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- ADHD (6)
- Depression (6)
- Adolescence (5)
- DRD4 (4)
- Gene-environment interaction (4)
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- developmental dyscalculia (3)
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Background: Depressed mood is prevalent during pregnancy, with accumulating evidence suggesting an impact on developmental outcome in the offspring. However, the long-term effects of prenatal maternal depression regarding internalizing psychopathology in the offspring are as yet unclear. Results: In n=85 young adults exposed to prenatal maternal depressed mood, no significantly higher risk for a diagnosis of depressive disorder was observed. However, they reported significantly lower levels of depressive symptoms. This association was especially pronounced when prenatal maternal depressed mood was present during the first trimester of pregnancy and when maternal mood was depressed pre- as well as postnatally. At an uncorrected level only, prenatal maternal depressed mood was associated with decreased amygdala volume. Limitations: Prenatal maternal depressed mood was not assessed during pregnancy, but shortly after childbirth. No diagnoses of maternal clinical depression during pregnancy were available. Conclusions: Self-reported depressive symptoms do not imply increased, but rather decreased symptom levels in young adults who were exposed to prenatal maternal depressed mood. A long-term perspective may be important when considering consequences of prenatal risk factors.
ResultsUnder conditions of elevated prenatal maternal stress, children carrying one or two DRD4 7r alleles were at increased risk of a diagnosis of CD/ODD. Moreover, homozygous carriers of the DRD4 7r allele displayed more externalizing behavior following exposure to higher levels of prenatal maternal stress, while homozygous carriers of the DRD4 4r allele turned out to be insensitive to the effects of prenatal stress.
ConclusionsThis study is the first to report a gene-environment interaction related to DRD4 and prenatal maternal stress using data from a prospective study, which extends earlier findings on the impact of prenatal maternal stress with respect to childhood antisocial behavior.
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.
5-Jahres-Verlauf der LRS
(2017)
Fragestellung: Untersucht wird der Verlauf von Kindern mit Lese-Rechtschreibstörungen (LRS) über gut 5 Jahre unter Berücksichtigung des Einflusses des Geschlechts der Betroffenen. Außerdem werden Auswirkungen der LRS auf das spätere Schriftsprachniveau und den Schulerfolg überprüft. Methodik: Eingangs wurden 995 Schüler zwischen 6 und 16 Jahren untersucht. Ein Teil dieser Kinder ist nach 43 sowie 63 Monaten nachuntersucht worden. Eine LRS wurde diagnostiziert, wenn für das Lesen bzw. Rechtschreiben das doppelte Diskrepanzkriterium von 1.5 Standardabweichungen zur nonverbalen Intelligenz und dem Mittelwert der Klassenstufe erfüllt war und gleichzeitig keine Minderbegabung vorlag. Ergebnisse: Die LRS weist über einen Zeitraum von 63 Monaten eine hohe Störungspersistenz von knapp 70 % auf. Der 5-Jahres-Verlauf der mittleren Lese- und Rechtschreibleistungen wurde nicht vom Geschlecht beeinflusst. Trotz durchschnittlicher Intelligenz blieben die LRS-Schüler in der Schriftsprache mindestens eine Standardabweichung hinter durchschnittlich und etwa 0.5 Standardabweichungseinheiten hinter unterdurchschnittlich intelligenten Kindern zurück. Der Schulerfolg der LRS-Schüler glich dem unterdurchschnittlich intelligenter Kinder und fiel deutlich schlechter aus als bei durchschnittlich intelligenten Kontrollkindern. Schlussfolgerungen: Eine LRS stellt ein erhebliches Entwicklungsrisiko dar, was frühzeitige Diagnostik- und Therapiemaßnahmen erfordert. Dafür sind reliable und im Hinblick auf die resultierenden Prävalenzraten sinnvolle, allgemein anerkannte Diagnosekriterien essenziell.
Is a specific disorder of arithmetic skills as common as reading/spelling disorder?Background: Referring to the prevalence rates of learning disorders in the research literature, the numbers of mathematics disorder and reading/ spelling disorder are often reported to be identical. However, the correlation between intelligence level and reading/ spelling skills is much weaker than between intelligence and arithmetic skills. If the same definition criterion is applied to both disorders, a lower prevalence rate for mathematics disorder should be expected. Objective: Are there differences in the prevalence estimates for learning disorders depending on the definition criterion? Method: A large representative sample of German students (N = 1970) was used to review the hypothesis. Results: Depending on the definition criterion, we could show a prevalence range of mathematics disorder between 0.1% and 8.1% in the same sample. Using the same definition criterion for both learning disorders, there are two to three times as many students with reading/spelling disorder than those with mathematics disorder. Discussion: Whenever children with reading/spelling disorder are compared to children with mathematics disorder, the same definition criterion has to be applied.
Enuresis
(2008)
Die meisten Kinder werden mit 2 bis 4 Jahren am Tage und in der Nacht trocken. Gemäß den klinisch- diagnostischen Leitlinien der ICD-10 (WHO 1993) spricht man von einer Enuresis, wenn es am Tag oder in der Nacht zu einem Entleeren der Blase in die Kleidung bzw. das Bett kommt, die relativ zum geistigen Entwicklungsstand der Person abnorm ist und nicht auf organische Ursachen zurückgeführt werden kann. Die Störungen der Blasenkontrolle dürfen nicht als Folge einer neurologischen Erkrankung, epileptischer Anfälle oder einer strukturellen Anomalie der ableitenden Harnwege auftreten. Gemäß den Forschungskriterien der ICD-10 (WHO 1994) muss das einnässende Kind nach seinem Lebens- und geistigen Alter mindestens 5 Jahre alt sein, um von einer nichtorganischen Enuresis (F 98.0) zu sprechen (in den klinisch-diagnostischen Leitlinien wird ein geistiger Entwicklungsstand gefordert, der mindestens dem eines Vierjährigen entspricht). Um die Diagnose zu erhalten, müssen Kinder unter 7 Jahren zumindest 2mal monatlich, 7-jährige oder ältere Kinder wenigstens einmal im Monat einnässen. Die Symptomdauer sollte mindestens 3 Monate betragen. In der Literatur wird synonym zum Begriff der "nichtorganischen Enuresis" häufig die Bezeichnung "funktionelle Enuresis" verwendet. Auch nach dem DSM-IV (Saß et al. 1996) sollten die Kinder für die Diagnose einer Enuresis (307.6) zumindest ein Entwicklungsalter von 5 Jahren aufweisen und die Symptomatik muss wenigstens seit 3 Monaten bestehen. Im Unterschied zur ICD-10 wird das Einnässen erst dann als klinisch bedeutsam beurteilt, wenn es mindestens 2mal wöchentlich auftritt. Ist dies nicht gegeben, kann die Diagnose dennoch gestellt werden, wenn durch das Einnässen klinisch bedeutsames Leiden hervorgerufen wird oder Beeintraechtigungen in sozialen, schulischen (beruflichen) oder anderen wichtigen Funktionsbereichen entstehen. Die Forderung eines 2mal wöchentlichen Einnässens erscheint deutlich zu streng, während das ein- bzw. 2malige Einnässen pro Monat ein sehr weiches Kriterium darstellt. V. Gontard (1998b) empfiehlt, Einnässen dann als klinisch bedeutsam einzuschätzen, wenn dies mindestens einmal wöchentlich auftritt.
Interindividual variability in the regulation of the human stress system accounts for a part of the individual's liability to stress-related diseases. These differences are influenced by environmental and genetic factors. Early childhood adversity is a well-studied environmental factor affecting an individual's stress response which has been shown to be modulated by gene environment interaction (GxE). Neuropeptide Y (NPY) plays a role in stress regulation and genetic variation in NPY may influence stress responses. In this study, we analyzed the association of a common variant in the NPY gene promoter, rs16147, with cortisol and ACTH responses to acute psychosocial stress in young adults from the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk (MARS), an ongoing epidemiological cohort study following the outcome of early adversity from birth into adulthood. We found evidence of a GxE interaction between rs16147 and early adversity significantly affecting HPA axis responses to acute psychosocial stress. These findings suggest that the neurobiological mechanisms linking early adverse experience and later neuroendocrine stress regulation are modulated by a gene variant whose functional relevance is documented by increasing convergent evidence from in vitro, animal and human studies.
