Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Statistical Genetic Approaches To Investigate Genotype-By-Environment Interaction: Review And Novel Extension Of Models, Vincent P. Diego, Eron G. Manusov, Marcio Almeida, Sandra Laston, David Ortiz, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Statistical genetic models of genotype-by-environment (G×E) interaction can be divided into two general classes, one on G×E interaction in response to dichotomous environments (e.g., sex, disease-affection status, or presence/absence of an exposure) and the other in response to continuous environments (e.g., physical activity, nutritional measurements, or continuous socioeconomic measures). Here we develop a novel model to jointly account for dichotomous and continuous environments. We develop the model in terms of a joint genotype-by-sex (for the dichotomous environment) and genotype-by-social determinants of health (SDoH; for the continuous environment). Using this model, we show how a depression variable, as measured by the …

Texas Youth Depression And Suicide Research Network (Tx-Ydsrn) Research Registry And Learning Healthcare Network: Rationale, Design, And Baseline Characteristics, Madhukar H. Trivedi, Abu Minhajuddin, Holli Slater, Regina Baronia, Joseph C. Blader, Jamon Blood, Ryan Brown, Cynthia Claassen, Melissa Defilippis, Cynthia Garza

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Highlights

• TX-YDSRN will improve understanding of youth with depression and suicidal behaviors.

• TX-YDSRN consists of the UT Southwestern Network Hub and 12 medical school “Nodes”.

• The Research Registry will follow 2500 Texas youth for 2 years.

• This report includes the first 1000 youth enrolled in the Research Registry study.

Abstract

Background

American youth are seriously impacted by depression and suicide. The Texas Youth Depression and Suicide Research Network (TX-YDSRN) Participant Registry Study was initiated in 2020 to develop predictive models for treatment outcomes in youth with depression and/or suicidality. This report presents the study rationale, design and baseline characteristics of …

Gene-By-Environment Interaction In Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease And Depression: The Role Of Hepatic Transaminases, Eron G. Manusov, Vincent P. Diego, Edward Abrego, Kathryn Herklotz, Marcio A. Almeida, Xi Mao, Sandra L. Laston, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a range of liver conditions, from benign fatty accumulation to severe fibrosis. The global prevalence of NAFLD has risen to 25-30%, with variations across ethnic groups. NAFLD may advance to hepatocellular carcinoma, increases cardiovascular risk, is associated with chronic kidney disease, and is an independent metabolic disease risk factor. Assessment methods for liver health include liver biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE by FibroScan). Hepatic transaminases are cost-effective and minimally invasive liver health assessment methods options.

This study focuses on the interaction between genetic factors underlying the traits (hepatic transaminases …

The Difficulty In The Diagnosis And Management Of Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome, Sidney Charm D. Reyes

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background: Antidepressant discontinuation syndrome (ADS) is a condition that occurs in about 20% of patients following the abrupt reduction/stoppage of any antidepressant medication that has been taken continuously for at least one month.

Case Presentation: We present a 36-year-old Hispanic woman who initially presented for evaluation of flu-like symptoms (subjective fever, rhinorrhea) and worsening body aches, trouble sleeping, and headaches for the past three days. She also reported recent exposure to a sick co-worker. Rapid flu, strep, and COVID tests came back negative. Pt was diagnosed with a viral URI and was discharged with counseling on supportive treatment. The patient …

Bioenergetics And Neuroimaging Research: A Neuropathophysiological Linkage In The Setting Of Cocaine Use Amongst Persons With Hiv, Cory J. White, Karl Goodkin

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Despite innovations in antiretroviral therapy (ART) that have transformed HIV infection from an acute illness with high mortality risk into a chronic, largely manageable disease, the viral reservoir that persists in brain continues to pose a risk for neurocognitive impairment and other deleterious clinical outcomes. ART regimens can inhibit viral integration and suppress replication to nondetectable levels in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) but do not eliminate viral reservoirs, including that in brain ^[1]. Moreover, HIV transcripts within CSF cells have been associated with brain injury despite suppressive ART ^[2]. Comorbid HIV and cocaine use exacerbates brain atrophy …

