The Relationship Between Hostile Intent Attribution and Aggression in Japanese Children

Previous studies showed that hostile intent attribution (HIA) was significantly correlated with and contributed to the development of aggression in children. Studies that directly examined the factors that explained the relationship between HIA and aggression are lacking. Hence, this study investigated (a) the correlation between HIA and aggression and (b) the variables (hyperactivity, prosociality, and collaborative problem-solving) that mediated the relationship between HIA and aggression in Japanese children aged 4-9 years. The participants were 180 children and their caregivers. First, the caregivers reported their children's aggression, hyperactivity, prosociality, and collaborative problem-solving through questionnaires. Next, the children worked on an HIA task. The results showed a weak positive correlation between HIA and aggression. Furthermore, significant indirect effects were observed among all the mediation models. The model that contained all three mediators yielded the smallest Akaike Information Criterion value. In this model, the indirect effect was significant only for the path with hyperactivity as the mediator. These findings provide several suggestions for revealing the mechanism of the relationship between HIA and aggression during childhood. Notably, children's hyperactivity was suggested to play a particularly important role in the relationship between HIA and aggression.

Cross-sectional survey of the replacement of the Japanese term for dementia: Did it reduce discomfort in family members?

OBJECTIVES

Decreasing discrimination and stigma of dementia is an international issue. In 2004, the Japanese government changed the previous Japanese stigmatic term of dementia ("Chiho") to the present one ("Ninchi-sho") a meaning near "neurocognitive disorder." This study aimed to examine cross-sectionally if the present term functioned well or not from the viewpoint of families of people with dementia (PWD), and to discover variables influencing their feelings of the term: the feelings about people surrounding PWD, and the family members' and PWD's attributes.

METHODS

Questions regarding the feelings about the present Japanese term and people surrounding PWD were asked to 155 family members accompanying PWD who visited three hospitals. For analyses, the degree of the discomfort about the present Japanese term was shown descriptively. The relationship of constructs of the feelings extracted by exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and the attributes was analyzed using structural equation modeling (SEM).

RESULTS

71.6% agreed that the present term discomforted them less than the previous one. Only 13.2% thought that the present term was discriminatory. However, about one third of the participants felt discomfort when they used even the present term. Using the constructs extracted by EFA, the analysis of SEM revealed that the negative feelings of the terminology were affected by hesitation to disclose to surrounding people that their family member had dementia, which the attributes of younger family members, wives, husbands, and siblings influenced. Moreover, because of disclosing the dementia, the feelings of support from people alleviated the feelings of hesitation, influenced by sex (female).

CONCLUSIONS

It was suggested that overall, the present term successfully reduced discomfort in families, compared with the result of the previous term surveyed by the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare. However, unignorable numbers of family members still feel stigma. New policies are necessary considering the influencing factors.

Modeling reciprocal effects in medical research: Critical discussion on the current practices and potential alternative models

Longitudinal designs provide a strong inferential basis for uncovering reciprocal effects or causality between variables. For this analytic purpose, a cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) has been widely used in medical research, but the use of the CLPM has recently been criticized in methodological literature because parameter estimates in the CLPM conflate between-person and within-person processes. The aim of this study is to present some alternative models of the CLPM that can be used to examine reciprocal effects, and to illustrate potential consequences of ignoring the issue. A literature search, case studies, and simulation studies are used for this purpose. We examined more than 300 medical papers published since 2009 that applied cross-lagged longitudinal models, finding that in all studies only a single model (typically the CLPM) was performed and potential alternative models were not considered to test reciprocal effects. In 49% of the studies, only two time points were used, which makes it impossible to test alternative models. Case studies and simulation studies showed that the CLPM and alternative models often produce different (or even inconsistent) parameter estimates for reciprocal effects, suggesting that research that relies only on the CLPM may draw erroneous conclusions about the presence, predominance, and sign of reciprocal effects. Simulation studies also showed that alternative models are sometimes susceptible to improper solutions, even when reseachers do not misspecify the model.

