title: Preliminary study of anxiety symptoms, family dysfunction, and the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met genotype in offspring of parents with bipolar disorder.
abstract: Several genetic and environmental factors place youth offspring of parents with bipolar disorder (BD) at high risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders. Recent studies suggest that anxiety symptoms, even at subclinical levels, have been associated with an increased risk for developing BD. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene has been implicated in the pathophysiology of both BD and anxiety disorders. We aimed to explore whether anxiety in BD offspring was associated with the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism. 64 BD offspring (mean age: 13.73 (S.D. 3.45) M = 30, F = 34) and 51 HC (mean age: 13.68 (S.D. 2.68) M = 23, F = 28) were compared on presence of the met allele and on scores from the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). To assess family function, we used the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales (FACES-IV). The Baron & Kenny method was the statistical approach used to examine the moderating effects between variables. BD offspring showed higher levels of overall anxiety than did the HC group. BD offspring with the val/val genotype showed higher levels of anxiety than BD offspring with other genotypes. No significant levels of anxiety or its association with BDNF genotype were found in the HC group. BD offspring group showed significantly more family dysfunction when compared with the HC group and the family dysfunction moderated the association between the BDNF genotype and anxiety symptoms. This study demonstrated the potential interplay of three factors: BD offspring, anxiety symptoms and family dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea, St. Vincent Hospital, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Min-Hyeon
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kiki D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Joachim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hallmayer
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Meghan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Howe
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Institute of Behavioral Science in Medicine, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eunjoo
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, The Catholic University of Korea, St. Vincent Hospital, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: mksingh@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Manpreet K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000235:genetics*; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000235:genetics*; D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D005190:Family / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019208:Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
keywords: Anxiety; Brain-derived neurotrophic factor; Gene–environment interaction; Pediatric bipolar; Risk