@article{HolzBoeckerSchlierJennenSteinmetzetal.2018, author = {Holz, Nathalie E. and Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Hohm, Erika and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Baumeister, Sarah and Plichta, Michael M. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Schmidt, Martin and Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Early maternal care may counteract familial liability for psychopathology in the reward circuitry}, series = {Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience}, volume = {13}, journal = {Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience}, number = {11}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {1749-5016}, doi = {10.1093/scan/nsy087}, pages = {1191 -- 1201}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Reward processing is altered in various psychopathologies and has been shown to be susceptible to genetic and environmental influences. Here, we examined whether maternal care may buffer familial risk for psychiatric disorders in terms of reward processing. Functional magnetic resonance imaging during a monetary incentive delay task was acquired in participants of an epidemiological cohort study followed since birth (N = 172, 25 years). Early maternal stimulation was assessed during a standardized nursing/playing setting at the age of 3 months. Parental psychiatric disorders (familial risk) during childhood and the participants' previous psychopathology were assessed by diagnostic interview. With high familial risk, higher maternal stimulation was related to increasing activation in the caudate head, the supplementary motor area, the cingulum and the middle frontal gyrus during reward anticipation, with the opposite pattern found in individuals with no familial risk. In contrast, higher maternal stimulation was associated with decreasing caudate head activity during reward delivery and reduced levels of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in the high-risk group. Decreased caudate head activity during reward anticipation and increased activity during delivery were linked to ADHD. These findings provide evidence of a long-term association of early maternal stimulation on both adult neurobiological systems of reward underlying externalizing behavior and ADHD during development.}, language = {en} } @article{WolfGillesPeusetal.2018, author = {Wolf, Isabell Ann-Cathrin and Gilles, Maria and Peus, Verena and Scharnholz, Barbara and Seibert, Julia and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Krumm, Bertram and Rietschel, Marcella and Deuschle, Michael and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Impact of prenatal stress on mother-infant dyadic behavior during the still-face paradigm}, series = {Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation : the official journal of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA.BPD) and Dachverband Dialektisch Behaviorale Therapie (DDBT)}, volume = {5}, journal = {Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation : the official journal of the National Education Alliance for Borderline Personality Disorder (NEA.BPD) and Dachverband Dialektisch Behaviorale Therapie (DDBT)}, publisher = {BioMed Central}, address = {London}, issn = {2051-6673}, doi = {10.1186/s40479-018-0078-8}, pages = {13}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Background: Mother-infant interaction provides important training for the infant's ability to cope with stress and the development of resilience. Prenatal stress (PS) and its impact on the offspring's development have long been a focus of stress research, with studies highlighting both harmful and beneficial effects. The aim of the current study was to examine the possible influence of both psychological stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity during pregnancy with mother-child dyadic behavior following stress exposure. Methods: The behavior of 164 mother-infant dyads during the still-face situation was filmed at six months postpartum and coded into three dyadic patterns: 1) both positive, 2) infant protesting-mother positive, and 3) infant protesting-mother negative. PS exposure was assessed prenatally according to psychological measures (i.e., psychopathological, perceived and psychosocial PS; n = 164) and HPA axis activity measures (maternal salivary cortisol, i.e., cortisol decline and area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg); n = 134). Results: Mother-infant dyads in both the high- and low-stress groups showed decreasing positive and increasing negative dyadic behavior in the reunion episode, which is associated with the well-known "still-face" and "carry-over" effect. Furthermore, mother-infant dyads with higher psychosocial PS exhibited significantly more positive dyadic behavior than the low psychosocial PS group in the first play episode, but not in the reunion episode. Similarly, mother-infant dyads with high HPA axis activity (i.e. high AUCg) but steeper diurnal cortisol decline (i.e. cortisol decline) displayed significantly less negative behavior in the reunion episode than dyads with low HPA axis activity. No significant results were found for psychopathological stress and perceived stress. Conclusions: The results suggest a beneficial effect of higher psychosocial PS and higher prenatal maternal HPA axis activity in late gestation, which is in line with "stress inoculation" theories.