Age at onset as an index of genetic heterogeneity in major psychiatric and substance use disorders.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Robust clinical indices of etiologic heterogeneity for psychiatric disorders are rare. We investigate whether age at onset (AAO) reflects genetic heterogeneity, utilizing Genetic Risk Ratios (GRR) derived from Family Genetic Risk Scores (FGRS).

Methods

We examined, in individuals born in Sweden 1940-2003, whether AAO for five primary disorders -- drug use disorder (DUD), alcohol use disorder (AUD), major depression (MD), bipolar disorder (BD), and schizophrenia (SZ)-- was associated with varying levels of GRRs with a range of informative secondary disorders and traits.

Results

Our disorders displayed a varying pattern of change of GRRs with increasing AAO. At one end was SZ, where all GRRs rose with increasing AAO meaning that SZ became increasing genetical

SUBMITTER: Kendler KS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11650156 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature