5-HTT genotype effect on prefrontal-amygdala coupling differs between major depression and controls.

TY - JOUR

T1 - 5-HTT genotype effect on prefrontal-amygdala coupling differs between major depression and controls.

AU - Friedel, Eva

AU - Schlagenhauf, Florian

AU - Sterzer, Philipp

AU - Park, Soyoung Q

AU - Bermpohl, Felix

AU - Ströhle, Andreas

AU - Stoy, Meline

AU - Puls, Imke

AU - Hägele, Claudia

AU - Wrase, Jana

AU - Büchel, Christian

AU - Heinz, Andreas

PY - 2009

Y1 - 2009

N2 - RATIONALE: In major depression, prefrontal regulation of limbic brain areas may be a key mechanism that is impaired during the processing of affective information. This prefrontal-limbic interaction has been shown to be modulated by serotonin (5-HTT) genotype, indicating a higher risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) with increasing number of 5-HTT low-expression alleles. OBJECTIVE: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess neural response to uncued unpleasant affective pictures in 21 unmedicated patients with MDD compared to 21 matched healthy controls, taking into account genetic influences of the 5-HTT (SCL6A4) high- and low-expression genotype. RESULTS: Healthy controls displayed greater prefrontal activation (BA10) to uncued negative pictures compared to patients with MDD. While in healthy controls prefrontal (BA10) activation and BA10-amygdala coupling increased with the number of 5-HTT low-expression risk alleles, this effect was abolished, and even reversed, in patients with MDD. In MDD, connectivity decreased with severity of depressive symptoms (HAMD total score). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that increased medial prefrontal (BA10) activation and BA10-amygdala connectivity may counteract the risk for MDD in healthy carriers of 5-HTT low-expression alleles, while this protective factor might be lost in patients who actually suffer from MDD. Prefrontal-limbic regulation in risk populations could be a target of early interventions and should be the focus of further research.

AB - RATIONALE: In major depression, prefrontal regulation of limbic brain areas may be a key mechanism that is impaired during the processing of affective information. This prefrontal-limbic interaction has been shown to be modulated by serotonin (5-HTT) genotype, indicating a higher risk for major depressive disorder (MDD) with increasing number of 5-HTT low-expression alleles. OBJECTIVE: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess neural response to uncued unpleasant affective pictures in 21 unmedicated patients with MDD compared to 21 matched healthy controls, taking into account genetic influences of the 5-HTT (SCL6A4) high- and low-expression genotype. RESULTS: Healthy controls displayed greater prefrontal activation (BA10) to uncued negative pictures compared to patients with MDD. While in healthy controls prefrontal (BA10) activation and BA10-amygdala coupling increased with the number of 5-HTT low-expression risk alleles, this effect was abolished, and even reversed, in patients with MDD. In MDD, connectivity decreased with severity of depressive symptoms (HAMD total score). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that increased medial prefrontal (BA10) activation and BA10-amygdala connectivity may counteract the risk for MDD in healthy carriers of 5-HTT low-expression alleles, while this protective factor might be lost in patients who actually suffer from MDD. Prefrontal-limbic regulation in risk populations could be a target of early interventions and should be the focus of further research.

M3 - SCORING: Zeitschriftenaufsatz

VL - 205

SP - 261

EP - 271

JO - PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

JF - PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY

SN - 0033-3158

IS - 2

M1 - 2

ER -