Childhood Gender Nonconformity and Parental Maltreatment as Mediators of Sexual Orientation Disparities in Childhood Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties

The mechanisms underlying sexual orientation differences in psychopathology originating in childhood remain understudied since sexual orientation does not directly manifest in childhood. This study tested whether childhood gender nonconformity and parental maltreatment before age 6 years 9 months partly explained sexual orientation disparities in the developmental trajectories of emotional and behavioral difficulties from age 6 years 9 months to 11 years 8 months. The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children was used (2182 boys and 2422 girls, Mage = 15.5, 90% White). After controlling for early life factors, non-heterosexual boys and girls displayed significantly greater emotional and behavioral difficulties than their heterosexual counterparts at all three ages. There was a sex difference in the mediating effects. For girls, sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties were partially explained by childhood gender nonconformity. For boys, sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties were partially explained by a path through greater childhood gender nonconformity, leading to increased risk of being the targets of parental maltreatment. Childhood gender nonconformity, parental maltreatment, and other early life factors only partially explain sexual orientation disparities in childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties. The mediating effects of childhood gender nonconformity and parental maltreatment on the association between sexual orientation and childhood emotional and behavioral difficulties differ between the sexes.

Associations of childhood diet quality scores with arterial stiffness and carotid artery intima-media thickness in adolescence/early adulthood: findings from the ALSPAC cohort

This study examined the relationship between childhood diet quality and arterial stiffness and thickness during adolescence/early adulthood. Participants were from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) with dietary data at ages 7, 10 and 13 years and pulse wave velocity (PWV) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) at ages 17 and/or 24 years. Diet quality (DQ) was assessed using five scores: a children's Mediterranean-style diet (C-rMED) Z-score, a children's Dietary Inflammatory Z-score (C-DIS), a DASH diet Z-score, a children's Eatwell Guide (C-EWG) Z-score reflecting UK dietary guidelines and a data-driven obesogenic Z-score. Adjusted regression models examined the associations between DQ scores at 7-13 years and PWV and cIMT at 17 and 24 years. In adjusted models, a high v. low Obesogenic Z-score at 7 and 10 years was associated with higher PWV at 17: β 0.07 (95 % CI 0.01, 0.13) and β 0.10 (95 % CI 0.04, 0.16), respectively. A high v. low C-rMED Z-score at 7 years was associated with lower PWV at 17 (β -0.07; 95 % CI -0.14, -0.01). A high (more anti-inflammatory) vs low C-DIS Z-score at 10 years was associated with a lower PWV at 17 years: β -0.06 (95 % CI -0.12, -0.01). No other associations were observed. In conclusion, an Obesogenic dietary pattern in childhood (7-10 years) was related to increased arterial stiffness, while Mediterranean-style and anti-inflammatory diets were related to decreased arterial stiffness in adolescence. This highlights the importance of establishing healthy dietary habits early in life to protect against vascular damage.

Prospective association between adherence to UK dietary guidelines in school-age children and cardiometabolic risk markers in adolescence/early adulthood in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort

Research into how alignment to UK dietary guidelines during childhood affects cardiometabolic health is limited. The association between adherence to UK dietary guidelines during childhood and overall cardiometabolic risk (CMR) in adolescence/early adulthood was explored using data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). ALSPAC children with diet diaries completed at 7, 10 and 13 years of age, and data on CMR markers at 17 years (n 1940) and 24 years (n 1957) were included. A children's Eatwell Guide (C-EWG) score was created by comparing dietary intakes at each age to UK dietary guidelines for nine foods/nutrients. Cardiometabolic health at 17 and 24 years was assessed using a composite CMR score. Multivariable linear regression models examined associations between C-EWG scores at 7, 10 and 13 years and the CMR score at 17 and 24 years, adjusting for confounders. C-EWG scores were generally low. However, a higher score (adherence to more dietary guidelines) at 7 years old was associated with a lower CMR score at 17 and 24 years: β -0·13 (95 % CI -0·25, -0·01) and β -0·25 (95 % CI -0·38, -0·13) for a 1-point increase in C-EWG score, respectively. A higher C-EWG score at 10 years was also associated with a lower CMR z-score at 24 years. No clear associations were evident at other ages. Greater adherence to UK dietary guidelines during mid-childhood was associated with a better overall cardiometabolic profile, suggesting that encouraging children to eat in this way has long-term benefits to health.

The relationship between maternal psychopathology and offspring incontinence and constipation at school age: A prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

There is evidence for an association between maternal psychopathology and offspring incontinence and constipation, but it is unclear if there is a critical/sensitive period of exposure to maternal depression and/or anxiety in the antenatal or postnatal period.

METHODS

Mothers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children provided data on their depression and anxiety (antenatal and postnatal) and their child's urinary and faecal incontinence and constipation at age 7 (6489 participants). We used multivariable logistic regression to examine evidence for independent effects of maternal depression/anxiety on offspring incontinence/constipation and to investigate if there was a critical/sensitive period of exposure. We examined evidence for causal intra-uterine effects using a negative control design.

RESULTS

Postnatal maternal psychopathology was associated with an increased risk of offspring incontinence and constipation (e.g. postnatal anxiety and daytime wetting OR: 1.53; 95 % CI: 1.21-1.94). Data were consistent with a postnatal critical period model and there was evidence for an independent effect of maternal anxiety. Antenatal maternal psychopathology was associated with offspring constipation (e.g. antenatal anxiety OR: 1.57; 95 % CI: 1.25-1.98), but there was no evidence for a causal intra-uterine effect.

LIMITATIONS

Attrition and maternal reports without use of diagnostic criteria for incontinence/constipation are potential limitations.

CONCLUSIONS

Children exposed to maternal postnatal psychopathology had a greater risk of incontinence/constipation, and maternal anxiety had stronger associations than depression. Health professionals should be vigilant to effects of maternal psychopathology on child development. Identification of mechanisms linking maternal psychopathology to child incontinence/constipation is required to inform evidence-based support.

