TY - JOUR A1 - Tetzner, Julia A1 - Kliegl, Reinhold A1 - Krahé, Barbara A1 - Busching, Robert A1 - Esser, Günter T1 - Developmental problems in adolescence BT - a person-centered analysis across time and domains JF - Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology N2 - This longitudinal study investigated patterns of developmental problems across depression, aggression, and academic achievement during adolescence, using two measurement points two years apart (N = 1665; age T1: M = 13.14; female = 49.6%). Latent Profile Analyses and Latent Transition Analyses yielded four main findings: A three-type solution provided the best fit to the data: an asymptomatic type (i.e., low problem scores in all three domains), a depressed type (i.e., high scores in depression), an aggressive type (i.e., high scores in aggression). Profile types were invariant over the two data waves but differed between girls and boys, revealing gender specific patterns of comorbidity. Stabilities over time were high for the asymptomatic type and for types that represented problems in one domain, but moderate for comorbid types. Differences in demographic variables (i.e., age, socio-economic status) and individual characteristics (i.e., self-esteem, dysfunctional cognitions, cognitive capabilities) predicted profile type memberships and longitudinal transitions between types. KW - Adolescence KW - Person-centered approach KW - Depression KW - Aggression KW - Academic achievement Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2017.08.003 SN - 0193-3973 SN - 1873-7900 VL - 53 SP - 40 EP - 53 PB - Elsevier CY - New York ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kohn, Juliane A1 - Rauscher, Larissa A1 - Kucian, Karin A1 - Käser, Tanja A1 - Wyschkon, Anne A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - von Aster, Michael G. T1 - Efficacy of a Computer-Based Learning Program in Children With Developmental Dyscalculia BT - What Influences Individual Responsiveness? JF - Frontiers in Psychology N2 - This study presents the evaluation of a computer-based learning program for children with developmental dyscalculia and focuses on factors affecting individual responsiveness. The adaptive training program Calcularis 2.0 has been developed according to current neuro-cognitive theory of numerical cognition. It aims to automatize number representations, supports the formation and access to the mental number line and trains arithmetic operations as well as arithmetic fact knowledge in expanding number ranges. Sixty-seven children with developmental dyscalculia from second to fifth grade (mean age 8.96 years) were randomly assigned to one of two groups (Calcularis group, waiting control group). Training duration comprised a minimum of 42 training sessions à 20 min within a maximum period of 13 weeks. Compared to the waiting control group, children of the Calcularis group demonstrated a higher benefit in arithmetic operations and number line estimation. These improvements were shown to be stable after a 3-months post training interval. In addition, this study examines which predictors accounted for training improvements. Results indicate that this self-directed training was especially beneficial for children with low math anxiety scores and without an additional reading and/or spelling disorder. In conclusion, Calcularis 2.0 supports children with developmental dyscalculia to improve their arithmetical abilities and their mental number line representation. However, it is relevant to further adapt the setting to the individual circumstances. KW - developmental dyscalculia KW - mathematics instruction KW - computer-based training KW - intelligent tutoring system (ITS) KW - numerical development KW - evaluative study KW - primary school Y1 - 2019 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01115 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 11 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Holz, Nathalie E. A1 - Hohm, Erika A1 - Zohsel, Katrin A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Baumeister, Sarah A1 - Wolf, Isabella A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Association between pubertal stage at first drink and neural reward processing in early adulthood JF - Addiction biology N2 - Puberty is a critical time period during human development. It is characterized by high levels of risk-taking behavior, such as increased alcohol consumption, and is accompanied by various neurobiological changes. Recent studies in animals and humans have revealed that the pubertal stage at first drink (PSFD) significantly impacts drinking behavior in adulthood. Moreover, neuronal alterations of the dopaminergic reward system have been associated with alcohol abuse or addiction. This study aimed to clarify the impact of PSFD on neuronal characteristics of reward processing linked to alcohol-related problems. One hundred sixty-eight healthy young adults from a prospective study covering 25 years participated in a monetary incentive delay task measured with simultaneous EEG-fMRI. PSFD was determined according to the age at menarche or Tanner stage of pubertal development, respectively. Alcohol-related problems in early adulthood were assessed with the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT). During reward anticipation, decreased fMRI activation of the frontal cortex and