}, language = {en} } @article{MillenetLauchtHohmetal.2018, author = {Millenet, Sabina and Laucht, Manfred and Hohm, Erika and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Hohmann, Sarah and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Zohsel, Katrin}, title = {Sex-specific trajectories of ADHD symptoms from adolescence to young adulthood}, series = {European child and adolescent psychiatry : offical journal of the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry}, volume = {27}, journal = {European child and adolescent psychiatry : offical journal of the European Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry}, number = {8}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {1018-8827}, doi = {10.1007/s00787-018-1129-9}, pages = {1067 -- 1075}, year = {2018}, abstract = {Reports of current ADHD symptoms in adults with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD are often discrepant: While one subgroup reports a particularly high level of current ADHD symptoms, another reports—in contrast—a very low level. The reasons for this difference remain unclear. Although sex might play a moderating role, it has not yet been examined in this regard. In an epidemiological cohort study from birth to young adulthood, childhood ADHD diagnoses were assessed at the ages of 4.5, 8, and 11 years based on parent ratings. Sex-specific development of ADHD symptoms was analyzed from the age of 15 to 25 years via self-reported ADHD symptoms in participants with (n = 47) and without childhood ADHD (n = 289) using a random coefficient regression model. The congruence between parent reports and adolescents' self-ratings was examined, and the role of childhood ADHD diagnosis, childhood OCC/CD, and childhood internalizing disorder as possible sex-specific predictors of self-reported ADHD symptoms at age 25 years was investigated. With regard to self-reported ADHD symptoms, females with a childhood ADHD diagnosis reported significantly more ADHD symptoms compared to females without childhood ADHD and males with and without ADHD throughout adolescence and young adulthood. In contrast, males with childhood ADHD did not differ from control males either at age 15 or at age 25 years. Only in females did a childhood diagnosis of an externalizing disorder (ADHD and CD/ODD) predict self-reported ADHD symptoms by age 25 years. Our findings suggest that self-reports of young adults with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD are influenced by sex. Specifically, females with childhood ADHD report increased levels of ADHD symptoms upon reaching adulthood. To correctly evaluate symptoms and impairment in this subgroup, other, more objective, sources of information may be advisable, such as neurophysiological measures.}, language = {en} } @article{WolfGillesPeusetal.2017, author = {Wolf, Isabell Ann-Cathrin and Gilles, Maria and Peus, Verena and Scharnholz, Barbara and Seibert, Julia and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Krumm, Bertram and Deuschle, Michael and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Impact of prenatal stress on the dyadic behavior of mothers and their 6-month-old infants during a play situation: role of different dimensions of stress}, series = {Journal of neural transmission}, volume = {124}, journal = {Journal of neural transmission}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Wien}, issn = {0300-9564}, doi = {10.1007/s00702-017-1770-3}, pages = {1251 -- 1260}, year = {2017}, language = {en} } @article{HolzBoeckerSchlierBuchmannetal.2017, author = {Holz, Nathalie E. and Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Baumeister, Sarah and Plichta, Michael M. and Cattrell, Anna and Schumann, Gunter and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Schmidt, Martin and Buitelaar, Jan and Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Ventral striatum and amygdala activity as convergence sites for early adversity and conduct disorder}, series = {Frontiers in human neuroscience}, volume = {12}, journal = {Frontiers in human neuroscience}, number = {2}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {1749-5016}, doi = {10.1093/scan/nsw120}, pages = {261 -- 272}, year = {2017}, abstract = {Childhood family adversity (CFA) increases the risk for conduct disorder (CD) and has been associated with alterations in regions of affective processing like ventral striatum (VS) and amygdala. However, no study so far has demonstrated neural converging effects of CFA and CD in the same sample. At age 25 years, functional MRI data during two affective tasks, i.e. a reward (N = 171) and a face-matching paradigm (N = 181) and anatomical scans (N = 181) were acquired in right-handed currently healthy participants of an epidemiological study followed since birth. CFA during childhood was determined using a standardized parent interview. Disruptive behaviors and CD diagnoses during childhood and adolescence were obtained by diagnostic interview (2-19 years), temperamental reward dependence was assessed by questionnaire (15 and 19 years). CFA predicted increased CD and amygdala volume. Both exposure to CFA and CD were associated with a decreased VS response during reward anticipation and blunted amygdala activity during face-matching. CD mediated the effect of CFA on brain activity. Temperamental reward dependence was negatively correlated with CFA and CD and positively with VS activity. These findings underline the detrimental effects of CFA on the offspring's affective processing and support the importance of early postnatal intervention programs aiming to reduce childhood adversity factors.