Childhood trauma, BDNF Val66Met and subclinical psychotic experiences. Attempt at replication in two independent samples.
Childhood trauma exposure is a robust environmental risk factor for psychosis. However, not all exposed individuals develop psychotic symptoms later in life. The Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) has been suggested to moderate the psychosis-inducing effects of childhood trauma in clinical and nonclinical samples. Our study aimed to explore the interaction effect between childhood trauma and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on subclinical psychotic experiences (PEs). This was explored in two nonclinical independent samples: an undergraduate and technical-training school student sample (n = 808, sample 1) and a female twin sample (n = 621, sample 2). Results showed that childhood trauma was strongly associated with positive and negative PEs in nonclinical individuals. A BDNF Val66Met x childhood trauma effect on positive PEs was observed in both samples. These results were discordant in terms of risk allele: while in sample 1 Val allele carriers, especially males, were more vulnerable to the effects of childhood trauma regarding PEs, in sample 2 Met carriers presented higher PEs scores when exposed to childhood trauma, compared with Val carriers. Moreover, in sample 2, a significant interaction was also found in relation to negative PEs. Our study partially replicates previous findings and suggests that some individuals are more prone to develop PEs following childhood trauma because of a complex combination of multiple factors. Further studies including genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors may provide insights in this field.
Secció de Zoologia i Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain.
Marta
M
de Castro-Catala
KU Leuven, Department of Neuroscience, Research Group Psychiatry, Centre for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium.
Martine
M
van Nierop
Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Facultat de Psicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain; Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, United States; Sant Pere Claver - Fundació Sanitària, Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Neus
N
Barrantes-Vidal
Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Facultat de Psicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.
Paula
P
Cristóbal-Narváez
Departament de Psicologia Clínica i de la Salut, Facultat de Psicologia, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Bellaterra, Spain.
Tamara
T
Sheinbaum
Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, United States.
Thomas R
TR
Kwapil
Secció de Zoologia i Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain.
Elionora
E
Peña
KU Leuven, Department of Neuroscience, Research Group Psychiatry, Centre for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium; Faculty of Psychology, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
Nele
N
Jacobs
Centre of Human Genetics, University Hospital Leuven, Department of Human Genetics, Leuven, Belgium.
Catherine
C
Derom
Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Evert
E
Thiery
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, King's Health Partners, London, United Kingdom; Maastricht University Medical Centre, South Limburg Mental Health Research and Teaching Network, EURON, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Jim
J
van Os
KU Leuven, Department of Neuroscience, Research Group Psychiatry, Centre for Contextual Psychiatry, Leuven, Belgium; University Psychiatric Center, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.
Ruud
R
van Winkel
Secció de Zoologia i Antropologia Biològica, Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain; Institut de Biomedicina de la Universitat de Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain; Centre for Biomedical Research Network on Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: araceli.rosa@ub.edu.
Araceli
A
Rosa
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D059647:Gene-Environment Interaction; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008715:Methionine / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide / Q000235:genetics*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014633:Valine / Q000235:genetics; D055815:Young Adult
D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor; D008715:Methionine; D014633:Valine
BDNF Val66Met; Childhood trauma; Gene-environment interaction; Psychosis; Psychosis proneness; Psychotic experiences