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Recent studies have emphasized an important role for neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), in regulating the plasticity of neural circuits involved in the pathophysiology of stress-related diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine the interplay of the BDNF Val(66)Met and the serotonin transporter promoter (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms in moderating the impact of early-life adversity on BDNF plasma concentration and depressive symptoms. Participants were taken from an epidemiological cohort study following the long-term outcome of early risk factors from birth into young adulthood. In 259 individuals (119 males, 140 females), genotyped for the BDNF Val(66)Met and the 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms, plasma BDNF was assessed at the age of 19 years. In addition, participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Early adversity was determined according to a family adversity index assessed at 3 months of age. Results indicated that individuals homozygous for both the BDNF Val and the 5-HTTLPR L allele showed significantly reduced BDNF levels following exposure to high adversity. In contrast, BDNF levels appeared to be unaffected by early psychosocial adversity in carriers of the BDNF Met or the 5-HTTLPR S allele. While the former group appeared to be most susceptible to depressive symptoms, the impact of early adversity was less pronounced in the latter group. This is the first preliminary evidence indicating that early-life adverse experiences may have lasting sequelae for plasma BDNF levels in humans, highlighting that the susceptibility to this effect is moderated by BDNF Val(66)Met and 5-HTTLPR genotype.
Der Tagungsband enthält das Programm und die Abstracts des 26. Symposiums der Fachgruppe Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie, veranstaltet an der Universität Potsdam vom 1. bis 3. Mai 2008. Etwa 450 Kongressteilnehmer präsentieren den aktuellen Forschungs- und Wissensstand der Klinischen Psychologie und Psychotherapie in Deutschland. Grußworte halten die brandenburgische Ministerin für Arbeit, Soziales, Gesundheit und Familie, Dagmar Ziegler, die Präsidentin der Universität Potsdam, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dr. Sabine Kunst, sowie Prof. Dr. Michael Linden als Vertreter der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychiatrie, Psychotherapie und Nervenheilkunde (DGPPN). Zu den Themenschwerpunkten des Kongresses gehören Einflussfaktoren auf die psychische Gesundheit Älterer, Impulsivität, Schlaf- und Traumforschung in der Klinischen Psychologie, Behandlung von Essstörungen, Wirksamkeitsstudien psychischer Störungen des Kindes- und Jugendalters, Angst und Depression, Behandlung von Kriegs- und Folteropfern, Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren der Kindesentwicklung sowie Adipositas im Kindes- und Jugendalter. Außer den Vorträgen gibt es eine Präsentation von etwa 150 Postern. Zum Programm der Tagung gehört ebenso die Verleihung des Klaus-Grawe-Awards for the Advancement of Innovative Research in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy an Prof. Dr. Timothy J. Strauman von der Duke University (USA), die Verleihung der Nachwuchswissenschaftler- und Posterpreise sowie ein Pre-conference Workshop für Doktorandinnen und Doktoranden der Klinischen Psychologie zum Thema "Verhaltens- und Molekulargenetik".
The primary focus on the present study was to identify early risk factors for infant aggression in a sample of high risk, low-income teenager mothers and their infants. Despite the amount of research on externalizing behavior, relatively little is known about its development in early childhood. Because chronically aggressive school-age children tend to be those who first display symptoms during preschool years, an examination of the early manifestations of aggressive behavior and the development of measurements for infants is needed. The present study explored a model of infant aggression development that emphasized infant aggression developing largely through the interaction of infant′s dispositional characteristics with their caregiving environment. The study addressed the following relations: (1) Maternal psychosocial functioning with reported and observed infant aggression and negative emotionality, (2) reported measurements of infant aggression and negative emotionality with observed infant measurements of infant aggression and negative emotionality, (3) infant negative emotionality and infant aggression, (4) infant emotion regulation with infant aggression and negative emotionality, (5) the interaction between emotion regulation and negative emotionality in relation to infant aggression, and (6) attachment classification with infant aggression and negative emotionality. Finally, the question of whether these six relations would differ by gender was also addressed. Maternal psychosocial functioning was assessed with self-reported measurements. Infant aggression, negative emotionality and emotion regulation were measured during two standardized assessments, the Strange Situation and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development Assessment and maternal reported with the Infant-Toddler Social and Emotional Assessment. Several interesting findings emerged. One of the main findings concerned maternal attribution and its possible role as a risk factor for later externalizing behaviors. That is, mothers, especially depressed and stressed mothers, tended to report higher levels of infant aggression and negative emotionality than was noted by more objective observers. This tendency was particularly evident in mothers with girl infants. Another important finding concerned emotion regulation. Even at this early age, clear differences in emotion regulation could be seen. Interestingly, infants with high negative emotionality and low emotion regulation were observed to be the most aggressive. Also significant relations emerged for infant negative emotionality and aggression and vise versa. Thus, for purposes of treatment and scientific study, the three constructs (emotion regulation, negative emotionality, and aggression) should be considered in combination. Investigating each alone may not prove fruitful in future examinations. Additionally, different emotion regulation behaviors were observed for girl and boy infants. Aggressive girls looked more at the environment, their toys and their mother, whereas aggressive boys looked less at the environment and their mother and explored their toys more, although looked at the toys less. Although difficult to interpret at this point, it is nonetheless interesting that gender differences exist at this young age in emotion regulatory behaviors. In conclusion, although preliminary, findings from the present study provide intriguing directions for future research. More studies need to conducted focusing on infant aggression, as well as longitudinal studies following the infants over time.