}, language = {en} } @article{HolzBoeckerSchlierJennenSteinmetzetal.2016, author = {Holz, Nathalie E. and Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Baumeister, Sarah and Plichta, Michael M. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Schmidt, Martin and Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Positive coping styles and perigenual ACC volume: two related mechanisms for conferring resilience?}, series = {Frontiers in human neuroscience}, volume = {11}, journal = {Frontiers in human neuroscience}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {1749-5016}, doi = {10.1093/scan/nsw005}, pages = {813 -- 820}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Stress exposure has been linked to increased rates of depression and anxiety in adults, particularly in females, and has been associated with maladaptive changes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is an important brain structure involved in internalizing disorders. Coping styles are important mediators of the stress reaction by establishing homeostasis, and may thus confer resilience to stress-related psychopathology. Anatomical scans were acquired in 181 healthy participants at age 25 years. Positive coping styles were determined using a self-report questionnaire (German Stress Coping Questionnaire, SVF78) at age 22 years. Adult anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed at ages 22, 23 and 25 years with the Young Adult Self-Report. Information on previous internalizing diagnoses was obtained by diagnostic interview (2-19 years). Positive coping styles were associated with increased ACC volume. ACC volume and positive coping styles predicted anxiety and depression in a sex-dependent manner with increased positive coping and ACC volume being related to lower levels of psychopathology in females, but not in males. These results remained significant when controlled for previous internalizing diagnoses. These findings indicate that positive coping styles and ACC volume are two linked mechanisms, which may serve as protective factors against internalizing disorders.}, language = {en} } @article{HolzBoeckerSchlierBuchmannetal.2016, author = {Holz, Nathalie and Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Baumeister, Sarah and Hohmann, Sarah and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Wolf, Isabella and Rietschel, Marcella and Witt, Stephanie H. and Plichta, Michael M. and Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Evidence for a Sex-Dependent MAOAx Childhood Stress Interaction in the Neural Circuitry of Aggression}, series = {Cerebral cortex}, volume = {26}, journal = {Cerebral cortex}, publisher = {Oxford Univ. Press}, address = {Cary}, issn = {1047-3211}, doi = {10.1093/cercor/bhu249}, pages = {904 -- 914}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Converging evidence emphasizes the role of an interaction between monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) genotype, environmental adversity, and sex in the pathophysiology of aggression. The present study aimed to clarify the impact of this interaction on neural activity in aggression-related brain systems. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 125 healthy adults from a high-risk community sample followed since birth. DNA was genotyped for the MAOA-VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats). Exposure to childhood life stress (CLS) between the ages of 4 and 11 years was assessed using a standardized parent interview, aggression by the Youth/Young Adult Self-Report between the ages of 15 and 25 years, and the VIRA-R (Vragenlijst Instrumentele En Reactieve Agressie) at the age of 15 years. Significant interactions were obtained between MAOA genotype, CLS, and sex relating to amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) response, respectively. Activity in the amygdala and hippocampus during emotional face-matching increased with the level of CLS in male MAOA-L, while decreasing in male MAOA-H, with the reverse pattern present in females. Findings in the opposite direction in the ACC during a flanker NoGo task suggested that increased emotional activity coincided with decreased inhibitory control. Moreover, increasing amygdala activity was associated with higher Y(A)SR aggression in male MAOA-L and female MAOA-H carriers. Likewise, a significant association between amygdala activity and reactive aggression was detected in female MAOA-H carriers. The results point to a moderating role of sex in the MAOAx CLS interaction for intermediate phenotypes of emotional and inhibitory processing, suggesting a possible mechanism in conferring susceptibility to violence-related disorders.