Browsing by Author "Bauer, Lance"
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Item Analysis of whole genome-transcriptomic organization in brain to identify genes associated with alcoholism(Springer Nature, 2019-02-14) Kapoor, Manav; Wang, Jen-Chyong; Farris, Sean P.; Liu, Yunlong; McClintick, Jeanette; Gupta, Ishaan; Meyers, Jacquelyn L.; Bertelsen, Sarah; Chao, Michael; Nurnberger, John; Tischfield, Jay; Harari, Oscar; Zeran, Li; Hesselbrock, Victor; Bauer, Lance; Raj, Towfique; Porjesz, Bernice; Agrawal, Arpana; Foroud, Tatiana; Edenberg, Howard J.; Mayfield, R. Dayne; Goate, Alison; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of MedicineAlcohol exposure triggers changes in gene expression and biological pathways in human brain. We explored alterations in gene expression in the Pre-Frontal Cortex (PFC) of 65 alcoholics and 73 controls of European descent, and identified 129 genes that showed altered expression (FDR < 0.05) in subjects with alcohol dependence. Differentially expressed genes were enriched for pathways related to interferon signaling and Growth Arrest and DNA Damage-inducible 45 (GADD45) signaling. A coexpression module (thistle2) identified by weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was significantly correlated with alcohol dependence, alcohol consumption, and AUDIT scores. Genes in the thistle2 module were enriched with genes related to calcium signaling pathways and showed significant downregulation of these pathways, as well as enrichment for biological processes related to nicotine response and opioid signaling. A second module (brown4) showed significant upregulation of pathways related to immune signaling. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) for genes in the brown4 module were also enriched for genetic associations with alcohol dependence and alcohol consumption in large genome-wide studies included in the Psychiatric Genetic Consortium and the UK Biobank's alcohol consumption dataset. By leveraging multi-omics data, this transcriptome analysis has identified genes and biological pathways that could provide insight for identifying therapeutic targets for alcohol dependence.Item Clinical, genomic, and neurophysiological correlates of lifetime suicide attempts among individuals with alcohol dependence(medRxiv, 2023-04-29) Barr, Peter B.; Neale, Zoe; Schulman, Jessica; Mullins, Niamh; Zhang, Jian; Chorlian, David B.; Kamarajan, Chella; Kinreich, Sivan; Pandey, Ashwini K.; Pandey, Gayathri; Saenz de Viteri, Stacey; Acion, Laura; Bauer, Lance; Bucholz, Kathleen K.; Chan, Grace; Chao, Michael; Dick, Danielle M.; Edenberg, Howard J.; Foroud, Tatiana; Goate, Alison; Hesselbrock, Victor; Johnson, Emma C.; Kramer, John; Lai, Dongbing; Plawecki, Martin H.; Salvatore, Jessica E.; Wetherill, Leah; Agrawal, Arpana; Porjesz, Bernice; Meyers, Jacquelyn L.; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of MedicineResearch has identified clinical, genomic, and neurophysiological markers associated with suicide attempts (SA) among individuals with psychiatric illness. However, there is limited research among those with an alcohol use disorder, despite their disproportionately higher rates of SA. We examined lifetime SA in 4,068 individuals with DSM-IV alcohol dependence from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (23% lifetime suicide attempt; 53% female; 17% Admixed African American ancestries; mean age: 38). We 1) explored clinical risk factors associated with SA, 2) conducted a genome-wide association study of SA, 3) examined whether individuals with a SA had elevated polygenic scores for comorbid psychiatric conditions (e.g., alcohol use disorders, lifetime suicide attempt, and depression), and 4) explored differences in electroencephalogram neural functional connectivity between those with and without a SA. One gene-based finding emerged, RFX3 (Regulatory Factor X, located on 9p24.2) which had supporting evidence in prior research of SA among individuals with major depression. Only the polygenic score for suicide attempts was associated with reporting a suicide attempt (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.06, 1.37). Lastly, we observed decreased right hemispheric frontal-parietal theta and decreased interhemispheric temporal-parietal alpha electroencephalogram resting-state coherences among those participants who reported a SA relative to those who did not, but differences were small. Overall, individuals with alcohol dependence who report SA appear to experience a variety of severe comorbidities and elevated polygenic risk for SA. Our results demonstrate the need to further investigate suicide attempts in the presence of substance use disorders.Item Density and Dichotomous Family History Measures of Alcohol Use Disorder as Predictors of Behavioral and Neural Phenotypes: A Comparative Study Across Gender and Race/Ethnicity(Wiley, 2020-03) Pandey, Gayathri; Seay, Michael J.; Meyers, Jacquelyn L.; Chorlian, David B.; Pandey, Ashwini K.; Kamarajan, Chella; Ehrenberg, Morton; Pitti, Daniel; Kinreich, Sivan; de