Generalized anxiety disorder genetics

OBJECTIVES: Migraine and tremor share some genetic mutation sites, and clinical studies have also confirmed their correlation. This study aims to explore the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of migraine patients with concomitant tremor, and to analyze the relevant influential factors of tremor occurrence. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 217 migraine patients who visited the Third Affiliated Hospital of Qiqihar Medical University from June 2022 to October 2023...

BACKGROUND: Previous observational studies have suggested associations between Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) and Mental Health Disorders (MHD). However, the causal nature of these relationships has remained elusive. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to elucidate the causal relationships between eight distinct types of CHD and six types of MHD using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis. METHODS: The MR analysis employed a suite of methods including inverse variance-weighted (IVW), MR-Egger, weighted mode, weighted median, and simple mode techniques...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was accompanied by an increase in mental health challenges including depression, stress, loneliness, and anxiety. Common genetic variants can contribute to the risk for psychiatric disorders and may present a risk factor in times of crises. However, it is unclear to what extent polygenic risk played a role in the mental health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this study, we investigate whether polygenic scores (PGSs) for mental health-related traits can distinguish between four resilience-vulnerability trajectories identified during the COVID-19 pandemic and associated lockdowns in 2020/21...

The dominant ('general') version of the diathesis-stress theory of depression views stressors and genetic vulnerability as independent risks. In the Australian Genetics of Depression Study (N = 14,146; 75% female), we tested whether polygenic scores (PGS) for major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, ADHD, and neuroticism were associated with reported exposure to 32 childhood, past-year, lifetime, and accumulated stressful life events (SLEs). In false discovery rate-corrected models, the clearest PGS-SLE relationships were for the ADHD- and depression-PGSs, and to a lesser extent, the anxiety- and schizophrenia-PGSs...

Mental illnesses are one of the biggest contributors to the global disease burden. Despite the increased recognition, diagnosis and ongoing research of mental health disorders, the etiology and underlying molecular mechanisms of these disorders are yet to be fully elucidated. Moreover, despite many treatment options available, a large subset of the psychiatric patient population is nonresponsive to standard medications and therapies. There has not been a comprehensive study to date examining the burden and impact of treatable genetic disorders (TGDs) that can present with neuropsychiatric features in psychiatric patient populations...

BACKGROUNDS: Social skills are frequently impaired in neurodevelopmental disorders and genetic conditions, including 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11DS) and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although often assessed with questionnaires, direct assessment provides a more valid estimate of the constructs. Role-plays (i.e., simulates situational settings) therefore appear to be an appropriate indicator of social skills in daily life. METHODS: This co-registered study involved 53 individuals with 22q11DS, 34 individuals with ASD, and 64 typically developing (TD) peers aged 12-30 years...

OBJECTIVES: Previous results demonstrated that CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 gene variants affect serum concentrations of antidepressants. We implemented a PGx service determining gene variants in CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 in our clinical routine care and report on our first patient cohort. METHODS: We analyzed CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 allele, genotype, and phenotype frequencies, and actionable pharmacogenetic variants in this German psychiatric inpatient cohort. Two-tailed z-test was used to investigate for differences in CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 phenotypes and actionable/non-actionable genetic variant frequencies between our cohort and reference cohorts...

As clinical genetic testing in the amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnostic setting increases, the identification of at-risk family members has also expanded. No practice guidelines specifically for predictive genetic testing exist, and few studies about the psychological impacts of testing in this subgroup have occurred, limiting the ability to tailor recommendations and counseling in this community. We surveyed asymptomatic individuals at risk for inheriting an ALS-associated gene mutation. The 80-question survey was designed using a combination of validated measures (General Anxiety Disorder; FACToR; Decision Regret Scale) and original items...

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the comprehensive phenotypic spectrum of SYNGAP1-related disorder in a large patient cohort aggregated through a digital registry. METHODS: We obtained de-identified patient data from an online registry. Data were extracted from uploaded medical records. We reclassified all SYNGAP1 variants using American College of Medical Genetics criteria and included patients with pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) single nucleotide variants or microdeletions incorporating SYNGAP1...

OBJECTIVE: Follow-up study to evaluate perceptions of COVID-19 vaccination and booster with psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic and Omicron surge in women considering or undergoing fertility treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional anonymous survey (N = 2558) from a single academic fertility center. Five hundred forty patients completed the survey (response rate = 21.1%). Participants were randomized 1:1 to a one-page evidence-based graphic with information and benefits regarding COVID-19 vaccination...

BACKGROUND:  This study in Jazan, Saudi Arabia aims to identify anxiety-related factors associated with symptom severity in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is a common gastrointestinal disorder causing abdominal pain and altered bowel habits. The prevalence of IBS in Saudi Arabia is estimated to be 10%-20% among the general population. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine anxiety-related factors associated with symptom severity in irritable bowel syndrome in Jazan, Saudi Arabia...

