Epidermal growth factor mediates spermatogonial proliferation in newt testis

The complex processes of spermatogenesis are regulated by various factors. The aim of the current study is to determine the effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on spermatogonial proliferation and clarify the mechanism causing the proliferation in newt testis. In the organ culture, EGF stimulated spermatogonial proliferation, but not their differentiation into spermatocytes. cDNA cloning identified 3 members of the EGF receptors, ErbB1, ErbB2, and ErbB4, in the testis. RT-PCR showed that all the receptors cloned were expressed in both Sertoli and germ cells at the spermatogonial stage. In the organ cultures with inhibitors for the EGF receptors, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K), the EGF-induced spermatogonial proliferation was suppressed. Furthermore, when the organ culture was exposed to EGF, the expressions of stem cell factor (SCF), immunoglobulin-like domain containing neuregulin1 (Ig-NRG1), and ErbB4 mRNA were increased. These results suggested that, since the spermatogonia are sequestered within cysts by the blood-testis barrier consisted of Sertoli cells, EGF possibly mediates spermatogonial proliferation in an endocrine manner through the receptors including ErbB1, ErbB2, and ErbB4 expressed on Sertoli cells via activation of MAPK cascade or/and PI3K cascade by elevating the expressions of SCF, Ig-NRG1, and ErbB4

Lifelong testicular differentiation in Pleurodeles waltl (Amphibia, Caudata)

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Exploring the Role of Explicit and Implicit Self-Esteem and Self-Compassion in Anxious and Depressive Symptomatology Following Acquired Brain Injury

