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Childhood cognition and lifetime risk of major depressive disorder in extremely low birth weight and normal birth weight adults

Part of: Prenatal Origins of Adult Mental Health and Illness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 July 2016

K. G. Dobson ,
L. A. Schmidt ,
S. Saigal ,
M. H. Boyle  and
R. J. Van Lieshout
K. G. Dobson*
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
L. A. Schmidt
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
S. Saigal
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
M. H. Boyle
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
R. J. Van Lieshout
Affiliation:
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
*
*Address for correspondence: K. G. Dobson, Women’s Health Concerns Clinic, St. Joseph’s Hospital Hamilton, West 5th Campus, Room C142, 100 West 5th Street, Hamilton, ON L8N 3K7, Canada. (Email dobsonkg@mcmaster.ca)
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Abstract

In general population samples, better childhood cognitive functioning is associated with decreased risk of depression in adulthood. However, this link has not been examined in extremely low birth weight survivors (ELBW, <1000 g), a group known to have poorer cognition and greater depression risk. This study assessed associations between cognition at age 8 and lifetime risk of major depressive disorder in 84 ELBW survivors and 90 normal birth weight (NBW, ⩾2500 g) individuals up to 29–36 years of age. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, Revised (WISC-R), Raven’s Coloured Progressive Matrices and the Token Test assessed general, fluid, and verbal intelligence, respectively, at 8 years of age. Lifetime major depressive disorder was assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview at age 29–36 years. Associations were examined using logistic regression adjusted for childhood socioeconomic status, educational attainment, age, sex, and marital status. Neither overall intelligence quotient (IQ) [WISC-R Full-Scale IQ, odds ratios (OR)=0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.43–1.77], fluid intelligence (WISC-R Performance IQ, OR=0.98, 95% CI=0.48–2.00), nor verbal intelligence (WISC-R Verbal IQ, OR=0.81, 95% CI=0.40–1.63) predicted lifetime major depression in ELBW survivors. However, every standard deviation increase in WISC-R Full-Scale IQ (OR=0.43, 95% CI=0.20–0.92) and Performance IQ (OR=0.46, 95% CI=0.21–0.97), and each one point increase on the Token Test (OR=0.80, 95% CI=0.67–0.94) at age 8 was associated with a reduced risk of lifetime depression in NBW participants. Higher childhood IQ, better fluid intelligence, and greater verbal comprehension in childhood predicted reduced depression risk in NBW adults. Our findings suggest that ELBW survivors may be less protected by superior cognition than NBW individuals.

Keywords

childhood cognitive functioncognitionextremely low birth weight survivorsIQmajor depressive disorder
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 7 , Issue 6: Themed Issue: Developmental Origins of Adult Mental Health and Illness , December 2016 , pp. 574 - 580
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2016 

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