The Comorbidity Of Depression And Neurocognitive Disorder In Persons With Hiv Infection: Call For Investigation And Treatment, Karl Goodkin, Teresa H. Evering, Albert M. Anderson, Ann Ragin, Cynthia L. Monaco, Christina Gavegnano, Ryan J. Avery, Sean B. Rourke, Lucette A. Cysique, Bruce J. Brew

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Depression and neurocognitive disorder continue to be the major neuropsychiatric disorders affecting persons with HIV (PWH). The prevalence of major depressive disorder is two to fourfold higher among PWH than the general population (∼6.7%). Prevalence estimates of neurocognitive disorder among PWH range from 25 to over 47% – depending upon the definition used (which is currently evolving), the size of the test battery employed, and the demographic and HIV disease characteristics of the participants included, such as age range and sex distribution. Both major depressive disorder and neurocognitive disorder also result in substantial morbidity and premature mortality. However, though anticipated …

Symptoms Of Depression And Anxiety And Subsequent Use Of Nicotine And Thc In Electronic Cigarettes, Stephanie Clendennen, Jacob Smith, Aslesha Sumbe, Baojiang Chen, Anna Wilkinson

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Background: This study examines whether symptoms of depression, anxiety, or comorbid depression and anxiety are associated with future use of nicotine or THC in e-cigarettes.

Methods: Data were from an online survey of youth and young adults in urban areas of Texas with complete data (n = 2,307) in spring 2019 (baseline) and spring 2020 (12-month follow-up). Multivariable logistic regression models examined associations between self-reported symptoms of depression, anxiety, or comorbid depression and anxiety at baseline and past 30-day e-cigarette use with nicotine or THC at 12-month follow-up. Analyses adjusted for baseline demographics and baseline past 30-day e-cigarette, combustible tobacco, …

Homicidal Ideation And Psychiatric Comorbidities In The Inpatient Adolescents Aged 12–17, Ching-Fang Sun, Zeeshan Mansuri, Chintan Trivedi, Ramu Vadukapuram, Abhishek Reddy

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objectives: Adolescents with a homicidal tendency is a growing concern in the United States. Studies in the past have showcased the relationship between homicidal ideation (HI) and psychiatric illnesses, but very limited information is available on the adolescent and inpatient population. We aim to evaluate the prevalence of demographic characteristics and psychiatric disorders in adolescents with and without HI.

Materials and methods: Adolescent (age 12–17) population admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of homicidal ideation was identified from the 2016–2018 National Inpatient Sample Dataset (NISD). Patients without HI were defined as the control group. The prevalence of psychiatric comorbidities …

Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease And Depression: Evidence For Genotype × Environment Interaction In Mexican Americans, Eron G. Manusov, Vincent P. Diego, Khalid Sheikh, Sandra Laston, John Blangero, Sarah Williams-Blangero

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

This study examines the impact of G × E interaction effects on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among Mexican Americans in the Rio Grande Valley (RGV) of South Texas. We examined potential G × E interaction using variance components models and likelihood-based statistical inference in the phenotypic expression of NAFLD, including hepatic steatosis and hepatic fibrosis (identified using vibration controlled transient elastography and controlled attenuation parameter measured by the FibroScan Device). We screened for depression using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). We identified significant G × E interactions for hepatic fibrosis × BDI-II. These findings provide evidence that genetic factors …

College Students’ Well-Being During The Covid-19 Pandemic: A Systematic Review Of The Literature, Michaela Q. Iglesia, Ming-Tsan Lu

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Studies have shown increased levels of distress during the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic, and college students are becoming more recognized as a vulnerable population. This narrative systematic review aims to synthesize the current understanding of mental health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic impacts that the pandemic had on college students in the United States. A search was conducted on PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science. A total of 34 observational studies were included which examined aspects of college students’ health and experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. A great deal of students was shown to experience a moderate level …

Serotonergic Therapy In Epilepsy, Frank Gilliam, Hrvoje Hećimović, Matthew S. Gentry

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Purpose of review

The serotonergic system is implicated in multiple aspects of epilepsy, including seizure susceptibility, sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), and comorbid depression. Despite the complexity of serotonin’s effects on various neuronal networks, ongoing research provides considerable insight into the role of serotonin in human epilepsy. This review explores the potential roles of serotonergic therapies to improve clinical outcomes in epilepsy.

