scholarly journals HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS ISSUE

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (7) ◽  
pp. 1143-1143
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Genetic Epidemiology ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Common Mental Disorder ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Research Activity ◽  
Genetic Elements ◽  
Epidemiological Surveys ◽  
Co Morbidity

This issue features groups of papers on genetics, the distributional nature of the milder disorder featuring most prominently in community surveys, diagnostic co-morbidity, neuropsychological and related aspects of schizophrenia.The first group of papers come from genetic epidemiology, all from twin studies. Agrawal et al. (pp. 1155–1164) examine genetic and environmental origins of detailed aspects of social support. They find evidence for genetic elements in almost all aspects, with some smaller differences between males and females. Wichers et al. (pp. 1165–1174) report effects of pregnancy and birth complications and genetic elements on childhood behaviour problems. They find one specific complication, being of lower birth weight for gestational age, associated with problem behaviour, and an interaction with genetic effects, such that these are weaker in the presence of low birth weight. Johnson et al. (pp. 1175–1185) examine the heritability of depression measured on a symptom scale in Danish twins. They find genetic effects, which do not vary with age over a wide span from 45 to over 95. An accompanying editorial (pp. 1145–1148) looks at the future of genetic epidemiology in a time of accelerating molecular genetic research activity.Epidemiological surveys frequently measure so-called common mental disorder, psychiatric symptoms in a milder range which may not necessarily fit defined criteria for specific disorders. Melzer et al. (pp. 1195–1201) using this kind of data from a community survey, find a continuous single distribution with no natural cut-off point. Brugha (pp. 1149–1154) in an accompanying editorial discusses the implications of such a dimensional approach and its relation to diagnosis.

The phenomenology and explanatory models of common mental disorder: a study in primary care in Harare, Zimbabwe

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1191-1199 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Patel ◽  
F. Gwanzura ◽  
E. Simunyu ◽  
K. Lloyd ◽  
A. Mann
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Traditional Healer ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Common Mental Disorder ◽  
Somatic Symptoms ◽  
Traditional Healers ◽  
Explanatory Models ◽  
Interview Schedule ◽  
Duration Of Illness ◽  
American Concept

synopsisIn order to describe the explanatory models and the etic and emic phenomena of common mental disorder in Harare, Zimbabwe, 110 subjects were selected by general nurses in three clinics and by four traditional healers from their current clients. The subjects were interviewed using the Explanatory Model Interview and the Revised Clinical Interview Schedule.Mental disorder most commonly presented with somatic symptoms, but few patients denied that their mind or soul was the source of illness. Spiritual factors were frequently cited as causes of mental illness. Subjects who were selected by traditional healer, reported a greater duration of illness and were more likely to provide a spiritual explanation for their illness.The majority of subjects were classified as ‘cases’ by the etic criteria of the CISR. Most patients, however, showed a mixture of psychiatric symptoms that did not fall clearly into a single diagnostic group. Patients from a subgroup with a spiritual model of illness were less likely to conform to etic criteria of ‘caseness’ and they may represent a unique category of psychological distress in Zimbabwe. A wide variety of emic phenomena were elicited that have been incorporated in an indigenous measure of non-psychotic mental disorder. Kufungisisa, or thinking too much, seemed to be the Shona term closest to the Euro-American concept of neurotic illness.

scholarly journals Of genes and twins

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 763-768 ◽  
Author(s):  
KENNETH S. KENDLER
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Epidemiology ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Gene Finding ◽  
Adoption Studies ◽  
Age Cohorts ◽  
Psychological Medicine ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Twin Method

The two paradigms that now dominate the increasingly active field of psychiatric genetics – genetic epidemiology and gene-finding methods – are well illustrated by five papers in this issue of Psychological Medicine. Genetic epidemiology, which uses the classical ‘work-horse’ methods of family, twin and adoption studies, infers the action of genetic and environmental risk factors by observing the pattern of resemblance of traits or disorders in various classes of relatives. Methods that are utilized in genetic epidemiology can range from great simplicity, such as the odds ratio of a disorder in first-degree relatives of affected versus matched control probands, to substantial complexity, as seen in some advanced multivariate twin-family models (Truett et al. 1994). Of the quasi-experimental methods available to psychiatric geneticists that can tease apart the effects of genetic and shared-environmental factors (nature versus nurture), the twin method has become increasingly popular. This is probably due to the increasing availability of large population-based or volunteer twin registries (see the Oct 2002 issue of Twin Research on ‘Twin Registers as a Global Resource for Genetic Research’) that can be utilized to study psychiatric and drug abuse disorders. By contrast, due to changing social circumstances in most Western countries, adoption, even in the Scandinavian countries where most of the classic studies have been done, is becoming so rare that new adoption studies with younger age cohorts are hardly feasible. By contrast, gene-finding methods, which utilized variants of two different methods of linkage or association, have the goal of determining, on the human genome, the location and potential identity of susceptibility genes.

scholarly journals Comparison of models for estimating genetic parameters and predicting breeding values for birth weight and calving ease in Czech Charolais cattle 

2014 ◽  
Vol 59 (No. 7) ◽  
pp. 302-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Vostrý ◽  
Z. Veselá ◽  
A. Svitáková ◽  
H. Vostrá Vydrová
Keyword(s):  
Animal Model ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Genetic Parameters ◽  
Genetic Correlations ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Parameters Estimation ◽  
Calving Ease ◽  
Heritability Estimates

The most appropriate model for genetic parameters estimation for calving ease and birth weight in beef cattle was selected. A total of 27 402 field records were available from the Czech Charolais breed. For estimation of genetic parameters for calving ease and body weight, three bivariate models were tested: a linear-linear animal model (L-LM) with calving ease classified into four categories (1 – easy; 2–4 – most difficult), a linear-linear animal model (SC-LM) in which calving ease scores were transformed into Snell scores (Snell 1964) and expressed as percentage of assisted calving (ranging 0–100%), and a bivariate threshold-linear animal model (T-LM) with calving ease classified into four categories (1 – easy, 2–4 – most difficult). All tested models included fixed effects for contemporary group (herd × year × season), age of dam, sex and breed of a calf. Random effects included direct and maternal genetic effects, maternal permanent environmental effect, and residual error. Direct heritability estimates for calving ease and birth weight were, with the use of L-LM, SC-LM, and T-LM, from 0.096 ± 0.013 to 0.226 ± 0.024 and from 0.210 ± 0.024 to 0.225 ± 0.026, respectively. Maternal heritability estimates for calving ease and birth weight were, with the use of L-LM, SC-LM, and T-LM, from 0.060 ± 0.031 to 0.104 ± 0.125 and from 0.074 ± 0.041 to 0.075 ± 0.040, respectively. Genetic correlations of direct calving ease with direct birth weight ranged from 0.46 ± 0.06 to 0.50 ± 0.06 for all tested models; whereas maternal genetic correlations between these two traits ranged from 0.24 ± 0.17 to 0.25 ± 0.53. Correlations between direct and maternal genetic effects within-trait were negative and substantial for all tested models (ranging from –0.574 ± 0.125 to –0.680 ± 0.141 for calving ease and from –0.553 ± 0.122 to –0.558 ± 0.118 for birth weight, respectively), illustrating the importance of including this parameter in calving ease evaluations. Results indicate that any of the tested models could be used to reliably estimate genetic parameters for calving ease for beef cattle in the Czech Republic. However, because of advantages in computation time and practical considerations, genetic analysis using SC-LM (transformed data) is recommended.