[EN] Objectives Acquired brain injury (ABI) can lead to the emergence of several disabilities and is commonly associated with high rates of anxiety and depression symptoms. Self-related constructs, such as self-esteem and self-compassion, might play a key role in this distressing symptomatology. Low explicit (i.e., deliberate) self-esteem is associated with anxiety and depression after ABI. However, implicit (i.e., automatic) self-esteem, explicit-implicit self-discrepancies, and self-compassion could also significantly contribute to this symptomatology. The purpose of the present study was to examine whether implicit self-esteem, explicit-implicit self-discrepancy (size and direction), and self-compassion are related to anxious and depressive symptoms after ABI in adults, beyond the contribution of explicit self-esteem. Methods The sample consisted 38 individuals with ABI who were enrolled in a long-term rehabilitation program. All participants completed the measures of explicit self-esteem, implicit self-esteem, self-compassion, anxiety, and depression. Pearson's correlations and hierarchical regression models were calculated. Results Findings showed that both self-compassion and implicit self-esteem negatively accounted for unique variance in anxiety and depression when controlling for explicit self-esteem. Neither the size nor direction of explicit-implicit self-discrepancy was significantly associated with anxious or depressive symptomatology. Conclusions The findings suggest that the consideration of self-compassion and implicit self-esteem, in addition to explicit self-esteem, contributes to understanding anxiety and depression following ABI.Lorena Desdentado is supported by a FPU doctoral scholarship (FPU18/01690) from the Spanish Ministry of Universities. This work was supported by CIBEROBN, an initiative of the ISCIII (ISC III CB06 03/0052).Desdentado, L.; Cebolla, A.; Miragall, M.; Llorens Rodríguez, R.; Navarro, MD.; Baños, RM. (2021). Exploring the Role of Explicit and Implicit Self-Esteem and Self-Compassion in Anxious and Depressive Symptomatology Following Acquired Brain Injury. Mindfulness. 12(4):899-910. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-020-01553-wS899910124Anson, K., & Ponsford, J. (2006). Coping and emotional adjustment following traumatic brain injury. The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 21(3), 248–259. https://doi.org/10.1097/00001199-200605000-00005.Baños, R. M., & Guillén, V. (2000). Psychometric characteristics in normal and social phobic samples for a Spanish version of the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale. Psychological Reports, 87(1), 269–274. https://doi.org/10.2466/pr0.2000.87.1.269.Beadle, E. J., Ownsworth, T., Fleming, J., & Shum, D. (2016). The impact of traumatic brain injury on self-identity: a systematic review of the evidence for self-concept changes. The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 31(2), E12–E25. https://doi.org/10.1097/HTR.0000000000000158.Beck, A. T. (1979). Cognitive therapy of depression. New York: Guilford Press.Beevers, C. G. (2005). Cognitive vulnerability to depression: A dual process model. Clinical Psychology Review, 25(7), 975–1002. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2005.03.003.Bos, A. E. R., Huijding, J., Muris, P., Vogel, L. R. R., & Biesheuvel, J. (2010). Global, contingent and implicit self-esteem and psychopathological symptoms in adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences, 48(3), 311–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.10.025.Bowerman, B. L., & O’Connell, R. T. (1990). Linear statistical models: An applied approach (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Duxbury.Brenner, R. E., Heath, P. J., Vogel, D. L., & Credé, M. (2017). Two is more valid than one: examining the factor structure of the self-compassion scale (SCS). Journal of Counseling Psychology, 64(6), 696–707. https://doi.org/10.1037/cou0000211.Brysbaert, M. (2019). How many participants do we have to include in properly powered experiments? A tutorial of power analysis with reference tables. Journal of Cognition, 2(1), 1–38. https://doi.org/10.5334/joc.72.Carroll, E., & Coetzer, R. (2011). Identity, grief and self-awareness after traumatic brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 21(3), 289–305. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2011.555972.Corrigan, P. W., & Watson, A. C. (2002). The paradox of self-stigma and mental illness. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1), 35–53. https://doi.org/10.1093/clipsy/9.1.35.Creemers, D. H. M., Scholte, R. H. J., Engels, R. C. M. E., Prinstein, M. J., & Wiers, R. W. (2012). Implicit and explicit self-esteem as concurrent predictors of suicidal ideation, depressive symptoms, and loneliness. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 43(1), 638–646. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2011.09.006.Creemers, D. H. M., Scholt, R. H. J., Engels, R. C. M. E., Prinstein, M. J., & Wiers, R. W. (2013). Damaged self-esteem is associated with internalizing problems. Frontiers in Psychology, 4, 152. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00152.Curvis, W., Simpson, J., & Hampson, N. (2018). Factors associated with self-esteem following acquired brain injury in adults: a systematic review. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 28(1), 142–183. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.1144515.Elbaum, J., & Benson, D. (Eds.). (2007). Acquired brain injury: an integrative neuro-rehabilitation approach. New York: Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-37575-5.Faul, F., Erdfelder, E., Buchner, A., & Lang, A.-G. (2009). Statistical power analyses using G*Power 3.1: Tests for correlation and regression analyses. Behavior Research Methods, 41(4), 1149–1160. https://doi.org/10.3758/BRM.41.4.1149.FEDACE. (2015). Las personas con daño cerebral adquirido en España. Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad. Retrieved May 21, 2020, from: https://fedace.org/index.php?V_dir=MSC&V_mod=download&f=2016-9/26-16-4-11.admin.Informe_FEDACE_RPD_para_DDC-1.pdf.Feigin, V. L., Forouzanfar, M. H., Krishnamurthi, R., Mensah, G. A., Connor, M., Bennett, D. A., Moran, A. E., Sacco, R. L., Anderson, L., Truelsen, T., O’Donnell, M., Venketasubramanian, N., Barker-Collo, S., Lawes, C. M. M., Wang, W., Shinohara, Y., Witt, E., Ezzati, M., & Naghavi, M. (2014). Global and regional burden of stroke during 1990-2010: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. The Lancet, 383(9913), 245–254. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(13)61953-4.Fennell, M. J. V. (1997). Low self-esteem: a cognitive perspective. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 25(1), 1–26. https://doi.org/10.1017/s1352465800015368.Folstein, M. F., Folstein, S. E., & McHugh, P. R. (1975). “Mini-mental state”. A practical method for grading the cognitive state of patients for the clinician. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 12(3), 189–198. https://doi.org/10.1016/0022-3956(75)90026-6.Garcia-Campayo, J., Navarro-Gil, M., Andrés, E., Montero-Marin, J., López-Artal, L., Marcos, M., & Demarzo, P. (2014). Validation of the Spanish versions of the long (26 items) and short (12 items) forms of the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS). Health and Quality of Life Outcomes, 12(4). https://doi.org/10.1186/1477-7525-12-4.GBD 2016 Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Collaborators. (2018). Global, regional, and national burden of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury, 1990–2016: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2016. The Lancet Neurology, 18(1), 56–87. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(18)30415-0.Gould, K. R., Ponsford, J. L., Johnston, L., & Schönberger, M. (2011). Relationship between psychiatric disorders and 1-year psychosocial outcome following traumatic brain injury. The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 26(1), 79–89. https://doi.org/10.1097/HTR.0b013e3182036799.Gracey, F., Palmer, S., Rous, B., Psaila, K., Shaw, K., O’Dell, J., Cope, J., & Mohamed, S. (2008). “Feeling part of things”: personal construction of self after brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 18(5–6), 627–650. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602010802041238.Gracey, F., Evans, J. J., & Malley, D. (2009). Capturing process and outcome in complex rehabilitation interventions: a “Y-shaped” model. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 19(6), 867–890. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602010903027763.Greenwald, A. G., & Farnham, S. D. (2000). Using the Implicit Association Test to measure self-esteem and self-concept. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 79(6), 1022–1038. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.79.6.1022.Greenwald, A. G., McGhee, D. E., & Schwartz, J. L. K. (1998). Measuring individual differences in implicit cognition: the Implicit Association Test. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74(6), 1464–1480. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.74.6.1464.Greenwald, A. G., Nosek, B. A., & Banaji, M. R. (2003). Understanding and using the Implicit Association Test: I. An improved scoring algorithm. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 85(2), 197–216. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.85.2.197.Hackett, M. L., Yapa, C., Parag, V., & Anderson, C. S. (2005). Frequency of depression after stroke: a systematic review of observational studies. Stroke, 36(6), 1330–1340. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.STR.0000165928.19135.35.Haeffel, G. J., Abramson, L. Y., Brazy, P. C., Shah, J. Y., Teachman, B. A., & Nosek, B. A. (2007). Explicit and implicit cognition: a preliminary test of a dual-process theory of cognitive vulnerability to depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45(6), 1155–1167. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2006.09.003.Ingram, R. E. (1984). Toward an information-processing analysis of depression. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 8(5), 443–477. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01173284.Izuma, K., Kennedy, K., Fitzjohn, A., Sedikides, C., & Shibata, K. (2018). Neural activity in the reward-related brain regions predicts implicit self-esteem: a novel validity test of psychological measures using neuroimaging. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 114(3), 343–357. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000114.Khan-Bourne, N., & Brown, R. G. (2003). Cognitive behaviour therapy for the treatment of depression in individuals with brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 13(1–2), 89–107. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602010244000318.Kim, H. S., & Moore, M. T. (2019). Symptoms of depression and the discrepancy between implicit and explicit self-esteem. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 63, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2018.12.001.Lane, K. A., Banaji, M. R., Nosek, B. A., & Greenwald, A. G. (2007). Understanding and using the Implicit Association Test: IV. What we know (so far) about the method. In B. Wittenbrink & N. Schwarz (Eds.), Implicit measures of attitudes (pp. 59–102). New York: The Guildford Press.Leary, M. R., Tate, E. B., Adams, C. E., Batts Allen, A., & Hancock, J. (2007). Self-compassion and reactions to unpleasant self-relevant events: the implications of treating oneself kindly. Personality Processes and Individual Differences, 92(5), 887–904. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.92.5.887.Lennon, A., Bramham, J., Carroll, À., McElligott, J., Carton, S., Waldron, B., Fortune, D., Burke, T., Fitzhenry, M., & Benson, C. (2014). A qualitative exploration of how individuals reconstruct their sense of self following acquired brain injury in comparison with spinal cord injury. Brain Injury, 28(1), 27–37. https://doi.org/10.3109/02699052.2013.848378.Longworth, C., Deakins, J., Rose, D., & Gracey, F. (2018). The nature of self-esteem and its relationship to anxiety and depression in adult acquired brain injury. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 28(7), 1078–1094. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602011.2016.1226185.MacBeth, A., & Gumley, A. (2012). Exploring compassion: a meta-analysis of the association between self-compassion and psychopathology. Clinical Psychology Review, 32(6), 545–552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2012.06.003.McDonald, S., Saad, A., & James, C. (2011). Social dysdecorum following severe traumatic brain injury: loss of implicit social knowledge or loss of control? Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 33(6), 619–630. https://doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2011.553586.Milne, E., & Grafman, J. (2001). Ventromedial prefrontal cortex lesions in humans eliminate implicit gender stereotyping. The Journal of Neuroscience, 21(12), 1–6.Moors, A., & De Houwer, J. (2006). Automaticity: a theoretical and conceptual analysis. Psychological Bulletin, 132(2), 297–326. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.132.2.297.Muris, P., & Petrocchi, N. (2017). Protection or vulnerability? A meta-analysis of the relations between the positive and negative components of self-compassion and psychopathology. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 24(2), 373–383. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2005.Myers, R. (2000). Classical and modern regression with applications (2nd ed.). Belmont, CA: Duxbury.Neff, K. D. (2003). Self-compassion: an alternative conceptualization of a healthy attitude toward oneself. Self and Identity, 2(2), 85–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15298860309032.Neff, K. D., & Vonk, R. (2009). Self-compassion versus global self-esteem: two different ways of relating to oneself. Journal of Personality, 77, 23–50. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2008.00537.x.Neff, K. D., Tóth-Király, I., Yarnell, L. M., Arimitsu, K., Castilho, P., Ghorbani, N., Guo, H. X., Hirsch, J. K., Hupfeld, J., Hutz, C. S., Kotsou, I., Lee, W. K., Montero-Marin, J., Sirois, F. M., De Souza, L. K., Svendsen, J. L., Wilkinson, R. B., & Mantzios, M. (2019). Examining the factor structure of the Self-Compassion Scale in 20 diverse samples: support for use of a total score and six subscale scores. Psychological Assessment, 31(1), 27–45. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000629.Norton, P. J., & Paulus, D. J. (2017). Transdiagnostic models of anxiety disorder: theoretical and empirical underpinnings. Clinical Psychology Review, 56, 122–137. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.03.004.Nosek, B. A., & Banaji, M. R. (2001). The go/no-go association task. Social Cognition, 19(6), 625–664. https://doi.org/10.1521/soco.19.6.625.20886.Oddy, M., & Herbert, C. (2003). Intervention with families following brain injury: evidence-based practice. Neuropsychological Rehabilitation, 13(1–2), 259–273. https://doi.org/10.1080/09602010244000345.Ouimet, A. J., Gawronski, B., & Dozois, D. J. A. (2009). Cognitive vulnerability to anxiety: a review and an integrative model. Clinical Psychology Review, 29(6), 459–470. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2009.05.004.Ponsford, J., Kelly, A., & Couchman, G. (2014). Self-concept and self-esteem after acquired brain injury: a control group comparison. Brain Injury, 28(2), 146–154. https://doi.org/10.3109/02699052.2013.859733.Raes, F., Pommier, E., Neff, K. D., & Van Gucht, D. (2011). Construction and factorial validation of a short form of the Self-Compassion Scale. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 18(3), 250–255. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.702.Romero, M., Sánchez, A., Marín, C., Navarro, M. D., Ferri, J., & Noé, E. (2012). Clinical usefulness of the Spanish version of the Mississippi Aphasia Screening Test (MASTsp): validation in stroke patients. Neurología (English Edition), 27(4), 216–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nrleng.2011.06.001.Rosenberg, M. (1965). Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Measures Package, 61, 52 /S0034-98872009000600009.Sandstrom, M. J., & Jordan, R. (2008). Defensive self-esteem and aggression in childhood. Journal of Research in Personality, 42(2), 506–514. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2007.07.008.Schönberger, M., & Ponsford, J. (2010). The factor structure of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale in individuals with traumatic brain injury. Psychiatry Research, 179(3), 342–349. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2009.07.003.Schröder-Abé, M., Rudolph, A., & Schütz, A. (2007). High implicit self-esteem is not necessarily advantageous: discrepancies between explicit and implicit self-esteem and their relationship with anger expression and psychological health. European Journal of Personality, 21(3), 319–339. https://doi.org/10.1002/per.626.Scoglio, A. A. J., Rudat, D. A., Garvert, D., Jarmolowski, M., Jackson, C., & Herman, J. L. (2018). Self-compassion and responses to trauma: the role of emotion regulation. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 33(13), 2016–2036. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260515622296.Sloan, E., Hall, K., Moulding, R., Bryce, S., Mildred, H., & Staiger, P. K. (2017). Emotion regulation as a transdiagnostic treatment construct across anxiety, depression, substance, eating and borderline personality disorders: a systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 57, 141–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2017.09.002.Smeijers, D., Vrijsen, J. N., van Oostrom, I., Isaac, L., Speckens, A., Becker, E. S., & Rinck, M. (2017). Implicit and explicit self-esteem in remitted depressed patients. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 54, 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2016.10.006.Smith, E. R., & DeCoster, J. (2000). Dual-process models in social and cognitive psychology: conceptual integration and links to underlying memory systems. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 4(2), 108–131. https://doi.org/10.1207/S15327957PSPR0402_01.Sowislo, J. F., & Orth, U. (2013). Does low self-esteem predict depression and anxiety? A meta-analysis of longitudinal studies. Psychological Bulletin, 139(1), 213–240. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028931.Strack, F., & Deutsch, R. (2004). Reflective and impulsive determinants of social behavior. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 8(3), 220–247. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327957pspr0803_1.Terol-Cantero, M. C., Cabrera-Perona, V., & Martín-Aragón, M. (2015). Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) review in Spanish samples. Anales de Psicología, 31(2), 494–503. https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.31.2.172701.Tóth-Király, I., & Neff, K. D. (2020). Is self-compassion universal? Support for the measurement invariance of the Self-Compassion Scale across populations. Assessment. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191120926232.Turner-Stokes, L., & Wade, D. (2003). Rehabilitation following acquired brain injury: National Clinical Guidelines. Clinical Medicine, 4(1), 61–65. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmedicine.4-1-61.Tyerman, A., & Humphrey, M. (1984). Changes in self-concept following severe head injury. International Journal of Rehabilitation Research, 7(1), 11–23. https://doi.org/10.1097/00004356-198403000-00002.Valiente, C., Cantero, D., Vázquez, C., Sanchez, Á., Provencio, M., & Espinosa, R. (2011). Implicit and explicit self-esteem discrepancies in paranoia and depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 120(3), 691–699. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022856.Vickery, C. D., Sepehri, A., & Evans, C. C. (2008). Self-esteem in an acute stroke rehabilitation sample: a control group comparison. Clinical Rehabilitation, 22(2), 179–187. https://doi.org/10.1177/0269215507080142.Whelan-Goodinson, R., Ponsford, J., & Schönberger, M. (2009). Validity of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale to assess depression and anxiety following traumatic brain injury as compared with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. Journal of Affective Disorders, 114(1–3), 94–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2008.06.007.Zeigler-Hill, V. (2006). Discrepancies between implicit and explicit self-esteem: Implications for narcissism and self-esteem instability. Journal of Personality, 74(1), 119–144. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.2005.00371.x.Zessin, U., Dickhäuser, O., & Garbade, S. (2015). The relationship between self-compassion and well-being: a meta-analysis. Applied Psychology. Health and Well-Being, 7(3), 340–364. https://doi.org/10.1111/aphw.12051.Zhang, J. W., Chen, S., & Tomova Shakur, T. K. (2020). From me to you: Self-compassion predicts acceptance of own and others’ imperfections. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 46(2), 228–242. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167219853846.Zigmond, A. S., & Snaith, R. P. (1983). The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 67(6), 361–370. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-0447.1983.tb09716.x

