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Erskine N, Barratt J, Cairney J. Paediatric motor difficulties and internalising problems: an integrative review on the environmental stress hypothesis. Front Pediatr 2024; 12:1320338. [PMID: 39156018 PMCID: PMC11327034 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2024.1320338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Abstract
The current study aims to provide an in-depth analysis and extension of the Environmental Stress Hypothesis (ESH) framework, focusing on the complex interplay between poor motor skills and internalising problems like anxiety and depression. Using an integrative research review methodology, this study synthesises findings from 38 articles, both empirical and theoretical, building upon previous foundational works. The hypothesis posits that poor motor skills serve as a primary stressor, leading to internalising problems through various secondary stressors. A rigorous comparison of data was conducted, considering study design, findings, and methodologies-while exploring variables such as age, sex, and comorbidities. The study also enhances the ESH framework by including intrapersonal stressors and introducing resource buffers, including optimism and familial support as additional influencing factors. This multi-level approach yields a more nuanced and comprehensive ESH framework, highlighting the need for future studies to consider variables that intersect across multiple domains and how the relationship between poor motor skills and internalising problems may vary across different life stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noah Erskine
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Health and Well-Being Centre for Research Innovation, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
| | - Jaime Barratt
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Health and Well-Being Centre for Research Innovation, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Faculty of Education, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, Canada
| | - John Cairney
- School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
- Health and Well-Being Centre for Research Innovation, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD, Australia
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Doyle H, Boisseau CL, Garnaat SL, Rasmussen SA, Desrochers TM. Abstract task sequence initiation deficit dissociates anxiety disorders from obsessive-compulsive disorder and healthy controls. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2024:10.3758/s13415-024-01207-7. [PMID: 39085586 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-024-01207-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024]
Abstract
In everyday life, humans perform sequences of tasks. These tasks may be disrupted in people with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Symptoms, such as compulsions, can be considered sequential and often cause repetitions of tasks that disrupt daily living (e.g., checking the stove while cooking). Motor sequences have been used to study behavioral deficits in OCD. However, not all sequences are motor sequences. Some are more "abstract" in that they are composed of a series of tasks (e.g., chopping and stirring) rather than being dependent on individual actions or stimuli. These abstract task sequences require cognitive control mechanisms for their execution. Although theory has proposed deficits in these sequences in OCD as well, they have not been directly investigated. We tested the hypotheses that OCD participants exhibit deficits in the control mechanisms specific to abstract task sequences and more general flexible behavior (measured with task switching within the sequences), relative to health controls (HCs) and clinical controls (participants with anxiety disorders [ANX]). A total of 112 participants completed abstract task sequences consisting of simple categorization tasks. Surprisingly, participants with OCD did not perform worse than HCs or ANX. However, ANX participants showed impairments specific to sequential control that did not extend to more general flexible control. Thus, we showed a novel behavioral dissociation between OCD and ANX specific to abstract task sequential control. These results also implicate deficits in specific frontal sequential control neural circuitry in ANX and not in OCD, where implicit sequential deficits may more closely align with striatal circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Doyle
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Christina L Boisseau
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sarah L Garnaat
- Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College & Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Steven A Rasmussen
- Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Theresa M Desrochers
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Robert J. and Nancy D. Carney Institute for Brain Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
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Klinge JL, Warschburger P, Klein AM. The Importance of Self-Regulation in the Development of Internalizing Symptoms During Middle Childhood. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 2024; 73:292-310. [PMID: 38840545 DOI: 10.13109/prkk.2024.73.4.292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
The Importance of Self-Regulation in the Development of Internalizing Symptoms During Middle Childhood Current research discusses low self-regulation abilities during childhood as risk factors for the development of internalizing symptoms. However, longitudinal studies investigatingmultiple self-regulation facets simultaneously are scarce. We examined whether impairments in various self-regulation facets (emotional reactivity, inhibition, inhibitory control, planning behavior) in middle childhood predict internalizing symptoms two years later and whether they make an incremental contribution when established risk factors (gender, family adversity) are considered. Furthermore, we investigated whether self-regulation facets predict later internalizing symptoms under consideration of internalizing symptoms at baseline.The sample consisted of 1,617 children (t1:Mage = 9.1, t2:Mage = 11.1 years), assessed at two measurement points. Internalizing symptoms were rated by parents on the Emotional Problems Scale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Self-regulation facets were measured at the first measurement point using various methods and informants. A stepwise regression analysis revealed that increased emotional reactivity, reduced inhibitory control, and reduced planning behavior significantly predicted later internalizing symptoms, explaining 14.8 % of the variance. Adding risk factors increased the explained variance by 2.5 %. Under consideration of baseline internalizing symptoms, reduced inhibition and inhibitory control significantly predicted later internalizing symptoms, while other self-regulation facets and risk factors did not. Results of this study may inform prevention and intervention measures.
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Davis MM, Navarro E, Carpenter KLH, Copeland WE, Small B, Egger HL, Sheridan MA. Early life adversity and psychopathology in preschoolers: mechanisms and moderators. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:1945-1954. [PMID: 37725168 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Developmental theories suggest that exposure to early life adversity (ELA) alters developing emotional response systems, predicting risk for psychopathology across the life span. The present study examines whether negative emotionality (NE), a trait-like measure of emotionality that develops during early childhood, mediates the association between ELA and psychopathology in a representative sample of 917 preschoolers (Mage = 3.84). Additionally, we explored whether cognitive control, which supports attentional focusing and inhibition and has been identified as a transdiagnostic protective factor, moderates the impact of heightened emotionality following adversity on psychopathology risk. We utilized parent report of adversity, psychopathology, and NE and parent report and task-based measures of cognitive control. Structural equation modeling of cross-sectional data revealed that NE partially mediated the link between ELA and psychopathology symptoms. Moreover, parent-reported cognitive control buffered this link such that the effect of ELA on psychopathology through NE was stronger in children with low versus high cognitive control. These results identify elevated NE as one mechanism linking ELA and psychopathology, specifically among children with poorer top-down control, informing our understanding of key risk and protective factors among adversity-exposed children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Davis
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 235 E. Cameron St., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Esmeralda Navarro
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 235 E. Cameron St., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 235 E. Cameron St., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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Cárdenas EF, Hill KE, Estes E, Ravi S, Molnar AE, Humphreys KL, Kujawa A. [Formula: see text] Neural and behavioral indicators of cognitive control in preschoolers with and without prenatal opioid exposure. Child Neuropsychol 2024; 30:329-347. [PMID: 37070372 PMCID: PMC11040227 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2023.2196397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
Prenatal opioid exposure is one consequence of the opioid epidemic, but effects on child development remain poorly understood. There is emerging evidence that children exposed to opioids in utero exhibit elevated emotional and behavioral problems, which may be partially due to alterations in cognitive control. Using multiple methods (i.e., neuropsychological, behavioral, and event-related potential [ERP] assessments), the present study examined differences in emotional, behavioral, and cognitive control difficulties in preschool-aged children with (n = 21) and without (n = 23) prenatal opioid exposure (Mage = 4.30, SD = 0.77 years). Child emotional and behavioral problems were measured with a caregiver questionnaire, indicators of cognitive control were measured using developmentally appropriate behavioral (i.e., delay discounting, Go/No-Go) and neuropsychological (i.e., Statue) tasks, and electroencephalogram was recorded to error and correct responses in a Go/No-Go task. ERP analyses focused on the error-related negativity (ERN), an ERP that reflects error monitoring, and correct-response negativity (CRN), a component reflecting performance monitoring more generally. Opioid exposure was associated with elevated difficulties across domains and a blunted ERN, reflecting altered cognitive control at the neural level, but groups did not significantly differ on behavioral measures of cognitive control. These result replicate prior studies indicating an association between prenatal opioid exposure and behavioral problems in preschool-aged children. Further, our findings suggest these differences may be partially due to children with prenatal opioid exposure exhibiting difficulties with cognitive control at the neural level. The ERN is a potential target for future research and intervention efforts to address the sequelae of prenatal opioid exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilia F. Cárdenas
- Vanderbilt University, Peabody College of Education and
Human Development, 2201 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, USA 37203-5721
| | - Kaylin E. Hill
- Vanderbilt University, Peabody College of Education and
Human Development, 2201 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, USA 37203-5721
| | - Elizabeth Estes
- Vanderbilt University, Peabody College of Education and
Human Development, 2201 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, USA 37203-5721
- University of Michigan, School of Social Work, 1080 South
University Avenue Ann Arbor, MI, USA 48109-1106
| | - Sanjana Ravi
- Vanderbilt University, Peabody College of Education and
Human Development, 2201 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, USA 37203-5721
| | - Andrew E. Molnar
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Psychiatry and
Behavioral Sciences, 1211 Medical Center Drive, Nashville, TN, USA 37232-2102
| | - Kathryn L. Humphreys
- Vanderbilt University, Peabody College of Education and
Human Development, 2201 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, USA 37203-5721
| | - Autumn Kujawa
- Vanderbilt University, Peabody College of Education and
Human Development, 2201 West End Avenue, Nashville, TN, USA 37203-5721
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Gradi N, Chopin A, Bavelier D, Shechner T, Pichon S. Evaluating the effect of action-like video game play and of casual video game play on anxiety in adolescents with elevated anxiety: protocol for a multi-center, parallel group, assessor-blind, randomized controlled trial. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:56. [PMID: 38243201 PMCID: PMC10799487 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05515-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a critical period for the onset and maintenance of anxiety disorders, which raises the importance of intervening early; one possibility of doing so is via digital interventions. Within that research field, at least two important research paths have been explored in the past years. On the one hand, the anxiolytic effect of casual video games has been tested as such gaming activity may distract away from anxious thoughts through the induction of flow and redirection of attention toward the game and thus away of anxious thoughts. On the other hand, the bidirectional link between weak attentional control and higher anxiety has led to the design of interventions aiming at improving attentional control such as working memory training studies. Taking stock that another genre of gaming, action video games, improves attentional control, game-based interventions that combines cognitive training and action-like game features would seem relevant. This three-arm randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the feasibility and the efficacy of two video game interventions to document how each may potentially alleviate adolescent anxiety-related symptoms when deployed fully on-line. METHODS The study aims to recruit 150 individuals, 12 to 14 years of age, with high levels of anxiety as reported by the parents' online form of the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders questionnaire. This trial contrasts a child-friendly, "action-like" video game designed to improve attentional control abilities in a progressive and stepwise manner (Eco-Rescue), a casual puzzle video game selected to act as a positive distraction tool (Bejeweled) and finally a control group with no assigned training intervention to control for possible test-retest effects (No-training). Participants will be assigned randomly to one of the three study arms. They will be assessed for main (anxiety) and secondary outcomes (attentional control, affective working memory) at three time points, before training (T1), one week after the 6-week training (T2) and four months after completing the training (T3). DISCUSSION The results will provide evidence for the feasibility and the efficacy of two online video game interventions at improving mental health and emotional well-being in adolescents with high levels of anxiety. This project will contribute unique knowledge to the field, as few studies have examined the effects of video game play in the context of digital mental health interventions for adolescents. TRIAL REGISTRATION The trial is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05923944, June 20, 2023).
