A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Nightmares share genetic risk factors with sleep and psychiatric traits
Authors: Ollila Hanna M., Sinnott-Armstrong Nasa, Kantojärvi Katri, Broberg Martin, Palviainen Teemu, Jones Samuel, Ripatti Vili, Pandit Anita, Rong Robin, Kristiansson Kati, Sandman Nils, Valli Katja, Hublin Christer, Ripatti Samuli, Widen Elisabeth, Kaprio Jaakko, Saxena Richa, Paunio Tiina
Publisher: Springer
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Translational Psychiatry
Journal name in source: Translational psychiatry
Journal acronym: Transl Psychiatry
Volume: 14
Issue: 1
ISSN: 2158-3188
eISSN: 2158-3188
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02637-6
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1038/s41398-023-02637-6
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/387114092
Nightmares are vivid, extended, and emotionally negative or negative dreams that awaken the dreamer. While sporadic nightmares and bad dreams are common and generally harmless, frequent nightmares often reflect underlying pathologies of emotional regulation. Indeed, insomnia, depression, anxiety, or alcohol use have been associated with nightmares in epidemiological and clinical studies. However, the connection between nightmares and their comorbidities are poorly understood. Our goal was to examine the genetic risk factors for nightmares and estimate correlation or causality between nightmares and comorbidities. We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 45,255 individuals using a questionnaire-based assessment on the frequency of nightmares during the past month and genome-wide genotyping data. While the GWAS did not reveal individual risk variants, heritability was estimated at 5%. In addition, the genetic correlation analysis showed a robust correlation (rg > 0.4) of nightmares with anxiety (rg = 0.671, p = 7.507e-06), depressive (rg = 0.562, p = 1.282e-07) and posttraumatic stress disorders (rg = 0.4083, p = 0.0152), and personality trait neuroticism (rg = 0.667, p = 4.516e-07). Furthermore, Mendelian randomization suggested causality from insomnia to nightmares (beta = 0.027, p = 0.0002). Our findings suggest that nightmares share genetic background with psychiatric traits and that insomnia may increase an individual's liability to experience frequent nightmares. Given the significant correlations with psychiatric and psychological traits, it is essential to grow awareness of how nightmares affect health and disease and systematically collect information about nightmares, especially from clinical samples and larger cohorts.
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