Effects of a neurodevelopmental genes based polygenic risk score for schizophrenia and single gene variants on brain structure in non-clinical subjects: A preliminary report.

We tested whether a polygenic risk score integrating the effects of genes affecting neurodevelopment is associated to brain structural variation in healthy subjects. We acquired magnetic resonance imaging and genetic data of 167 healthy adults and computed a neurodevelopmental polygenic risk score (nPRS). We correlated the nPRS with local gyrification, cortical thickness and grey matter density and explored effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms included in the score.

Hippocampal Volume as a Putative Marker of Resilience or Compensation to Minor Depressive Symptoms in a Nonclinical Sample.

Case-control studies in major depression have established patterns of regional gray matter loss, including the hippocampus, which might show state-related effects dependent on disease stage. However, there is still limited knowledge on compensation effects that might occur in people resilient to depression showing only subclinical symptoms. We used voxel-based morphometry on a multicenter data set of 409 healthy nonclinical subjects to test the hypothesis that local hippocampal volume would be inversely correlated with subclinical depressive symptoms [Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R) depression scores].

Subclinical Agoraphobia Symptoms and Regional Brain Volumes in Non-clinical Subjects: Between Compensation and Resilience?

Symptoms of anxiety are present not only in panic disorder or other anxiety disorders, but are highly prevalent in the general population. Despite increasing biological research on anxiety disorders, there is little research on understanding subclinical or sub-threshold symptoms relating to anxiety in non-clinical community samples, which could give clues to factors relating to resilience or compensatory changes. This study focused on brain structural correlates of subclinical anxiety/agoraphobia symptoms from a multi-center imaging study.

Altered gyrification in schizophrenia and its relation to other morphometric markers.

Schizophrenia is modelled as a neurodevelopmental disease with high heritability. However, established markers like cortical thickness and grey matter volume are heavily influenced by post-onset changes and thus provide limited possibility of accessing early pathologies. Gyrification on the other side is assumed to be more specifically determined by genetic and early developmental factors.

Brain structural correlates of irritability: Findings in a large healthy cohort.

Irritability and nonviolent aggression are common behavioral features across the population, yet there is limited neurobiological research into subclinical phenotypes representing the lower edge of a symptom continuum ranging from slight irritability to criminal violence. We studied brain structural correlates of irritability in a large healthy cohort to test the hypothesis of associations with fronto-limbic brain structures implicated in mood regulation. In a large multicenter effort, we recruited 409 mentally healthy adults from the community, who received T1-weighted high-resolution 3 T MRI scans.

Associations between urban upbringing and cortical thickness and gyrification.

Urbanicity has been linked to several psychiatric disorders, especially schizophrenia. Recent studies suggest effects of urban upbringing and stress on brain structure and function. Here, we used surface-based and voxel-based morphometry to study the effects of urban upbringing in different environments on variation in brain structure in a non-clinical sample.