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have shown that educational attainment (EA), intelligence and income are key factors associated with mental disorders. However, the direct effects of each factor on major mental disorders are unclear. AIMS: We aimed to evaluate the overall and independent causal effects of the three psychosocial factors on common mental disorders. METHODS: Using genome-wide association study summary datasets, we performed Mendelian randomisation (MR) and multivariable MR (MVMR) analyses to assess potential associations between the 3 factors (EA, N=766 345; household income, N=392 422; intelligence, N=146 808) and 13 common mental disorders, with sample sizes ranging from 9907 to 807 553...

Nightmares are vivid, extended, and emotionally negative or negative dreams that awaken the dreamer. While sporadic nightmares and bad dreams are common and generally harmless, frequent nightmares often reflect underlying pathologies of emotional regulation. Indeed, insomnia, depression, anxiety, or alcohol use have been associated with nightmares in epidemiological and clinical studies. However, the connection between nightmares and their comorbidities are poorly understood. Our goal was to examine the genetic risk factors for nightmares and estimate correlation or causality between nightmares and comorbidities...

Compared to the large body of maternal mental health research for other pediatric disorders, we know far less about the experience of mothers of children with 22q11DS. This study investigates the coping methods, protective factors, and mental health of this population. These findings might lead to better support for 22q11DS maternal mental health. An international sample of 71 mothers (M = 40.5 years) of children with 22q11DS (M = 9.2 years) was recruited and completed an online survey assessing maternal mental health (symptoms of depression, anxiety, traumatic stress, general stress, and alcohol consumption), coping methods, and mental health protective factors (social support, dyadic adjustment, parenting competence)...

BACKGROUND: Educational inequalities in suicide have become increasingly prominent over the past decade. Elucidating modifiable risk factors that serve as intermediaries in the impact of low educational attainment on suicide has the potential to reduce health disparities. AIMS: To examine the risk factors that mediate the relationship between educational attainment and suicide attempts and quantify their contributions to the mediation effect. METHODS: We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomisation (MR) analysis to estimate the causal effect of educational attainment on suicide attempts, utilising genome-wide association study summary statistics from the Integrative Psychiatric Research (iPSYCH; 6024 cases and 44 240 controls) and FinnGen (8978 cases and 368 299 controls)...

Introduction: Escitalopram is an effective and generally well-tolerated antidepressant, but children of parents with bipolar disorder (BD) may be at increased risk for adverse events associated with antidepressants, including increased irritability, restlessness, impulsivity, and manic symptoms. This risk may be influenced by polymorphisms in genes encoding cytochrome P450 enzymes ( CYP2C19 or CYP2D6 ), the serotonin transporter ( SLC6A4 ), and the serotonin receptor 2A subtype ( HTR2A ). We explored whether gene-drug interactions influence the emergence of adverse events in depressed and/or anxious youth with a family history of BD...

Hypophosphatasia (HPP), also called Rathbun disease, is a rare genetic disorder that is caused by the loss-of-function mutation in the ALPL gene encoding tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase. Doctor Rathbun first described the case of a 3-week-old infant who presented with severe osteopenia, rickets, and multiple radiographic fractures, and died shortly after of epileptic seizure and respiratory distress. The term "hypophosphatasia" was coined as the patients' alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly low...

BACKGROUND: Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare and complex neurodevelopmental disorder resulting from absent paternal expression of maternally imprinted genes at chromosomal locus 15q11-13. This absence of expression occurs as a consequence of a deletion on the chromosome 15 of paternal origin (ca. 70%), a chromosome 15 maternal uniparental disomy (mUPD; ca. 25%), or an imprinting centre defect (IC; ca. 1-3%). At birth, individuals with PWS are severely hypotonic and fail to thrive...

Co-occurring psychiatric, medical, and substance use disorders (SUDs) are common, but the complex pathways leading to such comorbidities are poorly understood. A greater understanding of genetic influences on this phenomenon could inform precision medicine efforts. We used the Yale-Penn dataset, a cross-sectional sample enriched for individuals with SUDs, to examine pleiotropic effects of genetic liability for psychiatric and medical traits. Participants completed an in-depth interview that provides information on demographics, environment, medical illnesses, and psychiatric and SUDs...

Affective neuropsychiatric disorders such as depression, anxiety and apathy are among the most frequent non-motor symptoms observed in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). These conditions often emerge during the prodromal phase of the disease and are generally considered to result from neurodegenerative processes in meso-corticolimbic structures, occurring in parallel to the loss of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons. Depression, anxiety, and apathy are often treated with conventional medications, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, and dopaminergic agonists...