1
|
Levitan RD, Atkinson L, Knight JA, Hung RJ, Wade M, Jenkins JM, Bertoni K, Wong J, Murphy KE, Lye SJ, Matthews SG. Maternal major depression during early pregnancy is associated with impaired child executive functioning at 4.5 years of age. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2023:S0002-9378(23)02115-4. [PMID: 38042244 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajog.2023.11.1252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Maternal depression is a serious condition that affects up to 1 in 7 pregnancies. Despite evidence linking maternal depression to pregnancy complications and adverse fetal outcomes, there remain large gaps in its identification and treatment. More work is needed to define the specific timing and severity of depression that most urgently requires intervention, where feasible, to protect maternal health and the developing fetus. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine whether the timing and severity of maternal depression and/or anxiety during pregnancy affect child executive functioning at age 4.5 years. Executive functioning in the preschool years is a strong predictor of both school readiness and long-term quality of life. STUDY DESIGN This longitudinal observational pregnancy cohort study included a sample of 323 mother-child dyads taking part in the Ontario Birth Study, an open pregnancy cohort in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Maternal symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed at 12 to 16 and 28 to 32 weeks of gestation and at the time of child testing at age 4.5 years using the 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire. Child executive functioning was measured during a home visit using standardized computerized administration of the Flanker test (a measure of attention) and the Dimensional Change Card Sort (a measure of cognitive flexibility). Stepwise linear regressions, controlling for possible confounding variables, were used to assess the predictive value of continuous measures of maternal depression and/or anxiety symptoms at each assessment time on the Flanker test and Dimensional Change Card Sort. Posthoc general linear models were used to assess whether maternal depression severity categories (no symptom, mild symptoms, or probable major depressive disorder) were helpful in identifying children at risk. RESULTS Across all children, after controlling for potential confounds, greater maternal depressive symptoms at weeks 12 to 16 weeks of gestation predicted worse performance on both the Flanker test (ΔR2=0.058; P<.001) and the Dimensional Change Card Sort (ΔR2=0.017; P=.018). Posthoc general linear modeling further demonstrated that the children of mothers meeting the screening criteria for major depression in early pregnancy scored 11.3% lower on the Flanker test and 9.8% lower on the Dimensional Change Card Sort than the children of mothers without maternal depressive symptoms in early pregnancy. Mild depressive symptoms had no significant effect on executive function scores. There was no significant effect of anxiety symptoms or maternal antidepressant use in early pregnancy or pandemic conditions or maternal symptoms in later pregnancy or at the time of child testing on either the Flanker or Dimensional Change Card Sort results. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that fetal exposure to maternal major depression, but not milder forms of depression, at 12 to 16 weeks of gestation is associated with impaired executive functioning in the preschool years. Child executive functioning is crucial for school readiness and predicts long-term quality of life. This emphasizes an urgent need to improve the recognition and treatment of maternal major depression, particularly in early pregnancy, to limit its negative effects on the patient and on child cognitive development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Robert D Levitan
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Leslie Atkinson
- Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julia A Knight
- Prosserman Centre for Population Health Research, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rayjean J Hung
- Prosserman Centre for Population Health Research, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Division of Epidemiology, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Wade
- Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer M Jenkins
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kashtin Bertoni
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jody Wong
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kellie E Murphy
- Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen J Lye
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Stephen G Matthews
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute of Sinai Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hansen BH, Andresen HN, Gjesvik J, Thorsby PM, Naerland T, Knudsen-Heier S. Associations between psychiatric comorbid disorders and executive dysfunctions in hypocretin-1 deficient pediatric narcolepsy type1. Sleep Med 2023; 109:149-157. [PMID: 37442017 DOI: 10.1016/j.sleep.2023.06.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND Psychiatric symptoms and cognitive deficits add significantly to impairment in academic achievement and quality of life in patients with narcolepsy. The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of psychiatric disorders and executive dysfunctions, secondly to explore the association between psychiatric comorbidity, executive dysfunctions, subjective and objective sleep measures, and severity of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hypocretin-1 deficiency in pediatric narcolepsy type 1 (PNT1). PATIENTS/METHODS Cross-sectional study of 59 consecutively included PNT1 patients (age: 6-20 years; 34:25 girls: boys; 54/59 H1N1 (Pandemrix®)-vaccinated). Core narcolepsy symptoms including subjective sleepiness, polysomnography and multiple sleep latency test results, CSF hypocretin-1 levels, psychiatric disorders (by semistructured diagnostic interview Kaufmann Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia Present and Lifetime version (KSADS)), and executive dysfunction (by Behavior Rating of Executive Function (BRIEF)) were assessed. RESULTS 52.5% of the patients had one or more psychiatric comorbid disorder, and 64.7% had executive dysfunction in a clinically relevant range, with no sex difference in prevalence, while older age was associated with poorer executive function (p=0.013). Having any psychiatric comorbid disorder was associated with poorer executive functions (p=0.001). CSF hypocretin-1 deficiency severity was significantly associated with presence of psychiatric comorbidity (p=0.022) and poorer executive functions (p=0.030), and poorer executive functions was associated with subjective sleepiness (p=0.009). CONCLUSIONS The high occurrence of, and association between, psychiatric comorbidity and executive dysfunction underlines the importance of close attention to both these comorbidities in clinical care of NT1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Berit Hjelde Hansen
- Norwegian Centre of Expertise for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Hypersomnias, Department of Rare Disorders, Division of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Norway.
| | | | | | - Per M Thorsby
- Hormone Laboratory, Department of Medical Biochemistry, Oslo University Hospital, Aker Hospital, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Terje Naerland
- Norwegian Centre of Expertise for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Hypersomnias, Department of Rare Disorders, Division of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| | - Stine Knudsen-Heier
- Norwegian Centre of Expertise for Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Hypersomnias, Department of Rare Disorders, Division of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Norway; Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Abstract
The NIH Toolbox includes a cognitive battery that provides an Early Childhood Composite score for children age 3-7. However, very few studies have evaluated feasibility when it is used in the youngest segment of this age range-3-year-olds. The current study evaluated performance on the four cognitive subtests composing the early childhood composite, two of which assess executive function, in a large sample of 3-year-olds enrolled in a Vanguard pilot of the National Children's Study. Results found that in a cohort of 609 3-year-olds (mean age = 39.6 months, SD = 1.6, 53% male, 64% White, 87% Non-Hispanic) who were administered four subtests included in the Early Childhood Composite, up to approximately 30% were unable to pass practice items on the Flanker, Dimensional Change Card Sort, and Picture Sequence Memory, whereas only approximately 3% were unable to pass practice items on the Picture Vocabulary Test. Furthermore, of those that did pass practice and achieve scores on the subtests, approximately 70% and 80% performed at or below chance level on the executive function tasks (Flanker and Dimensional Change Card Sort) and Picture Sequence Memory, respectively. Ultimately, the average 3-year-old has difficulty with three of the four NIH Toolbox tasks composing the Early Childhood Composite and may not yet have developed the requisite skills. These findings indicate that changes compatible with the developmental level of preschoolers are recommended to increase the feasibility and effectiveness of the NIH Toolbox in measuring individual cognition differences in 3-year-old children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Becker
- Division of Translational Medicine, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emma Condy
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Kaat
- Medical Social Science, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Aguilar-Lacasaña S, Vilor-Tejedor N, Jansen PR, López-Vicente M, Bustamante M, Burgaleta M, Sunyer J, Alemany S. Polygenic risk for ADHD and ASD and their relation with cognitive measures in school children. Psychol Med 2022; 52:1356-1364. [PMID: 32924895 PMCID: PMC9157306 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291720003189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 08/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are child-onset neurodevelopmental disorders frequently accompanied by cognitive difficulties. In the current study, we aim to examine the genetic overlap between ADHD and ASD and cognitive measures of working memory (WM) and attention performance among schoolchildren using a polygenic risk approach. METHODS A total of 1667 children from a population-based cohort aged 7-11 years with data available on genetics and cognition were included in the analyses. Polygenic risk scores (PRS) were calculated for ADHD and ASD using results from the largest GWAS to date (N = 55 374 and N = 46 351, respectively). The cognitive outcomes included verbal and numerical WM and the standard error of hit reaction time (HRTSE) as a measure of attention performance. These outcomes were repeatedly assessed over 1-year period using computerized version of the Attention Network Test and n-back task. Associations were estimated using linear mixed-effects models. RESULTS Higher polygenic risk for ADHD was associated with lower WM performance at baseline time but not over time. These findings remained significant after adjusting by multiple testing and excluding individuals with an ADHD diagnosis but were limited to boys. PRS for ASD was only nominally associated with an increased improvement on verbal WM over time, although this association did not survive multiple testing correction. No associations were observed for HRTSE. CONCLUSIONS Common genetic variants related to ADHD may contribute to worse WM performance among schoolchildren from the general population but not to the subsequent cognitive-developmental trajectory assessed over 1-year period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sofía Aguilar-Lacasaña
- University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVIC-UCC), Vic, Spain
- Barcelona Research Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Natàlia Vilor-Tejedor
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Barcelona Beta Brain Research Center (BBBRC), Pasqual Maragall Foundation, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Clinical Genetics, ERASMUS MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Philip R. Jansen
- Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, VU University and Department of Clinical Genetics, Amsterdam UMC - location VUmc, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mònica López-Vicente
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mariona Bustamante
- Barcelona Research Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG), The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Miguel Burgaleta
- Department of Technology, Center for Brain and Cognition, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Roc Boronat 138, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Sunyer
- Barcelona Research Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
