Publications by authors named "Kieran John O'Donnell"
Article Synopsis
- This study explored how genetic predispositions for depression and inflammation impact physical and psychological symptoms in patients with head and neck cancer shortly after treatment (3 months post-diagnosis) and their long-term survival rates (up to 36 months).
- The researchers analyzed data from 223 recent cancer patients, considering factors such as anxiety disorders, baseline anxiety levels, polygenic risk scores for depression, and the amount of radiotherapy received to determine their influence on symptom burden and survival risk.
- Key findings indicated that higher genetic risk scores for depression and inflammation correlated with increased symptom burden and a significantly higher risk of death within 36 months, suggesting the need for early interventions targeting these risk factors to improve patient outcomes
Prefrontal Cortex Dopamine Transporter Gene Network Moderates the Effect of Perinatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Conditions on Cognitive Flexibility and Brain Gray Matter Density in Children.
Biol Psychiatry
October 2019
Background: Genetic polymorphisms of the dopamine transporter gene (DAT1) and perinatal complications associated with poor oxygenation are risk factors for attentional problems in childhood and may show interactive effects.
Methods: We created a novel expression-based polygenic risk score (ePRS) reflecting variations in the function of the DAT1 gene network (ePRS-DAT1) in the prefrontal cortex and explored the effects of its interaction with perinatal hypoxic-ischemic-associated conditions on cognitive flexibility and brain gray matter density in healthy children from two birth cohorts-MAVAN from Canada (n = 139 boys and girls) and GUSTO from Singapore (n = 312 boys and girls).
Results: A history of exposure to several perinatal hypoxic-ischemic-associated conditions was associated with impaired cognitive flexibility only in the high-ePRS group, suggesting that variation in the prefrontal cortex expression of genes involved in dopamine reuptake is associated with differences in this behavior.