Autoimmune disease(s) and ADHD: birds of a feather?

"A personal history and a maternal history of autoimmune disease were associated with an increased risk of ADHD [attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder]. The previously reported association between type 1 diabetes and ADHD was confirmed. In addition, specific parental autoimmune diseases were associated with ADHD in offspring."

So said the study results published by Nielsen and colleagues [1] including "a study population of 983,680 individuals followed from 1995 to 2012." Reliant once again on one/some of those marvellous Scandinavian population registries (every country should have them), researchers "investigated the association between a personal history and a family history of autoimmune disease and the risk of developing attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)." Autoimmune disease refers to the development of symptoms when the body's own immune system fails to recognise 'self' as 'self' and starts attacking its own tissue(s). I might add that the authors on the Neilsen paper have some research history when it comes to the behavioural correlates of autoimmune disease (see here).

Drawing on data for around 23,000 children diagnosed with ADHD, researchers reported a modest but significant 'risk' of ADHD being diagnosed where an autoimmune condition was reported. The presence of an autoimmune condition being diagnosed in mums also elevated the risk of offspring being diagnosed with ADHD (again modestly but significantly). Further: "a paternal history of autoimmune diseases was not significantly associated with ADHD in the offspring." Various types of autoimmune disease in the immediate family were potentially associated with offspring ADHD diagnosis: "a family history of thyrotoxicosis, type 1 diabetes, autoimmune hepatitis, psoriasis, and ankylosing spondylitis." This follows other population registry studies in this area [2].

Based on the Nielsen and other data, I don't yet think we're in the realm of calling something as diverse as ADHD an autoimmune condition on the basis that autoimmune conditions tend to 'flock together' [3]. But I do think this adds to a growing body of literature talking about immune function and ADHD (see here for example) and some quite 'strong' data (see here). Hopefully without being too speculative, I'd also draw your attention to some interesting work talking about some possible reasons why autoimmunity might be over-represented when it comes to [some] ADHD on the basis of the expression of those fossil viruses that we all have and their 'super-antigen' and 'molecular mimicry' properties. Just one possibility among many...

Music: Nana Mouskouri sings Hey Jude...

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[1] Nielsen PR. et al. Associations Between Autoimmune Diseases and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Nationwide Study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2017 Mar;56(3):234-240.e1.

[2] Instanes JT. et al. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Offspring of Mothers With Inflammatory and Immune System Diseases. Biol Psychiatry. 2017 Mar 1;81(5):452-459.

[3] Assa A. et al. Large population study shows that adolescents with celiac disease have an increased risk of multiple autoimmune and non-autoimmune comorbidities. Acta Paediatr. 2017 Mar 1.

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Nielsen PR, Benros ME, & Dalsgaard S (2017). Associations Between Autoimmune Diseases and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Nationwide Study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 56 (3), 234-2400 PMID: 28219489

The extra-intestinal effects of coeliac disease autoimmunity?

"In 3.5-year-old children, CDA [coeliac disease autoimmunity] is associated with increased reports of child depression and anxiety, aggressive behavior, and sleep problems when mothers are unaware of their child’s CDA status."

So said the findings reported by Laura Smith and colleagues [1] (open-access available here) adding to an emerging body of peer-reviewed research suggesting that the archetypal 'gluten is the baddie' autoimmune condition known as coeliac disease might, when not managed, have effects well beyond the classical somatic presentations. Real gut-brain axis stuff in action, as also agreed in an editorial by the 'godfather' of coeliac disease research Prof. Alessio Fasano [2].

Smith et al focused on data derived from the TEDDY study (no, really it was called TEDDY), an initiative "looking for the causes of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM)." T1DM is also categorised as an autoimmune condition, where the body's defences fail to recognise 'self' as 'self' and attack it's own tissues. Researchers were able to access biological samples taken as part of the TEDDY study and screen for something called tissue transglutaminase autoantibodies (tTGA), part and parcel of the typical screening protocol for coeliac disease (CD). Where values were "persistently positive" for tTGA, the authors used the term 'celiac disease autoimmunity (CDA)' to illustrate not necessarily a diagnosis of CD but something potentially very close. The Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was the questionnaire of choice for assessing child "behavioral and emotional functioning" between 3 and 5 years of age.