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Affiliation(s)
- Naïma Gradi
- Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Adrien Chopin
- Smith Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Daphné Bavelier
- Department of Psychology, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
| | - Tomer Shechner
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Swann Pichon
- Geneva School of Health Sciences, Geneva, Switzerland
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Cheng R, Lawson KM, Robins RW. Do temperament trajectories from late childhood through adolescence predict success in school? Findings from a longitudinal study of Mexican-origin youth. J Pers Soc Psychol 2024; 126:128-149. [PMID: 37589703 PMCID: PMC10873481 DOI: 10.1037/pspp0000475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
School achievement has long-term consequences for occupational success, mental health, and overall psychological adjustment. The present study examined the association between temperament trajectories from late childhood through adolescence and academic outcomes during late adolescence and young adulthood. Data come from the California Families Project, a longitudinal study of 674 Mexican-origin youth assessed 12 times from Age 10 to 23, and from school records. Results from latent growth curve models indicate that higher levels of Effortful Control (EC) at Age 10 were associated with better academic achievement (i.e., higher high school grade point average and test scores, greater likelihood of high school graduation and college attendance) in late adolescence and young adulthood. Higher levels of Negative Emotionality (NEM) at Age 10 were associated with worse academic achievement, but this effect did not hold for all facets of NEM. Neither the levels nor slopes of Positive Emotionality (Surgency, Affiliation) consistently predicted school achievement. There were no main effects of the EC or NEM slopes; however, statistically significant interactions between these slopes and parental monitoring emerged. When parental monitoring was low, youth who experienced greater increases in EC (vs. flat or decreasing slopes) had better academic achievement, and youth who experienced greater increases in NEM had worse academic achievement; in contrast, when parents closely monitored their children, changes in EC and NEM were only weakly associated with achievement. Overall, these findings demonstrate that temperament in late childhood, and changes in temperament across adolescence, have important prospective effects on academic achievement. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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Seidman AJ, Yang X, Westbrook A, George CJ, Kovacs M. Effects of current and past depressive episodes on behavioral performance and subjective experience during an N-back task. J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry 2023; 81:101852. [PMID: 36947973 PMCID: PMC10460824 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Depression impairs working memory (WM). And, while many studies have documented impairment in WM during depression remission, those using the N-back task did not find differences between individuals with remitted depression and healthy controls. One reason for these findings may be that certain depression phenotypes, such as the childhood-onset form, which is likely to be associated with persistent WM problems, are underrepresented or unevenly represented in the studies. Because childhood-onset depression (COD) affects individuals while cognitive development is still ongoing, it is more likely to have lasting detrimental effects, as evidenced in residual memory impairment, than depression that onsets later in life. Further, it is unclear if depression episodes have cumulative effects on WM when measured via the N-back. METHODS We examined the effects of depression on WM performance (response time, accuracy, signal detection d') and subjective experience (difficulty, mental effort required) during a four-level N-back task among 112 adults with COD (42 currently depressed; 70 remitted depressed) and 80 never-depressed controls. RESULTS Compared to never-depressed controls, there was minimal evidence of impaired WM performance among participants with remitted or current depression; the groups also reported overall similar subjective experiences during the N-back. Notably, number of lifetime depressive episodes had a detrimental cumulative effect on response accuracy and d'. LIMITATIONS WM was assessed only in regard to verbal memory. The sample size of currently depressed cases was smaller than that of the other groups. CONCLUSIONS WM remains largely intact among adults with remitted COD, but increased number of depression episodes worsens WM performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J Seidman
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
| | - Xiao Yang
- Old Dominion University, Department of Psychology, 250 Mills Godwin Life Sciences Building, Norfolk, VA, 23529, USA.
| | - Andrew Westbrook
- Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistics, and Psychological Sciences, 190 Thayer St, Providence, RI, 02912, USA.
| | - Charles J George
- University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Department of Psychiatry, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
| | - Maria Kovacs
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, 3811 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213, USA.
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Patwardhan I, Gordon C, Mason WA. Trajectories of cognitive flexibility through kindergarten and first grade: Implications for externalizing and internalizing behavior problems in the second grade. Dev Psychol 2023; 59:1794-1806. [PMID: 37768615 PMCID: PMC10544856 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
Developmental delays in cognitive flexibility early in elementary school can potentially increase vulnerability for subsequent externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. The first goal of the current study was to identify latent subgroups of children characterized by different developmental trajectories of cognitive flexibility throughout kindergarten and first grade using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 dataset. The second goal was to examine whether identified longitudinal developmental trajectories of cognitive flexibility could be associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors in the second grade, while accounting for background child (age, gender, and Spanish-speaking) and family (family income and mother's education) covariates. The analytic sample consisted of 15,827 kindergarteners (51.20% male; 48.50% White, 13.5% Black/African American, 24.3% Hispanic/Latino, 7.60% Asian, and 6.1% other), who were approximately 5.62 years old (SD = 4.48 months) at the study's outset. Most children lived in households with medium family income of approximately $50,000-$55,000. Using a growth mixture modeling approach, our analyses identified normative (91.05%; 50.4% male) and delayed (8.95%; 59.4% male) cognitive flexibility groups and demonstrated that delayed developers have higher levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors in the second grade, even after adjusting for background covariates. Our findings, in conjunction with research on cognitive flexibility training, suggest that caregivers may lower the risk for externalizing and internalizing behaviors in delayed developers by correcting inflexible thinking, encouraging alternative solutions, and providing emotional support when children face challenging problems. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Patwardhan
- Boys Town Translational Research Center for Child and Family Studies, 14015 Flanagan Blvd #202, Boys Town, NE 68010 US
| | - Chanelle Gordon
- Boys Town Translational Research Center for Child and Family Studies, 14015 Flanagan Blvd #202, Boys Town, NE 68010 US
| | - W. Alex Mason
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 66 N. Pauline St., suite 637, Memphis, TN, 38163
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Umemoto A, Zhou Z, Millon EM, Koshy CS, Taylor SM, Spann MN, Monk C, Marsh R, Rosellini AJ, Auerbach RP. Intergenerational transmission of cognitive control capacity among children at risk for depression. Biol Psychol 2023; 182:108652. [PMID: 37516422 PMCID: PMC10528753 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2023.108652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 07/23/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
A maternal history of major depressive disorder (MDD) is a well-known risk factor for depression in offspring. However, the mechanism through which familial risk is transmitted remains unclear. Cognitive control alterations are common in MDD, and thus, the current study investigated whether altered control capacity is transmitted intergenerationally, and whether it then contributes to the developmental pathways through which depression is passed from mothers to children. We recruited children (N = 65) ages 4-10-years-old, of which 47.7 % (n = 31) reported a maternal history of MDD, and their biological mother (N = 65). Children performed a child-friendly Go/NoGo task while electroencephalography (EEG) data were recorded, and mothers performed a Flanker task. Children exhibited heightened sensitivity to error versus correct responses, which was characterized by an error-related negativity (ERN), error positivity (Pe) as well as prominent delta and frontal midline theta (FMT) oscillations. Interestingly, worse maternal performance on the Flanker task associated with an increased Go/NoGo error rate and a smaller ERN and Pe in children. However, there was no association between maternal or child control indices with child depression symptoms. Our results suggest a familial influence of cognitive control capacity in mother-child dyads, but it remains unclear whether this confers risk for depressive symptoms in children. Further research is necessary to determine whether alterations in cognitive control over time may influence symptom development in at-risk children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akina Umemoto
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zhixin Zhou
- Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Emma M Millon
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina S Koshy
- Department of Counseling and Clinical Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sydney M Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marisa N Spann
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Catherine Monk
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Division of Behavioral Medicine, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rachel Marsh
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Randy P Auerbach
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA; Division of Clinical Developmental Neuroscience, Sackler Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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Anderson NJ, Rozenman M, Pennington BF, Willcutt EG, McGrath LM. Compounding Effects of Domain-General Cognitive Weaknesses and Word Reading Difficulties on Anxiety Symptoms in Youth. JOURNAL OF LEARNING DISABILITIES 2023; 56:343-358. [PMID: 35658570 PMCID: PMC9720039 DOI: 10.1177/00222194221098719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
This study examined whether domain-general cognitive weaknesses in processing speed (PS) or executive functioning (EF) moderate the relation between word reading scores and anxiety such that lower word reading scores in combination with lower cognitive scores are associated with higher anxiety symptoms. The sample consisted of 755 youth ages 8-16 who were recruited as part of the Colorado Learning Disabilities Research Center twins study. Lower scores on PS (R2 = .007, p = .014), EF (R2 = .009, p = .006), and word reading (R2 = .006-.008, p = .010-.032) were associated with higher anxiety scores. In addition, the word reading × cognitive interactions were significant such that lower scores on PS (R2 = .010, p = .005) or EF (R2 = .013, p = .010) combined with lower word reading were associated with higher-than-expected anxiety symptoms. Results suggest that weaknesses in PS, EF, and word reading are modestly associated with higher anxiety symptoms, and these anxiety symptoms may be compounded in youth with both PS or EF weaknesses and word reading difficulties. These findings can guide assessment approaches for identifying youth with word reading challenges who may be at increased risk for anxiety.
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12
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Sun J, Wang S, Mu G, Liu J, Su R, Zhang X, Fang J, Wang Y. Symptoms of depression and anxiety in Chinese adolescents: heterogeneity and associations with executive function. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:410. [PMID: 37286986 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04810-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Depression and anxiety are common symptoms associated with significant morbidity in adolescents. Few studies have explored the relationship between latent profiles of adolescent depression-anxiety symptoms and executive function (EF), which is also a major pediatric public health concern. METHODS The sample included 1,306 participants who were recruited from two schools in Ningxia. The Depression Self-Rating Scale for Children (DSRSC) and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED) were used to assess the level of depression-anxiety symptoms in adolescents, and their executive function state was assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Self-Report version (BRIEF-SR). Latent profile analysis (LPA) was carried out using Mplus 7.0 to explore the most likely number of profiles based on the subscales of DSRSC and SCARED. The relationship between adolescents' executive function and depression-anxiety symptoms were analyzed by multivariable logistic regression, and the odds ratio were used to test the impact of this relationship. RESULTS The LPA results show that the three-profile model was the best-fitting model for adolescent depression and anxiety symptoms. The proportions of Profile-1 ("Healthy Group"), Profile-2 ("Anxiety Disorder Group"), and Profile-3 ("Depression-Anxiety Disorder Group") were 61.4%, 23.9%, and 14.7%, respectively. Additional analyses using multivariable logistic regression suggested that poor shifting capacity and emotional control were significantly more likely to be classified into the depression and/or anxiety groups, and worse working memory, task completion, and better inhibition were significantly more likely to be classified into the anxiety group. CONCLUSIONS The findings contribute to our understanding of the heterogeneity of adolescents' depression-anxiety symptoms and highlight the important role of executive function in influencing mental health outcomes. These findings will guide the improvement and delivery of interventions for the treatment of anxiety and depression in adolescents, mitigating functional impairments in patients and reducing disease risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Sun
- School of Nrising, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Shaoxia Wang
- School of Nrising, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Guoxia Mu
- School of Nrising, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Jingru Liu
- School of Nrising, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Rina Su
- School of Nrising, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Xiang Zhang
- School of Nrising, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China
| | - Jianqun Fang
- Mental Health Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 804 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
| | - Yanrong Wang
- School of Nrising, Ningxia Medical University, No. 1106 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
- Mental Health Center, General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University, No. 804 South Shengli Street, Yinchuan, 750004, Ningxia, China.
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13
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Egotubov A, Gordon-Hacker A, Sheiner E, Gueron-Sela N. Maternal anxiety and toddler depressive/anxiety behaviors: The direct and moderating role of children's focused attention. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 70:101800. [PMID: 36527828 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2022.101800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Attention mechanisms have a pertinent role in shaping developmental pathways to anxiety and depressive disorders. The current study examined the direct and interactive associations between maternal anxiety symptoms, children's focused attention, and children's anxiety and depression behaviors in early toddlerhood. Participants were 150 mother-child dyads (50 % female) that were assessed at two time points. At 12 months of child age, mothers reported about their anxiety symptoms and children's focused attention. Children's focused attention was also observed and rated from an individual play task. At 18 months of age, mothers reported about children's anxiety and depression behaviors. Focused attention predicted child anxiety and depressive behaviors, with different patterns of associations between observed and reported measures of attention. There was also a significant interaction between maternal anxiety symptoms and observed children's focused attention. A positive association between maternal anxiety symptoms and child anxiety and depression symptoms was evident only for children with above-average levels of observed focused attention during play. Results suggest that different aspects of focused attention play a role in maternal reported anxiety and depression behaviors in early development and may modulate the intergenerational transmission of anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eyal Sheiner
- Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel; Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Soroka University Medical Center, Israel
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14
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Stevens ES, Funkhouser CJ, Auerbach RP, Talati A, Gameroff MG, Posner JE, Weissman MM, Shankman SA. Inhibition Predicts the Course of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms Among Adolescents: The Moderating Role of Familial Risk. J Nerv Ment Dis 2023; 211:100-107. [PMID: 36044650 PMCID: PMC9892173 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Numerous theoretical models suggest that inhibition difficulties-the inability to moderate automatic responses-contribute to the onset and/or maintenance of internalizing symptoms. Inhibition deficits and internalizing disorders run in families and share overlapping genetic risk factors, suggesting that inhibition deficits may be particularly prognostic of internalizing symptoms in those with high familial risk. This study tested this hypothesis in a longitudinal sample during the transition from adolescence to early adulthood. As hypothesized, prospective associations between inhibition and anxiety and depressive symptoms 8 years later were moderated by familial risk for depression. Specifically, poorer inhibition prospectively predicted greater anxiety and depressive symptoms in those at high (but not low) familial risk for major depressive disorder. These findings provide preliminary support for impaired inhibition as an indicator of risk for later internalizing symptoms in those at high familial risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth S. Stevens
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychology, 1007 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607
| | - Carter J. Funkhouser
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychology, 1007 W. Harrison Street, Chicago, IL 60607
| | - Randy P. Auerbach
- Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeon, Department of Psychiatry, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Translational Epidemiology, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
| | - Ardesheer Talati
- Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeon, Department of Psychiatry, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Translational Epidemiology, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
| | - Marc G. Gameroff
- Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeon, Department of Psychiatry, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Translational Epidemiology, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
| | - Jonathan E. Posner
- Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeon, Department of Psychiatry, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Translational Epidemiology, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
| | - Myrna M. Weissman
- Columbia University, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeon, Department of Psychiatry, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
- New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Translational Epidemiology, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032
| | - Stewart A. Shankman
- Northwestern University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 680 N. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60611
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15
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Halse M, Steinsbekk S, Hammar Å, Wichstrøm L. Longitudinal relations between impaired executive function and symptoms of psychiatric disorders in childhood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:1574-1582. [PMID: 35478317 PMCID: PMC9790505 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Malfunctioning of executive functions correlates with psychopathology in children. However, the directionality, the extent to which the relation varies for various disorders, and whether prospective relations afford causal interpretations are not known. METHODS A community sample of Norwegian children (n = 874) was studied biennially from the age of 6 to 14 years. Executive functions were assessed using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function Teacher-report and symptoms of psychopathology were assessed using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment (age 6; parents) and Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment (ages 8-14; children and parents). Prospective reciprocal relations were examined using a random intercept cross-lagged panel model that adjusts for all unobserved time-invariant confounders. RESULTS Even when time-invariant confounders were accounted for, reduced executive functions predicted increased symptoms of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD) 2 years later, even when previous changes in these symptoms were adjusted for. The level of prediction (B = .83, 95% CI [.37, 1.3]) was not different for different disorders or ages. Conversely, reduced executive functions were predicted by increased symptoms of all disorders (B = .01, 95% CI [.01, .02]). CONCLUSIONS Reduced executive functioning may be involved in the etiology of depression, anxiety, ADHD, and ODD/CD to an equal extent. Moreover, increased depression, anxiety, ADHD, and ODD/CD may negatively impact executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marte Halse
- Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway
| | | | | | - Lars Wichstrøm
- Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyTrondheimNorway,Department of Child and Adolescent PsychiatrySt. Olavs HospitalTrondheimNorway
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16
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Bartholomay EM, Stone BM, Koran J, Björgvinsson T, Kertz SJ. Repetitive Negative Thinking Explains the Relationship Between Perceived Attentional Control and Generalized Anxiety Symptoms. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND BEHAVIORAL ASSESSMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10862-022-09997-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
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17
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Behavioral and brain functional characteristics of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder and anxiety trait. Brain Imaging Behav 2022; 16:2657-2665. [PMID: 36076128 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-022-00722-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The current study aimed to explore the behavioral, daily-life executive functional, and brain functional connectivity patterns in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety. A total of 246 children with non-comorbid ADHD and 91 healthy controls (HCs) participated in the current study, among whom 175 subjects went through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scans. The ADHD participants were divided into two subgroups: ADHD with a high level of anxiety (ADHD + ANX) and ADHD with a low level of anxiety (ADHD-ANX). The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) were used to capture the behavioral and daily-life executive functional characteristics. Independent component analysis with dual regression models was applied to the fMRI data. All statistical models were estimated with age and sex as covariates. Compared with the ADHD-ANX group, the ADHD + ANX group showed more withdrawn, somatic, social, thought, attention, delinquent, and aggressive problems (all corrected p < 0.05). The ADHD + ANX group also displayed more impaired emotional control and working memory than the ADHD-ANX (all corrected p < 0.05). The ADHD-ANX group, but not the ADHD + ANX group, showed elevated functional connectivity within the default mode network compared with the HC group. The mean function connectivity within the default mode network significantly mediated the correlation between anxiety level and attention problems. In sum, anxiety in children with ADHD was associated with more social, emotional, and behavioral problems, more impaired daily-life executive function, and altered brain function. Our work provides important information on the heterogeneity of ADHD.
