Exploring the moderating effects of dopaminergic polymorphisms and childhood adversity on brain morphology in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders

Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2018 Nov 30:281:61-68. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2018.09.002. Epub 2018 Sep 13.

Abstract

Genetic and environmental etiologies may contribute to schizophrenia and its associated neurobiological profile. We examined the interaction between dopaminergic polymorphisms, childhood adversity and diagnosis (schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder) on dopamine-related brain structures. Childhood adversity histories and structural MRI data were obtained from 249 (153 schizophrenia/schizoaffective, 96 controls) participants registered in the Australian Schizophrenia Research Bank. Polymorphisms in DRD2 and COMT were genotyped and a dopaminergic risk allelic load (RAL) was calculated. Regression analysis was used to test the main and interaction effects of RAL, childhood adversity and diagnosis on volumes of dopamine-related brain structures (caudate, putamen, nucleus accumbens, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and hippocampus). A schizophrenia/schizoaffective diagnosis showed significant main effects on bilateral hippocampus, left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and bilateral putamen volumes. RAL showed a significant main effect on left putamen volumes. Furthermore, across the whole sample, a significant two-way interaction between dopaminergic RAL and childhood adversity was found for left putamen volumes. No brain structure volumes were predicted by a three-way interaction that included diagnosis. Our finding suggests the left putamen may be particularly sensitive to dopaminergic gene-environment interactions regardless of diagnosis. However, larger studies are needed to assess whether these interactions are more or less pronounced in those with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorders.

Keywords: COMT; Childhood trauma; DRD2; Gene-environment interaction; Neurobiology; Structural MRI.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Adult Survivors of Child Adverse Events / psychology*
  • Brain / metabolism
  • Brain / pathology
  • Dopamine / genetics*
  • Female
  • Gene-Environment Interaction
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Polymorphism, Genetic / genetics*
  • Putamen / metabolism
  • Putamen / pathology
  • Regression Analysis
  • Schizophrenia / genetics*
  • Schizophrenia / pathology
  • Schizophrenic Psychology*

Substances

  • Dopamine