}, language = {en} } @article{HohmannZohselBuchmannetal.2016, author = {Hohmann, Sarah and Zohsel, Katrin and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Holz, Nathalie and Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Rietschel, Marcella and Witt, Stephanie H. and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Hohm, Erika and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Interacting effect of MAOA genotype and maternal prenatal smoking on aggressive behavior in young adulthood}, series = {Journal of neural transmission}, volume = {123}, journal = {Journal of neural transmission}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Wien}, issn = {0300-9564}, doi = {10.1007/s00702-016-1582-x}, pages = {885 -- 894}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Findings on the etiology of aggressive behavior have provided evidence for an effect both of genetic factors, such as variation in the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene, and adverse environmental factors. Recent studies have supported the existence of gene × environment interactions, with early experiences playing a key role. In the present study, the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure, MAOA genotype and their interaction on aggressive behavior during young adulthood were examined. In a sample of 272 young adults (129 males, 143 females) from an epidemiological cohort study, smoking during pregnancy was measured with a standardized parent interview at the offspring's age of 3 months. Aggressive behavior was assessed between the ages of 19 and 25 years using the Young Adult Self-Report. DNA was genotyped for the MAOA 5\&\#8242; untranslated region variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism (VNTR). Results revealed a significant interaction between MAOA and smoking during pregnancy, indicating higher levels of aggressive behavior in young adults carrying the MAOA low-expressing genotype who had experienced prenatal nicotine exposure (n = 8, p = .025). In contrast, in carriers of the MAOA high-expressing genotype, maternal smoking during pregnancy had no effect on aggressive behavior during young adulthood (n = 20, p = .145). This study extends earlier findings demonstrating an interaction between MAOA genotype and prenatal nicotine exposure on aggressive behavior into young adulthood. The results point to the long-term adverse effects of smoking during pregnancy on the offspring's mental health, possibly underlining the importance of smoking cessation during pregnancy. According to the nature of the study (particularly sample size and power), analyses are exploratory and results need to be interpreted cautiously.}, language = {en} } @article{BoeckerSchlierHolzBuchmannetal.2016, author = {Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Holz, Nathalie E. and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Plichta, Michael M. and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Wolf, Isabella and Baumeister, Sarah and Treutleind, Jens and Rietschel, Marcella and Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Interaction between COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism and childhood adversity affects reward processing in adulthood}, series = {NeuroImage : a journal of brain function}, volume = {132}, journal = {NeuroImage : a journal of brain function}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {San Diego}, issn = {1053-8119}, doi = {10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.02.006}, pages = {556 -- 570}, year = {2016}, abstract = {Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that altered dopamine transmission may increase the risk of mental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia or depression, possibly mediated by reward system dysfunction. This study aimed to clarify the impact of the COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism in interaction with environmental variation (G x E) on neuronal activity during reward processing. Methods: 168 healthy young adults from a prospective study conducted over 25 years participated in amonetary incentive delay task measured with simultaneous EEG-fMRI. DNA was genotyped for COMT, and childhood family adversity (CFA) up to age 11 was assessed by a standardized parent interview. Results: At reward delivery, a G x E revealed that fMRI activation for win vs. no-win trials in reward-related regions increased with the level of CFA in Met homozygotes as compared to Val/Met heterozygotes and Val homozygotes, who showed no significant effect. During the anticipation of monetary vs. verbal rewards, activation decreased with the level of CFA, which was also observed for EEG, in which the CNV declined with the level of CFA. Conclusions: These results identify convergent genetic and environmental effects on reward processing in a prospective study. Moreover, G x E effects during reward delivery suggest that stress during childhood is associated with higher reward sensitivity and reduced efficiency in processing rewarding stimuli in genetically at-risk individuals. Together with previous evidence, these results begin to define a specific system mediating interacting effects of early environmental and genetic risk factors, which may be targeted by early intervention and prevention. (C) 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{PoustkaZohselBlomeyeretal.2015, author = {Poustka, Luise and Zohsel, Katrin and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Schmid, Brigitte and Trautmann-Villalba, Patricia and Hohmann, Sarah and Becker, Katja and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Schmidt, Martin H. and Brandeis, Daniel and Banaschewski, Tobias and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Interacting effects of maternal responsiveness, infant regulatory problems and dopamine D4 receptor gene in the development of dysregulation during childhood: A longitudinal analysis}, series = {Journal of psychiatric research}, volume = {70}, journal = {Journal of psychiatric research}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0022-3956}, doi = {10.1016/j.psychires.2015.08.018}, pages = {83 -- 90}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Recent longitudinal studies have indicated that affective and behavioral dysregulation in childhood is associated with an increased risk for various negative outcomes in later life. However, few studies to date have examined early mechanisms preceding dysregulation during early childhood. Aim of this study was to elucidate early mechanisms relating to dysregulation in later life using data from an epidemiological cohort study on the long-term outcome of early risk factors from birth to adulthood. At age 3 months, mothers and infants were videotaped during a nursing and playing situation. Maternal responsiveness was evaluated by trained raters. Infant regulatory problems were assessed on the basis of a parent interview and direct observation by trained raters. At age 8 and 11 years, 290 children (139 males) were rated on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Additionally, participants were genotyped for the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) exon 3 VNTR polymorphism. A significant three-way interaction between maternal responsiveness, DRD4 genotype and infant regulatory problems was detected predicting the CBCL-dysregulation profile (CBCL-DP). Carriers of the DRD4 7r allele with regulatory problems at age 3 months showed significantly more behavior problems associated with the CBCL-DP during childhood when exposed to less maternal responsiveness. In contrast, no effect of maternal responsiveness was observed in DRD4 7r carriers without infant regulatory problems and in non-carriers of the DRD4 7r allele. This prospective longitudinal study extends earlier findings regarding the association of the CBCL-DP with early parenting and later psychopathology, introducing both DRD4 genotype and infant regulatory problems as important moderators. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{HohmannHohmTreutleinetal.2015, author = {Hohmann, Sarah and Hohm, Erika and Treutlein, Jens and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Association of norepinephrine transporter (NET, SLC6A2) genotype with ADHD-related phenotypes: Findings of a longitudinal study from birth to adolescence}, series = {Psychiatry research : the official publication of the International Society for Neuroimaging in Psychiatry}, volume = {226}, journal = {Psychiatry research : the official publication of the International Society for Neuroimaging in Psychiatry}, number = {2-3}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Clare}, issn = {0165-1781}, doi = {10.1016/j.psychres.2014.12.029}, pages = {425 -- 433}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Variation in the gene encoding for the norepinephrine transporter (NET, SLC6A2) has repeatedly been linked with ADHD, although there is some inconsistency regarding the association with specific genes. The variants for which most consistent association has been found are the NET variants rs3785157 and rs28386840. Here, we tested for their association with ADHD diagnosis and ADHD-related phenotypes during development in a longitudinal German community sample. Children were followed from age 4 to age 15, using diagnostic interviews to assess ADHD. Between the ages of 8 and 15 years, the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was administered to the primary caregivers. The continuous performance task (CPT) was performed at age 15. Controlling for possible confounders, we found that homozygous carriers of the major A allele of the functional promoter variant rs28386840 displayed a higher rate of ADHD lifetime diagnosis. Moreover, homozygous carriers of the minor T allele of rs3785157 were more likely to develop ADHD and showed higher scores on the CBCL externalizing behavior scales. Additionally, we found that individuals heterozygous for rs3785157 made fewer omission errors in the CPT than homozygotes. This is the first longitudinal study to report associations between specific NET variants and ADHD-related phenotypes during the course of development. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.}, language = {en} } @article{BuchmannHohmWittetal.2015, author = {Buchmann, Arlette F. and Hohm, Erika and Witt, Stephanie H. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Role of CNR1 polymorphisms in moderating the effects of psychosocial adversity on impulsivity in adolescents}, series = {Journal of neural transmission}, volume = {122}, journal = {Journal of neural transmission}, number = {3}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {Wien}, issn = {0300-9564}, doi = {10.1007/s00702-014-1266-3}, pages = {455 -- 463}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Enhanced endocannabinoid signaling has been implicated in typically adolescent behavioral features such as increased risk-taking, impulsivity and novelty seeking. Research investigating the impact of genetic variants in the cannabinoid receptor 1 gene (CNR1) and of early rearing conditions has demonstrated that both factors contribute to the prediction of impulsivity-related phenotypes. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis of an interaction of the two most studied CNR1 polymorphisms rs806379 and rs1049353 with early psychosocial adversity in terms of affecting impulsivity in 15-year-olds from an epidemiological cohort sample followed since birth. In 323 adolescents (170 girls, 153 boys), problems of impulse control and novelty seeking were assessed using parent-report and self-report, respectively. Exposure to early psychosocial adversity was determined in a parent interview conducted at the age of 3 months. The results indicated that impulsivity increased following exposure to early psychosocial adversity, with this increase being dependent on CNR1 genotype. In contrast, while individuals exposed to early adversity scored higher on novelty seeking, no significant impact of genotype or the interaction thereof was detected. This is the first evidence to suggest that the interaction of CNR1 gene variants with the experience of early life adversity may play a role in determining adolescent impulsive behavior. However, given that the reported findings are obtained in a high-risk community sample, results are restricted in terms of interpretation and generalization. Future research is needed to replicate these findings and to identify the mediating mechanisms underlying this effect.}, language = {en} } @article{HolzBoeckerSchlierHohmetal.2015, author = {Holz, Nathalie E. and Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Hohm, Erika and Zohsel, Katrin and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Baumeister, Sarah and Hohmann, Sarah and Wolf, Isabella and Plichta, Michael M. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Schmidt, Martin and Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {The Long-Term Impact of Early Life Poverty on Orbitofrontal Cortex Volume in Adulthood: Results from a Prospective Study Over 25 Years}, series = {Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology}, volume = {40}, journal = {Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology}, number = {4}, publisher = {Nature Publ. Group}, address = {London}, issn = {0893-133X}, doi = {10.1038/npp.2014.277}, pages = {996 -- 1004}, year = {2015}, abstract = {Converging evidence has highlighted the association between poverty and conduct disorder (CD) without specifying neurobiological pathways. Neuroimaging research has emphasized structural and functional alterations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) as one key mechanism underlying this disorder. The present study aimed to clarify the long-term influence of early poverty on OFC volume and its association with CD symptoms in healthy participants of an epidemiological cohort study followed since birth. At age 25 years, voxel-based morphometry was applied to study brain volume differences. Poverty (0 = non-exposed (N = 134), I = exposed (N = 33)) and smoking during pregnancy were determined using a standardized parent interview, and information on maternal responsiveness was derived from videotaped mother infant interactions at the age of 3 months. CD symptoms were assessed by diagnostic interview from 8 to 19 years of age. Information on life stress was acquired at each assessment and childhood maltreatment was measured using retrospective self-report at the age of 23 years. Analyses were adjusted for sex, parental psychopathology and delinquency, obstetric adversity, parental education, and current poverty. Individuals exposed to early life poverty exhibited a lower OFC volume. Moreover, we replicated previous findings of increased CD symptoms as a consequence of childhood poverty. This effect proved statistically mediated by OFC volume and exposure to life stress and smoking during pregnancy, but not by childhood maltreatment and maternal responsiveness. These findings underline the importance of studying the impact of early life adversity on brain alterations and highlight the need for programs to decrease income-related disparities.}, language = {en} } @article{NikitopoulosZohselBlomeyeretal.2014, author = {Nikitopoulos, Joerg and Zohsel, Katrin and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Schmid, Brigitte and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Becker, Katja and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Brandeis, Daniel and Banaschewski, Tobias and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Are infants differentially sensitive to parenting? Early maternal care, DRD4 genotype and externalizing behavior during adolescence}, series = {Journal of psychiatric research}, volume = {59}, journal = {Journal of psychiatric research}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Oxford}, issn = {0022-3956}, doi = {10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.08.012}, pages = {53 -- 59}, year = {2014}, language = {en} } @article{HolzBoeckerSchlierBaumeisteretal.2014, author = {Holz, Nathalie E. and Boecker-Schlier, Regina and Baumeister, Sarah and Hohm, Erika and Zohsel, Katrin and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Hohmann, Sarah and Wolf, Isabella and Plichta, Michael M. and Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas and Banaschewski, Tobias and Brandeis, Daniel and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Effect of prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke on inhibitory control neuroimaging results from a 25-Year prospective study}, series = {JAMA psychiatry}, volume = {71}, journal = {JAMA psychiatry}, number = {7}, publisher = {American Veterinary Medical Association}, address = {Chicago}, issn = {2168-622X}, doi = {10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2014.786}, pages = {786 -- 796}, year = {2014}, abstract = {IMPORTANCE: There is accumulating evidence relating maternal smoking during pregnancy to attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) without elucidating specific mechanisms. Research investigating the neurobiological underpinnings of this disorder has implicated deficits during response inhibition. Attempts to uncover the effect of prenatal exposure to nicotine on inhibitory control may thus be of high clinical importance. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Functional magnetic resonance imaging response, morphometric data, lifetime ADHD symptoms, and novelty seeking. RESULTS: Participants prenatally exposed to nicotine exhibited a weaker response in the anterior cingulate cortex (t(168) = 4.46; peak Montreal Neurological Institute [MNI] coordinates x = -2, y = 20, z = 30; familywise error [FWE]-corrected P = .003), the right inferior frontal gyrus (t(168) = 3.65; peak MNI coordinates x = 44, y = 38, z = 12; FWE-corrected P = .04), the left inferior frontal gyrus (t(168) = 4.09; peak MNI coordinates x = -38, y = 36, z = 8; FWE-corrected P = .009), and the supramarginal gyrus (t(168) = 5.03; peak MNI coordinates x = 64, y = -28, z = 22; FWE-corrected P = .02) during the processing of the NoGo compared to neutral stimuli, while presenting a decreased volume in the right inferior frontal gyrus. These findings were obtained irrespective of the adjustment of confounders, ADHD symptoms, and novelty seeking. There was an inverse relationship between inferior frontal gyrus activity and ADHD symptoms and between anterior cingulate cortex activity and novelty seeking. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: These findings point to a functional involvement of prenatal exposure to tobacco smoke in neural alterations similar to ADHD, which underlines the importance of smoking prevention treatments.}, language = {en} } @article{BuchmannZohselBlomeyeretal.2014, author = {Buchmann, Arlette F. and Zohsel, Katrin and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Hohm, Erika and Hohmann, Sarah and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Treutlein, Jens and Becker, Katja and Banaschewski, Tobias and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Brandeis, Daniel and Poustka, Luise and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Interaction between prenatal stress and dopamine D4 receptor genotype in predicting aggression and cortisol levels in young adults}, series = {Psychopharmacology}, volume = {231}, journal = {Psychopharmacology}, number = {16}, publisher = {Springer}, address = {New York}, issn = {0033-3158}, doi = {10.1007/s00213-014-3484-7}, pages = {3089 -- 3097}, year = {2014}, abstract = {Considerable evidence suggests that genetic factors combine with environmental influences to impact on the development of aggressive behavior. A genetic variant that has repeatedly been reported to render individuals more sensitive to the presence of adverse experiences, including stress exposure during fetal life, is the seven-repeat allele of the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) gene. The present investigation concentrated on the interplay of prenatal maternal stress and DRD4 genotype in predicting self-reported aggression in young adults. As disruption of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system has been discussed as a pathophysiological pathway to aggression, cortisol stress reactivity was additionally examined. As part of an epidemiological cohort study, prenatal maternal stress was assessed by maternal interview 3 months after childbirth. Between the ages of 19 and 23 years, 298 offspring (140 males, 158 females) completed the Young Adult Self-Report to measure aggressive behavior and were genotyped for the DRD4 gene. At 19 years, 219 participants additionally underwent the Trier Social Stress Test to determine cortisol reactivity. Extending earlier findings with respect to childhood antisocial behavior, the results revealed that, under conditions of higher prenatal maternal stress, carriers of the DRD4 seven-repeat allele displayed more aggression in adulthood (p = 0.032). Moreover, the same conditions which seemed to promote aggression were found to predict attenuated cortisol secretion (p = 0.028). This is the first study to indicate a long-term impact of prenatal stress exposure on the cortisol stress response depending on DRD4 genotype.