate (deviation from rightward asymmetry). Rightward asymmetry of the pallidum was the sole predictor of Interpersonal Relationships and Repetitive Mannerisms. Increased D-scores on the EQ-SQ, an indication of greater systemizing relative to empathizing, was also explained by deviation from the typical R > L asymmetry of the caudate.These findings extend the brain-behavior links observed in neurodevelopmental disorders to the normal distribution of traits in a healthy sample.
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Mileva-Seitz VR, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, van IJzendoorn MH. Genetic mechanisms of parenting. Horm Behav 2016; 77:211-23. [PMID: 26112881 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/17/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Parental Care". The complexities of parenting behavior in humans have been studied for decades. Only recently did we begin to probe the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying these complexities. Much of the research in this field continues to be informed by animal studies, where genetic manipulations and invasive tools allow to peek into and directly observe the brain during the expression of maternal behavior. In humans, studies of adult twins who are parents can suggest dimensions of parenting that might be more amenable to a genetic influence. Candidate gene studies can test specific genes in association with parental behavior based on prior knowledge of those genes' function. Gene-by-environment interactions of a specific kind indicating differential susceptibility to the environment might explain why some parents are more resilient and others are more vulnerable to stressful life events. Epigenetic studies can provide the bridge often necessary to explain why some individuals behave differently from others despite common genetic influences. There is a much-needed expansion in parenting research to include not only mothers as the focus-as has been the case almost exclusively to date-but also fathers, grandparents, and other caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viara R Mileva-Seitz
- Center for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, PO Box 2060, 3000 CB Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
| | | | - Marinus H van IJzendoorn
- Center for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, PO Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands; School of Pedagogical and Educational Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, PO Box 1738, 3000 DR Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Yildirim BO, Derksen JJL. Mesocorticolimbic dopamine functioning in primary psychopathy: A source of within-group heterogeneity. Psychiatry Res 2015; 229:633-77. [PMID: 26277034 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 07/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Despite similar emotional deficiencies, primary psychopathic individuals can be situated on a continuum that spans from controlled to disinhibited. The constructs on which primary psychopaths are found to diverge, such as self-control, cognitive flexibility, and executive functioning, are crucially regulated by dopamine (DA). As such, the goal of this review is to examine which specific alterations in the meso-cortico-limbic DA system and corresponding genes (e.g., TH, DAT, COMT, DRD2, DRD4) might bias development towards a more controlled or disinhibited expression of primary psychopathy. Based on empirical data, it is argued that primary psychopathy is generally related to a higher tonic and population activity of striatal DA neurons and lower levels of D2-type DA receptors in meso-cortico-limbic projections, which may boost motivational drive towards incentive-laden goals, dampen punishment sensitivity, and increase future reward-expectancy. However, increasingly higher levels of DA activity in the striatum (moderate versus pathological elevations), lower levels of DA functionality in the prefrontal cortex, and higher D1-to-D2-type receptor ratios in meso-cortico-limbic projections may lead to increasingly disinhibited and impetuous phenotypes of primary psychopathy. Finally, in order to provide a more coherent view on etiological mechanisms, we discuss interactions between DA and serotonin that are relevant for primary psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bariş O Yildirim
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University Nijmegen, De Kluyskamp 1002, 6545 JD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jan J L Derksen