- IMIM (Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Silvia Alemany
- Barcelona Research Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Lu H, Qiao J, Shao Z, Wang T, Huang S, Zeng P. A comprehensive gene-centric pleiotropic association analysis for 14 psychiatric disorders with GWAS summary statistics. BMC Med 2021; 19:314. [PMID: 34895209 PMCID: PMC8667366 DOI: 10.1186/s12916-021-02186-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have revealed the polygenic nature of psychiatric disorders and discovered a few of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with multiple psychiatric disorders. However, the extent and pattern of pleiotropy among distinct psychiatric disorders remain not completely clear. METHODS We analyzed 14 psychiatric disorders using summary statistics available from the largest GWASs by far. We first applied the cross-trait linkage disequilibrium score regression (LDSC) to estimate genetic correlation between disorders. Then, we performed a gene-based pleiotropy analysis by first aggregating a set of SNP-level associations into a single gene-level association signal using MAGMA. From a methodological perspective, we viewed the identification of pleiotropic associations across the entire genome as a high-dimensional problem of composite null hypothesis testing and utilized a novel method called PLACO for pleiotropy mapping. We ultimately implemented functional analysis for identified pleiotropic genes and used Mendelian randomization for detecting causal association between these disorders. RESULTS We confirmed extensive genetic correlation among psychiatric disorders, based on which these disorders can be grouped into three diverse categories. We detected a large number of pleiotropic genes including 5884 associations and 2424 unique genes and found that differentially expressed pleiotropic genes were significantly enriched in pancreas, liver, heart, and brain, and that the biological process of these genes was remarkably enriched in regulating neurodevelopment, neurogenesis, and neuron differentiation, offering substantial evidence supporting the validity of identified pleiotropic loci. We further demonstrated that among all the identified pleiotropic genes there were 342 unique ones linked with 6353 drugs with drug-gene interaction which can be classified into distinct types including inhibitor, agonist, blocker, antagonist, and modulator. We also revealed causal associations among psychiatric disorders, indicating that genetic overlap and causality commonly drove the observed co-existence of these disorders. CONCLUSIONS Our study is among the first large-scale effort to characterize gene-level pleiotropy among a greatly expanded set of psychiatric disorders and provides important insight into shared genetic etiology underlying these disorders. The findings would inform psychiatric nosology, identify potential neurobiological mechanisms predisposing to specific clinical presentations, and pave the way to effective drug targets for clinical treatment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Haojie Lu
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiahao Qiao
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhonghe Shao
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shuiping Huang
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Center for Medical Statistics and Data Analysis, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
- Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ping Zeng
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- Center for Medical Statistics and Data Analysis, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
- Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, 221004, Jiangsu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Zacharek SJ, Kribakaran S, Kitt ER, Gee DG. Leveraging big data to map neurodevelopmental trajectories in pediatric anxiety. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 50:100974. [PMID: 34147988 PMCID: PMC8225701 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 05/26/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric condition among youth, with symptoms commonly emerging prior to or during adolescence. Delineating neurodevelopmental trajectories associated with anxiety disorders is important for understanding the pathophysiology of pediatric anxiety and for early risk identification. While a growing literature has yielded valuable insights into the nature of brain structure and function in pediatric anxiety, progress has been limited by inconsistent findings and challenges common to neuroimaging research. In this review, we first discuss these challenges and the promise of ‘big data’ to map neurodevelopmental trajectories in pediatric anxiety. Next, we review evidence of age-related differences in neural structure and function among anxious youth, with a focus on anxiety-relevant processes such as threat and safety learning. We then highlight large-scale cross-sectional and longitudinal studies that assess anxiety and are well positioned to inform our understanding of neurodevelopment in pediatric anxiety. Finally, we detail relevant challenges of ‘big data’ and propose future directions through which large publicly available datasets can advance knowledge of deviations from normative brain development in anxiety. Leveraging ‘big data’ will be essential for continued progress in understanding the neurobiology of pediatric anxiety, with implications for identifying markers of risk and novel treatment targets.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sadie J Zacharek
- Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Cambridge, MA, 02139, United States; Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States
| | - Sahana Kribakaran
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States
| | - Elizabeth R Kitt
