Neuroscience Research Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Hum Brain Mapp. 2024 Jan;45(1):e26557. doi: 10.1002/hbm.26557.
Despite compelling evidence that brain structure is heritable, the evidence for the heritability of task-evoked brain function is less robust. Findings from previous studies are inconsistent possibly reflecting small samples and methodological variations. In a large national twin sample, we systematically evaluated heritability of task-evoked brain activity derived from functional magnetic resonance imaging. We used established standardised tasks to engage brain regions involved in cognitive and emotional functions. Heritability was evaluated across a conscious and nonconscious Facial Expressions of Emotion Task (FEET), selective attention Oddball Task, N-back task of working memory maintenance, and a Go-NoGo cognitive control task in a sample of Australian adult twins (N ranged from 136 to 226 participants depending on the task and pairs). Two methods for quantifying associations of heritability and brain activity were utilised; a multivariate independent component analysis (ICA) approach and a univariate brain region-of-interest (ROI) approach. Using ICA, we observed that a significant proportion of task-evoked brain activity was heritable, with estimates ranging from 23% to 26% for activity elicited by nonconscious facial emotion stimuli, 27% to 34% for N-back working memory maintenance and sustained attention, and 32% to 33% for selective attention in the Oddball task. Using the ROI approach, we found that activity of regions specifically implicated in emotion processing and selective attention showed significant heritability for three ROIs, including estimates of 33%-34% for the left and right amygdala in the nonconscious processing of sad faces and 29% in the medial superior prefrontal cortex for the Oddball task. Although both approaches show similar levels of heritability for the Nonconscious Faces and Oddball tasks, ICA results displayed a more extensive network of heritable brain function, including additional regions beyond the ROI analysis. Furthermore, multivariate twin modelling of both ICA networks and ROI activation suggested a mix of common genetic and unique environmental factors that contribute to the associations between networks/regions. Together, the results indicate a complex relationship between genetic factors and environmental interactions that ultimately give rise to neural activation underlying cognition and emotion.
尽管有确凿的证据表明大脑结构具有遗传性，但任务诱发的大脑功能的遗传性证据则不那么确凿。以前研究的结果不一致，这可能反映了样本量小和方法学的差异。在一项大型的全国性双胞胎样本中，我们系统地评估了功能磁共振成像中任务诱发脑活动的遗传性。我们使用已建立的标准化任务来激活涉及认知和情感功能的大脑区域。我们在澳大利亚成年双胞胎样本中评估了一项无意识面部表情任务（FEET）、选择性注意Oddball 任务、工作记忆维持的 N-back 任务和 Go-NoGo 认知控制任务的遗传性，该样本的参与者数量因任务和对子而异，范围从 136 到 226 人不等。我们使用了两种方法来量化遗传性和大脑活动之间的关联；一种是多变量独立成分分析（ICA）方法，另一种是单变量大脑区域感兴趣（ROI）方法。使用 ICA，我们观察到，很大一部分任务诱发的大脑活动是可遗传的，对于无意识面部情绪刺激引起的活动，遗传率估计范围在 23%至 26%之间，对于 N-back 工作记忆维持和持续注意力，遗传率估计范围在 27%至 34%之间，对于 Oddball 任务中的选择性注意力，遗传率估计范围在 32%至 33%之间。使用 ROI 方法，我们发现，特定于情绪处理和选择性注意的区域的活动对于三个 ROI 表现出显著的遗传性，对于无意识处理悲伤面孔的左、右杏仁核，估计遗传率为 33%-34%，对于 Oddball 任务中的内侧额上回，估计遗传率为 29%。虽然两种方法对于无意识面孔和 Oddball 任务都显示出相似水平的遗传性，但 ICA 结果显示出一个更广泛的遗传性大脑功能网络，包括 ROI 分析之外的额外区域。此外，ICA 网络和 ROI 激活的多变量双胞胎模型表明，共同的遗传和独特的环境因素共同作用于网络/区域之间的关联。总的来说，结果表明遗传因素和环境相互作用之间存在复杂的关系，最终导致认知和情感的神经激活。