Changes in genetic and environmental influences on cognitive ability, executive function, and preacademic skills in Japanese preschool age twins

Identifying the cognitive capacities associated with the development of school readiness is indispensable to support children's successful school transition. It has been shown that executive function (EF) in preschoolers is associated with both concurrent preacademic and subsequent academic skills. However, most research has controlled for the effect of general cognitive ability (GCA), and little research has examined non-English speaking children, which hinders the understanding of the development of school readiness in culturally diverse contexts. In addition, behavioral genetic research on the genetic and environmental influences on this association has been conducted with school-age children. Thus, the genetic and environmental influences on associations between GCA, EF, and preacademic skills during preschool age are unknown. We conducted multivariate behavioral genetic analyses on two waves of longitudinal data at 42 and 60 months of age from 171 and 135 pairs of monozygotic and dizygotic Japanese twins. The findings suggested that a genetic factor influenced GCA at 42 months and mediated preacademic ability at 60 months. In addition, another genetic factor emerged by 60 months that genetically mediated EF and math ability, independent of GCA. Preacademic ability at 60 months was affected by shared environments that influenced EF, rather than GCA, at 42 months. Moreover, shared environments that influenced preacademic ability at 42 months affected later GCA at 60 months. Finally, nonshared environments that had emerged by 60 months mediated these relationships, though the magnitude of this effect was modest. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Mind perception of God in Japanese children

There is a theoretical debate regarding whether children represent God with reference to a human. Most previous studies have assessed this issue focusing on knowledge/omniscience in western children. This study used a theoretical framework characterising mental capacities in terms of motivational/emotional (experience) and cognitive (agency) mental capacities and tested whether Japanese children discriminated between God, a human, a baby and an invisible agent according to these capacities. Three- to 6-year-old children were asked about the experience and agency of the agents. The results revealed that children discriminated God from a human in terms of mental capacities including experience and agency in 3-year-old children. On the other hand, 4- to 6-year-old children, but not 3-year-old children, discriminated a human from a baby and an invisible person. The results suggest that the Japanese children's representations of God differed from their representation of a human during preschool years.

Prevalence of imaginary companions in Japanese children

Having an imaginary companion (IC) is an example of children's pretend play. However, most research regarding children's ICs is from Western cultures. In this study, the prevalence of ICs was assessed among Japanese children (2- to 9-year-old children, N = 800). The developmental (age), biological (sex), and environmental (birth order) effects on Japanese children's ICs were also assessed. Moreover, whether IC status can be an indicator of fantasy orientation in Japanese children was examined. The results revealed that the prevalence of the invisible friend was relatively rare, but the personified object was prevalent in Japanese children. Age and sex, but not birth order, significantly affected the prevalence of ICs in Japan. Moreover, IC status significantly indicated children's fantasy orientation. The results suggest that the characteristics of Japanese children's ICs are partly different from those in Western children. Social-cultural contexts can affect this difference.

Psychometric properties of the Japanese CES-D, SDS, and PHQ-9 depression scales in university students

We used an item response theory (IRT) model to simultaneously compare the psychometric properties of 3 commonly used self-report depression scales translated into Japanese-the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), and the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale (PHQ-9)-in a Japanese university student sample. Although the 3 scales were likely to measure the same underlying construct-that is, depression-the choices of the negatively worded items in the SDS and CES-D did not function well. The CES-D provided more information than the other scales at the range of depression severity approximately from the mean through 2 standard deviations above the mean, while the PHQ-9 provided more information for the other degrees of depression. The PHQ-9 performed better as a whole, as it provided more information than the other scales on the broadest range of depression severity, and it did not contain items with inefficient choices. The CES-D may also be a good choice when sampling students with elevated levels of depressive symptoms. Finally, we linked the 3 instruments on a common scale using parameters derived from IRT analysis, and we provided a crosswalk table to enable the conversion of each scale score. (PsycINFO Database Record

Goal Attribution toward Non-Human Objects during Infancy Predicts Imaginary Companion Status during Preschool Years

