title: Childhood abuse, the BDNF-Val66Met polymorphism and adult psychotic-like experiences.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The well-established relationship between childhood adversity and psychosis is likely to involve other factors such as genetic variants that can help us to understand why not everyone exposed to adverse events develops psychotic symptoms later in life.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the influence of childhood abuse and neglect on positive and negative psychotic-like experiences in adulthood and the potential moderating effect of the BDNF-Val66Met polymorphism.
  
  
  METHODS
  Psychotic-like experiences and childhood adversity were assessed in 533 individuals from the general population.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Childhood abuse showed a strong independent effect on the positive dimension of psychotic-like experiences (β = 0.16, s.e. = 0.05, P = 0.002). Furthermore, this association was moderated by the BDNF-Val66Met polymorphism (β = 0.27, s.e. = 0.10, P = 0.004).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Individuals exposed to childhood abuse are more likely to report positive psychotic-like experiences. Met carriers reported more positive psychotic-like experiences when exposed to childhood abuse than did individuals carrying the Val/Val genotype. Therefore, the observed gene-environment interaction effect may be partially responsible for individual variation in response to childhood abuse.
authors: Unitat d'Antropologia, Dep. Biologia Animal, Facultat Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Silvia
authors: S
authors: Alemany
authors: Bárbara
authors: B
authors: Arias
authors: Mari
authors: M
authors: Aguilera
authors: Helena
authors: H
authors: Villa
authors: Jorge
authors: J
authors: Moya
authors: Manuel I
authors: MI
authors: Ibáñez
authors: Helen
authors: H
authors: Vossen
authors: Cristobal
authors: C
authors: Gastó
authors: Generós
authors: G
authors: Ortet
authors: Lourdes
authors: L
authors: Fañanás
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D000483:Alleles; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008715:Methionine; D014633:Valine