Exploring the moderating effects of dopaminergic polymorphisms and childhood adversity on brain morphology in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Journal: Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging

Volume: 281

Issue: 

Year of Publication: 2019

Affiliated Institutions:  Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia. Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; Centre for Mental Health, Faculty of Health, Arts and Design, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia. School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, New South Wales, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, New South Wales, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA. Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Australia; Department of Psychiatry, School of Clinical Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Australia; Mental Health Program, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia. Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, New South Wales, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia; Department of Neuroscience & Physiology, Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA. Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, New South Wales, Australia; Schizophrenia Research Institute, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Australia; Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia; Departments of Medical Genetics, Psychiatry, and Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada. Electronic address: chad.bousman@ucalgary.ca.

Abstract summary 

Genetic and environmental etiologies may contribute to schizophrenia and its associated neurobiological profile. We examined the interaction between dopaminergic polymorphisms, childhood adversity and diagnosis (schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder) on dopamine-related brain structures. Childhood adversity histories and structural MRI data were obtained from 249 (153 schizophrenia/schizoaffective, 96 controls) participants registered in the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank. Polymorphisms in DRD2 and COMT were genotyped and a dopaminergic risk allelic load (RAL) was calculated. Regression analysis was used to test the main and interaction effects of RAL, childhood adversity and diagnosis on volumes of dopamine-related brain structures (caudate, putamen, nucleus accumbens, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus). A schizophrenia/schizoaffective diagnosis showed significant main effects on bilateral hippocampus, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and bilateral putamen volumes. RAL showed a significant main effect on left putamen volumes. Furthermore, across the whole sample, a significant two-way interaction between dopaminergic RAL and childhood adversity was found for left putamen volumes. No brain structure volumes were predicted by a three-way interaction that included diagnosis. Our finding suggests the left putamen may be particularly sensitive to dopaminergic gene-environment interactions regardless of diagnosis. However, larger studies are needed to assess whether these interactions are more or less pronounced in those with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders.

Authors & Co-authors:  Hoffmann Cassandra C Van Rheenen Tamsyn E TE Mancuso Serafino G SG Zalesky Andrew A Bruggemann Jason J Lenroot Rhoshel K RK Sundram Suresh S Weickert Cynthia Shannon CS Weickert Thomas W TW Pantelis Christos C Cropley Vanessa V Bousman Chad A CA

Study Outcome 

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Statistics
Citations : 
Authors :  12
Identifiers
Doi : 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.09.002
SSN : 1872-7506
Study Population
Male,Female
Mesh Terms
Adult
Other Terms
COMT;Childhood trauma;DRD2;Gene-environment interaction;Neurobiology;Structural MRI
Study Design
Study Approach
Country of Study
Publication Country
Netherlands