It has been shown that there is a significant relationship between children's mentalizing skills and creation of an imaginary companion (IC). Theorists have proposed that interaction with an IC may improve mentalizing skills, but it is also possible that children's mentalizing skills affect their creation of an IC. In this longitudinal study, we examined whether goal attribution in infants younger than 1 years old (Time 1) predicted their creation of ICs at 48 months old (Time 2). At Time 1, infants' goal attribution was measured in an action prediction experiment, where infants anticipated three types of action goals: (1) another person's goal-directed action (GH condition); (2) another person's non-goal-directed (BH condition); and (3) a mechanical claw's goal-directed action (MC condition). At Time 2, parents completed questionnaires assessing whether their children had ICs. The path analyses using Bayesian estimation revealed that infants' anticipation in the MC condition, but not in the GH and BH conditions, predicted their later IC status. These results indicate that infants' goal attributions to non-human agents may be a strong predictor of their later IC creation. Early mentalizing skills toward non-human objects may provide children with a basis for their engagement in imaginative play.

D2 receptor activation in distinct striatal neurons in comparison with D3 receptors

The role of D2/D3 receptors in striatum was electrophysiologically examined in vitro in chloralose-anesthetized rats. In addition, in vitro patch clamp method with rat brain slices was followed. Stimulations of the substantia nigra pars compacta (SN) in vivo elicited spike generation which was inhibited by microiontophoretically applied domperidone, a D2 antagonist. These domperidone-sensitive neurons were activated by microiontophoretic application of D2 agonists such as talipexole, quinpirole and bromocriptine as well as the D2 agonist, 7-OH-DPAT. They were also excited by either intravenous injection of bromocriptine or talipexole in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, the SN-induced increases in neuronal firing were blocked during microiontophoretic application of domperidone. In patch clamp whole-cell recording large-sized cells, identified visually under Ramanosky microscope, were depolarized with repetitive firing on bath application of talipexole and 7-OH-DPAT at a current clamp mode. Talipexole-induced depolarization in the large-sized cell was similarly observed in the presence of TTX and high Mg2+ in Ca(2+)-free physiological solution. In contrast, the medium-sized cells were hyperpolarized on bath application of talipexole without being affected by 7-OH-DPAT. These findings suggest that the large-sized cells, which were presumably cholinergic interneurons, are activated by dopamine derived from the SN via D2 and/or D3 receptors, while the medium-sized cells are inhibited by dopamine via D2 receptors.

Inhibition by a putative antipsychotic quinolinone derivative (OPC-14597) of dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area

The effects of the newly synthesized quinolinone derivative, OPC-14597 (7-{4-[4-(2,3-dichlorophenyl)-1-piperazinyl]butyloxy}-3, 4-dihydro-2(1 H)-quinolinone), on dopaminergic neuronal activity in the ventral tegmental area were examined using both in vivo microiontophoretic methods in chloral hydrate-anesthetized rats and the tight-seal whole-cell patch-clamp technique in thin-slice preparations of the rat brain. Neurons in the ventral tegmental area were classified as type I or type II according to their responses to antidromic stimulation of the nucleus accumbens, probably corresponding to dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurons, respectively. Antidromic spikes elicited by nucleus accumbens stimulation were inhibited by microiontophoretic application of dopamine and OPC-14597 in type I, but not in type II neurons. Although the OPC-14597-induced inhibition was antagonized by simultaneous application of domperidone (5-chloro-1-[1-[3-(2,3-dihydro-2-oxo-1 H-benzimidazo-1-yl)-propy]-4-piperidinyl]-1,3-dihydro-2H- benzimidazol-2-one; dopamine D2 receptor antagonist), SCH 23390 (R(+)-7-chloro-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-phenyl-2,3,4, 5-tetrahydro-1 H-3-benzazepine hydrochloride; dopamine D1 receptor antagonist) had no such effect. Spontaneous firing of type I neurons was also inhibited by iontophoretically applied OPC-14597 and dopamine, whereas that of type II neurons was unaffected. The inhibitory effect of OPC-14597 on the spontaneous firing of type I neurons was antagonized by domperidone, but not by SCH 23390. In a whole-cell patch-clamp study using a thin-slice preparation of the rat brain, bath application of OPC-14597 induced hyperpolarization accompanied by inhibition of spontaneously occurring action potentials in the large neurons (> 20 microns in diameter) in a concentration-dependent manner. These results suggest that OPC-14597 acts on dopaminergic neurons in the ventral tegmental area as a dopamine D2 receptor agonist to inhibit neuronal activities, probably by increasing membrane potassium conductance.

