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Hammoud RA, Ammar LA, McCall SJ, Shamseddeen W, Elbejjani M. Brain volumes, behavioral inhibition, and anxiety disorders in children: results from the adolescent brain cognitive development study. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:257. [PMID: 38575908 PMCID: PMC10996182 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05725-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have identified brain changes associated with anxiety disorders (ADs), but the results remain mixed, particularly at a younger age. One key predictor of ADs is behavioral inhibition (BI), a childhood tendency for high avoidance of novel stimuli. This study aimed to evaluate the relationships between candidate brain regions, BI, and ADs among children using baseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. METHODS We analyzed global and regional brain volumes of 9,353 children (9-10 years old) in relation to BI and current ADs, using linear mixed models accounting for family clustering and important demographic and socioeconomic covariates. We further investigated whether and how past anxiety was related to brain volumes. RESULTS Among included participants, 249 (2.66%) had a current AD. Larger total white matter (Beta = -0.152; 95% CI [-0.281, -0.023]), thalamus (Beta = -0.168; 95% CI [-0.291, -0.044]), and smaller hippocampus volumes (Beta = 0.094; 95% CI [-0.008, 0.196]) were associated with lower BI scores. Amygdala volume was not related to BI. Larger total cortical (OR = 0.751; 95% CI [0.580;0.970]), amygdala (OR = 0.798; 95%CI [0.666;0.956]), and precentral gyrus (OR = 0.802; 95% CI [0.661;0.973]) volumes were associated with lower odds of currently having ADs. Children with past ADs had smaller total white matter and amygdala volumes. CONCLUSIONS The results show associations between brain volumes and both BI and ADs at an early age. Importantly, results suggest that ADs and BI have different neurobiological correlates and that earlier occurrences of ADs may influence brain structures related to BI and ADs, motivating research that can better delineate the similarities and divergence in the neurobiological underpinnings and building blocks of BI and ADs across their development in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rawan A Hammoud
- Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Lara Abou Ammar
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Stephen J McCall
- Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
- Center for Research on Population and Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Wael Shamseddeen
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Martine Elbejjani
- Clinical Research Institute, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
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Wass S, Greenwood E, Esposito G, Smith C, Necef I, Phillips E. Annual Research Review: 'There, the dance is - at the still point of the turning world' - dynamic systems perspectives on coregulation and dysregulation during early development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:481-507. [PMID: 38390803 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
During development we transition from coregulation (where regulatory processes are shared between child and caregiver) to self-regulation. Most early coregulatory interactions aim to manage fluctuations in the infant's arousal and alertness; but over time, coregulatory processes become progressively elaborated to encompass other functions such as sociocommunicative development, attention and executive control. The fundamental aim of coregulation is to help maintain an optimal 'critical state' between hypo- and hyperactivity. Here, we present a dynamic framework for understanding child-caregiver coregulatory interactions in the context of psychopathology. Early coregulatory processes involve both passive entrainment, through which a child's state entrains to the caregiver's, and active contingent responsiveness, through which the caregiver changes their behaviour in response to behaviours from the child. Similar principles, of interactive but asymmetric contingency, drive joint attention and the maintenance of epistemic states as well as arousal/alertness, emotion regulation and sociocommunicative development. We describe three ways in which active child-caregiver regulation can develop atypically, in conditions such as Autism, ADHD, anxiety and depression. The most well-known of these is insufficient contingent responsiveness, leading to reduced synchrony, which has been shown across a range of modalities in different disorders, and which is the target of most current interventions. We also present evidence that excessive contingent responsiveness and excessive synchrony can develop in some circumstances. And we show that positive feedback interactions can develop, which are contingent but mutually amplificatory child-caregiver interactions that drive the child further from their critical state. We discuss implications of these findings for future intervention research, and directions for future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam Wass
- UEL BabyDevLab, Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Emily Greenwood
- UEL BabyDevLab, Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Giovanni Esposito
- UEL BabyDevLab, Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Celia Smith
- Institute of Psychology Psychiatry and Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Isil Necef
- UEL BabyDevLab, Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
| | - Emily Phillips
- UEL BabyDevLab, Department of Psychology, University of East London, London, UK
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3
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Dahl A, Eilertsen EM, Rodriguez-Cabello SF, Norbom LB, Tandberg AD, Leonardsen E, Lee SH, Ystrom E, Tamnes CK, Alnæs D, Westlye LT. Genetic and brain similarity independently predict childhood anthropometrics and neighborhood socioeconomic conditions. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 65:101339. [PMID: 38184855 PMCID: PMC10818201 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Linking the developing brain with individual differences in clinical and demographic traits is challenging due to the substantial interindividual heterogeneity of brain anatomy and organization. Here we employ an integrative approach that parses individual differences in both cortical thickness and common genetic variants, and assess their effects on a wide set of childhood traits. The approach uses a linear mixed model framework to obtain the unique effects of each type of similarity, as well as their covariance. We employ this approach in a sample of 7760 unrelated children in the ABCD cohort baseline sample (mean age 9.9, 46.8% female). In general, associations between cortical thickness similarity and traits were limited to anthropometrics such as height, weight, and birth weight, as well as a marker of neighborhood socioeconomic conditions. Common genetic variants explained significant proportions of variance across nearly all included outcomes, although estimates were somewhat lower than previous reports. No significant covariance of the effects of genetic and cortical thickness similarity was found. The present findings highlight the connection between anthropometrics as well as neighborhood socioeconomic conditions and the developing brain, which appear to be independent from individual differences in common genetic variants in this population-based sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Dahl
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Espen M Eilertsen
- Research Center for Developmental Processes and Gradients in Mental Health (PROMENTA), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sara F Rodriguez-Cabello