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Room: A.07.04B, Radboud University Nijmegen, Montessorilaan 3, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Ehrhardt A, Wang B, Leung MJ, Schrader JW. Absence of M-Ras modulates social behavior in mice. BMC Neurosci 2015; 16:68. [PMID: 26490652 PMCID: PMC4618870 DOI: 10.1186/s12868-015-0209-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The molecular mechanisms that determine social behavior are poorly understood. Pheromones play a critical role in social recognition in most animals, including mice, but how these are converted into behavioral responses is largely unknown. Here, we report that the absence of the small GTPase M-Ras affects social behavior in mice. Results In their interactions with other males, Mras−/− males exhibited high levels of territorial aggression and social investigations, and increased fear-related behavior. They also showed increased mating behavior with females. Curiously, increased aggression and mating behaviors were only observed when Mras−/− males were paired with Mras−/− partners, but were significantly reduced when paired with wild-type (WT) mice. Since mice use pheromonal cues to identify other individuals, we explored the possibility that pheromone detection may be altered in Mras−/− mice. Unlike WT mice, Mras−/− did not show a preference for exploring unfamiliar urinary pheromones or unfamiliar isogenic mice. Although this could indicate that vomeronasal function and/or olfactory learning may be compromised in Mras−/− mice, these observations were not fully consistent with the differential behavioral responses to WT and Mras−/− interaction partners by Mras−/− males. In addition, induction of c-fos upon pheromone exposure or in response to mating was similar in WT and Mras−/− mice, as was the ex vivo expansion of neural progenitors with EGF. This indicated that acute pheromone detection and processing was likely intact. However, urinary metabolite profiles differed between Mras−/− and WT males. Conclusions The changes in behaviors displayed by Mras−/− mice are likely due to a complex combination of factors that may include an inherent predisposition to increased aggression and sexual behavior, and the production of distinct pheromones that could override the preference for unfamiliar social odors. Olfactory and/or social learning processes may thus be compromised in Mras−/− mice. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12868-015-0209-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annette Ehrhardt
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2222 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Bin Wang
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2222 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Marie J Leung
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2222 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - John W Schrader
- The Biomedical Research Centre, University of British Columbia, 2222 Health Sciences Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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Abstract
Network perspectives, in their emphasis on components and their interactions, might afford the best approach to the complexities of the ASD realm. Categorical approaches are unlikely to be fruitful as one should not expect to find a single or even predominant underlying cause of autism behavior across individuals. It is possible that the complex, highly interactive, heterogeneous and individualistic nature of the autism realm is intractable in terms of identifying clinically useful biomarker tests. It is hopeful from an emergenic perspective that small corrective changes in a single component of a deleterious network/configuration might have large beneficial consequences on developmental trajectories and in later treatment. It is suggested that the relationship between ASD and intellectual disability might be fundamentally different in single-gene versus nonsyndromic ASD. It is strongly stated that available biomarker "tests" for autism/ASD will do more harm than good. Finally, the serotonin-melatonin-oxidative stress-placental intersection might be an especially fruitful area of biological investigation.
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Abstract
Social relationships are central to human life and are underpinned by the social interactions that constitute them. Both the behavioral sequences and the quality of these interactions vary significantly from individual to individual and conversation to conversation. This makes it difficult to understand the mechanisms that cause individual differences in social behavior and how such differences affect social outcomes. In order to gain insight into this problem, research must involve the study of real social interactions in parallel with experimental laboratory work. The aim of this review is to present three challenges in the study of face-to-face social behavior and to review results that have begun to address the question of how individual differences predict social behavior, which in turn determines social outcomes. Importantly, this review demonstrates that natural social behavior can be used as an outcome variable in experimental settings, making it possible to examine the mechanisms that drive social behavior and individual differences therein.
