2022-04-05

056_ Investigating the association of plasma lipidomic profile with cognitive performance in the PsyCourse Study

Research Question and Aims

Lipidomics, as a branch of metabolomics is defined as "the full characterization of lipid molecular species and of their biological roles with respect to expression of proteins involved in lipid metabolism and function, including gene regulation" (1). Understanding the diversity and specificity of lipid species and their changes in plasma of neuropsychiatric disorders can assist in the discovery of possible biological markers for human brain diseases (2) and in furthering our understanding of the pathophysiology underlying mental illnesses. Lipids hold important yet under-regarded roles in brain physiology such as synaptic function and neuronal membrane composition. The potential role of lipids in physiology and as biological marker can be clarified by assessing the probable association between circulating lipid species and cross-sectional and longitudinal neurocognitive performance to identify defects in regulation of biochemical pathways and molecular networks. In this regard, we hypothesize that alterations of plasma lipid species are associated with neurocognitive performance and changes in plasma lipid profiles may play a role in cognitive function in individuals with psychiatric disorders in the PsyCourse Study.

Analytic Plan

Association analyses & statistical approach
Using the plasma lipidomic data of individuals of the PsyCourse Study, we will investigate the association between circulating plasma lipid species with cross-sectional approach as well as longitudinal changes in neurocognitive performance. The analyses will be adjusted for age, sex, diagnosis, duration of illness, body mass index, educational attainment, medication use, PCAs, and other relevant covariates in the context of repeated measures/linear mixed models.

Resources needed

Demographic data:
v1_sex
v1_age

Clinical data:
v1_cur_psy_trm
v1_dur_illness
v1_scid_dsm_dx_cat

Neurocognition data:
v1_nrpsy_tmt_A_rt
v2_nrpsy_tmt_A_rt
v3_nrpsy_tmt_A_rt
v4_nrpsy_tmt_A_rt

v1_nrpsy_tmt_A_err
v2_nrpsy_tmt_A_err
v3_nrpsy_tmt_A_err
v4_nrpsy_tmt_A_err

v1_nrpsy_tmt_B_rt
v2_nrpsy_tmt_B_rt
v3_nrpsy_tmt_B_rt
v4_nrpsy_tmt_B_rt

v1_nrpsy_tmt_B_err
v2_nrpsy_tmt_B_err
v3_nrpsy_tmt_B_err
v4_nrpsy_tmt_B_err

v1_nrpsy_dgt_sp_frw
v2_nrpsy_dgt_sp_frw
v3_nrpsy_dgt_sp_frw
v4_nrpsy_dgt_sp_frw

v1_nrpsy_dgt_sp_bck
v2_nrpsy_dgt_sp_bck
v3_nrpsy_dgt_sp_bck
v4_nrpsy_dgt_sp_bck

v1_nrpsy_dg_sym
v2_nrpsy_dg_sym
v3_nrpsy_dg_sym
v4_nrpsy_dg_sym

v1_nrpsy_mwtb

Raw data on medication and drug use
210908_v5.0_psycourse_clin_raw_ill_drg_(visit1 to visit4).RData
210908_v5.0_psycourse_clin_raw_med_(visit1 to visit4).RData
210908_v5.0_psycourse_con_raw_ill_drg_(visit1 to visit4).RData
210908_v5.0_psycourse_con_raw_med_(visit1 to visit4).RData

Body mass index (BMI)
v1_bmi
v2_bmi
v3_bmi
v4_bmi

Educational attainment
v1_ed_status

Lipidomics<(/b>
Plasma lipidomics data for all individuals whose lipidomics data is available from the PsyCourse Study.