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Linn B Norbom
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Research Center for Developmental Processes and Gradients in Mental Health (PROMENTA), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anneli D Tandberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Research Center for Developmental Processes and Gradients in Mental Health (PROMENTA), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Esten Leonardsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sang Hong Lee
- Australian Centre for Precision Health, UniSA Allied Health & Human Performance, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- Research Center for Developmental Processes and Gradients in Mental Health (PROMENTA), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Christian K Tamnes
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Research Center for Developmental Processes and Gradients in Mental Health (PROMENTA), Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Dag Alnæs
- NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars T Westlye
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; KG Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway
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Shakeshaft A, Martin J, Dennison CA, Riglin L, Lewis CM, O'Donovan MC, Thapar A. Estimating the impact of transmitted and non-transmitted psychiatric and neurodevelopmental polygenic scores on youth emotional problems. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:238-246. [PMID: 37990052 PMCID: PMC11116100 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02319-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Anxiety and depression (emotional disorders) are familial and heritable, especially when onset is early. However, other cross-generational studies suggest transmission of youth emotional problems is explained by mainly environmental risks. We set out to test the contribution of parental non-transmitted genetic liability, as indexed by psychiatric/neurodevelopmental common polygenic liability, to youth emotional problems using a UK population-based cohort: the Millennium Cohort Study. European (N = 6328) and South Asian (N = 814) ancestries were included, as well as a subset with genomic data from both parents (European: N = 2809; South Asian: N = 254). We examined the association of transmitted (PGST) and non-transmitted polygenic scores (PGSNT) for anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and neurodevelopmental disorders (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ADHD], autism spectrum disorder [ASD], schizophrenia) with youth emotional disorder and symptom scores, measured using the parent- and self-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire emotional subscale at 6 timepoints between ages 3-17 years. In the European sample, PGST for anxiety and depression, but not bipolar disorder, were associated with emotional disorder and symptom scores across all ages, except age 3, with strongest association in adolescence. ADHD and ASD PGST also showed association across ages 11-17 years. In the South Asian sample, evidence for associations between all PGST and outcome measures were weaker. There was weak evidence of association between PGSNT for anxiety and depression and age 17 symptom scores in the South Asian sample, but not in the European sample for any outcome. Overall, PGST for depression, anxiety, ADHD and ASD contributed to youth emotional problems, with stronger associations in adolescence. There was limited support for non-transmitted genetic effects: these findings do not support the hypothesis that parental polygenic psychiatric/neurodevelopmental liability confer risk to offspring emotional problems through non-transmitted rearing/nurture effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Shakeshaft
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.
| | - Joanna Martin
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Charlotte A Dennison
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Lucy Riglin
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Cathryn M Lewis
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Michael C O'Donovan
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Anita Thapar
- Wolfson Centre for Young People's Mental Health, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
- Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
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Hannigan LJ, Lund IO, Dahl Askelund A, Ystrom E, Corfield EC, Ask H, Havdahl A. Genotype-environment interplay in associations between maternal drinking and offspring emotional and behavioral problems. Psychol Med 2024; 54:203-214. [PMID: 37929303 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723003057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND While maternal at-risk drinking is associated with children's emotional and behavioral problems, there is a paucity of research that properly accounts for genetic confounding and gene-environment interplay. Therefore, it remains uncertain what mechanisms underlie these associations. We assess the moderation of associations between maternal at-risk drinking and childhood emotional and behavioral problems by common genetic variants linked to environmental sensitivity (genotype-by-environment [G × E] interaction) while accounting for shared genetic risk between mothers and offspring (GE correlation). METHODS We use data from 109 727 children born to 90 873 mothers enrolled in the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study. Women self-reported alcohol consumption and reported emotional and behavioral problems when children were 1.5/3/5 years old. We included child polygenic scores (PGSs) for traits linked to environmental sensitivity as moderators. RESULTS Associations between maternal drinking and child emotional (β1 = 0.04 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.03-0.05]) and behavioral (β1 = 0.07 [0.06-0.08]) outcomes attenuated after controlling for measured confounders and were almost zero when we accounted for unmeasured confounding (emotional: β1 = 0.01 [0.00-0.02]; behavioral: β1 = 0.01 [0.00-0.02]). We observed no moderation of these adjusted exposure effects by any of the PGS. CONCLUSIONS The lack of strong evidence for G × E interaction may indicate that the mechanism is not implicated in this kind of intergenerational association. It may also reflect insufficient power or the relatively benign nature of the exposure in this sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie John Hannigan
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- MRC (Medical Research Council) Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Ingunn Olea Lund
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Adrian Dahl Askelund
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- School of Pharmacy, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elizabeth C Corfield
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Helga Ask
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Alexandra Havdahl
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- MRC (Medical Research Council) Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- PROMENTA, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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6