Results: "At 3.5 years, 66 mothers unaware their child had CDA reported more child anxiety and depression, aggressive behavior, and sleep problems than 3651 mothers of children without CDA." The 'unaware' bit refers to the fact that some participants falling into the CDA grouping "were unaware their child was developing CDA" This number (n=66) was quite a bit smaller than the "already aware their child had CDA" grouping (n=440). For those aware of CDA: "The CBCL responses of mothers in the aware-CDA group were not significantly different from those of mothers in the no-CDA group."

The authors also looked at whether instigation of a gluten-free diet (the treatment of choice when it comes to coeliac disease) had any effect on those who were already aware of CDA presence. The answer: "No differences were found in CBCL scores for aware-CDA mothers based on whether the child was on a gluten-free diet."

These are important findings. As the authors note: "These results support previous studies documenting depression, anxiety, and sleep problems as possible manifestations of celiac disease." They also try and put their results into some context in terms of how "knowledge of the child’s CDA increases a parent’s sensitivity to physical discomforts of their child while providing an alternative explanation for any psychological symptoms the child exhibits." In other words, maybe there is an unwritten rule that young children with coeliac disease might be more prone to behavioural issues? They even go as far as suggesting that: "pediatricians may want to recommend tTGA testing in children <4 years of age with a family history of celiac disease if parents report child psychological symptoms."  More research is definitely indicated and I'll be coming to related studies soon enough...

Music, and a catchy track that always seems to be playing outside my dojo (not great for the concentration I might add)...

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[1] Smith LB. et al. Psychological Manifestations of Celiac Disease Autoimmunity in Young Children. Pediatrics. 2017 Feb 20. pii: e20162848.

[2] Fasano A. Celiac Disease, Gut-Brain Axis, and Behavior: Cause, Consequence, or Merely Epiphenomenon? Pediatrics. 2017. Feb 20.

[3] Butwicka A. et al. Celiac Disease Is Associated with Childhood Psychiatric Disorders: A Population-Based Study. J Pediatr. 2017 Mar 7. pii: S0022-3476(17)30153-1.

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Smith LB, Lynch KF, Kurppa K, Koletzko S, Krischer J, Liu E, Johnson SB, Agardh D, & TEDDY study group. (2017). Psychological Manifestations of Celiac Disease Autoimmunity in Young Children. Pediatrics PMID: 28219962

Depression in parents of children with autism

"Mothers (OR 2.95, 95% CI 2.81-3.09) and fathers (OR 2.41, 95% CI 2.25-2.58) of children with ASD [autism spectrum disorder] were more likely to have a diagnosis of depression than parents of children without ASD."

The paper by Cohrs and Leslie [1] is probably not going to win any awards for novelty when it comes to their findings that: "Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in children can have secondary effects on the child's parents." It does however represent another important piece of evidence pertinent to the idea that 'caring for the carers' should be a mainstay of the support and services offered when a diagnosis of autism is received in the family.

I did say in a post not so long ago that I would talk about the Cohrs/Leslie paper and there, I [briefly] have. Added to the body of literature talking about parental stress (and what we can do about it) in the context of autism, resources aplenty should be poured into this area. That and the fact that we already have some clues as to what areas of child rearing might be primary targets for intervention and support....

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[1] Cohrs AC. & Leslie DL. Depression in Parents of Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Claims-Based Analysis. J Autism Dev Disord. 2017 Feb 18.

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Cohrs AC, & Leslie DL (2017). Depression in Parents of Children Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Claims-Based Analysis. Journal of autism and developmental disorders PMID: 28214978

Mitochondria support for mitochondrial activity in [some] autism

"This study examined the effect of common mitochondrial treatments on specific mitochondrial components in a group of children diagnosed with ASD [autism spectrum disorder], some of which also were diagnosed with co-morbid mitochondrial disease."