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, 06511, United States.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Everaert E, Boerma T, Selten I, Vorstman J, Wijnen F. Learning from atypical development: A systematic review of executive functioning in children and adolescents with the 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Developmental Review 2021; 60:100962. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2021.100962] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
|
8
|
Sreeraj VS, Holla B, Ithal D, Nadella RK, Mahadevan J, Balachander S, Ali F, Sheth S, Narayanaswamy JC, Venkatasubramanian G, John JP, Varghese M, Benegal V, Jain S, Reddy YJ, Viswanath B. Psychiatric symptoms and syndromes transcending diagnostic boundaries in Indian multiplex families: The cohort of ADBS study. Psychiatry Res 2021; 296:113647. [PMID: 33429328 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2020.113647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Syndromes of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, substance use disorders and Alzheimer's dementia are highly heritable. About 10-20% of subjects have another affected first degree relative (FDR), and thus represent a 'greater' genetic susceptibility. We screened 3583 families to identify 481 families with multiple affected members, assessed 1406 individuals in person, and collected information systematically about other relatives. Within the selected families, a third of all FDRs were affected with serious mental illness. Although similar diagnoses aggregated within families, 62% of the families also had members with other syndromes. Moreover, 15% of affected individuals met criteria for co-occurrence of two or more syndromes, across their lifetime. Using dimensional assessments, we detected a range of symptom clusters in both affected and unaffected individuals, and across diagnostic categories. Our findings suggest that in multiplex families, there is considerable heterogeneity of clinical syndromes, as well as sub-threshold symptoms. These families would help provide an opportunity for further research using both genetic analyses and biomarkers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanteemar S Sreeraj
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Bharath Holla
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Dhruva Ithal
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Ravi Kumar Nadella
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Jayant Mahadevan
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Srinivas Balachander
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Furkhan Ali
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Sweta Sheth
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Janardhanan C Narayanaswamy
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Ganesan Venkatasubramanian
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - John P John
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Mathew Varghese
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Vivek Benegal
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Sanjeev Jain
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | - Yc Janardhan Reddy
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| | -
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India
| | - Biju Viswanath
- Department of Psychiatry, National Institute of Mental Health And Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS), Bengaluru, India.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Kavanaugh BC, Cancilliere MK, Fryc A, Tirrell E, Oliveira J, Oberman LM, Wexler BE, Carpenter LL, Spirito A. Measurement of executive functioning with the National Institute of Health Toolbox and the association to anxiety/depressive symptomatology in childhood/adolescence. Child Neuropsychol 2020; 26:754-769. [PMID: 31876232 PMCID: PMC10629577 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2019.1708295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite preliminary research, there remain inconsistent findings with regard to the role of executive functioning (EF) deficits in childhood anxiety and depression. This report examined the association of The National Institute of Health (NIH) Toolbox to clinical neuropsychological measures and to childhood, anxiety/depressive symptomatology. Methods: One-hundred eight children and adolescents completed the three EF measures from the NIH Toolbox (List Sorting Working Memory Test [LSWMT], Dimensional Change Card Sorting Test [DCCST], and Flanker Test of Attention and Inhibition [Flanker]) in an outpatient neuropsychology program. These tests were compared to established measures of EF in terms of linear correlations and detection of impairment. Heaton's Global Deficit Score (GDS) was utilized to calculate impairment. The Toolbox-EF measures were paired with parent-reported EF symptoms (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function [BRIEF2]) to identify the role of EF in childhood anxiety/depressive symptomatology. RESULTS Toolbox-EF measures displayed medium sized correlations with their clinically comparable counterparts, and generally did not differ in their detection of impairment. Toolbox-GDS was associated with depression diagnosis and clinically significant child-reported anxiety and depressive symptoms. Together, Toolbox/BRIEF2 accounted for 26.8-30.9% of elevated depressive symptom variance, but only 13.2-14% of elevated anxiety symptom variance. Further, EF impairment was associated with depression across self report, parent report, and clinical diagnosis. DISCUSSION The NIH Toolbox-EF measures display comparable psychometric properties to clinically available EF measures in a pediatric (primarily psychiatric) neuropsychology setting. The Toolbox appears to display an appropriate ability to detect EF deficits secondary to self-reported depression in childhood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Brian C. Kavanaugh
