Publications by authors named "Walter H"

The evidence supporting the presence of individual brain structure correlates of the externalizing spectrum (EXT) is sparse and mixed. To date, large-sample studies of brain-EXT relations have mainly found null to very small effects by focusing exclusively on either EXT-related personality traits (e.g.

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Unhealthy eating, a risk factor for eating disorders (EDs) and obesity, often coexists with emotional and behavioral problems; however, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are poorly understood. Analyzing data from the longitudinal IMAGEN adolescent cohort, we investigated associations between eating behaviors, genetic predispositions for high body mass index (BMI) using polygenic scores (PGSs), and trajectories (ages 14-23 years) of ED-related psychopathology and brain maturation. Clustering analyses at age 23 years ( = 996) identified 3 eating groups: restrictive, emotional/uncontrolled and healthy eaters.

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Background And Aim: Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is strongly influenced by genetic factors; however the mechanisms underpinning this association are not well understood. This study investigated whether a polygenic risk score (PRS) based on a genome-wide association study for CUD in adults predicts cannabis use in adolescents and whether the association can be explained by inter-individual variation in structural properties of brain white matter or risk-taking behaviors.

Design And Setting: Longitudinal and cross-sectional analyses using data from the IMAGEN cohort, a European longitudinal study integrating genetic, neuroimaging and behavioral measures.

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Targeting of diseased cells is one of the most urgently needed prerequisites for a next generation of potent pharmaceuticals. Different approaches pursued fail mainly due to a lack of specific surface markers. Developing an RNA-based methodology, we can now ensure precise cell targeting combined with selective expression of effector proteins for therapy, diagnostics or cell steering.

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Objective: Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is associated with altered brain function related to processing of negative emotions. To investigate neural correlates of negative valence in OCD, we pooled fMRI data of 633 individuals with OCD and 453 healthy controls from 16 studies using different negatively-valenced tasks across the ENIGMA-OCD Working-Group.

Methods: Participant data were processed uniformly using HALFpipe, to extract voxelwise participant-level statistical images of one common first-level contrast: negative vs.

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Introduction: This study investigated the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 outcomes among different mental health diagnoses and the role of sex in these associations.

Methods: Using electronic records from Catalonia, we identified adults receiving mental health care from 2017-2019 with diagnoses of non-affective psychosis (NAP), bipolar disorder (BD), depressive disorder (DEP), stress-related disorders, neurotic/somatoform disorders (NSD), and substance misuse (SUB) (exposed). The outcomes assessed were SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 hospitalization, and COVID-19-related death, compared to matched individuals without these mental disorders (unexposed).

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Article Synopsis
  • The study utilized machine learning models to identify reliable diagnostic markers for eating disorders, major depressive disorder, and alcohol use disorder, targeting young adults aged 18-25.
  • The classification models showed high accuracy rates (AUC-ROC ranging from 0.80 to 0.92) even without considering body mass index and highlighted shared predictors like neuroticism and hopelessness.
  • Additionally, the models were moderately successful in predicting future symptoms related to eating disorders, depression, and alcohol use in a longitudinal sample of adolescents, indicating the potential for improved diagnosis and risk assessment in mental health.
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Background: The Personalized Advantage Index (PAI) shows promise as a method for identifying the most effective treatment for individual patients. Previous studies have demonstrated its utility in retrospective evaluations across various settings. In this study, we explored the effect of different methodological choices in predictive modelling underlying the PAI.

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Introduction: A growing literature has shown that exposure to adverse life events during childhood or adolescence is associated with the presence of psychotic-like experiences (PLEs), which is in turn associated with the risk of psychotic outcomes. Ruminative thinking, i.e.

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  • This study uses multi-modal MRI to investigate neurobiological differences between anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN), revealing structural and functional brain changes linked to these eating disorders.
  • Key findings include reduced gray matter volume in specific brain regions (like the orbitofrontal cortex) and decreased cortical thickness, particularly in anorexia patients, which are associated with impulsivity and cognitive restraint regarding eating behaviors.
  • The results suggest that these brain changes affect reward processing and contribute to the persistence of eating disorder symptoms, highlighting potential targets for future treatment interventions.
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Alcohol consumption (AC) is a leading risk factor for death, morbidity, and disability worldwide. Gender-specific differences in AC and its moderators, which may serve as markers for preventing severe alcohol use disorders (AUD), showed inconsistent results. Additionally, the impact of COVID-19-related lockdowns on these differences remains unclear.

