57 research outputs found
Editorial: The Genetic Overlap Between Cognitive Abilities and a Transdiagnostic Vulnerability for Psychopathology
Get PDFCognitive abilities, such as working memory, selective attention, inhibition, alertness, and flexibility, are collectively known as executive functioning (EF), which is essential in daily life routines. For instance, EF is important when planning a series of actions, in novel situations, or during the performance of complex tasks. General intelligence, or g, is a related construct and involves, for instance, the ability to reason, plan, solve problems, think abstractly, and learn from experience. The concept g is usually measured with a psychometric intelligence test. It has been known for more than a decade that EF and, in particular, g are negatively correlated with psychopathology. Yet, the underlying source of this correlation is largely unknown.</p
Introduction to the Special Issue on ‘The Genetic Architecture of Neurodevelopmental Disorders’
Get PDFSystematic Review: How the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Polygenic Risk Score Adds to Our Understanding of ADHD and Associated Traits
No full textObjective: To investigate, by systematically reviewing the literature, whether the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) polygenic risk score (PRS) associates with ADHD and related traits in independent clinical and population samples. Method: PubMed, Embase and PsychoInfo were systematically searched, alongside study bibliographies. Quality assessments were conducted, and a best-evidence synthesis was applied. Studies were excluded when the predictor was not based on the latest ADHD genome-wide association study, when PRS was not based on genome-wide results, or when the study was a review. Initially, 197 studies were retrieved (February 22, 2020), and a second search (June 3, 2020) yielded a further 49 studies. From both searches, 57 studies were eligible, and 44 studies met inclusion criteria. Results: Included studies were published in the last 3 years. Over 80% of the studies were rated excellent, based on a standardized quality assessment. Evidence of associations between ADHD PRS and the following categories was strong: ADHD, ADHD traits, brain structure, education, externalizing behaviors, neuropsychological constructs, physical health, and socioeconomic status. Evidence for associations with addiction, autism, and mental health were mixed and were, so far, inconclusive. Odds ratios for PRS associating with ADHD ranged from 1.22% to 1.76%; variance explained in dimensional assessments of ADHD traits was 0.7% to 3.3%. Conclusion: A new wave of high-quality research using the ADHD PRS has emerged. Eventually, symptoms may be partly identified based on PRS, but the current ADHD PRS is useful for research purposes only. This review shows that the ADHD PRS is robust and reliable, associating not only with ADHD but many outcomes and challenges known to be linked to ADHD.</p
Erratum to: Majority of human traits do not show evidence for sex-specific genetic and environmental effects (Scientific Reports, (2017), 7, 1, (8688), 10.1038/s41598-017-09249-3)
No full textA correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML and PDF versions of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper
COVID-19 and child and adolescent psychiatry: an unexpected blessing for part of our population?
No full textErratum to: Genetic and environmental contributions to the inverse association between specific autistic traits and experience seeking in adults (American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, (2016), 171, 7, 10.1002/ajmg.b.32352)
No full textThe above mentioned article was mistakenly omitted from publishing in American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics in the Special Issue “Family, Twin and Adoption Studies of Childhood Onset Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Disorders,” Volume 171, Issue 7, October 2016, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/ doi/10.1002/ajmg.b.v171.7/issueto
The impact of chronic stress during adolescence on the development of aggressive behavior: A systematic review on the role of the dopaminergic system in rodents
Get PDFPathological aggression, frequently observed in psychiatric patients and criminal subjects, poses a major burden on the health care and criminal justice system, necessitating better aetiological models to inform targets for prevention and intervention. Emerging evidence suggests that adverse experiences during development can cause long-lasting brain alterations associated with maladaptive behaviors, such as aggression. The present review discusses, mainly based on studies in rodents, whether disruption of the mesocorticolimbic dopamine system through chronic stress-exposure during adolescence predisposes to adult aggression. Our findings suggest that chronic stress in adolescence induces prefrontal cortex (PFC) hyperdopaminergia and ultimately leads to blunted prefrontal dopamine transmission in adulthood. This, in turn, disrupts the ability of the PFC to guide adaptive, long-term focused action selection by regulating mesolimbic dopamine signaling. We propose that, especially during the dynamic and transitional period of adolescence, exposure to chronic stress could lead to excessive adaptive change, which may result in an increased vulnerability to maladaptive aggression in adulthood. We discuss how these findings in rodents may translate to humans
Genetic correlation of antisocial behaviour with alcohol, nicotine, and cannabis use
