Altered Expression of PDE4 Genes in Schizophrenia: Insights from a Brain and Blood Sample Meta-Analysis and iPSC-Derived Neurons.

Schizophrenia symptomatology includes negative symptoms and cognitive impairment. Several studies have linked schizophrenia with the PDE4 family of enzymes due to their genetic association and function in cognitive processes such as long-term potentiation. We conducted a systematic gene expression meta-analysis of four PDE4 genes (PDE4A-D) in 10 brain sample datasets (437 samples) and three blood sample datasets (300 samples).

A new type of blood-brain barrier aminoacidopathy underlies metabolic microcephaly associated with SLC1A4 mutations.

Mutations in the SLC1A4 transporter lead to neurodevelopmental impairments, spastic tetraplegia, thin corpus callosum and microcephaly in children. SLC1A4 catalyses obligatory amino acid exchange between neutral amino acids, but the physiopathology of SLC1A4 disease mutations and progressive microcephaly remain unclear. Here, we examined the phenotype and metabolic profile of three Slc1a4 mouse models: a constitutive Slc1a4-knockout mouse; a knock-in mouse with the major human Slc1a4 mutation (Slc1a4-K256E); and a selective knockout of Slc1a4 in brain endothelial cells (Slc1a4tie2-cre).

Immunoglobulin genes expressed in lymphoblastoid cell lines discern and predict lithium response in bipolar disorder patients.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a neuropsychiatric mood disorder manifested by recurrent episodes of mania and depression. More than half of BD patients are non-responsive to lithium, the first-line treatment drug, complicating BD clinical management. Given its unknown etiology, it is pertinent to understand the genetic signatures that lead to variability in lithium response.

Intrinsic Excitability in Layer IV-VI Anterior Insula to Basolateral Amygdala Projection Neurons Correlates with the Confidence of Taste Valence Encoding.

Avoiding potentially harmful, and consuming safe food is crucial for the survival of living organisms. However, the perceived valence of sensory information can change following conflicting experiences. Pleasurability and aversiveness are two crucial parameters defining the perceived valence of a taste and can be impacted by novelty.

Information theory characteristics improve the prediction of lithium response in bipolar disorder patients using a support vector machine classifier.

Aim: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mood disorder with a high morbidity and death rate. Lithium (Li), a prominent mood stabilizer, is often used as a first-line treatment. However, clinical studies have shown that Li is fully effective in roughly 30% of BD patients.