scholarly journals Oxytocin Pathway Genes (CD38, OXTR) and Psychosocial Characteristics Defined According to Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire in Urban Siberian Adolescents: A School-based Study

Author(s):  
Sergey Tereshchenko ◽  
Edward Kasparov ◽  
Svetlana Zobova ◽  
Marina Smolnikova ◽  
Lidia Evert ◽  
...  

Oxytocin (OT) is regarded as an extremely important prosocial neuropeptide that dramatically affects the establishment of social connections from infancy to adulthood. OT effects on the psychoemotional state are pretty individual and may be dependent on age, gender, ethnocultural factors, social environment, the presence of stress factors, and features of personality. The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief psychopathological screening tool and is recommended for the detection and classification of psychosocial problems in adolescents. The current field school-based study, conducted among urban Siberian adolescents (n = 298 aged 12–18) explored the relation of SDQ scales in relation to genotypes of CD38 gene that controls oxytocin release, rs3796863, and oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR), rs53576. The results of our study show that during the adolescence period, OT pathway high activity can cause some negative effects, such as emotional instability in young (aged 12–14) adolescent girls in the case of carriage of the rs3796863 A allele and emotional disturbances in older (aged 15–18) adolescent boys who are carriers of a GG variant of rs53576. Our results support the hypothesis of OT-mediated excessive social sensitivity which can lead to some age-sex depending psychosocial problems during adolescence.

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergey Tereshchenko ◽  
Edward Kasparov ◽  
Svetlana Zobova ◽  
Marina Smolnikova ◽  
Lidia Evert ◽  
...  

Background: CD38 is a transmembrane glycoprotein that regulates oxytocin (OT) production and influences social interactions. The oxytocin receptor (OXTR) has been studied intensively regarding its association with human psychosocial functions. Many studies have demonstrated a link between CD38 rs3796863 and OXTR rs53576 polymorphic regions and psychosocial characteristics as well as various psychiatric disorders in adolescents. Some studies, however, have reported null findings.Methods: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a brief psychopathologic screening tool recommended for detecting psychosocial problems and psychiatric disorders in adolescents. The current field school-based study, conducted among urban Siberian adolescents (n = 298 aged 12–18), explored the SDQ scales in relation to polymorphisms of the CD38 and the OXTR genes (rs3796863 and rs53576, respectively).Results: None of the studied genotypes were associated with the SDQ results for the complete sample with presumed statistical power as 0.80 to detect a medium-size effect (Cramer's V = 0.3) at α = 0.0083. Post-hoc analysis in subgroups showed that OT pathway high activity may cause some negative consequences, such as emotional instability in older (aged 15–18) adolescent boys who are carriers of the rs53576 GG variant.Conclusion: Variations at the CD38 rs3796863 and OXTR rs53576 loci were not associated with psychosocial characteristics of adolescents assessed with the SDQ. In studies with a similar design, we recommend replication with larger samples and greater power to detect small effects, especially in age–sex subgroups of adolescents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 71 (1) ◽  
pp. 159-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jelena Basic ◽  
Vuk Milosevic ◽  
Milos Stankovic ◽  
Tatjana Jevtovic-Stoimenov ◽  
Tatjana Cvetkovic ◽  
...  

Oxytocin achieves its effects after binding the oxytocin receptor (OXTR). Oxytocin plays an important role in empathy. The aim of this study was to examine the influence of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the OXTR gene (rs53576 and rs2254298) on empathy measures and plasma oxytocin levels. Seventy-four university students were screened for the OXTR rs53576 and rs2254298 SNPs using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. The level of oxytocin in the plasma was measured by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). All subjects were assessed with the empathy quotient (EQ) questionnaire and Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET). Subjects carrying the rs53576 GG genotype had a higher EQ score, compared to GA/AA genotype carriers. By gender analysis, significance was reached only in females. Considering the influence of both examined polymorphisms on empathy, participants with the GGGG diplotype had a higher EQ in comparison with GAGG/AAGG carriers. These hormone effects were not correlated with plasma oxytocin levels. This is the first study implying that higher empathy in rs53576 GG genotype carriers may not depend on plasma oxytocin levels, but possibly on the number and function of OXTRs in the brain.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessandro Carollo ◽  
Andrea Bonassi ◽  
Ilaria Cataldo ◽  
Giulio Gabrieli ◽  
Moses Tandiono ◽  
...  

So far literature considered the association between environmental factors (i.e. involved in adult relationships) and genetic vulnerability on Oxytocin Receptor Gene (OXTR) in the comprehension of social behavior. Although an extensive knowledge on in-person social interactions has been obtained, little is known about online social behavior. A gene-environment perspective is adopted to examine how OXTR and adult attachment moderate Instagram behavior. The Experience in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) questionnaire was used to collect participants' (N = 57, 16 males) attachment with their partners. The genetic factors within the regions OXTR rs53576 (A/A homozygotes vs. G-carriers) and rs2254298 (G/G homozygotes vs. A-carriers) were assessed. Number of posts, followed people ("followings") and followers were obtained from Instagram, and the Social Desirability Index was calculated as the ratio of followers to followings. Interaction effects between OXTR groups and ECR-R scores on the number of posts and SDI were hypothesised. Results showed an effect of rs53576 on the number of Instagram followings. Specifically, A/A homozygotes had more followings than G-carriers independently of the quality of the relationship with their partner. These preliminary results are discussed in light of the debate of behavioral genetics and offer insights into future investigations on social media behavior.


Assessment ◽  
2019 ◽  
pp. 107319111985841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jorien Vugteveen ◽  
Annelies de Bildt ◽  
Meinou Theunissen ◽  
Menno Reijneveld ◽  
Marieke Timmerman

In this study, validity aspects of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) self-report and parent-report versions were assessed among Dutch adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (community sample: n = 962, clinical sample: n = 4,053). The findings mostly support the continued use of both SDQ versions in screening for psychosocial problems as (a) exploratory structural equation analyses partially supported the grouping of items into five scales; (b) investigation of associations between scales of the SDQ and the Child Behavior Checklist, Youth Self-Report, and Intelligence Development Scales-2 provided evidence for the SDQ versions’ convergent and divergent validity; and (c) receiver operating characteristics curves yielded evidence for both SDQ versions’ criterion validity by showing that these questionnaires can be used to screen for psychosocial problems, except for the adolescent-reported version for males. Regardless of the adolescent’s gender, the receiver operating characteristics curves showed both SDQ versions to be useful for screening for three specific types of problems: anxiety/mood disorder, conduct/oppositional deviant disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Additionally, parent-rated SDQ scores were found to be useful for screening for autism spectrum disorder.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. e0131820 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingguang Li ◽  
Yajun Zhao ◽  
Rena Li ◽  
Lucas S. Broster ◽  
Chenglin Zhou ◽  
...  

2015 ◽  
Vol 65 ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Reiner ◽  
M.H. Van IJzendoorn ◽  
M.J. Bakermans-Kranenburg ◽  
S. Bleich ◽  
M. Beutel ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 233-247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Schlack ◽  
Kristin Göbel ◽  
Heike Hölling ◽  
Franz Petermann ◽  
Marcel Romanos

Zusammenfassung. ADHS ist durch die Kernsymptome Unaufmerksamkeit, motorische Unruhe und Impulsivität gekennzeichnet. Die Diagnostik der ADHS ist aufwändig und kann nur klinisch erfolgen. Anhand der Verlaufsdaten aus zwei Erhebungszeitpunkten der KiGGS-Studie wird hier untersucht, (a) wie häufig Eltern eine für ihre zum Ersterhebungszeitpunkt (t0, 2003–2006) drei bis 11 Jahre alten Kinder berichtete ADHS-Lebenszeitprävalenz zum zweiten Erhebungszeitpunkt (t1, 2009–2012) erneut berichten und (b) wie häufig eine jemals durch einen Arzt oder Psychologen gestellte ADHS-Diagnose in einem Zeitraum von sechs Jahren erstmalig berichtet wird (Diagnose-Inzidenz). Dazu wurden ausgewählte kind- und umfeldbezogene Einflussfaktoren wie Geschlecht, Transition in eine andere Lebensphase, Rauchen und Alkoholkonsum der Mutter während der Schwangerschaft und Stillzeit, Familienstruktur und Sozialstatus sowie die psychopathologische Symptombelastung gemäß Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) zu beiden Messzeitpunkten longitudinal untersucht. Im Ergebnis berichteten 57.4% der Eltern, die zum Ersterhebungszeitpunkt eine jemals gestellte ADHS-Diagnose berichtet hatten, diese nach sechs Jahren erneut. Multivariat betrug das Odds Ratio für einen stabilen Elternbericht der ADHS-Lebenszeitprävalenz für Jungen OR = 5.04, für Rauchen der Mutter in der Schwangerschaft OR = 2.84 für Peerprobleme OR = 1.30 und für Hyperaktivitätsprobleme OR = 1.21 zu t0. Die Diagnose-Inzidenz lag insgesamt bei 3.6%. Die Inzidenz war für Jungen dreimal so hoch wie für Mädchen und nahm mit steigendem Alter ab. Alle Prädiktoren mit Ausnahme des Alkoholkonsums der Mutter in der Schwangerschaft waren bivariat mit der Diagnose-Inzidenz signifikant assoziiert. Multivariat erwiesen sich jedoch nur männliches Geschlecht (OR = 2.89), die Transition in die Adoleszenz (OR = 0.38) sowie Verhaltens- (OR = 1.15) und Peerprobleme (OR = 1.46) zu t0 als signifikante Prädiktoren.


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