Conditions of affective spectrum disorder occur in a familial pattern that often includes major depressive disorder

The conditions that make up affective spectrum disorder tend to occur in multiple members of the same family in a pattern that often includes major depressive disorder, according to an article in the February issue of The Archives of General Psychiatry.

Other conditions within the affective spectrum include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, dysthymic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, premenstrual dysphoric disorder, and panic disorder, as well as medical conditions such as migraine headache and irritable bowel syndrome.

James I. Hudson, M.D. Sc.D., and his American colleagues interviewed families to study the clustering of affective spectrum disorder (as a whole and as individual disorders) and major depressive disorder in individuals and families. The team hypothesized that major depressive disorder and affective spectrum disorders are caused by common factors, partly because the conditions within affective spectrum tend to respond to antidepressant therapy.

The researchers interviewed 178 first-degree relatives of 64 patients with major depressive disorder and 152 relatives of 58 patients without the disorder. The prevalence of at least one form of spectrum disorder among relatives of 69 patients (the 64 patients with major depressive disorder and 5 patients who did not have that disorder) was 39 percent (74 relatives). In contrast, prevalence was only 21 percent (29 relatives) for 53 patients who did not have any form of spectrum disorder themselves.

The researchers found that affective spectrum disorder as a single entity aggregated strongly within families: The likelihood for a relative of an individual with one of those disorders having an affective spectrum disorder themselves was 2.5 times greater than the likelihood of such a disorder in a relative of a patient who did not have a condition within the spectrum.

The researchers found no link between affective spectrum disorder as a whole and alcohol use disorders or non-alcohol substance abuse disorders.

"We found that affective spectrum disorder, viewed as a single entity, aggregates strongly in families. We also found that major depressive disorder displays strong coaggregation with other forms of affective spectrum disorder, taken collectively. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that various forms of affective spectrum disorder may share a heritable physiologic abnormality critical to their origin," wrote the authors.

The authors added, "…The hypothesis would also suggest that individuals with a family history of one form of affective spectrum disorder would likely be at increased risk for other forms of the spectrum as well. Recognition of this possibility might lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of these many conditions and may suggest prevention strategies."


 

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