Browsing by Author "Sakala, Katre"

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Association between platelet MAO activity and lifetime drug use in a longitudinal birth cohort study
(2022) Sakala, Katre; Kasearu, Kairi; Katus, Urmeli; Veidebaum, Toomas; Harro, Jaanus
Rationale: Platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity, a marker of central serotonergic capacity, has been associated with a variety of problem behaviours. However, studies on platelet MAO activity and addictive drugs has not been consistently linked with addiction or found to predict illicit substance use initiation or frequency. Objectives: Platelet MAO activity and illicit drug use was examined in a longitudinal birth cohort study. Methods: The sample included both birth cohorts (original n = 1238) of the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study. Longitudinal association from age 15 to 25 years between platelet MAO activity and lifetime drug use was analyzed by mixed-effects regression models. Differences at ages 15, 18 and 25 were analyzed by t-test. Cox proportional hazard regression analysis was used to assess the association between platelet MAO activity and the age of drug use initiation. Results: Male subjects who reported at least one drug use event had lower platelet MAO activity compared to nonusers, both in cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis. Males with low platelet MAO activity had started to use drugs at a younger age. Moreover, in male subjects who had experimented with illicit drugs only once in lifetime, low platelet MAO activity was also associated with higher risk at a younger age. In females, platelet MAO activity was not associated with drug use. Conclusion: In males, low platelet MAO activity is associated with drug abuse primarily owing to risk taking at early age.
Association of Impulsivity With Food, Nutrients, and Fitness in a Longitudinal Birth Cohort Study
(2022) Matrov, Denis; Kurrikoff, Triin; Villa, Inga; Sakala, Katre; Pulver, Aleksander; Veidebaum, Toomas; Shimmo, Ruth; Harro, Jaanus
Background: Impulsivity is a psychiatric vulnerability factor strongly associated with substance abuse but also with unhealthy diet. Whether these associations extend to specific nutrients is largely unknown. Therefore, we investigated the longitudinal association between diet, cardiorespiratory fitness, and 2 impulsivity dimensions in a representative sample of south Estonian adolescents and young adults. Impulsivity and dietary intake were measured 3 times in 2 birth cohorts at regular intervals in individuals aged 15 to 33 years. Methods: The sample included 2 birth cohorts of the longitudinal Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study. The analytic sample size consisted of 2883 observations (56.4% females). The primary outcomes were adaptive and maladaptive impulsivity scores measured by an original 24-item Likert-type questionnaire. Impulsivity scores were predicted from the food diaries data converted into nutrient categories. A linear mixed-effects approach was used to model the time dependence between observations. Results: Lower maladaptive impulsivity was associated with higher cardiorespiratory fitness (β = −.07; 95% CI = −0.12; −0.03). Higher maladaptive impulsivity was associated with lower dietary intake of zinc (β = −.10; −0.15; −0.06) and vegetables (β = −.04; −0.07; −0.01) and higher intake of sodium (β = .06; 0.02; 0.10). Vitamin B6 was positively associated with adaptive impulsivity (β = .04; 0.01; 0.07). Additionally, some of the adjusted models showed significant but weak associations with selenium, alcohol, fish, and cereal products. Conclusions: Food choice may affect the neurochemistry and therefore regulate the manifestations of impulsivity. We identified associations between several (micro)nutrients and maladaptive impulsivity.
Is low platelet MAO activity associated with antisocial behavior? Evidence from representative samples of longitudinally observed birth cohorts
(2023) Sakala, Katre; Katus, Urmeli; Kiive, Evelyn; Veidebaum, Toomas; Harro, Jaanus
Lower platelet monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity has been associated with problem behaviors, including criminal behavior, but not all studies agree. We have examined platelet MAO activity and antisocial behavior involving police contact in a longitudinal birth cohort study. The sample included both birth cohorts (original n = 1238) of the Estonian Children Personality Behavior and Health Study. Platelet MAO activity was measured at ages 15, 18 and 25 radioenzymatically with ß-phenylethylamine as the substrate. Police contacts were self-reported in an interview and drug use in a questionnaire filled in during a laboratory visit. In cross-sectional analyses, males with the record of antisocial behavior had lower platelet MAO activity. In longitudinal mixed-effect regression models, this association was found to be independent of smoking. Furthermore, including smoking in the model revealed lower platelet MAO activity also in females with past antisocial behaviour. A further exploratory regression analysis with antisocial behavior at two levels of frequency and consideration of self-reported use of illicit drugs either in a single occasion or repeatedly demonstrated some "dose-dependency" in the relationship of antisocial behavior and platelet MAO activity. Platelet MAO activity was lower in male but not female subjects with basic education level as compared to secondary and higher education, but it was not related to non-verbal intelligence. Neither was platelet MAO activity associated with socio- economic status. In conclusion, antisocial behavior as occurring in general population is associated with low platelet MAO activity that probably reflects low capacity of the serotonergic system.
Orexin/hypocretin receptor gene (HCRTR1) variation is associated with aggressive behaviour
(ScienceDirect, 2019-09) Harro, Jaanus; Laas, Kariina; Eensoo, Diva; Kurrikoff, Triin; Sakala, Katre; Vaht, Mariliis; Parik, Jüri; Mäestu, Jarek; Veidebaum, Toomas
Orexins, alternatively called hypocretins, are neuropeptides with crucial role in maintaining wakefulness. The orexin system is thought to mediate a coordinated defense response but thus far investigated from the flight, but never fight, response perspective. An HCRTR1 gene variant (rs2271933 G > A) leading to amino acid substitution (Ile408Val) has been associated with migraine and mood disorders. We genotyped, and assessed aggressive behaviour in both birth cohorts (n = 655 and 583) of the Estonian Children Personality Behaviour and Health Study (ECPBHS). Measures of aggressiveness were collected at age 25 or 33 and data on stressful life events (SLE-s) at age 15. Violations of traffic law were monitored in the samples of the Estonian Psychobiological Study of Traffic Behaviour. In both birth cohorts of the ECPBHS, the HCRTR1 the A/A homozygotes reported higher aggression in both Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire and the Life History of Aggression Interview. With either measure of aggressiveness, the HCRTR1 genotype effect was dependent on experience of SLE, the highest level of aggressiveness increase by environment being found in female A/A homozygotes. The HCRTR1 A/A homozygotes scored higher in the ANGER facet of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scale, while such an effect on FEAR was found only in females. Male HCRTR1 A/A homozygotes were more likely to relapse into drunk driving of a passenger car, and in two independent samples the A-allele carriers were causing traffic accidents more often. Conclusively, self-report, interview, and traffic record data converge indicating that the HCRTR1 Ile408Val genotype is associated with aggressiveness and breach of law. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled ‘Current status of the neurobiology of aggression and impulsivity’.
Täiskasvanuea agressiivse käitumise seosed teismeea hüperaktiivse ja agressiivse käitumise ja monoamiinide oksüdaasi A genotüübiga
(Tartu Ülikool, 2022) Ande, Piret; Sakala, Katre; Kanarik, Margus; Tartu Ülikool. Psühholoogia instituut; Tartu Ülikool. Sotsiaalteaduste valdkond