The interplay of genetic and environmental factors on the morphology of the limbic cortex and hippocampal subfields: Insights from an MRI twin study.

Autor: Vessal A; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Alijanpourotaghsara A; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Strelnikov D; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Persely A; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Piroska M; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Alijanpour A; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Jokkel Z; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Szalontai L; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Forgo B; Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, Örebro University, 702 81, Örebro, Sweden., Kozak LR; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Bekesy-Szabo A; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Maurovich-Horvat P; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Tarnoki DL; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary., Tarnoki AD; Medical Imaging Centre, Semmelweis University, 1082, Budapest, Hungary. Electronic address: tarnoki2@gmail.com.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Psychiatry research. Neuroimaging [Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging] 2024 Dec; Vol. 345, pp. 111909. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Oct 05.
DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111909
Abstrakt: Introduction: The limbic system and the hippocampus are complex brain structures with key roles in memory, emotions, sexual stimulation and learning, with subregion abnormalities associated with a range of disorders and psychopathologies. Our study aimed to explore the heritability of specific subfield structures within the limbic system and hippocampus first in a Caucasian twin sample with volBrain pipeline.
Materials and Methods: 59 healthy adult Caucasian twin pairs from the Hungarian Twin Registry without any history of previous neurodegenerative or cerebrovascular diseases underwent brain MRI on a 3.0 T scanner (43 monozygotic, MZ and 16 dizygotic, DZ pairs, with a median age of 50±+27 years). The volBrain automated volumetry pipeline was used to calculate the subcortical and general brain volumes from three-dimensional T1-weighted images. Based on age- and sex-adjusted MZ and DZ intra-pair correlations, the univariate ACE model was applied to calculate additive genetic, shared and unshared environmental influences.
Results: Adjusting for age and sex, moderate to strong heritability (A: 59.7 to 73.1 %) was found for most limbic cortex volumes, except for the volumes of entorhinal area and posterior cingulate gyrus where common environmental contribution was detected (C: 56.6 % and 65.0 %, respectively). A substantial heritability (A: 67.0 to 79.4 %) was estimated for the overall hippocampus and most subfield volumes, except for the CA2-CA3 region which was determinated by common environmental factors (C: 45.7 %). Unique environmental variance was a minor to moderate contributor across all variables (E: 20.6 to 54.3 %).
Conclusions: Albeit most limbic cortex, overall hippocampus and most subfield volumes are under substantial genetic influence in healthy adult twins, the volumes of entorhinal area, posterior cingulate gyrus and the CA2-CA3 region of the hippocampus are influenced common environmental factors. The findings underline the importance of unique environmental factors which may play a role in the prevention of disorders related to limbic cortex and hippocampus.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.
(Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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