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190837.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access)Background: There is high comorbidity between antisocial behaviour (ASB) and substance use, and twin studies have shown that part of the covariation is due to overlapping genetic influences. Here we used measured genetic effects to estimate the genetic correlations of ASB with nicotine, alcohol, and cannabis use. Methods: We meta-analysed data from two genome-wide association studies for ASB and used existing summary statistics from the largest genome-wide association studies into substance use (ever smoking, cigarettes smoked per day, weekly alcohol consumption, and lifetime cannabis use). We performed cross-trait LD-score regression to estimate genetic correlations between ASB and substance use phenotypes explained by all single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). When significant, we tested whether the signs of the regression coefficients of SNPs from the ASB and substance use phenotypes were in the same direction across multiple p-value thresholds and examined enrichment in overlap of the strongest associated SNPs. Results: We found nominally significant genetic correlations of ASB with lifetime cannabis use (rg=.69, p=.016) and cigarettes per day (rg=.59, p=.036) but not with weekly alcohol consumption or ever smoking. Sign-tests revealed consistent directions of effect of SNPs for ASB and cannabis use for all p-value thresholds except the most stringent one, whereas for ASB with cigarettes per day no consistent evidence was found. We found no evidence of enrichment in overlap of the most associated SNPs across these traits. Conclusion: Using measured genetic variants, we found preliminary support for a genetic correlation of ASB with lifetime cannabis use and cigarettes per day.4 p
Genetic analyses of teacher ratings of problem behavior in 5-year-old twins
Get PDFBehavioral problems in young children can be assessed by asking their parents or teachers to rate their behaviors. Genetic analyses of parental ratings show relatively large heritabilities for emotional and behavioral problems in young children, but data from teachers for this age group are scarce. Sources of variation in the Teacher's Report Form (TRF) problem scales were examined. The TRF was completed for 211 Dutch 5-year-old twin pairs and 4 single twins. Twins rated by different teachers had higher means and variances than twins rated by the same teacher, in addition twin correlations were lower in this group. In both groups monozygotic (MZ) correlations were generally higher than dizygotic (DZ) correlations. A model for twin resemblance was tested that allowed for these effects. For 5 problem scales (Withdrawn, Social Problems, Aggressive Behavior, Rule Breaking Behavior and Attention Problems) a model with genetic and unique environmental sources of variation fitted best to the data. For 3 problem scales (Anxious/Depressed, Thought Problems and Somatic Complaints) there were familial influences but it was not possible to distinguish between common environmental influences or genetic influences. Heritability was 63% for Attention problems, around 45% for Withdrawn, Social Problems, Aggressive Behavior and Rule Breaking Behavior, and around 30% for Anxious/Depressed, Thought Problems and Somatic Complaints
Across the continuum of attention skills: A twin study of the SWAN ADHD rating scale.
Get PDFIntroduction: Most behavior checklists for attention problems or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) such as the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) have a narrow range of scores, focusing on the extent to which problems are present. It has been proposed that measuring attention on a continuum, from positive attention skills to attention problems, will add value to our understanding of ADHD and related problems. The Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD symptoms and Normal behavior scale (SWAN) is such a scale. Items of the SWAN are scored on a seven-point scale, with in the middle 'average behavior' and on the extremes 'far below average' and 'far above average'. Method: The SWAN and the CBCL were completed by mothers of respectively 560 and 469 12-year-old twin pairs. The SWAN consists of nine DSM-IV items for Attention Deficit (AD) and nine DSM-IV items for Hyperactivity/Impulsivity (HI). The CBCL Attention Problem (AP) scale consists of 11 items, which are rated on a three-point scale. Results: Children who had a score of zero on the CBCL AP scale can be further differentiated using the SWAN, with variation seen between the average behavior and far above average range. In addition, SWAN scores were normally distributed, rather than kurtotic or skewed as is often seen with other behavioral checklists. The CBCL AP scale and the SWAN-HI and AD scale were strongly influenced by genetic factors (73%, 90% and 82%, respectively). However, there were striking differences in genetic architecture: variation in CBCL AP scores is in large part explained by non-additive genetic influences. Variation in SWAN scores is explained by additive genetic influences only. Conclusion: Ratings on the SWAN cover the continuum from positive attention skills to attention and hyperactivity problems that define ADHD. Instruments such as the SWAN offer clinicians and researchers the opportunity to examine variation in both strengths and weaknesses in attention skills. © 2007 The Authors
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