Telomere length and verbal learning in bipolar disorders

Vid Mlakar; Viktoria Birkenæs; Torbjørn Elvsaashagen; Monica B E G Ormerod; Daniel S Quintana; Torill Ueland; Ingrid Melle; Trine V Lagerberg; Srdjan Djurovic; Carmen Martin-Ruiz; Nils Eiel Steen; Ole A Andreassen; Monica Aas

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.087

Telomere length and verbal learning in bipolar disorders

Vid Mlakar, Viktoria Birkenæs, Torbjørn Elvsaashagen, Monica B E G Ormerod, Daniel S Quintana, Torill Ueland, Ingrid Melle, Trine V Lagerberg, Srdjan Djurovic, Carmen Martin-Ruiz, Nils Eiel Steen, Ole A Andreassen, Monica Aas

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Recent studies indicate accelerated ageing processes, shorter telomere length and poorer cognitive functioning in patients with bipolar disorder. The neurobiology underlying cognitive function in bipolar disorder is yet to be established. We anticipated that accelerated ageing as indicated by shortened telomere length, would be associated with reduced cognitive performance in bipolar disorder, particularly for ageing sensitive functions such as memory and learning.

METHODS: The study consisted of 647 participants (bipolar disorder [n = 246] and healthy controls [n = 401]). All participants underwent a standardized neuropsychological test battery, including working memory, executive functioning, processing speed, verbal learning, and verbal memory. Leucocyte telomere length was measured via blood and determined by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) providing a telomere to single copy ratio (T/S ratio). The T/S ratio was used as an estimate of the mean telomere length of each participant. All analyses were adjusted for medication, Daily Defined Dose (DDD), chronological age, sex, and ethnicity.

RESULTS: Patients had shorter telomere lengths than healthy controls (Cohen's d = 0.11, p = 0.01). Within patients', a positive association was observed for verbal learning and telomere length (β = 0.14, p = 0.025), along with a trend for verbal memory and telomere length (β = 0.11, p = 0.07). No other associations were observed for telomere length and cognitive functioning in the patient or the control group (p > 0.1).

CONCLUSION: Our study may suggest poorer brain health in bipolar disorder as indexed by shorter telomere length and reduced learning correlates. However, the role of telomere length on cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder seems limited.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	555-560
Number of pages	6
Journal	Journal of Affective Disorders
Volume	339
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.087
Publication status	Published - 15 Oct 2023

Keywords

Humans
Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy
Telomere Shortening
Telomere
Neuropsychological Tests
Memory, Short-Term
Verbal Learning

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10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.087

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@article{daab2c7f840246fbbadab9e8e80aadda,

title = "Telomere length and verbal learning in bipolar disorders",

abstract = "INTRODUCTION: Recent studies indicate accelerated ageing processes, shorter telomere length and poorer cognitive functioning in patients with bipolar disorder. The neurobiology underlying cognitive function in bipolar disorder is yet to be established. We anticipated that accelerated ageing as indicated by shortened telomere length, would be associated with reduced cognitive performance in bipolar disorder, particularly for ageing sensitive functions such as memory and learning.METHODS: The study consisted of 647 participants (bipolar disorder [n = 246] and healthy controls [n = 401]). All participants underwent a standardized neuropsychological test battery, including working memory, executive functioning, processing speed, verbal learning, and verbal memory. Leucocyte telomere length was measured via blood and determined by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) providing a telomere to single copy ratio (T/S ratio). The T/S ratio was used as an estimate of the mean telomere length of each participant. All analyses were adjusted for medication, Daily Defined Dose (DDD), chronological age, sex, and ethnicity.RESULTS: Patients had shorter telomere lengths than healthy controls (Cohen's d = 0.11, p = 0.01). Within patients', a positive association was observed for verbal learning and telomere length (β = 0.14, p = 0.025), along with a trend for verbal memory and telomere length (β = 0.11, p = 0.07). No other associations were observed for telomere length and cognitive functioning in the patient or the control group (p > 0.1).CONCLUSION: Our study may suggest poorer brain health in bipolar disorder as indexed by shorter telomere length and reduced learning correlates. However, the role of telomere length on cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder seems limited.",

keywords = "Humans, Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy, Telomere Shortening, Telomere, Neuropsychological Tests, Memory, Short-Term, Verbal Learning",

author = "Vid Mlakar and Viktoria Birken{\ae}s and Torbj{\o}rn Elvsaashagen and Ormerod, {Monica B E G} and Quintana, {Daniel S} and Torill Ueland and Ingrid Melle and Lagerberg, {Trine V} and Srdjan Djurovic and Carmen Martin-Ruiz and Steen, {Nils Eiel} and Andreassen, {Ole A} and Monica Aas",

year = "2023",

month = oct,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.087",

language = "English",

volume = "339",

pages = "555--560",

journal = "Journal of Affective Disorders",

issn = "0165-0327",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Telomere length and verbal learning in bipolar disorders

