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Viejo-Romero M, Whalley HC, Shen X, Stolicyn A, Smith DJ, Howard DM. An epidemiological study of season of birth, mental health, and neuroimaging in the UK Biobank. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300449. [PMID: 38776272 PMCID: PMC11111058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposures during the perinatal period are known to have a long-term effect on adult physical and mental health. One such influential environmental exposure is the time of year of birth which affects the amount of daylight, nutrients, and viral load that an individual is exposed to within this key developmental period. Here, we investigate associations between season of birth (seasonality), four mental health traits (n = 137,588) and multi-modal neuroimaging measures (n = 33,212) within the UK Biobank. Summer births were associated with probable recurrent Major Depressive Disorder (β = 0.026, pcorr = 0.028) and greater mean cortical thickness in temporal and occipital lobes (β = 0.013 to 0.014, pcorr<0.05). Winter births were associated with greater white matter integrity globally, in the association fibers, thalamic radiations, and six individual tracts (β = -0.013 to -0.022, pcorr<0.05). Results of sensitivity analyses adjusting for birth weight were similar, with an additional association between winter birth and white matter microstructure in the forceps minor and between summer births, greater cingulate thickness and amygdala volume. Further analyses revealed associations between probable depressive phenotypes and a range of neuroimaging measures but a paucity of interactions with seasonality. Our results suggest that seasonality of birth may affect later-life brain structure and play a role in lifetime recurrent Major Depressive Disorder. Due to the small effect sizes observed, and the lack of associations with other mental health traits, further research is required to validate birth season effects in the context of different latitudes, and by co-examining genetic and epigenetic measures to reveal informative biological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Viejo-Romero
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Heather C. Whalley
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xueyi Shen
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Aleks Stolicyn
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J. Smith
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David M. Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Institute of Psychiatry, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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2
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Takahashi T, Sasabayashi D, Takayanagi Y, Kobayashi H, Torigoe M, Sakamoto K, Yuasa Y, Tsujii N, Noguchi K, Suzuki M. Birth season and gross brain morphology associated with early neurodevelopment in schizophrenia spectrum patients and healthy subjects. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2023; 335:111714. [PMID: 37690160 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2023.111714] [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: 05/02/2023] [Revised: 08/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
This MRI study examined the effects of birth seasons on gross brain characteristics, such as the prevalence/size of midline brain structures (cavum septi pellucidi and adhesio interthalamica), orbitofrontal surface morphology, and insular gross anatomy, in 135 patients with schizophrenia, 47 with schizotypal disorder, and 88 healthy controls. Birth seasons only affected the insular anatomy. Summer-born subjects (N = 110) were characterized by more developed left insular gyri than winter-born subjects; however, this effect had no diagnostic specificity. The present results do not support birth seasons affecting the neurodevelopmental pathology of schizophrenia spectrum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Takahashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan.
| | - Daiki Sasabayashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yoichiro Takayanagi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan; Arisawabashi Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Haruko Kobayashi
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Misako Torigoe
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kazumi Sakamoto
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan
| | - Yusuke Yuasa
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Noa Tsujii
- Department of Child Mental Health and Development, Toyama University Hospital, Toyama, Japan
| | - Kyo Noguchi
- Department of Radiology, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan
| | - Michio Suzuki
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan; Research Center for Idling Brain Science, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
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Schaub N, Ammann N, Conring F, Müller T, Federspiel A, Wiest R, Hoepner R, Stegmayer K, Walther S. Effect of Season of Birth on Hippocampus Volume in a Transdiagnostic Sample of Patients With Depression and Schizophrenia. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:877461. [PMID: 35769255 PMCID: PMC9234120 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.877461] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Psychiatric disorders share an excess of seasonal birth in winter and spring, suggesting an increase of neurodevelopmental risks. Evidence suggests season of birth can serve as a proxy of harmful environmental factors. Given that prenatal exposure of these factors may trigger pathologic processes in the neurodevelopment, they may consequently lead to brain volume alterations. Here we tested the effects of season of birth on gray matter volume in a transdiagnostic sample of patients with schizophrenia and depression compared to healthy controls (n = 192). We found a significant effect of season of birth on gray matter volume with reduced right hippocampal volume in summer-born compared to winter-born patients with depression. In addition, the volume of the right hippocampus was reduced independent from season of birth in schizophrenia. Our results support the potential impact of season of birth on hippocampal volume in depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nora Schaub
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Nina Ammann
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Frauke Conring
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Thomas Müller