Lower P300 amplitude in eight-year-old offspring of alcoholic fathers with a delinquent history
(2006)
The aim of the present study was to investigate the P300 amplitude as a possible vulnerability marker in children of alcoholic (COA) fathers with and without paternal delinquency. Event-related potentials (ERPs) of 122 children aged 8 years (63 boys, 59 girls) were compared depending on father's alcoholism subtype: 30 COAs without paternal delinquency, 10 COAs with paternal delinquency, and 82 children of non-alcoholic and non-delinquent fathers. ERPs were recorded from Fz, Cz, and Pz, using an auditory oddball paradigm. Sinus tones of 60 dB HL were presented binaurally at 1,000 Hz (standard stimulus) and 2,000 Hz (target stimulus), at a relative frequency ratio of 80:20. Two trial blocks of 250 stimuli each were collected. Results indicated that only COAs with paternal delinquency displayed significant differences from the control group, characterized by reduced P300 amplitude at frontal site and in the second trial block. Thus, the combination of fathers' alcoholism and delinquency was more likely to relate to attenuated P300 amplitude in the offspring than paternal alcoholism alone. Our results suggest that both alcoholic and delinquent family history appear to play a role in P300 amplitude reduction in the offspring.
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.
EEG coherence analysis for examining an automatizational deficit in dyslexia - a pilot study Objectives: Do dyslexic children exhibit a general automatizational deficit as well as a phonological deficit? Methods: In 1,6 children aged 9-11 years the reaction time, the number of mistakes and EEG (19 scalp electrodes) were measured in three experiments (verbal and nonverbal). The EEG data was baseline-corrected and after a fast fourier transformation, analyzed with the coherence tool of the Brainvision(C) Software. Results: The dyslexic group made more mistakes than the control group on all tasks but their reaction times were significantly longer only on the verbal tasks. There were no coherence differences on the nonverbal task. On the language-dependent tasks the dyslexics showed higher total-frontal and lower left-frontal coherences only in the theta-frequency range, while in the alpha and beta frequency ranges coherences did not differ. Conclusions: A language-dependent cognitive automatizational deficit in the dyslexic group is assumed that is depicted by the higher synchronization of total-frontal coherences (involvement of the central executive) and is based on the less established functional coupling of cortical subsystems for language processing
Entwicklung und Persistenz von Hell- und Dunkelfelddelinquenz im Jugend- und frühen Erwachsenenalter
(2002)
Ziel der Untersuchung war die Bedeutung der Dunkelfelddelinquenz für die Prognose der Delinquenzentwicklung und die Bedeutung psychiatrischer Auffälligkeiten für Entstehen und Verlauf psychischer Störungen zu klären. Die Stichprobe bestand aus 281 25-Jährigen, die im Alter von 8, 13 und 18 Jahren psychiatrisch untersucht, und die mit 18 und 25 Jahren bezüglich ihrer Dunkelfelddelinquenz befragt worden waren. Es ergab sich ein klarer Zusammenhang erhöhter Dunkelfelddelinquenzraten mit gerichtlich bestrafter Delinquenz im Jugendalter. Bei Einbeziehung der Dunkelfelddelinquenz in die Prognose mußte die Wahrscheinlichkeit für den Ausblick auf delinquenten Karrieren von 76 % auf 44 % nach unten korrigiert werden, entsprechend stieg der Anteil von erwachsener als auch fortgesetzter Delinquenz. Die Mehrheit der später gerichtlich bestraften Jugendlichen und jungen Erwachsenen war im Alter von 8 und 13 Jahren psychiatrisch unauffällig gewesen. Als überlegene Prädiktoren stellten sich umschriebene Entwicklungsstörungen und widrige familiäre Bedingungen im Grund- und Hauptschulalter heraus. Als Konsequenz muß die Dunkelfelddelinquenz bei der Verlaufsprognose delinquenten Verhaltens im Jugendalter berücksichtigt werden. Präventive Überlegungen müssen sich auf Kinder mit umschriebenen Entwicklungsstörungen und solche, die in widrigen familiären Verhältnissen leben, mehr konzentrieren als auf Kinder mit hyperkinetischen und dissozialen Störungen. Schlüsselwörter: Delinquenz, Dunkelfelddelinquenz, Entwicklung und Verlauf