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18
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Gao W, Yan X, Yuan J. Neural correlations between cognitive deficits and emotion regulation strategies: understanding emotion dysregulation in depression from the perspective of cognitive control and cognitive biases. PSYCHORADIOLOGY 2022; 2:86-99. [PMID: 38665606 PMCID: PMC10917239 DOI: 10.1093/psyrad/kkac014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
The link between cognitive function and emotion regulation may be helpful in better understanding the onset, maintenance, and treatment for depression. However, it remains unclear whether there are neural correlates between emotion dysregulation and cognitive deficits in depression. To address this question, we first review the neural representations of emotion dysregulation and cognitive deficits in depression (including deficits in cognitive control and cognitive biases). Based on the comparisons of neural representations of emotion dysregulation versus cognitive deficits, we propose an accessible and reasonable link between emotion dysregulation, cognitive control, and cognitive biases in depression. Specifically, cognitive control serves the whole process of emotion regulation, whereas cognitive biases are engaged in emotion regulation processes at different stages. Moreover, the abnormal implementation of different emotion regulation strategies in depression is consistently affected by cognitive control, which is involved in the dorsolateral, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex. Besides, the relationship between different emotion regulation strategies and cognitive biases in depression may be distinct: the orbitofrontal cortex contributes to the association between ineffective reappraisal and negative interpretation bias, while the subgenual prefrontal cortex and the posterior cingulate cortex underline the tendency of depressed individuals to ruminate and overly engage in self-referential bias. This review sheds light on the relationship between cognitive deficits and emotion dysregulation in depression and identifies directions in need of future attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Gao
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
| | - XinYu Yan
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
| | - JiaJin Yuan
- The Affect Cognition and Regulation Laboratory (ACRLab), Institute of Brain and Psychological Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610066, China
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19
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Schroder HS, Ip KI, Hruschak JL, Horbatch F, Hall M, Liu Y, Mannella K, Muzik M, Rosenblum KL, Moser JS, Fitzgerald KD. Targeting cognitive control to reduce anxiety in very young children: A proof of concept study. Depress Anxiety 2022; 39:646-656. [PMID: 35708131 DOI: 10.1002/da.23270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Underdeveloped cognitive control (CC)-the capacity to flexibly adjust to changing environments-may predispose some children to early onset anxiety disorders and represents a promising intervention target. The current study established and pilot-tested "Camp Kidpower"-a novel group-based, interactive CC training intervention-and assessed its impacts on behavioral and neurophysiological indices of CC among preschool children with elevated anxiety symptoms. METHODS Forty-four anxious children (4-6 years) were enrolled in Camp Kidpower, delivered in four sessions over 10 days. Before and after camp, children's capacity for CC was measured using well-validated, non-trained behavioral tasks and error-related negativity (ERN). Child anxiety symptoms were measured by parent report on the Spence Preschool Anxiety Scale. RESULTS Thirty-two children completed the study, as defined by completion of pre- and follow-up assessments and at least three camp sessions. From baseline to after camp, performance on behavioral tests of CC improved, ERN amplitude increased, and anxiety symptoms decreased. CONCLUSION Results provide initial evidence that play-based cognitive training targeted to behavioral and brain markers of CC reduces anxiety in preschoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans S Schroder
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Ka I Ip
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Jessica L Hruschak
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Faith Horbatch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Melissa Hall
- Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, USA
| | - Yanni Liu
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kristin Mannella
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Maria Muzik
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Kate L Rosenblum
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Jason S Moser
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, E. Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Kate D Fitzgerald
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University/New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
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20
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Draheim C, Pak R, Draheim AA, Engle RW. The role of attention control in complex real-world tasks. Psychon Bull Rev 2022; 29:1143-1197. [PMID: 35167106 PMCID: PMC8853083 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-021-02052-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Working memory capacity is an important psychological construct, and many real-world phenomena are strongly associated with individual differences in working memory functioning. Although working memory and attention are intertwined, several studies have recently shown that individual differences in the general ability to control attention is more strongly predictive of human behavior than working memory capacity. In this review, we argue that researchers would therefore generally be better suited to studying the role of attention control rather than memory-based abilities in explaining real-world behavior and performance in humans. The review begins with a discussion of relevant literature on the nature and measurement of both working memory capacity and attention control, including recent developments in the study of individual differences of attention control. We then selectively review existing literature on the role of both working memory and attention in various applied settings and explain, in each case, why a switch in emphasis to attention control is warranted. Topics covered include psychological testing, cognitive training, education, sports, police decision-making, human factors, and disorders within clinical psychology. The review concludes with general recommendations and best practices for researchers interested in conducting studies of individual differences in attention control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Draheim
- Department of Psychology, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, USA.
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA.
| | - Richard Pak
- Department of Psychology, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
| | - Amanda A Draheim
- Department of Psychology, Lawrence University, Appleton, WI, USA
| | - Randall W Engle
- School of Psychology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, USA
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21
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Spataro P, Cerutti R, Laghi F, Longobardi E. Indirect Relations between Language and Behavior Problems in Preschoolers: The Role of Executive Difficulties. The Journal of Genetic Psychology 2022; 183:495-513. [PMID: 35642095 DOI: 10.1080/00221325.2022.2082859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated the concurrent relations between language ability, executive difficulties, and behavior problems in a sample of 142 preschoolers ranging in age between 3 and 6 years of age. Language skills were assessed with a direct task, whereas ratings of executive difficulties and behavior problems were obtained from teachers. Regression analyses indicated that difficulties in flexibility and inhibitory self-control were positively associated with internalizing problems, and difficulties in inhibitory self-control were positively associated with externalizing problems. The associations between emergent metacognition and internalizing problems and between inhibitory self-control and externalizing problems were both moderated by sex, being stronger in boys than in girls. Lastly, language had indirect effects on internalizing problems by decreasing children's difficulties in flexibility, as well as on externalizing problems by decreasing children' difficulties in inhibitory self-control. Overall, these findings support the idea that low language skills may interfere with preschoolers' ability to exploit the executive functions of inner language to self-regulate their own behaviors, especially in boys.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Rita Cerutti
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Fiorenzo Laghi
- Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Emiddia Longobardi
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
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22
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Luciana M, Collins PF. Neuroplasticity, the Prefrontal Cortex, and Psychopathology-Related Deviations in Cognitive Control. Annu Rev Clin Psychol 2022; 18:443-469. [PMID: 35534121 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-081219-111203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
A basic survival need is the ability to respond to, and persevere in the midst of, experiential challenges. Mechanisms of neuroplasticity permit this responsivity via functional adaptations (flexibility), as well as more substantial structural modifications following chronic stress or injury. This review focuses on prefrontally based flexibility, expressed throughout large-scale neuronal networks through the actions of excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. With substance use disorders and stress-related internalizing disorders as exemplars, we review human behavioral and neuroimaging data, considering whether executive control, particularly cognitive flexibility, is impaired premorbidly, enduringly compromised with illness progression, or both. We conclude that deviations in control processes are consistently expressed in the context of active illness but operate through different mechanisms and with distinct longitudinal patterns in externalizing versus internalizing conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Luciana
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; ,
| | - Paul F Collins
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; ,
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23
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Ameis SH, Haltigan JD, Lyon RE, Sawyer A, Mirenda P, Kerns CM, Smith IM, Vaillancourt T, Volden J, Waddell C, Zwaigenbaum L, Bennett T, Duku E, Elsabbagh M, Georgiades S, Ungar WJ, Zaidman‐Zait A, Lai M, Szatmari P. Middle-childhood executive functioning mediates associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and adolescent mental health, academic and functional outcomes in autistic children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:553-562. [PMID: 34382216 PMCID: PMC9291328 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive functioning (EF) varies in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and is associated with clinical symptoms, academic, and adaptive functioning. Here, we examined whether middle-childhood EF mediates associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and adolescent outcomes in children with ASD. METHODS The Pathways in ASD Cohort comprising children recruited at the time of ASD diagnosis (at 2-4 years-of-age) and followed prospectively across eight subsequent timepoints over ~10 years was used. A subset of Pathways participants (n = 250) with Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF)-Parent Form data from at least one timepoint when participants were school-aged was analyzed. A mediation framework was used to examine whether BRIEF-measured EF across age 7-10 years (middle-childhood) mediated associations between early-childhood autism symptoms (measured using the parent-report Social Responsiveness Scale across age 2-6 years) and clinical, academic, and functional outcomes, indexed at age >10-11.8 years (early-adolescence) using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL)-Internalizing and Externalizing Scales, Academic Performance from the Teacher's Report Form, and Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales. Models were rerun substituting clinician-rated and teacher-rated measures, where possible. RESULTS Mediation models indicated a significant indirect effect of middle-childhood EF on associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and externalizing behavior, academic performance, or adaptive functioning in early adolescence; kappa squared (κ2 ) effect sizes ranged from large to small. Model findings were stable across raters. Middle-childhood EF did not mediate associations between early-childhood autism symptoms and adolescent internalizing behavior. CONCLUSIONS Among children with an ASD diagnosis, middle-childhood EF may be one pathway through which early-childhood autism symptoms influence a variety of outcomes in early-adolescence. An experimental study targeting middle-childhood EF to improve adolescent academic, emotional/behavioral, and adaptive functioning is needed to evaluate the clinical meaningfulness of these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie H. Ameis
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada,Department of PsychiatryThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
| | - John D. Haltigan
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada,Department of Applied Psychology and Human DevelopmentUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Rachael E. Lyon
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada
| | - Amanda Sawyer
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Pat Mirenda
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology and Special EducationUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Connor M. Kerns
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Isabel M. Smith
- Department of PediatricsDalhousie UniversityHalifaxNSCanada,Autism Research CentreDalhousie University and IWK Health CentreHalifaxNSCanada
| | | | - Joanne Volden
- Faculty of Rehabilitation MedicineUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada
| | - Charlotte Waddell
- Children's Health Policy CentreFaculty of Health SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityVancouverBCCanada
| | - Lonnie Zwaigenbaum
- Department of PediatricsUniversity of AlbertaEdmontonABCanada,Autism Research CentreEdmontonABCanada
| | - Teresa Bennett
- Offord Centre for Child StudiesHamiltonONCanada,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural NeurosciencesMcMaster UniversityHamiltonONCanada
| | - Eric Duku
- Offord Centre for Child StudiesHamiltonONCanada,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural NeurosciencesMcMaster UniversityHamiltonONCanada
| | - Mayada Elsabbagh
- Montreal Neurological InstituteMcGill UniversityMontrealQCCanada
| | - Stelios Georgiades
- Offord Centre for Child StudiesHamiltonONCanada,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural NeurosciencesMcMaster UniversityHamiltonONCanada
| | - Wendy J. Ungar
- Child Health Evaluative SciencesThe Hospital for Sick Children Research InstituteTorontoONCanada,Institute of Health Policy, Management and EvaluationUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Anat Zaidman‐Zait
- Department of School Counseling and Special EducationConstantiner School of EducationTel Aviv UniversityTel AvivIsrael,School of Population and Public HealthFaculty of MedicineUniversity of British ColumbiaVancouverBCCanada
| | - Meng‐Chuan Lai
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada,Department of PsychiatryThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
| | - Peter Szatmari
- Cundill Centre for Child and Youth DepressionMargaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth & Family Mental HealthCampbell Family Mental Health Research InstituteCentre for Addiction and Mental HealthTorontoONCanada,Faculty of Medicine, Department of PsychiatryUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada,Department of PsychiatryThe Hospital for Sick ChildrenTorontoONCanada
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Segal SC, Gobin KC. Threat-biased attention in childhood anxiety: A cognitive-affective developmental model. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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25
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Balaban G, Bilici M. Anxiety and theory of mind: A moderated mediation model of mindfulness and gender. Psych J 2022; 11:510-519. [DOI: 10.1002/pchj.536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gülşah Balaban
- Department of Psychology Istanbul Sabahattin Zaim University Istanbul Turkey
| | - Mustafa Bilici
- Department of Psychology Marmara University Istanbul Turkey
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Introduction to the Special Issue: Interplay of Family Factors and Cognitive-Affective Processes in Youth. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2022; 25:1-4. [PMID: 35258765 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-022-00394-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Substantial research suggests that caregivers and families are powerful socialization agents when it comes to how youth process and regulate cognitive-affective information, which in turn can be a risk or resilience factor for various forms of developmental psychopathology. To this end, Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review features this special journal issue on the "Interplay of Family Factors & Cognitive-Affective Processes in Youth." Featured articles review a wide array of methodologies and highlight numerous forms of cognitive-affective processing and family contextual factors. Multiple themes emerged across the twelve articles, emphasizing the need to examine (1) complex pathways within families, (2) the quality of cognitive-affective processes across individuals, (3) neurodevelopmental pathways linking socialization and cognitive-affective processes, (4) nuanced methods to assess "in-the-moment" cognitive-affective processes, (5) the impact of cultural background on how family factors intersect with youth cognitive-affective processes, and (6) the socialization of positive emotion. These papers showcase the applicability of this significant area of research for future efforts in prevention and intervention with youth at risk for, or already experiencing, some form of psychopathology.
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Cumming MM, Poling DV, Patwardhan I, Ozenbaugh IC. Executive Function in Kindergarten and the Development of Behavior Competence: Moderating Role of Positive Parenting Practices. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2022; 60:161-172. [PMID: 35990732 PMCID: PMC9390057 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2022.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The present study used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Cohort of 2011 (N = 15,827; 51.1% male; 48.4% White, 13.5% Black/African-American, 24.3% Hispanic/Latino, 7.5% Asian, and 6.3% other ethnicity) to examine the unique contribution of specific executive function processes (working memory and cognitive flexibility) at kindergarten entry on externalizing and internalizing behavior problems in spring of kindergarten, after controlling for fall behavior problems and demographic covariates. Due to the transition to elementary school being a critical identification and prevention period, we also focused on examining the moderating role of specific positive parenting practices (i.e., cognitive stimulation, warmth, and behavior management) on associations between child executive function processes and behavioral functioning. Results indicated working memory was negatively associated with parent-reported externalizing and teacher-rated internalizing behavior problems. Further, the association between working memory and parent-rated externalizing problems was moderated by cognitive stimulation, whereas the association between parent-rated internalizing problems was moderated by behavior management. Cognitive flexibility did not have any significant associations. We discuss implications for research and practice on how parenting practices may be leveraged to improve child outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Irina Patwardhan
- Boys Town Translational Research Center for Child and Family Studies
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Development and feasibility testing of a physical activity intervention for youth with anxiety and depression: a study protocol. Pilot Feasibility Stud 2022; 8:48. [PMID: 35236419 PMCID: PMC8889653 DOI: 10.1186/s40814-022-01010-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Anxiety and depressive disorders in children and adolescents are highly prevalent and account for more than half of all youth psychiatric disorders. Left untreated, anxiety, and depression lead to numerous detrimental outcomes, including reduced quality of life, psychiatric, and somatic comorbidity and even reduced lifespan. This puts a large strain on child and adolescent mental healthcare services (CAMHS) to provide effective treatments. However, even when provided the best evidence-based treatment, between 40–50% of patients continue to report significant symptom burdens. Thus, there is an immediate need for supplemental and/or new treatment approaches. Physical activity as a supplementary treatment may be such an approach. However, research investigating this approach within this population is scant. This protocol paper describes the development and feasibility trial of a physical activity-based intervention targeting anxiety and depressive symptoms in youth treated in CAMHS. Methods/design The study is based on the UK Medical Council Research Framework (MRC) for developing and evaluating complex interventions. Feasibility and acceptability of the physical activity intervention (confident, active, and happy youth) will be evaluated in an uncontrolled open-label trial using qualitative and quantitative data. Twenty youths with anxiety and/or depressive symptoms will be recruited. Acceptability of assessment procedures, the intervention, and perceived benefits and barriers to participation will be assessed, and qualitative interviews with participants, caregivers, and referring specialists will explore contextual and practical factors associated with intervention delivery. Physical activity will be measured using the Actigraph GT3X+ monitor at baseline, and post-intervention and change in anxiety and depression will be assessed. Discussion This study will contribute to the development of supplementary physical treatment interventions for youth with anxiety and depression in contact with CAMHS. The goal is to examine new avenues of treatment that ultimately may improve upon current treatment outcomes of anxiety and depression. This work will be in preparation for a future definitive randomized controlled trial (RCT) of this approach, in line with the MRC Framework. Trial registration ClnicalTrials.gov, NCT05049759. Registered on August 19, 2021. Retrospectively registered. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s40814-022-01010-6.