Adherence to UK dietary guidelines in school-aged children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort

Compliance to UK dietary recommendations was assessed in school-aged children from a population-based cohort: the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). A Children's Eatwell Guide (C-EWG) score was developed to assess socio-demographic predictors of meeting dietary recommendations. ALSPAC children with plausible diet diary data at 7 years (n 5373), 10 years (n 4450) and 13 years (n 2223) were included in the study. Their dietary intakes (recorded between 1998 and 2006) were compared with dietary guidelines for total and saturated fats, free sugars, salt, fibre, protein, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables, non-oily and oily fish and red/processed meat. The C-EWG score (0-9 points) indicated the number of recommendations met at each age. Cross-sectional associations between socio-demographic characteristics and C-EWG scores were assessed using multivariable regression. The lowest adherence to guidelines at 7 years was for sugar (0·1 % meeting recommendations), followed by fibre (7·7 %), oily fish (9·5 %), saturated fat (9·7 %) and fruit and vegetables (15·2 %). Highest adherence was for limiting red/processed meat (67·3 %) and meeting carbohydrate recommendations (77·3 %). At 7 years, 12·1 % of participants failed to meet any of the nine recommendations, 26·9 % met one and 28·2 % met two. Similar patterns were seen at 10 and 13 years. A lower social class and maternal educational attainment and higher maternal BMI were associated with meeting fewer recommendations. Most school-aged children in this cohort did not meet UK dietary recommendations, particularly children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Additional public health initiatives are needed to improve the quality of UK children's diets, particularly targeting lower socio-economic groups.

Trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms from pregnancy to 11 years postpartum: Findings from Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort

BACKGROUND

Maternal depressive symptoms are common in pregnancy and may extend to the perinatal period and beyond for some women. To date, few longitudinal studies have investigated maternal depressive symptoms from pregnancy to eleven years postpartum. Drawing data from a large population-based study cohort the aims of this study were to 1) identify distinct groups of mothers defined by their trajectories of depressive symptoms spanning from pregnancy to eleven years following the birth of the child, and 2) to identify psychosocial risk factors during pregnancy and in the first few postnatal years that are associated with these trajectories.

METHODS

Data were analyzed from 14,170 mothers who participated in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to capture maternal depressive symptoms across 10 time points including two prenatal (18 and 32 weeks), and eight postnatal (2, 8, 21, 33, 61, 73, 97 and 134 months) time points. The latent growth model was created to describe the course of maternal depressive symptoms across the preceding time points followed by a latent growth mixture modelling (LGMM) to identify distinct trajectories of depressive symptoms over time within the overall sample. The predictors of maternal depressive symptoms trajectories were categorized into sociodemographic, child, and psychosocial factors. The multinomial regression analyses were conducted to explore associations between the risk factors and depressive symptoms trajectories.

RESULTS

LGMM identified four distinct trajectories of maternal depressive symptoms over time: minimal symptoms, increasing symptoms, persistent symptoms, and decreasing symptoms. Predictors of all patterns of depression - persistent, increasing and decreasing symptoms include smoking during pregnancy, and partner conflict. The strongest predictors of the persistent symptom trajectory included maternal history of depression and inadequate social support.

LIMITATIONS

The use of self-reported maternal mental health symptoms and under representation of ethnic minorities are our study's limitations.

CONCLUSIONS

The study findings highlight the importance of early identification and treatment for mothers experiencing depressive symptoms from pregnancy to the perinatal period and beyond.

Genetic risk for schizophrenia is associated with increased proportion of indirect connections in brain networks revealed by a semi-metric analysis: evidence from population sample stratified for polygenic risk

Research studies based on tractography have revealed a prominent reduction of asymmetry in some key white-matter tracts in schizophrenia (SCZ). However, we know little about the influence of common genetic risk factors for SCZ on the efficiency of routing on structural brain networks (SBNs). Here, we use a novel recall-by-genotype approach, where we sample young adults from a population-based cohort (ALSPAC:N genotyped = 8,365) based on their burden of common SCZ risk alleles as defined by polygenic risk score (PRS). We compared 181 individuals at extremes of low (N = 91) or high (N = 90) SCZ-PRS under a robust diffusion MRI-based graph theoretical SBN framework. We applied a semi-metric analysis revealing higher SMR values for the high SCZ-PRS group compared with the low SCZ-PRS group in the left hemisphere. Furthermore, a hemispheric asymmetry index showed a higher leftward preponderance of indirect connections for the high SCZ-PRS group compared with the low SCZ-PRS group (PFDR < 0.05). These findings might indicate less efficient structural connectivity in the higher genetic risk group. This is the first study in a population-based sample that reveals differences in the efficiency of SBNs associated with common genetic risk variants for SCZ.

Relative age in the school year and risk of mental health problems in childhood, adolescence and young adulthood

PURPOSE

Relative age within the school year ('relative age') is associated with increased rates of symptoms and diagnoses of mental health disorders, including ADHD. We aimed to investigate how relative age influences mental health and behaviour before, during and after school (age range: 4-25 years).

METHOD

We used a regression discontinuity design to examine the effect of relative age on risk of mental health problems using data from a large UK population-based cohort (Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC); N = 14,643). We compared risk of mental health problems between ages 4 and 25 years using the parent-rated Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and depression using self-rated and parent-rated Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (SMFQ) by relative age.

RESULTS

The youngest children in the school year have greater parent-rated risk of mental health problems, measured using parent-rated SDQ total difficulties scores. We found no evidence of differences before school entry [estimated standardised mean difference (SMD) between those born on 31 August and 1 September: .02 (-.05, .08)]. We found that estimates of effect size for a 1-year difference in relative age were greatest at 11 years [SMD: .22 (.15, .29)], but attenuated to the null at 25 years [SMD: -.02 (-.11, .07)]. We did not find consistent evidence of differences in self-rated and parent-rated depression by relative age.

CONCLUSIONS

Younger relative age is associated with poorer parent-rated general mental health, but not symptoms of depression.

The impact of genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease on the structural brain networks of young adults

Introduction

We investigated the structural brain networks of 562 young adults in relation to polygenic risk for Alzheimer's disease, using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and genotype data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.

Methods

Diffusion MRI data were used to perform whole-brain tractography and generate structural brain networks for the whole-brain connectome, and for the default mode, limbic and visual subnetworks. The mean clustering coefficient, mean betweenness centrality, characteristic path length, global efficiency and mean nodal strength were calculated for these networks, for each participant. The connectivity of the rich-club, feeder and local connections was also calculated. Polygenic risk scores (PRS), estimating each participant's genetic risk, were calculated at genome-wide level and for nine specific disease pathways. Correlations were calculated between the PRS and (a) the graph theoretical metrics of the structural networks and (b) the rich-club, feeder and local connectivity of the whole-brain networks.

Results

In the visual subnetwork, the mean nodal strength was negatively correlated with the genome-wide PRS (r = -0.19, p = 1.4 × 10-3), the mean betweenness centrality was positively correlated with the plasma lipoprotein particle assembly PRS (r = 0.16, p = 5.5 × 10-3), and the mean clustering coefficient was negatively correlated with the tau-protein binding PRS (r = -0.16, p = 0.016). In the default mode network, the mean nodal strength was negatively correlated with the genome-wide PRS (r = -0.14, p = 0.044). The rich-club and feeder connectivities were negatively correlated with the genome-wide PRS (r = -0.16, p = 0.035; r = -0.15, p = 0.036).

Discussion

We identified small reductions in brain connectivity in young adults at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease in later life.

Testing Deprivation and Threat: A Preregistered Network Analysis of the Dimensions of Early Adversity

Despite abundant evidence of the detrimental effects of childhood adversity, its nature and underlying mechanisms remain contested. One influential theory, the dimensional model of adversity and psychopathology, proposes deprivation and threat as distinct dimensions of early experience. In this preregistered analysis of data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), we used a network and clustering approach to assess the dimensionality of relationships between childhood adversity and adolescent cognition and emotional functioning, and we used recursive partitioning to identify timing effects. We found evidence that deprivation and threat are separate dimensions of adversity and that early experiences of deprivation cluster with later measures of cognition and emotional functioning. This cluster varies by age of exposure; it includes fewer forms of deprivation as children grow from infancy to middle childhood. Our measures did not form a specific cluster linking threat to emotional functioning.

The impact of anorexia nervosa and BMI polygenic risk on childhood growth: A 20-year longitudinal population-based study

Growth deviating from the norm during childhood has been associated with anorexia nervosa (AN) and obesity later in life. In this study, we examined whether polygenic scores (PGSs) for AN and BMI are associated with growth trajectories spanning the first two decades of life. AN PGSs and BMI PGSs were calculated for participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; n = 8,654). Using generalized (mixed) linear models, we associated PGSs with trajectories of weight, height, body mass index (BMI), fat mass index (FMI), lean mass index (LMI), and bone mineral density (BMD). Female participants with AN PGSs one standard deviation (SD) higher had, on average, 0.004% slower growth in BMI between the ages 6.5 and 24 years and a 0.4% slower gain in BMD between the ages 10 and 24 years. Higher BMI PGSs were associated with faster growth for BMI, FMI, LMI, BMD, and weight trajectories in both sexes throughout childhood. Female participants with both a high AN PGS and a low BMI PGS showed slower growth compared to those with both a low AN PGS and a low BMI PGS. We conclude that AN PGSs and BMI PGSs have detectable sex-specific effects on growth trajectories. Female participants with a high AN PGS and low BMI PGS likely constitute a high-risk group for AN, as their growth was slower compared to their peers with high PGSs on both traits. Further research is needed to better understand how the AN PGS and the BMI PGS co-influence growth during childhood and whether a high BMI PGS can mitigate the effects of a high AN PGS.

Patterns and predictors of depressive and anxiety symptoms in mothers affected by previous prenatal loss in the ALSPAC birth cohort

BACKGROUND

Studies investigating the patterns or predictors of psychological distress in expecting and postpartum mothers affected by previous prenatal loss, are limited. The study objectives were to explore longitudinal trajectory patterns of depressive and anxiety symptoms in mothers affected by previous prenatal loss from early in a subsequent pregnancy up to pre-adolescence, and to identify early factors predictive of elevated symptom trajectory patterns.

METHODS

A total of 2854 mothers from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children self-identified as having experienced a previous prenatal loss. A latent class analysis identified trajectory patterns of symptoms across 10 timepoints from 18-weeks' gestation up to 134-months postpartum, multivariate regression analysis identified predictors of elevated symptom trajectories, and hierarchical regression analysis determined predictive accuracy between predictors and elevated trajectory patterns.

RESULTS

Three distinct longitudinal trajectory patterns of depressive and anxiety symptoms reflected low (54%), sub-clinical (34%), and clinical symptoms (12%). Key factors that predicted elevated symptom trajectory patterns better than increased symptom scores early in subsequent pregnancy include history of severe depression or other psychiatric problem, experiencing three or more stressful events from mid-pregnancy, inadequate social support, history of induced abortion, and history of abuse. Predictive accuracy of elevated trajectories was 0.542 (depression) and 0.432 (anxiety).

LIMITATIONS

Generalizability may be compromised by attrition, under-reporting, and recall bias.

CONCLUSION

Including factors predictive of long-term sub-clinical or clinical depressive and anxiety symptoms in early assessments will improve clinician's ability to identify mothers who may benefit from immediate and/or ongoing monitoring, and psychotherapeutic intervention after prenatal loss.

The inflammatory potential of the diet in childhood is associated with cardiometabolic risk in adolescence/young adulthood in the ALSPAC birth cohort

PURPOSE

This study examined the association between a Dietary Inflammatory Score adapted for children (cDIS) and Cardiometabolic Risk (CMR) score in adolescence/early adulthood in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC).

METHODS

The cDIS was calculated at 7, 10 and 13 years using diet diary data. Anthropometric and biochemical data at 17 (N = 1937) and 24 (N = 1957) years were used to calculate CMR scores at each age [mean sex-specific z-scores from triacylglycerol, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and fat-mass index (FMI)]. Multivariable linear regression models examined associations between cDIS at 7, 10 and 13 years and a continuous CMR z-score and individual CMR markers at 17 and 24 years.

RESULTS

In fully adjusted models, a higher cDIS (more pro-inflammatory diet) at 7 years was associated with an increase in CMR z-score at 17 years (β 0.19; 95% CI 0.03-0.35 for third versus first cDIS tertile) and at 24 years (β 0.28; 95% CI 0.11,0.44 for third versus first cDIS tertile). There was a weak association between a higher cDIS at 10 years and an increase in CMR z-score at 17 years (β 0.16; 95% CI - 0.003, 0.32 for third versus first cDIS tertile). No other clear associations were evident. FMI, MAP and HOMA-IR were the main CMR factors contributing to these associations.

CONCLUSION

A more pro-inflammatory diet during childhood was associated with a worse cardiometabolic profile in late adolescence/early adulthood. A childhood diet abundant in nutrients with anti-inflammatory properties could help reduce development of CMR factors.