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Federspiel
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Roland Wiest
- Support Center of Advanced Neuroimaging (SCAN), Inselspital, University Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Robert Hoepner
- Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital and University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Katharina Stegmayer
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Katharina Stegmayer,
| | - Sebastian Walther
- Translational Research Center, University Hospital of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Bern, Switzerland
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Waszczuk K, Tyburski E, Rek-Owodziń K, Plichta P, Rudkowski K, Podwalski P, Bielecki M, Mak M, Bober A, Misiak B, Sagan L, Michalczyk A, Kucharska-Mazur J, Samochowiec J. Relationship between White Matter Alterations and Pathophysiological Symptoms in Patients with Ultra-High Risk of Psychosis, First-Episode, and Chronic Schizophrenia. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12030354. [PMID: 35326310 PMCID: PMC8946295 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Some symptoms of schizophrenia might be present before full-blown psychosis, so white matter changes must be studied both in individuals with emerging psychosis and chronic schizophrenia. A total of 86 patients—12 ultra-high risk of psychosis (UHR), 20 first episode psychosis (FEP), 54 chronic schizophrenia (CS), and 33 healthy controls (HC)—underwent psychiatric examination and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in a 3-Tesla MRI scanner. We assessed fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) of the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) and inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILS). We found that CS patients had lower FA than FEP patients (p = 0.025) and HC (p = 0.088), and higher MD than HC (p = 0.037) in the right SLF. In the CS group, we found positive correlations of MD in both right ILF (rho = 0.39, p < 0.05) and SLF (rho = 0.43, p < 0.01) with disorganization symptoms, as well as negative correlation of FA in the right ILF with disorganization symptoms (rho = −0.43, p < 0.05). Among UHR individuals, we found significant negative correlations between MD in the left ILF and negative (r = −0.74, p < 0.05) and general symptoms (r = −0.77, p < 0.05). However promising, these findings should be treated as preliminary, and further research must verify whether they can be treated as potential biomarkers of psychosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Waszczuk
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Ernest Tyburski
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Katarzyna Rek-Owodziń
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Piotr Plichta
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Rudkowski
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Piotr Podwalski
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Maksymilian Bielecki
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Monika Mak
- Department of Health Psychology, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Adrianna Bober
- Institute of Psychology, University of Szczecin, Krakowska 69 Street, 71-017 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Błażej Misiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Division of Consultation Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Wroclaw Medical University, 50-367 Wroclaw, Poland
| | - Leszek Sagan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Unii Lubelskiej 1 Street, 71-252 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Anna Michalczyk
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jolanta Kucharska-Mazur
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
| | - Jerzy Samochowiec
- Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, Broniewskiego 26 Street, 71-460 Szczecin, Poland
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Saoud H, Kereselidze E, Eybrard S, Louilot A. MK-801-induced behavioral and dopaminergic responses in the shell part of the nucleus accumbens in adult male rats are disrupted after neonatal blockade of the ventral subiculum. Neurochem Int 2021; 150:105195. [PMID: 34582961 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuint.2021.105195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The present study was conducted in the context of animal modeling of schizophrenia. It investigated in adult male rats, after transient neonatal blockade of the ventral subiculum (VSub), the impact of a very specific non-competitive antagonist of NMDA receptors (MK-801) on locomotor activity and dopaminergic (DAergic) responses in the dorsomedial shell part of the nucleus accumbens (Nacc), a striatal subregion described as the common target region for antipsychotics. The functional neonatal inactivation of the VSub was achieved by local microinjection of tetrodotoxin (TTX) at postnatal day 8 (PND8). Control pups were microinjected with the solvent phosphate buffered saline (PBS). Locomotor responses and DAergic variations in the dorsomedial shell part of the Nacc were measured simultaneously using in vivo voltammetry in awake, freely moving male animals after sc administration of MK-801. The following results were obtained: 1) a dose-dependent increase in locomotor activity in PBS and TTX animals, greater in TTX rats/PBS rats; and 2) divergent DAergic responses for PBS and TTX animals. A decrease in DA levels with a return to around basal values was observed in PBS animals. An increase in DA levels was obtained in TTX animals. The present data suggest that neonatal blockade of the VSub results in disruption in NMDA glutamatergic transmission, causing a disturbance in DA release in the dorsomedial shell in adults male rats. In the context of animal modeling of schizophrenia using the same approach it would be interesting to investigate possible changes in postsynaptic NMDA receptors-related proteins in the dorsomedial shell region in the Nacc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hana Saoud
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U 1114, Faculty of Medicine, FMTS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Elora Kereselidze
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U 1114, Faculty of Medicine, FMTS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Séverine Eybrard
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U 1114, Faculty of Medicine, FMTS, Strasbourg, France
| | - Alain Louilot
- University of Strasbourg, INSERM U 1114, Faculty of Medicine, FMTS, Strasbourg, France.
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6
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Levitan RD, Sqapi M, Atkinson L, Murphy K, Levitt A, Bocking A, Post M, Knight JA, Matthews SG. Seasonality of plasma tryptophan and kynurenine in pregnant mothers with a history of seasonal affective disorder: Vulnerability or adaptation? World J Biol Psychiatry 2020; 21:529-538. [PMID: 32462949 DOI: 10.1080/15622975.2020.1769189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Objectives: Maternal-foetal tryptophan metabolism plays multiple roles in neurodevelopment and immunomodulation across pregnancy. Tryptophan and the immune system are both influenced by the seasons of the year. We thus compared tryptophan and kynurenine levels in subgroups of pregnant women defined by maternal seasonality and season-of-conception (SoC).Methods: Maternal plasma samples taken at 9-15 and 23-29 weeks of pregnancy were analysed in 47 women with historical full or sub-syndromal Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and 144 pregnant controls. Repeated measure ANCOVAs compared tryptophan and kynurenine levels in the two study groups over the two pregnancy sampling times, using SoC as a moderator.Results: Significant differences in both plasma tryptophan and kynurenine were found across the eight subgroups defined by maternal seasonality and SoC. These results were independent of the state of depression.Conclusions: Pregnant women with a history of full or sub-syndromal SAD exhibited a different pattern of plasma tryptophan and kynurenine across the seasons compared to control mothers, independent of current mood state. Follow-up of the children will determine the implications of these findings for neurodevelopment and psychiatric risk. Maternal seasonality and SoC may be important considerations when studying tryptophan and its metabolites in human pregnancy and foetal brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Levitan
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science and Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Maria Sqapi
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Leslie Atkinson
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
| | - Kellie Murphy
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Anthony Levitt
- Department of Psychiatry, Sunnybrook Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Alan Bocking
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Martin Post
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Julia A Knight
- Mount Sinai Hospital, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Stephen G Matthews
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Mount Sinai Hospital, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
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Lotter J, Möller M, Dean O, Berk M, Harvey BH. Studies on Haloperidol and Adjunctive α-Mangostin or Raw Garcinia mangostana Linn Pericarp on Bio-Behavioral Markers in an Immune-Inflammatory Model of Schizophrenia in Male Rats. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:121. [PMID: 32296347 PMCID: PMC7136492 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Schizophrenia is a severe brain disorder that is associated with neurodevelopmental insults, such as prenatal inflammation, that introduce redox-immune-inflammatory alterations and risk for psychotic symptoms later in life. Nutraceuticals may offer useful adjunctive benefits. The aim of this study was to examine the therapeutic effects of Garcinia mangostana Linn (GML) and one of its active constituents, α-mangostin (AM), alone and as adjunctive treatment with haloperidol (HAL) on schizophrenia related bio-behavioral alterations in a maternal immune-activation (MIA) model. Sprague-Dawley dams were exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (n = 18) or vehicle (n = 3) on gestational days 15 and 16. Male offspring (n = 72) were treated from PND 52-66 with either vehicle, HAL (2 mg/kg), GML (50 mg/kg), HAL + GML, AM (20 mg/kg), or HAL + AM. Control dams and control offspring were treated with vehicle. In order to cover the mood-psychosis continuum, prepulse inhibition (PPI) of startle, open field test (locomotor activity), and the forced swim test (depressive-like behavior) were assessed on PND's 64-65, followed by assay of frontal-cortical lipid peroxidation and plasma pro-inflammatory cytokines, viz. interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α). MIA-induced deficits in sensorimotor gating were reversed by HAL and HAL + GML, but not GML and AM alone. MIA-induced depressive-like behavior was reversed by AM and GML alone and both in combination with HAL, with the combinations more effective than HAL. MIA-induced cortical lipid peroxidation was reversed by HAL and AM, with elevated IL-6 levels restored by GML, AM, HAL, and HAL + GML. Elevated TNF-α was only reversed by GML and HAL + GML. Concluding, prenatal LPS-induced psychotic- and depressive-like bio-behavioral alterations in offspring are variably responsive to HAL, GML, and AM, with depressive (but not psychosis-like) manifestations responding to GML, AM, and combinations with HAL. AM may be a more effective antioxidant than GML in vivo, although this does not imply an improved therapeutic response, for which trials are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Lotter