increased preparatory EEG activity (contingent negative variation) occurred with pubertal compared to postpubertal first alcohol intake. Moreover, alcohol-related problems during early adulthood were increased in pubertal compared to postpubertal beginners, which was mediated by neuronal activation of the right medial frontal gyrus. At reward delivery, increased fMRI activation of the left caudate and higher feedback-related EEG negativity were detected in pubertal compared to postpubertal beginners. Together with animal findings, these results implicate PSFD as a potential modulator of psychopathology, involving altered reward anticipation. Both PSFD timing and reward processing might thus be potential targets for early prevention and intervention. KW - alcohol-related problems KW - electroencephalography KW - functional magnetic resonance imaging KW - puberty KW - reward processing Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1111/adb.12413 SN - 1355-6215 SN - 1369-1600 VL - 22 SP - 1402 EP - 1415 PB - Wiley CY - Hoboken ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bondü, Rebecca A1 - Sahyazici-Knaak, Fidan A1 - Esser, Günter T1 - Long-Term Associations of Justice Sensitivity, Rejection Sensitivity, and Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Depressive symptoms have been related to anxious rejection sensitivity, but little is known about relations with angry rejection sensitivity and justice sensitivity. We measured rejection sensitivity, justice sensitivity, and depressive symptoms in 1,665 9-to-21-year olds at two points of measurement. Participants with high T1 levels of depressive symptoms reported higher anxious and angry rejection sensitivity and higher justice sensitivity than controls at T1 and T2. T1 rejection, but not justice sensitivity predicted T2 depressive symptoms; high victim justice sensitivity, however, added to the stabilization of depressive symptoms. T1 depressive symptoms positively predicted T2 anxious and angry rejection and victim justice sensitivity. Hence, sensitivity toward negative social cues may be cause and consequence of depressive symptoms and requires consideration in cognitive-behavioral treatment of depression. KW - justice sensitivity KW - rejection sensitivity KW - depressive symptoms KW - childhood KW - adolescence Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01446 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 8 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holz, Nathalie A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Baumeister, Sarah A1 - Hohmann, Sarah A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Wolf, Isabella A1 - Rietschel, Marcella A1 - Witt, Stephanie H. A1 - Plichta, Michael M. A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Evidence for a Sex-Dependent MAOAx Childhood Stress Interaction in the Neural Circuitry of Aggression JF - Cerebral cortex N2 - Converging evidence emphasizes the role of an interaction between monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) genotype, environmental adversity, and sex in the pathophysiology of aggression. The present study aimed to clarify the impact of this interaction on neural activity in aggression-related brain systems. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 125 healthy adults from a high-risk community sample followed since birth. DNA was genotyped for the MAOA-VNTR (variable number of tandem repeats). Exposure to childhood life stress (CLS) between the ages of 4 and 11 years was assessed using a standardized parent interview, aggression by the Youth/Young Adult Self-Report between the ages of 15 and 25 years, and the VIRA-R (Vragenlijst Instrumentele En Reactieve Agressie) at the age of 15 years. Significant interactions were obtained between MAOA genotype, CLS, and sex relating to amygdala, hippocampus, and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) response, respectively. Activity in the amygdala and hippocampus during emotional face-matching increased with the level of CLS in male MAOA-L, while decreasing in male MAOA-H, with the reverse pattern present in females. Findings in the opposite direction in the ACC during a flanker NoGo task suggested that increased emotional activity coincided with decreased inhibitory control. Moreover, increasing amygdala activity was associated with higher Y(A)SR aggression in male MAOA-L and female MAOA-H carriers. Likewise, a significant association between amygdala activity and reactive aggression was detected in female MAOA-H carriers. The results point to a moderating role of sex in the MAOAx CLS interaction for intermediate phenotypes of emotional and inhibitory processing, suggesting a possible mechanism in conferring susceptibility to violence-related disorders. KW - aggression KW - amygdala KW - fMRI KW - life stress KW - MAOA Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhu249 SN - 1047-3211 SN - 1460-2199 VL - 26 SP - 904 EP - 914 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Cary ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Holz, Nathalie E. A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Baumeister, Sarah A1 - Plichta, Michael M. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Schmidt, Martin A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Positive coping styles and perigenual ACC volume: two related mechanisms for conferring resilience? JF - Frontiers in human neuroscience N2 - Stress exposure has been linked to increased rates of depression and anxiety in adults, particularly in females, and has been associated with maladaptive changes in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), which is an important brain structure involved in internalizing disorders. Coping styles are important mediators of the stress reaction by establishing homeostasis, and may thus confer resilience to stress-related psychopathology. Anatomical scans were acquired in 181 healthy participants at age 25 years. Positive coping styles were determined using a self-report questionnaire (German Stress Coping Questionnaire, SVF78) at age 22 years. Adult anxiety and depression symptoms were assessed at ages 22, 23 and 25 years with the Young Adult Self-Report. Information on previous internalizing diagnoses was obtained by diagnostic interview (2-19 years). Positive coping styles were associated with increased ACC volume. ACC volume and positive coping styles predicted anxiety and depression in a sex-dependent manner with increased positive coping and ACC volume being related to lower levels of psychopathology in females, but not in males. These results remained significant when controlled for previous internalizing diagnoses. These findings indicate that positive coping styles and ACC volume are two linked mechanisms, which may serve as protective factors against internalizing disorders. KW - coping styles KW - perigenual anterior cingulate cortex KW - resilience KW - anxiety disorders KW - mood disorders Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1093/scan/nsw005 SN - 1749-5016 SN - 1749-5024 VL - 11 SP - 813 EP - 820 PB - Oxford Univ. Press CY - Oxford ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zohsel, Katrin A1 - Baldus, Christiane A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Thomasius, Rainer A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Predicting later problematic cannabis use from psychopathological symptoms during childhood and adolescence: Results of a 25-year longitudinal study JF - Drug and alcohol dependence : an international journal on biomedical and psychosocial approaches N2 - Background: Cannabis is the most commonly used illegal substance among adolescents and young adults. Problematic cannabis use is often associated with comorbid psychopathological problems. The purpose of the current study was to elucidate the underlying developmental processes connecting externalizing and internalizing psychopathology in childhood and adolescence with problematic cannabis use in young adulthood. Methods: Data were drawn from the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk, an ongoing epidemiological cohort study from birth to adulthood. For n = 307 participants, symptom scores of conduct/oppositional defiant disorder, attention problems, hyperactivity/impulsivity, and internalizing disorders were available for the periods of childhood (4.5-11 years) and adolescence (15 years). At age 25 years, problematic cannabis use was assessed via clinical interview and a self-rating questionnaire. Results: At age 25 years, problematic cannabis use was identified in n = 28 participants (9.1%). Childhood conduct/oppositional behavior problems were predictive of problematic cannabis use during young adulthood when comorbid symptoms were controlled for. No such effect was found for childhood attention, hyperactivity/impulsivity or internalizing problems. With respect to psychopathological symptoms during adolescence, only attention problems were significantly related to later problematic cannabis use when controlling for comorbidity. Conclusions: The current study highlights the role of conduct/oppositional behavior problems during childhood and attention problems during adolescence in later problematic cannabis use. It sheds more light on the developmental sequence of childhood and adolescence psychopathology and young adult cannabis use, which is a prerequisite for effective prevention approaches. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved. KW - Problematic cannabis use KW - Externalizing behavior KW - Internalizing behavior KW - Childhood KW - Adolescence Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.04.012 SN - 0376-8716 SN - 1879-0046 VL - 163 SP - 251 EP - 255 PB - Elsevier CY - Clare ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Rauscher, Larissa A1 - Kohn, Juliane A1 - Käser, Tanja A1 - Mayer, Verena A1 - Kucian, Karin A1 - McCaskey, Ursina A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - von Aster, Michael G. T1 - Evaluation of a Computer-Based Training Program for Enhancing Arithmetic Skills and Spatial Number Representation in Primary School Children JF - Frontiers in psychology N2 - Calcularis is a computer-based training program which focuses on basic numerical skills, spatial representation of numbers and arithmetic operations. The program includes a user model allowing flexible adaptation to the child's individual knowledge and learning profile. The study design to evaluate the training comprises three conditions (Calcularis group, waiting control group, spelling training group). One hundred and thirty-eight children from second to fifth grade participated in the study. Training duration comprised a minimum of 24 training sessions of 20 min