Long-term antiepileptic effects of chronic intake of CNK-602A, a thyrotropin-releasing hormone analogue, on spontaneously epileptic rats

Spontaneously epileptic rats (SER), which represent a double mutation (zi/zi, tm/tm), spontaneously exhibit both tonic and absence-like seizures. We examine the long-term effects of a thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) analogue, CNK-602A, acute administration of which was effective inhibiting both types of seizures in SER, to determine if this agent could be used to treat epilepsy for long periods. Food pellets containing 0.001% CNK-602A were given ad libitum to SER from age 7 weeks. CNK-602A significantly inhibited tonic convulsions and prolonged survival. There were no alterations in body weight or plasma levels of triiodotHyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4). These findings indicate that chronic intake of CNK-602A in a dose that does not affect plasma levels of T3 and T4 inhibits tonic convulsions in SER and suggest that this drug may be an effective treatment for convulsive seizures in patients with epilepsy.

Membrane depolarization by activation of prostaglandin E receptor EP3 subtype of putative serotonergic neurons in the dorsal raphe nucleus of the rat

A whole-cell current-clamp study using a thin slice preparation of the rat brain was carried out to elucidate the function of prostaglandin E (PGE) receptor EP3 subtype in the dorsal raphe nucleus (DR), where mRNA of this subtype is highly expressed. Bath application of PGE2 or M&B 28767, an EP3 agonist, depolarized the membrane of the large DR neurons in a concentration-dependent manner between 10(-9) and 10(-6) M. These neurons showed hyperpolarization of membrane potential to 10 or 50 microM serotonin. Neither an EP2 receptor agonist, butaprost, an EP2/EP4 receptor agonist, 11-deoxy-PGE1, nor an EP1 receptor agonist, 17-phenyl-PGE2, had any effect on large DR neurons between 10(-9) and 10(-6) M. The M&B 28767-induced depolarization was observed in a Ca(2+)-free, high Mg2+ (5 mM) solution containing 0.3 microM tetrodotoxin, and occurred equally well when intracellular Cl- was replaced by gluconate. These results suggest that direct agonist-activation of EP3 receptor depolarizes the membrane by a cationic conductance, leading to excitation of DR neurons, and indicate a physiological implication that EP3 receptor may modulate the serotonergic inhibition of neuronal activities.

Antagonizing effects of a novel antipsychotic quinolinone derivative (OPC-14597) on dopaminergic inhibition of neuronal activities in the nucleus accumbens

