The brain-derived neurotrophic factor val66met polymorphism and variation in human cortical morphology.
A variation in the BDNF gene (val66met) affects the function of BDNF in neurons, predicts variation in human memory, and is associated with several neurological and psychiatric disorders. Here, we show that, in magnetic resonance imaging scans of a large sample of normal individuals, this polymorphism affects the anatomy of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, identifying a genetic mechanism of variation in brain morphology related to learning and memory.
Pezawas
Lukas
L
Genes, Cognition, and Psychosis Program, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1379, USA.
Verchinski
Beth A
BA
Mattay
Venkata S
VS
Callicott
Joseph H
JH
Kolachana
Bhaskar S
BS
Straub
Richard E
RE
Egan
Michael F
MF
Meyer-Lindenberg
Andreas
A
Weinberger
Daniel R
DR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D019943:Amino Acid Substitution; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D009929:Organ Size; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000648:ultrastructure*
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor