Henrik Larsson

Henrik Larsson

Affiliated to Research | Docent
Visiting address: Nobels väg 12a, 17165 Stockholm
Postal address: C8 Medicinsk epidemiologi och biostatistik, C8 MEB III, 171 77 Stockholm
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About me

  • My research group has strong skills in advanced epidemiological analyses and
    uses the unique possibilities in Sweden to perform psychiatric
    epidemiological research based on national health registers, twin research
    using the Swedish twin register and molecular epidemiology using large scale
    data collections of DNA. The group has also developed strong links to clinic
    research, where we perform translation research based on quality registers,
    randomized control trials, and clinically based data collections.
    I received the Fuller and Scott Early Career award by the Behavior Genetic
    Association in 2013.
    My past PhD students Zheng Chang and Qi Chen have both received the
    “Chinese government award for outstanding self-financed students abroad”.
    * M.A. Psychology (2001), Örebro University, Sweden
    * PhD in Genetic Epidemiology (2005), Karolinska Institutet

Research

  • *Positions*
    2003-2005: Doctoral student, Dept. of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics,
    Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
    2006: Post-doctoral fellow, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry
    Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, London.
    2007-2009: Postdoctoral position at the Dept. of Medical Epidemiology and
    Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet.
    2010: Assistant professor at the Karolinska Institutet Center of
    Neurodevelopmental Disorders and Dept. of Medical Epidemiology and
    Biostatistics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm
    2011-: Associate Professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and
    Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
    2013-2015: Director of Doctoral Education in Epidemiology at the Department
    of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet
    2016-2021 Guest Professor at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and
    Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet
    2016- Professor at the School of Medical Sciences, Örebro University [1]
    2021- Affiliated with the Department of Medical Epidemiology and
    Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet
    *Psychiatric epidemiology*
    Our research group has strong skills in advanced epidemiological analyses and
    uses the unique possibilities in Sweden to perform psychiatric
    epidemiological research based on national health registers, twin research
    using the Swedish twin register and molecular epidemiology using large scale
    data collections of DNA. Our group has also developed strong links to clinic
    research, where we perform translation research based on quality registers,
    randomized control trials, and clinically based data collections.
    *Short presentation of current research on ADHD*
    *What are the benefits and risks associated with ADHD medication use?*
    We have shown that ADHD medication reduce the risk for serious and
    public-health relevant outcomes, including criminality and traffic
    accidents. Our studies found no evidence for harmful effects of ADHD
    medication on substance abuse; rather the association between ADHD and
    substance abuse was explained by shared familial risk factors. Our studies
    also suggest that the co-occurrence of ADHD and suicidal behavior is due to
    shared familial factors, rather than to harmful effects of ADHD medications.
    /Publication example:/
    Medication for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and criminality. [2]
    Lichtenstein P, Halldner L, Zetterqvist J, Sjölander A, Serlachius E, Fazel
    S, Långström N, Larsson H
    /N Engl J Med 2012 Nov;367(21):2006-14/
    *Is ADHD characterized by both continuity and change across the life span?*
    This far, we have been able to demonstrate that symptoms of inattention tend
    to persist from childhood into adolescence to a greater extent than symptoms
    of hyperactivity-impulsivity. We have also shown that the level of the
    inattention symptoms may increase in some individuals from childhood to
    adolescence, which may lend developmental insight into how the presentation
    of ADHD symptoms changes from childhood to adulthood. We have used twin data
    to demonstrate that both stable and dynamic genetic risk factors influence
    ADHD over the course of the development from childhood into adulthood. We
    have recently shown that physical activity in adolescence might decrease ADHD
    symptoms in early adulthood.
    /Publication example:/
    Developmental twin study of attention problems: high heritabilities
    throughout development. [3]
    Chang Z, Lichtenstein P, Asherson PJ, Larsson H
    /JAMA Psychiatry 2013 Mar;70(3):311-8/
    *Is ADHD best viewed as a categorical disorder or as an extreme of a
    continuous trait?*
    We have used twin data to demonstrate a strong genetic link between the
    extreme and the sub-threshold variation of ADHD symptoms. We have also shown
    that the association between reduced birth weight and ADHD symptoms extend
    beyond the extreme end of the ADHD distribution, including the sub-diagnostic
    threshold range. Together, this suggest that ADHD is best viewed as the
    quantitative extreme of genetic and environmental factors operating
    dimensionally throughout the distribution of ADHD symptoms, indicating that
    the same etiologic factors are involved in the full range of symptoms of
    inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity.
    /Publication example:/
    Childhood attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder as an extreme of a
    continuous trait: a quantitative genetic study of 8, 500 twin pairs. [4]
    Larsson H, Anckarsater H, Råstam M, Chang Z, Lichtenstein P
    /J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2012 Jan;53(1):73-80/
    *How do genetic and environmental risk factors contribute to ADHD across the
    life span?*
    Our research group use twin data to study how genetic and environmental risk
    factors contribute to ADHD across the life span. Among many things, we have
    been able to demonstrate that ADHD in adults is strongly influenced by
    genetic risk factors and that the previous reports of low heritability for
    ADHD in adults are best explained by rater bias. We have recently published a
    review of the available twin research on ADHD in adults.
    /Publication example:/
    Genetic and environmental influences on adult attention deficit hyperactivity
    disorder symptoms: a large Swedish population-based study of twins. [5]
    Larsson H, Asherson P, Chang Z, Ljung T, Friedrichs B, Larsson JO,
    Lichtenstein P
    /Psychol Med 2013 Jan;43(1):197-207/
    *Why individuals with ADHD also presents with other psychiatric disorders?
    *
    We use twin and family data to obtain a better understanding of why
    individuals with ADHD also presents with other psychiatric disorders. We have
    clarified the role of genetic and environmental factors for several comorbid
    disorders and traits, including asthma, externalizing behavior, substance use
    problems, autistic traits, temperamental traits, and emotional lability. We
    have also conducted a large family study to show that ADHD share genetic risk
    factors with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.
    /Publication example:/
    Risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in relatives of people with
    attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. [6]
    Larsson H, Rydén E, Boman M, Långström N, Lichtenstein P, Landén M
    /Br J Psychiatry 2013 Aug;203(2):103-6/
    The co-occurrence of autistic and ADHD dimensions in adults: an etiological
    study in 17, 770 twins. [7]
    Polderman TJ, Hoekstra RA, Posthuma D, Larsson H
    /Transl Psychiatry 2014 Sep;4():e435/
    *Is ADHD influenced by early risk factors?*
    Our research team uses genetically informative designs to better understand
    associations between early risk factors and ADHD. We have shown that even
    though maternal smoking during pregnancy and maternal obesity in early
    pregnancy are associated with ADHD in offspring, they are not causally
    related; rather these associations were explained by unmeasured familial
    confounding. Using the same methods we have shown that cousins within the
    extended family and siblings within the same nuclear family who were
    differentially exposed to family income during early childhood actually
    differed in ADHD risk, which support a causal interpretation. Sibling and
    cousin analyses have also revealed that preterm birth and advancing paternal
    age is strongly associated with offspring risk for ADHD even after
    controlling for genetic confounding, again consistent with a causal
    interpretation. We have also explored how ADHD associates with maternal
    stress during pregnancy and maternal age at childbirth.
    /Publication example:/
    Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index and offspring attention deficit
    hyperactivity disorder: a population-based cohort study using a
    sibling-comparison design. [8]
    Chen Q, Sjölander A, Långström N, Rodriguez A, Serlachius E, D'Onofrio BM,
    Lichtenstein P, Larsson H
    /Int J Epidemiol 2014 Feb;43(1):83-90/
    *Main supervisor for PhD students*
    * Andreas Jangmo [9]
    *Co-supervisor for PhD students*
    * Johan Zetterqvist [10], MEB, KI.
    * Gustaf Brander [11]. Dep. of Clinical Neuroscience
    * Heléne Sundelin, Örebro university
    * Cecilia Lundholm, MEB, KI
    *Past doctoral students* (main supervisor)
    * Mats Forsman, PhD. (Thesis defense: 2009-09-25). Dep. of Medical
    Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MEB), Karolinska Institutet (KI);
    * Zheng Chang PhD (Thesis defense: 2013-11-08) MEB, KI;
    * Therese Ljung, PhD (Thesis defense: 2014-01-30). MEB, KI
    * Charlotte Skoglund, PhD (Thesis defence: 2015-11-06). Centrum för
    psykiatriforskning, KI.
    * Qi Chen, PhD (Thesis defence: 2016-03-18). MEB, KI.
    * Andrea Johansson, Capusan, PhD (Thesis Defence: 2016-09-02). Linköping
    University
    * Shuyang Yao, PhD (Thesis defence: 2018-03-09). MEB, KI.
    * Isabell Brikell, PhD (Thesis defence: 2018-04-20). MEB, KI.
    * Laura Ghirardi, PhD (Thesis defence: 2019-10-11). MEB, KI.
    * Shihua Sun PhD (Thesis defence: 202012-15). MEB, KI.
    *Past doctoral students *(co-supervisor)
    * Johan Zetterqvist, PhD (Thesis defence 2017-05-11). MEB, KI.
    * Gustaf Brander, PhD. (Thesis defence 2019-11-15).* * Dep. of Clinical
    Neuroscience, KI.
    *Former post docs*
    * Ylva Ginsberg (2013-)
    * Mina Rydell (2014-)
    * Ralf Kuja-Halkola (2016-)
    *Selected publications*
    Medication for attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and criminality. [12]
    Lichtenstein P, Larsson H
    /N Engl J Med 2013 02;368(8):776/
    Serious transport accidents in adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity
    disorder and the effect of medication: a population-based study. [13]
    Chang Z, Lichtenstein P, D'Onofrio BM, Sjölander A, Larsson H
    /JAMA Psychiatry 2014 Mar;71(3):319-25/
    Developmental twin study of attention problems: high heritabilities
    throughout development. [14]
    Chang Z, Lichtenstein P, Asherson PJ, Larsson H
    /JAMA Psychiatry 2013 Mar;70(3):311-8/
    Genetic and environmental influences on adult attention deficit hyperactivity
    disorder symptoms: a large Swedish population-based study of twins. [15]
    Larsson H, Asherson P, Chang Z, Ljung T, Friedrichs B, Larsson JO,
    Lichtenstein P
    /Psychol Med 2013 Jan;43(1):197-207/
    The heritability of clinically diagnosed attention deficit hyperactivity
    disorder across the lifespan. [16]
    Larsson H, Chang Z, D'Onofrio BM, Lichtenstein P
    /Psychol Med 2014 Jul;44(10):2223-9/
    Risk of bipolar disorder and schizophrenia in relatives of people with
    attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. [17]
    Larsson H, Rydén E, Boman M, Långström N, Lichtenstein P, Landén M
    /Br J Psychiatry 2013 Aug;203(2):103-6/
    Family income in early childhood and subsequent attention
    deficit/hyperactivity disorder: a quasi-experimental study. [18]
    Larsson H, Sariaslan A, Långström N, D'Onofrio B, Lichtenstein P
    /J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2014 May;55(5):428-35/
    Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index and offspring attention deficit
    hyperactivity disorder: a population-based cohort study using a
    sibling-comparison design. [19]
    Chen Q, Sjölander A, Långström N, Rodriguez A, Serlachius E, D'Onofrio BM,
    Lichtenstein P, Larsson H
    /Int J Epidemiol 2014 Feb;43(1):83-90/
    Paternal age at childbearing and offspring psychiatric and academic
    morbidity. [20]
    D'Onofrio BM, Rickert ME, Frans E, Kuja-Halkola R, Almqvist C, Sjölander A,
    Larsson H, Lichtenstein P
    /JAMA Psychiatry 2014 Apr;71(4):432-8/
    Drug treatment for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and suicidal
    behaviour: register based study. [21]
    Chen Q, Sjölander A, Runeson B, D'Onofrio BM, Lichtenstein P, Larsson H
    /BMJ 2014 Jun;348():g3769/
    [1] https://www.oru.se/personal/henrik_larsson
    [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:23171097
    [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:23303526
    [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:21923806
    [5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:22894944
    [6] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:23703314
    [7] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:25180574
    [8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:24058000
    [9] http://ki.se/people/andrja
    [10] http://default/en/node/12041
    [11] http://ki.se/en/people/gusbra
    [12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:23425178
    [13] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:24477798
    [14] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:23303526
    [15] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:22894944
    [16] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:24107258
    [17] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:23703314
    [18] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:24111650
    [19] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:24058000
    [20] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:24577047
    [21] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed:24942388

Articles

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Employments

  • Affiliated to Research, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2024-2026

Degrees and Education

  • Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2011
  • Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, 2005

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