Viteri, Stacey Subbie-Saenz; Acion, Laura; Anokhin, Andrey; Bauer, Lance; Chan, Grace; Edenberg, Howard; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kuperman, Samuel; McCutcheon, Vivia V.; Bucholz, Kathleen K.; Schuckit, Marc; Porjesz, Bernice; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of MedicineBackground: Family history (FH) is an important risk factor for the development of alcohol use disorder (AUD). A variety of dichotomous and density measures of FH have been used to predict alcohol outcomes; yet, a systematic comparison of these FH measures is lacking. We compared 4 density and 4 commonly used dichotomous FH measures and examined variations by gender and race/ethnicity in their associations with age of onset of regular drinking, parietal P3 amplitude to visual target, and likelihood of developing AUD. Methods: Data from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) were utilized to compute the density and dichotomous measures. Only subjects and their family members with DSM-5 AUD diagnostic information obtained through direct interviews using the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism (SSAGA) were included in the study. Area under receiver operating characteristic curves were used to compare the diagnostic accuracy of FH measures at classifying DSM-5 AUD diagnosis. Logistic and linear regression models were used to examine associations of FH measures with alcohol outcomes. Results: Density measures had greater diagnostic accuracy at classifying AUD diagnosis, whereas dichotomous measures presented diagnostic accuracy closer to random chance. Both dichotomous and density measures were significantly associated with likelihood of AUD, early onset of regular drinking, and low parietal P3 amplitude, but density measures presented consistently more robust associations. Further, variations in these associations were observed such that among males (vs. females) and Whites (vs. Blacks), associations of alcohol outcomes with density (vs. dichotomous) measures were greater in magnitude. Conclusions: Density (vs. dichotomous) measures seem to present more robust associations with alcohol outcomes. However, associations of dichotomous and density FH measures with different alcohol outcomes (behavioral vs. neural) varied across gender and race/ethnicity. These findings have great applicability for alcohol research examining FH of AUD.Item Early Sexual Trauma Exposure and Neural Response Inhibition in Adolescence and Young Adults: Trajectories of Frontal Theta Oscillations During a Go/No-Go Task(Elsevier, 2019) Meyers, Jacquelyn; McCutcheon, Vivia V.; Pandey, Ashwini K.; Kamarajan, Chella; Subbie, Stacey; Chorlian, David; Salvatore, Jessica; Pandey, Gayathri; Almasy, Laura; Anokhin, Andrey; Bauer, Lance; Bender, Annah; Dick, Danielle M.; Edenberg, Howard J.; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kramer, John; Kuperman, Samuel; Agrawal, Arpana; Bucholz, Kathleen; Porjesz, Bernice; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of MedicineObjective Trauma, particularly when experienced early in life, can alter neurophysiologic and behavioral development, thereby increasing risk for substance use disorders and related psychopathology. However, few studies have empirically examined trauma using well-characterized developmental samples that are followed longitudinally. Method The association of assaultive, non-assaultive, and sexual assaultive experiences before 10 years of age with developmental trajectories of brain function during response inhibition was examined by measuring electrophysiologic theta and delta oscillations during no-go and go conditions in an equal probability go/no-go task. Data were drawn from the Collaborative Study of the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA) prospective cohort, composed of offspring from high-risk and comparison families who were 12 to 22 years old at enrollment, with follow-ups at 2-year intervals since 2004. In addition, other important predictors of neurophysiologic functioning (eg, substance use, impulsivity, and parental alcohol use disorders) were investigated. Moreover, associations of neurophysiologic functioning with alcohol and cannabis use disorder symptom counts and externalizing and internalizing psychopathology were examined. Results Individuals exposed to sexual assaultive trauma before 10 years of age had slower rates of change in developmental trajectories of no-go frontal theta during response inhibition. Importantly, effects remained significant after accounting for exposure to other traumatic exposures, such as parental history of alcohol use disorder and participants’ substance use, but not measures of impulsivity. Further, slower rates of change in no-go frontal theta adolescent and young adult development were associated with increased risk for alcohol use disorder symptoms and internalizing psychopathology, but not for cannabis use disorder symptoms or externalizing psychopathology. Conclusion Childhood sexual assault is associated with atypical frontal neurophysiologic development during response inhibition. This could reflect alterations in frontal lobe development, synaptic pruning, and/or cortical maturation involving neural circuits for inhibitory control. These same areas could be associated with increased risk for young adult alcohol use disorder symptoms and internalizing psychopathology. These findings support the hypothesis that changes in neurocognitive development related to early sexual trauma exposure could increase the risk for mental health and substance use problems in young adulthood.Item ERRATUM: Genome‐wide association study identifies loci associated with liability to alcohol and drug dependence that is associated with variability in reward‐related ventral striatum activity in African‐ and European‐Americans(Wiley, 2019-11) Wetherill, Leah; Lai, Dongbing; Johnson, Emma C.; Anokhin, Andrey; Bauer, Lance; Bucholz, Kathleen K.; Dick, Danielle M.; Hariri, Ahmad R.; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kamarajan, Chella; Kramer, John; Kuperman, Samuel; Meyers, Jacquelyn L.; Nurnberger, John I., Jr.; Schuckit, Marc; Scott, Denise M.; Taylor, Robert E.; Tischfield, Jay; Porjesz, Bernice; Goate, Alison M.; Edenberg, Howard J.; Foroud, Tatiana; Bogdan, Ryan; Agrawal, Arpana; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of MedicineItem Evaluating risk for alcohol use disorder: Polygenic risk scores and family history(Wiley, 2022) Lai, Dongbing; Johnson, Emma C.; Colbert, Sarah; Pandey, Gayathri; Chan, Grace; Bauer, Lance; Francis, Meredith W.; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kamarajan, Chella; Kramer, John; Kuang, Weipeng; Kuo, Sally; Kuperman, Samuel; Liu, Yunlong; McCutcheon, Vivia; Pang, Zhiping; Plawecki, Martin H.; Schuckit, Marc; Tischfield, Jay; Wetherill, Leah; Zang, Yong; Edenberg, Howard J.; Porjesz, Bernice; Agrawal, Arpana; Foroud, Tatiana; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of MedicineBackground: Early identification of individuals at high risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD) coupled with prompt interventions could reduce the incidence of AUD. In this study, we investigated whether Polygenic Risk Scores (PRS) can be used to evaluate the risk for AUD and AUD severity (as measured by the number of DSM-5 AUD diagnostic criteria met) and compared their performance with a measure of family history of AUD. Methods: We studied individuals of European ancestry from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA). DSM-5 diagnostic criteria were available for 7203 individuals, of whom 3451 met criteria for DSM-IV alcohol dependence or DSM-5 AUD and 1616 were alcohol-exposed controls aged ≥21 years with no history of AUD or drug dependence. Further, 4842 individuals had a positive first-degree family history of AUD (FH+), 2722 had an unknown family history (FH?), and 336 had a negative family history (FH-). PRS were derived from a meta-analysis of a genome-wide association study of AUD from the Million Veteran Program and scores from the problem subscale of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test in the UK Biobank. We used mixed models to test the association between PRS and risk for AUD and AUD severity. Results: AUD cases had higher PRS than controls with PRS increasing as the number of DSM-5 diagnostic criteria increased (p-values ≤ 1.85E-05 ) in the full COGA sample, the FH+ subsample, and the FH? subsample. Individuals in the top decile of PRS had odds ratios (OR) for developing AUD of 1.96 (95% CI: 1.54 to 2.51, p-value = 7.57E-08 ) and 1.86 (95% CI: 1.35 to 2.56, p-value = 1.32E-04 ) in the full sample and the FH+ subsample, respectively. These values are comparable to previously reported ORs for a first-degree family history (1.91 to 2.38) estimated from national surveys. PRS were also significantly associated with the DSM-5 AUD diagnostic criterion count in the full sample, the FH+ subsample, and the FH? subsample (p-values ≤6.7E-11 ). PRS remained significantly associated with AUD and AUD severity after accounting for a family history of AUD (p-values ≤6.8E-10 ). Conclusions: Both PRS and family history were associated with AUD and AUD severity, indicating that these risk measures assess distinct aspects of liability to AUD traits.Item A genome wide association study of fast beta EEG in families of European ancestry(Elsevier, 2017-05) Meyers, Jacquelyn L.; Zhang, Jian; Manz, Niklas; Rangaswamy, Madhavi; Kamarajan, Chella; Wetherill, Leah; Chorlian, David B.; Kang, Sun J.; Bauer, Lance; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kramer, John; Kuperman, Samuel; Nurnberger, John I., Jr.; Tischfield, Jay; Wang, Jen Chyong; Edenberg, Howard J.; Goate, Alison; Foroud, Tatiana; Porjesz, Bernice; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of MedicineBACKGROUND: Differences in fast beta (20-28Hz) electroencephalogram (EEG) oscillatory activity distinguish some individuals with psychiatric and substance use disorders, suggesting that it may be a useful endophenotype for studying the