TY - JOUR A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Zohsel, Katrin A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Hohm, Erika A1 - Hohmann, Sarah A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Treutlein, Jens A1 - Becker, Katja A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Poustka, Luise A1 - Zimmermann, Ulrich S. A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Interaction between prenatal stress and dopamine D4 receptor genotype in predicting aggression and cortisol levels in young adults JF - Psychopharmacology N2 - 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. KW - Prenatal stress KW - Aggression KW - Cortisol KW - DRD4 KW - Gene-environment interaction Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-014-3484-7 SN - 0033-3158 SN - 1432-2072 VL - 231 IS - 16 SP - 3089 EP - 3097 PB - Springer CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holz, Nathalie E. A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Baumeister, Sarah A1 - Plichta, Michael M. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Positive coping styles and perigenual ACC volume: two related mechanisms for conferring resilience? JF - Frontiers in human neuroscience N2 - 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. KW - coping styles KW - perigenual anterior cingulate cortex KW - resilience KW - anxiety disorders KW - mood disorders Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw005 SN - 1749-5016 SN - 1749-5024 VL - 11 SP - 813 EP - 820 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holz, Nathalie A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Baumeister, Sarah A1 - Hohmann, Sarah A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Wolf, Isabella A1 - Rietschel, Marcella A1 - Witt, Stephanie H. A1 - Plichta, Michael M. A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Evidence for a Sex-Dependent MAOAx Childhood Stress Interaction in the Neural Circuitry of Aggression JF - Cerebral cortex N2 - 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. KW - aggression KW - amygdala KW - fMRI KW - life stress KW - MAOA Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhu249 SN - 1047-3211 SN - 1460-2199 VL - 26 SP - 904 EP - 914 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Cary ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hohmann, Sarah A1 - Zohsel, Katrin A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Holz, Nathalie A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Rietschel, Marcella A1 - Witt, Stephanie H. A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Hohm, Erika A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Interacting effect of MAOA genotype and maternal prenatal smoking on aggressive behavior in young adulthood JF - Journal of neural transmission N2 - 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′ 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. KW - MAOA KW - Smoking during pregnancy KW - Interaction KW - Aggression KW - Longitudinal KW - Young adulthood Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1582-x SN - 0300-9564 SN - 1435-1463 VL - 123 SP - 885 EP - 894 PB - Springer CY - Wien ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Holz, Nathalie E. A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Plichta, Michael M. A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Wolf, Isabella A1 - Baumeister, Sarah A1 - Treutleind, Jens A1 - Rietschel, Marcella A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Interaction between COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism and childhood adversity affects reward processing in adulthood JF - NeuroImage : a journal of brain function N2 - 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. KW - Reward processing KW - COMT Val(158)Met polymorphism KW - Childhood adversity KW - Gene-environment interaction KW - Functional magnetic resonance imaging KW - Electroencephalography Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.02.006 SN - 1053-8119 SN - 1095-9572 VL - 132 SP - 556 EP - 570 PB - Elsevier CY - San Diego ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hohmann, Sarah A1 - Hohm, Erika A1 - Treutlein, Jens A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Association of norepinephrine transporter (NET, SLC6A2) genotype with ADHD-related phenotypes: Findings of a longitudinal study from birth to adolescence JF - Psychiatry research : the official publication of the International Society for Neuroimaging in Psychiatry N2 - 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. KW - Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder KW - Norepinephrine transporter KW - Genetic association KW - Polymorphism KW - Molecular heterosis KW - Continuous performance task Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2014.12.029 SN - 0165-1781 VL - 226 IS - 2-3 SP - 425 EP - 433 PB - Elsevier CY - Clare ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Hohm, Erika A1 - Witt, Stephanie H. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Role of CNR1 polymorphisms in moderating the effects of psychosocial adversity on impulsivity in adolescents JF - Journal of neural transmission N2 - 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. KW - CNR1 KW - Impulsivity KW - Early psychosocial adversity KW - Adolescence Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-014-1266-3 SN - 0300-9564 SN - 1435-1463 VL - 122 IS - 3 SP - 455 EP - 463 PB - Springer CY - Wien ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holz, Nathalie E. A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Hohm, Erika A1 - Zohsel, Katrin A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Baumeister, Sarah A1 - Hohmann, Sarah A1 - Wolf, Isabella A1 - Plichta, Michael M. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - The Long-Term Impact of Early Life Poverty on Orbitofrontal Cortex Volume in Adulthood: Results from a Prospective Study Over 25 Years JF - Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology N2 - 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. Y1 - 2015 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2014.277 SN - 0893-133X SN - 1740-634X VL - 40 IS - 4 SP - 996 EP - 1004 PB - Nature Publ. Group CY - London ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Weindrich, D. A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Laucht, Manfred A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. T1 - Epidemiology and prognosis of specific disorders of language and scholastic skills Y1 - 2000 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wolf, Isabell Ann-Cathrin A1 - Gilles, Maria A1 - Peus, Verena A1 - Scharnholz, Barbara A1 - Seibert, Julia A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Krumm, Bertram A1 - Deuschle, Michael A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - 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 JF - Journal of neural transmission KW - Prenatal stress KW - Cortisol KW - Mother-infant behavior KW - Pregnancy KW - Stress inoculation Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-017-1770-3 SN - 0300-9564 SN - 1435-1463 VL - 124 SP - 1251 EP - 1260 PB - Springer CY - Wien ER -