Association of branched-chain amino acids with major depressive disorder: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Recent studies have linked branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) metabolism with the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, it is unclear whether associations of plasma BCAA levels with MDD are causal or driven by reverse causality.

Methods: Mendelian randomization (MR) was used to investigate the causal association of genetically determined BCAA levels with the risk of MDD.

Opposite causal effects of type 2 diabetes and metformin on Alzheimer's disease.

Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is commonly co-morbid with Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, it remains unclear whether T2D itself or the antidiabetic drug metformin contributes to the progression of AD.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the overall and independent effects of T2D and metformin use on the risk of AD.

Evaluating the causal effects of circulating metabolic biomarkers on Alzheimer's disease.

Background: The diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is challenging due to the complexity of its pathogenesis. Although research suggests a link between circulating metabolites and AD, their causal relationship is not fully understood.

Methods: Based on publicly available genome-wide association study data, we investigated the causative relationship between AD (7759 cases and 334,740 controls) and 233 traits describing circulating metabolites (136,016 participants) using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) method.

Nutritional Intake and Sensory Processing in School-Aged Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly experience sensory processing that differs from general-population norms, and the autistic lived experience of eating includes preferences for routine, and sensory processing difficulty related to scents, tastes, temperatures, and textures of food. Meanwhile, research indicates that nutrients involved in one-carbon metabolism (OCM) may be related to sensory processing. This study enrolled 33 school-aged children with autism to assess whether OCM nutrient intake is associated with sensory processing.