genetics of disorders characterized by neural hyper-excitability. Despite the high heritability estimates provided by twin and family studies, there have been relatively few genetic studies of beta EEG, and to date only one genetic association finding has replicated (i.e., GABRA2). METHOD: In a sample of 1564 individuals from 117 families of European Ancestry (EA) drawn from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), we performed a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) on resting-state fronto-central fast beta EEG power, adjusting regression models for family relatedness, age, sex, and ancestry. To further characterize genetic findings, we examined the functional and behavioral significance of GWAS findings. RESULTS: Three intronic variants located within DSE (dermatan sulfate epimerase) on 6q22 were associated with fast beta EEG at a genome wide significant level (p<5×10-8). The most significant SNP was rs2252790 (p<2.6×10-8; MAF=0.36; β=0.135). rs2252790 is an eQTL for ROS1 expressed most robustly in the temporal cortex (p=1.2×10-6) and for DSE/TSPYL4 expressed most robustly in the hippocampus (p=7.3×10-4; β=0.29). Previous studies have indicated that DSE is involved in a network of genes integral to membrane organization; gene-based tests indicated that several variants within this network (i.e., DSE, ZEB2, RND3, MCTP1, and CTBP2) were also associated with beta EEG (empirical p<0.05), and of these genes, ZEB2 and CTBP2 were associated with DSM-V Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD; empirical p<0.05).' DISCUSSION: In this sample of EA families enriched for AUDs, fast beta EEG is associated with variants within DSE on 6q22; the most significant SNP influences the mRNA expression of DSE and ROS1 in hippocampus and temporal cortex, brain regions important for beta EEG activity. Gene-based tests suggest evidence of association with related genes, ZEB2, RND3, MCTP1, CTBP2, and beta EEG. Converging data from GWAS, gene expression, and gene-networks presented in this study provide support for the role of genetic variants within DSE and related genes in neural hyperexcitability, and has highlighted two potential candidate genes for AUD and/or related neurological conditions: ZEB2 and CTBP2. However, results must be replicated in large, independent samples.Item A Genome Wide Association Study of Interhemispheric Theta EEG Coherence: Implications for Neural Connectivity and Alcohol Use Behavior(Springer Nature, 2021) Meyers, Jacquelyn L.; Zhang, Jian; Chorlian, David B.; Pandey, Ashwini K.; Kamarajan, Chella; Wang, Jen-Chyong; Wetherill, Leah; Lai, Dongbing; Chao, Michael; Chan, Grace; Kinreich, Sivan; Kapoor, Manav; Bertelsen, Sarah; McClintick, Jeanette; Bauer, Lance; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kuperman, Samuel; Kramer, John; Salvatore, Jessica E.; Dick, Danielle M.; Agrawal, Arpana; Foroud, Tatiana; Edenberg, Howard J.; Goate, Alison; Porjesz, Bernice; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of MedicineAberrant connectivity of large-scale brain networks has been observed among individuals with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) as well as in those at risk, suggesting deficits in neural communication between brain regions in the liability to develop AUD. Electroencephalographical (EEG) coherence, which measures the degree of synchrony between brain regions, may be a useful measure of connectivity patterns in neural networks for studying the genetics of AUD. In 8810 individuals (6644 of European and 2166 of African ancestry) from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism (COGA), we performed a Multi-Trait Analyses of genome-wide association studies (MTAG) on parietal resting-state theta (3-7 Hz) EEG coherence, which previously have been associated with AUD. We also examined developmental effects of GWAS findings on trajectories of neural connectivity in a longitudinal subsample of 2316 adolescent/young adult offspring from COGA families (ages 12-30) and examined the functional and clinical significance of GWAS variants. Six correlated single nucleotide polymorphisms located in a brain-expressed lincRNA (ENSG00000266213) on chromosome 18q23 were associated with posterior interhemispheric low theta EEG coherence (3-5 Hz). These same variants were also associated with alcohol use behavior and posterior corpus callosum volume, both in a subset of COGA and in the UK Biobank. Analyses in the subsample of COGA offspring indicated that the association of rs12954372 with low theta EEG coherence occurred only in females, most prominently between ages 25 and 30 (p < 2 × 10-9). Converging data provide support for the role of genetic variants on chromosome 18q23 in regulating neural connectivity and alcohol use behavior, potentially via dysregulated myelination. While findings were less robust, genome-wide associations were also observed with rs151174000 and parieto-frontal low theta coherence, rs14429078 and parieto-occipital interhemispheric high theta coherence, and rs116445911 with