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Harris JL, Swanson B, Petersen IT. A Developmentally Informed Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Strength of General Psychopathology in Childhood and Adolescence. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev 2024; 27:130-164. [PMID: 38112921 PMCID: PMC10938301 DOI: 10.1007/s10567-023-00464-1] [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] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
Considerable support exists for higher-order dimensional conceptualizations of psychopathology in adults. A growing body of work has focused on understanding the structure of general and specific psychopathology in children and adolescents. No prior meta-analysis has examined whether the strength of the general psychopathology factor (p factor)-measured by explained common variance (ECV)-changes from childhood to adolescence. The primary objective of this multilevel meta-analysis was to determine whether general psychopathology strength changes across development (i.e. across ages) in childhood and adolescence. Several databases were searched in November 2021; 65 studies, with 110 effect sizes (ECV), nested within shared data sources, were identified. Included empirical studies used a factor analytic modeling approach that estimated latent factors for child/adolescent internalizing, externalizing, and optionally thought-disordered psychopathology, and a general factor. Studies spanned ages 2-17 years. Across ages, general psychopathology explained over half (~ 56%) of the reliable variance in symptoms of psychopathology. Age-moderation analyses revealed that general factor strength remained stable across ages, suggesting that general psychopathology strength does not significantly change across childhood to adolescence. Even if the structure of psychopathology changes with development, the prominence of general psychopathology across development has important implications for future research and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan L Harris
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Avenue G60, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Benjamin Swanson
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Isaac T Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, 340 Iowa Avenue G60, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA
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2
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Wang Y, Ji H. Hot and cool executive function in the development of behavioral problems in grade school. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38415404 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000415] [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: 02/29/2024]
Abstract
Despite the well-established link between children's executive function and behavioral adjustment, it remains unclear whether the hot and cool aspects of executive function are uniquely associated with children's behavioral problems. Using longitudinal data spanning in the grade school (N = 1,140), this study aimed to examine whether hot and cool executive function skills may be uniquely related to the development of behavioral problems. Hot and cool executive function skills were measured with tasks, standardized tests, and questionnaires at 54 months and in the first grade, respectively. Internalizing and externalizing problems were evaluated by teachers using questionnaires throughout the grade school. The results indicated that, independent of each other, hot and cool executive function skills were uniquely and negatively related to the development of internalizing and externalizing problems over time at the between-individual level, adjusting for within-individual fluctuations. Moreover, internalizing and externalizing problems were positively related at the between-individual level across the grade school. Findings provide needed evidence to clarify the relations between hot and cool executive function and children's behavioral problems, emphasizing the importance of both aspects of executive function in understanding the development of behavioral problems in school-age children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiji Wang
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
| | - Huayu Ji
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Mental Health and Psychological Crisis Intervention, Affiliated Mental Health Center (ECNU), School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, Shanghai, China
- NYU-ECNU Institute of Brain and Cognitive Science at New York University Shanghai, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Changning Mental Health Center, Shanghai, China
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3
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Hosoki M, Eidsness MA, Bruckert L, Travis KE, Feldman HM. Associations of behavioral problems with white matter circuits connecting to the frontal lobes in school-aged children born at term and preterm. MEDRXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR HEALTH SCIENCES 2023:2023.11.08.23298268. [PMID: 37986772 PMCID: PMC10659456 DOI: 10.1101/2023.11.08.23298268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Introduction This study investigated whether behavioral problems in children were associated with fractional anisotropy (FA) of white matter tracts connecting from other brain regions to right and left frontal lobes. We considered internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems separately and contrasted patterns of associations in children born at term and very preterm. Methods Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist/6-18 questionnaire to quantify behavioral problems when their children were age 8 years (N=36 FT and 37 PT). Diffusion magnetic resonance scans were collected at the same age and analyzed using probabilistic tractography. We used multiple linear regression to investigate the strength of association between age-adjusted T-scores of internalizing and externalizing problems and mean fractional anisotropy (mean-FA) of right and left uncinate, arcuate, and anterior thalamic radiations, controlling for birth group and sex. Results Regression models predicting internalizing T-scores from mean-FA found significant group-by-tract interactions for the left and right arcuate and right uncinate. Internalizing scores were negatively associated with mean-FA of left and right arcuate only in children born at term (pleft AF =0.01, pright AF =0.01). Regression models predicting externalizing T-scores from mean-FA found significant group-by-tract interactions for the left arcuate and right uncinate. Externalizing scores were negatively associated with mean-FA of right uncinate in children born at term (pright UF =0.01) and positively associated in children born preterm (pright UF preterm =0.01). Other models were not significant. Conclusions In this sample of children with scores for behavioral problems across the full range, internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems were negatively associated with mean-FA of white matter tracts connecting to frontal lobes in children born at term; externalizing behavioral problems were positively associated with mean-FA of the right uncinate in children born preterm. The different associations by birth group suggest that the neurobiology of behavioral problems differs in the two birth groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Machiko Hosoki
- Corresponding Author: Machiko Hosoki, Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, 3145 Porter Drive, MC 5395, Palo Alto, CA 94304,
| | - Margarita Alethea Eidsness
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | | | - Katherine E. Travis
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine
| | - Heidi M Feldman
- Division of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine
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Rodrigues JDS, Matijasevich A, Tovo-Rodrigues L, Munhoz TN, Santos IS, Pastor-Valero M. Risk factors for executive function impairment in adolescence: an analysis of data from the 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort study. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE PSIQUIATRIA (SAO PAULO, BRAZIL : 1999) 2023; 45:470-481. [PMID: 37995276 PMCID: PMC10897774 DOI: 10.47626/1516-4446-2023-3277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To investigate risk factors associated with impaired attention-related executive functions (EFs) at age 11 and working memory at age 15. METHODS Data from participants of the population-based 2004 Pelotas Birth Cohort at ages 11 (n=3,582) and 15 (n=1,950) were analyzed. The study measured attentional control, cognitive flexibility, and selective attention using the Test of Everyday Attention for Children (TEA-Ch). Spatial working memory was assessed by the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Logistic regression was employed to explore the relationship between perinatal and childhood exposures and EF impairment. RESULTS Low maternal education had a significant negative impact on EFs. At age 11, it was associated with decreased attentional control (OR = 3.04; 95%CI 2.09-4.43), and at age 15, it was linked to impaired spatial working memory (OR = 2.21; 95%CI 1.58-3.09). Additional risk factors included low household income, black or brown maternal skin color, high parity, prematurity, low birth weight, and multiple siblings. Breastfeeding, regardless of duration, was found to be a protective factor against impaired cognitive flexibility (OR = 0.38; 95%CI 0.22-0.65). CONCLUSION This study underscores the lasting impact of perinatal exposures on EF development. Policies that mitigate the negative effects of risk factors and promote EF development, especially among vulnerable populations, are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Júlia de Souza Rodrigues
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Departamento de Salud Pública, Historia de la Ciencia y Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Elche, Spain
| | - Alicia Matijasevich
- Departamento de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Luciana Tovo-Rodrigues
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Tiago N Munhoz
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, Brazil. Faculdade de Psicologia, UFPel, Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Iná S Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Epidemiologia, Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Pelotas, RS, Brazil
| | - Maria Pastor-Valero
- Departamento de Salud Pública, Historia de la Ciencia y Ginecología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche, Elche, Spain. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Ruiz SG, Brazil IA, Baskin-Sommers A. Distinct neurocognitive fingerprints reflect differential associations with risky and impulsive behavior in a neurotypical sample. Sci Rep 2023; 13:11782. [PMID: 37479846 PMCID: PMC10362008 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-38991-0] [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: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Engagement in risky and impulsive behavior has long been associated with deficits in neurocognition. However, we have a limited understanding of how multiple subfunctions of neurocognition co-occur within individuals and which combinations of neurocognitive subfunctions are most relevant for risky and impulsive behavior. Using the neurotypical Nathan Kline Institute Rockland Sample (N = 673), we applied a Bayesian latent feature learning model-the Indian Buffet Process-to identify nuanced, individual-specific profiles of multiple neurocognitive subfunctions and examine their relationship to risky and impulsive behavior. All features were within a relatively normative range of neurocognition; however, there was subtle variability related to risky and impulsive behaviors. The relatively overall poorer neurocognition feature correlated with greater affective impulsivity and substance use patterns/problems. The poorer episodic memory and emotion feature correlated with greater trait externalizing and sensation-seeking. The poorer attention feature correlated with increased trait externalizing and negative urgency but decreased positive urgency and substance use. Finally, the average or mixed features negatively correlated with various risky and impulsive behaviors. Estimating nuanced patterns of co-occurring neurocognitive functions can inform our understanding of a continuum of risky and impulsive behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonia G Ruiz
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Inti A Brazil
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Forensic Psychiatric Centre Pompestichting, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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6
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Moore DM, Conway ARA. The Structure of Cognitive Abilities and Associations with Problem Behaviors in Early Adolescence: An Analysis of Baseline Data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. J Intell 2023; 11:jintelligence11050090. [PMID: 37233339 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11050090] [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: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/30/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Using baseline data (n = 9875) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study examining children aged 9 to 10 years, the current analyses included: (1) exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) of neurocognitive measures administered during baseline collection, and (2) linear regression analyses on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors. The neurocognitive tasks measured episodic memory, executive function (EF; attention), language skills, processing speed, working memory, visuospatial ability, and reasoning. The CBCL included composite scores of parent-reported internalizing, externalizing, and stress-related behavior problems. The study reported here serves as an extension of prior research using a principal components analysis (PCA) of the ABCD baseline data. We propose an alternative solution using factor analysis. Analyses revealed a three-factor structure: verbal ability (VA), executive function/processing speed (EF/PS), and working memory/episodic memory (WM/EM). These factors were significantly correlated with the CBCL scores, albeit with small effect sizes. These findings provide a novel three-factor solution to the structure of cognitive abilities measured in the ABCD Study, offering new insights into the association between cognitive function and problem behaviors in early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawn Michele Moore
- Division of Behavioral and Organizational Sciences, Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
| | - Andrew R A Conway
- Department of Psychology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM 88003, USA
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7
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Hatoum AS, Morrison CL, Mitchell EC, Lam M, Benca-Bachman CE, Reineberg AE, Palmer RHC, Evans LM, Keller MC, Friedman NP. Genome-wide Association Study Shows That Executive Functioning Is Influenced by GABAergic Processes and Is a Neurocognitive Genetic Correlate of Psychiatric Disorders. Biol Psychiatry 2023; 93:59-70. [PMID: 36150907 PMCID: PMC9722603 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2022.06.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deficits in executive functions (EFs), cognitive processes that control goal-directed behaviors, are associated with psychopathology and neurologic disorders. Little is known about the molecular bases of individual differences in EFs. Prior candidate gene studies have been underpowered in their search for dopaminergic processes involved in cognitive functioning, and existing genome-wide association studies of EFs used small sample sizes and/or focused on individual tasks that are imprecise measures of EFs. METHODS We conducted a genome-wide association study of a common EF (cEF) factor score based on multiple tasks in the UK Biobank (n = 427,037 individuals of European descent). RESULTS We found 129 independent genome-wide significant lead variants in 112 distinct loci. cEF was associated with fast synaptic transmission processes (synaptic, potassium channel, and GABA [gamma-aminobutyric acid] pathways) in gene-based analyses. cEF was genetically correlated with measures of intelligence (IQ) and cognitive processing speed, but cEF and IQ showed differential genetic associations with psychiatric disorders and educational attainment. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that cEF is a genetically distinct cognitive construct that is particularly relevant to understanding the genetic variance in psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Hatoum
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Department of Psychiatry, University of Washington St. Louis Medical School, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Claire L Morrison
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado.
| | - Evann C Mitchell
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Max Lam
- Division of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks, New York; Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Chelsie E Benca-Bachman
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Andrew E Reineberg
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Rohan H C Palmer
- Behavioral Genetics of Addiction Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Luke M Evans
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Matthew C Keller
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
| | - Naomi P Friedman
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
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8
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Frazier TW, Crowley E, Shih A, Vasudevan V, Karpur A, Uljarevic M, Cai RY. Associations between executive functioning, challenging behavior, and quality of life in children and adolescents with and without neurodevelopmental conditions. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1022700. [PMID: 36337537 PMCID: PMC9632446 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1022700] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study sought to clarify the impact of executive and social functioning on challenging behavior and the downstream influence of challenging behavior on quality of life and functioning in a large transdiagnostic sample. Understanding these relationships is crucial for developing and designing tailored intervention strategies. In a cross-sectional study, parent informants of 2,004 children completed measures of executive and social functioning, challenging behavior, child and family quality of life, and reported on functional impacts of challenging behavior. Using structural (path) modeling, analyses evaluated the associations between executive and social functioning, including emotion regulation and risk avoidance, with overall and specific types of challenging behavior. Structural models also examined the influence of challenging behavior on child and family quality of life, including measures of the immediate and extended environment, and functional impacts on the parent/child as well as interactions with the medical/legal systems. Finally, mediational models explored the direct and indirect effects of executive and social functioning on quality of life and impact measures via challenging behavior. Results indicated that executive functioning accounts for substantial variance (R2 = 0.47) in challenging behavior. In turn, challenging behavior accounts for substantial variance in child and family quality of life (R2 = 0.36) and parent/child impacts (R2 = 0.31). Exploratory mediational models identified direct effects from executive and social functioning measures on quality of life and functional impacts and indirect effects for executive functioning via challenging behavior. These findings support the development of new intervention strategies and suggest the need to measure executive functioning when assessing and tailoring the treatment of challenging behavior in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W. Frazier
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, United States
- *Correspondence: Thomas W. Frazier,
| | - Ethan Crowley
- Department of Psychology, John Carroll University, University Heights, OH, United States
| | - Andy Shih
- Science and Public Health Department, Autism Speaks, New York, NY, United States
| | - Vijay Vasudevan
- Science and Public Health Department, Autism Speaks, New York, NY, United States
| | - Arun Karpur
- Science and Public Health Department, Autism Speaks, New York, NY, United States
| | - Mirko Uljarevic
- The School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Ru Ying Cai
- Aspect Research Centre for Autism Practice, French’s Forest, NSW, Australia
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9
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Yang Y, Shields GS, Zhang Y, Wu H, Chen H, Romer AL. Child executive function and future externalizing and internalizing problems: A meta-analysis of prospective longitudinal studies. Clin Psychol Rev 2022; 97:102194. [PMID: 35964337 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2022.102194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
To determine the association between executive function and later externalizing and internalizing problems, we conducted a meta-analysis of 167 studies (1098 effect sizes, total N = 66,119) that explored the longitudinal associations between executive functions in children and subsequent externalizing and internalizing problems. The results indicated that greater child executive function was prospectively associated with fewer attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms, fewer conduct problems, fewer oppositional defiant disorder symptoms, less substance use, fewer broad externalizing problems, fewer depression symptoms, and fewer broad internalizing problems, but not with subsequent anxiety symptoms. Moderator analyses revealed that the sample type moderated the associations of executive function with both ADHD symptoms and conduct problems. Age of assessment moderated the association with broad externalizing problems, and executive function context moderated associations with both substance use and broad internalizing problems. These findings suggest that executive function in children prospectively predicts numerous externalizing and internalizing behaviors, suggesting that executive function may be an important target for psychopathology prevention programs and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingkai Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Grant S Shields
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - Yaoyao Zhang
- The Lab of Mental Health and Social Adaptation, Faculty of Psychology, Research Center of Mental Health Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Huimin Wu
- The Lab of Mental Health and Social Adaptation, Faculty of Psychology, Research Center of Mental Health Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Adrienne L Romer
- Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA.; Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
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Peterson EC, Snyder HR, Neilson C, Rosenberg BM, Hough CM, Sandman CF, Ohanian L, Garcia S, Kotz J, Finegan J, Ryan CA, Gyimah A, Sileo S, Miklowitz DJ, Friedman NP, Kaiser RH. General and Specific Dimensions of Mood Symptoms Are Associated With Impairments in Common Executive Function in Adolescence and Young Adulthood. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:838645. [PMID: 35496074 PMCID: PMC9048678 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.838645] [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: 12/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Both unipolar and bipolar depression have been linked with impairments in executive functioning (EF). In particular, mood symptom severity is associated with differences in common EF, a latent measure of general EF abilities. The relationship between mood disorders and EF is particularly salient in adolescence and young adulthood when the ongoing development of EF intersects with a higher risk of mood disorder onset. However, it remains unclear if common EF impairments have associations with specific symptom dimensions of mood pathology such as blunted positive affect, mood instability, or physiological arousal, or if differences in common EF more broadly relate to what is shared across various symptom domains, such as general negative affect or distress. To address this question, bifactor models can be applied to simultaneously examine the shared and unique contributions of particular mood symptom dimensions. However, no studies to our knowledge have examined bifactor models of mood symptoms in relation to measures of common EF. This study examined associations between common EF and general vs. specific symptom dimensions (anhedonia, physiological arousal, and mania) using structural equation modeling in adolescents and young adults with varying severity of mood symptoms (n = 495, ages = 13-25 years, 68.69% female). A General Depression factor capturing shared variance across symptoms statistically predicted lower Common EF. Additionally, a factor specific to physiological arousal was associated with lower Common EF. Anhedonia-specific and Mania-specific factors were not significantly related to Common EF. Altogether, these results indicate that deficits in common EF are driven by, or reflect, general features of mood pathology that are shared across symptom dimensions but are also specifically associated with physiological arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena C. Peterson
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Hannah R. Snyder
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, United States
| | - Chiara Neilson
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Benjamin M. Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Christina M. Hough
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Christina F. Sandman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Leoneh Ohanian
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Samantha Garcia
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Juliana Kotz
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Jamie Finegan
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Caitlin A. Ryan
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Abena Gyimah
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Sophia Sileo
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - David J. Miklowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Naomi P. Friedman
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Roselinde H. Kaiser
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States,*Correspondence: Roselinde H. Kaiser
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11
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Freis SM, Morrison CL, Smolker HR, Banich MT, Kaiser RH, Hewitt JK, Friedman NP. Executive Functions and Impulsivity as Transdiagnostic Correlates of Psychopathology in Childhood: A Behavioral Genetic Analysis. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:863235. [PMID: 35431847 PMCID: PMC9012075 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.863235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) and impulsivity are dimensions of self-regulation that are both related to psychopathology. However, self-report measures of impulsivity and laboratory EF tasks typically display small correlations, and existing research indicates that impulsivity and EFs may tap separate aspects of self-regulation that independently statistically predict psychopathology in adulthood. However, relationships between EFs, impulsivity, and psychopathology may be different in childhood compared to adulthood. Here, we examine whether these patterns hold in the baseline assessment of the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) sample, a national sample of over 11,000 children (including 749 twin pairs) ages 9-10 years. We examine the phenotypic and genetic relationships among latent variables for different components of EFs and multiple facets of impulsivity. Additionally, we assess how EFs and impulsivity relate to composite measures and latent variables of psychopathology derived from parent report. EFs were weakly correlated with impulsivity, and the strength varied by impulsivity facet, emphasizing their separability. We did not identify significant genetic and environmental correlations between EFs and impulsivity. Moreover, controlling for their small relationships with each other, both EFs and some facets of impulsivity statistically predicted an Externalizing factor, attention problems, and social problems, and twin analyses suggested these relationships were genetic in origin. These findings indicate that EFs and impulsivity represent phenotypically and genetically separable aspects of self-regulation that are both transdiagnostic correlates of psychopathology in childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha M. Freis
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Claire L. Morrison
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Harry R. Smolker
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Marie T. Banich
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Roselinde H. Kaiser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Renee Crown Wellness Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - John K. Hewitt
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Naomi P. Friedman
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado, Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States
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12
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Friedman NP, Robbins TW. The role of prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and executive function. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:72-89. [PMID: 34408280 PMCID: PMC8617292 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01132-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 326] [Impact Index Per Article: 163.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Concepts of cognitive control (CC) and executive function (EF) are defined in terms of their relationships with goal-directed behavior versus habits and controlled versus automatic processing, and related to the functions of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and related regions and networks. A psychometric approach shows unity and diversity in CC constructs, with 3 components in the most commonly studied constructs: general or common CC and components specific to mental set shifting and working memory updating. These constructs are considered against the cellular and systems neurobiology of PFC and what is known of its functional neuroanatomical or network organization based on lesioning, neurochemical, and neuroimaging approaches across species. CC is also considered in the context of motivation, as "cool" and "hot" forms. Its Common CC component is shown to be distinct from general intelligence (g) and closely related to response inhibition. Impairments in CC are considered as possible causes of psychiatric symptoms and consequences of disorders. The relationships of CC with the general factor of psychopathology (p) and dimensional constructs such as impulsivity in large scale developmental and adult populations are considered, as well as implications for genetic studies and RDoC approaches to psychiatric classification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi P Friedman
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience and Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.