Es werden Befunde aus einer prospektiven Laengsschnittstudie praesentiert, in der 321 Probanden im Alter von 8, 13, 18 und 25 Jahren untersucht werden konnten; ihre Dunkelfelddelinquenz wurde mit 18 und 25 Jahren erfasst. Wir suchten nach Assoziationen zur Delinquenzentwicklung und erwarteten Unterschiede zwischen auf das Jugendalter beschraenkter gegenueber ins fruehe Erwachsenenalter fortgesetzter sowie spaet, d.h. nach dem Alter von 18 Jahren, beginnender Delinquenz. Wir fanden gemeinsame Risikofaktoren und fuer die drei Verlaufstypen spezifische Risikokonstellationen, die eher im Jugendalter als in der Kindheit identifiziert wurden. Widrige familiaere Bedingungen, Entwicklungsverzoegerungen und psychische Stoerungen scheinen mit Delinquenz als eher persistentem Verhalten assoziiert.
Aims: To investigate whether concurrent alcohol and tobacco use during early adolescence characterizes a subgroup that differs from users of one substance only regarding several risk factors for later substance use problems. Methods: Participants were from a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 384 children at risk for later psychopathology, with the majority being born with obstetric complications and psychosocial adversities. Assessments of adolescent drug consumption and related intrapersonal characteristics were obtained at age 15. Results: Compared to consumers of alcohol only, 15-year-olds drinking and smoking during the same time period (past 4 weeks) had significantly higher levels of consumption and more excessive use of alcohol, started drinking at an earlier age, had higher scores on the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, and more cannabis use. This group could be distinguished from users of alcohol only by higher novelty seeking and more positive alcohol effect expectancies. Compared to consumers of tobacco only, concurrent users reported higher nicotine dependence and more cannabis use. No significant differences were observed regarding frequency and age at initiation of tobacco use, tobacco-related sensitivity, self- efficacy and instrumentality as well as novelty seeking. Conclusions: Concurrent alcohol and tobacco use during early adolescence is associated with characteristics that are well known as risk factors for later alcohol use problems and dependence and that should be targeted by prevention programs.
Maternal stimulation in infancy predicts hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis reactivity in young men
(2013)
Evidence from animal research has demonstrated the effect of early maternal care on the offspring's endocrine and behavioral stress response in adulthood. The present prospective study investigates, in humans, the long-term impact of maternal responsiveness and stimulation during early mother-child interaction on adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol response to a psychosocial laboratory stressor in adulthood. The data are from an epidemiological cohort study of the long-term outcome of early risk factors assessed at birth. At age 3 months, mothers and infants were videotaped during a 10-min standardized nursing and playing situation and evaluated by trained raters for maternal stimulation and infant and maternal responsiveness. At age 19 years, 270 participants (146 females, 124 males) completed the Trier Social Stress Test. The results indicated that less maternal stimulation during early interaction at age 3 months predicted diminished plasma ACTH and cortisol increase in response to acute psychosocial stress in male, but not female offspring. In contrast, maternal responsiveness was found to be unrelated to hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) reactivity. In accordance with the findings from animal research, the present study provides prospective evidence in humans of a long-term association between early maternal interaction behavior and the offspring's hormonal stress response in young adulthood, suggesting that poor maternal stimulation in early infancy may result in reduced HPA axis reactivity to an acute psychosocial stressor in males.
