Faculty Bibliography
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We examined the extent to which children's skilled understanding and production of appropriate language (verbal ability) may relate to their peer functioning. Participants included two independent samples of children with and without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD; Study 1, N = 124; Study 2, N = 137) who were administered a standardized intelligence test to generate verbal ability scores. Teacher ratings on the Cooperation and Assertion subscales of the Social Skills Rating System (SSRS), teacher estimates of peer acceptance, parent ratings of conflict and disengagement on playdates, and peer sociometric ratings of liking were obtained. In both Study 1 and Study 2, after statistical control of ADHD diagnostic status, disruptive behavior comorbidities, and gender, higher verbal ability was associated with better peer functioning on the teacher-reported SSRS subscales and parent ratings of conflict and disengagement on playdates. In Study 2, interaction effects suggested that the positive association between verbal ability and good peer functioning existed for boys but not for girls. For children with ADHD (but not comparison children), better verbal ability was associated with higher teacher-reported peer acceptance but lower peer sociometric liking. Implications of these findings for conceptualization of peer problems, assessment, and intervention are discussed.
school:SOM
Department/Unit:Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Total Results:
11211
Analysis of shared heritability in common disorders of the brain
Disorders of the brain can exhibit considerable epidemiological comorbidity and often share symptoms, provoking debate about their etiologic overlap. We quantified the genetic sharing of 25 brain disorders from genome-wide association studies of 265,218 patients and 784,643 control participants and assessed their relationship to 17 phenotypes from 1,191,588 individuals. Psychiatric disorders share common variant risk, whereas neurological disorders appear more distinct from one another and from the psychiatric disorders. We also identified significant sharing between disorders and a number of brain phenotypes, including cognitive measures. Further, we conducted simulations to explore how statistical power, diagnostic misclassification, and phenotypic heterogeneity affect genetic correlations. These results highlight the importance of common genetic variation as a risk factor for brain disorders and the value of heritability-based methods in understanding their etiology.
PMCID:6097237
PMID: 29930110
ISSN: 1095-9203
CID: 3157462
Qualitative Analysis of Attitudes Toward Adult-Child Sexual Activity Among Minor-Attracted Persons
This study uses qualitative methodology to explore narrative responses to a question regarding the harmful versus beneficial effects of adult-child sex on children. Data were gathered from a survey of self-identified minor-attracted persons (MAPs). Two hundred and sixty-seven survey participants provided narrative responses. Results indicated a significant amount of variability in perceptions of harm and of mitigating or aggravating factors. Understanding the subjective perspectives of MAPs, the range of their attitudes, and the issues that they identify as pertinent is critically important for clinical efficacy in the treatment of pedophilia.
PMID: 29741472
ISSN: 1521-0715
CID: 3215222
Understanding the Relative Contributions of Sensitive and Insensitive Parent Behaviors on Infant Vaccination Pain
Parents play a critical role in supporting infants' ability to manage strong emotions. Routine vaccinations provide an ideal context to observe the effect of parents' behaviors on infants' pain-related distress. Previous research in the vaccination context showed that parent sensitivity, operationalized by variables such as emotional availability and proximal soothing behaviors, is associated with infant pain-related distress behavior. However, the magnitudes of these relationships were smaller than expected given the established importance of parents in the development of distress regulation. In recent work, a reliable and valid measure to operationalize insensitive behaviors was developed. The objective of the current study was to examine the relative contribution of variables representing sensitive and insensitive behaviors to the prediction of infant pain-related distress behaviors during the reactivity and regulation phases of needle pain. Archival data was used to analyze a subsample of infants followed during their two-month, six-month, and 12-month vaccinations (
PMCID:6025307
PMID: 29912177
ISSN: 2227-9067
CID: 5641972
Hippocampal 5-HT Input Regulates Memory Formation and Schaffer Collateral Excitation
The efficacy and duration of memory storage is regulated by neuromodulatory transmitter actions. While the modulatory transmitter serotonin (5-HT) plays an important role in implicit forms of memory in the invertebrate Aplysia, its function in explicit memory mediated by the mammalian hippocampus is less clear. Specifically, the consequences elicited by the spatio-temporal gradient of endogenous 5-HT release are not known. Here we applied optogenetic techniques in mice to gain insight into this fundamental biological process. We find that activation of serotonergic terminals in the hippocampal CA1 region both potentiates excitatory transmission at CA3-to-CA1 synapses and enhances spatial memory. Conversely, optogenetic silencing of CA1 5-HT terminals inhibits spatial memory. We furthermore find that synaptic potentiation is mediated by 5-HT4 receptors and that systemic modulation of 5-HT4 receptor function can bidirectionally impact memory formation. Collectively, these data reveal powerful modulatory influence of serotonergic synaptic input on hippocampal function and memory formation.
