title: CACNA1C genotype explains interindividual differences in amygdala volume among patients with schizophrenia.
abstract: Affective deficits are one common denominator of schizophrenia (SZ), bipolar disorder (BD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) with the amygdala indicated as one of the major structures involved in emotion regulation. Previous findings of differences in amygdala volume between healthy controls and patients with SZ, BD or OCD diverge with respect to the affected hemisphere, size and direction of the effect. Variability in the CACNA1C gene has been linked to BD, SZ as well as structural and functional variation in the amygdala in healthy people and patients with BD. We were interested to investigate whether amygdala volumes differ between hemispheres, diagnostic or genotype groups, and whether any interactive effects exist. We combined genotyping of SNP rs1006737 in CACNA1C with structural MRI measurements of relative gray matter (GM) amygdala volume in patients with SZ, BD or OCD as well as healthy controls (N Total = 72). The CACNA1C genotype showed a significant effect on relative GM amygdala volume in patients with SZ. There was a significant left versus right relative GM amygdala volume decrease in patients with SZ or BD. The effects of hemisphere and diagnosis (controls vs. patients with SZ) on relative GM amygdala volume were genotype specific. Our data suggest that the CACNA1C genotype may account for some heterogeneity in the effects of hemisphere and diagnosis on amygdala volume when comparing patients with SZ and controls and point to disturbed Ca(2+)-signaling as a plausible mechanism contributing to the pathology in patients with SZ.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Center for Translational Research in Systems Neuroscience and Psychiatry, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Von-Siebold-Str. 5, 37075, Göttingen, Germany, Claudia.Wolf@med.uni-goettingen.de.
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wolf
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schneider-Axmann
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reif
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wobrock
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Scherk
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kraft
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schmitt
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Falkai
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Gruber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000473:pathology*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015220:Calcium Channels / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007206:Individuality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D055815:Young Adult; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type
chemical_list: D015220:Calcium Channels; C105656:CACNA1A protein, human; D020864:Calcium Channels, N-Type