The efficacy of drug treatments for dysthymia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 1273-1289 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. S. DE LIMA ◽  
M. HOTOPH ◽  
S. WESSELY
Keyword(s):  
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors ◽  
Common Mental Disorder ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Random Effect Model ◽  
Dysthymic Disorder ◽  
Number Needed To Treat ◽  
Relative Risks ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Drug Treatments

Background. Dysthymia is a common mental disorder, associated with considerable disability and high co-morbidity. This review assessed the role of pharmacological treatment.Methods. All randomized-controlled trials that compared active drug versus placebo for dysthymic patients were included. Pooled relative risks (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated with the Random Effect Model method. Where possible, number needed to treat and number needed to harm were estimated.Results. Fifteen trials were included for the main comparisons. Similar results were obtained in terms of efficacy for different groups of drugs, such as tricyclic (TCA), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOI) and other drugs (sulpiride, amineptine, and ritanserin). The pooled RR treatment response was 0·68 (95% CI 0·59–0·78) for TCA, 0·64 (95% CI 0·55–0·74) for SSRIs, 0·59 (95% CI 0·48–0·71) for MAOIs. Other drugs (amisulpride, amineptine and ritanserin) showed similar results. Patients treated on TCA were more likely to report adverse events, compared with placebo. There were no differences in response to active treatment when dysthymia was compared to either dysthymia plus major depression or briefer non-major depressive states.Conclusions. Drug treatment appears to be effective in the short-term management of dysthymic disorder. The choice of drug should take into account specific side-effects profile of each drug.

Psychiatric symptoms in low birth weight adolescents, assessed by screening questionnaires

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 226-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marit S. Indredavik ◽  
Torstein Vik ◽  
Sonja Heyerdahl ◽  
Siri Kulseng ◽  
Ann-Mari Brubakk
Keyword(s):  
Birth Weight ◽  
Low Birth Weight ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Screening Questionnaires

scholarly journals Genetic Associations in Four Decades of Multi-Environment Trials Reveal Agronomic Trait Evolution in Common Bean

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice H. MacQueen ◽  
Jeffrey W. White ◽  
Rian Lee ◽  
Juan M. Osorno ◽  
Jeremy Schmutz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Common Bean ◽  
Crop Improvement ◽  
Genetic Research ◽  
The United States ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Genetic Associations ◽  
Phenotypic Data ◽  
Multiple Phenotypes ◽  
Genomic Regions

AbstractMulti-environment trials (METs) are widely used to assess the performance of promising crop germplasm. Though seldom designed to elucidate genetic mechanisms, MET datasets are often much larger than could be duplicated for genetic research and, given proper interpretation, may offer valuable insights into the genetics of adaptation across time and space. The Cooperative Dry Bean Nursery (CDBN) is a MET for common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) grown for over 70 years in the United States and Canada, consisting of 20 to 50 entries each year at 10 to 20 locations. The CBDN provides a rich source of phenotypic data across entries, years, and locations that is amenable to genetic analysis. To study stable genetic effects segregating in this MET, we conducted genome-wide association (GWAS) using best linear unbiased predictions (BLUPs) derived across years and locations for 21 CDBN phenotypes and genotypic data (1.2M SNPs) for 327 CDBN genotypes. The value of this approach was confirmed by the discovery of three candidate genes and genomic regions previously identified in balanced GWAS. Multivariate adaptive shrinkage (mash) analysis, which increased our power to detect significant correlated effects, found significant effects for all phenotypes. The first use of mash on an agricultural dataset discovered two genomic regions with pleiotropic effects on multiple phenotypes, likely selected on in pursuit of a crop ideotype. Overall, our results demonstrate that by applying multiple statistical genomic approaches on data mined from MET phenotypic data sets, significant genetic effects that define genomic regions associated with crop improvement can be discovered.

scholarly journals Linked dimensions of psychopathology and connectivity in functional brain networks

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cedric Huchuan Xia ◽  
Zongming Ma ◽  
Rastko Ciric ◽  
Shi Gu ◽  
Richard F. Betzel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Externalizing Behavior ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Diagnostic Categories ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Connectivity Patterns ◽  
Clinical Diagnoses ◽  
Functional Brain Networks ◽  
Sparse Canonical Correlation Analysis ◽  
Highly Correlated