That was the premise of the study results published by Leanna Delhey and colleagues [1] (open-access available here) and follows previous discussions suggesting that mitochondrial disease might not be totally unfamiliar to at least some autism (see here). Including some notable names on the authorship list previously linked to the area of mitochondrial functions in relation to autism (see here), the authors provide some important information about how specific mitochondrial function might be 'supported' by various interventions.

I'm not on this occasion going to venture into all the details discussed by Delhey but I do want to pick out some interesting titbits. First, of the 127 children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), we are told that "15% of the sample was clinically diagnosed with mitochondrial disease." Bearing in mind this particular cohort might not be totally representative of the autistic population at large, 15% is not an insignificant figure. What this tells us is that as and when a diagnosis of autism is received, screening for a possible mitochondrial disorder should be initiated (yes, an autism diagnosis is a starting point not the finishing line and the diagnosis rarely exists in a diagnostic vacuum).

Next, various supplements were taken by participants, some of which have recognised effects on mitochondrial functions. Of particular note was the use of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and carnitine; both of which have been discussed on this blog previously (see here and see here respectively) with the word 'mitochondrial' also being mentioned. Interestingly, a couple of other supplements are also included in the Delhey paper including fatty acids and folate; some of which I have to say, didn't immediately pop into my mind as being primarily mitochondrial-related (folate is though, still a hot topic when it comes to autism). The authors head into how said supplements might affect specific facets of mitochondrial function. It also reminded me that I really need to brush up on my knowledge of mitochondrial functions...

"This study provides empirical support for common mitochondrial treatments and demonstrates that the relationship between activities of mitochondrial components might be a marker to follow in addition to absolute activities." I'd agree that there is the beginnings of a roadmap for further study based on the Delhey results. That and including important parameters related to the presentation of autism and how it may/may not be affected by treating underlying mitochondrial disorder, and the scene is set for further recognition of how indeed, autism rarely exists in a diagnostic vacuum...

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[1] Delhey LM. et al. The Effect of Mitochondrial Supplements on Mitochondrial Activity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Clin Med. 2017 Feb 13;6(2). pii: E18.

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Delhey LM, Nur Kilinc E, Yin L, Slattery JC, Tippett ML, Rose S, Bennuri SC, Kahler SG, Damle S, Legido A, Goldenthal MJ, & Frye RE (2017). The Effect of Mitochondrial Supplements on Mitochondrial Activity in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Journal of clinical medicine, 6 (2) PMID: 28208802

B vitamins for schizophrenia?

I'd like to briefly draw your attention to the results - systematic review and meta-analysis results - published by Joseph Firth and colleagues [1] observing that "certain vitamin and mineral supplements may reduce psychiatric symptoms in some people with schizophrenia" and specifically that certain B vitamins might be something to consider.

Such results come from a research team who are making significant waves in the field of meta-analyses and systematic reviews for all manner of different [important] topics. The additional inclusion of one Jerome Sarris to the authorship team adds a 'nutritional medicine as mainstream in psychiatry' touch to proceedings.

Drawing on data from 18 clinical trials - randomized controlled trials (RCTs) - cumulatively including over 800 participants, researchers reported that: "vitamin B supplementation (including B6, B8 and B12) reduced psychiatric symptoms significantly more than control conditions." Dose seemed to be important (higher doses appeared to be more effective than lower doses) as did timing of vitamin 'intervention'. Authors also indicated that subgroups of people with schizophrenia might be 'better responders' to this type of intervention, suggesting that either individual genetic differences or possibly nutritional deficiency before intervention might count in terms of effectiveness of B vitamin use. I was wondering whether those last points might tie into other discussions on this blog referencing genotype, B vitamins and [some] schizophrenia (see here).