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van der Laan CM, van de Weijer SG, Pool R, Hottenga JJ, van Beijsterveldt TC, Willemsen G, Bartels M, Nivard MG, Boomsma DI. Direct and Indirect Genetic Effects on Aggression. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:958-968. [PMID: 37881547 PMCID: PMC10593934 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Family members resemble each other in their propensity for aggression. In twin studies, approximately 50% of the variance in aggression can be explained by genetic influences. However, if there are genotype-environment correlation mechanisms, such as environmental manifestations of parental and sibling genotypes, genetic influences may partly reflect environmental influences. In this study, we investigated the importance of indirect polygenic score (PGS) effects on aggression. Methods We modeled the effect of PGSs based on 3 genome-wide association studies: early-life aggression, educational attainment, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The associations with aggression were tested in a within- and between-family design (37,796 measures from 7740 individuals, ages 3-86 years [mean = 14.20 years, SE = 12.03], from 3107 families, 55% female) and in a transmitted/nontransmitted PGS design (42,649 measures from 6653 individuals, ages 3-61 years [mean = 11.81 years, SE = 8.68], from 3024 families, 55% female). All participants are enrolled in the Netherlands Twin Register. Results We found no evidence for contributions of indirect PGS effects on aggression in either a within- and between-family design or a transmitted/nontransmitted PGS design. Results indicate significant direct effects on aggression for the PGSs based on early-life aggression, educational attainment, and ADHD, although explained variance was low (within- and between-family: early-life aggression R2 = 0.3%, early-life ADHD R2 = 0.6%, educational attainment R2 = 0.7%; transmitted/nontransmitted PGSs: early-life aggression R2 = 0.2%, early-life ADHD R2 = 0.9%, educational attainment R2 = 0.5%). Conclusions PGSs included in the current study had a direct (but no indirect) effect on aggression, consistent with results of previous twin and family studies. Further research involving other PGSs for aggression and related phenotypes is needed to determine whether this conclusion generalizes to overall genetic influences on aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camiel M. van der Laan
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute for the Study of Crime and Law Enforcement, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - René Pool
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Jouke-Jan Hottenga
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Gonneke Willemsen
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Meike Bartels
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michel G. Nivard
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Dorret I. Boomsma
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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7
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Havdahl A, Hughes AM, Sanderson E, Ask H, Cheesman R, Reichborn-Kjennerud T, Andreassen OA, Corfield EC, Hannigan L, Magnus P, Njølstad PR, Stoltenberg C, Torvik FA, Brandlistuen R, Smith GD, Ystrom E, Davies NM. Intergenerational effects of parental educational attainment on parenting and childhood educational outcomes: Evidence from MoBa using within-family Mendelian randomization. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.02.22.23285699. [PMID: 36865116 PMCID: PMC9980223 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.22.23285699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2023]
Abstract
The intergenerational transmission of educational attainment from parents to their children is one of the most important and studied relationships in social science. Longitudinal studies have found strong associations between parents' and their children's educational outcomes, which could be due to the effects of parents. Here we provide new evidence about whether parents' educational attainment affects their parenting behaviours and children's early educational outcomes using within-family Mendelian randomization and data from 40,879 genotyped parent-child trios from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort (MoBa) study. We found evidence suggesting that parents' educational attainment affects their children's educational outcomes from age 5 to 14. More studies are needed to provide more samples of parent-child trios and assess the potential consequences of selection bias and grandparental effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Havdahl
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
- Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Amanda M Hughes
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Barley House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
| | - Eleanor Sanderson
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Barley House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
| | - Helga Ask
- Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rosa Cheesman
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ted Reichborn-Kjennerud
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Elizabeth C. Corfield
- Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Laurie Hannigan
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
- Centre for Genetic Epidemiology and Mental Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Per Magnus
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Pål R. Njølstad
- Mohn Center for Diabetes Precision Medicine, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Children and Youth Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Camilla Stoltenberg
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Fartein Ask Torvik
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ragnhild Brandlistuen
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - George Davey Smith
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Barley House, Oakfield Grove, Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Child Health and Development, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Neil M Davies
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, BS8 2BN, United Kingdom
- K.G. Jebsen Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Norway
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Rd, London W1T 7NF
- Department of Statistical Sciences, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK
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8
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Tubbs JD, Sham PC. Preliminary Evidence for Genetic Nurture in Depression and Neuroticism Through Polygenic Scores. JAMA Psychiatry 2023; 80:832-841. [PMID: 37285136 PMCID: PMC10248817 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.1544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Importance Modeling genetic nurture (ie, the effects of parental genotypes through influences on the environment experienced by their children) is essential to accurately disentangle genetic and environmental influences on phenotypic variance. However, these influences are often ignored in both epidemiologic and genetic studies of depression. Objective To estimate the association of genetic nurture with depression and neuroticism. Design, Setting, and Participants This cross-sectional study jointly modeled parental and offspring polygenic scores (PGSs) across 9 traits to test for the association of genetic nurture with lifetime broad depression and neuroticism using data from nuclear families in the UK Biobank, with data collected between 2006 and 2019. A broad depression phenotype was measured in 38 702 offspring from 20 905 independent nuclear families, with most of these participants also reporting neuroticism scores. Parental genotypes were imputed from sibships or parent-offspring duos and used to calculate parental PGSs. Data were analyzed between March 2021 and January 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures Estimates of genetic nurture and direct genetic regression coefficients on broad depression and neuroticism. Results This study of 38 702 offspring with data on broad depression (mean [SD] age, 55.5 [8.2] years at study entry; 58% female) found limited preliminary evidence for a statistically significant association of genetic nurture with lifetime depression and neuroticism in adults. The estimated regression coefficient of the parental depression PGS on offspring neuroticism (β = 0.04, SE = 0.02, P = 6.63 × 10-3) was estimated to be approximately two-thirds (66%) that of the offspring's depression PGS (β = 0.06, SE = 0.01, P = 6.13 × 10-11). Evidence for an association between parental cannabis use disorder PGS and offspring depression was also found (β = 0.08, SE = 0.03, P = .02), which was estimated to be 2 times greater than the association between the offspring's cannabis use disorder PGS and their own depression status (β = 0.04, SE = 0.02, P = .07). Conclusions and Relevance The results of this cross-sectional study highlight the potential for genetic nurture to bias results from epidemiologic and genetic studies on depression or neuroticism and, with further replication and larger samples, identify potential avenues for future prevention and intervention efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin D. Tubbs
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Pak C. Sham
- Department of Psychiatry, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Centre for PanorOmic Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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9
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Samuelsen K, Ystrom E, Gjerde LC, Eilertsen EM. Kind of blue - An evaluation of etiologies for prenatal versus postnatal depression symptoms. J Affect Disord 2023; 335:305-312. [PMID: 37196935 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2022] [Revised: 04/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal and postnatal depression potentially have severe consequences, but we do not know to what extent they have the same etiological factors. Genetically informative designs yield insight into common etiology between pre- and postnatal depression and inform on potential prevention and intervention efforts. This study evaluates the overlap in genetic and environmental factors in pre- and postnatal depression symptoms. METHODS We conducted univariate and bivariate modeling, using a quantitative, extended twin study. The sample was a subsample of the MoBa prospective pregnancy cohort study in 6039 pairs of related women. Measurement was conducted at week 30 of pregnancy and 6 months following delivery, using a self-report scale. RESULTS The heritability of depressive symptoms was 16.2 % (95 % CI = 10.7-22.1) prenatally and 25.7 % (95 % CI = 19.2-32.2) postnatally. The correlation between risk factors for prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms was at unity (r = 1.00) for genetic effects, and at disunity (r = 0.36) for environmental effects. The genetic effects for postnatal depressive symptoms were 1.7 times larger compared to prenatal depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS Although genes for depression become more influential postpartum, only future studies can inform on the mechanisms for such a socio-biological augmentation of effect. CONCLUSION Genetic risk factors for prenatal and postnatal depressive symptoms are indistinguishable in kind, with greater impact after birth, whereas environmental risk factors for depression symptoms are mostly non-overlapping before and after birth. These findings indicate that interventions could be of different kind before and after birth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Samuelsen
- Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Vestfold Hospital Trust, Norway
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- PROMENTA Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway; Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway.
| | - Line C Gjerde
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Espen M Eilertsen
- PROMENTA Research Centre, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway
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10
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McAdams TA, Cheesman R, Ahmadzadeh YI. Annual Research Review: Towards a deeper understanding of nature and nurture: combining family-based quasi-experimental methods with genomic data. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:693-707. [PMID: 36379220 PMCID: PMC10952916 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Distinguishing between the effects of nature and nurture constitutes a major research goal for those interested in understanding human development. It is known, for example, that many parent traits predict mental health outcomes in children, but the causal processes underlying such associations are often unclear. Family-based quasi-experimental designs such as sibling comparison, adoption and extended family studies have been used for decades to distinguish the genetic transmission of risk from the environmental effects family members potentially have on one another. Recently, these designs have been combined with genomic data, and this combination is fuelling a range of exciting methodological advances. In this review we explore these advances - highlighting the ways in which they have been applied to date and considering what they are likely to teach us in the coming years about the aetiology and intergenerational transmission of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom A. McAdams
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- PROMENTA Research Centre, Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Rosa Cheesman
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
- PROMENTA Research Centre, Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Yasmin I. Ahmadzadeh
- Social Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing's College LondonLondonUK
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11
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Ayorech Z, Cheesman R, Eilertsen EM, Bjørndal LD, Røysamb E, McAdams TA, Havdahl A, Ystrom E. Maternal depression and the polygenic p factor: A family perspective on direct and indirect effects. J Affect Disord 2023; 332:159-167. [PMID: 36963516 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.03.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
Abstract
Within-family studies typically assess indirect genetic effects of parents on children, however social support theory points to a critical role of partners and children on women's depression. To address this research gap and account for the high heterogeneity of depression, we calculated a general psychiatric factor using eleven major psychiatric polygenic scores (polygenic p), in up to 25,000 parent-offspring trios from the Norwegian Mother, Father and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). Multilevel modeling of trio polygenic p was used to distinguish direct and indirect genetic effects on mothers depression during pregnancy (gestational age 17 and 30 weeks), infancy (6 months, 18 months) and early childhood (3 years, 5 years, and 8 years). We found mothers polygenic p predicts their depression symptoms (b = 0.092; 95 % CI [0.087,0.098]), outperforming prediction using a single major depressive disorder polygenic score (b = 0.070, 95 % CI [0.066,0.075]). Jointly modeling trio polygenic p revealed indirect genetic effects of fathers (b = 0.022, 95 % CI [0.014,0.030]) and children (b = 0.021, 95 % CI [0.010,0.037]) on mothers' depression. Our results support the generalizability of polygenic effects across mental health and highlight the role of close family members on women's depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziada Ayorech
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway.
