Causal relationship between psychiatric disorders and sensorineural hearing loss: A bidirectional two-sample...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Genetics
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Psychiatric disorders and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) are significant public health concerns.
• The etiological links between mental health conditions and hearing impairment remain incompletely understood.
• Investigating potential causal relationships is crucial for developing integrated treatment strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the potential causal relationships between major psychiatric disorders and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) using a robust genetic approach.
• To determine the directionality of these associations through bidirectional Mendelian randomization.
• To provide insights into the shared genetic or environmental factors influencing both conditions.

Main Methods:

• Utilized bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.
• Employed summary statistics from large genome-wide association studies for schizophrenia (SCH), bipolar disorder (BD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and SNHL.
• Applied inverse-variance weighted (IVW) method as primary analysis, with sensitivity analyses for robustness.

Main Results:

• Schizophrenia (SCH) demonstrated a significant inverse causal association with SNHL risk (OR=0.949, P=0.005).
• Bipolar disorder (BD) showed a significant positive causal association with SNHL incidence (OR=1.145, P=0.005).
• No significant causal links were found between major depressive disorder (MDD) and SNHL, nor for SNHL influencing BD or MDD.

Conclusions:

• The etiological relationship between psychiatric disorders and SNHL is heterogeneous.
• SCH is inversely associated with SNHL susceptibility, suggesting a protective effect.
• BD is associated with an increased risk of SNHL, highlighting a potential comorbidity requiring attention.