The interplay between genetic variation and gene expression of the glucocorticoid receptor gene NR3C1 and blood cortisol levels on verbal memory and hippocampal volumes.

The hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis is the main physiological stress response system and regulating the release of cortisol. The two corticoid receptors encoded by the genes NR3C1 and NR3C2 are the main players in regulating the physiological response to cortisol. This biological system has been linked to neurocognitive processes and memory, yet the mechanisms remain largely unclear.

The neurobiology of childhood trauma-aldosterone and blood pressure changes in a community sample.

Objective: Childhood trauma is an important risk factor for the onset and course of psychiatric disorders and particularly major depression. Recently, the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, one of the core stress hormone systems, has been demonstrated to be modified by childhood trauma.

Methods: Childhood trauma was obtained using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) in a community-dwelling sample ( = 2038).

Alexithymia is associated with reduced vitamin D levels, but not polymorphisms of the vitamin D binding-protein gene.

Objective: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing emotions, which is associated with various psychiatric disorders, including depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Its pathogenesis is incompletely understood but previous studies suggested that genetic as well as metabolic factors, are involved. However, no results on the role of vitamin D and the polymorphisms rs4588 and rs7041 of the vitamin D binding protein (VDBP) have been published so far.

Sex effects for the interaction of dopamine related genetic variants for COMT and BDNF on declarative memory performance.

Genetic factors are assumed to contribute to memory performance, especially genes affecting the dopaminergic neurotransmission. We aimed to evaluate leading functional genetic variants of the dopamine system, Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) SNP rs4680 and Brain-derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) SNP rs6265, previously found to be associated with memory performance. In two independent general population cohorts (total N = 5937) we investigated direct and interaction effects between COMT and BDNF SNPs on declarative memory performance.

Associations and interactions of the serotonin receptor genes 5-HT1A, 5-HT2A, and childhood trauma with alexithymia in two independent general-population samples.

Previous studies suggested that childhood trauma and a disturbed serotonergic neurotransmission are involved in the pathogenesis of alexithymia. Specifically, genetic polymorphisms of the serotonin receptors 5-HT1A and 5-HT2A were found to be associated with alexithymia. However, it is unclear whether these factors show main or interaction effects with childhood trauma on alexithymia.

Vitamin D moderates the interaction between 5-HTTLPR and childhood abuse in depressive disorders.

A complex interplay between genetic and environmental factors determines the individual risk of depressive disorders. Vitamin D has been shown to stimulate the expression of the tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2) gene, which is the rate-limiting enzyme for serotonin production in the brain. Therefore, we investigate the hypothesis that serum vitamin D levels moderate the interaction between the serotonin transporter promotor gene polymorphism (5-HTTLPR) and childhood abuse in depressive disorders.

Vitamin D levels are associated with trait resilience but not depression in a general population sample.

Introduction: Insufficient vitamin D levels were found to be related to various psychiatric disorders and particularly depression. The functional polymorphisms rs4588 and rs7041 of the vitamin D-binding protein (also group-specific component or Gc) influence vitamin D level and activity. Resilience is considered the individual predisposition to maintain psychological functioning in the face of adversities.

Functional polymorphisms of the mineralocorticoid receptor gene NR3C2 are associated with diminished memory decline: Results from a longitudinal general-population study.

Background: The mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the brain has a key role in the regulation of the central stress response and is associated with memory performance. We investigated whether the genetic polymorphisms rs5522 and rs2070951 of NR3C2 showed main and interactive effects with childhood trauma on memory decline.

Methods: Declarative memory was longitudinally assessed in 1,318 participants from the community-dwelling Study of Health in Pomerania using the Verbal Learning and Memory Test (VLMT).

Alexithymia Is Associated with Altered Cortical Thickness Networks in the General Population.

Background: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing emotions and associated with various psychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging studies found evidence for morphological and functional brain alterations in alexithymic subjects. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying alexithymia remain incompletely understood.

Childhood trauma and adult declarative memory performance in the general population: The mediating effect of alexithymia.

Background: Previous studies suggested that childhood maltreatment is associated with altered memory performance in adulthood. Deficits in identifying and describing feelings as captured by the alexithymia construct are strongly linked with childhood trauma and may mediate the associations with memory function.

