Mental disorders in preadolescent children at familial high‐risk of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder – a four‐year follow‐up study

Abstract The cognitive control system matures gradually with age and shows age-related sex differences. To gain knowledge concerning error adaptation in familial high-risk groups, investigating error adaptation among the offspring of parents with severe mental disorders is important and may contribute to the understanding of cognitive functioning in at-risk individuals. We identified an observational cohort through Danish registries and measured error adaptation using an Eriksen flanker paradigm. We tested 497 7-year-old children with a familial high risk of schizophrenia (N = 192) or bipolar disorder (N = 116) for deficits in error adaptation compared with a control group (N = 189). We investigated whether error adaptation differed between high-risk groups compared with controls and sex differences in the adaptation to errors, irrespective of high-risk status. Overall, children exhibited post-error slowing (PES), but the slowing of responses did not translate to significant improvements in accuracy. No differences were detected between either high-risk group compared with the controls. Boys showed less PES and PES after incongruent trials than girls. Our results suggest that familial high risk of severe mental disorders does not influence error adaptation at this early stage of cognitive control development. Error adaptation behavior at age 7 years shows specific sex differences.

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Home environment of 11-year-old children born to parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder – a controlled, 4-year follow-up study: The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study – VIA 11

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291721004487 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Mette Falkenberg Krantz ◽

Carsten Hjorthøj ◽

Julie Marie Brandt ◽

Åsa Kremer Prøsch ◽

Sinnika Birkehøj Rohd ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

High Risk ◽

Home Environment ◽

Population Based ◽

Risk And Resilience ◽

Health Issues ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Home Stimulation ◽

At Home

Abstract Background The home environment has a major impact on child development. Parental severe mental illness can pose a challenge to the home environment of a child. We aimed to examine the home environment of children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and controls longitudinally through at-home assessments. Methods Assessments were conducted within The Danish High Risk and Resilience Study, a nationwide multi-center cohort study of children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and population-based controls. The level of at-home stimulation and support was measured at age 7 (N = 508 children) and age 11 (N = 430 children) with the semi-structured HOME Inventory. Results from the 11-year follow-up study were analyzed and compared with 7-year baseline results to examine change across groups. Results At age 11, children of parents with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder had lower levels of stimulation and support than controls (mean (s.d.) = 46.16 (5.56), 46.87 (5.34) and 49.25 (4.37) respectively, p < 0.001). A higher proportion of children with parental schizophrenia or bipolar disorder lived in inadequate home environments at age 11, compared with controls (N (%) = 24 (15.0), 12 (12.2) and 6 (3.5) respectively, p < 0.003). The changes in home environment scores did not differ across groups from age 7 to age 11. Conclusions Assessed longitudinally from the children's age of 7 to 11, children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder had lower levels of stimulation and support in their homes than controls. Integrated support which can target practical, economic, social and health issues to improve the home environment is indicated.

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ALDH2 modulated changes in cytokine levels and cognitive function in bipolar disorder: A 12-week follow-up study

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0004867417720517 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 52 (7) ◽

pp. 680-689

Author(s):

Sheng-Yu Lee ◽

Tzu-Yun Wang ◽

Shiou-Lan Chen ◽

Yun-Hsuan Chang ◽

Po-See Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Cognitive Function ◽

Growth Factor ◽

Transforming Growth Factor ◽

Transforming Growth Factor Β1 ◽

C Reactive Protein ◽

Reactive Protein ◽

Follow Up Study ◽

Cytokine Levels

Objectives: We investigated the association of the aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 ( ALDH2) polymorphism (rs671), which is involved with the dopaminergic function, and with changes in cytokine levels and cognitive function, in a 12-week follow-up study in patients with bipolar disorder. Methods: Patients with a first diagnosis of bipolar disorder were recruited. Symptom severity and levels of plasma cytokines (tumor necrosis factor α, C-reactive protein, interleukin 6 and transforming growth factor β1) were examined during weeks 0, 1, 2, 4, 8 and 12. Neurocognitive function was evaluated at baseline and endpoint. The ALDH2 polymorphism genotype was determined. Results: A total of 541 patients with bipolar disorder were recruited, and 355 (65.6%) completed the 12-week follow-up. A multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant ( p = 0.000226) association between the ALDH2 polymorphism and changes in C-reactive protein levels. Different aspects of cognitive function improved in patients with different ALDH2 genotypes. Only patients with the ALDH2*1*1 genotype showed significant correlations between improvement of cognitive function and increased transforming growth factor -β1. Conclusion: The ALDH2 gene might influence changes in cytokine levels and cognitive performance in patients with bipolar disorder. Additionally, changes in cytokine levels and cognitive function were correlated only in patients with specific ALDH2 genotypes.

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