The relationship between dietary intakes and plasma concentrations of PUFA in school-age children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) cohort

An adequate intake of PUFA plays a vital role in human health. Therefore, it is important to assess PUFA intakes in different populations and validate them with biomarkers, but only a few small studies are in paediatric populations. We calculated the dietary intake of PUFA and their main food sources in children and assessed associations between PUFA intakes and plasma proportions. Dietary intakes of 7-year-old children (n 8242) enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children were calculated from the parental-completed FFQ. Plasma PUFA were measured in 5571 children 8 months later, and 4380 children had complete dietary and plasma data. The association between dietary and plasma PUFA proportions was estimated using Spearman's correlation coefficients, quintile cross-classification and Cohen's κ coefficients. Mean total PUFA intake was 13·2 g/d (sd 4·2), contributing 6·5 % of total energy intake; n-6 PUFA contributed 5·2 % and n-3 PUFA 0·7 %. The n-6:n-3 ratio was 7·9:1. Mean intakes of EPA and DHA were 35·7 mg/d and 49·7 mg/d, respectively. Most n-3 and n-6 PUFA intakes were weakly correlated with their respective plasma lipids (0·07 ≤ r ≤ 0·16, P < 0·001). The correlation between dietary and plasma DHA was stronger though (r = 0·34, P < 0·001), supported by a modest level of agreement between quintiles (k = 0·32). The results indicate that the FFQ was able to reasonably rank the long-chain (LC) PUFA, DHA, in this paediatric population. Public health initiatives need to address the suboptimal ratio of n-6:n-3 PUFA and very low n-3 LC-PUFA intakes in school-age children in the UK.

One size does not fit all. Genomics differentiates among anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder

OBJECTIVE

Genome-wide association studies have identified multiple genomic regions associated with anorexia nervosa. No genome-wide studies of other eating disorders, such as bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, have been performed, despite their substantial heritability. Exploratively, we aimed to identify traits that are genetically associated with binge-type eating disorders.

METHOD

We calculated genome-wide polygenic scores for 269 trait and disease outcomes using PRSice v2.2 and their association with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder in up to 640 cases and 17,050 controls from the UK Biobank. Significant associations were tested for replication in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (up to 217 cases and 3,018 controls).

RESULTS

Individuals with binge-type eating disorders had higher polygenic scores than controls for other psychiatric disorders, including depression, schizophrenia, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and higher polygenic scores for body mass index.

DISCUSSION

Our findings replicate some of the known comorbidities of eating disorders on a genomic level and motivate a deeper investigation of shared and unique genomic factors across the three primary eating disorders.

Specific domains of early parenting, their heritability and differential association with adolescent behavioural and emotional disorders and academic achievement

Variations in parenting across large populations have rarely been described. It also remains unclear which specific domains of parenting are important for which specific offspring developmental outcomes. This study describes different domains of early parenting behaviours and their genetic heritability, then determines the extent to which specific domains of parenting are associated with later offspring outcomes. Parenting behaviours (birth to 3 years) were extracted from self-reported questionnaires administered to 12,358 mothers from the UK-based birth cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children and modelled as a latent factor using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Genetic heritability and correlations between parenting factors were estimated using genome-wide complex trait analysis. Three parenting factors were derived: parental enjoyment, conflictual relationships and stimulation; all showed low genetic heritability. There was no evidence of association between parental enjoyment and offspring behavioural disorders and depressed mood. Stimulation was associated with better English grades (standardised β = 0.195, p < 0.001) and enjoyment was negatively associated with English grades (β = - 0.244, p =  < 0.001). Conflictual relationships were associated with higher risk of offspring behavioural disorders (β = 0.228, p = 0.010) and depressed mood (β = 0.077, p = 0.005). Higher enjoyment reduced the association between conflict and behavioural problems (interaction term β = 0.113, p < 0.001). We found evidence for predictive specificity of early parenting domains for offspring outcomes in adolescence. Early stimulation, unlike enjoyment, promoted later educational achievement. Conflictual relationships were associated with greater risk of behavioural problems, buffered by increased enjoyment. These findings hold implications for parenting interventions, guiding their focus according to the specificity of parenting domains and their long-term outcomes in children.

Polygenic Score for Body Mass Index Is Associated with Disordered Eating in a General Population Cohort

Background: Disordered eating (DE) is common and is associated with body mass index (BMI). We investigated whether genetic variants for BMI were associated with DE. Methods: BMI polygenic scores (PGS) were calculated for participants of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; N = 8654) and their association with DE tested. Data on DE behaviors (e.g., binge eating and compensatory behaviors) were collected at ages 14, 16, 18 years, and DE cognitions (e.g., body dissatisfaction) at 14 years. Mediation analyses determined whether BMI mediated the association between the BMI-PGS and DE. Results: The BMI-PGS was positively associated with fasting (OR = 1.42, 95% CI = 1.25, 1.61), binge eating (OR = 1.28, 95% CI = 1.12, 1.46), purging (OR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.02, 1.42), body dissatisfaction (Beta = 0.99, 95% CI = 0.77, 1.22), restrained eating (Beta = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.10, 1.17), emotional eating (Beta = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.052, 0.38), and negatively associated with thin ideal internalization (Beta = −0.15, 95% CI = −0.23, −0.07) and external eating (Beta = −0.19, 95% CI = −0.30, −0.09). These associations were mainly mediated by BMI. Conclusions: Genetic variants associated with BMI are also associated with DE. This association was mediated through BMI suggesting that weight potentially sits on the pathway from genetic liability to DE.

Health and Functional Outcomes for Shared and Unique Variances of Interpersonal Callousness and Low Prosocial Behavior

Previous factor-analytic studies identify significant comorbidity between interpersonal-callous (IC) traits and low prosocial behavior (LPB), which, in turn, is associated with high levels of childhood risk exposure and psychopathology. Longitudinal associations between IC, LPB, or their combination, and early-adult health and social functioning have not been investigated, however. Extending a previously-identified bifactor model within a prospective birth cohort, this study applied latent path analysis to test direct and indirect pathways (via adolescent delinquency, substance use, and physical activity) between these general and specific factors (age 13) and (i) emotional problems (age 18), (ii) physical health problems (age 18), and (iii) classification as 'not in education, employment, or training' (NEET; age 20). All models controlled for childhood adversity and IQ. Bifactor-specific estimates indicated that the residual IC factor did not reliably denote unique variance over and above a general factor (IC/LPB). IC/LPB itself was directly associated with NEET classification, while the residual LPB factor was associated with better emotional and physical health. IC/LPB also indirectly associated with emotional problems via greater adolescent delinquency, and with physical health problems via lower physical activity. In contrast, residual LPB variance was either non-significantly or negatively related to these adolescent domains. Findings indicate that the shared variance underlying IC and LPB confers an increased risk for poor health and functional outcomes in emerging adulthood, and highlight delinquency and physical inactivity as potential adolescent treatment targets that may mitigate the risk for health difficulties at high levels of this IC/LPB construct.