| | - Trevor W Robbins
- Department of Psychology and Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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13
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Wasserman AM, Wimmer J, Hill-Kapturczak N, Karns-Wright TE, Mathias CW, Dougherty DM. The Development of Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors Among Youth With or Without a Family History of Substance Use Disorder: The Indirect Effects of Early-Life Stress and Impulsivity. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2021; 52:978-993. [PMID: 33067711 PMCID: PMC10984365 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-020-01076-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Youth with a family history of substance use disorder (FH+) are more prone to have externalizing and internalizing problems compared to youth without a family history of substance use disorder (FH-), increasing the likelihood of later maladjustment. However, mechanisms for this association remain understudied. In this longitudinal study, we examined if FH+ youth are more likely to experience early-life stressors (ELS), which in turn would increase impulsivity and the expression of externalizing and internalizing behaviors. Data were collected from youth and a parent (n = 386) during a baseline assessment (age 10-12 years) and every six months when the youth was 13-16 years old. In support of the primary hypothesis, FH+ youth reported higher levels of externalizing and internalizing behaviors through ELS to impulsivity providing a developmental pathway through which FH+ youth are more prone to externalizing and internalizing problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Wasserman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
| | - J Wimmer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - N Hill-Kapturczak
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - T E Karns-Wright
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - C W Mathias
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - D M Dougherty
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
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14
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Executive function as a mechanism linking socioeconomic status to internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in children and adolescents. J Adolesc 2021; 89:149-160. [PMID: 33971502 PMCID: PMC8203104 DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2020] [Revised: 04/19/2021] [Accepted: 04/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The association between low socioeconomic status (SES) in childhood and increased risk for psychopathology is well established, but the mechanisms explaining this relationship are poorly understood. Here, we investigate the potential role of difficulties in executive functioning (EF) as a mechanism linking childhood and adolescent SES with externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. METHODS We examined whether difficulties with EF mediated the association between SES and externalizing and internalizing psychopathology in two cross-sectional samples of children and adolescents (Study 1: N = 94, ages 6-18, 51.1% male; Study 2: N = 259, ages 8-16, 54.1% male) from diverse SES backgrounds in the United States. EF was measured through behavioral tasks and parent-reported behavioral regulation (BR). RESULTS In both samples, children and adolescents from lower SES families were more likely to experience both externalizing and internalizing psychopathology than youth from more advantaged backgrounds and exhibited greater EF difficulties - they had lower performance on a task measuring inhibitory control and lower parent-rated BR. Reduced inhibitory control and BR, in turn, were associated with higher externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. In Study 1, difficulties with BR mediated the association of low-SES with both externalizing and internalizing psychopathology. In Study 2, low inhibitory control mediated the association between low-SES and externalizing psychopathology. These findings largely persisted after adjusting for exposure to violence, a form of adversity that is common in children from low-SES backgrounds. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that reduced EF may be an underlying mechanism through which low-SES confers risk for psychopathology in children and adolescents.
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15
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Lynch SJ, Sunderland M, Newton NC, Chapman C. A systematic review of transdiagnostic risk and protective factors for general and specific psychopathology in young people. Clin Psychol Rev 2021; 87:102036. [PMID: 33992846 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
A large body of research has emerged over the last decade examining empirical models of general and specific psychopathology, which take into account comorbidity among psychiatric disorders and enable investigation of risk and protective factors that are common across disorders. This systematic review presents findings from studies of empirical models of psychopathology and transdiagnostic risk and protective factors for psychopathology among young people (10-24 years). PsycInfo, Medline and EMBASE were searched from inception to November 2020, and 41 studies were identified that examined at least one risk or protective factor in relation to broad, empirically derived, psychopathology outcomes. Results revealed several biological (executive functioning deficits, earlier pubertal timing, genetic risk for ADHD and schizophrenia, reduced gray matter volume), socio-environmental (stressful life events, maternal depression) and psychological (low effortful control, high neuroticism, negative affectivity) transdiagnostic risk factors for broad psychopathology outcomes, including general psychopathology, internalising and externalising. Methodological complexities are discussed and recommendations for future studies of empirical models of psychopathology are presented. These results contribute to a growing body of support for transdiagnostic approaches to prevention and intervention for psychiatric disorders and highlight several promising avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Lynch
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Matthew Sunderland
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Nicola C Newton
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cath Chapman
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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16
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Abstract
This paper proposes a model for developmental psychopathology that is informed by recent research suggestive of a single model of mental health disorder (the p factor) and seeks to integrate the role of the wider social and cultural environment into our model, which has previously been more narrowly focused on the role of the immediate caregiving context. Informed by recently emerging thinking on the social and culturally driven nature of human cognitive development, the ways in which humans are primed to learn and communicate culture, and a mentalizing perspective on the highly intersubjective nature of our capacity for affect regulation and social functioning, we set out a cultural-developmental approach to psychopathology.
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17
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Feldman JS, Huang-Pollock C. Slow drift rate predicts ADHD symptomology over and above executive dysfunction. Child Neuropsychol 2021; 27:834-855. [PMID: 33752560 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1902490] [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
Slow drift rate has become one of the most salient cognitive deficits among children with ADHD, and has repeatedly been found to explain slow, variable, and error-prone performance on tasks of executive functioning (EF). The present study applies the diffusion model to determine whether slow drift rate better predicts parent and teacher ratings of ADHD than standard EF metrics. 201 children aged 8-12 completed two tests of speeded decision-making analyzed with the diffusion model and two traditionally scored tests of EF. Latent EF and drift rate factors each independently predicted the general ADHD factor in a bifactor model of ADHD, with poor EF and slow drift rate associated with greater ADHD symptomology. When both EF and drift rate were entered into the model, slow drift rate (but not EF) continued to predict elevated symptomology. These findings suggest that using drift rate to index task performance improves upon conventional approaches to measuring and conceptualizing cognitive dysfunction in ADHD. Implications for future cognitive research in ADHD are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason S Feldman
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Cynthia Huang-Pollock
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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18
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Peverill M, Dirks MA, Narvaja T, Herts KL, Comer JS, McLaughlin KA. Socioeconomic status and child psychopathology in the United States: A meta-analysis of population-based studies. Clin Psychol Rev 2021; 83:101933. [PMID: 33278703 PMCID: PMC7855901 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 37.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Children raised in families with low socioeconomic status (SES) are more likely to exhibit symptoms of psychopathology. However, the strength of this association, the specific indices of SES most strongly associated with childhood psychopathology, and factors moderating the association are strikingly inconsistent across studies. We conducted a meta-analysis of 120 estimates of the association between family SES and child psychopathology in 13 population-representative cohorts of children studied in the US since 1980. Among 26,715 participants aged 3-19 years, we observed small to moderate associations of low family income (g = 0.19), low Hollingshead index (g = 0.21), low subjective SES (g = 0.24), low parental education (g = 0.25), poverty status (g = 0.25), and receipt of public assistance (g = 0.32) with higher levels of childhood psychopathology. Moderator testing revealed that receipt of public assistance showed an especially strong association with psychopathology and that SES was more strongly related to externalizing than internalizing psychopathology. Dispersion in our final, random effects, model suggested that the relation between SES and child psychopathology is likely to vary in different populations of children and in different communities. These findings highlight the need for additional research on the mechanisms of SES-related psychopathology risk in children in order to identify targets for potential intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Peverill
- University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Seattle, WA, United States of America; Harvard University, Department of Psychology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America.
| | - Melanie A Dirks
- McGill University, Department of Psychology, Montreal, Canada
| | - Tomás Narvaja
- University of Washington, School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States of America
| | - Kate L Herts
- Weill Cornell Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, White Plains, NY, United States of America
| | - Jonathan S Comer
- Florida International University, Department of Psychology, Miami, FL, United States of America
| | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Harvard University, Department of Psychology, Cambridge, MA, United States of America
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19
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Transactional relations between developmental trajectories of executive functioning and internalizing and externalizing symptomatology in adolescence. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 34:213-224. [PMID: 32955009 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of social, physical, and neurobiological transitions that may leave individuals more vulnerable to the development of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Extant research demonstrates that executive functioning (EF) is associated with psychopathology outcomes in adolescence; however, it has yet to be examined how EF and psychopathology develop transactionally over time. Data were collected from 167 adolescents (47% female, 13-14 years old at Time 1) and their primary caregiver over 4 years. At each time point, adolescents completed three behavioral tasks that capture the underlying dimensions of EF, and both adolescents and their primary caregiver completed measures of adolescent psychopathology. Latent growth curve modeling was used to test the associations between initial levels and trajectories of EF and psychopathology. Results indicated that higher initial levels of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology were associated with lower EF at Time 4 (controlling for Time 1 EF). Initial levels of EF did not predict changes in internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. These findings suggest that early psychopathology may be a risk factor for maladaptive EF development in adolescence.