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Ben-Israel S, Uzefovsky F, Ebstein RP, Knafo-Noam A. Dopamine D4 receptor polymorphism and sex interact to predict children's affective knowledge. Front Psychol 2015; 6:846. [PMID: 26157401 PMCID: PMC4477057 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Affective knowledge, the ability to understand others' emotional states, is considered to be a fundamental part in efficient social interaction. Affective knowledge can be seen as related to cognitive empathy, and in the framework of theory of mind (ToM) as affective ToM. Previous studies found that cognitive empathy and ToM are heritable, yet little is known regarding the specific genes involved in individual variability in affective knowledge. Investigating the genetic basis of affective knowledge is important for understanding brain mechanisms underlying socio-cognitive abilities. The 7-repeat (7R) allele within the third exon of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4-III) has been a focus of interest, due to accumulated knowledge regarding its relevance to individual differences in social behavior. A recent study suggests that an interaction between the DRD4-III polymorphism and sex is associated with cognitive empathy among adults. We aimed to examine the same association in two childhood age groups. Children (N = 280, age 3.5 years, N = 283, age 5 years) participated as part of the Longitudinal Israel Study of Twins. Affective knowledge was assessed through children's responses to an illustrated story describing different emotional situations, told in a laboratory setting. The findings suggest a significant interaction between sex and the DRD4-III polymorphism, replicated in both age groups. Boy carriers of the 7R allele had higher affective knowledge scores than girls, whereas in the absence of the 7R there was no significant sex effect on affective knowledge. The results support the importance of DRD4-III polymorphism and sex differences to social development. Possible explanations for differences from adult findings are discussed, as are pathways for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharon Ben-Israel
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem, Israel ; Department of Psychology, Academic College of Tel Aviv-Yaffo Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem, Israel ; Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge Cambridge, UK
| | - Richard P Ebstein
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ariel Knafo-Noam
- Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem Jerusalem, Israel
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Desjardins JK, Becker L, Fernald RD. The effect of observers on behavior and the brain during aggressive encounters. Behav Brain Res 2015; 292:174-83. [PMID: 26097004 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2015] [Revised: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
What effect does an audience have on an animal's behavior and where is this influence registered in the brain? To answer these questions, we analyzed male cichlid fish fighting in the presence of audiences of various compositions and measured expression of immediate early genes in the brain as a proxy for neural activity. We hypothesized their behavior would change depending on who was watching them. We measured behavioral responses from both the "watchers" and the "watched" during aggressive encounters and found that males fighting in the presence of an audience were more aggressive than males fighting without an audience. Depending on the nature of the audience, immediate early gene expression in key brain nuclei was differentially influenced. Both when an audience of larger males watched fighting males, and when they were watching larger males fighting, nuclei in the brain considered homologous with mammalian nuclei known to be associated with anxiety showed increased activity. When males were in the presence of any audience or when males saw any other males fighting, nuclei in the brain known to be involved in reproduction and aggression were differentially activated relative to control animals. In all cases, there was a close relationship between patterns of brain gene expression between fighters and observers. This suggests that the network of brain regions known as the social behavior network, common across vertebrates, are activated not only in association with the expression of social behavior but also by the reception of social information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie K Desjardins
- Department of Biology Gilbert Building, Rm. 316 Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA
| | - Lisa Becker
- Department of Biology Gilbert Building, Rm. 316 Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA
| | - Russell D Fernald
- Department of Biology Gilbert Building, Rm. 316 Stanford University Stanford, CA 94305-5020, USA.
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Alfimova MV, Golimbet VE, Korovaitseva GI, Abramova LI, Kaleda VG. Association between serotonin receptor 2C gene Cys23Ser polymorphism and social behavior in schizophrenia patients and healthy individuals. RUSS J GENET+ 2015. [DOI: 10.1134/s1022795415010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Edelson MG, Shemesh M, Weizman A, Yariv S, Sharot T, Dudai Y. Opposing effects of oxytocin on overt compliance and lasting changes to memory. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:966-73. [PMID: 25308350 PMCID: PMC4330510 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Revised: 09/28/2014] [Accepted: 10/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
From infancy we learn to comply with societal norms. However, overt compliance is not necessarily accompanied by a change in internal beliefs. The neuromodulatory processes underlying these different phenomena are not yet understood. Here, we test the role of oxytocin in controlling overt compliance versus internalization of information delivered by a social source. After intranasal oxytocin administration, participants showed enhanced compliance to the erroneous opinion of others. However, this expression was coupled with a decrease in the influence of others on long-term memories. Our data suggest that this dissociation may result from reduced conflict in the face of social pressure, which increases immediate conforming behavior, but reduces processing required for deep encoding. These findings reveal a neurobiological control system that oppositely affects internalization and overt compliance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Micah G Edelson