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | | | - Alexa Fryc
- Department of Psychology, University of Rhode Island, South Kingstown, RI, USA
| | - Eric Tirrell
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Jane Oliveira
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Emma Pendleton Bradley Hospital, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Lindsay M. Oberman
- Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Bruce E. Wexler
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Linda L. Carpenter
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior, Butler Hospital Mood Disorders Research Program and Neuromodulation Research Facility, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Anthony Spirito
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Khundrakpam B, Vainik U, Gong J, Al-Sharif N, Bhutani N, Kiar G, Zeighami Y, Kirschner M, Luo C, Dagher A, Evans A. Neural correlates of polygenic risk score for autism spectrum disorders in general population. Brain Commun 2020; 2:fcaa092. [PMID: 32954337 PMCID: PMC7475696 DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaa092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2019] [Revised: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder is a highly prevalent and highly heritable neurodevelopmental condition, but studies have mostly taken traditional categorical diagnosis approach (yes/no for autism spectrum disorder). In contrast, an emerging notion suggests a continuum model of autism spectrum disorder with a normal distribution of autistic tendencies in the general population, where a full diagnosis is at the severe tail of the distribution. We set out to investigate such a viewpoint by investigating the interaction of polygenic risk scores for autism spectrum disorder and Age2 on neuroimaging measures (cortical thickness and white matter connectivity) in a general population (n = 391, with age ranging from 3 to 21 years from the Pediatric Imaging, Neurocognition and Genetics study). We observed that children with higher polygenic risk for autism spectrum disorder exhibited greater cortical thickness for a large age span starting from 3 years up to ∼14 years in several cortical regions localized in bilateral precentral gyri and the left hemispheric postcentral gyrus and precuneus. In an independent case–control dataset from the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange (n = 560), we observed a similar pattern: children with autism spectrum disorder exhibited greater cortical thickness starting from 6 years onwards till ∼14 years in wide-spread cortical regions including (the ones identified using the general population). We also observed statistically significant regional overlap between the two maps, suggesting that some of the cortical abnormalities associated with autism spectrum disorder overlapped with brain changes associated with genetic vulnerability for autism spectrum disorder in healthy individuals. Lastly, we observed that white matter connectivity between the frontal and parietal regions showed significant association with polygenic risk for autism spectrum disorder, indicating that not only the brain structure, but the white matter connectivity might also show a predisposition for the risk of autism spectrum disorder. Our findings showed that the fronto-parietal thickness and connectivity are dimensionally related to genetic risk for autism spectrum disorder in general population and are also part of the cortical abnormalities associated with autism spectrum disorder. This highlights the necessity of considering continuum models in studying the aetiology of autism spectrum disorder using polygenic risk scores and multimodal neuroimaging.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Budhachandra Khundrakpam
- McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Uku Vainik
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Psychology, University of Tartu, Tartu 50090, Estonia
| | - Jinnan Gong
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Ley Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Noor Al-Sharif
- McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Neha Bhutani
- McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Gregory Kiar
- McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Yashar Zeighami
- McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Matthias Kirschner
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich 8032, Switzerland
| | - Cheng Luo
- Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Ley Lab for Neuroinformation, Center for Information in Medicine, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, Sichuan 611731, China
| | - Alain Dagher
- Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| | - Alan Evans
- McGill Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada.,Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Treble-Barna A, Pilipenko V, Wade SL, Jegga AG, Yeates KO, Taylor HG, Martin LJ, Kurowski BG. Cumulative Influence of Inflammatory Response Genetic Variation on Long-Term Neurobehavioral Outcomes after Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Relative to Orthopedic Injury: An Exploratory Polygenic Risk Score. J Neurotrauma 2020; 37:1491-1503. [PMID: 32024452 PMCID: PMC7307697 DOI: 10.1089/neu.2019.6866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The addition of genetic factors to prognostic models of neurobehavioral recovery following pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) may account for unexplained heterogeneity in outcomes. The present study examined the cumulative influence of candidate genes involved in the inflammatory response on long-term neurobehavioral recovery in children with early childhood TBI relative to children with orthopedic injuries (OI). Participants