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Observational Study
. 2016 Mar;133(3):205-13.
doi: 10.1111/acps.12478. Epub 2015 Aug 7.

Using admixture analysis to examine birth-cohort effects on age at onset of bipolar disorder

J-L Golmard  1 , J Scott  2   3 , B Etain  4   5   6   7 , M Preisig  8 , J-M Aubry  9 , C Henry  4   5   6   7 , S Jamain  4   5   7 , J-M Azorin  10 , M Leboyer  4   5   6   7 , F Bellivier  5   11   12   13
Affiliations
Observational Study

Using admixture analysis to examine birth-cohort effects on age at onset of bipolar disorder

J-L Golmard et al. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 2016 Mar.

Abstract

Objective: It is suggested that age at onset (AAO) of bipolar I disorder (BP-I) is decreasing. We tested for a birth-cohort effect on AAO using admixture analysis.

Method: A clinical sample of 3896 BP-I cases was analysed using two approaches: (i) in a subsample with untruncated AAO × birth year distribution (n = 1865), we compared the best-fitting model for the observed AAO in patients born ≤1960 and >1960, (ii) to control for potential confounders, two separate subsamples born ≤1960 and >1960 were matched for age at interview (n = 250), and a further admixture analysis was undertaken.

Results: The two approaches indicated that the proportion of cases in the early AAO category was significantly greater in cases born >1960; manic onsets were also more frequent in the early onset BP-I cases born >1960.

Conclusion: The decrease in AAO of BP-I in recent birth-cohorts appears to be associated with an increase in the proportion of cases in the early onset subgroup; not with a decrease in the mean AAO in each putative subgroup. This could indicate temporal changes in exposure to risk factors for mania.

Keywords: age at onset; bipolar I disorder; birth-cohort effect.

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