Impact of FAAH genetic variation on fronto-amygdala function during emotional processing
Research output: Contribution to journal › Research article › Contributed › peer-review
Contributors
Abstract
Recent translational studies identified a common endocannabinoid polymorphism, FAAH C385A, in the gene for the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH). This polymorphism alters endocannabinoid anandamide levels, which are known to be involved in the fronto-amygdala circuitry implicated in mood regulation and anxiety-like behaviors. While it has been shown that the variant that selectively enhances fronto-amygdala connectivity at rest is associated with decreased anxiety-like behaviors, no study so far has investigated whether this finding of FAAH-related differential plasticity extends to task-related differential functional expression and regulation during negative emotional processing. Using an imaging genetics approach, this study aimed to replicate and extend prior findings by examining functional activity and task-related connectivity in fronto-amygdala regions during emotion reactivity and emotional down-regulation of negative affect. Therefore, 48 healthy young adults underwent a functional MRI resting state measurement, completed an emotion regulation paradigm and provided self-reports on anxiety and use of emotion regulation strategies. In line with previous studies, preliminary evidence suggests that A-allele carriers demonstrate stronger fronto-amygdala connectivity during rest. In addition, exploratory whole-brain analyses indicate differential functional activity of A-allele carriers during emotion reactivity and emotion regulation. There were no associations with anxiety-related self-reports and use of emotional regulation strategies. Further research using larger samples and polygenic approaches is indicated to clarify the precise role and its underlying mechanisms in emotion processing.
Details
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 209-221 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience |
| Volume | 269 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Publication status | Published - Mar 2019 |
| Peer-reviewed | Yes |
External IDs
| Scopus | 85054580062 |
|---|---|
| ORCID | /0000-0002-9426-5397/work/141543182 |
| ORCID | /0000-0003-4296-963X/work/141543650 |
| ORCID | /0000-0002-5632-419X/work/142246583 |
Keywords
Keywords
- Adolescent, Adult, Amidohydrolases/genetics, Amygdala/diagnostic imaging, Anxiety/diagnostic imaging, Connectome/methods, Emotions/physiology, Female, Genotype, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Prefrontal Cortex/diagnostic imaging, Young Adult