Evidence from animal research has revealed that less maternal care results in disturbed emotionality in the offspring. In the present study, the long-term impact of maternal responsiveness and stimulation during early mother child interaction on depressive psychopathology was examined until adulthood. Data are from an epidemiological cohort study of the long-term outcome of early risk factors assessed at birth. At age 3 months, mothers and infants were videotaped during a nursing and playing situation. Maternal responsiveness and stimulation as well as infant responsiveness were evaluated by trained raters. At age 19 years, 314 participants (145 males, 169 females) were characterized on measures of depression through interview and questionnaire. In addition, measures of depression and anxiety were available from assessments in childhood. Results indicated that less maternal stimulation during early interaction was associated with a higher risk of depression in the offspring until the age of 19 years. In addition, children of less stimulating mothers showed more depressive symptoms at age 19 years and displayed more anxiety and depressive symptoms between the ages of 4.5 and 15 years. In contrast, maternal responsiveness was unrelated to children's outcome. In accordance with findings from animal research, the present study provides first longitudinal evidence in humans of a continuous and long-term influence of early maternal interaction behavior on the offspring's psychological adjustment until adulthood. The results suggest that the amount of maternally initiated contact behavior in a very early developmental stage may be crucial for children's mental health, regardless of child and maternal responsiveness.
Recent evidence suggests that heterogeneity in the age at onset could explain the inconsistent findings of association studies relating the dopamine transporter (DAT1) gene with alcohol and nicotine consumption. The aim of this study was to examine interactions between two DAT1 polymorphisms and different initiation ages with regard to alcohol and tobacco consumption levels and dependence. Two hundred and ninety-one young adults (135 males, 156 females) participating in the Mannheim Study of Children at Risk were genotyped for the 40-bp variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR) and rs27072 polymorphisms of DAT1. Age at initiation was assessed at age 15 and 19 years. Information about current alcohol and tobacco consumption was obtained at age 19 years using self-report measures and structured interviews. Results suggest that age at onset of intensive consumption moderated the association of the DAT1 gene with early adult substance use and dependence, revealing a DAT1 effect only among individuals homozygous for the 10r allele of the 40-bp VNTR who had started daily smoking or being intoxicated early in life. Equally, carriers of the T allele of the rs27072 polymorphism reporting an early age at first intoxication showed higher current alcohol consumption at age 19 years. In contrast, no interaction between rs27072 and the age at first cigarette with regard to later smoking was observed. These findings provide evidence that the DAT1 gene interacts with an early heavy or regular drug exposure of the maturing adolescent brain to predict substance (ab)use in young adulthood. Further studies are required to confirm these findings.
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.
Recent longitudinal studies have indicated that affective and behavioral dysregulation in childhood is associated with an increased risk for various negative outcomes in later life. However, few studies to date have examined early mechanisms preceding dysregulation during early childhood. Aim of this study was to elucidate early mechanisms relating to dysregulation in later life using data from an epidemiological cohort study on the long-term outcome of early risk factors from birth to adulthood. At age 3 months, mothers and infants were videotaped during a nursing and playing situation. Maternal responsiveness was evaluated by trained raters. Infant regulatory problems were assessed on the basis of a parent interview and direct observation by trained raters. At age 8 and 11 years, 290 children (139 males) were rated on the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Additionally, participants were genotyped for the dopamine D4 receptor (DRD4) exon 3 VNTR polymorphism. A significant three-way interaction between maternal responsiveness, DRD4 genotype and infant regulatory problems was detected predicting the CBCL-dysregulation profile (CBCL-DP). Carriers of the DRD4 7r allele with regulatory problems at age 3 months showed significantly more behavior problems associated with the CBCL-DP during childhood when exposed to less maternal responsiveness. In contrast, no effect of maternal responsiveness was observed in DRD4 7r carriers without infant regulatory problems and in non-carriers of the DRD4 7r allele. This prospective longitudinal study extends earlier findings regarding the association of the CBCL-DP with early parenting and later psychopathology, introducing both DRD4 genotype and infant regulatory problems as important moderators. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Background:
Children’s spontaneous focusing on numerosity (SFON) is related to numerical skills. This study aimed to examine (1) the developmental trajectory of SFON and (2) the interrelations between SFON and early numerical skills at pre-school as well as their influence on arithmetical skills at school.
Method:
Overall, 1868 German pre-school children were repeatedly assessed until second grade. Nonverbal intelligence, visual attention, visuospatial working memory, SFON and numerical skills were assessed at age five (M = 63 months, Time 1) and age six (M = 72 months, Time 2), and arithmetic was assessed at second grade (M = 95 months, Time 3).