Association of proximal elements of social disadvantage with children's language development at 2 years: an analysis of data from the Children in Focus (CiF) sample from the ALSPAC birth cohort

BACKGROUND

An association between social disadvantage and early language development is commonly reported in the literature, but less attention has been paid to the way that different aspects of social disadvantage affect both expressive and receptive language in the first 2 years of life.

AIMS

To examine the contributions of gender, parental report of early language skills and proximal social variables (the amount of stimulation in the home, the resources available to the child and the attitudes/emotional status of the primary carer and the support available to him/her) controlling for distal social variables (family income and maternal education) to children's expressive and receptive language development at 2 years in a community ascertained population cohort.

METHODS & PROCEDURES

Data from 1314 children in the Children in Focus (CiF) sample from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were analyzed. Multivariable regression models identified the contribution of proximal (what parents do with their children) measures of social disadvantage adjusting for more distal (e.g., family income and material wealth) measures as well as early language development at 15 months to the development of verbal comprehension, expressive vocabulary and expressive grammar (word combinations) at 2 years of age.

OUTCOME & RESULTS

In the final multivariable models gender, earlier language and proximal social factors, co-varying for distal factors predicted 36% of the variance for expressive vocabulary, 22% for receptive language and 27% for word combinations at 2 years. Language development at 15 months remained a significant predictor of outcomes at 24 months. Environmental factors were associated with both expressive scales but the picture was rather more mixed for receptive language suggesting that there may be different mechanisms underlying the different processes.

CONCLUSIONS & IMPLICATIONS

This study supports the argument that social advantage makes a strong contribution to children's language development in the early years. The results suggest that what parents/carers do with their children is critical even when structural aspects of social disadvantage such as family income and housing have been taken into consideration although this relationship varies for different aspects of language. This has the potential to inform the targeting of public health interventions focusing on early language and pre-literacy skills on the one hand and home learning environments on the other and, potentially, the two in combination.

Polygenic Risk Scores Derived From a Tourette Syndrome Genome-wide Association Study Predict Presence of Tics in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children Cohort

BACKGROUND

Tourette syndrome (TS) has a well-established genetic background, but its genetic architecture remains largely unknown. The authors investigated the role of polygenic risk scores (PRSs) derived from a TS genome-wide association study in relation to the occurrence of tics and associated traits in a general population cohort.

METHODS

Using the most recent TS genome-wide association study (n = 4819 cases; n = 9488 controls) as the discovery sample, PRSs were calculated in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children participants (n = 8941). Regression analyses were used to assess whether PRS predicted the presence and chronicity of tics, and symptom severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and autism spectrum disorder in Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children participants.

RESULTS

Following correction for multiple testing, the PRS significantly predicted the presence (R2 = .48%, p empirical = .01, Q = .04) but not the chronicity (R2 = .16%, p empirical = .07, Q = .14) of tics in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children cohort; it did not predict the severity of obsessive-compulsive disorder (R2 = .11%, p empirical = .11, Q = .15), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (R2 = .09%, p empirical = .19, Q = .21), or autism spectrum disorder (R2 = .12%, p empirical = .09, Q = .14).

CONCLUSIONS

The authors found a significant polygenic component of tics occurring in a general population cohort based on PRS derived from a genome-wide association study of individuals with a TS diagnosis. This finding supports the notion that tics along a spectrum from nonclinical to clinical symptom levels share a similar genetic background.

Developmental Premorbid Body Mass Index Trajectories of Adolescents With Eating Disorders in a Longitudinal Population Cohort

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether childhood body mass index (BMI) trajectories are prospectively associated with later eating disorder (ED) diagnoses.

METHOD

Using a subsample from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (N = 1,502), random-coefficient growth models were used to compare premorbid BMI trajectories of individuals who later developed anorexia nervosa (n = 243), bulimia nervosa (n = 69), binge-eating disorder (n = 114), and purging disorder (n = 133) and a control group without EDs or ED symptoms (n = 966). BMI was tracked longitudinally from birth to 12.5 years of age and EDs were assessed at 14, 16, and 18 years of age.

RESULTS

Distinct developmental trajectories emerged for EDs at a young age. The average growth trajectory for individuals with later anorexia nervosa veered significantly below that of the control group before 4 years of age for girls and 2 years for boys. BMI trajectories were higher than the control trajectory for all other ED groups. Specifically, the mean bulimia nervosa trajectory veered significantly above that of controls at 2 years for girls, but boys with later bulimia nervosa did not exhibit higher BMIs. The mean binge-eating disorder and purging disorder trajectories significantly diverged from the control trajectory at no older than 6 years for girls and boys.

CONCLUSION

Premorbid metabolic factors and weight could be relevant to the etiology of ED. In anorexia nervosa, premorbid low weight could represent a key biological risk factor or early manifestation of an emerging disease process. Observing children whose BMI trajectories persistently and significantly deviate from age norms for signs and symptoms of ED could assist the identification of high-risk individuals.

Iodine Status during Pregnancy in a Region of Mild-to-Moderate Iodine Deficiency is not Associated with Adverse Obstetric Outcomes; Results from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy has been associated with pregnancy/neonatal loss, and adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, the impact of mild–to–moderate iodine insufficiency, though prevalent in pregnancy, is not well-documented. We assessed whether mild iodine deficiency during pregnancy was associated with pregnancy/infant loss, or with other adverse pregnancy outcomes. We used samples and data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), from 3140 singleton pregnancies and from a further 42 women with pregnancy/infant loss. The group was classified as mildly-to-moderately iodine deficient with a median urinary iodine concentration of 95.3 µg/L (IQR 57.0–153.0; median urinary iodine-to-creatinine ratio (UI/Creat) 124 µg/g, IQR 82–198). The likelihood of pregnancy/infant loss was not different across four UI/Creat groups (<50, 50–149, 150–250, >250 µg/g). The incidence of pre-eclampsia, non-proteinuric gestational hypertension, gestational diabetes, glycosuria, anaemia, post-partum haemorrhage, preterm delivery, mode of delivery, being small for gestational age, and large for gestational age did not differ significantly among UI/Creat groups, nor were there any significant differences in the median UI/Creat. We conclude that maternal iodine status was not associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes in a mildly-to-moderately iodine-deficient pregnant population. However, in view of the low number of women with pregnancy/infant loss in our study, further research is required.