centro-parietal low theta coherence. These novel genetic findings highlight the utility of the endophenotype approach in enhancing our understanding of mechanisms underlying addiction susceptibility.Item Genome-wide association study identifies loci associated with liability to alcohol and drug dependence that is associated with variability in reward-related ventral striatum activity in African- and European-Americans(Wiley, 2019-05-19) Wetherill, Leah; Lai, Dongbing; Johnson, Emma C.; Anokhin, Andrey; Bauer, Lance; Bucholz, Kathleen K.; Dick, Danielle M.; Hariri, Ahmad R.; Hesselbrock, Victor; Kamarajan, Chella; Kramer, John; Kuperman, Samuel; Meyers, Jacquelyn L.; Nurnberger, John I.; Schuckit, Marc; Scott, Denise M.; Taylor, Robert E.; Tischfield, Jay; Porjesz, Bernice; Goate, Alison M.; Edenberg, Howard J.; Foroud, Tatiana; Bogdan, Ryan; Agrawal, Arpana; Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of MedicineGenetic influences on alcohol and drug dependence partially overlap, however specific loci underlying this overlap remain unclear. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of a phenotype representing alcohol or illicit drug dependence (ANYDEP) among 7,291 European-Americans (EA; 2,927 cases) and 3,132 African-Americans (AA: 1,315 cases) participating in the family-based Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. ANYDEP was heritable (h2 in EA=0.60, AA=0.37). The AA GWAS identified 3 regions with genome-wide significant (GWS; p<5E-08) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on chromosomes 3 (rs34066662, rs58801820) and 13 (rs75168521, rs78886294), and an insertion-deletion on chromosome 5 (chr5:141988181). No polymorphisms reached GWS in the EA. One GWS region (chromosome 1: rs1890881) emerged from a trans-ancestral meta-analysis (EA+AA) of ANYDEP, and was attributable to alcohol dependence in both samples. Four genes (AA: CRKL, DZIP3, SBK3; EA: P2RX6) and 4 sets of genes were significantly enriched within biological pathways for hemostasis and signal transduction. GWS signals did not replicate in two independent samples but there was weak evidence for association between rs1890881 and alcohol intake in the UK Biobank. Among 118 AA and 481 EA individuals from the Duke Neurogenetics Study, rs75168521 and rs1890881 genotypes were associated with variability in reward-related ventral striatum activation. This study identified novel loci for substance dependence and provides preliminary evidence that these variants are also associated with individual differences in neural reward reactivity. Gene discovery efforts in non-European samples with distinct patterns of substance use may lead to the identification of novel ancestry-specific genetic markers of risk.Item High Polygenic Risk Scores Are Associated With Early Age of Onset of Alcohol Use Disorder in Adolescents and Young Adults at Risk(Elsevier, 2022-10) Nurnberger, John I., Jr.; Wang, Yumin; Zang, Yong; Lai, Dongbing; Wetherill, Leah; Edenberg, Howard J.; Aliev, Fazil; Plawecki, Martin H.; Chorlian, David; Chan, Grace; Bucholz, Kathleen; Bauer, Lance; Kamarajan, Chella; Salvatore, Jessica E.; Kapoor, Manav; Hesselbrock, Victor; Dick, Danielle; Bierut, Laura; McCutcheon, Vivia; Meyers, Jacquelyn L.; Porjesz, Bernice; Kramer, John; Kuperman, Samuel; Kinreich, Sivan; Anokhin, Andrey P.; Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism; Psychiatry, School of MedicineBackground Genome-wide association studies have been conducted in alcohol use disorder (AUD), and they permit the use of polygenic risk scores (PRSs), in combination with clinical variables, to predict the onset of AUD in vulnerable populations. Methods A total of 2794 adolescent/young adult subjects from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism were followed, with clinical assessments every 2 years. Subjects were genotyped using a genome-wide chip. Separate PRS analyses were performed for subjects of European ancestry and African ancestry. Age of onset of DSM-5 AUD was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazard model. Predictive power was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves and by analysis of the distribution of PRS. Results European ancestry subjects with higher than median PRSs were at greater risk for onset of AUD than subjects with lower than median PRSs (p = 3 × 10–7). Area under the curve for the receiver operating characteristic analysis peaked at 0.88 to 0.95 using PRS plus sex, family history, comorbid disorders, age at first drink, and peer drinking; predictive power was primarily driven by clinical variables. In this high-risk sample, European ancestry subjects with a PRS score in the highest quartile showed a 72% risk for developing AUD and a 35% risk of developing severe AUD (compared with risks of 54% and 16%, respectively, in the lowest quartile). Conclusions Predictive power for PRSs in the extremes of the distribution suggests that these may have future clinical utility. Uncertainties in interpretation at the individual level still preclude current application.