Results:
SFON increased significantly during pre-school. Path analyses revealed interrelations between SFON and several numerical skills, except number knowledge. Magnitude estimation and basic calculation skills (Time 1 and Time 2), and to a small degree number knowledge (Time 2), contributed directly to arithmetic in second grade. The connection between SFON and arithmetic was fully mediated by magnitude estimation and calculation skills at pre-school.
Conclusion:
Our results indicate that SFON first and foremost influences deeper understanding of numerical concepts at pre-school and—in contrast to previous findings –affects only indirectly children’s arithmetical development at school.
The psycho-social development of both preterm and term children (n=347) whose mothers reported tocolytic treatment was assessed at the ages of 2, 4.5, 8 years. Term children exposed to tocolysis showed a higher rate of psychiatric disorders as well as poorer cognitive and motor performance than controls. In the preterm children no adverse impact of tocolysis could be found. The results are discussed concerning possible ways in which tocolytic treatment may influence child development. Restrictions because of the preliminary character of this study and the need of further prospective studies to clarify the developmental impact of tocolysis are also considered.
Objective: The delineation of developmental pathways to juvenile depressive symptoms is of major clinical interest because these are known to be predictive for adult mood disorders and for a range of other mental health problems. This study investigates the impact of child temperament and early maternal distress, both of which are known to influence children's emotional development, on preadolescent depression. Methods: In a prospective, longitudinal at-risk sample (163 boys, 178 girls), we assessed temperament at the age of 3 months and at 2 years, 4.5 years, and 8 years, respectively, and chronic maternal distress during infancy. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to investigate the prediction of depressive symptoms at the age of 11 years measured by the Child Depression Inventory. In addition, we controlled for psychosocial and obstetric perinatal risks and gender. Results: Psychosocial risks and self-control temperament made significant independent contributions to preadolescent depression, whereas fearful, difficult temperament and obstetric risks were unrelated to depressive outcome. Interestingly, a clear gender difference emerged with a significant prediction from maternal distress only in girls. Conclusions: Our data extend previous findings of a concurrent association between regulative temperament and juvenile depression to a predictive view. Furthermore, the results point toward gender-specific pathways to preadolescent depression and support earlier findings indicating that subclinical maternal distress may exert as detrimental effects on child development as clinical depression.
Objective: A difficult or undercontrolled temperament, as well as harsh parental discipline or a lack of warmth, has long been regarded as risk factors for the development of externalizing problems. In addition, it has been suggested that children with difficult temperament are especially susceptible to rearing influences. We investigated the impact of early temperament and parenting and their interactions on externalizing behavior at school age.
Methods: Participants were 148 boys and 160 girls from a prospective longitudinal study on a high-risk sample. At ages 3 months and 2 years, temperament was assessed by a highly structured parent interview and standardized behavioral observations. Maternal parenting was assessed by videotaped behavioral observation and a parent questionnaire. Externalizing problems at age 8 years were measured by the Child Behavior Checklist.
Results: Using hierarchical linear regression analyses, we found that externalizing problems were predicted by psychosocial adversity and poor self-control, whereas no main effect for restrictive parenting or maternal empathy was found. Fearful-inhibited boys were positively affected by empathic and sensitive parenting, whereas girls who were low in self-control and/or fearful developed less externalizing problems with restrictive parenting.
Conclusion: Our results partly support the differential susceptibility hypothesis. In addition, they point toward gender-specific pathways in the development of externalizing problems.
Objective: Despite theoretical discrepancies between different concepts of temperament, some core dimensions are thought to be common to the various models. We compared temperamental traits derived from the New York Longitudinal Study (NYLS) model and the Cloninger dimensions in the developmental course and investigated the associations of temperament with sex as well as with obstetric risks or psychosocial risks present at birth. - Methods: Participants were 151 boys and 157 girls born at differing degrees of obstetric and psychosocial risk from a longitudinal study on a high-risk community sample. In infancy and childhood, NYLS-derived temperamental characteristics were assessed by a highly structured parent interview and standardized behavioral observations. At age 15 years, the Junior Temperament and Character Inventory/1218 was administered. - Results: Moderate correlations were found between Junior Temperament and Character Inventory scales in adolescence and NYLS-derived factors in childhood. The psychosocial risk load seemed to influence the expression of novelty seeking or corresponding NYLS-derived factors, whereas the obstetric risks did not contribute to variation in temperament. Our findings further support highly sex-specific gene x environment interactions on temperament in the developmental course. - Conclusion: The content of our NYLS-derived factors and the specific type of association across different temperament constructs fit into the increasing consensus regarding a small number of higher-order temperamental traits. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
In a high-risk community sample, we examined the role of regulative temperament and emotionality as well as the extent of gender specificity in the development of externalizing problems. 151 boys and 157 girls born at differing degrees of obstetric and psychosocial risk were followed from birth into adolescence. In infancy and childhood, NYLS- derived temperamental characteristics were assessed by a highly structured parent interview and standardized behavioral observations. At age 15 years, externalizing problems were measured by the Child Behavior Checklist. As revealed by multiple linear regression and logistic regression, low regulative abilities predicted adolescent behavioral and attentional problems over and above obstetric and psychosocial risks. Gender specificity was found in the strength of the association rather than in the kind with a stronger long-term prediction from infant and toddler temperament in girls. Compared to regulative abilities, temperament factors describing aspects of mood and fear/withdrawal versus approach tendencies played a minor role in the development of externalizing problems. Findings are discussed in terms of gender-specific risk factors and possible differential developmental trajectories to subtypes of disruptive behavior.
Objective: We investigated in a high-risk sample the differential impact of biological and psychosocial risk factors on antisocial behaviour pathways. Method: One hundred and thirty-eight boys and 155 girls born at differing degrees of obstetric and psychosocial risk were examined from birth until adolescence. Childhood temperament was assessed by a highly-structured parent-interview and standardized behavioural observations, adolescent temperament was measured by self-report. Neurodevelopmental variables were assessed by age-specific developmental tests. Emotional and behaviour problems were measured at the ages of 8 and 15 by the Achenbach scales. Results: In both genders, psychosocial adversity and early self-control temperament were strongly associated with early-onset persistent (EOP) antisocial behaviour. Psychosocial adversity and more severe externalizing problems differentiated the EOP from childhood-limited (CL) pathway. In girls, adolescent-onset (AO) antisocial behaviour was strongly associated with novelty seeking at 15 years. Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the need for early support and intervention in psychosocially disadvantaged families.
Child regulative temperament as a mediator of parenting in the development of depressive symptoms
(2017)
Child temperament as well as parenting behaviors have been linked to adolescent depression. Beyond their main effects, the interplay between these factors is of interest. For example, in an interactive model, a differential susceptibility of temperamental variants to parenting has been suggested. However, so far, the differential susceptibility hypothesis has mostly been studied with a focus on externalizing disorders. On the other hand, parenting may shape the child’s temperament and vice versa in a transactional process. In a prospective, longitudinal at-risk sample (163 boys, 176 girls), we assessed emotional (easy–difficult) and regulative (self-control) temperament at ages 4.5, and 8 years, respectively, as well as parenting quality at age 4.5 years using the HOME inventory. Hierarchical linear regression analysis was used to investigate the prediction of depressive symptoms at age 11, measured by the Child Depression Inventory, including interaction terms between the temperament variable and parenting. We additionally tested whether parenting was mediated by child temperament. As previously reported, both self-control and parenting were longitudinally associated with preadolescent depressive symptoms. There were no interactive effects between temperament and parenting. However, the effects of parenting were partly mediated by self-control. Our data do not support a differential susceptibility of temperamental variants in the development of preadolescent depression. However, our results are in line with the assumption that parenting may shape young children’s temperament, with positive parenting in the early childhood fostering the development of regulative temperament.
