title: CHRNA4 was associated with prepulse inhibition of schizophrenia in Chinese: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the auditory startle reflex, as an operational measurement used to evaluate the function of brain sensorimotor gating, appears to be a sensitive potential endophenotype for schizophrenia. CHRNA4 is highly expressed in the central nervous system and has been demonstrated to be significantly associated with schizophrenia by previous studies. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effect of CHRNA4 on PPI and acoustic startle parameters in schizophrenia.
  
  
  METHODS
  77 patients with schizophrenia and 62 controls were administered the test PPI, and 3 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3746372, rs1044396, and rs3787140) of CHRNA4 were genotyped in these subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with schizophrenia showed significantly lower levels of PPI at the 120 ms prepulse intervals and longer peak latency than controls, and the GG genotype of rs3746372 and the TT genotype of rs1044396 were associated with decreased PPI levels in schizophrenia but not in controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PPI may be influenced by the polymorphisms of the CHRNA4 in schizophrenia and it may be a potential endophenotype of schizophrenia. An independent replication would greatly increase the value of this study.
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Zhiren
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yunlong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Hongzhen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Huimei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: An
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lingjun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Fude
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Shuping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xiangyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: b Institute of Mental Health , Peking University , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Dongfeng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: a Beijing HuiLongGuan Hospital , Beijing , People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xingguang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People / Q000235:genetics*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D065808:Prepulse Inhibition / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics*; D013216:Reflex, Startle / Q000235:genetics*; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic
keywords: CHRNA4; prepulse inhibition; schizophrenia; sensorimotor gating