- Division of Pharmacology, Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Marisa Möller
- Division of Pharmacology, Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
| | - Olivia Dean
- Deakin University, IMPACT - The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Michael Berk
- Deakin University, IMPACT - The Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Barwon Health, Geelong, Australia
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Orygen, Department of Psychiatry, The Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, Australia
| | - Brian H. Harvey
- Division of Pharmacology, Center of Excellence for Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, North West University, Potchefstroom, South Africa
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Douros K, Fytanidis G, Papadimitriou A. Effect of the month of birth on the height of young adult males. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 170:447-450. [PMID: 31429077 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2019] [Revised: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore a possible association between the month of birth and the final adult height in men and see if this could be described in terms of periodicity. MATERIALS AND METHODS We used anthropometric data of 15,109 young male conscripts of the Greek Army. The data were collected from May 2006 until May 2010 and included men who had been born over a period of 12 years (1980-1991). The data were grouped in 12 monthly periods and analyzed with the use of a sinusoidal model. RESULTS There was a statistically significant month-of-birth effect on height variation, which was described by a sinusoidal model with period T = 12 months, amplitude 0.223 cm and, two extremes which corresponded to the end of April/beginning of May (peak) and to the end of October/beginning of November (nadir). DISCUSSION Our results corroborate previous findings suggesting a seasonality in human height without, however, being able to provide a definitive explanation for this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantinos Douros
- Third Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Attikon' General University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Grigorios Fytanidis
- Third Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Attikon' General University Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Anastasios Papadimitriou
- Third Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 'Attikon' General University Hospital, Athens, Greece
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9
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Talarowska M, Bliźniewska K, Wargacka K, Gałecki P. Birth Month and Course of Recurrent Depressive Disorders in a Polish Population. Med Sci Monit 2018; 24:4169-4174. [PMID: 29912861 PMCID: PMC6038719 DOI: 10.12659/msm.907823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to determine whether the specific season of the year during which the first trimester of pregnancy takes place is significantly associated with the course (intensification and frequency of occurrence) of an episode of recurrent depressive disorder in adult life. MATERIAL AND METHODS We enrolled 184 patients treated for recurrent depressive disorders. RESULTS An analysis of the results obtained indicates that the greatest number of people suffering from a major depressive episode were born in the spring and summer (from April to September), meaning that the first trimester of pregnancy occurred between October and March. However, our results were not statistically significant, perhaps due to the small size of the examined group. CONCLUSIONS The results obtained indicate that birth month may be significantly associated with the course of recurrent depressive disorders. In patients from Central Europe, the first trimester of pregnancy falling in autumn and winter seems to be significant. These results need to be interpreted with caution due to the small size of the examined group.
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10
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Galván-Arrieta T, Trueta C, Cercós MG, Valdés-Tovar M, Alarcón S, Oikawa J, Zamudio-Meza H, Benítez-King G. The role of melatonin in the neurodevelopmental etiology of schizophrenia: A study in human olfactory neuronal precursors. J Pineal Res 2017; 63. [PMID: 28500770 DOI: 10.1111/jpi.12421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2016] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Dim light exposure of the mother during pregnancy has been proposed as one of the environmental factors that affect the fetal brain development in schizophrenia. Melatonin circulating levels are regulated by the environmental light/dark cycle. This hormone stimulates neuronal differentiation in the adult brain. However, little is known about its role in the fetal human brain development. Olfactory neuronal precursors (ONPs) are useful for studying the physiopathology of neuropsychiatric diseases because they mimic all the stages of neurodevelopment in culture. Here, we first characterized whether melatonin stimulates neuronal differentiation in cloned ONPs obtained from a healthy control subject (HCS). Then, melatonin effects were evaluated in primary cultures of ONPs derived from a patient diagnosed with schizophrenia (SZ) and an age- and gender-matched HCS. Axonal formation was evidenced morphologically by tau immunostaining and by GSK3β phosphorylated state. Potassium-evoked secretion was assessed as a functional feature of differentiated neurons. As well, we report the expression of MT1/2 receptors in human ONPs for the first time. Melatonin stimulated axonal formation and ramification in cloned ONPs through a receptor-mediated mechanism and enhanced the amount and velocity of axonal and somatic secretion. SZ ONPs displayed reduced axogenesis associated with lower levels of pGSK3β and less expression of melatonergic receptors regarding the HCS ONPs. Melatonin counteracted this reduction in SZ cells. Altogether, our results show that melatonin signaling is crucial for functional differentiation of human ONPs, strongly suggesting that a deficit of this indoleamine may lead to an impaired neurodevelopment which has been associated with the etiology of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Galván-Arrieta
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Citlali Trueta
- Departamento de Neurofisiología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Montserrat G Cercós
- Departamento de Neurofisiología, Dirección de Investigaciones en Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Marcela Valdés-Tovar
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Salvador Alarcón
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Julian Oikawa
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Horacio Zamudio-Meza
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Gloria Benítez-King
- Laboratorio de Neurofarmacología, Subdirección de Investigaciones Clínicas, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Ciudad de México, México
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Season of birth and subclinical psychosis: systematic review and meta-analysis of new and existing data. Psychiatry Res 2015; 225:227-35. [PMID: 25541536 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2014.11.072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2014] [Revised: 10/10/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Season of birth (SOB) has been shown to modify the risk of several health outcomes, including a number of neuropsychiatric disorders. Empirical evidence indicates that subclinical forms of psychosis in the general population share some risk factors with categorical diagnoses of psychosis. Hence, by systematically reviewing and meta-analyzing new and existing data, the current work aimed to determine whether there is evidence of an association between winter SOB and subclinical psychosis in the general population. Our meta-analytic results do not indicate an association between winter SOB and schizotypy in adult populations, although they indicate winter SOB may be a risk factor for psychotic experiences or symptoms in children around 12-15 years (OR=1.12, 95%CI:1.03-1.21). In the whole new dataset for adults (n=481, mean age=22.8 years) no association was detected in either an unadjusted model or adjusting for gender and age. Overall, our results indicate that the association between winter SOB and increased subclinical psychosis may hold in children, but does not in the broad general adult population. Nevertheless, the epidemiological and clinicopathological significance of winter SOB as a risk factor for subclinical psychosis would probably be slight due to the small effect sizes indicated by the reports available to date.
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Mighdoll MI, Tao R, Kleinman JE, Hyde TM. Myelin, myelin-related disorders, and psychosis. Schizophr Res 2015; 161:85-93. [PMID: 25449713 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.09.040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2014] [Revised: 09/18/2014] [Accepted: 09/21/2014] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The neuropathological basis of schizophrenia and related psychoses remains elusive despite intensive scientific investigation. Symptoms of psychosis have been reported in a number of conditions where normal myelin development is interrupted. The nature, location, and timing of white matter pathology seem to be key factors in the development of psychosis, especially during the critical adolescent period of association area myelination. Numerous lines of evidence implicate myelin and oligodendrocyte function as critical processes that could affect neuronal connectivity, which has been implicated as a central abnormality in schizophrenia. Phenocopies of schizophrenia with a known pathological basis involving demyelination or dysmyelination may offer insights into the biology of schizophrenia itself. This article reviews the pathological changes in white matter of patients with schizophrenia, as well as demyelinating diseases associated with psychosis. In an attempt to understand the potential role of dysmyelination in schizophrenia, we outline the evidence from a number of both clinically-based and post-mortem studies that provide evidence that OMR genes are genetically associated with increased risk for schizophrenia. To further understand the implication of white matter dysfunction and dysmyelination in schizophrenia, we examine diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which has shown volumetric and microstructural white matter differences in patients with schizophrenia. While classical clinical-neuropathological correlations have established that disruption in myelination can produce a high fidelity phenocopy of psychosis similar to schizophrenia, the role of dysmyelination in schizophrenia remains controversial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle I Mighdoll