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Edwards EJ, Zec D, Campbell M, Hoorelbeke K, Koster EHW, Derakshan N, Wynne J. Cognitive control training for children with anxiety and depression: A systematic review. J Affect Disord 2022; 300:158-171. [PMID: 34983006 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.12.108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive control training has gained traction as an intervention for reducing anxiety and depression vulnerability in adults. There are, however, a limited number of studies investigating such training interventions for reducing symptomology of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents. Thus, we aimed to provide a robust review and qualitative synthesis of the available research in young people. Twelve articles met the inclusion criteria, and all were randomised control trials. Evidence of the efficacy of cognitive control training for relief of symptoms are reported separately for anxiety, depression, and other related psychological factors, and on the basis of type of cognitive control training paradigm. A lack of standardisation in relation to type of intervention, duration and context, outcome measures and population was observed. Results are discussed in terms of these variations and recommendations for future research are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dajana Zec
- School of Education, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Marilyn Campbell
- School of Early Childhood and Inclusive Education, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Kristof Hoorelbeke
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Ernst H W Koster
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Nazanin Derakshan
- Department of Psychological Science, Birkbeck University College of London, United Kingdom
| | - Jeffrey Wynne
- School of Education, The University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia
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Arruda MA, Arruda R, Anunciação L. Psychometric properties and clinical utility of the executive function inventory for children and adolescents: a large multistage populational study including children with ADHD. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2022; 11:1-17. [PMID: 32116035 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2020.1726353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Executive functions (EF) are a set of high order mental abilities that regulate cognition, emotions, and behavior. This study aims to report the construction and validation of a rating scale instrument for EF in children and adolescents aged from 5 to 18 years (EFICA), as well as to report the results of a comparison between children with ADHD and their peers without it. Thus, we conducted a population-based cross-sectional study relying on a sample composed of 3,284 typical children and adolescents accessed to study the psychometric properties of the parents' inventory (EFICA-P) and the teacher's inventory (EFICA-T) within a Structural Equation Modeling framework (SEM). Exploratory and confirmatory analyses were fitted, as well as the Cronbach's alpha and the McDonald's omega reliability indices. The known-groups method was carried out by independent Welch t-tests between untreated ADHD children and their peers. We concluded that the parents' inventory is composed of three dimensions (Cool Index 1, Cool Index 2, and Hot Index): χ2 (1,649) = 4,607.852 p < .01, CFI = .965, TLI .963, RMSEA = .053, whereas the teachers´ inventory is composed of two dimensions (Cool Index and Hot Index): χ2 (1,273) = 5,158.240, p < .01, CFI = .991, TLI = .991, RMSEA = .077. The internal consistency of both inventories was >.9. Significant differences between the ADHD groups were found in all domains accessed. These findings indicate that both inventories have a high degree of validity regarding their internal structures, as well as supporting their clinical utility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renato Arruda
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Luis Anunciação
- Department of Psychometrics, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
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Longitudinal network model of the co-development of temperament, executive functioning, and psychopathology symptoms in youth with and without ADHD. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 33:1803-1820. [DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common, chronic, and impairing disorder, yet presentations of ADHD and clinical course are highly heterogeneous. Despite substantial research efforts, both (a) the secondary co-occurrence of ADHD and complicating additional clinical problems and (b) the developmental pathways leading toward or away from recovery through adolescence remain poorly understood. Resolving these requires accounting for transactional influences of a large number of features across development. Here, we applied a longitudinal cross-lagged panel network model to a multimodal, multilevel dataset in a well-characterized sample of 488 children (nADHD = 296) to test Research Domain Criteria initiative-inspired hypotheses about transdiagnostic risk. Network features included Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders symptoms, trait-based ratings of emotional functioning (temperament), and performance-based measures of cognition. Results confirmed that ADHD symptom domains, temperamental irritability, and working memory are independent transdiagnostic risk factors for psychopathology based on their direct associations with other features across time. ADHD symptoms and working memory each had direct, independent associations with depression. Results also demonstrated tightly linked co-development of ADHD symptoms and temperamental irritability, consistent with the possibility that this type of anger dysregulation is a core feature that is co-expressed as part of the ADHD phenotype for some children.
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Block SR, Becker HC, Fitzgerald KD. From Connectivity to Clinical Translation: A Brain Network Model. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 1:168-170. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2021.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
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Rifkin LS, Giollabhui NM, Kendall PC, Abramson LY, Alloy LB. Attention, rumination and depression in youth with negative inferential styles: A prospective study. J Affect Disord 2021; 291:209-217. [PMID: 34049190 PMCID: PMC8444224 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Negative inferential style, rumination and attention are cognitive vulnerabilities implicated in depression that first emerge in childhood and adolescence. METHODS The current study used a prospective longitudinal design to examine whether rumination mediates the relationship between attention (selective attention, sustained attention, attentional switching, and divided attention) and depression (depressive symptoms and depressive episode onset) conditional on negative inferential style. A diverse community sample of adolescents (n = 364) completed semi-structured diagnostic interviews, behavioral measures of attention, and self-report measures of rumination, negative inferential style, and depression annually for three consecutive years. RESULTS Rumination mediated the relationship between strong sustained attention and both depressive symptoms and disorder onset conditional on negative inferential style. Specifically, adolescents high in negative inferential style with strong sustained attention were more likely to experience increased subsequent rumination that, in turn, led to increased depressive symptoms and episode onset. In contrast to study hypotheses, there were no significant effects for models that included selective attention, attentional switching, or divided attention. LIMITATIONS Significant effects were relatively small, and therefore, should be interpreted with caution and require replication. We were unable to control for intelligence, and as a result, stronger sustained attention may be indicative of higher intelligence. CONCLUSIONS Stronger sustained attention in early adolescence compared to peers may facilitate rumination on negative self-evaluation and subsequent depression. Use of non-emotion-relevant stimuli to assess attention may account for the lack of findings for selective attention, attentional switching, or divided attention. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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Ciobotaru D, Jefferies R, Lispi L, Derakshan N. Rethinking cognitive training: The moderating roles of emotional vulnerability and perceived cognitive impact of training in high worriers. Behav Res Ther 2021; 144:103926. [PMID: 34242837 DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2020] [Revised: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Trait worry is a hallmark feature of anxiety and depression, interfering with attentional control and impairing cognitive performance. Previous research has shown the adaptive dual n-back training is effective in improving attentional control and reducing emotional vulnerability, but not for everyone. The current randomised controlled trial explored the role of baseline emotional vulnerability and perceived cognitive impact in training-related cognitive and emotional improvements in 60 high worriers randomly assigned to 10 sessions of the adaptive dual n-back training or non-adaptive 1-back training. Pre-training, post-training and one-month follow-up measures of cognitive performance were assessed using an emotional Flanker task, a cued task-switching task, and the MaRs-IB task. Self-report questionnaires assessed worry, anxiety, depression, somatisation, and self-efficacy, as well as participants' perceived cognitive impact of the training. Participants with higher levels of baseline emotional vulnerability presented the largest improvements in non-verbal reasoning and emotional vulnerability one month after the training, as well as the greatest perceived cognitive impact. Perceived cognitive impact was predicted by working memory improvement on the adaptive n-back training at high baseline levels of anxiety. These results suggest that the adaptive n-back training presents the greatest emotional and cognitive benefits for individuals experiencing severe levels of emotional vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delia Ciobotaru
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, 25 Woburn Square, London, WC1H 0AA, United Kingdom.
| | - Ryan Jefferies
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
| | - Ludovica Lispi
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
| | - Nazanin Derakshan
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX, United Kingdom
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Zainal NH, Newman MG. Depression and executive functioning bidirectionally impair one another across 9 years: Evidence from within-person latent change and cross-lagged models. Eur Psychiatry 2021; 64:e43. [PMID: 34134796 PMCID: PMC8278253 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.2217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2021] [Revised: 06/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scar and vulnerability models assert that increased psychopathology may predict subsequent executive functioning (EF) deficits (and vice versa) over protracted timescales, yet most prior work on this topic has been cross-sectional. Thus, we tested the within- and between-person relations between EF, depression, and anxiety. METHODS Older adult participants (n = 856) were assessed across four waves, approximately 2 years apart. Performance-based EF and caregiver-rated symptom measures were administered. Bivariate latent change score and random-intercept cross-lagged panel models were conducted. RESULTS Within persons, random-intercept cross-lagged panel models revealed that prior greater depression forecasted lower subsequent EF, and vice versa (d = -0.292 vs. -0.292). Bivariate dual latent change score models showed that within-person rise in depression predicted EF decreases, and vice versa (d = -0.245 vs. -0.245). No within-person, cross-lagged, EF-anxiety relations emerged. Further, significant negative between-person EF-symptom relations were observed (d = -0.264 to -0.395). CONCLUSION Prospective, within-person findings offer some evidence for developmental scar and vulnerability models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nur Hani Zainal
- National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Campus, Singapore
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Ruffini C, Spoglianti S, Bombonato C, Bonetti S, Di Lieto MC, Pecini C. Dialogic Reading to Empower Executive Functions in Preschoolers. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8050373. [PMID: 34065145 PMCID: PMC8151119 DOI: 10.3390/children8050373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Among the interventions recently developed to enhance Executive Functions (EFs) in preschoolers, Quincey Quokka’s Quest (QQQ) is an illustrated book proposing EF activities embedded within a shared reading framework (Howard et al., 2017). In the present study, the Italian version of QQQ (QQQIT) was tested in 20 typical developing 4–5 year old children. Standardized tests were used to assess EFs pre- and post- intervention. QQQIT was conducted once a week for 8 weeks in small groups. A positive trend was registered in QQQIT performances from the first to the last sessions and a significant improvement, in comparison to the control condition, was obtained in the Color and Form Game test. These results, supporting the feasibility of the QQQIT intervention and its efficacy in increasing shifting abilities, confirm the usefulness of ecological interventions to empower specific EF components in preschool contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Ruffini
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLIPSI), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50135 Firenze, Italy; (C.R.); (C.P.)
| | - Silvia Spoglianti
- Paroleincerchio, Centro per l’Età Evolutiva, Via Leopardi 90, 40026 Imola, Italy;
| | - Clara Bombonato
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Firenze, Italy;
| | - Silvia Bonetti
- Equipe Multiprofessionale Evolutiva, Via della Vetraia 7, 55049 Viareggio, Italy;
| | - Maria Chiara Di Lieto
- IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Viale del Tirreno 341, 56128 Calambrone, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Chiara Pecini
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLIPSI), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50135 Firenze, Italy; (C.R.); (C.P.)
