Language and mathematical problems as precursors of psychotic-like experiences and juvenile mania symptoms.
BACKGROUND
Psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) and juvenile mania in adolescence index risk for severe psychopathology in adulthood. The importance of childhood problems with communication, reading, speech and mathematics for the development of PLEs and juvenile mania is not well understood.


METHODS
Through the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden, we identified 5812 children. The parents were interviewed about their children's development at age 9 or 12 years. At age 15 or 18 years, children and parents completed questionnaires targeting current PLEs and juvenile mania symptoms. Logistic regressions were used to assess associations between problems with communication, reading, speech and mathematics and PLEs/juvenile mania symptoms. To evaluate the relative importance of genes and environment in these associations, we used bivariate twin analyses based on structural equation models.


RESULTS
Children with parent-endorsed childhood problems with communication, reading and mathematics had an increased risk of developing auditory hallucinations and parental-reported juvenile mania symptoms in adolescence. The most consistent finding was that children with childhood problems with communication, reading and mathematics had an increased risk of developing auditory hallucinations [for example, the risk for self-reported auditory hallucinations at age 15 was increased by 96% for children with communication problems: OR (odds ratio) 1.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.33-2.88]. The twin analyses showed that genetic effects accounted for the increased risk of PLEs and juvenile mania symptoms among children with communication problems.


CONCLUSIONS
Childhood problems with communication, reading and mathematics predict PLEs and juvenile mania symptoms in adolescence. Similar to the case for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, PLEs and juvenile mania may share genetic aetiological factors.
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
M
M
Cederlöf
Division of Speech and Language Pathology, Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
P
P
Ostberg
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
E
E
Pettersson
Department of Clinical Sciences, Forensic Psychiatry, Lund University, Sweden.
H
H
Anckarsäter
Section of Forensic Psychiatry, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
C
C
Gumpert
Centre for Ethics, Law and Mental Health (CELAM), University of Gothenburg, Sweden.
S
S
Lundström
Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
P
P
Lichtenstein
D000293:Adolescent; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003147:Communication Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D015897:Comorbidity; D004200:Diseases in Twins / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics; D060705:Dyscalculia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D004410:Dyslexia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000235:genetics; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology