34. Relationship Between Adolescent Metabolites and Psychosis Risk and Academic Performance in Adolescence: Results From a Finnish Birth Cohort

Abstract

Abstract Background: Psychotic experiences in adolescence index risk for later psychotic disorders and adolescents with psychotic experiences in the population show evidence of some of the cognitive deficits observed in those with clinical psychotic disorders. Metabolomics approaches have been fruitful in predicting psychotic disorders in young adults and the development of cognitive deficits in older adults. Erthyrocyte lipid abnormalities (in omega-3 and omega-9) have been associated with cognitive deficits in young people at risk for psychosis. However, metabolomics approaches have not been applied to examine predictors of psychotic experiences or cognitive deficits in population samples of young adults. In this study, we aimed to use metabolomics approaches to clarify whether serum metabolites were associated with adolescent psychotic experiences in the population and with adolescent academic difficulties, and whether observed associations with academic difficulties differed by psychotic experience status. Methods: Using data from the Northern Finland Birth Cohort 1986 (NFBC 1986; n = 6985 at 16 years, 74% follow-up), we used logistic regression to measure the association between 77 metabolic measures and positive and negative psychotic experiences (measured using the PROD-screen) and academic performance, controlling for sex, maternal education and body mass index at 16 years. Analyses were adjusted for multiple testing. Observed associations with academic performance were tested for interaction with positive psychotic experiences using chi-squared test for interaction. Results: No metabolites were associated with positive psychotic experiences or negative psychotic experiences at the corrected P value of <.0026. However, nineteen metabolites were associated with academic performance. A number of these associations interacted with positive psychotic experiences. Specifically, higher ratios of omega-3 to total fatty acids was significantly more protective in terms of academic performance among those with psychotic experiences (OR = 0.72, 95% CI: 0.62–0.83) than those without (OR = 0.84, 95% CI: 0.77–0.91; P = .036 for difference). There was also a trend towards a more protective effect among those with psychotic experiences in association with higher ratios of polyunsaturated fatty acids to total fatty acids (P = .063), and towards higher risk associated with higher levels of total fatty acids (P = .058) and higher monounsaturated fatty acid levels (P = .055). Conclusion: Observed associations with academic performance were strong across the population, though the protective association with higher omega-3 ratios were particularly strong among those with positive psychotic experiences. This may suggest that higher ratios of omega-3 in this group are particularly important in preventing adverse cognitive outcomes.