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Genetic-Dependent Brain Signatures of Resilience: Interactions among Childhood Abuse, Genetic Risks and Brain
Han Lu1,2, Edmund T Rolls3, Hanjia Liu1
1National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, MOE Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Fudan University, Shanghai 200433, China.
Childhood abuse impacts adolescent mental health. A genetic-dependent brain (GDB) signature in girls, involving orbitofrontal networks, predicts resilience to emotional disorders, offering hope for targeted interventions.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Genetics
Background:
- Adolescent mental health is crucial, particularly after childhood abuse.
- Brain mechanisms of resilience to emotional disorders are not well understood.
- Environmental factors differentially affect the brain's emotion processing system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify brain signatures of resilience to emotional disorders in adolescents.
- To investigate the role of genetic factors in brain-based resilience.
- To examine the predictive value of identified brain signatures for future emotional disorders.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal analysis of a large adolescent cohort (IMAGEN) examining brain responses to angry faces.
- Identification of functional brain networks associated with resilience.
- Assessment of genetic predisposition for depression and its interaction with brain activity.
- Replication in an independent cohort (ABCD).
Main Results:
- Two functional networks (orbitofrontal and occipital) were identified as candidate resilience signatures.
- In girls with high depression polygenic burden, orbitofrontal network activation correlated with fewer emotional symptoms post-abuse.
- This genetic-dependent brain (GDB) signature predicted later emotional disorders.
- The GDB signature's predictive power was confirmed in an independent cohort.
Conclusions:
- Resilience to emotional disorders is modulated by genetic factors influencing brain function.
- A specific genetic-dependent brain signature in girls shows promise for predicting and potentially enhancing adolescent mental health.
- Findings highlight the interplay between genetics, environment, and brain networks in shaping emotional well-being.
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