PMCID:6383566
PMID: 29754752
ISSN: 1097-4199
CID: 4625502
Suubi4Her: a study protocol to examine the impact and cost associated with a combination intervention to prevent HIV risk behavior and improve mental health functioning among adolescent girls in Uganda
BACKGROUND:Asset-based economic empowerment interventions, which take an integrated approach to building human, social, and economic capital, have shown promise in their ability to reduce HIV risk for young people, including adolescent girls, in sub-Saharan Africa. Similarly, community and family strengthening interventions have proven beneficial in addressing mental health and behavioral challenges of adolescents transitioning to adulthood. Yet, few programs aimed at addressing sexual risk have applied combination interventions to address economic stability and mental health within the traditional framework of health education and HIV counseling/testing. This paper describes a study protocol for a 5-year, NIMH-funded, cluster randomized-controlled trial to evaluate a combination intervention aimed at reducing HIV risk among adolescent girls in Uganda. The intervention, titled Suubi4Her, combines savings-led economic empowerment through youth development accounts (YDA) with an innovative family strengthening component delivered via Multiple Family Groups (MFG). METHODS:Suubi4Her will be evaluated via a three-arm cluster randomized-controlled trial design (YDA only, YDA + MFG, Usual Care) in 42 secondary schools in the Central region of Uganda, targeting a total of 1260 girls (ages 15-17 at enrollment). Assessments will occur at baseline, 12, 24, and 36 months. This study addresses two primary outcomes: 1) change in HIV risk behavior and 2) change in mental health functioning. Secondary exploratory outcomes include HIV and STI incidence, pregnancy, educational attainment, financial savings behavior, gender attitudes, and self-esteem. For potential scale-up, cost effectiveness analysis will be employed to compare the relative costs and outcomes associated with each study arm. CONCLUSIONS:Suubi4Her will be one of the first prospective studies to examine the impact and cost of a combination intervention integrating economic and social components to reduce known HIV risk factors and improve mental health functioning among adolescent girls, while concurrently exploring mental health as a mediator in HIV risk reduction. The findings will illuminate the pathways that connect economic needs, mental health, family support, and HIV risk. If successful, the results will promote holistic HIV prevention strategies to reduce risk among adolescent girls in Uganda and potentially the broader sub-Saharan Africa region. TRIAL REGISTRATION/BACKGROUND:Clinical Trials NCT03307226 (Registered: 10/11/17).
PMCID:5989412
PMID: 29871619
ISSN: 1471-2458
CID: 3166472
Associations Between Peer Functioning and Verbal Ability Among Children With and Without Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
ISI:000432237500003
ISSN: 1063-4266
CID: 3218172
Parental Perceptions of Child Vulnerability in Families of Youth With Spina Bifida: the Role of Parental Distress and Parenting Stress
Objective:This longitudinal study aimed to investigate parental distress and parenting stress in relation to parental perception of child vulnerability (PPCV) in youth with spina bifida (SB). Methods:Parents of 140 youth with SB (ages 8-15 years at Time 1) were recruited as part of a longitudinal study; data were collected at two time points, spaced 2 years apart. Mothers and fathers completed questionnaires assessing levels of personal distress, parenting stress, and PPCV. Results:Mothers and fathers reported similar levels of personal distress, parenting stress, and PPCV, but reports of PPCV increased over time. For mothers, both personal distress and parenting stress were significantly associated with PPCV cross-sectionally, but not longitudinally. For fathers, there were significant cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parenting stress and PPCV. The cross-sectional association between maternal parenting stress and PPCV was moderated by age, with a significant association only for older youth. Conclusions:For parents of youth with SB, personal distress, and parenting stress are related to parental perceptions of child vulnerability, and child age may moderate this relationship. Parental personal distress and parenting stress are important targets for future interventions.
PMCID:5961019
PMID: 29088400
ISSN: 1465-735x
CID: 5005302
Psilocybin-Assisted Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder: A Clinical Perspective [Meeting Abstract]
ISI:000434365100068
ISSN: 1055-0496
CID: 3156092
Human apolipoprotein E genotype differentially affects olfactory behavior and sensory physiology in mice
Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is an important lipid carrier in both the periphery and the brain. The ApoE ε4 allele (ApoE4) is the single most important genetic risk-factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) while the ε 2 allele (ApoE2) is associated with a lower risk of AD-related neurodegeneration compared to the most common variant, ε 3 (ApoE3). ApoE genotype affects a variety of neural circuits; however, the olfactory system appears to provide early biomarkers of ApoE genotype effects. Here, we directly compared olfactory behavior and olfactory system physiology across all three ApoE genotypes in 6-month- and 12-month-old mice with targeted replacement for the human ApoE2, ApoE3, or ApoE4 genes. Odor investigation and habituation were assessed, along with, olfactory bulb and piriform cortical local field potential activity. The results demonstrate that while initial odor investigation was unaffected by ApoE genotype, odor habituation was impaired in E4 relative to E2 mice, with E3 mice intermediate in function. There was also significant deterioration of odor habituation from 6 to 12 months of age regardless of the ApoE genotype. Olfactory system excitability and odor responsiveness were similarly determined by ApoE genotype, with an ApoE4 > ApoE3 > ApoE2 excitability ranking. Although motivated behavior is influenced by many processes, hyper-excitability of ApoE4 mice may contribute to impaired odor habituation, while hypo-excitability of ApoE2 mice may contribute to its protective effects. Given that these ApoE mice do not have AD pathology, our results demonstrate how ApoE affects the olfactory system at early stages, prior to the development of AD.
PMCID:5959295
PMID: 29678753
ISSN: 1873-7544
CID: 3043232
"All of that's gone now" : The failure to sustain police-youth programmes in Baltimore City
Extra-curricular programmes that unite police officers and youth (hereafter: "police-youth programmes") have long been recommended to ameliorate the often-strained relationship between these groups. Baltimore's history of police-youth programming includes initiating and discontinuing a variety of programmes. Researchers conducted in-depth interviews and focus group discussions among diverse stakeholders to identify barriers to sustaining police-youth programmes. Stakeholders described lack of political will, conflicting policing philosophies, and negative police-community dynamics. Participants were optimistic about the potential impact of quality programming, despite these barriers. Police-youth programmes have the capacity to improve police-youth relationships in Baltimore. Strategies to ensure sustainability and increase impact are discussed.
SCOPUS:85129438206
ISSN: 0032-258x
CID: 5449172
