Genome-wide association study of response to cognitive behavioural therapy in children with anxiety disorders

Coleman, J. R. I., Lester, K. J., Keers, R., Roberts, S., Curtis, C., Arendt, K., Bogels, S., Cooper, P., Creswell, C., Dalgleish, T., Hartman, C. A., Heiervang, E. R., Hotzel, K., Hudson, J. L., In-Albon, T., Lavallee, K., Lyneham, H. J., Marin, C. E., Meiser-Stedman, R., Morris, T., Nauta, M. H., Rapee, R. M., Schneider, S., Schneider, S. C., Silverman, W. K., Thastum, M., Thirlwall, K., Waite, P. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1967-8028, Wergeland, G. J., Breen, G. and Eley, T. C. (2016) Genome-wide association study of response to cognitive behavioural therapy in children with anxiety disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 209 (3). pp. 236-243. ISSN 1472-1465 doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.115.168229

Abstract/Summary

Background Anxiety disorders are common, and cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is a first-line treatment. Candidate gene studies have suggested a genetic basis to treatment response, but findings have been inconsistent. Aims To perform the first genome-wide association study (GWAS) of psychological treatment response in children with anxiety disorders (n = 980). Method Presence and severity of anxiety was assessed using semi-structured interview at baseline, on completion of treatment (post-treatment), and 3 to 12 months after treatment completion (follow-up). DNA was genotyped using the Illumina Human Core Exome-12v1.0 array. Linear mixed models were used to test associations between genetic variants and response (change in symptom severity) immediately post-treatment and at 6-month follow-up. Results No variants passed a genome-wide significance threshold (P = 5×10−8) in either analysis. Four variants met criteria for suggestive significance (P<5×10−6) in association with response post-treatment, and three variants in the 6-month follow-up analysis. Conclusions This is the first genome-wide therapygenetic study. It suggests no common variants of very high effect underlie response to CBT. Future investigations should maximise power to detect single-variant and polygenic effects by using larger, more homogeneous cohorts.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/51840
Identification Number/DOI	10.1192/bjp.bp.115.168229
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Department of Psychology Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Development Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Psychopathology and Affective Neuroscience Life Sciences > School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences > Anxiety and Depression in Young People (AnDY)
Publisher	Royal College of Psychiatrists
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