were drawn from a prospective, longitudinal study evaluating outcomes of children who sustained TBI (n = 67) or OI (n = 68) between the ages of 3 and 7 years. Parents completed ratings of child executive function and behavior at an average of 6.8 years after injury. Exploratory unweighted and weighted polygenic risk scores (PRS) were constructed from single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) across candidate inflammatory response genes (i.e., angiotensin converting enzyme [ACE], brain-derived neurotrophic factor [BDNF], interleukin-1 receptor antagonist [IL1RN], and 5'-ectonucleotidase [NT5E]) that showed nominal (p ≤ 0.20) associations with outcomes in the TBI group. Linear regression models tested the PRS × injury group (TBI vs. OI) interaction term and post-hoc analyses examined the effect of PRS within each injury group. Higher inflammatory response PRS were associated with more executive dysfunction and behavior problems in children with TBI but not in children with OI. The cumulative influence of inflammatory response genes as measured by PRS explained additional variance in long-term neurobehavioral outcomes, over and above well-established predictors and single candidate SNPs tested individually. The results suggest that some of the unexplained heterogeneity in long-term neurobehavioral outcomes following pediatric TBI may be attributable to a child's genetic predisposition to a greater or lesser inflammatory response to TBI.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amery Treble-Barna
- Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, Pennslvania, USA
| | - Valentina Pilipenko
- Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Shari L. Wade
- Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Anil G. Jegga
- Division of Biomedical Informatics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Keith Owen Yeates
- Department of Psychology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - H. Gerry Taylor
- Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Lisa J. Martin
- Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| | - Brad G. Kurowski
- Division of Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
- Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have a higher prevalence of epilepsy compared with general populations. In this pilot study, we prospectively identified baseline risk factors for the development of seizures in individuals with ASD and also identified characteristics sensitive to seizure onset up to 6 years after enrollment in the Autism Speaks Autism Treatment Network. METHODS Children with ASD and no history of seizures at baseline who either experienced onset of seizures after enrollment in the Autism Treatment Network or remained seizure free were included in the analysis. RESULTS Among 472 qualifying children, 22 (4.7%) experienced onset of seizures after enrollment. Individuals who developed seizures after enrollment exhibited lower scores at baseline on all domains of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales, greater hyperactivity on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (25.4 ± 11.8 vs 19.2 ± 11.1; P = .018), and lower physical quality of life scores on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (60.1 ± 24.2 vs 76.0 ± 18.2; P < .001). Comparing change in scores from entry to call-back, adjusting for age, sex, length of follow-up, and baseline Vineland II composite score, individuals who developed seizures experienced declines in daily living skills (-8.38; 95% confidence interval -14.50 to -2.50; P = .005). Adjusting for baseline age, sex, and length of follow-up, baseline Vineland II composite score was predictive of seizure development (risk ratio = 0.95 per unit Vineland II composite score, 95% confidence interval 0.92 to 0.99; P = .007). CONCLUSIONS Individuals with ASD at risk for seizures exhibited changes in adaptive functioning and behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jamie K Capal
- Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; .,Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
| | - Eric A Macklin
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts; and
| | - Frances Lu
- Biostatistics Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Gregory Barnes
- Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, University of Louisville Autism Center, Louisville, Kentucky
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Tilot AK, Vino A, Kucera KS, Carmichael DA, van den Heuvel L, den Hoed J, Sidoroff-Dorso AV, Campbell A, Porteous DJ, St Pourcain B, van Leeuwen TM, Ward J, Rouw R, Simner J, Fisher SE. Investigating genetic links between grapheme-colour synaesthesia and neuropsychiatric traits. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20190026. [PMID: 31630655 PMCID: PMC6834005 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Synaesthesia is a neurological phenomenon affecting perception, where triggering stimuli (e.g. letters and numbers) elicit unusual secondary sensory experiences (e.g. colours). Family-based studies point to a role for genetic factors in the development of this trait. However, the contributions of common genomic variation to synaesthesia have not yet been investigated. Here, we present the SynGenes cohort, the largest genotyped collection of unrelated people with grapheme-colour synaesthesia (n = 723). Synaesthesia has been associated with a range of other neuropsychological traits, including enhanced memory and mental imagery, as well as greater sensory sensitivity. Motivated by the prior literature on putative trait overlaps, we investigated polygenic scores derived from published genome-wide scans of schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), comparing our SynGenes cohort to 2181 non-synaesthetic controls. We found a very slight association between schizophrenia polygenic scores and synaesthesia (Nagelkerke's R2 = 0.0047, empirical p = 0.0027) and no significant association for scores related to ASD (Nagelkerke's R2 = 0.00092, empirical p = 0.54) or body mass index (R2 = 0.00058, empirical p = 0.60), included as a negative control. As sample sizes for studying common genomic variation continue to increase, genetic investigations of the kind reported here may yield novel insights into the shared biology between synaesthesia and other traits, to complement findings from neuropsychology and brain imaging. This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'Bridging senses: novel insights from synaesthesia'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda K. Tilot