within a time period of 6–8 weeks. Compared to the group without training (waiting control group) and the group with an alternative training (spelling training group), the children of the Calcularis group demonstrated a higher benefit in subtraction and number line estimation with medium to large effect sizes. Therefore, Calcularis can be used effectively to support children in arithmetic performance and spatial number representation. KW - numerical development KW - evaluative study KW - primary school KW - computer-based training KW - mathematics instruction Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00913 SN - 1664-1078 VL - 7 SP - 14086 EP - 14099 PB - Frontiers Research Foundation CY - Lausanne ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hohmann, Sarah A1 - Zohsel, Katrin A1 - Buchmann, Arlette F. A1 - Blomeyer, Dorothea A1 - Holz, Nathalie A1 - Boecker-Schlier, Regina A1 - Jennen-Steinmetz, Christine A1 - Rietschel, Marcella A1 - Witt, Stephanie H. A1 - Schmidt, Martin H. A1 - Esser, Günter A1 - Meyer-Lindenberg, Andreas A1 - Banaschewski, Tobias A1 - Brandeis, Daniel A1 - Hohm, Erika A1 - Laucht, Manfred T1 - Interacting effect of MAOA genotype and maternal prenatal smoking on aggressive behavior in young adulthood JF - Journal of neural transmission N2 - Findings on the etiology of aggressive behavior have provided evidence for an effect both of genetic factors, such as variation in the monoamine oxidase A (MAOA) gene, and adverse environmental factors. Recent studies have supported the existence of gene × environment interactions, with early experiences playing a key role. In the present study, the effects of prenatal nicotine exposure, MAOA genotype and their interaction on aggressive behavior during young adulthood were examined. In a sample of 272 young adults (129 males, 143 females) from an epidemiological cohort study, smoking during pregnancy was measured with a standardized parent interview at the offspring’s age of 3 months. Aggressive behavior was assessed between the ages of 19 and 25 years using the Young Adult Self-Report. DNA was genotyped for the MAOA 5′ untranslated region variable number of tandem repeats polymorphism (VNTR). Results revealed a significant interaction between MAOA and smoking during pregnancy, indicating higher levels of aggressive behavior in young adults carrying the MAOA low-expressing genotype who had experienced prenatal nicotine exposure (n = 8, p = .025). In contrast, in carriers of the MAOA high-expressing genotype, maternal smoking during pregnancy had no effect on aggressive behavior during young adulthood (n = 20, p = .145). This study extends earlier findings demonstrating an interaction between MAOA genotype and prenatal nicotine exposure on aggressive behavior into young adulthood. The results point to the long-term adverse effects of smoking during pregnancy on the offspring’s mental health, possibly underlining the importance of smoking cessation during pregnancy. According to the nature of the study (particularly sample size and power), analyses are exploratory and results need to be interpreted cautiously. KW - MAOA KW - Smoking during pregnancy KW - Interaction KW - Aggression KW - Longitudinal KW - Young adulthood Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-016-1582-x SN - 0300-9564 SN - 1435-1463 VL - 123 SP - 885 EP - 894 PB - Springer CY - Wien ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Höse, Anna A1 - Wyschkon, Anne A1 - Moraske, Svenja A1 - Eggeling, Marie A1 - Quandte, Sabine A1 - Kohn, Juliane A1 - Poltz, Nadine A1 - von Aster, Michael G. A1 - Esser, Günter T1 - Prevention of dyslexia short-term and intermediate effects of promoting phonological awareness and letter-sound correspondence with at-risk preschool children JF - Zeitschrift für Kinder- und Jugendpsychiatrie und Psychotherapie N2 - Objective: This study assesses the short-term and intermediate effects of preschool training stimulating phonological awareness and letter-sound correspondence for children at risk of developing dyslexia. Moreover, we examined whether training reduced the frequency of subsequent dyslexic problems. Method: 25 children at risk of developing dyslexia were trained with Horen, Lauschen, Lernen 1 und 2 (Kuspert & Schneider, 2008; Plume & Schneider, 2004) by their kindergarten teachers and were compared with 60 untrained at-risk children. Results:The training revealed a significant short-term effect: The phonological awareness of trained at-risk children increased significantly over that of untrained at-risk children. However, there were no differences in phonological awareness, spelling, and reading ability between the first-graders in the training and control group. Furthermore, reading problems were reduced in the training group. Conclusions: In the future, phonological awareness as well as additional predictors should be included when identifying children vulnerable to developing dyslexia. Moreover, in order to prevent dyslexia, additional prerequisite deficits need to be identified, alleviated, and their effects evaluated. KW - developmental dyslexia KW - phonological awareness KW - prevention KW - risk KW - specific developmental disorder Y1 - 2016 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1024/1422-4917/a000456 SN - 1422-4917 SN - 1664-2880 VL - 44 SP - 377 EP - 391 PB - Hogrefe CY - Bern ER -