Mindfulness and associations with symptoms of insomnia, anxiety and depression in early adulthood: A twin and sibling study

This study investigated associations between mindfulness and symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety. Mindfulness was disaggregated into five subscales: 'nonreactivity to inner experience', 'observing', 'acting with awareness', 'describing' and 'nonjudging of inner experience'. Twin models were used to examine genetic and environmental influences on mindfulness, symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety and on their associations. Data came from a longitudinal twin/sibling study (G1219) comprising 862 individuals (age range 22-32 years, 66% females). Less mindfulness was associated with greater symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety (r = .22-.48). Of the mindfulness subscales, 'nonjudging of inner experience' was most strongly associated with the other traits. Overall mindfulness was largely influenced by non-shared environmental factors (E = .72) although familial influences played a role for overall mindfulness, as well as for the 'acting with awareness' and 'describing' subscales. The genetic correlations between overall mindfulness and symptoms of insomnia, depression and anxiety ranged from .32 to .75 (but were non-significant), while the shared environmental correlations ranged from -.78 to .79 (also non-significant). The non-shared environmental influences between these three variables were moderately, significantly correlated (rE = .21-.55).

A Longitudinal Twin and Sibling Study of Associations between Insomnia and Depression Symptoms in Young Adults

STUDY OBJECTIVES

To estimate genetic and environmental influences on the associations between insomnia and depression symptoms concurrently and longitudinally.

METHODS

Behavioral genetic analyses were conducted on data from the British longitudinal G1219 twin/sibling study. One thousand five hundred fiftysix twins and siblings participated at Time 1 (mean age = 20.3 years, SD = 1.76). Eight hundred sixty-two participated at Time 2 (mean age = 25.2 years, SD = 1.73 years). Participants completed the Insomnia Symptoms Questionnaire and the Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire to assess symptoms of insomnia and depression respectively.

RESULTS

Genetic effects accounted for 33% to 41% of the variance of the phenotypes. The phenotypic correlations were moderate (r = 0.34 to r = 0.52). The genetic correlations between the variables were high (0.73-1.00). Genetic effects accounted for a substantial proportion of the associations between variables (50% to 90%). Non-shared environmental effects explained the rest of the variance and covariance of the traits.

CONCLUSIONS

While genetic effects play a modest role in insomnia and depression symptoms separately, they appear to play a more central role in concurrent and longitudinal associations between these phenotypes. This should be acknowledged in theories explaining these common associations.

Use of multiple radioligands to characterize adenosine receptors in human placenta

To identify and characterize fully the adenosine receptor of human placenta, particulate preparations of placental parenchyma were examined using several adenosine receptor ligands, [3H]2-chloradenosine ([3H]2-Cl-ADO), [3H]N6-ethylcarboxamideadenosine ([3H]NECA), and [3H]N6-(L-phenylisopropyl)-adenosine ([3H]PIA). Each of the three ligands bound to the particulate preparations with unique binding characteristics. Binding of [3H]PIA characterized a high-affinity low-capacity receptor while the [3H]NECA displayed lower-affinity, higher-capacity binding. Saturation isotherms for [3H]2-Cl-ADO appeared intermediate in terms of affinity and binding capacity. Saturation isotherms of binding data also disclosed displaceable non-receptor binding at high labelled ligand concentrations. Competitive binding studies supported the observation that PIA and NECA bind to sites of high and low affinity, respectively. However, the multicomponent competition curves for [3H]2-Cl-ADO binding suggest binding to the receptors with differential affinity. These studies confirm the presence of adenosine receptors in the human placenta and suggest that these receptors are of both the high-and low-affinity subtypes.