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Imaging Genetics Center, Mark and Mary Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute, Keck School of Medicine of USC, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA
| | - Arianna Vino
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Katerina S. Kucera
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Duncan A. Carmichael
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, UK
| | - Loes van den Heuvel
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Joery den Hoed
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Archie Campbell
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
- Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4UX, UK
| | - David J. Porteous
- Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
- Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH8 9JZ, UK
| | - Beate St Pourcain
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Tessa M. van Leeuwen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Jamie Ward
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Romke Rouw
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WT Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Julia Simner
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Simon E. Fisher
- Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, 6525 XD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Torske T, Naerland T, Bettella F, Bjella T, Malt E, Høyland AL, Stenberg N, Øie MG, Andreassen OA. Autism spectrum disorder polygenic scores are associated with every day executive function in children admitted for clinical assessment. Autism Res 2019; 13:207-220. [PMID: 31571410 PMCID: PMC7027890 DOI: 10.1002/aur.2207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disorders (NDs) are behaviorally defined disorders with overlapping clinical features that are often associated with higher‐order cognitive dysfunction, particularly executive dysfunction. Our aim was to determine if the polygenic score (PGS) for ASD is associated with parent‐reported executive dysfunction in everyday life using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF). Furthermore, we investigated if PGS for general intelligence (INT) and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) also correlate with BRIEF. We included 176 children, adolescents and young adults aged 5–22 years with full‐scale intelligence quotient (IQ) above 70. All were admitted for clinical assessment of ASD symptoms and 68% obtained an ASD diagnosis. We found a significant difference between low and high ASD PGS groups in the BRIEF behavior regulation index (BRI) (P = 0.015, Cohen's d = 0.69). A linear regression model accounting for age, sex, full‐scale IQ, Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) total score, ASD, ADHD and INT PGS groups as well as genetic principal components, significantly predicted the BRI score; F(11,130) = 8.142, P < 0.001, R2 = 0.41 (unadjusted). Only SRS total (P < 0.001), ASD PGS 0.1 group (P = 0.018), and sex (P = 0.022) made a significant contribution to the model. This suggests that the common ASD risk gene variants have a stronger association to behavioral regulation aspects of executive dysfunction than ADHD risk or INT variants in a clinical sample with ASD symptoms. Autism Res 2020, 13: 207–220. © 2019 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Lay Summary People with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often have difficulties with higher‐order cognitive processes that regulate thoughts and actions during goal‐directed behavior, also known as executive function (EF). We studied the association between genetics related to ASD and EF and found a relation between high polygenic score (PGS) for ASD and difficulties with behavior regulation aspects of EF in children and adolescents under assessment for ASD. Furthermore, high PGS for general intelligence was related to social problems.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tonje Torske
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestre Viken Hospital Trust, Drammen, Norway.,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Terje Naerland
- NevSom, Department of Rare Disorders, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.,NORMENT Centre, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Francesco Bettella
- NORMENT Centre, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Thomas Bjella
- NORMENT Centre, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eva Malt
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Ahus Campus, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Department of Adult Habilitation, Akershus University Hospital, Lørenskog, Norway
| | - Anne Lise Høyland
- Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Department of Mental Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.,Department of Pediatrics, St. Olav Hospital, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Nina Stenberg
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Merete Glenne Øie
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Research Department, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| |
Collapse
|