| | - Rosa Cheesman
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway
| | - Espen M Eilertsen
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway; Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Centre for Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ludvig Daae Bjørndal
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway
| | - Espen Røysamb
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway
| | - Tom A McAdams
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway; Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Alexandra Havdahl
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway; Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Nic Waals Institute, Spångbergveien 25, 0853 Oslo, Norway
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo 0373, Norway; Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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12
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Jami ES, Hammerschlag AR, Sallis HM, Qiao Z, Andreassen OA, Magnus PM, Njølstad PR, Havdahl A, Pingault JB, Evans DM, Munafò MR, Ystrom E, Bartels M, Middeldorp C. Do environmental effects indexed by parental genetic variation influence common psychiatric symptoms in childhood? Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:94. [PMID: 36934099 PMCID: PMC10024694 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02348-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 03/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Parental genes may indirectly influence offspring psychiatric outcomes through the environment that parents create for their children. These indirect genetic effects, also known as genetic nurture, could explain individual differences in common internalising and externalising psychiatric symptoms during childhood. Advanced statistical genetic methods leverage data from families to estimate the overall contribution of parental genetic nurture effects. This study included up to 10,499 children, 5990 mother-child pairs, and 6,222 father-child pairs from the Norwegian Mother Father and Child Study. Genome-based restricted maximum likelihood (GREML) models were applied using software packages GCTA and M-GCTA to estimate variance in maternally reported depressive, disruptive, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in 8-year-olds that was explained by direct offspring genetic effects and maternal or paternal genetic nurture. There was no strong evidence of genetic nurture in this sample, although a suggestive paternal genetic nurture effect on offspring depressive symptoms (variance explained (V) = 0.098, standard error (SE) = 0.057) and a suggestive maternal genetic nurture effect on ADHD symptoms (V = 0.084, SE = 0.058) was observed. The results indicate that parental genetic nurture effects could be of some relevance in explaining individual differences in childhood psychiatric symptoms. However, robustly estimating their contribution is a challenge for researchers given the current paucity of large-scale samples of genotyped families with information on childhood psychiatric outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshim S Jami
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anke R Hammerschlag
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hannah M Sallis
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Zhen Qiao
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Ole A Andreassen
- NORMENT Centre, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for Neurodevelopment, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Per M Magnus
- Centre of Fertility and Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - Pål R Njølstad
- Center for Diabetes Research, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Children and Youth Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Alexandra Havdahl
- Department of Mental Disorders, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diakonale Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jean-Baptiste Pingault
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - David M Evans
- The University of Queensland Diamantina Institute, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Marcus R Munafò
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- NIHR Biomedical Research Centre at the University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and the University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- Center for Diabetes Research, Department of Clinical Science, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
- Children and Youth Clinic, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Meike Bartels
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christel Middeldorp
- Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
- Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia.
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13
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Axelrud LK, Hoffmann MS, Vosberg DE, Santoro M, Pan PM, Gadelha A, Belangero SI, Miguel EC, Shin J, Thapar A, Smoller JW, Pausova Z, Rohde LA, Keller MC, Paus T, Salum GA. Disentangling the influences of parental genetics on offspring's cognition, education, and psychopathology via genetic and phenotypic pathways. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:408-416. [PMID: 36162806 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Specific pathways of intergenerational transmission of behavioral traits remain unclear. Here, we aim to investigate how parental genetics influence offspring cognition, educational attainment, and psychopathology in youth. METHODS Participants for the discovery sample were 2,189 offspring (aged 6-14 years), 1898 mothers and 1,017 fathers who underwent genotyping, psychiatric, and cognitive assessments. We calculated polygenic scores (PGS) for cognition, educational attainment, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and schizophrenia for the trios. Phenotypes studied included educational and cognitive measures, ADHD and psychotic symptoms. We used a stepwise approach and multiple mediation models to analyze the effect of parental PGS on offspring traits via offspring PGS and parental phenotype. Significant results were replicated in a sample of 1,029 adolescents, 363 mothers, and 307 fathers. RESULTS Maternal and paternal PGS for cognition influenced offspring general intelligence and executive function via offspring PGS (genetic pathway) and parental education (phenotypic pathway). Similar results were found for parental PGS for educational attainment and offspring reading and writing skills. These pathways fully explained associations between parental PGS and offspring phenotypes, without residual direct association. Associations with maternal, but not paternal, PGS were replicated. No associations were found between parental PGS for psychopathology and offspring specific symptoms. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that parental genetics influences offspring cognition and educational attainment by genetic and phenotypic pathways, suggesting the expression of parental phenotypes partially explain the association between parental genetic risk and offspring outcomes. Multiple mediations might represent an effective approach to disentangle distinct pathways for intergenerational transmission of behavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luiza K Axelrud
- Section on Negative Affect and Social Processes, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maurício S Hoffmann
- Section on Negative Affect and Social Processes, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Neuropsychiatry, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria (UFSM), Santa Maria, Brazil.,Care Policy and Evaluation Centre, London School of Economics and Political Science, London, UK
| | - Daniel E Vosberg
- Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marcos Santoro
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro M Pan
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ary Gadelha
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sintia I Belangero
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Morphology and Genetics, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Department of Psychiatry, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Euripedes C Miguel
- National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil.,Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Jean Shin
- Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Anita Thapar
- Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences and MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Zdenka Pausova
- Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,ECOGENE-21, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada
| | - Luis A Rohde
- Section on Negative Affect and Social Processes, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil.,ADHD Outpatient Program, Department of Psychiatry, Clinical Research Center, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Matthew C Keller
- Department of Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Tomáš Paus
- Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,ECOGENE-21, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Giovanni A Salum
- Section on Negative Affect and Social Processes, Department of Psychiatry and Legal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,National Institute of Developmental Psychiatry (INPD, CNPq), São Paulo, Brazil
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14
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Pingault J, Allegrini AG, Odigie T, Frach L, Baldwin JR, Rijsdijk F, Dudbridge F. Research Review: How to interpret associations between polygenic scores, environmental risks, and phenotypes. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:1125-1139. [PMID: 35347715 PMCID: PMC9790749 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Genetic influences are ubiquitous as virtually all phenotypes and most exposures typically classified as environmental have been found to be heritable. A polygenic score summarises the associations between millions of genetic variants and an outcome in a single value for each individual. Ever lowering costs have enabled the genotyping of many samples relevant to child psychology and psychiatry research, including cohort studies, leading to the proliferation of polygenic score studies. It is tempting to assume that associations detected between polygenic scores and phenotypes in those studies only reflect genetic effects. However, such associations can reflect many pathways (e.g. via environmental mediation) and biases. METHODS Here, we provide a comprehensive overview of the many reasons why associations between polygenic scores, environmental exposures, and phenotypes exist. We include formal representations of common analyses in polygenic score studies using structural equation modelling. We derive biases, provide illustrative empirical examples and, when possible, mention steps that can be taken to alleviate those biases. RESULTS Structural equation models and derivations show the many complexities arising from jointly modelling polygenic scores with environmental exposures and phenotypes. Counter-intuitive examples include that: (a) associations between polygenic scores and phenotypes may exist even in the absence of direct genetic effects; (b) associations between child polygenic scores and environmental exposures can exist in the absence of evocative/active gene-environment correlations; and (c) adjusting an exposure-outcome association for a polygenic score can increase rather than decrease bias. CONCLUSIONS Strikingly, using polygenic scores may, in some cases, lead to more bias than not using them. Appropriately conducting and interpreting polygenic score studies thus requires researchers in child psychology and psychiatry and beyond to be versed in both epidemiological and genetic methods or build on interdisciplinary collaborations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean‐Baptiste Pingault
- Division of Psychology and Language SciencesDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health PsychologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry CentreInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK
| | - Andrea G. Allegrini
- Division of Psychology and Language SciencesDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health PsychologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Tracy Odigie
- Division of Psychology and Language SciencesDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health PsychologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Leonard Frach
- Division of Psychology and Language SciencesDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health PsychologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Jessie R. Baldwin
- Division of Psychology and Language SciencesDepartment of Clinical, Educational and Health PsychologyUniversity College LondonLondonUK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry CentreInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology and NeuroscienceKing’s College LondonLondonUK
| | - Frühling Rijsdijk
- Faculty of Social SciencesAnton de Kom University of SurinameParamariboSuriname
| | - Frank Dudbridge
- Department of Health SciencesUniversity of LeicesterLeicesterUK
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15
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Speyer LG, Neaves S, Hall HA, Hemani G, Lombardo MV, Murray AL, Auyeung B, Luciano M. Polygenic risks for joint developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems: findings from the ALSPAC cohort. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:948-956. [PMID: 34856637 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Joint developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing problems show considerable heterogeneity; however, this can be parsed into a small number of meaningful subgroups. Doing so offered insights into risk factors that lead to different patterns of internalizing/externalizing trajectories. However, despite both domains of problems showing strong heritability, no study has yet considered genetic risks as predictors of joint internalizing/externalizing problem trajectories. METHODS Using parallel process latent class growth analysis, we estimated joint developmental trajectories of internalizing and externalizing difficulties assessed across ages 4 to 16 using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate a range of demographic, perinatal, maternal mental health, and child and maternal polygenic predictors of group membership. Participants included 11,049 children taking part in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Polygenic data were available for 7,127 children and 6,836 mothers. RESULTS A 5-class model was judged optimal: Unaffected, Moderate Externalizing Symptoms, High Externalizing Symptoms, Moderate Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms and High Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms. Male sex, lower maternal age, maternal mental health problems, maternal smoking during pregnancy, higher child polygenic risk scores for ADHD and lower polygenic scores for IQ distinguished affected classes from the unaffected class. CONCLUSIONS While affected classes could be relatively well separated from the unaffected class, phenotypic and polygenic predictors were limited in their ability to distinguish between different affected classes. Results thus add to existing evidence that internalizing and externalizing problems have mostly shared risk factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia Gabriela Speyer