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van den Berg L, de Weerd AW, Reuvekamp MHF, van der Meere JJ. Associating executive dysfunction with behavioral and socioemotional problems in children with epilepsy. A systematic review. Child Neuropsychol 2021; 27:661-708. [PMID: 33726631 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1888906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
As children with epilepsy may have a number of learning and behavioral problems, it is important that insight into the underlying neurocognitive differences in these children, which may underlie these areas of challenge is gained. Executive function (EF) problems particularly are associated with specific learning abilities as well as behavioral problems. We aim to review systematically the current status of empirical studies on the association between EF problems and behavior and socioemotional problems in children with epilepsy. After search, 26 empirical studies were identified, most of them of moderate quality. Overall, attention problems were the most reported cognitive deficit in test assessment and the most reported problem by parents. In 54% of the studies, children with epilepsy scored below average compared to controls/normative samples on different aspects of EF. Most studies reported behavior problems, which ranged from mild to severe. Forty-two percent of the studies specifically reported relationships between EF deficits and behavioral problems. In the remaining studies, below average neuropsychological functioning seemed to be accompanied by above average reported behavioral problems. The association was most pronounced for cognitive control and attention in relation to externalizing behavior problems. This cognitive control is also associated with social functioning. Relevant epilepsy variables in this relationship were early age at onset and high seizure frequency.Future research should distinguish specific aspects of EF and take age into account, as this provides more insight on the association between EF and behavior in pediatric epilepsy, which makes it possible to develop appropriate and early intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia van den Berg
- Psychology Department, Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland, Zwolle, Netherlands.,RijksUniversiteitGroningen, Faculteit Gedrags- & Maatschappijwetenschappen, Klinische & Ontwikkelingsneuropsychologie, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Al W de Weerd
- Psychology Department, Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland, Zwolle, Netherlands
| | - Marieke H F Reuvekamp
- Psychology Department, Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland, Zwolle, Netherlands
| | - Jaap J van der Meere
- RijksUniversiteitGroningen, Faculteit Gedrags- & Maatschappijwetenschappen, Klinische & Ontwikkelingsneuropsychologie, Groningen, Netherlands
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Nelson TD, Johnson AB, Ramsdell EL, Brock RL. Individual differences in the effects of child sleep problems on early executive functioning. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2021; 60:179-195. [PMID: 33641793 DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2020.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Sleep is a critical health behavior with important implications for child development. This chapter discusses the effects of sleep problems on early child executive functioning (EF), with an emphasis on individual differences that might moderate this relationship. Specifically, we (1) provide a brief background on sleep and EF in early childhood; (2) review literature on the association between sleep and EF; (3) review literature on individual differences in the effects of sleep problems on EF; (4) offer recommendations for future research on moderators of the sleep-EF association, and (5) briefly describe an ongoing study examining the moderators of the sleep-EF association within a longitudinal study from pregnancy to preschool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States.
| | - Anna B Johnson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Erin L Ramsdell
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
| | - Rebecca L Brock
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, United States
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Omer S, Leonard HC. Internalising symptoms in Developmental Coordination Disorder: The indirect effect of everyday executive function. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2021; 109:103831. [PMID: 33360963 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2020.103831] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2019] [Revised: 09/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) report elevated executive function (EF) difficulties and internalising symptoms. Previous research suggests EF is important for wellbeing, yet no research has examined its role in internalising symptoms in DCD. AIMS To explore an indirect relationship between DCD and internalising symptoms, through everyday EF difficulties. METHOD AND PROCEDURES Thirty-two children with a DCD diagnosis and 51 typically-developing children (ages 8-15) participated. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to collect parent-reported EF and self-reported internalising symptoms. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Internalising symptoms and everyday EF difficulties were significantly higher in the DCD group. A bias-corrected, bootstrapped mediation analysis identified an indirect effect of everyday EF difficulties on the relationship between DCD diagnosis and internalising symptoms. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS This supports previous research indicating that individuals with DCD experience greater levels of internalising symptoms and EF difficulties than peers. It is the first to suggest an indirect effect of everyday EF difficulties in the pathway between DCD and internalising symptoms. This highlights hypotheses for future research into the role of EFs in understanding mental health in DCD. It suggests benefits from increased awareness, routine screening, and intervention for mental health and EF in people with poor motor skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serif Omer
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - Hayley C Leonard
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, United Kingdom.
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Warren SL, Heller W, Miller GA. The Structure of Executive Dysfunction in Depression and Anxiety. J Affect Disord 2021; 279:208-216. [PMID: 33059224 PMCID: PMC7738359 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although research has demonstrated that depression and anxiety are associated with problematic executive function (EF), results are often inconsistent and underspecified. Delineating specific EF impairments in depression and anxiety has the potential to provide a mechanistic account of symptom presentation and course in these highly co-occurring disorders. The present study evaluated associations between components of EF and symptom dimensions of depression (depressed mood) and anxiety (anxious apprehension, anxious arousal) using factor analyses and structural equation modeling. METHODS Undergraduates (N = 1,123) completed self-report measures of EF in everyday life and of psychopathology. Based on a three-factor model (Miyake et al., 2000), item-level exploratory (n = 561) and confirmatory (n = 562) factor analyses were conducted on inhibition, shifting, and working memory scales chosen from the EF measure. Structural equation modeling tested the relationship of EF factors to dimensions of psychopathology using the total sample. RESULTS A three-factor model of EF best fit the data and was replicated via confirmatory factor analysis. Depressed mood and anxious arousal evidenced broad deficits across all EF domains, whereas anxious apprehension evidenced shifting disruptions. LIMITATIONS Perceived EF may not index the same constructs as performance-based EF tests. Further, the present study was restricted to college students, warranting replication in other samples. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that depressed mood and anxious arousal are characterized by a general disruption in the ability to maintain task goals, whereas anxious apprehension is characterized by cognitive inflexibility. EF impairments are likely contributory factors in the maintenance of affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacie L Warren
- Palo Alto University, Department of Psychology, 1791 Arastradero Road, Palo Alto, CA 94304; University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Psychology, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820.
| | - Wendy Heller
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Psychology, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820
| | - Gregory A Miller
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Psychology, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign, IL 61820; University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall, 951563
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Ramdhonee-Dowlot K, Balloo K, Essau CA. Effectiveness of the Super Skills for Life programme in enhancing the emotional wellbeing of children and adolescents in residential care institutions in a low- and middle-income country: A randomised waitlist-controlled trial. J Affect Disord 2021; 278:327-338. [PMID: 32980656 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study examined the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic prevention programme, Super Skills for Life (SSL), among children and adolescents with emotional problems in residential care institutions (RCIs) in the low- and middle-income country of Mauritius using a randomised waitlist-controlled trial (RCT). SSL is based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy, behavioural activation, social skills training, and uses video-feedback and cognitive preparation as part of the treatment. METHODS The RCT involved 100 children and adolescents aged 9 to 14 years, from six RCIs, randomly allocated to either an SSL intervention group (IG) or a waitlist-control (WLC) group. A set of questionnaires measuring internalising and externalising problems, emotion regulation and self-esteem, and experimental tasks measuring attentional bias and inhibitory control, were completed at baseline, post-intervention and 3-month follow-up. Participants also completed a 2-min video speech task during the first and final sessions of the SSL intervention. RESULTS Children and adolescents in the IG showed significant improvements in internalising symptoms (e.g. anxiety and depression), externalising symptoms (e.g. conduct problems and hyperactivity), and inhibitory control, and an increase in adaptive (except putting into perspective strategy) and decrease in maladaptive emotion regulation strategies, at both post-intervention and follow-up. These findings were not replicated among children in the WLC. LIMITATIONS The small sample size and lack of an active control group were the major limitations of this study. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence for the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic prevention programme for emotional problems in RCIs in a low- and middle-income country.