Recent findings

In recent decades research has markedly increased our knowledge of the diverse effects of serotonin on brain function. Animal models of epilepsy have identified the influence of serotonin on seizure threshold in specific brain regions, …

Effects Of Environmental Enrichment In Maternally Separated Rats: Age And Sex-Specific Outcomes, Raura J. Doreste-Mendez, Efraín J. Ríos-Ruiz, Leslie L. Rivera-Lopez, Alfredo Gutierrez

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Maternal separation (MS) early in life is related to an increase in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors and neurobiological alterations mostly related to alterations in hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been used to ameliorate the effects of MS. However, the outcomes of this intervention at different developmental periods after MS have not been studied. We subjected male and female Sprague-Dawley pups to MS and subsequently compared the effects of EE started either in the pre-pubertal period [postnatal day (PND) 22] or adulthood (PND 78). Anxiety and depressive-like behaviors as well as in hippocampal synaptic density and …

Use Of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation For Depression, Sukaina Rizvi, Ali M. Khan

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a research tool with various effects on brain cells, can depolarize cerebral neurons noninvasively. This method offers temporal and spatial resolution and can be combined with other neurocognitive and neuro-experimental techniques. Prefrontal TMS therapy repeated daily for four to six weeks is a neuromodulation technique approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of major depressive disorder (MDD) in patients resistant to medications. This technique utilizes electromagnetic induction to excite neuronal cells. Several recent studies have enhanced our understanding of this novel treatment intervention. This report reviews recent studies on the mechanism of …

A Review Of The Mechanism Of Antagonism Of N-Methyl-D-Aspartate Receptor By Ketamine In Treatment-Resistant Depression, Yasar Sattar, John Wilson, Ali M. Khan, Mahwish Adnan, Daniel Azzopardi Larios, Shristi Shrestha, Quazi Rahman, Zeeshan Mansuri, Ali Hassan, Nirav B. Patel

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

The biochemical processes involved in depression go beyond serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. The N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor has a major role in the neurophysiology of depression. Ketamine, one of the prototypical NMDA antagonists, works rapidly in controlling depressive symptoms, including acutely suicidal behavior, by just a single injection. Ketamine may rapidly increase the glutamate levels and lead to structural neuronal changes. Increased neuronal dendritic growth may contribute to synaptogenesis and an increase in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Activation of the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR), as well as increased levels of BDNF, may increase long-term potentiation and result in an improvement …

Ovarian Hormones Modify Anxiety Behavior And Glucocorticoid Receptors After Chronic Social Isolation Stress, Dinah L. Ramos-Ortolaza, Raura J. Doreste-Mendez, John K. Alvarado-Torres, Annelyn Torres-Reveron

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Chronic social isolation could lead to a disruption in the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, resulting in anxiety and depressive-like behaviors but cycling estrogens could modify these behaviors. The aim of this study was to determine if changes in ovarian hormones during the normal cycle could interact with social isolation to alter anxiety and depressive-like behaviors. In parallel, we examined the expression of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and synaptic vesicle protein synaptophysin in the hippocampus and hypothalamus of Sprague Dawley normal cycling female rats. We assigned rats to either isolated or paired housing for 8 weeks. To assess anxiety and depressive-like behaviors, we …

Prevalence And Incidence Rates Of Dementia And Cognitive Impairment No Dementia In The Mexican Population: Data From The Mexican Health And Aging Study, Silvia Mejía-Arango, Luis Miguel Gutierrez

School of Medicine Publications and Presentations

Objective

To estimate the prevalence and incidence of dementia and cognitive impairment without dementia (CIND) in the Mexican population.

Methods

The MHAS study is a prospective panel study of health and aging in Mexico with 7,000 elders that represent 8 million subjects nationally. Using measurements of cognition and activities of daily living of dementia cases and CIND were identified at baseline and follow up. Overall incidence rates and specific rates for sex, age and education were calculated.

Results

Prevalence was 6.1% and 28.7% for dementia and CIND, respectively. Incidence rates were 27.3 per 1,000 person-years for dementia and 223 per …