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Samuel Neaves
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Gibran Hemani
- Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Vincent Lombardo
- Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders, Center for Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems @UniTn, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Rovereto, Italy.,Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Bonnie Auyeung
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.,Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Michelle Luciano
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
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16
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Schluter PJ, Kokaua J, Tautolo ES, Iusitini L, Richards R, Ruhe T. Parental education related to their children's health in late childhood and early adolescence for Pacific families within New Zealand. Sci Rep 2022; 12:5313. [PMID: 35351955 PMCID: PMC8964731 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-09282-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Pacific people continue to carry a disproportionately heavy social and health burden relative to their non-Pacific peers in New Zealand, and those with less formal education are experiencing social and health declines. Improving education and educational needs is seen as being central to decreasing these health inequities. While expansive, the empirical evidence-base supporting this stance is relatively weak and increasingly conflicting. Using a large birth cohort of 1,368 eligible Pacific children, together with their mothers and fathers, this study longitudinally investigates the relationship between paternal education levels and sentinel measures of their children's physical health, mental health and health risk taking behaviours during late childhood and early adolescence. In adjusted analyses, it was found that mothers and fathers who undertook further schooling over the 0-6 years postpartum period had children with significantly lower logarithmically transformed body mass index increases at 11-years and 14-years measurement waves compared to 9-years levels than those who did not study (p = 0.017 and p = 0.022, respectively). Furthermore, fathers who undertook further schooling over this 0-6 years postpartum period also had children with significantly lower odds of risk taking behaviours (p = 0.013). These results support policy aimed at increasing educational opportunities for Pacific people in New Zealand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip J Schluter
- School of Health Sciences - Te Kura Mātai Hauora, and Child Well-being Research Institute - Te Kāhui Pā Harakeke, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand. .,School of Clinical Medicine, Primary Care Clinical Unit, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | - Jesse Kokaua
- Division of Health Sciences, Va'a O Tautai, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - El-Shadan Tautolo
- Centre for Pacific Health and Development Research, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Leon Iusitini
- Centre for Pacific Health and Development Research, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rosalina Richards
- Division of Health Sciences, Va'a O Tautai, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Troy Ruhe
- Division of Health Sciences, Va'a O Tautai, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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17
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Hannigan LJ, Havdahl A. Editorial: Developmental Psychiatric Genetic Epidemiology: Where Are We, and What Challenges Do We Face Going Forward? J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 61:125-127. [PMID: 34058325 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2021.05.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Now, more than a decade into the genome-wide association study (GWAS) era, continued progress in genomic discovery for psychiatric traits is easily taken for granted. The winning formula of large-scale collaborative science, uncompromising methodological rigor, and brute force sample size accumulation has become well established, and its regular empirical returns have become progressively less headline-making. However, we should not be complacent. As the results of the systematic review by Akingbuwa et al.1 in this issue of the Journal make clear, accumulating the necessary numbers of genotyped cases to identify the majority of common risk variants remains a daunting and distant prospect for many psychiatric traits relevant to children and adolescents. But more than this, the challenge of providing clinically and societally meaningful returns on the considerable investments of the GWAS era will require a continued and concerted research effort well into the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurie J Hannigan
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; Medical Research Council Integrative Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
| | - Alexandra Havdahl
- Nic Waals Institute, Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital, Oslo, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway; PROMENTA Research Center, University of Oslo, Norway
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18
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Schizophrenia polygenic risk is associated with child mental health problems through early childhood adversity: evidence for a gene-environment correlation. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 31:529-539. [PMID: 33635441 PMCID: PMC8940779 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-021-01727-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that schizophrenia polygenic risk predicts a multitude of mental health problems in the general population. Yet it is unclear by which mechanisms these associations arise. Here, we explored a possible gene-environment correlation in the association of schizophrenia polygenic risk with mental health problems via childhood adversity. This study was embedded in the population-based Generation R Study, including N = 1901 participants with genotyping for schizophrenia polygenic risk, maternal reporting of childhood adversity, and Child Behaviour Checklist measurement of mental health problems. Independent replication was attempted in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; N = 3641). Associations were analysed with Poisson regression and statistical mediation analysis. Higher burden of schizophrenia polygenic risk was associated with greater exposure to childhood adversity (P-value threshold < 0.5: Generation R Study, OR = 1.08, 95%CI 1.02-1.15, P = 0.01; ALSPAC, OR = 1.02, 95%CI 1.01-1.03, P < 0.01). Childhood adversities partly explained the relationship of schizophrenia polygenic risk with emotional, attention, and thought problems (proportion explained, range 5-23%). Direct effects of schizophrenia polygenic risk and adversity on mental health outcomes were also observed. In summary, genetic liability to schizophrenia increased the risk for mental health problems in the general paediatric population through childhood adversity. Although this finding could result from a mediated causal relationship between genotype and mental health, we argue that these observations most likely reflect a gene-environment correlation, i.e. adversities are a marker for the genetic risk that parents transmit to children. These and similar recent findings raise important conceptual questions about preventative interventions aimed at reducing childhood adversities.
