Publications by authors named "Binder E"

Background: Accurate diagnosis of bipolar disorder (BPD) is difficult in clinical practice, with an average delay between symptom onset and diagnosis of about 7 years. A depressive episode often precedes the first manic episode, making it difficult to distinguish BPD from unipolar major depressive disorder (MDD).

Aims: We use genome-wide association analyses (GWAS) to identify differential genetic factors and to develop predictors based on polygenic risk scores (PRS) that may aid early differential diagnosis.

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Background: High psychological resilience is associated with improved functional outcomes for older adults recovering from hip fracture. The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with increased psychological resilience in older women after hip fracture.

Methods: 129 women aged ≥65 years with recent surgically-repaired hip fracture were enrolled in a trial of exercise and testosterone therapy.

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Objective: Differences in cognitive outcomes for two home-based 16-week interventions after usual rehabilitative care post-hip fracture were examined.

Methods: Community Ambulation Project randomized controlled trial included 210 hip fracture participants. Interventions: Specific multi-component (PUSH) included strength-, balance-, function-, and endurance-based exercises; non-specific active control (PULSE) included seated range-of-motion exercises and sensory transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation.

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Timber-concrete composites are established structural elements to combine the advantageous properties of both materials by connecting them. In this work, an innovative flexible adhesive connection in different configurations is investigated. Load-bearing capacity, stiffness, and the failure modes were first experimentally investigated by performing push-out tests.

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DNA methylation in peripheral tissues may be a relevant biomarker of risk for developing mental disorders after exposure to early life adversity. Genes involved in HPA axis regulation, such as , might play a key role. In this study, we aimed to identify the main drivers of salivary methylation in a cohort of 162 maltreated and non-maltreated children aged 3-5 years at two measurement timepoints.

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The expression of , and its resulting protein FKBP51, is strongly induced by glucocorticoids. Numerous studies have explored their involvement in a plethora of cellular processes and diseases. There is, however, a lack of knowledge on the role of the different RNA splicing variants and the two protein isoforms, one missing functional C-terminal motifs.

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  • Huntington's disease (HD) is linked to psychiatric symptoms, but the effects of variations in the huntingtin gene (HTT) CAG repeat sizes on psychiatric disorders like major depressive disorder (MDD) and anxiety disorders (ANX) are not well-studied.
  • In this study, researchers compared CAG repeat sizes among patients with MDD and ANX to healthy controls, finding that certain repeat ranges did not show an overrepresentation among patients and that age influenced the associations between repeat sizes and psychiatric risks.
  • The findings suggest that variations in CAG repeat sizes in the non-HD range can modulate the risk for psychiatric disorders and affect basal ganglia structure, highlighting the potential impact of the normal huntingtin protein
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  • The study examined the relationship between Time in Range (TIR) and Time in Tight Range (TTR) with HbA1c levels in youth and young adults with type 1 diabetes using data from a large diabetes registry.
  • Results showed a strong correlation between TIR and TTR (r = 0.965) and between both metrics and HbA1c levels, indicating that higher TIR and TTR are associated with lower HbA1c levels.
  • Moreover, regression analysis suggested that TIR might be a slightly better predictor of HbA1c compared to TTR, especially in individuals with high blood glucose variability.
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  • Maternal stress during pregnancy can influence the health of offspring, raising the risk for neuropsychiatric disorders through changes in placental DNA methylation.
  • The study examined the effects of maternal stress on DNA methylation of cortisol-regulating genes (NR3C1, FKBP5, HSD11B2) using placental samples from 45 mother-infant pairs divided by stress exposure levels.
  • Results indicated that higher maternal cortisol in early pregnancy was linked to specific DNA methylation changes in the NR3C1 and FKBP5 genes, but no direct connection to newborn neurodevelopment was established, underscoring the need for more research on placental epigenetics.
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Background: The brain and the intestinal microbiota are highly interconnected and especially vulnerable to disruptions in early life. Emerging evidence indicates that psychosocial adversity detrimentally impacts the intestinal microbiota, affecting both physical and mental health. This study aims to investigate the gut microbiome in young children in the immediate aftermath of maltreatment exposure.

