Shared genetic aetiology between cognitive functions and physical and mental health in UK Biobank (N=112 151) and 24 GWAS consortia

Recent evidence suggests that physical and mental health are influenced by an intricate interaction between genes and environment. Environmental factors have been shown to modulate neuronal gene expression and function by epigenetic mechanisms. Exposure to these factors including nutrients during sensitive periods of life could program brain development and have long-lasting effects on mental health. Studies have shown that early nutritional intervention that includes methyl-donors improves cognitive functions throughout life. Choline is a micronutrient and a methyl donor that is required for normal brain growth and development. It plays a pivotal role in maintaining structural and functional integrity of cellular membranes. It also regulates cholinergic signaling in the brain via the synthesis of acetylcholine. Via its metabolites, it participates in pathways that regulate methylation of genes related to memory and cognitive functions at different stages of development. Choline-related functions have been dysregulated in some neurodegenerative diseases suggesting choline role in influencing mental health across the lifespan.

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P161 Regularity of sleep-wake patterns in the UK Biobank (N = 86 624) and an open-source tool to calculate the Sleep Regularity Index

SLEEP Advances ◽

10.1093/sleepadvances/zpab014.200 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 2 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. A73-A74

Author(s):

D Windred ◽

A Russell ◽

A Burns ◽

S Cain ◽

A Phillips

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Open Source ◽

Sleep Onset ◽

R Package ◽

Sleep Diary ◽

Accelerometer Data ◽

Uk Biobank ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Regularity Index ◽

Wake Patterns

Abstract Introduction Regular sleep-wake patterns aid in the maintenance of optimal physical and mental health, by helping to align environmental, behavioural, and physiological rhythms. The distribution of sleep regularity across the population has not been well documented. Furthermore, researchers currently lack tools to easily quantify sleep regularity. Method We have described sleep regularity in 86 624 UK Biobank participants (age (M±SD) = 62.45±7.84; 56.2% female) using data from wrist-worn accelerometers. Regularity was measured using the Sleep Regularity Index (SRI), which quantifies day-to-day similarity in sleep-wake patterns, and which is linked to cardio-metabolic and mental health outcomes. We developed an R package to calculate SRI from accelerometer data, which works in conjunction with GGIR (a validated accelerometer processing tool) to identify sleep-wake state, including naps and broken sleep. Results The SRI distribution had M±SD = 78.02±11.53, and median = 80.49. The least regular quintile (SRI<70.2) had standard deviation of sleep onset = 2.23h, offset = 2.14h, and duration = 1.95h, compared with onset = 0.78h, offset = 0.85h, and duration = 0.95h in the most regular quintile (SRI>87.3). Approximately 14% of participants exhibited large day-to-day shifts in sleep timing (>3h) at least once per week. Discussion This is the largest description of sleep regularity to-date. The norms established here provide a reference for researchers and clinicians intending to quantify sleep regularity with the SRI. We have combined methods described here into an open-source R package to calculate SRI from accelerometer or sleep diary data, available for download via GitHub.

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The winding roads to adulthood: a twin study

10.1101/2021.02.16.431456 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kaili Rimfeld ◽

Margherita Malancini ◽

Amy E. Packer ◽

Agnieszka Gidziela ◽

Andrea G. Allegrini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Educational Attainment ◽

Emerging Adulthood ◽

Transition To Adulthood ◽

Environmental Influences ◽

Systematic Investigation ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Average Correlation ◽

Psychological Traits ◽

Shared Genetic

AbstractIn the 21st century, emerging adulthood has stretched from the late teens through the twenties. Although this extended transition to adulthood can create stress, it can also offer opportunities to explore vocations and relationships that provide a better fit to individuals’ proclivities, including their genetic propensities.Here we report the results of the first systematic investigation of genetic and environmental influences on 57 psychological traits covering major issues in emerging adulthood such as aspirations, thoughts and attitudes, relationships and personality. We also investigate how these traits relate to physical and mental health, educational attainment and wellbeing using a sample of nearly 5000 pairs of UK twins aged 21-25 from the Twins Early Development Study.All 57 traits showed significant genetic influence, with an average heritability of 34% (SNP heritability ∼10%). Most of the variance (59% on average) was explained by non-shared environmental influences. These diverse traits were associated with mental health (average correlation .20), wellbeing (.16), physical health (.12) and educational attainment (.06). Shared genetic factors explained the majority of these correlations (∼50%). Together, these emerging adulthood traits explained on average 30% of the variance in the outcomes (range = 8 to 69%), suggesting that these traits relate to the outcomes additively.We conclude that the environmental uncertainties of emerging adulthood in the 21st century do not diminish the importance of genetics. As adolescents travel down long and winding roads to adulthood, their trip is substantially influenced by genetic proclivities that nudge them down different paths leading to different destinations.

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COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT FOR GRANDPARENTING: REDUCED LONELINESS AS A MEDIATOR

Innovation in Aging ◽

10.1093/geroni/igz038.1812 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S488-S488

Author(s):

Yuanqing Chang ◽

Yin Li ◽

Xin Zhang

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Older Adults ◽

Parental Care ◽

Cognitive Functions ◽

Health Effect ◽

Physical And Mental Health ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Adult Intelligence Scale ◽

Quality Of Life Scale ◽

Aging Attitudes

Abstract Grand-parental care, an important form of family care in China, However, its health effect on older adults, including their physical and mental health and cognitive function, is often not well understood. In the present study, we investigated the differences in terms of physical and mental health (measured by SF-36 Quality of Life Scale), self-aging attitudes (measured by the Philadelphia Senior Center Morale Scale), and cognitive functions (measured by WAIS, the subscales of Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale) between those who provide grand-parental care and those who do not. Two studies were conducted. The first study examined 150 older adults who provided grandparental care and another 150 older adults who did not. Six months later, we randomly selected 103 older adults to conduct a longitudinal follow-up, of which 53 were older adults who provided grandparental care, and another 50 older adults were those who didn’t. The results of both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies showed that, compared with older adults who did not provide grandparental care, those providing grandparental care has significantly better physical and mental health, more positive self-aging attitudes and even enhanced cognitive functions. Further path analysis showed that loneliness mediated the association between providing grandparental care and enhancement in functions, such that providing grandparental care can reduce loneliness of the older adults, which in turn can improve their physical and mental health and even enhance their cognitive functions. These results shed light on the practical implications of grandparenting in China for the society.

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