title: The AKT1 gene is associated with attention and brain morphology in schizophrenia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  A meta-analysis of the associations between genetic variants in the AKT1 gene and schizophrenia found that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP5; rs2494732) was associated with schizophrenia in Asian populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we investigated the effects of this SNP on memory and attentional performance and brain structure using magnetic resonance imaging in a Japanese population (117 patients with schizophrenia and 189 healthy subjects).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The memory performance, particularly attention/concentration score, measured by the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised in A carriers of SNP5, which was found to be enriched in patients with schizophrenia, was lower than that in individuals with the G/G genotype. We confirmed the association of the SNP with attentional performance using the Continuous Performance Test, which assessed sustained attention and vigilance of attentional function. Patients with A allele demonstrated lower attentional performance than patients with the G/G genotype. Patients with the A allele had smaller gray matter volumes in the right inferior parietal lobule related to attentional processes and in the frontostriatal region related to different SNPs in AKT1 than patients with the G/G genotype.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that a genetic variant of AKT1 might be associated with attentional deficits and brain morphological vulnerability in patients with schizophrenia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate school of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazutaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohi
authors.forename: Ryota
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hashimoto
authors.forename: Yuka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yasuda
authors.forename: Motoyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukumoto
authors.forename: Kiyotaka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nemoto
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohnishi
authors.forename: Hidenaga
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamamori
authors.forename: Hidetoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iike
authors.forename: Kouzin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kamino
authors.forename: Tetsuhiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Azechi
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ikezawa
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanimukai
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tagami
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Morihara
authors.forename: Masayasu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okochi
authors.forename: Toshihisa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwase
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kazui
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009929:Organ Size / Q000235:genetics; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012565:Schizophrenic Psychology
chemical_list: D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt