TY - JOUR
T1 - Validation of the neuroconnective endophenotype questionnaire (NEQ) :
T2 - a new clinical tool for medicine and psychiatry resulting from the contribution of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
AU - Bulbena Vilarrasa, Antonio
AU - Rosado, Silvia
AU - Cabaleiro, Marina
AU - Martinez, María
AU - Baeza-Velasco, Carolina
AU - Martin, Luis-Miguel
AU - Bulbena-Cabre, Andrea
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - The link between anxiety disorders and joint hypermobility syndrome (now under hypermobility spectrum disorders, which include hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) has been widely replicated over the past 30 years and has grown beyond the initial nosological limits. To integrate clinical and research progress in this field, a new neuroconnective endophenotype (NE) and its corresponding instrument, the Neuroconnective Endophenotype Questionnaire (NEQ), have been developed. This new clinical construct, created with the active participation of patients, includes both somatic and psychological dimensions and symptoms and resilience items. The NE includes five dimensions: (1) sensorial sensitivity, (2) body signs and symptoms, (3) somatic conditions, (4) polar behavioral strategies, and (5) psychological and psychopathological dimensions. The NEQ information is collected through four self-administered questionnaires (sensorial sensitivity, body signs and symptoms, polar behavioral strategies, and psychological characteristics) and a structured diagnostic part that should be completed by a trained observer. This hetero-administered part incorporates (a) psychiatric diagnoses (using structured criteria, e.g., MINI), (b) somatic disorders diagnosis, using structured criteria, and (c) assessment of joint hypermobility criteria. In a sample of 36 anxiety cases with 36 matched controls, the NEQ obtained high scores for test-retest, inter-rater reliability, and internal consistency. As for predictive validity, cases and controls significantly differed in all five dimensions and hypermobility measurements. We can conclude that the NEQ has achieved acceptable reliability and validity values and, therefore, is ready to be used and tested in different samples. This original and consistent construct including somatic and mental items may improve clinical specificity, the search for more comprehensive therapies, and their genetic and neuroimaging bases.
AB - The link between anxiety disorders and joint hypermobility syndrome (now under hypermobility spectrum disorders, which include hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome) has been widely replicated over the past 30 years and has grown beyond the initial nosological limits. To integrate clinical and research progress in this field, a new neuroconnective endophenotype (NE) and its corresponding instrument, the Neuroconnective Endophenotype Questionnaire (NEQ), have been developed. This new clinical construct, created with the active participation of patients, includes both somatic and psychological dimensions and symptoms and resilience items. The NE includes five dimensions: (1) sensorial sensitivity, (2) body signs and symptoms, (3) somatic conditions, (4) polar behavioral strategies, and (5) psychological and psychopathological dimensions. The NEQ information is collected through four self-administered questionnaires (sensorial sensitivity, body signs and symptoms, polar behavioral strategies, and psychological characteristics) and a structured diagnostic part that should be completed by a trained observer. This hetero-administered part incorporates (a) psychiatric diagnoses (using structured criteria, e.g., MINI), (b) somatic disorders diagnosis, using structured criteria, and (c) assessment of joint hypermobility criteria. In a sample of 36 anxiety cases with 36 matched controls, the NEQ obtained high scores for test-retest, inter-rater reliability, and internal consistency. As for predictive validity, cases and controls significantly differed in all five dimensions and hypermobility measurements. We can conclude that the NEQ has achieved acceptable reliability and validity values and, therefore, is ready to be used and tested in different samples. This original and consistent construct including somatic and mental items may improve clinical specificity, the search for more comprehensive therapies, and their genetic and neuroimaging bases.
KW - Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
KW - Anxiety
KW - Psychosomatic medicine
KW - Reliability
KW - Validity
KW - Joint hypermobility
KW - Neuroconnective endophenotype
U2 - 10.3389/fmed.2023.1039223
DO - 10.3389/fmed.2023.1039223
M3 - Article
C2 - 37234249
SN - 2296-858X
VL - 10
JO - Frontiers in Medicine
JF - Frontiers in Medicine
ER -