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The ability to delay gratification is related to success in school and other aspects of life. Genetic as well as environmental factors such as parenting style partly explain the development of delay of gratification (DoG). However, it is unclear whether parental personality impacts children's DoG, and how maternal and paternal personalities contribute to this relationship. The present study investigates the relationship between parental personality and 45-month-old children's DoG (N = 329). Personality was measured using the NEO-Five-Factor-Inventory-30, DoG was operationalized through waiting time in the marshmallow test. In model 1, using only maternal data to predict DoG, maternal openness to experience was associated with shorter waiting time of the child in the marshmallow test, whereas maternal agreeableness was associated with longer waiting time. In model 2, using only paternal data to predict DoG, paternal agreeableness was related to longer waiting time. In model 3, combining maternal and paternal data to predict DoG, maternal openness to experience as well as paternal agreeableness remained significant predictors of DoG. The present study underlines the influence of both parents' personalities on the development of children's DoG and indicates differential maternal and paternal effects. Future studies should investigate the relationship between parental personality and children's DoG in detail and take further factors into account, such as genetic factors, other environmental factors and the personality of the child. Highlights: Investigation of parental personality jointly and separately to predict child's DoG. Separate models: Agreeableness of both parents predicts DoG (positively). Separate models: Maternal openness predicts DoG (negatively). Joint model: Maternal openness & paternal agreeableness stay significant predictors. The results indicate differential maternal and paternal effects on children's DoG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive impairment is a common feature in schizophrenia and the strongest prognostic factor for long-term outcome. Identifying a trait associated with the genetic background for cognitive outcome in schizophrenia may aid in a deeper understanding of clinical disease subtypes. Fast sleep spindles may represent such a biomarker as they are strongly genetically determined, associated with cognitive functioning and impaired in schizophrenia and unaffected relatives. We measured fast sleep spindle density in 150 healthy adults and investigated its association with a genome-wide polygenic score for schizophrenia (SCZ-PGS). The association between SCZ-PGS and fast spindle density was further characterized by stratifying it to the genetic background of intelligence. SCZ-PGS was positively associated with fast spindle density. This association mainly depended on pro-cognitive genetic variants. Our results strengthen the evidence for a genetic background of spindle abnormalities in schizophrenia. Spindle density might represent an easily accessible marker for a favourable cognitive outcome which should be further investigated in clinical samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major Depression and Bipolar Disorder Type I (BIP-I) and Type II (BIP-II), are characterized by depressed, manic, and hypomanic episodes in which specific changes of physical activity, circadian rhythm, and sleep are observed. It is known that genetic factors contribute to variation in mood disorders and biological rhythms, but unclear to what extent there is an overlap between their underlying genetics. In the present study, data from genome-wide association studies were used to examine the genetic relationship between mood disorders and biological rhythms. We tested the genetic correlation of depression, BIP-I, and BIP-II with physical activity (overall physical activity, moderate activity, sedentary behaviour), circadian rhythm (relative amplitude), and sleep features (sleep duration, daytime sleepiness). Genetic correlations of depression, BIP-I, and BIP-II with biological rhythms were compared to discover commonalities and differences. A gene-based analysis tested for associations of single genes and common circadian genes with mood disorders. Depression was negatively correlated with overall physical activity and positively with sedentary behaviour, while BIP-I showed associations in the opposite direction. Depression and BIP-II had negative correlations with relative amplitude. All mood disorders were positively correlated with daytime sleepiness. Overall, we observed both genetic commonalities and differences across mood disorders in their relationships with biological rhythms: depression and BIP-I differed the most, while BIP-II was in an intermediate position. Gene-based analysis suggested potential targets for further investigation. The present results suggest shared genetic underpinnings for the clinically observed associations between mood disorders and biological rhythms. Research considering possible joint mechanisms may offer avenues for improving disease detection and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oxytocin is a key mediator of emotional and social behavior that seems to be of relevance for the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors. We thus investigated the effect of oxytocin on neural response and behavior during a face-matching task in a sample of social drinkers. Methods: Thirteen social drinkers underwent a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled cross-over functional magnetic resonance imaging face-matching task with and without prior intranasal application of 24 international units oxytocin. Effects of oxytocin and task condition (faces, shapes) on brain activation and individual task performance were assessed. Results: Face-matching compared to shape-matching trials resulted in higher brain activation in the bilateral amygdala, hippocampus and parts of the occipital gyri. Oxytocin application vs. placebo reduced activation in bilateral amygdala, parts of the frontal gyri, and the parietal lobe. Region of interest analyses indicated that the oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response was specific to face-stimuli and associated with lower subjective alcohol craving, and a lower percentage of heavy-drinking days (defined as ≥ 5 standard drinks/day). Conclusion: For the first time, we could show that a larger oxytocin-induced attenuation of amygdala response to fearful faces is associated with lower subjective craving for alcohol and percentage of heavy drinking days in social drinkers. Modulation of amygdala activation, induced by emotional stimuli, might represent a neurobiological substrate of oxytocin's protective effects on drug seeking behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]