Ziel ist die Überprüfung der kurz- und mittelfristigen Wirksamkeit einer vorschulischen Förderung des Mengen- und Zahlenverständnisses bei Kindern mit einem Risiko für die Entwicklung einer Rechenstörung. Es wurden 32 Risikokinder mit einer Kombination aus den Förderprogrammen Mathematik im Vorschulalter und Mengen, zählen, Zahlen im letzten Kindergartenjahr von den Erzieherinnen trainiert und mit 38 untrainierten Risikokindern verglichen. Hinsichtlich der kurzfristigen Wirksamkeit zeigten sich positive Trainingseffekte auf die numerischen Leistungen im letzten Kindergartenjahr. Es ließen sich keine signifikanten mittelfristigen Trainingseffekte auf die Rechenleistungen im zweiten Halbjahr der 1. Klasse finden. Das eingesetzte vorschulische Präventionsprogramm leistete danach einen wichtigen Beitrag zur kurzfristigen Verbesserung der mathematischen Basiskompetenzen.
Reports of current ADHD symptoms in adults with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD are often discrepant: While one subgroup reports a particularly high level of current ADHD symptoms, another reports—in contrast—a very low level. The reasons for this difference remain unclear. Although sex might play a moderating role, it has not yet been examined in this regard. In an epidemiological cohort study from birth to young adulthood, childhood ADHD diagnoses were assessed at the ages of 4.5, 8, and 11 years based on parent ratings. Sex-specific development of ADHD symptoms was analyzed from the age of 15 to 25 years via self-reported ADHD symptoms in participants with (n = 47) and without childhood ADHD (n = 289) using a random coefficient regression model. The congruence between parent reports and adolescents’ self-ratings was examined, and the role of childhood ADHD diagnosis, childhood OCC/CD, and childhood internalizing disorder as possible sex-specific predictors of self-reported ADHD symptoms at age 25 years was investigated. With regard to self-reported ADHD symptoms, females with a childhood ADHD diagnosis reported significantly more ADHD symptoms compared to females without childhood ADHD and males with and without ADHD throughout adolescence and young adulthood. In contrast, males with childhood ADHD did not differ from control males either at age 15 or at age 25 years. Only in females did a childhood diagnosis of an externalizing disorder (ADHD and CD/ODD) predict self-reported ADHD symptoms by age 25 years. Our findings suggest that self-reports of young adults with a childhood diagnosis of ADHD are influenced by sex. Specifically, females with childhood ADHD report increased levels of ADHD symptoms upon reaching adulthood. To correctly evaluate symptoms and impairment in this subgroup, other, more objective, sources of information may be advisable, such as neurophysiological measures.
To provide further insight into stress generation patterns in boys and girls around puberty, this study investigated longitudinal reciprocal relations between depressive symptoms, dysfunctional attitudes, and stress generation, the process by which individuals contribute to the occurrence of stress in interpersonal contexts (e.g., problematic social interactions) or in noninterpersonal contexts (e.g., achievement problems). A community sample of N = 924 German children and early adolescents (51.8% male) completed depressive symptoms and dysfunctional attitudes measures at T1 and again 20 months later (T2). Stressful life events were reported at T2. Dysfunctional attitudes were unrelated to stress generation. Interpersonal, but not noninterpersonal, dependent stress partially mediated the relationship between initial and later depressive symptoms, with girls being more likely to generate interpersonal stress in response to depressive symptoms. Findings underscore the role of interpersonal stress generation in the early development of depressive symptomatology, and in the gender difference in depression prevalence emerging around puberty.
In order to clarify further the role of Beck’s vulnerability-stress model in the early development of depression, this longitudinal study tested a threshold model of dysfunctional attitudes in children and adolescents. An initially asymptomatic sample of 889 youths aged 9–18 years completed measures of dysfunctional attitudes and depressive symptoms. Twenty months later, participants reported stressful life events and current depressive symptoms. Results support a threshold view of cognitive vulnerability as only dysfunctional attitudes above a certain threshold significantly interacted with life events to predict depressive symptoms. Thus, findings suggest that dysfunctional attitudes must exceed a certain threshold to confer vulnerability to depressive symptomatology in youth. The term “dysfunctional” might therefore only apply to higher levels of the “dysfunctional attitudes” proposed by A. T. Beck. Results also indicate that studies using non-clinical samples may systematically underestimate the effect of dysfunctional attitudes when relying on conventional linear methods.