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Epigenetic modification related to cognitive changes during a cognitive training intervention in depression
Evelien Van Assche1, Christa Hohoff1, Johannes Zang1
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Summary
DNA methylation shows promise as a biomarker for tracking cognitive improvement in depression patients undergoing cognitive interventions. This epigenome-wide association study identified potential early signatures of treatment response.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Genetics
- Psychiatry
Background:
- DNA methylation serves as a biomarker for dynamic processes like symptom improvement.
- Epigenomic markers can indicate early cognitive improvement in individuals receiving cognitive interventions.
- This study investigates epigenomic markers in depression patients with and without cognitive dysfunction.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct the first epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) on patients with cognitive dysfunction in depression.
- To compare epigenomic states between patients with and without cognitive dysfunction.
- To identify early epigenetic signatures of cognitive improvement following a cognitive intervention.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from a randomized controlled trial comparing personalized cognitive intervention with standard treatment.
- Analyzed DNA methylation using the Illumina Infinium MethylationEPIC 850k BeadChip from blood samples collected at baseline and 8 weeks.
- Employed RnBeads package for data cleaning, quality control, and differential methylation analysis, with corrections for relevant covariates.
Main Results:
- No genome-wide significant CpGs were found comparing patients with and without cognitive impairment at baseline or 8 weeks.
- The most significant CpG at baseline was in a regulatory region (cg10962945), and at 8 weeks, it was in the NTRK2 gene linked to the BDNF pathway (cg13620631).
- A longitudinal analysis revealed 65 overlapping CpGs between improved cognitive function and cross-sectional 8-week analysis.
Conclusions:
- DNA methylation is a suitable biomarker for detecting early treatment response in cognitive interventions for depression.
- The study differentiated between biological trait and state markers of cognitive function.
- Identified CpG locations align with known pathways relevant to depression treatment and cognition, despite not reaching genome-wide significance.
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