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Wendt FR, Garcia-Argibay M, Cabrera-Mendoza B, Valdimarsdóttir UA, Gelernter J, Stein MB, Nivard MG, Maihofer AX, Nievergelt CM, Larsson H, Mattheisen M, Polimanti R, Meier SM. The Relationship of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization and Population-Based Sibling Comparison Study. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:362-369. [PMID: 36335070 PMCID: PMC10496427 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are associated, but it is unclear if this is a causal relationship or confounding. We used genetic analyses and sibling comparisons to clarify the direction of this relationship. METHODS Linkage disequilibrium score regression and 2-sample Mendelian randomization were used to test for genetic correlation (rg) and bidirectional causal effects using European ancestry genome-wide association studies of ADHD (20,183 cases and 35,191 controls) and 6 PTSD definitions (up to 320,369 individuals). Several additional variables were included in the analysis to verify the independence of the ADHD-PTSD relationship. In a population-based sibling comparison (N = 2,082,118 individuals), Cox regression models were fitted to account for time at risk, a range of sociodemographic factors, and unmeasured familial confounders (via sibling comparisons). RESULTS ADHD and PTSD had consistent rg (rg range, 0.43-0.52; p < .001). ADHD genetic liability was causally linked with increased risk for PTSD (β = 0.367; 95% CI, 0.186-0.552; p = 7.68 × 10-5). This result was not affected by heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy (Mendelian randomization Egger intercept = 4.34 × 10-4, p = .961), or other phenotypes and was consistent across PTSD datasets. However, we found no consistent associations between PTSD genetic liability and ADHD risk. Individuals diagnosed with ADHD were at a higher risk for developing PTSD than their undiagnosed sibling (hazard ratio = 2.37; 95% CI, 1.98-3.53). CONCLUSIONS Our findings add novel evidence supporting the need for early and effective treatment of ADHD, as patients with this diagnosis are at significantly higher risk to develop PTSD later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank R Wendt
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut; Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Brenda Cabrera-Mendoza
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Unnur A Valdimarsdóttir
- Center of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Joel Gelernter
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
| | - Murray B Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California
| | - Michel G Nivard
- Department of Biological Psychology, Faculty of Behaviour and Movement Sciences, VU University, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adam X Maihofer
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California
| | - Caroline M Nievergelt
- Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California; Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California; Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California
| | - Henrik Larsson
- School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University, Örebro, Sweden; Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Manuel Mattheisen
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Institute of Psychiatric Phenomics and Genomics, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Renato Polimanti
- Division of Human Genetics, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut.
| | - Sandra M Meier
- Department of Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada; Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
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