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Background: Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing emotions and associated with various psychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging studies found evidence for morphological and functional brain alterations in alexithymic subjects. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying alexithymia remain incompletely understood. Methods: We study the association of alexithymia with cortical correlation networks in a large community-dwelling sample of the Study of Health in Pomerania. Our analysis includes data of n = 2,199 individuals (49.4% females, age = 52.1 ± 13.6 years) which were divided into a low and high alexithymic group by a median split of the Toronto Alexithymia Scale. Cortical correlation networks were constructed based on the mean thicknesses of 68 regions, and differences in centralities were investigated. Results: We found a significantly increased centrality of the right paracentral lobule in the high alexithymia network after correction for multiple testing. Several other regions with motoric and sensory functions showed altered centrality on a nominally significant level. Conclusions: Finding increased centrality of the paracentral lobule, a brain area with sensory as well as motoric features and involvement in bowel and bladder voiding, may contribute to explain the association of alexithymia with functional somatic disorders and chronic pain syndromes.
Background: Depression and obesity are widespread and closely linked. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vitamin D are both assumed to be associated with depression and obesity. Little is known about the interplay between vitamin D and BDNF. We explored the putative associations and interactions between serum BDNF and vitamin D levels with depressive symptoms and abdominal obesity in a large population-based cohort. Methods: Data were obtained from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)-Trend (n = 3,926). The associations of serum BDNF and vitamin D levels with depressive symptoms (measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire) were assessed with binary and multinomial logistic regression models. The associations of serum BDNF and vitamin D levels with obesity (measured by the waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]) were assessed with binary logistic and linear regression models with restricted cubic splines. Results: Logistic regression models revealed inverse associations of vitamin D with depression (OR = 0.966; 95% CI 0.951–0.981) and obesity (OR = 0.976; 95% CI 0.967–0.985). No linear association of serum BDNF with depression or obesity was found. However, linear regression models revealed a U-shaped association of BDNF with WHR (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Vitamin D was inversely associated with depression and obesity. BDNF was associated with abdominal obesity, but not with depression. At the population level, our results support the relevant roles of vitamin D and BDNF in mental and physical health-related outcomes.
Background: Depression and obesity are widespread and closely linked. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and vitamin D are both assumed to be associated with depression and obesity. Little is known about the interplay between vitamin D and BDNF. We explored the putative associations and interactions between serum BDNF and vitamin D levels with depressive symptoms and abdominal obesity in a large population-based cohort. Methods: Data were obtained from the population-based Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP)-Trend (n = 3,926). The associations of serum BDNF and vitamin D levels with depressive symptoms (measured using the Patient Health Questionnaire) were assessed with binary and multinomial logistic regression models. The associations of serum BDNF and vitamin D levels with obesity (measured by the waist-to-hip ratio [WHR]) were assessed with binary logistic and linear regression models with restricted cubic splines. Results: Logistic regression models revealed inverse associations of vitamin D with depression (OR = 0.966; 95% CI 0.951–0.981) and obesity (OR = 0.976; 95% CI 0.967–0.985). No linear association of serum BDNF with depression or obesity was found. However, linear regression models revealed a U-shaped association of BDNF with WHR (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Vitamin D was inversely associated with depression and obesity. BDNF was associated with abdominal obesity, but not with depression. At the population level, our results support the relevant roles of vitamin D and BDNF in mental and physical health-related outcomes.