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20
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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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21
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Friedman NP, Hatoum AS, Gustavson DE, Corley RP, Hewitt JK, Young SE. Executive Functions and Impulsivity are Genetically Distinct and Independently Predict Psychopathology: Results from Two Adult Twin Studies. Clin Psychol Sci 2020; 8:519-538. [PMID: 33758683 DOI: 10.1177/2167702619898814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Laboratory executive function (EF) constructs, such as response inhibition, are often conceptually linked with self-report measures of impulsivity, yet their empirical correlations are low. We examined, in two twin studies (Ns=749 and 761 individuals with EF data), the phenotypic and genetic overlap of three EF latent variables (a Common EF factor predicting response inhibition, working memory updating, and mental set shifting tasks, and Updating- and Shifting-specific factors) with five impulsivity dimensions (negative and positive urgency, lack of premeditation and perseverance, and sensation seeking). In both samples, impulsivity dimensions only modestly correlated phenotypically (rs= -.20-.11) and genetically (rAs= -.44-.04) with Common EF. In both samples, Common EF and multiple impulsivity dimensions, particularly negative urgency, independently predicted Externalizing psychopathology, and multiple impulsivity dimensions, but not Common EF, predicted Internalizing psychopathology. These results suggest that EFs and self-reported impulsivity tap different aspects of control that are both relevant for psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi P Friedman
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Alexander S Hatoum
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder.,Department of Psychiatry, Washington University St. Louis Medical School
| | - Daniel E Gustavson
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Behavior Genetics of Aging, University of California, San Diego
| | - Robin P Corley
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - John K Hewitt
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder.,Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Susan E Young
- Division of Substance Dependence, Psychiatry Department, University of Colorado Denver
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22
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Moerman – van den Brink WG, van Aken L, Verschuur EML, Walvoort SJW, Rensen YCM, Egger JIM, Kessels RPC. The relationship between executive dysfunction and neuropsychiatric symptoms in patients with Korsakoff’s syndrome. Clin Neuropsychol 2020; 34:740-754. [DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2020.1738554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wiltine G. Moerman – van den Brink
- Korsakoff Centre of Expertise Atlant, Beekbergen, The Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Loes van Aken
- Centre of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
| | - Els M. L. Verschuur
- School of Health Studies, HAN University of Applied Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Serge J. W. Walvoort
- Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
| | - Yvonne C. M. Rensen
- Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
| | - Jos I. M. Egger
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
- Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
- Stevig Specialized and Forensic Care for People with Intellectual Disabilities, Dichterbij, Oostrum, The Netherlands
| | - Roy P. C. Kessels
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders, Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands
- Department of Medical Psychology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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23
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Snyder HR, Friedman NP, Hankin BL. Transdiagnostic mechanisms of psychopathology in youth: Executive functions, dependent stress, and rumination. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2019; 43:834-851. [PMID: 31551642 DOI: 10.1007/s10608-019-10016-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Executive function (EF) deficits have been proposed as transdiagnostic risk factors for psychopathology, and recent research suggests EF impairments are associated with what is shared across forms of psychopathology (p factor). However, most research has not employed methods that differentiate between EF components, and little is known about the mediating mechanisms linking EF and psychopathology dimensions. The current study tested associations between the latent unity/diversity model of EF and latent dimensions of psychopathology and investigated mediating mechanisms in a community sample of 292 youth age 13-22. The results confirmed the finding that poor EF is associated with internalizing psychopathology in older youth via higher dependent stress and rumination, and showed that this pathway was transdiagnostic, predicting the p factor rather than internalizing specifically. Links with psychopathology were specific to the common EF factor, rather than updating- or shifting-specific EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah R Snyder
- Department of Psychology, Brandeis University, Brown 125, 415 South St. Waltham, MA
| | - Naomi P Friedman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 345 UCB, Boulder CO 80309
| | - Benjamin L Hankin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 603 E. Daniel Street, Champaign IL 61820
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24
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Flouri E, Papachristou E, Midouhas E, Ploubidis GB, Lewis G, Joshi H. Developmental cascades of internalising symptoms, externalising problems and cognitive ability from early childhood to middle adolescence. Eur Psychiatry 2019; 57:61-69. [PMID: 30677550 DOI: 10.1016/j.eurpsy.2018.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2018] [Revised: 12/07/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive ability and problem behaviour (externalising and internalising problems) are variable and inter-related in children. However, it is not known if they mutually influence one another, if difficulties in one cause difficulties in the other, or if they are related only because they share causes. METHODS Random-intercept cross-lagged models adjusted for confounding were fitted to explore this in 17,318 (51% male) children of the UK's Millennium Cohort Study at ages 3, 5, 7, 11 and 14 years. Externalising and internalising problems were assessed using the parent-reported Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Cognitive ability was measured using standardised scores of age-appropriate validated cognitive ability assessments. Where multiple cognitive assessments were available a single score was derived using principal components analysis. RESULTS There was much evidence for cross-domain longitudinal effects in childhood, especially for cognitive ability (on both internalising and externalising problems and in both males and females) and externalising problems (on internalising problems in both genders and cognitive ability in males). Bidirectional effects were childhood-limited, gender-specific and less consistent. The consistent bidirectional associations were, in males, between externalising problems and cognitive ability, and, in females, between externalising and internalising problems (although the effects of internalising problems were weak). In adolescence, only externalising problems had cross-domain effects such that, in both genders, they were associated with lower cognitive ability in subsequent measurements and increased levels of internalising problems. CONCLUSIONS In either childhood or adolescence, reducing behavioural problems could have both emotional and cognitive benefits. In childhood, improving cognitive skills could reduce both emotional and behavioural problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eirini Flouri
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, 25 Woburn Square, WC1H 0AA, London, UK.