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Fleming CB, Stevens AL, Vivero M, Patwardhan I, Nelson TD, Nelson JM, James TD, Espy KA, Mason WA. Executive Control in Early Childhood as an Antecedent of Adolescent Problem Behaviors: A Longitudinal Study with Performance-based Measures of Early Childhood Cognitive Processes. J Youth Adolesc 2020; 49:2429-2440. [PMID: 32935250 PMCID: PMC7606735 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-020-01316-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Identifying childhood cognitive processes that predict adolescent problem behaviors can help guide understanding and prevention of these behaviors. In a community sample of 313 youth recruited in a small Midwestern city between 2006 and 2012 (49% male, 64% European American), executive control and foundational cognitive abilities were assessed at age 5 in a lab setting with performance-based measures. In adolescence, youth provided self-report of problem behaviors in surveys administered annually between ages 14 and 16. Executive control was negatively associated with externalizing behavior problems and adolescents getting in trouble at school, accounting for foundational cognitive abilities and family background covariates. Executive control had negative, but nonsignificant, associations with internalizing problems and substance use initiation. The findings point to deficits in executive control as a childhood risk factor for later problems and a potential target for preventive interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Fleming
- Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St., #300, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Amy L Stevens
- Boys Town, Child and Family Translational Research Center, 13971 Flanagan Blvd, #101, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Marla Vivero
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Irina Patwardhan
- Boys Town, Child and Family Translational Research Center, 13971 Flanagan Blvd, #101, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA
| | - Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Office of Research and Economic Development, 301 Canfield Administration, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Tiffany D James
- Office of Research and Economic Development, 301 Canfield Administration, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, Main Building, Suite 4.120, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
| | - W Alex Mason
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, 66 North Pauline Street, Suite 637, Memphis, TN, 38163, USA
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Buzzell GA, Morales S, Bowers ME, Troller‐Renfree SV, Chronis‐Tuscano A, Pine DS, Henderson HA, Fox NA. Inhibitory control and set shifting describe different pathways from behavioral inhibition to socially anxious behavior. Dev Sci 2020; 24:e13040. [DOI: 10.1111/desc.13040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maureen E. Bowers
- Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program University of Maryland College Park MD USA
| | | | | | - Daniel S. Pine
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Bethesda MD USA
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Nelson TD, James TD, Nelson JM, Johnson AB, Mason WA, Yaroch AL, Espy KA. Associations between specific components of executive control and eating behaviors in adolescence: A study using objective and subjective measures. Appetite 2020; 154:104784. [PMID: 32579972 PMCID: PMC7442726 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2020.104784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
A growing literature suggests that executive control (EC; also known as "executive functioning" or "EF") in adolescence may play an important role in the development of key health behaviors, including eating behaviors. However, existing literature has significant limitations in the conceptualization and measurement of EC. The current study aims to address these limitations by employing a multidimensional approach to conceptualizing and measuring adolescent EC, including both objective and subjective measures covering multiple components of EC, and examining links with specific eating behaviors. A community sample of adolescents (N = 208; mean age = 14.5 years) completed a battery of performance-based neuropsychological tasks assessing specific components of EC (i.e., working memory, inhibitory control, flexible shifting), a norm-referenced questionnaire covering problems with specific components of EC in daily life, and a measure assessing key eating behaviors (i.e., uncontrolled eating, emotional eating, cognitive restraint). Objectively-measured adolescent working memory was significantly and uniquely associated with cognitive restraint, with stronger working memory associated with less cognitive restraint. No other associations between performance-based EC tasks and eating behaviors were found. In contrast, using subjective reports of EC, problems with inhibitory control were associated with greater uncontrolled eating, and problems with flexible shifting were associated with greater emotional eating. The results suggest links between specific aspects of EC and specific eating behaviors in adolescence, as well as the potential importance of context for understanding the role of EC in eating behavior. Given evidence that EC is modifiable, the findings have potential implications for novel interventions addressing eating behaviors by targeting EC.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tiffany D James
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Office of Research and Economic Development, USA
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Psychology, USA; University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Office of Research and Economic Development, USA
| | - Anna B Johnson
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Psychology, USA
| | - W Alex Mason
- Boys Town, Child and Family Translational Research Center (formerly the National Research Institute), USA
| | | | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Psychology, USA; UT Health San Antonio, Long School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, USA
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Wang Y, Liu Y. The Development of Internalizing and Externalizing Problems in Primary School: Contributions of Executive Function and Social Competence. Child Dev 2020; 92:889-903. [PMID: 32857446 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
This study sought to elucidate the contributions of inferior executive function and social competence to the development of internalizing and externalizing problems in primary school. Children (N = 1,115), on average 5.36 years old in first grade, were followed across primary school with measures of multi-method and multi-informant. Results of growth modeling demonstrated that poor executive function in first grade predicted high levels of both problems and a low rate of decline in externalizing problems over time, independent of the co-occurrence of both problems. Moreover, the impact of poor executive function on behavioral problems may be dependent on its association with disruptive social competence. Findings highlighted the interrelations of risk factors to understanding the development of behavioral problems in primary school.
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Longitudinal associations between inhibitory control and externalizing and internalizing symptoms in school-aged children. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 33:843-855. [PMID: 32662373 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420000176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory control (IC) deficits have been associated with psychiatric symptoms in all ages. However, longitudinal studies testing the direction of the associations in childhood are scarce. We used a sample of 2,874 children (7 to 9 years old) to test the following three hypotheses: (a) IC deficits are an underlying risk factor with a potentially causal role for psychopathology, (b) IC deficits are a complication of psychopathology, and (c) IC deficits and psychopathology are associated at the trait level but not necessarily causally related. We used the go/no-go task to assess IC, the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire to evaluate externalizing/internalizing symptoms, and the random intercepts cross-lagged panel model to test the hypotheses. The results showed no support for the underlying risk factor hypothesis, suggesting that IC unlikely has a causal role in this age group's psychopathology. The complication hypothesis received support for externalizing symptoms, suggesting that externalizing symptoms may hamper the normal development of IC. IC deficits and both externalizing and internalizing symptoms were correlated at the trait level, indicating a possible common origin. We suggest that it may be useful to support children with externalizing symptoms to promote and protect their IC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Quenten Highgate
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Susan Schenk
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
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Mason WA, Fleming CB, Tomaso CC, James TD, Nelson JM, Espy KA, Nelson TD. Associations of Early Socio-familial Stress with Maladaptive and Adaptive Functioning in Middle Childhood: Roles of Executive Control and Foundational Cognitive Abilities. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2020; 21:681-690. [PMID: 32372380 PMCID: PMC7306445 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-020-01119-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study examined whether cognitive processes in preschool, conceptualized as a unitary construct of executive control (EC) as well as foundational cognitive abilities (FCA), predict both maladaptive and adaptive functioning in middle childhood and mediate associations between early childhood socio-familial stress and those functional outcomes. Performance-based, multidimensional, and age-appropriate measures of EC and FCA were collected in a laboratory setting from 313 preschool-age children at age 5, along with questionnaire data from children and their parents on three dimensions of early socio-familial stress and parent smoking. Parent, teacher, and child self-report data on 285 of these children were obtained when they were in grade 3 or 4. Middle childhood data were used to create indices of maladaptive and adaptive functioning. A bi-factor structural equation modeling analysis captured distinct dimensions of preschool EC and FCA and was used to test the hypothesized pathways. EC had a statistically significant negative association with later maladaptive functioning. FCA, but not EC, served as a mediator in links between each type of family stressor and both maladaptive and adaptive functioning in middle childhood. Results suggest that EC may play a role in predicting maladaptation, whereas early childhood FCA may operate as an intervening variable in pathways from early family stressors to subsequent maladaptation as well as adaptation. Findings point to the need to address FCA by reducing early family stressors. Early interventions that enhance cognitive abilities may help reduce maladaptive and promote adaptive functioning later in childhood, thereby potentially preventing, in turn, later behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Alex Mason
- Boys Town, Child and Family Translational Research Center, 378 Bucher Drive, Boys Town, NE, 68010, USA.
| | - Charles B Fleming
- Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behaviors, University of Washington, 1100 NE 45th St., #300, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Cara C Tomaso
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
| | - Tiffany D James
- Office of Research and Economic Development, 301 Canfield Administration, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0433, USA
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Office of Research and Economic Development, 301 Canfield Administration, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0433, USA
- Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, C89 East Stadium, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0156, USA
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, Main Building, Suite 4.120, San Antonio, TX, 78249, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, Long School of Medicine, UT Health San Antonio, 7526 Louis Pasteur, San Antonio, TX, 78229, USA
| | - Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588, USA
- Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, C89 East Stadium, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0156, USA
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Hoffman MC, Hunter SK, D’Alessandro A, Noonan K, Wyrwa A, Freedman R. Interaction of maternal choline levels and prenatal Marijuana's effects on the offspring. Psychol Med 2020; 50:1716-1726. [PMID: 31364525 PMCID: PMC7055467 DOI: 10.1017/s003329171900179x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigated whether higher maternal choline levels mitigate effects of marijuana on fetal brain development. Choline transported into the amniotic fluid from the mother activates α7-nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on fetal cerebro-cortical inhibitory neurons, whose development is impeded by cannabis blockade of their cannabinoid-1(CB1) receptors. METHODS Marijuana use was assessed during pregnancy from women who later brought their newborns for study. Mothers were informed about choline and other nutrients, but not specifically for marijuana use. Maternal serum choline was measured at 16 weeks gestation. RESULTS Marijuana use for the first 10 weeks gestation or more by 15% of mothers decreased newborns' inhibition of evoked potentials to repeated sounds (d' = 0.55, p < 0.05). This effect was ameliorated if women had higher gestational choline (rs = -0.50, p = 0.011). At 3 months of age, children whose mothers continued marijuana use through their 10th gestational week or more had poorer self-regulation (d' = -0.79, p < 0.05). This effect was also ameliorated if mothers had higher gestational choline (rs = 0.54, p = 0.013). Maternal choline levels correlated with the children's improved duration of attention, cuddliness, and bonding with parents. CONCLUSIONS Prenatal marijuana use adversely affects fetal brain development and subsequent behavioral self-regulation, a precursor to later, more serious problems in childhood. Stopping marijuana use before 10 weeks gestational age prevented these effects. Many mothers refuse to cease use because of familiarity with marijuana and belief in its safety. Higher maternal choline mitigates some of marijuana's adverse effects on the fetus.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. Camille Hoffman
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Sharon K. Hunter
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Angelo D’Alessandro
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Kathleen Noonan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Anna Wyrwa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
| | - Robert Freedman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, Colorado 80045, USA
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Abstract
In the following grant report, we describe initial and planned work supported by our National Institute of Mental Health R01-funded, Research Domain Criteria (RDoc) informed project, “Dimensional Brain Behavior Predictors of CBT Outcomes in Pediatric Anxiety”. This project examines response to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in a large sample of anxiety-affected and low-anxious youth ages 7 to 18 years using multiple levels of analysis, including brain imaging, behavioral performance, and clinical measures. The primary goal of the project is to understand how brain-behavioral markers of anxiety-relevant constructs, namely acute threat, cognitive control, and their interaction, associate with CBT response in youth with clinically significant anxiety. A secondary goal is to determine whether child age influences how these markers predict, and/or change, across varying degrees of CBT response. Now in its fourth year, data from this project has informed the examination of (1) baseline (i.e., pre-CBT) anxiety severity as a function of brain-behavioral measures of cognitive control, and (2) clinical characteristics of youth and parents that associate with anxiety severity and/or predict response to CBT. Analysis of brain-behavioral markers before and after CBT will assess mechanisms of CBT effect, and will be conducted once the data collection in the full sample has been completed. This knowledge will help guide the treatment of clinically anxious youth by informing for whom and how does CBT work.
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