1. The effects of a newly synthesized quinolinone derivative, 7-(4-[4-(2,3-dichlorophenlyl)-1-piperazinyl]butyloxy)-3,4-di hydro-2-(1H)- quinolinone (OPC-14597), an antipsychotic drug, on neuronal activities of the nucleus accumbens (Acc) were investigated in rats anesthetized with chloral hydrate using a microiontophoretic method. 2. Spikes elicited by stimulation of the parafascicular nucleus (Pf) of the thalamus were extracellularly recorded in the Acc neuron of chloral hydrate-anesthetized adult Wistar rats using a glass microelectrode attached along a seven-barreled micropipette, each of which was filled with dopamine, OPC-14597, SKF 38393 (D1 receptor agonist), quinpirole (D2 receptor agonist) and 2M NaCl. The drugs were microiontophoretically applied to the target neurons recorded. 3. Effects of the drugs on the Acc neurons activated monosynaptically by stimulation of the Pf were examined. Spikes elicited by Pf stimulation were inhibited by iontophoretic application of dopamine, SKF 38393 and quinpirole in a dose-dependent manner. 4. Microiontophoretic application of OPC-14597 alone affected the spikes elicited by the Pf stimulation in none of 26 neurons tested. However, the dopamine-, SKF 38393- and quinpirole-induced inhibition of the spike generation in the Acc neurons was antagonized during simultaneous application of OPC-14597. 5. The firing induced by iontophoretically applied glutamate was inhibited by dopamine, SKF 38393 and quinpirole, but not by OPC-14597. However, the dopamine-, SKF 38393- and quinpirole-induced inhibition of the glutamate-induced firing was also antagonized during simultaneous application of OPC-14597 in a dose-dependent manner in all neurons tested. 6. These findings suggest that OPC-14597 blocks dopaminergic inhibition of the Acc neurons receiving input from the Pf by acting on both D1 and D2 receptors located on the neurons.

5-HT1A receptor-mediated inhibition of lateral vestibular nucleus neurons projecting to the abducens nucleus

Electrophysiological studies were performed using cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose, to elucidate the 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) receptor subtypes involved in the 5-HT-induced inhibition of the lateral vestibular nucleus (LVN) neurons projecting to or through the abducens nucleus. The effects of 5-HT receptor subtype agonists and antagonist were examined in polysynaptic neurons activated by stimulation of the ipsilateral abducens nucleus (IAN) antidromically, since these neurons are sensitive to 5-HT as shown in our previous study. Iontophoretic application of 5-HT and 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino)tetrain (8-OH-DPAT), a selective 5-HT1A agonist, inhibited orthodromic spikes elicited by vestibular nerve stimulation in the majority of polysynaptic neurons activated by stimulation of ipsilateral IAN antidromically. There was a good correlation between the effects of 5-HT and 8-OH-DPAT. Iontophoretically applied 5-HT and 8-OH-DPAT also inhibited glutamate-induced firing in these neurons. Simultaneous application of 1-(2-methoxyphenyl)-4-[4-(2-phthalimido)butyl]piperazine (NAN-190), a 5-HT1A agonist/antagonist, significantly antagonized the 8-OH-DPAT-induced inhibition of glutamate-induced firing, although NAN-190 alone also caused weak suppression of glutamate-induced firing. Microiontophoretically applied 1-(3-chlorophenyl)piperazine (mCPP), a 5-HT1B agonist inhibited the orthodromic spike elicited by vestibular nerve stimulation and glutamate-induced firing in only a small number of the LVN neurons. 1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane (DOI), a 5-HT2 agonist, rarely affected these neurons. We postulate that postsynaptically located 5-HT1A receptors are mainly involved in the 5-HT-induced inhibition of polysynaptic neurons projecting in the region of the IAN.

Excitation by talipexole, a dopamine D2 agonist, of caudate nucleus neurons activated by nigral stimulation

An electrophysiological study using cats anesthetized with alpha-chloralose was performed to elucidate whether or not talipexole (B-HT 920 CL2: 6-allyl-2-amino -5, 6, 7, 8-tetrahydro-4H-thiazolo [4, 5 -d] -azepine-dihydrochroride), a dopamine D2 agonist, acts on postsynaptic dopamine receptors in the caudate nucleus (CN) neurons receiving excitatory input from the pars compacta of substantia nigra (SN). Extracellular neuron activities were recorded in the CN using a glass-insulated silver wire microelectrode attached along a seven-barreled micropipette, each of which was filled with talipexole, quinpirole (dopamine D2 agonist), domperidone (dopamine D2 antagonist), glutamate and 2M NaCl. These drugs were microiontophoretically applied to the immediate vicinity of the target neuron. In the same neurons in which the spikes elicited by the SN stimulation were blocked by microiontophoretically applied domperidone, microiontophoretic application of talipexole and quinpirole induced a dose-dependent increase in spontaneous firing. This increase in firing by talipexole and quinpirole was blocked during simultaneous application of domperidone, although glutamate-induced firing remained unaffected by domperidone. In the CN neurons, in which the SN stimulation-induced spikes were not blocked by domperidone, spontaneous firing was not affected by talipexole or quinpirole. These findings suggest that talipexole activates CN neurons receiving a dopaminergic input from SN via D2 receptors, as does quinpirole.

