Case-control study of adverse childhood experiences and multiple sclerosis risk and clinical outcomes

Background Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to numerous health conditions but understudied in multiple sclerosis (MS). This study’s objective was to test for the association between ACEs and MS risk and several clinical outcomes. Methods We used a sample of adult, non-Hispanic MS cases (n = 1422) and controls (n = 1185) from Northern California. Eighteen ACEs were assessed including parent divorce, parent death, and abuse. Outcomes included MS risk, age of MS onset, Multiple Sclerosis Severity Scale score, and use of a walking aid. Logistic and linear regression estimated odds ratios (ORs) (and beta coefficients) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for ACEs operationalized as any/none, counts, individual events, and latent factors/patterns. Results Overall, more MS cases experienced ≥1 ACE compared to controls (54.5% and 53.8%, respectively). After adjusting for sex, birthyear, and race, this small difference was attenuated (OR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.87, 1.18). There were no trends of increasing or decreasing odds of MS across ACE count categories. Consistent associations between individual ACEs between ages 0–10 and 11–20 years and MS risk were not detected. Factor analysis identified five latent ACE factors, but their associations with MS risk were approximately null. Age of MS onset and other clinical outcomes were not associated with ACEs after multiple testing correction. Conclusion Despite rich data and multiple approaches to operationalizing ACEs, no consistent and statistically significant effects were observed between ACEs with MS. This highlights the challenges of studying sensitive, retrospective events among adults that occurred decades before data collection.

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Adverse childhood experiences are associated with spontaneous preterm birth: a case–control study

BMC Medicine ◽

10.1186/s12916-015-0353-0 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 54

Author(s):

Inge Christiaens ◽

Kathleen Hegadoren ◽

David M Olson

Keyword(s):

Preterm Birth ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Case Control ◽

Spontaneous Preterm Birth ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

Control Study

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Latent factors of adverse childhood experiences and adult-onset asthma

Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease ◽

10.1017/s2040174419000886 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-8 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maria B. Ospina ◽

Jesus A. Serrano-Lomelin ◽

Sana Amjad ◽

Anne Hicks ◽

Gerald F. Giesbrecht

Keyword(s):

Sexual Abuse ◽

Factor Analysis ◽

Logistic Regression ◽

Home Environment ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Respiratory Health ◽

Latent Factors ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adverse Childhood

Abstract Asthma is a chronic respiratory disease with complex etiology. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have been linked to asthma in adulthood. Underlying potential mechanisms for the ACE-asthma relationship include stress-induced inflammatory pathways and immune dysregulation. We conducted a cross-sectional secondary data analysis of the 2013 Alberta ACE Survey to explore the relationship between latent ACE factors and self-reported adult asthma. We evaluated the underlying correlation structure among eight different ACEs using exploratory factor analysis. We conducted a logistic regression model to evaluate whether ACE factors retained from the factor analysis predicted self-reported asthma in adulthood. Results were reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). We analyzed ACE survey results from 1207 participants. Factor analysis yielded four ACE latent factors: factor 1/relational violence, factor 2/negative home environment, factor 3/illness at home, and factor 4/sexual abuse. Results of the logistic regression showed that experiencing sexual abuse (OR: 3.23; 95% CI: 1.89, 5.23), relational violence (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.17, 3.38), and being exposed to a negative home environment (OR: 1.86; 95% CI: 1.03, 3.35) were predictive of a diagnosis of asthma in adulthood, whereas living in a household with someone experiencing illness did not show an effect (OR: 1.38; 95% CI: 0.75, 2.56). Factor analysis provides an effectual approach to understand the long-term impact of ACEs on respiratory health. Our findings have important implications to understand the developmental origins of asthma in adulthood and inform interventions aimed at reducing the lasting negative impact of childhood adversities on future respiratory health.

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Interaction between adverse childhood experiences and polygenic risk in patients with bipolar disorder

Translational Psychiatry ◽

10.1038/s41398-020-01010-1 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Young-Min Park ◽

Tatyana Shekhtman ◽

John R. Kelsoe

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Age At Onset ◽

Polygenic Risk Score ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Polygenic Risk ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

Genes And Environment ◽

Genomic Study

Abstract The interaction between genes and environment often occurs when they depend on one another. We hypothesized that adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) would interact with genetic predispositions to bipolar disorder (BD), demonstrating earlier age at onset (AAO) and worse clinical outcomes. We aimed to clarify the effects of the interaction between ACEs and genetic susceptibility using polygenic risk score (PRS) on AAO and clinical outcomes. Single nucleotide polymorphisms and clinical data, including ACEs, were obtained from the Bipolar Genomic Study, which contains a large sample of BD participants. A total of 1615 subjects with BD I were obtained and divided into two groups according to the presence or absence of ACEs and an additional four groups based on the number of ACEs (none versus one versus two versus ≥ three types). ACEs was evaluated using the childhood life events scale (CLES). BD–PRS was obtained from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, which compared BD patients and healthy controls. The BD–PRS was higher in the group with ACEs than without ACEs at most p-value thresholds. In multivariate linear regression analyses, both groups with more ACEs and higher BD–PRS were independently and interactively associated with an earlier AAO of BD; however, only greater ACEs were associated with worsened clinical outcome. These findings highlight the clinical importance of evaluating ACEs and polygenic risk in research of the etiology of BD.

