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Association of Stress Hormone System, Epigenetics and Imaging

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 March 2020

T. Frodl ,
L. Tozzi ,
C. Farrell ,
K. Doolin ,
V. O’Keane ,
F. Pomares ,
A. Carballedo  and
L. Booij
T. Frodl
Affiliation:
Otto-von-Guericke university Magdeburg, psychiatry and psychotherapy, Magdeburg, Germany
L. Tozzi
Affiliation:
Otto-von-Guericke university Magdeburg, psychiatry and psychotherapy, Magdeburg, Germany
C. Farrell
Affiliation:
Trinity college Dublin, psychiatry- Trinity college institute of neuroscience, Dublin, Ireland
K. Doolin
Affiliation:
Trinity college Dublin, psychiatry-trinity college institute of neuroscience, Dublin, Ireland
V. O’Keane
Affiliation:
Trinity college Dublin, psychiatry- Trinity college institute of neuroscience, Dublin, Ireland
F. Pomares
Affiliation:
Queen's university, psychology and psychiatry, Montreal, Canada
A. Carballedo
Affiliation:
Trinity college Dublin, psychiatry- Trinity college institute of neuroscience, Dublin, Ireland
L. Booij
Affiliation:
Queen's university, psychology and psychiatry, Montreal, Canada

Abstract

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Introduction

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a common psychiatric condition, affecting up to 350 million people worldwide. Its pathogenesis seems to involve dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary (HPA) axis and inflammation as key elements of the condition. Stressful life events and in particular early life adversity seem to play an important role as risk factors for MDD. Epigenetic, which has been found to impact in the transcription of genes, seem to be associated with brain structure and function. Aim of the research was to provide an overview about neuroimaging (epi)-genetics in MDD.

Methods

Functional MRI, epigenetic and genetic information was obtained in a cohort of patients with MDD and healthy controls. Associations between, early life adversity, methylation of FKBP5 and SLC6A4, genetic variants and brain function and connectivity have been analysed.

Results

Higher methylation of SLC6A4 gene was associated with higher BOLD response during emotion processing and lower BOLD response during higher order cognitive processes. Healthy participants with higher SLC6A4 methylation involved prefrontal cortical regions to a greater extent than the participants with lower SLC6A4 methylation, when trying to switch attention away from negative emotional stimuli (Frodl et al., 2015). Moreover, FKBP5 methylation was association with HPA axis functioning and amygdala brain function in patients with MDD. FKBP5 methylation also was related to grey matter volume.

Conclusions

Our study provides further support to the hypothesis that DNA methylation plays a role. Particular peripheral DNA methylation states of MDD candidate genes are associated with brain function during emotion processing in patients with MDD.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Type
Symposium: How to Integrate Stress - (Epi) Genetics and Imaging and What Does It Tell Us
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 41 , Issue S1: Abstract of the 25th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2017 , pp. S19 - S20
Copyright
Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2017
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