ABSTRACTNeurobiological abnormalities associated with psychiatric disorders do not map well to existing diagnostic categories. High co-morbidity and overlapping symptom domains suggest dimensional circuit-level abnormalities that cut across clinical diagnoses. Here we sought to identify brain-based dimensions of psychopathology using multivariate sparse canonical correlation analysis (sCCA) in a sample of 663 youths imaged as part of the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. This analysis revealed highly correlated patterns of functional connectivity and psychiatric symptoms. We found that four dimensions of psychopathology — mood, psychosis, fear, and externalizing behavior — were highly associated (r=0.68-0.71) with distinct patterns of functional dysconnectivity. Loss of network segregation between the default mode network and executive networks (e.g. fronto-parietal and salience) emerged as a common feature across all dimensions. Connectivity patterns linked to mood and psychosis became more prominent with development, and significant sex differences were present for connectivity patterns related to mood and fear. Critically, findings replicated in an independent dataset (n=336). These results delineate connectivity-guided dimensions of psychopathology that cut across traditional diagnostic categories, which could serve as a foundation for developing network-based biomarkers in psychiatry.

scholarly journals The Migraine-Anxiety Comorbidity Among Migraineurs: A Systematic Review

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Karimi ◽  
Tissa Wijeratne ◽  
Sheila Gillard Crewther ◽  
Andrew E. Evans ◽  
Deena Ebaid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Medical Practitioner ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Medical Practitioners ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Cross Sectional Studies

Background: Migraine is recognized as a neurological condition that is often associated with comorbid psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and/or panic disorder. Though some studies have demonstrated the link between migraine and anxiety disorders, there are no systematic reviews that have been published in this area to summarize the evidence. The aim of the present study is to systematically review the literature associated with comorbidity of migraine and anxiety disorders among migraineurs compared to non-migraineurs.Methods: The present systematic review included population-based, cohort and cross-sectional studies if they were reporting the frequency of migraine with either anxiety or depression as diagnosed by a medical practitioner according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-2/3).Results: Eight eligible studies from 2060 relevant citations were included in the review. All participants were migraine patients from both primary care and outpatient settings, as well as tertiary headache and anxiety centers, and were compared to non-migraineurs. The results of the systematic review showed that there is a strong and consistent relationship between migraine and anxiety. The co-morbidity of co-occurrence for migraine and anxiety has an average OR of 2.33 (2.20–2.47) among the prevalence and cross sectional studies and an average RR of 1.63 (1.37–1.93) for two cohort studies; The major limitations of included studies were small sample sizes and a lack of adjusting of confounding factors.Conclusion: The results highlight the need for inclusion of an anxiety screening tool during initial assessments of migraine patients by medical practitioners and/or physicians and may explain why some anxiolytic medications work better than others for migraine mitigation.

An evaluation of genetic variation in gestation length, birthweight and early growth in Scottish Blackface sheep

1996 ◽  
Vol 1996 ◽  
pp. 108-108
Author(s):  
P Johnston ◽  
J A Roden ◽  
A Murray ◽  
B Merrell ◽  
W Haresign
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Birth Weight ◽  
Litter Size ◽  
Early Growth ◽  
Genetic Effects ◽  
Early Mortality ◽  
Gestation Length ◽  
Early Vigour ◽  
Breeding Programmes

Birth weight (BW) and gestation length (GL) have important implications for the survival and early vigour of the lamb, in turn affecting the early growth. In hill sheep BW and early growth have low heritabilities, when considered as a trait of the lamb. They are highly influenced by maternal genetic effects and non genetic effects such as litter size, date of birth and the environment. When studying hill sheep there are also problems obtaining accurate records of birth weights and early growth and it is normally impossible to obtain accurate measures of GL. Exploitation of the genetic variation in the traits BW, GL and early growth could be useful in breeding programmes to reduce early mortality and improve vigour in lambs.

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