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Alece Arantes Moreno I, Rodrigues de Oliveira D, Ribeiro Borçoi A, Fungaro Rissatti L, Vitorino Freitas F, Arantes LMRB, Oliveira Mendes S, dos Santos Vieira T, Risse Quaioto B, Cerbino Doblas P, Sgrancio Olinda A, Ribeiro Cunha E, Gasparini dos Santos J, Assis Pinheiro J, Pereira Sorroche B, Madeira Alvares da Silva A. Methylation of BDNF gene in association with episodic memory in women. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1092406. [PMID: 37008217 PMCID: PMC10060857 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1092406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene regulation plays an important role in long-term memory formation, and the DNA methylation (DNAm) level of BDNF promoters has been associated with episodic memory deficits. Our aim was to explore the association between DNAm levels in BDNF promoter IV with verbal learning and memory performance in healthy women. We conducted a cross-sectional study by recruiting 53 individuals. Episodic memory was assessed by using the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (RAVLT). Clinical interviews, RAVLT, and blood sample collection were assessed in all participants. DNAm was measured on DNA from whole peripheral blood using pyrosequencing. According to generalized linear model (GzLM) analyses, cytosine guanine dinucleotide (CpG) site 5 showed significant associations between learning capacity (LC, p < 0.035), that is, every 1% of DNA methylation at CpG site 5 results in a 0.068 reduction in verbal learning performance. To the best of our knowledge, the current study is the first to show that BDNF DNAm plays an important role in episodic memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivana Alece Arantes Moreno
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Daniela Rodrigues de Oliveira ;
| | - Daniela Rodrigues de Oliveira
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
- Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Natural Products and Derivatives Laboratory (LIM-26), Department of Surgery, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- Ivana Alece Arantes Moreno
| | - Aline Ribeiro Borçoi
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | | | - Flávia Vitorino Freitas
- Departamento de Farmácia e Nutrição, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Alegre, ES, Brazil
| | | | | | - Tamires dos Santos Vieira
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Bárbara Risse Quaioto
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Paola Cerbino Doblas
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Amanda Sgrancio Olinda
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Ester Ribeiro Cunha
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | | | - Júlia Assis Pinheiro
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
| | - Bruna Pereira Sorroche
- Molecular Oncology Research Center, Barretos Cancer Hospital, Barretos, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriana Madeira Alvares da Silva
- Biotechnology/Renorbio Postgraduate Program, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
- Departamento de Morfologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil
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Hirnstein M, Stuebs J, Moè A, Hausmann M. Sex/Gender Differences in Verbal Fluency and Verbal-Episodic Memory: A Meta-Analysis. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023; 18:67-90. [PMID: 35867343 PMCID: PMC9896545 DOI: 10.1177/17456916221082116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Women are thought to fare better in verbal abilities, especially in verbal-fluency and verbal-memory tasks. However, the last meta-analysis on sex/gender differences in verbal fluency dates from 1988. Although verbal memory has only recently been investigated meta-analytically, a comprehensive meta-analysis is lacking that focuses on verbal memory as it is typically assessed, for example, in neuropsychological settings. On the basis of 496 effect sizes and 355,173 participants, in the current meta-analysis, we found that women/girls outperformed men/boys in phonemic fluency (ds = 0.12-0.13) but not in semantic fluency (ds = 0.01-0.02), for which the sex/gender difference appeared to be category-dependent. Women/girls also outperformed men/boys in recall (d = 0.28) and recognition (ds = 0.12-0.17). Although effect sizes are small, the female advantage was relatively stable over the past 50 years and across lifetime. Published articles reported stronger female advantages than unpublished studies, and first authors reported better performance for members of their own sex/gender. We conclude that a small female advantage in phonemic fluency, recall, and recognition exists and is partly subject to publication bias. Considerable variance suggests further contributing factors, such as participants' language and country/region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Hirnstein
- Department of Biological and Medical
Psychology, University of Bergen
| | - Josephine Stuebs
- Department of Biological and Medical
Psychology, University of Bergen
- Department of Neuropsychology and
Psychopharmacology, Maastricht University
- Institute of Clinical Medicine,
University of Oslo
| | - Angelica Moè
- Department of General Psychology,
University of Padua
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Ottesen NM, Meluken I, Frikke-Schmidt R, Plomgaard P, Scheike T, Kessing LV, Miskowiak K, Vinberg M. S100B and brain derived neurotrophic factor in monozygotic twins with, at risk of and without affective disorders. J Affect Disord 2020; 274:726-732. [PMID: 32664008 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.05.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Revised: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The calcium binding protein S100B and brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) are both biomarkers implicated in neuronal processes in the central nervous system and seem to be associated with affective disorders. Here we investigated both markers in a sample of monozygotic (MZ) twins with, at risk of and without affective disorders, aiming to evaluate whether these markers have a role as causal factors- or trait markers for affective disorders. METHOD We measured serum S100B and plasma BDNF levels in 204 monozygotic twins (MZ) with unipolar or bipolar disorder in remission or partial remission (affected), their unaffected co-twins (high-risk) and twins with no personal or family history of affective disorder (low-risk). RESULTS No significant group differences in S100B and BDNF levels were found between the three groups. Exploratory analysis revealed that higher S100B levels were correlated with lower cognitive performance. LIMITATIONS The cross-sectional design cannot elucidate the two neuronal biomarkers role as causal factors. We would have preferred a higher sample size in the high- and low-risk groups. CONCLUSION The present result did not support a role for S100B and BDNF as neither causal factors nor trait markers for affective disorders. Elevated S100B levels may associate with impaired cognition, but further studies are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninja Meinhard Ottesen
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
| | - Iselin Meluken
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
| | - Ruth Frikke-Schmidt
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
| | - Peter Plomgaard
- Department of Clinical Biochemistry Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
| | - Thomas Scheike
- Section of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Vedel Kessing
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen
| | - Kamilla Miskowiak
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen; Department of Psychology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Maj Vinberg
- Copenhagen Affective Disorders Research Centre (CADIC), Psychiatric Centre Copenhagen, Rigshospitalet; Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen; Psychiatric Research Unit, Psychiatric Centre North Zealand, Hillerød.
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Mora E, Portella MJ, Piñol-Ripoll G, López R, Cuadras D, Forcada I, Teres M, Vieta E, Mur M. High BDNF serum levels are associated to good cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder. Eur Psychiatry 2020; 60:97-107. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2019.02.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractBackground:Neurotrophins such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), inflammation and oxidative damage may contribute to the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder (BD) in terms of illness activity. To date, there is a lack of studies linking the cognitive impairment observed in BD with these neurobiological mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the role of these neurobiological factors in clinical and cognitive outcomes in a sample of bipolar individuals.Methods:We measured serum BDNF, cytokines and oxidative stress markers in a sample of 133 individuals: 52 euthymic bipolar patients, 32 manic patients and 49 healthy controls. They were all assessed with a comprehensive cognitive battery. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected. Multiple linear regression models were built to study associations of neurotrophins and inflammatory and oxidative measures with cognitive functioning.Results:BDNF levels were decreased in euthymic (p = 0.039) and manic (p < 0.001) individuals. Conversely, inflammatory (interleukin 6 (IL-6)) (p = 0.019) and oxidative stress (p = 0.003) measures were increased in bipolar individuals compared to controls. BDNF levels were associated with executive functioning (β = 0.01, p = 0.02) and verbal memory (β = 0.013, p = 0.005), together with other demographic variables. In particular, verbal memory was also associated with obesity (β=-0.04, p = 0.005). Neither inflammatory markers, oxidative stress markers nor other relevant clinical variables showed any association with cognitive outcome.Conclusions:Of all the peripheral neurobiological factors analysed, BDNF was the only one significantly associated with cognitive dysfunction in bipolar disorder individuals. This study emphasizes the role of BDNF not only across mood phases but also in cognitive functioning.
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