Objective: To investigate the associations of childhood trauma with verbal declarative memory performance and the putative mediating role of alexithymia.

Posttraumatic stress disorder is associated with reduced vitamin D levels and functional polymorphisms of the vitamin D binding-protein in a population-based sample.

Objective: Low levels of vitamin D were found to be associated with different mental disorders. However, the role of vitamin D in the pathogenesis of PTSD is unclear. In this study, we aimed at investigating whether PTSD is linked to reduced vitamin D levels and vitamin D deficiency.

Differential activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system in response to childhood and adulthood trauma.

Objective: Previous evidence suggested lasting and cumulative effects of traumatization on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS). However, it is unclear whether traumas during childhood and those experienced in adulthood differentially impact the RAAS. In this study, we sought to investigate main and putative interactive effects of childhood and adulthood trauma on RAAS functioning.

Inflammatory markers and imaging patterns of advanced brain aging in the general population.

Inflammaging describes the complexity between low-grade chronic inflammation with the pathogenesis of brain aging and Alzheimer´s disease (AD). We aimed to find associations of inflammatory markers: i) white blood cell count (WBC), ii) high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and iii) fibrinogen with brain structures, sensitive neuroimaging markers of advanced brain aging and AD-like atrophy, and cognitive aging scores. We analyzed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 2204 participants from the Study of Health in Pomerania-2 (SHIP-2) and SHIP-Trend (55.

The relation of alexithymia, chronic perceived stress and declarative memory performance: Results from the general population.

Previous evidence showed associations of alexithymia with altered declarative memory performance. However, these findings were not fully consistent and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Alexithymic subjects may be at specific risk for chronic psychosocial stress, which in turn represents a predictor for poorer memory performance.

Alexithymia and temporomandibular joint and facial pain in the general population.

Background: Associations of alexithymia with temporomandibular pain disorders (TMD), facial pain, head pain and migraine have been described, but the role of the different dimensions of alexithymia in pain development remained incompletely understood.

Objectives: We sought to investigate the associations of alexithymia and its subfactors with signs of TMD and with facial pain, head pain and migraine in the general population.

Methods: A total of 1494 subjects from the general population completed the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (TAS-20) and underwent a clinical functional examination with palpation of the temporomandibular joint and masticatory muscles.

Predicting physical and mental health symptoms: Additive and interactive effects of difficulty identifying feelings, neuroticism and extraversion.

Objective: Alexithymia, neuroticism, and extraversion have been described as relevant predictors of mental and physical health conditions, but their putative interactive effects remain poorly understood and their prospective effects are not well studied. The present study has investigated the differential contributions of distinct personality traits in predicting mental and somatic health symptoms in cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses.

Methods: Additive and interactive effects of neuroticism and extraversion (NEO-FFI), the TAS-20 total score (20-Item Toronto Alexithymia Scale) and its factors (Difficulty Identifying Feelings (DIF), Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF) and External Oriented Thinking (EOT)) have been investigated on depressive symptoms, the number of chronic diseases, somatic and mental subjective health complaints.

Association of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor and Vitamin D with Depression and Obesity: A Population-Based Study.

Background: Depression and obesity are widespread and closely linked. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vitamin D are both assumed to be associated with depression and obesity. Little is known about the interplay between vitamin D and BDNF.

Associations of trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder with the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system in the general population.

Background: Previous studies suggested that exposure to traumatic events during childhood and adulthood and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated with a dysregulation of different neuroendocrine systems. However, the activity of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) in relation to trauma/PTSD has been largely neglected.

Methods: Traumatization, PTSD, and plasma concentrations of renin and aldosterone were measured in 3092 individuals from the general population.

Living alone and activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system: Differential effects depending on alexithymic personality features.

Objective: Living alone is considered as a chronic stress factor predicting different health conditions and particularly cardiovascular disease (CVD). Alexithymia is associated with increased psychological distress, less social skills and fewer close relationships, making alexithymic subjects particularly susceptible to chronic stress imposed by "living alone". Only few studies investigated the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system (RAAS) activity in response to chronic stress.