Association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK Biobank

Levels of activity are often affected in psychiatric disorders and can be core symptoms of illness. Advances in technology now allow the accurate assessment of activity levels but it remains unclear whether alterations in activity arise from shared risk factors for developing psychiatric disorders,...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Dennison, CA, Legge, SE, Bracher-Smith, M, Menzies, G, Escott-Price, V, Smith, DJ, Doherty, AR, Owen, MJ, O'Donovan, MC, Walters, JTR
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science 2021
_version_ 1797073696169394176
author Dennison, CA
Legge, SE
Bracher-Smith, M
Menzies, G
Escott-Price, V
Smith, DJ
Doherty, AR
Owen, MJ
O'Donovan, MC
Walters, JTR
author_facet Dennison, CA
Legge, SE
Bracher-Smith, M
Menzies, G
Escott-Price, V
Smith, DJ
Doherty, AR
Owen, MJ
O'Donovan, MC
Walters, JTR
author_sort Dennison, CA
collection OXFORD
description Levels of activity are often affected in psychiatric disorders and can be core symptoms of illness. Advances in technology now allow the accurate assessment of activity levels but it remains unclear whether alterations in activity arise from shared risk factors for developing psychiatric disorders, such as genetics, or are better explained as consequences of the disorders and their associated factors. We aimed to examine objectively-measured physical activity in individuals with psychiatric disorders, and assess the role of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders on physical activity. Accelerometer data were available on 95,529 UK Biobank participants, including measures of overall mean activity and minutes per day of moderate activity, walking, sedentary activity, and sleep. Linear regressions measured associations between psychiatric diagnosis and activity levels, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) for psychiatric disorders and activity levels. Genetic correlations were calculated between psychiatric disorders and different types of activity. Having a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was associated with reduced overall activity compared to unaffected controls. In individuals without a psychiatric disorder, reduced overall activity levels were associated with PRS for schizophrenia, depression, and ASD. ADHD PRS was associated with increased overall activity. Genetic correlations were consistent with PRS findings. Variation in physical activity is an important feature across psychiatric disorders. Whilst levels of activity are associated with genetic liability to psychiatric disorders to a very limited extent, the substantial differences in activity levels in those with psychiatric disorders most likely arise as a consequences of disorder-related factors.
first_indexed 2024-03-06T23:25:46Z
format Journal article
id oxford-uuid:6a51274c-7582-490b-97ae-c8220d0fecea
institution University of Oxford
language English
last_indexed 2024-03-06T23:25:46Z
publishDate 2021
publisher Public Library of Science
record_format dspace
spelling oxford-uuid:6a51274c-7582-490b-97ae-c8220d0fecea2022-03-26T18:56:40ZAssociation of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK BiobankJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:6a51274c-7582-490b-97ae-c8220d0feceaEnglishSymplectic ElementsPublic Library of Science2021Dennison, CALegge, SEBracher-Smith, MMenzies, GEscott-Price, VSmith, DJDoherty, AROwen, MJO'Donovan, MCWalters, JTRLevels of activity are often affected in psychiatric disorders and can be core symptoms of illness. Advances in technology now allow the accurate assessment of activity levels but it remains unclear whether alterations in activity arise from shared risk factors for developing psychiatric disorders, such as genetics, or are better explained as consequences of the disorders and their associated factors. We aimed to examine objectively-measured physical activity in individuals with psychiatric disorders, and assess the role of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders on physical activity. Accelerometer data were available on 95,529 UK Biobank participants, including measures of overall mean activity and minutes per day of moderate activity, walking, sedentary activity, and sleep. Linear regressions measured associations between psychiatric diagnosis and activity levels, and polygenic risk scores (PRS) for psychiatric disorders and activity levels. Genetic correlations were calculated between psychiatric disorders and different types of activity. Having a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, or autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was associated with reduced overall activity compared to unaffected controls. In individuals without a psychiatric disorder, reduced overall activity levels were associated with PRS for schizophrenia, depression, and ASD. ADHD PRS was associated with increased overall activity. Genetic correlations were consistent with PRS findings. Variation in physical activity is an important feature across psychiatric disorders. Whilst levels of activity are associated with genetic liability to psychiatric disorders to a very limited extent, the substantial differences in activity levels in those with psychiatric disorders most likely arise as a consequences of disorder-related factors.
spellingShingle Dennison, CA
Legge, SE
Bracher-Smith, M
Menzies, G
Escott-Price, V
Smith, DJ
Doherty, AR
Owen, MJ
O'Donovan, MC
Walters, JTR
Association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK Biobank
title Association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK Biobank
title_full Association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK Biobank
title_fullStr Association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK Biobank
title_full_unstemmed Association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK Biobank
title_short Association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer-assessed physical activity in the UK Biobank
title_sort association of genetic liability for psychiatric disorders with accelerometer assessed physical activity in the uk biobank
work_keys_str_mv AT dennisonca associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT leggese associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT brachersmithm associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT menziesg associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT escottpricev associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT smithdj associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT dohertyar associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT owenmj associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT odonovanmc associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank
AT waltersjtr associationofgeneticliabilityforpsychiatricdisorderswithaccelerometerassessedphysicalactivityintheukbiobank