The following is a summary of “Factor analysis of lifetime psychopathology and its brain morphometric and genetic correlates in a transdiagnostic sample,” published in the June 2024 issue of Psychiatry by Krug et al.
Understanding the connection between dimensional psychopathological syndromes and their underlying causes across various psychiatric disorders is lacking.
Researchers conducted a prospective study exploring the relationship of psychopathological factors in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Bipolar Disorder (BD), Schizoaffective Disorder (SZA), and Schizophrenia (SZ).
They assessed 1,038 patients for lifetime psychopathology using the OPerational CRITeria (OPCRIT) system, meeting DSM-IV-TR criteria for MDD, BD, SZ, or SZA. The patients were split into 2 samples for exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The MRI scans were conducted on all patients, and data were analyzed using the CAT-12 toolbox in SPM12. The psychopathological factors scores were correlated with gray matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness (CT). Exploratory genetic analyses were performed, including genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and polygenic risk score (PRS) association analyses.
The results showed 3 factors, paranoid-hallucinatory syndrome (PHS), Mania (MA), and Depression (DE), were identified and cross-validated. The PHS showed negative correlations with specific brain regions, including parts of the hippocampus, amygdala, angular, middle occipital, and middle frontal gyri. The PHS was negatively associated with the bilateral superior temporal, left parietal operculum, and right angular gyrus CT. No significant brain correlates were observed for the two other psychopathological factors. Genome-wide significant associations were found for MA and DEP. PRS for MDD and SZ had a positive effect on PHS, while BD had a positive effect on all 3 factors.
Investigators concluded that understanding how lifetime psychopathological factors related to brain structure and genetic markers. Using dimensional approaches in psychiatric research can provide valuable insights beyond standard diagnostic categories.
Source: nature.com/articles/s41398-024-02936-6