- Department of Neurobiology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel,Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Neurobiology department Weizmann institute, 234 Herzl St, Rehovot, Select state/region 7610001, Israel, Tel: +972 8 934 3711, Fax: +972 8 946 9244, E-mail:
| | - Maya Shemesh
- Department of Neurobiology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Abraham Weizman
- Research Unit, Geha Mental Health Center and Felsenstein Medical Research Center, Beilinson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel,Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shahak Yariv
- Department of Neurobiology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel,Department of Psychiatry, Haemek General Hospital, Afula, Israel
| | - Tali Sharot
- Department of Cognitive Perceptual and Brain Science, University College London, London, UK
| | - Yadin Dudai
- Department of Neurobiology, the Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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Kantojärvi K, Oikkonen J, Kotala I, Kallela J, Vanhala R, Onkamo P, Järvelä I. Association and Promoter Analysis of AVPR1A in Finnish Autism Families. Autism Res 2015; 8:634-9. [PMID: 25707602 DOI: 10.1002/aur.1473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 01/11/2015] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The arginine vasopressin receptor 1A gene (AVPR1A) is known to affect social communication and has been reported to associate with autism in several studies. Given that the microsatellite RS1 and a few SNPs in the promoter region of the AVPR1A have repeatedly associated with several traits, including autism it is rather surprising that the molecular explanation for these associations has remained unknown, although it has been reported that the allele length of the AVPR1A microsatellites might affect disease risk. Here we carried out an extended association analysis of three microsatellites and 12 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in and around the AVPR1A gene in 205 Finnish families followed by promoter analysis. FBAT version v2.0.3 was used for family-based genetic association analyses of AVPR1A microsatellites and SNPs. The nearby microsatellite RS1 was found to harbor the best association. Interestingly, there are two potentially relevant transcription factor (TF) binding sites at RS1: for MEF2C and PBX, predicted with the Match algorithm in the TRANSFAC database. Sequence variations changing the affinity of these TFs might partly explain the AVPR1A promoter region associations shown in autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katri Kantojärvi
- From the Department of Medical Genetics, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jaana Oikkonen
- From the Department of Medical Genetics, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilona Kotala
- From the Department of Medical Genetics, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jenni Kallela
- From the Department of Medical Genetics, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raija Vanhala
- The Department of Child Neurology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland (R.V.)
| | - Päivi Onkamo
- Department of Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Irma Järvelä
- From the Department of Medical Genetics, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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48
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Wade M, Hoffmann TJ, Jenkins JM. Association between the arginine vasopressin receptor 1A (AVPR1A) gene and preschoolers’ executive functioning. Brain Cogn 2014; 90:116-23. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2014.06.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2013] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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Cents RAM, Kok R, Tiemeier H, Lucassen N, Székely E, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Hofman A, Jaddoe VWV, van IJzendoorn MH, Verhulst FC, Lambregtse-van den Berg MP. Variations in maternal 5-HTTLPR affect observed sensitive parenting. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2014; 55:1025-32. [PMID: 24484301 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2013] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Little is known about the genetic determinants of sensitive parenting. Two earlier studies examined the effect of the serotonin transporter polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) on sensitive parenting, but reported opposite results. In a large cohort we further examined whether 5-HTTLPR is a predictor of observed maternal sensitivity and whether observed child social fearfulness moderates the effect of 5-HTTLPR on maternal sensitivity. METHODS The population-based cohort consisted of 767 mother-child dyads. Maternal sensitivity was repeatedly observed at the child's age of 14 months, 36 months and 48 months. Sensitivity was coded using the Ainsworth's rating scales for sensitivity and cooperation and the revised Erickson rating scales for Supportive presence and Intrusiveness. Child social fearfulness was observed using the Stranger Approach episode of the Laboratory Temperament Assessment Battery at 36 months. RESULTS Repeated measurement analyses showed a consistent main effect of maternal 5-HTTLPR on sensitivity; mothers carrying the S-allele were more sensitive toward their children (p = .005). This effect was not explained by the child's 5-HTTLPR genotype. We found no evidence that child social fearfulness moderated the effect of 5-HTTLPR on sensitivity. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that variations in maternal 5-HTTLPR genotype appear to be involved in the etiology of parenting behavior. The observed effects of this genetic variation are consistent with the notion that parenting may have a genetic component, but large studies are needed to find the specific small molecular effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rolieke A M Cents
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC-University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC-University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
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Oxytocin and vasopressin support distinct configurations of social synchrony. Brain Res 2014; 1580:124-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2013.10.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 10/23/2013] [Accepted: 10/27/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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