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Ask H, Eilertsen EM, Gjerde LC, Hannigan LJ, Gustavson K, Havdahl A, Cheesman R, McAdams TA, Hettema JM, Reichborn‐Kjennerud T, Torvik FA, Ystrom E. Intergenerational transmission of parental neuroticism to emotional problems in 8‐year‐old children: Genetic and environmental influences. JCPP ADVANCES 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Helga Ask
- Department of Mental Disorders Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo Norway
| | | | - Line C. Gjerde
- Department of Mental Disorders Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | | | - Kristin Gustavson
- Department of Mental Disorders Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Alexandra Havdahl
- Department of Mental Disorders Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- Nic Waals Institute Lovisenberg Diaconal Hospital Oslo Norway
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit University of Bristol Bristol UK
| | - Rosa Cheesman
- Social Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre King's College London London UK
| | - Tom A. McAdams
- PROMENTA Research Center University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- Social Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry Centre King's College London London UK
| | | | - Ted Reichborn‐Kjennerud
- Department of Mental Disorders Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Fartein A. Torvik
- Centre for Fertility and Health Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo Norway
- Department of Psychology University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Eivind Ystrom
- Department of Mental Disorders Norwegian Institute of Public Health Oslo Norway
- PROMENTA Research Center University of Oslo Oslo Norway
- School of Pharmacy University of Oslo Oslo Norway
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Ahmadzadeh YI, Schoeler T, Han M, Pingault JB, Creswell C, McAdams TA. Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Genetically Informed Research: Associations Between Parent Anxiety and Offspring Internalizing Problems. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2021; 60:823-840. [PMID: 33675965 PMCID: PMC8259118 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2020.12.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 12/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Parent anxiety is associated with offspring internalizing problems (emotional problems related to anxiety and depression). This may reflect causal processes, whereby exposure to parent anxiety directly influences offspring internalizing (and/or vice versa). However, parent-offspring associations could also be attributable to their genetic relatedness. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to investigate whether exposure to parent anxiety is associated with offspring internalizing after controlling for genetic relatedness. METHOD A literature search across 5 databases identified 429 unique records. Publications were retained if they used a quasi-experimental design in a general population sample to control for participant relatedness in associations between parent anxiety and offspring internalizing outcomes. Publications were excluded if they involved an experimental exposure or intervention. Studies of prenatal and postnatal anxiety exposure were meta-analyzed separately. Pearson's correlation coefficient estimates (r) were pooled using multilevel random-effects models. RESULTS Eight publications were retained. Data were drawn from 4 population cohorts, each unique to a quasi-experimental design: adoption, sibling-comparison, children-of-twins or in vitro fertilization. Cohorts were located in northern Europe or America. Families were predominantly of European ancestry. Three publications (Nfamilies >11,700; offspring age range, 0.5-10 years) showed no association between prenatal anxiety exposure and offspring internalizing outcomes after accounting for participant relatedness (r = .04; 95% CI: -.07, .14). Six publications (Nfamilies >12,700; offspring age range, 0.75-22 years) showed a small but significant association between concurrent symptoms in parents and offspring after accounting for participant relatedness (r = .13; 95% CI: .04, .21). CONCLUSION Initial literature, derived from homogeneous populations, suggests that prenatal anxiety exposure does not cause offspring internalizing outcomes. However, postnatal anxiety exposure may be causally associated with concurrent offspring internalizing via nongenetic pathways. Longitudinal stability, child-to-parent effects, and the role of moderators and methodological biases require attention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Tom A McAdams
- King's College London, United Kingdom; University of Oslo, Norway
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Jami ES, Hammerschlag AR, Bartels M, Middeldorp CM. Parental characteristics and offspring mental health and related outcomes: a systematic review of genetically informative literature. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:197. [PMID: 33795643 PMCID: PMC8016911 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01300-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Various parental characteristics, including psychiatric disorders and parenting behaviours, are associated with offspring mental health and related outcomes in observational studies. The application of genetically informative designs is crucial to disentangle the role of genetic and environmental factors (as well as gene-environment correlation) underlying these observations, as parents provide not only the rearing environment but also transmit 50% of their genes to their offspring. This article first provides an overview of behavioural genetics, matched-pair, and molecular genetics designs that can be applied to investigate parent-offspring associations, whilst modelling or accounting for genetic effects. We then present a systematic literature review of genetically informative studies investigating associations between parental characteristics and offspring mental health and related outcomes, published since 2014. The reviewed studies provide reliable evidence of genetic transmission of depression, criminal behaviour, educational attainment, and substance use. These results highlight that studies that do not use genetically informative designs are likely to misinterpret the mechanisms underlying these parent-offspring associations. After accounting for genetic effects, several parental characteristics, including parental psychiatric traits and parenting behaviours, were associated with offspring internalising problems, externalising problems, educational attainment, substance use, and personality through environmental pathways. Overall, genetically informative designs to study intergenerational transmission prove valuable for the understanding of individual differences in offspring mental health and related outcomes, and mechanisms of transmission within families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eshim S Jami
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Anke R Hammerschlag
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Meike Bartels
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Christel M Middeldorp
- Department of Biological Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Child Health Research Centre, University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
- Child and Youth Mental Health Service, Children's Health Queensland Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
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