Differential Anxiety-Depression-CRP Network Structures Across Insomnia Severity Levels: Evidence From UK Biobank

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Computational Psychiatry

Background:

• Investigated the complex interplay between anxiety, depression symptoms, and C-reactive protein (CRP) across varying insomnia severity levels.
• Utilized network analysis to explore the structural relationships within these interconnected health indicators.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify core and bridge symptoms within the anxiety-depression-CRP network.
• To examine how network structure and symptom centrality differ across insomnia severity groups.
• To understand the influence of insomnia severity on the association between affective symptoms and inflammation.

Main Methods:

• Employed Gaussian graphical model network analysis with LASSO regularization on a large UK Biobank cohort (N=143,027).
• Assessed depression via PHQ-9 and anxiety via GAD-7, with CRP measured by high-sensitivity analysis.
• Categorized participants by insomnia frequency (never/rarely, sometimes, usually) and used Network Comparison Tests (NCTs).

Main Results:

• "Depressed mood" was the strongest centrality symptom, while "Irritability" had the highest bridge expected influence across all groups.
• "Depressed mood" was central in the never/rarely insomnia group, whereas "Uncontrollable worry" was central in other groups.
• Significant differences in global network strength and edge weights were found between never/rarely and usually insomnia groups, with stronger depression-CRP links in the latter.

Conclusions:

• "Depressed mood," "uncontrollable worry," and "irritability" are key targets for interventions addressing the anxiety-depression-CRP network.
• Insomnia severity significantly modulates the network structure, particularly strengthening the association between depressive symptoms and CRP in individuals with frequent insomnia.
• These findings highlight insomnia severity as a critical factor in the relationship between affective disorders and inflammatory processes.