Meat Consumption During Pregnancy and Substance Misuse Among Adolescent Offspring: Stratification of TCN2 Genetic Variants

BACKGROUND

Reducing meat consumption is often advised; however, inadvertent nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy may result in residual neurodevelopmental harms to offspring. This study assessed possible effects of maternal diets in pregnancy on adverse substance use among adolescent offspring.

METHODS

Pregnant women and their 13-year-old offspring taking part in a prospective birth cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), provided Food Frequency Questionnaire data from which dietary patterns were derived using principal components analysis. Multivariable logistic regression models including potential confounders evaluated adverse alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use of the children at 15 years of age.

RESULTS

Lower maternal meat consumption was associated with greater problematic substance use among 15-year-old offspring in dose-response patterns. Comparing never to daily meat consumption after adjustment, risks were greater for all categories of problem substance use: alcohol, odds ratio OR = 1.75, 95% CI = (1.23, 2.56), p < 0.001; tobacco use OR = 1.85, 95% CI = (1.28, 2.63), p < 0.001; and cannabis OR = 2.70, 95% CI = (1.89, 4.00), p < 0.001. Given the likelihood of residual confounding, potential causality was evaluated using stratification for maternal allelic variants that impact biological activity of cobalamin (vitamin B12) and iron. Lower meat consumption disproportionally increased the risks of offspring substance misuse among mothers with optimally functional (homozygous) variants (rs1801198) of the gene transcobalamin 2 gene (TCN2) which encodes the vitamin B12 transport protein transcobalamin 2 implicating a causal role for cobalamin deficits. Functional maternal variants in iron metabolism were unrelated to the adverse substance use. Risks potentially attributable to cobalamin deficits during pregnancy include adverse adolescent alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use (14, 37, and 23, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Lower prenatal meat consumption was associated with increased risks of adolescent substance misuse. Interactions between TCN2 variant status and meat intake implicate cobalamin deficiencies.

Trajectories of Neighborhood Cohesion in Childhood, and Psychotic and Depressive Symptoms at Age 13 and 18 Years

OBJECTIVE

Exposure to adverse social environments has been associated with psychotic and depressive symptoms in adolescence in cross-sectional studies, but the longitudinal relation is unclear. This study examined whether longitudinal trajectories of exposure to adverse social environments across childhood are associated with psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms in adolescence.

METHOD

Data on participants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were used to estimate longitudinal trajectories of childhood exposure to neighborhood cohesion (NC), discord (ND), and stress (NS) using latent class growth modeling. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between these trajectories and psychotic experiences and depressive symptoms at 13 and 18 years of age, adjusting for maternal psychopathology, participant sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics, and area-level deprivation.

RESULTS

A dose-response association was observed between higher NS and the odds of psychotic experiences at 13 years (medium NS, adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.25, 95% CI 1.05-1.49; high NS, aOR 1.77, 95% CI 1.30-2.40), whereas high levels of ND predicted psychotic experiences at 18 years (aOR 1.50, 95% CI 1.10-2.07). High levels of NC (aOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.02-1.71) and NS (aOR 1.55, 95% CI 1.07-2.26) were associated with increased odds of high depressive symptoms at 18 years in a dose-response fashion.

CONCLUSION

Prolonged and more severe exposure to adverse social environments is associated with greater odds of developing psychotic and depressive symptoms in late adolescence.

Association between polygenic risk scores for attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and educational and cognitive outcomes in the general population

Background

Children with a diagnosis of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD) have lower cognitive ability and are at risk of adverse educational outcomes; ADHD genetic risks have been found to predict childhood cognitive ability and other neurodevelopmental traits in the general population; thus genetic risks might plausibly also contribute to cognitive ability later in development and to educational underachievement.

Methods

We generated ADHD polygenic risk scores in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children participants (maximum N : 6928 children and 7280 mothers) based on the results of a discovery clinical sample, a genome-wide association study of 727 cases with ADHD diagnosis and 5081 controls. We tested if ADHD polygenic risk scores were associated with educational outcomes and IQ in adolescents and their mothers.

Results

High ADHD polygenic scores in adolescents were associated with worse educational outcomes at Key Stage 3 [national tests conducted at age 13-14 years; β = -1.4 (-2.0 to -0.8), P  = 2.3 × 10 -6 ), at General Certificate of Secondary Education exams at age 15-16 years (β = -4.0 (-6.1 to -1.9), P  = 1.8 × 10 -4 ], reduced odds of sitting Key Stage 5 examinations at age 16-18 years [odds ratio (OR) = 0.90 (0.88 to 0.97), P  = 0.001] and lower IQ scores at age 15.5 [β = -0.8 (-1.2 to -0.4), P  = 2.4 × 10 -4 ]. Moreover, maternal ADHD polygenic scores were associated with lower maternal educational achievement [β = -0.09 (-0.10 to -0.06), P  = 0.005] and lower maternal IQ [β = -0.6 (-1.2 to -0.1), P  = 0.03].

Conclusions

ADHD diagnosis risk alleles impact on functional outcomes in two generations (mother and child) and likely have intergenerational environmental effects.

Effect of early-term birth on respiratory symptoms and lung function in childhood and adolescence

BACKGROUND

Early-term-born subjects, (37-38 weeks' gestation), form a large part of the population and have an increased risk of neonatal respiratory morbidity and childhood respiratory symptoms; there is a paucity of data on their later lung function. We sought to (1) compare lung function at 8-9 and 14-17 years in early-term-born children with full-term-born children (39-43 weeks' gestation); (2) assess the role of caesarean section delivery; and (3) compare respiratory symptoms and diagnosis of asthma.

METHODS

Caucasian, singleton, term births from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n = 14,062) who had lung spirometry at 8-9 (n = 5,465) and/or 14-17 (n = 3,666) years were classified as early or full term.