A mechanism underlying dopamine D1 and D2 receptor-mediated inhibition of dopaminergic neurones in the ventral tegmental area in vitro

1. An intracellular recording study was performed to elucidate the mechanism underlying D1 and D2 receptor-mediated inhibition of neuronal activities of dopaminergic neurones in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) using slice preparations of the rat brain. 2. VTA neurones were classified into type I and type II neurones according to the shape of the action potential, which correspond to dopaminergic and non-dopaminergic neurones, respectively. 3. Addition of dopamine (10 microM) and quinpirole (1-100 microM) to the bath hyperpolarized the membrane of the type I neurones concomitantly with an increase in membrane conductance and an inhibition of action potentials which occurred spontaneously and were elicited by depolarizing pulses applied to the cell. However, quinpirole (10 microM) had no effect on the threshold for action potentials induced by a depolarizing pulse. 4. These quinpirole (10 microM)-induced effects were antagonized by simultaneous application of domperidone (5 microM), a D2 receptor antagonist. 5. The amplitude of quinpirole (10 microM)-induced hyperpolarization was decreased by increasing the potassium concentration in the perfusing fluid or simultaneous application of tetraethylammonium (10 microM). 6. SKF 38393 (10 or 100 microM), a D1 receptor agonist, had no effect on the resting membrane potential or action potential firing induced by a depolarizing pulse applied to the cell. However, when SKF 38393 (10 microM) was applied simultaneously with quinpirole (10 microM), the threshold for action potential generation was elevated by 5-6 mV, although there was no enhancement of hyperpolarization induced by quinpirole. 7. The elevation of the threshold for action potentials induced by SKF 38393 in the presence of quinpirole was antagonized by simultaneous application of SCH 23390 (5 microM), a D1 receptor antagonist.8. Dopamine (10 microM), quinpirole (10 or 100 microM) and SKF 38393 (10 or 100 microM) had no effect on the resting membrane potential or spontaneously occurring action potentials in type II neurones.9. These findings suggest that activation of dopamine D2 receptors of dopaminergic neurones in the VTA increases potassium conductance, thereby hyperpolarizing the membrane and eventually inhibiting neuronal activities. They also suggest that simultaneous activation of both D1 and D2 receptors enhances the D2 receptor-mediated inhibitory effects by elevation of the threshold for action potential generation.

Antiepileptic effects of CNK-602A, a novel thyrotropin-releasing hormone analog, on absence-like and tonic seizures of spontaneously epileptic rats

The effects of CNK-602A (N-[(6-methyl-5-oxo-3-thiomorpholinyl) carbonyl]-L-histidyl-L-prolinamide), a novel thyrotropin-releasing hormone related analog, were investigated on absence-like seizure and tonic convulsion in the spontaneously epileptic rat (SER), which is a genetically defined double-mutant. When CNK-602A of 0.2-1 mg/kg was given intravenously to the animal, there were no changes in the background EEG except for an increase in low-voltage fast waves concomitant with behavioral alertness. However, CNK-602A suppressed absence-like seizure and tonic convulsion in a dose-dependent manner for over 1 h. These antiepileptic effects of CNK-602A on both seizures were antagonized by pretreatment with haloperidol (1 mg/kg, i.p.). It was found, using a brain in vivo microdialysis method, that CNK-602A at a dose of 1 mg/kg, which inhibits the seizures, increased the release of dopamine in the caudate nucleus. These results suggest that CNK-602A inhibits the seizures of SER in a similar manner to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), probably by increasing the release of dopamine in the central nervous system. In addition, the antiepileptic effects of CNK-602A were more potent and lasted longer than those of TRH.