Extending the Implicit Association Test (IAT): Assessing Consumer Attitudes Based on Multi-Dimensional Implicit Associations

Background: The authors present a procedural extension of the popular Implicit Association Test (IAT; [1]) that allows for indirect measurement of attitudes on multiple dimensions (e.g., safe–unsafe; young–old; innovative–conventional, etc.) rather than on a single evaluative dimension only (e.g., good–bad). Methodology/Principal Findings: In two within-subjects studies, attitudes toward three automobile brands were measured on six attribute dimensions. Emphasis was placed on evaluating the methodological appropriateness of the new procedure, providing strong evidence for its reliability, validity, and sensitivity. Conclusions/Significance: This new procedure yields detailed information on the multifaceted nature of brand associations that can add up to a more abstract overall attitude. Just as the IAT, its multi-dimensional extension/application (dubbed md-IAT) is suited for reliably measuring attitudes consumers may not be consciously aware of, able to express, or willing to share with the researcher [2,3].Product Innovation ManagementIndustrial Design Engineerin

Subcortical volumetric abnormalities in bipolar disorder.

Considerable uncertainty exists about the defining brain changes associated with bipolar disorder (BD). Understanding and quantifying the sources of uncertainty can help generate novel clinical hypotheses about etiology and assist in the development of biomarkers for indexing disease progression and prognosis. Here we were interested in quantifying case-control differences in intracranial volume (ICV) and each of eight subcortical brain measures: nucleus accumbens, amygdala, caudate, hippocampus, globus pallidus, putamen, thalamus, lateral ventricles. In a large study of 1710 BD patients and 2594 healthy controls, we found consistent volumetric reductions in BD patients for mean hippocampus (Cohen's d=-0.232; P=3.50 × 10(-7)) and thalamus (d=-0.148; P=4.27 × 10(-3)) and enlarged lateral ventricles (d=-0.260; P=3.93 × 10(-5)) in patients. No significant effect of age at illness onset was detected. Stratifying patients based on clinical subtype (BD type I or type II) revealed that BDI patients had significantly larger lateral ventricles and smaller hippocampus and amygdala than controls. However, when comparing BDI and BDII patients directly, we did not detect any significant differences in brain volume. This likely represents similar etiology between BD subtype classifications. Exploratory analyses revealed significantly larger thalamic volumes in patients taking lithium compared with patients not taking lithium. We detected no significant differences between BDII patients and controls in the largest such comparison to date. Findings in this study should be interpreted with caution and with careful consideration of the limitations inherent to meta-analyzed neuroimaging comparisons.Molecular Psychiatry advance online publication, 9 February 2016; doi:10.1038/mp.2015.227

Virtual Ontogeny of Cortical Growth Preceding Mental Illness

Background: Morphology of the human cerebral cortex differs across psychiatric disorders, with neurobiology and developmental origins mostly undetermined. Deviations in the tangential growth of the cerebral cortex during pre/perinatal periods may be reflected in individual variations in cortical surface area later in life. Methods: Interregional profiles of group differences in surface area between cases and controls were generated using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging from 27,359 individuals including those with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, schizophrenia, and high general psychopathology (through the Child Behavior Checklist). Similarity of interregional profiles of group differences in surface area and prenatal cell-specific gene expression was assessed. Results: Across the 11 cortical regions, group differences in cortical area for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and Child Behavior Checklist were dominant in multimodal association cortices. The same interregional profiles were also associated with interregional profiles of (prenatal) gene expression specific to proliferative cells, namely radial glia and intermediate progenitor cells (greater expression, larger difference), as well as differentiated cells, namely excitatory neurons and endothelial and mural cells (greater expression, smaller difference). Finally, these cell types were implicated in known pre/perinatal risk factors for psychosis. Genes coexpressed with radial glia were enriched with genes implicated in congenital abnormalities, birth weight, hypoxia, and starvation. Genes coexpressed with endothelial and mural genes were enriched with genes associated with maternal hypertension and preterm birth. Conclusions: Our findings support a neurodevelopmental model of vulnerability to mental illness whereby prenatal risk factors acting through cell-specific processes lead to deviations from typical brain development during pregnancy

Reproducibility in the absence of selective reporting : An illustration from large-scale brain asymmetry research

Altres ajuts: Max Planck Society (Germany).The problem of poor reproducibility of scientific findings has received much attention over recent years, in a variety of fields including psychology and neuroscience. The problem has been partly attributed to publication bias and unwanted practices such as p-hacking. Low statistical power in individual studies is also understood to be an important factor. In a recent multisite collaborative study, we mapped brain anatomical left-right asymmetries for regional measures of surface area and cortical thickness, in 99 MRI datasets from around the world, for a total of over 17,000 participants. In the present study, we revisited these hemispheric effects from the perspective of reproducibility. Within each dataset, we considered that an effect had been reproduced when it matched the meta-analytic effect from the 98 other datasets, in terms of effect direction and significance threshold. In this sense, the results within each dataset were viewed as coming from separate studies in an "ideal publishing environment," that is, free from selective reporting and p hacking. We found an average reproducibility rate of 63.2% (SD = 22.9%, min = 22.2%, max = 97.0%). As expected, reproducibility was higher for larger effects and in larger datasets. Reproducibility was not obviously related to the age of participants, scanner field strength, FreeSurfer software version, cortical regional measurement reliability, or regional size. These findings constitute an empirical illustration of reproducibility in the absence of publication bias or p hacking, when assessing realistic biological effects in heterogeneous neuroscience data, and given typically-used sample sizes