Effect of catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism on resting-state brain default mode network after acupuncture stimulation.
Xuejuan Yang, Jie Gong, Lingmin Jin, Lin Liu, Jinbo Sun, Wei Qin
Brain Imaging and Behavior June 1, 2018 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-017-9735-6 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Pilot neuroimaging study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Healthy Chinese young adults |
| Intervention | Acupuncture |
| Topics | Default mode network |
| Keywords | Neural pathways Humans Catechol o-methyltransferase Magnetic resonance imaging Acupuncture therapy Brain mapping Pilot projects Genotype Polymorphism, single nucleotide Adolescent Female Young adult Genetic association studies Biological variation, individual Connectivity Resting-state Comt val158met polymorphism |
| Key points | The authors report a significant interaction between acupuncture and COMT genotype on default mode network connectivity. Val/Met carriers showed decreased connectivity between the DMN and the left middle frontal gyrus after acupuncture compared with before, while Val/Val homozygotes did not. They propose that COMT may regulate the resting DMN response to acupuncture. |
Abstract
The effects of acupuncture can be characterized by clear individual differences. Several revealing studies suggest an underlying role of inherited genetic factor in interindividual variability in response to acupuncture treatment. It remains unclear, however, if the modulation of acupuncture on resting brain function is influenced by genetic factors. Catechol-o-methyltransferase (COMT) Val158Met polymorphism has been shown to regulate the resting brain network, especially in the default mode network (DMN), which is a target area that responds to acupuncture stimulation. Therefore, the present study investigated the effect of COMT Val158Met polymorphism on the modulation of acupuncture in DMN connectivity in healthy Chinese young adults. Using mixed-design ANOVA analysis, we found a significant interactive effect between acupuncture and the COMT gene. For subjects carrying the Val/Met genotype, acupuncture induced decreased DMN connectivity with the left middle frontal gyrus during the post-acupuncture stage compared with the pre-acupuncture stage, which was not observed in Val/Val homozygous subjects. These results demonstrated that during sustained periods after acupuncture stimulation, the brain network is likely under genetic control, and COMT might be a candidate gene that regulates the resting DMN response to acupuncture stimulation.
Comparable studies
Other experimental studies on default mode network, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Functional connectivity of default mode network components: Correlation, anticorrelation, and causality Healthy subjects | 2008 | Observational study using resting-state fMRI and seed correlation analysis | |
| Patterns of Brain Activity Supporting Autobiographical Memory, Prospection, and Theory of Mind, and Their Relationship to the Default Mode Network Healthy subjects | 2009 | Experimental study using fMRI | |
| Dynamic reconfiguration of the default mode network during narrative comprehension Human subjects | 2016 | Experimental study | |
| Broadband Cortical Desynchronization Underlies the Human Psychedelic State Healthy human participants | 2013 | Experimental study | |
| The brain on art: intense aesthetic experience activates the default mode network Human observers | 2012 | Observational study with fMRI and behavioral analysis |