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  • DNA methylation changes with age allow machine learning models, called epigenetic clocks, to estimate an individual's biological age and its difference from true age, known as epigenetic age acceleration (EAA), which correlates with health outcomes.
  • Researchers created two accurate epigenetic clocks for rhesus macaques using blood samples from various ages and backgrounds, achieving high correlations between predicted and true ages.
  • The second clock was specifically used to explore the impact of early life adversity, finding that maltreatment is linked to accelerated epigenetic aging and increased stress hormones in young macaques.
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  • The study explores how genetic variations affect gene expression and DNA methylation in response to glucocorticoid receptor activation, linking these changes to the risk of psychiatric and other diseases.
  • Researchers measured DNA methylation and gene expression in blood samples before and after treatment with dexamethasone, using genotype data to perform a comprehensive analysis of genetic influences.
  • Findings indicated that specific genetic variants affecting glucocorticoid responses are correlated with increased heritability and risks for various diseases, revealing insights not captured in standard baseline analyses.
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  • Exposure to stressful life events can significantly increase the chances of developing psychiatric disorders, particularly affecting cognitive functions, which can be difficult to comprehend for both individuals and healthcare providers.
  • The review highlights the need to study specific brain areas (like the amygdala and hippocampus) to understand the structural and molecular changes induced by stress, which can persistently alter brain function.
  • It calls for more research into genetic risk factors and the use of advanced technologies to better comprehend how stress impacts various brain regions, aiming to improve prevention and treatment approaches for cognitive symptoms related to stress.
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This review article provides insights into the role of genetic diagnostics in adult mental health disorders. The importance of genetic factors in the development of mental illnesses, from rare genetic syndromes to common complex genetic disorders, is described. Current clinical characteristics that may warrant a genetic diagnostic work-up are highlighted, including intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorders and severe psychiatric conditions with specific comorbidities, such as organ malformations or epilepsy.

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Background: In 2022, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education updated its competencies for residents in all specialties to include health policy advocacy. A recent systematic review shows that while a growing number of residency curricula include policy advocacy, few programs join in policy advocacy efforts with community partners.

Aim: To create a community-engaged advocacy curriculum for residents that is part of a mutually beneficial partnership with community-based organizations (CBOs).

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In a subset of patients with mental disorders, such as depression, low-grade inflammation and altered immune marker concentrations are observed. However, these immune alterations are often assessed by only one data type and small marker panels. Here, we used a transdiagnostic approach and combined data from two cohorts to define subgroups of depression symptoms across the diagnostic spectrum through a large-scale multi-omics clustering approach in 237 individuals.

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  • - Aging significantly impacts the brain, increasing the risk for neurodegenerative disorders, especially in individuals with psychiatric conditions.
  • - A study analyzed transcriptomic changes in the orbitofrontal cortex from nearly 800,000 brain cell nuclei of 87 people, revealing that aging affects all brain cell types, particularly certain interneurons.
  • - Findings indicate that the transcriptomic aging process is accelerated in those with psychiatric disorders, highlighting shared biological pathways between aging and mental health issues.
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  • * A genome-wide association meta-analysis of nearly 122,000 ANX cases revealed 58 significant genetic variants and 66 related genes, with many of these findings replicated in a larger independent sample.
  • * The findings indicate a substantial genetic overlap between ANX and other conditions like depression, emphasizing GABAergic signaling as a key mechanism, thereby enhancing our understanding of the genetic basis of ANX for future research.
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  • The Illumina MethylationEPIC BeadChip microarray platform has two versions (v1.0 and v2.0), which show high correlation overall but varying results at the probe level for tools assessing DNA methylation effects.
  • Research using blood samples from different adult age groups found that samples clustered more by the EPIC version used than by other characteristics, indicating significant differences in data outputs between the two versions.
  • The study emphasizes the need to consider which EPIC version is used when analyzing data for meta-analyses and longitudinal studies, as these differences can impact findings in epigenome-wide association studies (EWAS).
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  • This study investigates the genetic molecular regulation of the placenta by analyzing chorionic villus samples from early pregnancy and placenta tissue at birth in a Finnish cohort of 574 individuals.* -
  • Results showed that there were more quantitative trait loci (QTLs) in birth placenta compared to first-trimester samples, indicating enhanced genetic effects over the course of pregnancy, with many overlaps in gene expression and DNA methylation.* -
  • Notably, specific SNPs associated with immunological, skeletal, and respiratory traits, such as QTL-SNP rs1737028, highlight the placenta's role in gene regulation and potential impacts on health outcomes across various traits.*
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Background: Globally, one in ten babies is born preterm (<37 weeks), and 1-2% preterm at very low birth weight (VLBW, <1500 g). As adults, they are at increased risk for a plethora of health conditions, e.g.

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  • Understanding how antidepressants work at a molecular level can lead to better therapies that people tolerate well.
  • The study analyzed DNA methylation changes linked to antidepressant use across multiple cohorts, using blood samples and data collected between 2006 and 2011.
  • Results showed specific DNA regions with increased methylation in individuals using antidepressants, with findings suggesting connections to brain-related genes and providing insights for further research on treatment effectiveness.
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  • Biological sex significantly impacts physiological systems, disease prevalence, and treatment success from early life, affecting pregnancy and birth outcomes.
  • The study identifies over 10,320 sex-differentially methylated probes in the placenta, primarily showing lower DNA methylation levels in females, and links these differences to neurodevelopmental genes and pathways.
  • Findings demonstrate variability in DNA methylation consistency between different tissues and suggest a connection between placental and brain development influenced by sex differences.
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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was accompanied by an increase in mental health challenges including depression, stress, loneliness, and anxiety. Common genetic variants can contribute to the risk for psychiatric disorders and may present a risk factor in times of crises. However, it is unclear to what extent polygenic risk played a role in the mental health response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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