Association of DISC1, BDNF, and COMT polymorphisms with exploratory eye movement of schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population
Background: Previous studies suggested that exploratory eye movement (EEM) dysfunction appears to be a biological marker specific to schizophrenia, with an unknown molecular mechanism. Genetic studies indicate that disrupted-in-schizophrenia-1 (DISC1), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and catechol-O-methyl transferase (COMT) genes might be implicated in the etiology of schizophrenia, but not in all populations.
Objectives: The present study aimed to explore associations between these candidate genes and EEM endophenotypes for schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population.
Methods: EEM recordings were examined in 139...
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - October 26, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Rapporteur summaries of plenary, symposia, and oral sessions from the XXIIIrd World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics Meeting in Toronto, Canada, 16–20 October 2015
The XXIIIrd World Congress of Psychiatric Genetics meeting, sponsored by the International Society of Psychiatric Genetics, was held in Toronto, ON, Canada, on 16–20 October 2015. Approximately 700 participants attended to discuss the latest state-of-the-art findings in this rapidly advancing and evolving field. The following report was written by trainee travel awardees. Each was assigned one session as a rapporteur. This manuscript represents the highlights and topics that were covered in the plenary sessions, symposia, and oral sessions during the conference, and contains major notable and new findings. (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - October 26, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Review Article Source Type: research
Pathway analysis of whole exome sequence data provides further support for the involvement of histone modification in the aetiology of schizophrenia
Weighted burden pathway analysis was applied to whole exome sequence data for 2045 schizophrenic patients and 2045 controls. Overall, there was a statistically significant excess of pathways with more rare, functional variants in cases than in controls. Among the highest ranked were pathways relating to histone modification, as well as neuron differentiation and membrane and vesicle function. This bolsters the evidence from previous studies that histone modification pathways may be important in the aetiology of schizophrenia. (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - September 3, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Brief Report Source Type: research
Completed suicide, depression, and RELN polymorphisms
Conclusion: The present investigation, performed on a study sample from a population with one of the highest suicide rates in the world, indicated an association between rs2965087 in the reelin gene and the expression of suicidal threats a month before suicide in contrast to other symptoms of depression. (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - September 3, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Gene-expression analysis of clozapine treatment in whole blood of patients with psychosis
Conclusion: Overall, this study does not provide evidence that clozapine treatment induces medium to large different gene-expression patterns in human whole blood versus other antipsychotic treatments. This does not rule out the possibility of smaller effects as observed for other common antipsychotic treatments. (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - September 3, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
No evidence of an association between MIR137 rs1625579 and schizophrenia in Asians: a meta-analysis in 30 843 individuals
Conclusion: We could not confirm the significant association of rs1625579 with schizophrenia in Asian samples, which may have resulted from potential genetic heterogeneity on this locus between continental populations. (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - September 3, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
The COMT Val158Met polymorphism moderates the association between cognitive functions and white matter microstructure in schizophrenia
Objectives: Impaired cognitive functioning is a core feature of schizophrenia. Cognitive impairment in schizophrenia has been associated with white-matter (WM) abnormalities and degenerative changes of cortical myelin in the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, findings suggested a role of the COMT gene in affecting both WM and neuropsychological performances.
We thus hypothesized that the COMT Val158Met genotype would affect the association between cognitive functions and WM microstructure in a sample of schizophrenic patients.
Materials and methods: Seventy-eight schizophrenic patients performed the brief assessment of cognit...
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - September 3, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Dopamine dysfunction in 22q11 deletion syndrome: possible cause of motor symptoms
22q11 Deletion syndrome (22q11DS) is a neurogenetic disorder, resulting from a hemizygous microdeletion on the long arm of chromosome 22. In 22q11DS, the phenotypic expression is highly variable. Approximately one-third of all individuals with 22q11DS develop schizophrenia-like psychotic disorder. Among the genes in the deleted region, catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) has a particular relevance for psychiatric disorders: lower COMT enzymatic activity decreases the clearance of dopamine (DA), yielding higher levels of catecholamines in the central nervous system. Deficits in myelinogenesis and dysfunctions in the DA syst...
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - September 3, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Review Article Source Type: research
Effect of copy number variant burden on Global Assessment of Functioning in schizophrenia
No abstract available (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - July 1, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Brief Association Letter Source Type: research
Cognitive profiles and heritability estimates in the Old Order Amish
Conclusion: The RBANS appears to be a suitable cognitive battery for the OOA population as measurements obtained from the OOA are comparable with normative data in the US population. The heritability estimated from the OOA is in line with heritabilities of other cognitive batteries estimated in other populations. These results support the use of RBANS in cognitive assessment, clinical care, and behavioral genetic studies of neuropsychological functioning in this population. (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - July 1, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Cigarette smoking has a differential effect on the plasma level of clozapine in Taiwanese schizophrenic patients associated with the CYP1A2 gene −163A/C single nucleotide polymorphism
Conclusion: Cigarette smoking has a significant impact on the plasma level of clozapine in Taiwanese schizophrenic patients carrying the homozygous −163A allele in the CYP1A2 gene. Cigarette smoking may increase the clearance of clozapine in these patients. (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - July 1, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
The COMT rs4680 polymorphism and suicide attempt in rural Shandong, China
Conclusion: The findings support an association between the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism and suicide attempts only in women. Further research with larger samples is needed to explore the interactions of the COMT gene rs4680 polymorphism and sex and psychiatric disorders on suicide attempts. (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - July 1, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Original Articles Source Type: research
Unstable repeat expansion in major psychiatric disorders: two decades on, is dynamic DNA back on the menu?
For a period in the mid-1990s, soon after the discovery of the involvement of trinucleotide repeat expansions in fragile-X syndrome (both A and E), Huntington’s disease, myotonic dystrophy, and a number of hereditary ataxias, there was a clear sense that this new disease mechanism might provide answers for psychiatric disorders. Given the then failures to replicate initial genetic linkage findings for schizophrenia (SCZ) and bipolar disorder (BD), a greater emphasis was placed on the role of complex and non-Mendelian mechanisms, and repeat instability appeared to have the potential to provide adequate explanations for nu...
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - July 1, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Review Articles Source Type: research
Prevalence of nonaffective psychosis in intellectually disabled clients: systematic review and meta-analysis
Epidemiological studies report high rates of schizophrenia in individuals with intellectual disability (ID). However, this subject has not been reviewed systematically. We aim to review studies that report the prevalence of nonaffective psychosis in a population with ID and estimate the prevalence of schizophrenia in this population. We performed a literature search using the PsychINFO, MEDLINE and EMBASE (from inception to 2 October 2014). We performed a manual search of citations from relevant papers identified through the databases. We identified 887 titles and after screening abstracts, identified 60 full-text articles...
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - July 1, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Review Articles Source Type: research
Schizophrenia risk variants in ITIH4 and CALN1 regulate gene expression in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex
No abstract available (Source: Psychiatric Genetics)
Source: Psychiatric Genetics - April 26, 2016 Category: Genetics & Stem Cells Tags: Brief Association Letters Source Type: research