RESULTS

At 8-9 years, standardized spirometry measures, although within the normal range, were lower in the early-term-born group, (n = 911), compared to full-term controls (n = 4,554). Delivery by caesarean section did not influence later spirometry, and the effect of early-term birth was not modified by delivery by caesarean section. At 14-17 years, the spirometry measures in the early-term group, (n = 602), were similar to the full-term group (3,064), and the rates of asthma and respiratory symptoms were also similar between the two gestation groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Early-term-born children had lower lung function values at 8-9 years compared to the full-term group, but were similar by 14-17 years of age. Delivery at early term should be avoided due to early and late morbidity. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2016;51:1212-1221. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Life history factors, personality and the social clustering of sexual experience in adolescents

Adolescent sexual behaviour may show clustering in neighbourhoods, schools and friendship networks. This study aims to assess how experience with sexual intercourse clusters across the social world of adolescents and whether predictors implicated by life history theory or personality traits can account for its between-individual variation and social patterning. Using data on 2877 adolescents from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we ran logistic multiple classification models to assess the clustering of sexual experience by approximately 17.5 years in schools, neighbourhoods and friendship networks. We examined how much clustering at particular levels could be accounted for by life history predictors and Big Five personality factors. Sexual experience exhibited substantial clustering in friendship networks, while clustering at the level of schools and neighbourhoods was minimal, suggesting a limited role for socio-ecological influences at those levels. While life history predictors did account for some variation in sexual experience, they did not explain clustering in friendship networks. Personality, especially extraversion, explained about a quarter of friends' similarity. After accounting for life history factors and personality, substantial unexplained similarity among friends remained, which may reflect a tendency to associate with similar individuals or the social transmission of behavioural norms.

Exposure to socioeconomic adversity in early life and risk of depression at 18 years: The mediating role of locus of control

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have linked exposure to early socioeconomic adversity to depression, but the mechanisms of this association are not well understood. Locus of control (LoC), an individual's control-related beliefs, has been implicated as a possible mechanism, however, longitudinal evidence to support this is lacking.

METHODS

The study sample comprised 8803 participants from a UK cohort, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Indicators of early socioeconomic adversity were collected from the antenatal period to 5 years and modelled as a latent factor. Depression was assessed using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised (CIS-R) at 18 years. LoC was assessed with the Nowicki-Strickland Internal-External (CNSIE) scale at 16 years.

RESULTS

Using structural equation modelling, we found that 34% of the total estimated association between early socioeconomic adversity and depression at 18 years was explained by external LoC at 16 years. There was weak evidence of a direct pathway from early socioeconomic adversity to depression after accounting for the indirect effect via external locus of control. Socioeconomic adversity was associated with more external LoC, which, in turn, was associated with depression.

LIMITATIONS

Attrition may have led to an underestimation of the direct and indirect effect sizes in the complete case analysis.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that external LoC in adolescence is one of the factors mediating the link between early adversity and depression at 18 years. Cognitive interventions that seek to modify maladaptive control beliefs in adolescence may be effective in reducing risk of depression following early life adversity.

How many infants are temperamentally difficult? Comparing norms from the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire to a population sample of UK infants

The original norms for the Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire (RITQ) were published in 1978 and were based on a small sample from the US. The aim of this study is to compare temperament scores from the original RITQ against scores from a large population-based cohort of infants from the UK. This study consists of 10,937 infants from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) born between April 1991 and December 1992 in the southwest of England. Infant temperament at 6 months of age was reported by parents using the adapted RITQ. Responses were scored according to the RITQ manual and then categorized into temperament groups (easy, intermediate low, intermediate high, and difficult) using either the RITQ norms or norms derived from the data. The scores for each temperament subscale and the proportion of children in each temperament group were compared across the two methods. Subscale scores for the ALSPAC sample were higher (more "difficult") than the RITQ norms for rhythmicity, approach, adaptability, intensity, and distractibility. When RITQ norms were applied, 24% infants were categorized as difficult and 25% as easy, compared with 15% difficult and 38% easy when ALSPAC norms were used. There are discrepancies between RITQ norms and the ALSPAC norms which resulted in differences in the distribution of temperament groups. There is a need to re-examine RITQ norms and categorization for use in primary care practice and contemporary population-based studies.

Shared genetic influences between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) traits in children and clinical ADHD

OBJECTIVE

Twin studies and genome-wide complex trait analysis (GCTA) are not in agreement regarding heritability estimates for behavioral traits in children from the general population. This has sparked a debate on the possible difference in genetic architecture between behavioral traits and psychiatric disorders. In this study, we test whether polygenic risk scores associated with variation in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) trait levels in children from the general population predict ADHD diagnostic status and severity in an independent clinical sample.

METHOD

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with p < .5 from a genome-wide association study of ADHD traits in 4,546 children (mean age, 7 years 7 months) from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC; general population sample) were selected to calculate polygenic risk scores in 508 children with an ADHD diagnosis (independent clinical sample) and 5,081 control participants. Polygenic scores were tested for association with case-control status and severity of disorder in the clinical sample.

RESULTS

Increased polygenic score for ADHD traits predicted ADHD case-control status (odds ratio = 1.17 [95% CI = 1.08-1.28], p = .0003), higher ADHD symptom severity (β = 0.29 [95% CI = 0.04-0.54], p = 0.02), and symptom domain severity in the clinical sample.

CONCLUSION

This study highlights the relevance of additive genetic variance in ADHD, and provides evidence that shared genetic factors contribute to both behavioral traits in the general population and psychiatric disorders at least in the case of ADHD.

Genetic risk for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder contributes to neurodevelopmental traits in the general population

BACKGROUND

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be viewed as the extreme end of traits in the general population. Epidemiological and twin studies suggest that ADHD frequently co-occurs with and shares genetic susceptibility with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and ASD-related traits. The aims of this study were to determine whether a composite of common molecular genetic variants, previously found to be associated with clinically diagnosed ADHD, predicts ADHD and ASD-related traits in the general population.

METHODS

Polygenic risk scores were calculated in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) population sample (N = 8229) based on a discovery case-control genome-wide association study of childhood ADHD. Regression analyses were used to assess whether polygenic scores predicted ADHD traits and ASD-related measures (pragmatic language abilities and social cognition) in the ALSPAC sample. Polygenic scores were also compared in boys and girls endorsing any (rating ≥ 1) ADHD item (n = 3623).

RESULTS

Polygenic risk for ADHD showed a positive association with ADHD traits (hyperactive-impulsive, p = .0039; inattentive, p = .037). Polygenic risk for ADHD was also negatively associated with pragmatic language abilities (p = .037) but not with social cognition (p = .43). In children with a rating ≥ 1 for ADHD traits, girls had a higher polygenic score than boys (p = .003).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide molecular genetic evidence that risk alleles for the categorical disorder of ADHD influence hyperactive-impulsive and attentional traits in the general population. The results further suggest that common genetic variation that contributes to ADHD diagnosis may also influence ASD-related traits, which at their extreme are a characteristic feature of ASD.