AU - Mlakar, Vid

AU - Birkenæs, Viktoria

AU - Elvsaashagen, Torbjørn

AU - Ormerod, Monica B E G

AU - Quintana, Daniel S

AU - Ueland, Torill

AU - Melle, Ingrid

AU - Lagerberg, Trine V

AU - Djurovic, Srdjan

AU - Martin-Ruiz, Carmen

AU - Steen, Nils Eiel

AU - Andreassen, Ole A

AU - Aas, Monica

PY - 2023/10/15

Y1 - 2023/10/15

N2 - INTRODUCTION: Recent studies indicate accelerated ageing processes, shorter telomere length and poorer cognitive functioning in patients with bipolar disorder. The neurobiology underlying cognitive function in bipolar disorder is yet to be established. We anticipated that accelerated ageing as indicated by shortened telomere length, would be associated with reduced cognitive performance in bipolar disorder, particularly for ageing sensitive functions such as memory and learning.METHODS: The study consisted of 647 participants (bipolar disorder [n = 246] and healthy controls [n = 401]). All participants underwent a standardized neuropsychological test battery, including working memory, executive functioning, processing speed, verbal learning, and verbal memory. Leucocyte telomere length was measured via blood and determined by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) providing a telomere to single copy ratio (T/S ratio). The T/S ratio was used as an estimate of the mean telomere length of each participant. All analyses were adjusted for medication, Daily Defined Dose (DDD), chronological age, sex, and ethnicity.RESULTS: Patients had shorter telomere lengths than healthy controls (Cohen's d = 0.11, p = 0.01). Within patients', a positive association was observed for verbal learning and telomere length (β = 0.14, p = 0.025), along with a trend for verbal memory and telomere length (β = 0.11, p = 0.07). No other associations were observed for telomere length and cognitive functioning in the patient or the control group (p > 0.1).CONCLUSION: Our study may suggest poorer brain health in bipolar disorder as indexed by shorter telomere length and reduced learning correlates. However, the role of telomere length on cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder seems limited.

AB - INTRODUCTION: Recent studies indicate accelerated ageing processes, shorter telomere length and poorer cognitive functioning in patients with bipolar disorder. The neurobiology underlying cognitive function in bipolar disorder is yet to be established. We anticipated that accelerated ageing as indicated by shortened telomere length, would be associated with reduced cognitive performance in bipolar disorder, particularly for ageing sensitive functions such as memory and learning.METHODS: The study consisted of 647 participants (bipolar disorder [n = 246] and healthy controls [n = 401]). All participants underwent a standardized neuropsychological test battery, including working memory, executive functioning, processing speed, verbal learning, and verbal memory. Leucocyte telomere length was measured via blood and determined by quantitative real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) providing a telomere to single copy ratio (T/S ratio). The T/S ratio was used as an estimate of the mean telomere length of each participant. All analyses were adjusted for medication, Daily Defined Dose (DDD), chronological age, sex, and ethnicity.RESULTS: Patients had shorter telomere lengths than healthy controls (Cohen's d = 0.11, p = 0.01). Within patients', a positive association was observed for verbal learning and telomere length (β = 0.14, p = 0.025), along with a trend for verbal memory and telomere length (β = 0.11, p = 0.07). No other associations were observed for telomere length and cognitive functioning in the patient or the control group (p > 0.1).CONCLUSION: Our study may suggest poorer brain health in bipolar disorder as indexed by shorter telomere length and reduced learning correlates. However, the role of telomere length on cognitive functioning in bipolar disorder seems limited.

KW - Humans

KW - Bipolar Disorder/drug therapy

KW - Telomere Shortening

KW - Telomere

KW - Neuropsychological Tests

KW - Memory, Short-Term

KW - Verbal Learning

U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.087

DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2023.07.087

M3 - Article

C2 - 37459977

SN - 0165-0327

VL - 339

SP - 555

EP - 560

JO - Journal of Affective Disorders

JF - Journal of Affective Disorders

ER -

Telomere length and verbal learning in bipolar disorders

Abstract

Keywords

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