In the context of the rise and rise of plurality in psychiatry ('the schizophrenias' and 'schizophrenia does not exist: discuss') there are some important research directions to be followed on the basis of the Firth findings. Identifying those people on the schizophrenia spectrum who might be potential best responders to this type of nutritional intervention is a research priority. Closely followed by further investigations on the hows-and-whys of such intervention potentially being useful. In that final respect, the peer-reviewed literature has already provided a few ideas for starters (see here and see here for examples).

To close, "I've got a good idea..."

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[1] Firth J. et al. The effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on symptoms of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine. 2017. Feb 16.

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Firth J, Stubbs B, Sarris J, Rosenbaum S, Teasdale S, Berk M, & Yung AR (2017). The effects of vitamin and mineral supplementation on symptoms of schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological medicine, 1-13 PMID: 28202095

I would walk 500 miles... or maybe just 8 miles (a day).

"Desk-bound workers should ‘walk EIGHT miles a day’ to slash risk of heart attacks or stroke" went one headline talking about the findings reported by William Tigbe and colleagues [1]. Drawing on data from over 110 postal workers - "(55 office-workers, 5 women, and 56 walking/delivery-workers, 10 women)" - who wore "activPAL physical activity monitors for seven days", researchers observed some potentially important trends.

Alongside wearing their activity monitors, participants were also assessed on the basis of weight, height, and blood pressure; also providing blood samples pertinent to analyses for cholesterol and triglycerides. Such collected data were used to assess cardiovascular risk based on the PROCAM risk calculator.

Results: those who were described as office workers and had a 'desk job' were generally larger at the waist and showed a slightly larger body mass index (BMI) score. They were also deemed to have an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease (over 10 years) compared with the walking/delivery workers. These observations were discussed in terms of the sedentary behaviours associated with their desk job. By contrast, those who delivered post (i.e. were active for large parts of the day) fared quite a bit better than their desk-bound colleagues, bearing in mind that all study participants were fairly healthy to begin with in terms of being non-smokers for example and not being in current receipt of blood pressure or glucose lowering medicines at time of study.

The 'walk 8 miles a day' headline that followed the Tigbe study was derived from the observation(s) that: "Those with no metabolic syndrome features walked >15 000 steps/day, or spent >7 h/day upright." Metabolic syndrome refers to a collection of symptoms - "a combination of diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity" - that increases the risk of adverse events associated with cardiovascular (dys)function. It seems that being active, or at least not being sedentary, is important for our health - a shocker indeed!

I've covered some of the other research in this area before (see here and see here for examples) and so the Tigbe results really don't come as a surprise. The strengths of the study are multiple in terms of objective measuring of activity (not reliant on the 'how much activity/exercise did you do today' type questionnaires) and all those biochemical measurements taken for participants to complement such findings. Yes, the sample size is OK but not particularly large and yes, these were pretty healthy participants to start with, but the results are nonetheless important.

Obviously one has to be a little careful so as not to imply that being active is the only thing that leads to good health and wellbeing. Science has already heard about how 'you can't outrun a bad diet' [2] and for some people, walking 15,000 steps every day or even standing up for 7 hours a day is going to be a big ask. But as part of a package of 'interventions' to potentially ward off metabolic syndrome or related issues [3], the idea that we should all be quite a bit more active is one that really should be given a lot more consideration...

Music to close, and with the title to this post, what else could I offer?

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[1] Tigbe WW. et al. Time spent in sedentary posture is associated with waist circumference and cardiovascular risk. Int J Obes (Lond). 2017 Jan 31.

[2] Malhotra A. et al. It is time to bust the myth of physical inactivity and obesity: you cannot outrun a bad diet. Br J Sports Med. 2015 Aug;49(15):967-8.

[3] Alexander DD. et al. A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials and Prospective Cohort Studies of Eicosapentaenoic and Docosahexaenoic Long-Chain Omega-3 Fatty Acids and Coronary Heart Disease Risk. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2017; 92: 15-29.

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Tigbe WW, Granat MH, Sattar N, & Lean ME (2017). Time spent in sedentary posture is associated with waist circumference and cardiovascular risk. International journal of obesity (2005) PMID: 28138134