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Ran Tao
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Joel E Kleinman
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
| | - Thomas M Hyde
- Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, 855 N. Wolfe Street, Suite 300, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins Medical School, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
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13
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Córdova-Palomera A, Alemany S, Falcón C, Bargalló N, Goldberg X, Crespo-Facorro B, Nenadic I, Fañanás L. Cortical thickness correlates of psychotic experiences: examining the effect of season of birth using a genetically informative design. J Psychiatr Res 2014; 56:144-9. [PMID: 24923523 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2013] [Revised: 05/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Season of birth has been shown to influence risk for several neuropsychiatric diseases. Furthermore, it has been suggested that season of birth modifies a number of brain morphological traits. Since cortical thickness alterations have been reported across some levels of the psychosis-spectrum, this study was aimed at i) assessing the scarcely explored relationship between cortical thickness and severity of subclinical psychotic experiences (PEs) in healthy subjects, and ii) evaluating the potential impact of season of birth in the preceding thickness-PEs relationship. As both PEs and brain cortical features are heritable, the current work used monozygotic twins to separately evaluate familial and unique environmental factors. High-resolution structural MRI scans of 48 twins (24 monozygotic pairs) were analyzed to estimate cortical thickness using FreeSurfer. They were then examined in relation to PEs, accounting for the effects of birth season; putative differential relationships between PEs and cortical thickness depending on season of birth were also tested. Current results support previous findings indicative of cortical thickening in healthy individuals with high psychometrically assessed psychosis scores, probably in line with theories of compensatory aspects of brain features in non-clinical populations. Additionally, they suggest distinct patterns of cortical thickness-PEs relationships depending on birth seasonality. Familial factors underlying the presence of PEs may drive these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Córdova-Palomera
- Unidad de Antropología, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Biología and Instituto de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain
| | - S Alemany
- Unidad de Antropología, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Biología and Instituto de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain
| | - C Falcón
- Medical Image Core Facility, the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C/Rosselló, 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Bioingeniería, Biomedicina y Nanomedicina (CIBER-BBN), C/Poeta Mariano Esquillor, s/n, 50018 Zaragoza, Spain
| | - N Bargalló
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain; Medical Image Core Facility, the Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), C/Rosselló, 149-153, 08036 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Diagnóstico por Imagen, Hospital Clínico, C/Villarroel, 170, 08036 Barcelona, Spain
| | - X Goldberg
- Unidad de Antropología, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Biología and Instituto de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain
| | - B Crespo-Facorro
- Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain; University Hospital Marqués de Valdecilla, Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, Av. Valdecilla, s/n, 39008 Santander, Cantabria, Spain; IFIMAV, Instituto de Formación e Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla, Av. Valdecilla, s/n, 39008 Santander, Cantabria, Spain
| | - I Nenadic
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Philosophenweg 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - L Fañanás
- Unidad de Antropología, Departamento de Biología Animal, Facultad de Biología and Instituto de Biomedicina (IBUB), Universitat de Barcelona, Av. Diagonal, 643, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), C/Doctor Esquerdo, 46, 28007 Madrid, Spain.
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Schizophrenia is a multifocal brain disease that involves abnormal brain connectivity. Diffusion Tensor Imaging is the most advanced imaging technique to investigate white matter connections in vivo. In this review, we focus on studies published in the last year with a high impact on our understanding of how changes in white matter may lead to better treatment. RECENT FINDINGS Recent studies establish white matter changes at illness onset, and quite possibly before, wherein they constitute a risk factor. Some studies also suggest that white matter changes might not progress over time, even without treatment. Further, while genetic risk may be associated with neurodevelopmental changes related to either white matter geometry, or a different trajectory of aging, clinical risk may also be associated with more acute changes of tissue integrity. These latter changes may be inflammatory in nature at illness onset, and related to the cellular integrity of oligodendrocytes and/or astrocytes at later stages of illness. SUMMARY Recent publications suggest new directions for research and lead to new hypotheses about the pathophysiology of schizophrenia involving white matter. When replicated on larger samples, this knowledge will likely lead to the development of new treatment strategies.
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