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Sleep disturbance and psychiatric disorders: a bidirectional Mendelian randomisation study
Xiaohui Sun1, Bin Liu1, Sitong Liu1
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou310053, China.
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences
|April 25, 2022
Summary
Genetically predicted insomnia causally increases the risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, major depressive disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder. These findings highlight sleep disturbance as a potential causal factor in psychiatric disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatric Genomics
- Sleep Medicine
- Genetic Epidemiology
Background:
- Sleep disturbance is implicated in psychiatric disorders, but its causal role remains unclear.
- Distinguishing cause from effect is crucial for understanding and treating mental health conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bidirectional causal relationships between sleep traits (insomnia, chronotype, sleep duration) and major psychiatric disorders.
- To leverage genetic data and Mendelian randomization to infer causality.
Main Methods:
- Two-sample bidirectional Mendelian randomization analysis using genetic variants for insomnia, chronotype, and sleep duration.
- Utilized summary-level data from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium for seven psychiatric disorders.
- Employed multiple statistical methods including IVW, MR-Egger, and MR-PRESSO for robust analysis.
Main Results:
- Genetically predicted insomnia showed a causal effect on increased risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Morning chronotype was suggestively inversely associated with MDD and schizophrenia risk.
- Conversely, PTSD and MDD were associated with an increased risk of insomnia.
Conclusions:
- Findings support a potential causal link between sleep disturbances and the development of psychiatric disorders.
- Abnormal sleep patterns may serve as significant biomarkers for psychiatric conditions.
- This research opens avenues for novel prevention and management strategies in psychiatry.
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