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MAOA gene hypomethylation in panic disorder-reversibility of an epigenetic risk pattern by psychotherapy

Please always quote using this URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164422
  • Epigenetic signatures such as methylation of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene have been found to be altered in panic disorder (PD). Hypothesizing temporal plasticity of epigenetic processes as a mechanism of successful fear extinction, the present psychotherapy-epigenetic study for we believe the first time investigated MAOA methylation changes during the course of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in PD. MAOA methylation was compared between N=28 female Caucasian PD patients (discovery sample) and N=28 age- and sex-matchedEpigenetic signatures such as methylation of the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene have been found to be altered in panic disorder (PD). Hypothesizing temporal plasticity of epigenetic processes as a mechanism of successful fear extinction, the present psychotherapy-epigenetic study for we believe the first time investigated MAOA methylation changes during the course of exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in PD. MAOA methylation was compared between N=28 female Caucasian PD patients (discovery sample) and N=28 age- and sex-matched healthy controls via direct sequencing of sodium bisulfite-treated DNA extracted from blood cells. MAOA methylation was furthermore analyzed at baseline (T0) and after a 6-week CBT (T1) in the discovery sample parallelized by a waiting time in healthy controls, as well as in an independent sample of female PD patients (N=20). Patients exhibited lower MAOA methylation than healthy controls (P<0.001), and baseline PD severity correlated negatively with MAOA methylation (P=0.01). In the discovery sample, MAOA methylation increased up to the level of healthy controls along with CBT response (number of panic attacks; T0-T1: +3.37±2.17%), while non-responders further decreased in methylation (-2.00±1.28%; P=0.001). In the replication sample, increases in MAOA methylation correlated with agoraphobic symptom reduction after CBT (P=0.02-0.03). The present results support previous evidence for MAOA hypomethylation as a PD risk marker and suggest reversibility of MAOA hypomethylation as a potential epigenetic correlate of response to CBT. The emerging notion of epigenetic signatures as a mechanism of action of psychotherapeutic interventions may promote epigenetic patterns as biomarkers of lasting extinction effects.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author: C. Ziegler, J. Richter, M. Mahr, A. Gajewska, M.A. Schiele, A. Gehrmann, B. Schmidt, K.-P. Lesch, T. Lang, S. Helbig-Lang, P. Pauli, T. Kircher, A. Reif, W. Rief, A.N. Vossbeck-Elsebusch, V. Arolt, H.-U. Wittchen, A.O. Hamm, J. Deckert, K. Domschke
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164422
Document Type:Journal article
Faculties:Medizinische Fakultät / Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie, Psychosomatik und Psychotherapie
Fakultät für Humanwissenschaften (Philos., Psycho., Erziehungs- u. Gesell.-Wissensch.) / Institut für Psychologie
Language:English
Parent Title (English):Translational Psychiatry
Year of Completion:2016
Issue:6
Pagenumber:e773
Source:Transl Psychiatry (2016) 6, e773; doi:10.1038/tp.2016.41
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2016.41
Dewey Decimal Classification:6 Technik, Medizin, angewandte Wissenschaften / 61 Medizin und Gesundheit / 610 Medizin und Gesundheit
Tag:Adult; Case-Control Studies; Cognitive Therapy; DNA; DNA Methylation; Epigenesis; Female; Genetic; Humans; Monoamine Oxidase/genetics; Panic Disorder/genetics; Panic Disorder/therapy; Sequence Analysis
Release Date:2019/07/10
Licence (German):License LogoCC BY: Creative-Commons-Lizenz: Namensnennung 4.0 International