title: Effects of MIR137 on fronto-amygdala functional connectivity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  MIR137 is implicated in brain development and encodes a microRNA that regulates neuronal maturation and adult neurogenesis. Recently, a common genetic variant within MIR137 showed genome wide evidence of association with schizophrenia, and with altered amygdala activation in those at genetic risk for schizophrenia. Following this evidence, we investigated the effects of MIR137 genotype on neuronal activity during face processing.
  
  
  METHODS
  By grouping 81 healthy participants as carrier or non-carriers of the MIR137 rs1625579 risk allele associated with schizophrenia, we investigated MIR137's effects on altered cortical response during an fMRI face processing task and altered functional connectivity using the amygdala as a seed region.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Homozygous carriers of the risk allele were observed to show relatively increased functional connectivity between the right amygdala and frontal regions that play a key role in emotion processing and regulation (e.g. the cingulate and prefrontal cortex).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings provide the first evidence that the rs1625579 variant affects fronto-amygdala functional connectivity, providing further evidence that MIR137 may contribute to forms of psychosis in which affective symptoms are more prominent.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mothersill
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Derek W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Sinead
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Transdisciplinary Science and Translational Prevention Program (TSTPP), Research Triangle Institute International, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Emma Jane
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ciara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fahey
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Carol
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Ronan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lyne
authors.affiliation: Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Reilly
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gill
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: Aiden P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Corvin
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatric Genetics Group, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; Trinity College Institute for Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland; School of Psychology, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland. Electronic address: gary.donohoe@nuigalway.ie.
authors.forename: Gary
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Donohoe
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000483:Alleles; D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000235:genetics*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C545567:MIRN137 microRNA, human; D035683:MicroRNAs
keywords: Amygdala; Emotion; Functional connectivity; MIR137; Schizophrenia