}, language = {en} } @article{BuchmannBlomeyerJennenSteinmetzetal.2013, author = {Buchmann, Arlette F. and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Banaschewski, Tobias and Laucht, Manfred}, title = {Early smoking onset may promise initial pleasurable sensations and later addiction}, series = {Addiction biology}, volume = {18}, journal = {Addiction biology}, number = {6}, publisher = {Wiley-Blackwell}, address = {Hoboken}, issn = {1369-1600}, doi = {10.1111/j.1369-1600.2011.00377.x}, pages = {947 -- 954}, year = {2013}, abstract = {There is converging evidence suggesting a particular susceptibility to the addictive properties of nicotine among adolescents. The aim of the current study was to prospectively ascertain the relationship between age at first cigarette and initial smoking experiences, and to examine the combined effects of these characteristics of adolescent smoking behavior on adult smoking. It was hypothesized that the association between earlier age at first cigarette and later development of nicotine dependence may, at least in part, be attributable to differences in experiencing pleasurable early smoking sensations. Data were drawn from the participants of the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk, an ongoing epidemiological cohort study from birth to adulthood. Structured interviews at age 15, 19 and 22 years were conducted to assess the age at first cigarette, early smoking experiences and current smoking behavior in 213 young adults. In addition, the participants completed the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence. Adolescents who smoked their first cigarette at an earlier age reported more pleasurable sensations from the cigarette, and they were more likely to be regular smokers at age 22. The age at first cigarette also predicted the number of cigarettes smoked and dependence at age 22. Thus, both the age of first cigarette and the pleasure experienced from the cigarette independently predicted aspects of smoking at age 22.}, language = {en} } @article{LauchtTreutleinBlomeyeretal.2013, author = {Laucht, Manfred and Treutlein, Jens and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Rietschel, Marcella and Banaschewski, Tobias}, title = {Interactive effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 gene and childhood adversity on depressive symptoms in young adults findings from a longitudinal study}, series = {European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology}, volume = {23}, journal = {European neuropsychopharmacology : the journal of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology}, number = {5}, publisher = {Elsevier}, address = {Amsterdam}, issn = {0924-977X}, doi = {10.1016/j.euroneuro.2012.06.002}, pages = {358 -- 367}, year = {2013}, abstract = {Accumulating research suggests a moderating role for the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 gene (CRHR1) in the association between childhood adversity and adult depression. The present study aims to replicate recent findings using different genetic variants and measures of early adversity assessed both prospectively and retrospectively. Data were collected in the context of an ongoing epidemiological cohort study following the outcome of early risk factors from birth into adulthood. 300 participants (137 males, 163 females) were genotyped for four CRHR1 SNPs (rs7209436, rs110402, rs242924, and rs17689882) and completed the Beck Depression Inventory at ages 19, 22 and 23 years. Childhood adversity was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and by a standardized parent interview yielding an index of family adversity. Our results indicate that CRHR1 and childhood adversity interacted to predict depressive symptoms in young adults. Specifically, we found that the impact of childhood maltreatment on adult depressive symptoms was significantly higher in individuals (i) with two copies of the CRHR1 TAT haplotype, and (ii) homozygous for the G allele of rs17689882. The interaction was demonstrated for exposure to childhood maltreatment as assessed by retrospective self-report, but not to prospectively ascertain objective family adversity. The present study partially replicates recent findings of a CRHR1 by childhood adversity interaction with regard to adult depression highlighting the subjective characteristics of the environmental pathogen that is operative in this interaction.}, language = {en} } @misc{LauchtBlomeyerBuchmannetal.2012, author = {Laucht, Manfred and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Treutlein, Jens and Shmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Rietschel, Marcella and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Banaschewski, Tobias}, title = {Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met genotype, parenting practices and adolescent alcohol use: testing the differential susceptibility hypothesis}, year = {2012}, language = {en} } @article{LauchtTreutleinBlomeyeretal.2012, author = {Laucht, Manfred and Treutlein, Jens and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Schmidt, Martin and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine and Reitschelb, Marcel and Banaschewski, Tobias}, title = {Interactive effects of corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 gene and childhood adversity on depressive symptoms in young adults: Findings from a longitudinal study}, year = {2012}, language = {en} }