Herpes simplex virus 1 associated with impaired cognitive performance in adolescent patients with psychosis
D. Andreou, N. E. Steen, A. M. Myhre, O. A. Andreassen, R. H. Yolken, I. AgartzIntroduction
Herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV1) is a neurotropic virus capable of establishing latent, persistent infection after initial exposure. HSV1 has been associated with cognitive impairments in adult patients with psychosis; however, this association has not been examined in adolescent psychosis.
Objectives
We assessed HSV1 status (seropositive vs. seronegative) and cognition in adolescent patients with psychosis (early-onset psychosis; EOP) and healthy controls. We hypothesized that seropositive participants would show poorer cognitive performance than seronegative participants, and that the association would be stronger in or restricted to patients.
Methods
We included a total of 109 participants: 37 with EOP (mean age=16 years, 73% females, 27% seropositive), and 72 healthy controls (mean age=16, 53% females, 19% seropositive). In the EOP-group, 34 had non-affective psychosis (19 schizophrenia spectrum disorders and 15 other non-affective psychoses). Three participants had an affective psychosis (one bipolar I disorder and two major depressive disorder). We utilized the Measurement and Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (MATRICS) Consensus Cognitive Battery. We evaluated circulatory immunoglobulin G concentrations expressed as a dichotomous measure. In our main analyses, we applied sex- and age-adjusted models to test associations between HSV1 status and MATRICS cognitive domain scores.
Results
In the whole group of patients and healthy controls, HSV1 seropositivity was associated with impaired speed of processing (p=0.012), working memory (p=0.006), verbal learning (p=0.002), visual learning (p=0.049) and reasoning/problem solving (p=0.005), with medium to large effect sizes (partial eta-squared=0.06-0.09). For speed of processing, working memory, verbal learning and reasoning/problem solving, the associations were driven by the patient group, with large effect sizes (partial eta-squared=0.12-0.23).
Conclusions
HSV1 exposure in adolescents was linked to reduced cognitive performance, an effect that was more pronounced among those with psychosis.
Disclosure of Interest
D. Andreou: None Declared, N. E. Steen: None Declared, A. Myhre: None Declared, O. Andreassen Consultant of: CorTechs and Precision Health, Speakers bureau of: Janssen, Lundbeck and Sunovion, R. Yolken: None Declared, I. Agartz Speakers bureau of: Lundbeck