Hintergrund: Vorangehende Studien haben versucht, Subtypen der Zwangserkrankung in Hinblick auf das Ersterkrankungsalter zu identifizieren. In einigen Studien waren Zwangsstörungen mit Spektrumserkrankungen wie Tic-Störungen assoziiert. Spät- und Früherkrankung der Zwangsstörung sind in der Vergangenheit unterschiedlich definiert worden und zeigen heterogene biologische und klinische Besonderheiten. Diese Studie wurde durchgeführt, um die Subtypen der Zwangsstörung in unterschiedlichen Erkrankungsaltern zu differenzieren und um die Hypothese zu prüfen, ob unterschiedliche Erkrankungsalter mit unterschiedlichen Mustern an Komorbiditäten assoziiert sind. Methode: 252 Zwangsprobanden wurden in direkten Interviews untersucht mit dem halbstrukturierten Fragebogen der deutschen Übersetzung des SADS-LA (Schedule of Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia- Lifetime Anxiety Version), der nach DSM-IV adaptiert wurde für Zwangs-, Tic-, Tourette-, Ess-, Körperdysmorphe und Impulskontrollstörungen. Subgruppen mit unterschiedlichen Erkrankungsaltern aus der Literatur wurden untersucht mit Altersgrenzen im 10., 15. und 18. Lebensjahr. Ergebnisse: Probanden mit einem frühen Erkrankungsbeginn vor dem 10. Lebensjahr hatten eine erhöhte Auftretenswahrscheinlichkeit von neurologischen Erkrankungen (odds ratio (OR): 3,46; p=0,001; 95% Konfidenzintervall (KI) 1,72-6,96) – im Besonderen Tic- und Tourette-Störungen (OR: 4,63; p=0,002; 95% KI 1,78-12,05) – als Probanden, die nach dem 10. Lebensjahr an einer Zwangsstörung erkrankten. Schlussfolgerung: Für die meisten psychiatrischen Erkrankungen wie z.B. affektive Störungen und Angststörungen konnte keine altersabhängige Assoziation mit der Zwangsstörung identifiziert werden. Allerdings zeigte sich in der Früherkrankten-Gruppe (<=10. Lebensjahr) ein signifikanter Anstieg von komorbiden Tic- und Tourette-Störungen. Weitere Studien sind notwendig, um potentielle neurobiologische Besonderheiten der früherkrankten Zwangsstörung zu untersuchen. Frühe Diagnostik und Behandlung der Zwangsstörung und ihrer Komorbidität können die Einschränkung der Lebensqualität im späteren Verlauf verringern. Ebenso können sozioökonomische Belastungen vermindert werden. Eine akkurate Erfassung der Symptomatik ist notwendig, um die Forschung der Ätiologie und die Therapie der Zwangsstörung zu ermöglichen.
Background: The mechanism of how childhood trauma leads to increased risk for adult dissociation is not sufficiently understood. We sought to investigate the predicting effects and the putatively mediating roles of PTSD and alexithymia on the path from childhood trauma to adult dissociation. Methods: A total of 666 day-clinic outpatients were administered the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Posttraumatic Diagnostic Scale (PDS), and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES) and controlled for sex, age, and the Global Symptom Index (GSI). Linear regression analyses and mediation analyses were applied. Results: Independent predictive effects on dissociation were found for childhood trauma, alexithymia and PDS, even after adjusting for GSI. Effects of childhood neglect on dissociation were slightly stronger than of abuse. Alexithymia did not mediate the path from childhood trauma to dissociation. Mediation by PDS was specific for childhood abuse, with all PTSD symptom clusters being significantly involved. Conclusions: Childhood abuse and neglect are important predictors of dissociation. While the effects of abuse are mediated by PTSD, the mechanism of how neglect leads to dissociation remains unclear. The results further support the predictive value of alexithymia for adult dissociation above and beyond the effects of childhood trauma, PTSD, and GSI scores.
Childhood abuse was inconsistently related to whole-brain cortical thickness in former studies. However, both childhood abuse and cortical thickness have been associated with depressive symptoms. We hypothesised that childhood abuse moderates the association between depressive symptoms and cortical thickness. In 1551 individuals of the general population, associations between whole-brain cortical thickness and the interaction of childhood abuse (emotional, physical, and sexual) and depressive symptoms were analysed using an ANCOVA. Linear regression analyses were used to estimate the same effect on the cortical thickness of 34 separate regions (Desikan-Killiany-atlas). A significant interaction effect of childhood abuse and depressive symptoms was observed for whole-brain cortical thickness (F(2, 1534) = 5.28, p = 0.007). A thinner cortex was associated with depressive symptoms in abused (t value = 2.78, p = 0.025) but not in non-abused participants (t value = − 1.50, p = 0.224). Focussing on non-depressed participants, a thicker whole-brain cortex was found in abused compared to non-abused participants (t value = − 2.79, p = 0.025). Similar interaction effects were observed in 12 out of 34 cortical regions. Our results suggest that childhood abuse is associated with reduced cortical thickness in subjects with depressive symptoms. In abused subjects without depressive symptoms, larger cortical thickness might act compensatory and thus reflect resilience against depressive symptoms.