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Background: The hippocampal formation represents a key region in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Aerobic exercise poses a promising add-on treatment to potentially counteract structural impairments of the hippocampal formation and associated symptomatic burden. However, current evidence regarding exercise effects on the hippocampal formation in schizophrenia is largely heterogeneous.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A study utilizing the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development cohort revealed seven genomic regions where gene-environment interactions affect gray matter volume, tied to metabolic and inflammatory processes, as well as synaptic plasticity.
  • * The analysis highlighted that socioeconomic status, rather than family environment, plays a crucial role in how maternal education influences genetic effects on neurodevelopment, offering insights into the biological and social mechanisms involved.
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This study investigates the role of positive cognitive reappraisal (PCR) flexibility and variability in mental health in response to real-life stressors among college students. We employed ecological momentary assessment and intervention through ReApp, a mobile app designed to train and promote PCR. We analyzed data from the intervention group of a randomized controlled trial with a total of 100 participants who used ReApp for three weeks.

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Background: More than 16% of children in the U.S. have a behavioral health (BH) disorder but less than half receive recommended care.

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Objective: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) prescribing is increasingly being integrated into primary care, but few data are available about prescribing patterns by pediatric primary care clinicians (PCCs) following implementation of integrated behavioral health (BH) care.

Methods: Using administrative claims data, we performed a cross-sectional analysis of SSRI prescribing within a statewide pediatric primary care network over 10 years after the initiation of an integrated BH program, calculating the rate of PCC and specialist SSRI prescribing. Using electronic health record data, we analyzed a proposed set of quality metrics for SSRI initiation.

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Background: Psychotic symptoms in adolescence are associated with social adversity and genetic risk for schizophrenia. This gene-environment interplay may be mediated by personality, which also develops during adolescence. We hypothesized that (i) personality development predicts later Psychosis Proneness Signs (PPS), and (ii) personality traits mediate the association between genetic risk for schizophrenia, social adversities, and psychosis.

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Article Synopsis
  • Subcortical brain structures play a crucial role in various developmental and psychiatric disorders, and a study analyzed brain volumes in 74,898 individuals, identifying 254 genetic loci linked to these volumes, which accounted for up to 35% of variation.
  • The research included exploring gene expression in specific neural cell types, focusing on genes involved in intracellular signaling and processes related to brain aging.
  • The findings suggest that certain genetic variants not only influence brain volume but also have potential causal links to conditions like Parkinson’s disease and ADHD, highlighting the genetic basis for risks associated with neuropsychiatric disorders.
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Purpose: Recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP) represents a clinical challenge, often necessitating multiple interventions to help mitigate against disease recurrence or airway obstruction. Multiple management strategies have been advocated by specialists regarding the management of RRP. However, the success rates and disease progression still vary widely.

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  • This study investigates structural brain aging by analyzing both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from over 37,000 healthy individuals in the UK Biobank, identifying two distinct patterns of brain aging.
  • Participants showing signs of accelerated brain aging also experienced faster biological aging, cognitive decline, and higher genetic risks for neuropsychiatric disorders.
  • The research supports the 'last in, first out' hypothesis linking brain aging to brain development, and includes genomic analysis to uncover genetic factors influencing both accelerated brain aging and delayed development.
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  • * A study of 10 cases revealed that this translocation connects the interferon regulatory factor 4 (IRF4) gene on chromosome 6 with the regulator of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1) gene on chromosome 1, resulting in fusion transcripts.
  • * Despite the fusion, the expression levels of RCC1 and IRF4 proteins remained normal, and the cases also displayed typical mutations related to CLL, suggesting a linkage with the IGHV-unmutated subtype.
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  • Subcortical brain structures play a crucial role in various disorders, and a study analyzed the genetic basis of brain volumes in nearly 75,000 individuals of European ancestry, revealing 254 loci linked to these volumes.
  • The research identified significant gene expression in neural cells, relating to brain aging and signaling, and found that polygenic scores could predict brain volumes across different ancestries.
  • The study highlights genetic connections between brain volumes and conditions like Parkinson's disease and ADHD, suggesting specific gene expression patterns could be involved in neuropsychiatric disorders.
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  • Resilience to emotional disorders in adolescents, particularly after childhood abuse, is influenced by brain responses to environmental stressors, but the specific brain signatures of resilience are still being studied.
  • Research identified two brain networks linked to resilience, with a notable finding that girls with greater activation in a specific orbitofrontal network experienced fewer emotional symptoms after childhood abuse when they had a higher genetic risk for depression.
  • The study suggests these genetic influences on brain activity can predict emotional disorders in late adolescence, highlighting the potential for developing resilience-based interventions to improve adolescent mental health.
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Neural variability, or variation in brain signals, facilitates dynamic brain responses to ongoing demands. This flexibility is important during development from childhood to young adulthood, a period characterized by rapid changes in experience. However, little is known about how variability in the engagement of recurring brain states changes during development.

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Human brain morphology undergoes complex changes over the lifespan. Despite recent progress in tracking brain development via normative models, current knowledge of underlying biological mechanisms is highly limited. We demonstrate that human cortical thickness development and aging trajectories unfold along patterns of molecular and cellular brain organization, traceable from population-level to individual developmental trajectories.

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