Incorporating causal inference perspectives into psychoneuroimmunology: A simulation study highlighting concerns about controlling for adiposity in immunopsychiatry.

ABSTRACT: Psychoneuroimmunology and immunopsychiatry are quickly approaching a critical point where the clinical translatability of their evidence base will be tested. To maximize chances for translational success, we believe researchers must adopt causal inference techniques that augment the causal relevance of estimates given theorized causal structures. To illustrate the utility of incorporating causal inference perspectives into psychoneuroimmunology, we applied directed acyclic graphs and a combination of empirical and simulated data to demonstrate the consequences of controlling for adiposity when testing the association between inflammation and depression under the plausible causal structure of increases in adipose tissue leading to greater inflammation that in turn promotes depression. Effec

SUBMITTER: Moriarity DP 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11225100 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature