@article{BlomeyerBuchmannLascorzetal.2013,
  author    = {Blomeyer, Dorothea and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Lascorz, Jesus and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Desrivieres, Sylvane and Schmidt, Martin H. and Banaschewski, Tobias and Schumann, Gunter and Laucht, Manfred},
  title     = {Association of PER2 genotype and stressful life events with alcohol drinking in young adults},
  series = {PLoS one},
  volume    = {8},
  journal   = {PLoS one},
  number    = {3},
  publisher = {PLoS},
  address   = {San Fransisco},
  issn      = {1932-6203},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0059136},
  pages     = {7},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Background: Clock genes govern circadian rhythms and shape the effect of alcohol use on the physiological system. Exposure to severe negative life events is related to both heavy drinking and disturbed circadian rhythmicity. The aim of this study was 1) to extend previous findings suggesting an association of a haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphism of PER2 gene with drinking patterns, and 2) to examine a possible role for an interaction of this gene with life stress in hazardous drinking. Methods: Data were collected as part of an epidemiological cohort study on the outcome of early risk factors followed since birth. At age 19 years, 268 young adults (126 males, 142 females) were genotyped for PER2 rs56013859 and were administered a 45-day alcohol timeline follow-back interview and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Life stress was assessed as the number of severe negative life events during the past four years reported in a questionnaire and validated by interview. Results: Individuals with the minor G allele of rs56013859 were found to be less engaged in alcohol use, drinking at only 72\% of the days compared to homozygotes for the major A allele. Moreover, among regular drinkers, a gene x environment interaction emerged (p = .020). While no effects of genotype appeared under conditions of low stress, carriers of the G allele exhibited less hazardous drinking than those homozygous for the A allele when exposed to high stress. Conclusions: These findings may suggest a role of the circadian rhythm gene PER2 in both the drinking patterns of young adults and in moderating the impact of severe life stress on hazardous drinking in experienced alcohol users. However, in light of the likely burden of multiple tests, the nature of the measures used and the nominal evidence of interaction, replication is needed before drawing firm conclusions.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BuchmannHellwegRietscheletal.2013,
  author    = {Buchmann, Arlette F. and Hellweg, Rainer and Rietschel, Marcella and Treutlein, Jens and Witt, Stephanie H. and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Banaschewski, Tobias and Laucht, Manfred and Deuschle, Michael},
  title     = {BDNF Val 66 Met and 5-HTTLPR genotype moderate the impact of early psychosocial adversity on plasma brain-derived neurotrophic factor and depressive symptoms - a prospective 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    = {8},
  publisher = {Elsevier},
  address   = {Amsterdam},
  issn      = {0924-977X},
  doi       = {10.1016/j.euroneuro.2012.09.003},
  pages     = {902 -- 909},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Recent studies have emphasized an important role for neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in regulating the plasticity of neural circuits involved in the pathophysiology of stress-related diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine the interplay of the BDNF Val(66)Met and the serotonin transporter promoter (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms in moderating the impact of early-life adversity on BDNF plasma concentration and depressive symptoms. Participants were taken from an epidemiological cohort study following the long-term outcome of early risk factors from birth into young adulthood. In 259 individuals (119 males, 140 females), genotyped for the BDNF Val(66)Met and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms, plasma BDNF was assessed at the age of 19 years. In addition, participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Early adversity was determined according to a family adversity index assessed at 3 months of age. Results indicated that individuals homozygous for both the BDNF Val and the 5-HTTLPR L allele showed significantly reduced BDNF levels following exposure to high adversity. In contrast, BDNF levels appeared to be unaffected by early psychosocial adversity in carriers of the BDNF Met or the 5-HTTLPR S allele. While the former group appeared to be most susceptible to depressive symptoms, the impact of early adversity was less pronounced in the latter group. This is the first preliminary evidence indicating that early-life adverse experiences may have lasting sequelae for plasma BDNF levels in humans, highlighting that the susceptibility to this effect is moderated by BDNF Val(66)Met and 5-HTTLPR genotype.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{SchmidBuchmannTrautmannVillalbaetal.2013,
  author    = {Schmid, Brigitte and Buchmann, Arlette F. and Trautmann-Villalba, Patricia and Blomeyer, Dorothea and Zimmermann, Ulrich S. and Schmidt, Martin H. and Esser, G{\"u}nter and Banaschewski, Tobias and Laucht, Manfred},
  title     = {Maternal stimulation in infancy predicts hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity in young men},
  series = {Journal of neural transmission},
  volume    = {120},
  journal   = {Journal of neural transmission},
  number    = {8},
  publisher = {Springer},
  address   = {Wien},
  issn      = {0300-9564},
  doi       = {10.1007/s00702-013-0970-8},
  pages     = {1247 -- 1257},
  year      = {2013},
  abstract  = {Evidence from animal research has demonstrated the effect of early maternal care on the offspring's endocrine and behavioral stress response in adulthood. The present prospective study investigates, in humans, the long-term impact of maternal responsiveness and stimulation during early mother-child interaction on adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol response to a psychosocial laboratory stressor in adulthood. The data are from an epidemiological cohort study of the long-term outcome of early risk factors assessed at birth. At age 3 months, mothers and infants were videotaped during a 10-min standardized nursing and playing situation and evaluated by trained raters for maternal stimulation and infant and maternal responsiveness. At age 19 years, 270 participants (146 females, 124 males) completed the Trier Social Stress Test. The results indicated that less maternal stimulation during early interaction at age 3 months predicted diminished plasma ACTH and cortisol increase in response to acute psychosocial stress in male, but not female offspring. In contrast, maternal responsiveness was found to be unrelated to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) reactivity. In accordance with the findings from animal research, the present study provides prospective evidence in humans of a long-term association between early maternal interaction behavior and the offspring's hormonal stress response in young adulthood, suggesting that poor maternal stimulation in early infancy may result in reduced HPA axis reactivity to an acute psychosocial stressor in males.},
  language  = {en}
}