| | - Efstathios Papachristou
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, 25 Woburn Square, WC1H 0AA, London, UK
| | - Emily Midouhas
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, UCL Institute of Education, 25 Woburn Square, WC1H 0AA, London, UK
| | - George B Ploubidis
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, 55-59 Gordon Square, WC1H 0NU, London, UK
| | - Glyn Lewis
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, Maple House, 149 Tottenham Court Road, W1T 7BN, London, UK
| | - Heather Joshi
- Centre for Longitudinal Studies, UCL Institute of Education, 55-59 Gordon Square, WC1H 0NU, London, UK
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25
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Friedman NP, Rhee SH, Ross JM, Corley RP, Hewitt JK. Genetic and environmental relations of executive functions to antisocial personality disorder symptoms and psychopathy. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 163:67-78. [PMID: 30576766 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Revised: 12/13/2018] [Accepted: 12/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Meta-analytic findings suggest that antisocial behavior, broadly defined, may relate to a Common Executive Function (EF) factor that captures covariance across response inhibition, working memory updating, and mental set shifting tasks. However, it is unclear whether this common factor, which is isomorphic with individual differences in response inhibition, accounts for all of the EF variance in antisocial behavior and psychopathy, or if they also relate to updating- and shifting-specific abilities. Moreover, findings that antisocial behavior and lower cognitive ability are particularly associated with the psychopathy dimension reflecting impulsivity and irresponsibility, compared to the dimension reflecting affective-interpersonal functioning, raise the possibility that EF relates to the variance shared between the impulsive-irresponsible psychopathy dimension and antisocial personality disorder. We examined these questions in a young adult twin sample (N = 765) with measures of multiple EF latent variables, Levenson Self-Report Psychopathy (LSRP) Primary (affective-interpersonal) and Secondary (impulsive-irresponsible) scales, and antisocial personality disorder symptoms (ASPDsx). Phenotypically, higher ASPDsx and LSRP Secondary psychopathy, but not LSRP Primary psychopathy, were associated with lower Common EF. Moreover, both psychopathy dimensions were negatively correlated with Updating-Specific ability, which was unrelated to ASPDsx. Results from twin models indicated that the association between LSRP Secondary psychopathy and ASPDsx was due to both genetic and nonshared environmental influences; however, Common EF's association with ASPDsx was primarily genetic, whereas its association with LSRP Secondary psychopathy had a significant environmental component. Thus, the interrelations among these constructs may reflect heterogeneous etiological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi P Friedman
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, United States of America; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, United States of America.
| | - Soo Hyun Rhee
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, United States of America; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, United States of America
| | - J Megan Ross
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, United States of America
| | - Robin P Corley
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, United States of America
| | - John K Hewitt
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, United States of America; Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, United States of America
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26
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Friedman NP, du Pont A, Corley RP, Hewitt JK. Longitudinal Relations Between Depressive Symptoms and Executive Functions From Adolescence to Early Adulthood: A Twin Study. Clin Psychol Sci 2018; 6:543-560. [PMID: 30250762 PMCID: PMC6150459 DOI: 10.1177/2167702618766360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Depression is associated with deficits in executive functions (EFs)-cognitive control abilities that regulate goal-directed thoughts and actions-but the etiology of these associations is unclear. We examined the relations between depressive symptoms and multiple EF latent variables in a population-based sample of 439 twin pairs assessed at mean ages 12, 17, and 23 years. Greater depressive symptoms negatively related to a Common EF factor capturing shared variance across response inhibition, working memory updating, and mental set shifting tasks, and also negatively related to an Updating-Specific factor, but not a Shifting-Specific factor. Cross-lagged panel models suggested that the Common EF correlations reflected within-wave associations rather than prospective effects, whereas the Updating-Specific correlations reflected associations of earlier depression levels with later Updating-Specific ability. Twin models were consistent with a model in which Common EF and Updating-Specific abilities relate to depression through correlated genetic risk, with no significant environmental correlations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi P Friedman
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Alta du Pont
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - Robin P Corley
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
| | - John K Hewitt
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder
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Hatoum AS, Rhee SH, Corley RP, Hewitt JK, Friedman NP. Etiology of Stability and Growth of Internalizing and Externalizing Behavior Problems Across Childhood and Adolescence. Behav Genet 2018; 48:298-314. [PMID: 29679193 DOI: 10.1007/s10519-018-9900-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2018] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Internalizing and externalizing behaviors are heritable, and show genetic stability during childhood and adolescence. Less work has explored how genes influence individual differences in developmental trajectories. We estimated ACE biometrical latent growth curve models for the Teacher Report Form (TRF) and parent Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) internalizing and externalizing scales from ages 7 to 16 years in 408 twin pairs from the Colorado Longitudinal Twin Study. We found that Intercept factors were highly heritable for both internalizing and externalizing behaviors (a2 = .61-.92), with small and nonsignificant environmental influences for teacher-rated data but significant nonshared environmental influences for parent-rated data. There was some evidence of heritability of decline in internalizing behavior (Slopes for teacher and parent ratings), but the Slope genetic variance was almost entirely shared with that for the Intercept when different than zero. These results suggest that genetic effects on these developmental trajectories operate primarily on initial levels and stability, with no significant unique genetic influences for change. Finally, cross-rater analyses of the growth factor scores revealed moderate to large genetic and environmental associations between growth factors derived from parents' and teachers' ratings, particularly the Intercepts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander S Hatoum
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA. .,Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA.
| | - Soo Hyun Rhee
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Robin P Corley
- Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - John K Hewitt
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Naomi P Friedman
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA.,Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, 447 UCB, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
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