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Effect of the Type and Number of Adverse Childhood Experiences and the Timing of Adverse Experiences on Clinical Outcomes in Individuals with Bipolar Disorder

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci10050254 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (5) ◽

pp. 254 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Young-Min Park ◽

Tatyana Shekhtman ◽

John R. Kelsoe

Keyword(s):

Bipolar Disorder ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Suicide Attempts ◽

Age At Onset ◽

Diagnostic Interview ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adverse Experiences ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

Negative Effect

Studies have reported an association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and the clinical outcomes of bipolar disorder (BD). However, these studies have several limitations; therefore, we aimed to clarify the effect of the type and number of ACEs and the timing of adverse experiences on clinical outcomes in patients with BD. We analyzed the data of patients with BD (N = 2675) obtained from the National Institute of Mental Health: Bipolar Disorder Genetic Association Information Network, Translational Genomic Institute-I, and Translational Genomic Institute-II. All patients had been diagnosed using the Diagnostic Interview for Genetic Studies. ACEs were evaluated using the Childhood Life Events Scale (CLES). We analyzed the relationship between childhood trauma and clinical outcome in patients with and without exposure to ACEs. We found that ACEs had a robust negative effect on clinical outcomes, including earlier age at onset, presence of psychotic episodes, suicide attempts, mixed symptoms or episodes, substance misuse comorbidity, and worse life functioning. Specifically, the number of ACEs had the most significant effect on clinical outcomes; however, specific ACEs, such as physical abuse, had a considerable influence. Moreover, post-childhood adverse experiences had a weaker effect on clinical outcomes than ACEs did. There was an association of ACEs with negative clinical outcomes in patients with BD. This indicates the importance of basic and clinical research on ACEs in patients with BD.

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Influence of Adverse Childhood Experiences and Perfectionism on Musician’s Dystonia: A Case Control Study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-618343/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Stine Alpheis ◽

Eckart Altenmuller ◽

Daniel Sebastian Scholz

Keyword(s):

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Musical Instrument ◽

Emotional Neglect ◽

Childhood Trauma Questionnaire ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

History Of ◽

Mediating Factor ◽

Control Study

Abstract Background: Musician’s dystonia (MD) is a task-specific movement disorder characterized by muscle cramps and impaired voluntary motor-control whilst playing a musical instrument. Recent studies suggest an involvement of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in the development of MD. Objectives: By investigating the prevalence of ACEs in MD patients with perfectionism as possible mediating factor this study aims to gain further insights into the etiology of MD.Methods: The Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale (ACE-S), the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and Frost’s Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) were answered by 128 MD patients and 136 healthy musicians. Regression and mediator analyses were conducted to identify relevant predictors of MD and to investigate the role of perfectionism.Results: The CTQ total score (OR: 1.04; 95% CI [1.01, 1.08]) and the sub-score “emotional neglect” (OR: 1.13; 95% CI [1.02, 1.25]) were identified as two predictors of MD. Patients scored significantly higher than healthy controls on the sub-score emotional neglect, but no significant differences were observed for other forms of ACEs. Perfectionism had no mediating function on the association between ACEs and MD and the two groups did not differ in their FMPS score.Conclusion: Emotional neglect in childhood seems to be a risk factor in the development of musician’s dystonia. A possible explanation for this association could be a lower stress resilience in musicians with a history of ACEs, which increases vulnerability to acquire dysfunctional movement patterns. Further research is needed to investigate underlying psychological and neurological mechanisms of this association.

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Tobacco smoking associated with adverse childhood experiences in a Brazilian community university sample: A case-control study

Children and Youth Services Review ◽

10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.105438 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 105438

Author(s):

Keyla Medeiros Maia-Silva ◽

Noe Zamel ◽

Peter Selby ◽

Cor Jesus Fernandes Fontes ◽

Ubiratan Paula Santos

Keyword(s):

Tobacco Smoking ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Case Control Study ◽

Case Control ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

Adverse Childhood ◽

Control Study

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Brain and pain: old assumptions and new science about chronic pain

BJPsych Advances ◽

10.1192/bja.2019.77 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 156-158

Author(s):

George Ikkos ◽

Parashar Pravin Ramanuj

Keyword(s):

Chronic Pain ◽

Nucleus Accumbens ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Adverse Childhood Experiences ◽

Gabaergic Neurons ◽

Behavioural Inhibition ◽

Childhood Experiences ◽

New Science ◽

Psychopharmacological Treatment ◽

Adverse Childhood

SUMMARYThe authors summarise the evolving understanding of the neuropsychophysiology of chronic pain, including the relevance of adverse childhood experiences in facilitating it and similarities between the central physiology of chronic pain and opioid addiction. Emerging understanding highlights the importance of dopamine-expressing GABAergic neurons in the nucleus accumbens and suggests that D1 expression is associated with a sense of pleasure and approach behaviour and D2 with a sense of punishment and behavioural inhibition. Regulation of D1 and D2 expression may be mediated by nigrostriatal and medial frontal striatal pathways within the increasingly understood brain as a ‘predictive’ organ. The distinction between the predictive brain and personal ‘expectations’ and the importance of the latter for clinical outcomes are emphasised. The relevance of findings for possible future psychopharmacological treatment avenues is also presented.

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