TY - JOUR
T1 - Childhood trauma, BDNF Val66Met and subclinical psychotic experiences. Attempt at replication in two independent samples
AU - de Castro-Catala, Marta
AU - van Nierop, Martine
AU - Barrantes-Vidal, Neus
AU - Cristóbal-Narváez, Paula
AU - Sheinbaum, Tamara
AU - Kwapil, Thomas R.
AU - Peña, Elionora
AU - Jacobs, Nele
AU - Derom, Catherine
AU - Thiery, Evert
AU - van Os, Jim
AU - van Winkel, Ruud
AU - Rosa, Araceli
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 Elsevier Ltd
PY - 2016/12/1
Y1 - 2016/12/1
N2 - Childhood trauma exposure is a robust environmental risk factor for psychosis. However, not all exposed individuals develop psychotic symptoms later in life. The Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) has been suggested to moderate the psychosis-inducing effects of childhood trauma in clinical and nonclinical samples. Our study aimed to explore the interaction effect between childhood trauma and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on subclinical psychotic experiences (PEs). This was explored in two nonclinical independent samples: an undergraduate and technical-training school student sample (n = 808, sample 1) and a female twin sample (n = 621, sample 2). Results showed that childhood trauma was strongly associated with positive and negative PEs in nonclinical individuals. A BDNF Val66Met x childhood trauma effect on positive PEs was observed in both samples. These results were discordant in terms of risk allele: while in sample 1 Val allele carriers, especially males, were more vulnerable to the effects of childhood trauma regarding PEs, in sample 2 Met carriers presented higher PEs scores when exposed to childhood trauma, compared with Val carriers. Moreover, in sample 2, a significant interaction was also found in relation to negative PEs. Our study partially replicates previous findings and suggests that some individuals are more prone to develop PEs following childhood trauma because of a complex combination of multiple factors. Further studies including genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors may provide insights in this field.
AB - Childhood trauma exposure is a robust environmental risk factor for psychosis. However, not all exposed individuals develop psychotic symptoms later in life. The Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism (rs6265) has been suggested to moderate the psychosis-inducing effects of childhood trauma in clinical and nonclinical samples. Our study aimed to explore the interaction effect between childhood trauma and the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism on subclinical psychotic experiences (PEs). This was explored in two nonclinical independent samples: an undergraduate and technical-training school student sample (n = 808, sample 1) and a female twin sample (n = 621, sample 2). Results showed that childhood trauma was strongly associated with positive and negative PEs in nonclinical individuals. A BDNF Val66Met x childhood trauma effect on positive PEs was observed in both samples. These results were discordant in terms of risk allele: while in sample 1 Val allele carriers, especially males, were more vulnerable to the effects of childhood trauma regarding PEs, in sample 2 Met carriers presented higher PEs scores when exposed to childhood trauma, compared with Val carriers. Moreover, in sample 2, a significant interaction was also found in relation to negative PEs. Our study partially replicates previous findings and suggests that some individuals are more prone to develop PEs following childhood trauma because of a complex combination of multiple factors. Further studies including genetic, environmental and epigenetic factors may provide insights in this field.
KW - BDNF Val66Met
KW - Childhood trauma
KW - Gene-environment interaction
KW - Psychosis
KW - Psychosis proneness
KW - Psychotic experiences
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84986000792&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84986000792&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.08.014
DO - 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2016.08.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 27596955
AN - SCOPUS:84986000792
SN - 0022-3956
VL - 83
SP - 121
EP - 129
JO - Journal of Psychiatric Research
JF - Journal of Psychiatric Research
ER -