Childhood Separation Anxiety Disorder and Adult Onset Panic Attacks Share a Common Genetic Diathesis

Abstract

Background Childhood separation anxiety disorder (SAD) is hypothesized to share etiologic roots with panic disorder. The aim of this study was to estimate the genetic and environmental sources of covariance between childhood SAD and adult onset panic attacks (AOPA), with the primary goal to determine whether these two phenotypes share a common genetic diathesis. Methods Participants included parents and their monozygotic or dizygotic twins (n = 1,437 twin pairs) participating in the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development and those twins who later completed the Young Adult Follow-Up (YAFU). The Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment was completed at three waves during childhood/adolescence followed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R at the YAFU. Two separate, bivariate Cholesky models were fit to childhood diagnoses of SAD and overanxious disorder (OAD), respectively, and their relation with AOPA; a trivariate Cholesky model also examined the collective influence of childhood SAD and OAD on AOPA. Results In the best-fitting bivariate model, the covariation between SAD and AOPA was accounted for by genetic and unique environmental factors only, with the genetic factor associated with childhood SAD explaining significant variance in AOPA. Environmental risk factors were not significantly shared between SAD and AOPA. By contrast, the genetic factor associated with childhood OAD did not contribute significantly to AOPA. Results of the trivariate Cholesky reaffirmed outcomes of bivariate models. Conclusions These data indicate that childhood SAD and AOPA share a common genetic diathesis that is not observed for childhood OAD, strongly supporting the hypothesis of a specific genetic etiologic link between the two phenotypes.

The Genetics of Stress-Related Disorders: PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety Disorders

“…In addition, family and twin studies have suggested that genetic contributions cross the boundaries among anxiety disorders and between normal and pathologic anxiety. First-degree relatives of probands with one anxiety disorder are at risk for a range of other anxiety disorders, and twin studies have documented genetic overlap among most if not all anxiety disorders (Hettema et al, 2005;Roberson-Nay et al, 2012;Smoller et al, 2008a;Tambs et al, 2009b). Factor analyses of twin data show genetic overlap of phobic fears that do not respect DSM boundaries (Loken et al, 2014).…”

Translational approach to studying panic disorder in rats: Hits and misses

“…Indeed, separation-anxious offspring of parents with PD present ventilatory responses to hypercapnia similar to those of panic patients (Roberson-Nay et al, 2010). Moreover, twin-based epidemiological studies showed that CSA and PD share a common genetic diathesis (Battaglia et al, 1995;Roberson-Nay et al, 2012a). Data are nevertheless controversial regarding the contribution of the childhood environment to the late onset of PD Roberson-Nay et al, 2012a).…”

“…Moreover, twin-based epidemiological studies showed that CSA and PD share a common genetic diathesis (Battaglia et al, 1995;Roberson-Nay et al, 2012a). Data are nevertheless controversial regarding the contribution of the childhood environment to the late onset of PD Roberson-Nay et al, 2012a). Panic is also highly comorbid with depressive disorders (Angst and Wicki, 1993).…”

Serotonergic Genes (5-HTT and HTR1A) and Separation Life Events: Gene-by-Environment Interaction for Panic Disorder

“…The interactive effect of environmental factors and S allele of the 5-HTTLPR showed an association with psychiatric phenotypes, including depression [48], suicidal risk [51], alcohol use [52], eating disorder [38], post-traumatic stress disorder [25], or for an intermediate phenotype, such as anxiety sensitivity [39]. According to the present results, subjects with 5-HTTLPR SS homozygotes who are experiencing 2 or more separation life events showed a significant association with panic disorder.…”