Neural correlates of stress-related gene-environment interactions

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Although the study of gene-environment interactions (GxE) promises to provide important clues as to the etiology of complex disorders, current evidence of GxE in psychiatry applied to categorical disease phenotypes remains inconclusive. In order to fulfill its potential, an integration of GxE research with the field of neuroscience may provide a powerful strategy. In the proposed project, we aim to study the joint effects of selected candidate genes and environmental adversities during development on neural networks that are particularly sensitive to stress. In 200 young adults from an epidemiological cohort study followed since birth, MRI and fMRI combined with EEG will be performed to assess the morphology and function of brain regions involved in emotion regulation and reward processing. As candidate genes, functional variants implicated in serotonin and dopamine signaling will be examined. As candidate environmental conditions, prenatal adversities will be contrasted with early postnatal and adolescent life adversities. Identification of mechanisms underlying GxE in stress-sensitive neural networks will help to establish more effective ways of diagnosing, preventing and treating stress-related disorders.