Internalizing and externalizing behaviors predict elevated inflammatory markers in childhood

BACKGROUND

Children with behavior problems, such as internalizing or externalizing disorders, are at increased risk for poorer physical health in adulthood. Inflammation has been posited as a potential biological mediator underlying this association. However, it is unclear how early in development associations between behavior problems and inflammation may be detected, and whether associations are present for both internalizing and externalizing behaviors in pre-pubertal children.

METHODS

Using data from children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, we examined associations between behavior problems at age 8 (assessed via the parent-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and inflammatory markers assessed at age 10. Inflammatory markers included C-reactive protein (CRP; n=4069) and interleukin-6 (IL-6; n=4061). We further evaluated whether body mass index (BMI) mediated associations, and tested for potential reverse causality by considering whether age 10 inflammation was associated with changes from initial levels to age 12 behavior problems.

RESULTS

After adjusting for relevant covariates, age 8 externalizing behaviors were associated with elevated CRP at age 10, and age 8 internalizing and externalizing behaviors were associated with elevated IL-6 at age 10 (p's<0.05). We found no evidence that observed associations were mediated by BMI or that inflammatory markers at age 10 were associated with increased internalizing or externalizing behavior problems at age 12.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings document an association between behavior problems and elevated concentrations of CRP and IL-6 at 10 years. Heightened inflammation in childhood may be a pathway through which early behavior problems increase risk for adult chronic diseases.

Gender differences in the relationship between social communication and emotion recognition

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association between autistic traits and emotion recognition in a large community sample of children using facial and social motion cues, additionally stratifying by gender.

METHOD

A general population sample of 3,666 children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were assessed on their ability to correctly recognize emotions using the faces subtest of the Diagnostic Analysis of Non-Verbal Accuracy, and the Emotional Triangles Task, a novel test assessing recognition of emotion from social motion cues. Children with autistic-like social communication difficulties, as assessed by the Social Communication Disorders Checklist, were compared with children without such difficulties.

RESULTS

Autistic-like social communication difficulties were associated with poorer recognition of emotion from social motion cues in both genders, but were associated with poorer facial emotion recognition in boys only (odds ratio = 1.9, 95% CI = 1.4, 2.6, p = .0001). This finding must be considered in light of lower power to detect differences in girls.

CONCLUSIONS

In this community sample of children, greater deficits in social communication skills are associated with poorer discrimination of emotions, implying there may be an underlying continuum of liability to the association between these characteristics. As a similar degree of association was observed in both genders on a novel test of social motion cues, the relatively good performance of girls on the more familiar task of facial emotion discrimination may be due to compensatory mechanisms. Our study might indicate the existence of a cognitive process by which girls with underlying autistic traits can compensate for their covert deficits in emotion recognition, although this would require further investigation.

Developmental continuity of oppositional defiant disorder subdimensions at ages 8, 10, and 13 years and their distinct psychiatric outcomes at age 16 years

OBJECTIVE

To test the developmental continuity, interrelationships, and predictive associations of the oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) subdimensions of irritable, headstrong, and hurtful.

METHOD

Data were collected from 6,328 mother-child pairs participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (United Kingdom).

RESULTS

Developmental continuity for each subdimension was strong and interrelationships indicated that headstrong was associated mainly with irritable, whereas irritable did not cross associate with other ODD subdimensions; and hurtful was associated with lower levels of headstrong. With regard to associations at age 16 years, irritable at age 13 years was associated with depression, whereas headstrong at 13 was associated with delinquency and callous attitude; at age 13, hurtful failed to associate with any of the 3 age 16 outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS

The results suggest that the ODD headstrong and irritable subdimensions are developmentally distinct, with small cross-over (i.e., headstrong to irritable), and are associated with unique outcomes. Hurtful does not appear to be associated with future maladjustment in children.

The association between autism spectrum disorder and psychotic experiences in the Avon longitudinal study of parents and children (ALSPAC) birth cohort

OBJECTIVE

Studies report overlap between autism spectrum disorders and psychosis. This may indicate a relationship between the 2 disorders or an artificial overlap due to similarity of symptoms. The aim of this study was to investigate whether autism spectrum disorder and autistic traits predict psychotic experiences in early adolescence.

METHOD

This study analyzes prospective data from a cohort. A dataset was analyzed of 5,359 cohort members who had provided data on autistic traits and/or a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder and psychotic experiences at age 12 years.

RESULTS

A diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (odds ratio = 2.81, 95% confidence interval = 1.07, 7.34 p = .035) and childhood autistic traits (odds ratio = 1.15, 95% confidence interval = 1.05, 1.26 p = .0018) were associated with psychotic experiences after adjustment for confounders.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest a shared neurodevelopmental origin for autism and psychosis.

Prenatal alcohol exposure and childhood atopic disease: a Mendelian randomization approach

BACKGROUND

Alcohol consumption in western pregnant women is not uncommon and could be a risk factor for childhood atopic disease. However, reported alcohol intake may be unreliable, and associations are likely to be confounded.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to study the relation between prenatal alcohol exposure and atopic phenotypes in a large population-based birth cohort with the use of a Mendelian randomization approach to minimize bias and confounding.

METHODS

In white mothers and children in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) we first analyzed associations between reported maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy and atopic outcomes in the offspring measured at 7 years of age (asthma, wheezing, hay fever, eczema, atopy, and total IgE). We then analyzed the relation of maternal alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)1B genotype (rs1229984) with these outcomes (the A allele is associated with faster metabolism and reduced alcohol consumption and, among drinkers, would be expected to reduce fetal exposure to ethanol).

RESULTS

After controlling for confounders, reported maternal drinking in late pregnancy was negatively associated with childhood asthma and hay fever (adjusted odds ratio [OR] per category increase in intake: 0.91 [95% CI, 0.82-1.01] and 0.87 [95% CI, 0.78-0.98], respectively). However, maternal ADH1B genotype was not associated with asthma comparing carriers of A allele with persons homozygous for G allele (OR, 0.98 [95% CI, 0.66-1.47]) or hay fever (OR, 1.11 [95% CI, 0.71-1.72]), nor with any other atopic outcome.

CONCLUSION

We have found no evidence to suggest that prenatal alcohol exposure increases the risk of asthma or atopy in childhood.