Turning to the negative: attention allocation to emotional faces in adolescents with dysregulation profile—an event-related potential study

AbstractPatients with irritability, temper outbursts, hyperactivity and mood swings often meet the dysregulation profile (DP) of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) or the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), which have been investigated over the past few decades. While the DP has emerged as a transdiagnostic marker with a negative impact on therapeutic outcome and psychosocial functioning, little is known about its underlying mechanisms such as attention and emotion regulation processes. In this study, we tested whether adolescent psychiatric patients (n = 27) with the SDQ-DP show impaired emotional face processing for task-irrelevant stimuli compared to psychiatric patients without the SDQ-DP (n = 30) and non-clinical adolescents (n = 21). Facial processing was tested with event-related potential (ERP) measures known to be modulated by attention (i.e., P1, N1, N170, P2, and Nc) during a modified Attention Network Task, to which task-irrelevant emotional stimuli (sad, fearful, and neutral faces) were added prior to the actual trial. The results reveal group differences in the orienting and in the conflicting network. Patients with DP showed a less efficient orienting network and the clinical control group showed a less efficient conflicting network. Moreover, patients with the dysregulation profile had a shorter N1/N170 latency than did the two control groups, suggesting that dysregulation in adolescents is associated with a faster but less arousing encoding of (task-irrelevant) emotional information and less top-down control.

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Diagnose, indicate, and treat severe mental illness (DITSMI) as appropriate care: A three-year follow-up study in long-term residential psychiatric patients on the effects of re-diagnosis on medication prescription, patient functioning, and hospital bed utilization

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1192/j.eurpsy.2020.46 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 63 (1) ◽

Author(s):

H. M. Veereschild ◽

E. O. Noorthoorn ◽

H. L. I. Nijman ◽

C. L. Mulder ◽

M. Dankers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Illness ◽

Severe Mental Illness ◽

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Control Group ◽

Chi Square ◽

Medication Prescription ◽

Appropriate Care ◽

Severely Mentally Ill

Abstract Background. While polypharmacy is common in long-term residential psychiatric patients, prescription combinations may, from an evidence-based perspective, be irrational. Potentially, many psychiatric patients are treated on the basis of a poor diagnosis. We therefore evaluated the DITSMI model (i.e., Diagnose, Indicate, and Treat Severe Mental Illness), an intervention that involves diagnosis (or re-diagnosis) and appropriate treatment for severely mentally ill long-term residential psychiatric patients. Our main objective was to determine whether DITSMI affected changes over time regarding diagnoses, pharmacological treatment, psychosocial functioning, and bed utilization. Methods. DITSMI was implemented in a consecutive patient sample of 94 long-term residential psychiatric patients during a longitudinal cohort study without a control group. The cohort was followed for three calendar years. Data were extracted from electronic medical charts. As well as diagnoses, medication use and current mental status, we assessed psychosocial functioning using the Health of the Nations Outcome Scale (HoNOS). Bed utilization was assessed according to length of stay (LOS). Change was analyzed by comparing proportions of these data and testing them with chi-square calculations. We compared the numbers of diagnoses and medication changes, the proportions of HoNOS scores below cut-off, and the proportions of LOS before and after provision of the protocol. Results. Implementation of the DITSMI model was followed by different diagnoses in 49% of patients, different medication in 67%, some improvement in psychosocial functioning, and a 40% decrease in bed utilization. Conclusions. Our results suggest that DITSMI can be recommended as an appropriate care for all long-term residential psychiatric patients.

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Parent Reports of the Psychosocial Functioning of Children with Cleft Lip and/or Palate

The Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Journal ◽

10.1597/05-205 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 304-311 ◽

Cited By ~ 64

Author(s):

Orlagh Hunt ◽

Donald Burden ◽

Peter Hepper ◽

Mike Stevenson ◽

Chris Johnston

Keyword(s):

Behavioral Problems ◽

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

Child Behavior Checklist ◽

Cleft Lip ◽

Previous History ◽

Psychosocial Problems ◽

Self Esteem ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Control Group ◽

Cross Sectional

Objectives: (1) to determine the opinion of parents regarding the psychosocial functioning of their child with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP); (2) to identify predictors of psychosocial functioning; and (3) to determine the level of agreement between children with CLP and their parents. Participants: One hundred twenty-nine parents of children with CLP and 96 parents of children without CLP participated in this cross-sectional study. Outcome measures: Parental opinion of the child's self-esteem, anxiety, happiness, and problems caused by facial appearance were assessed using visual analogue scales. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist and were interviewed. Results: Children with CLP were more anxious (p < 0.05), less happy with their appearance (p < 0.001), and in general (p < 0.05) had lower self-esteem (p < 0.05) and greater behavioral problems (p < 0.001) compared with non-CLP children. Parents reported that their child with CLP was teased more often (p < 0.001) and was less satisfied with his/her speech (p < 0.01) compared with reports of parents in the control group. A number of factors affected parents’ ratings of their child's psychosocial functioning (presence of CLP, appearance happiness, previous history of CLP, and visibility of scar). Children who had been teased were more anxious (p ≤ 0.01), less happy with their appearance (p < 0.001) and had greater behavioral problems (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Parents of children with CLP reported various psychosocial problems among their children. Parents considered children who had been teased to have greater psychosocial problems.

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Automatic sensory information processing abnormalities across the illness course of schizophrenia

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291711001061 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 42 (1) ◽

pp. 85-97 ◽

Cited By ~ 112

Author(s):

C. Jahshan ◽

K. S. Cadenhead ◽

A. J. Rissling ◽

K. Kirihara ◽

D. L. Braff ◽

...

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

Negative Symptoms ◽

Sensory Information ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Oddball Paradigm ◽

Control Group ◽

Chronic Patients ◽

Sensory Discrimination ◽

Recent Onset

BackgroundDeficits in automatic sensory discrimination, as indexed by a reduction in the mismatch negativity (MMN) and P3a event-related potential amplitudes, are well documented in chronic schizophrenia. However, MMN and P3a have not been sufficiently studied early in the course of psychotic illness. The present study aimed to investigate MMN, P3a and reorienting negativity (RON) across the course of schizophrenia.MethodMMN, P3a, and RON were assessed in 118 subjects across four groups: (1) individuals at risk for psychosis (n=26); (2) recent-onset patients (n=31); (3) chronic patients (n=33); and (4) normal controls (n=28) using a duration-deviant auditory oddball paradigm.ResultsFrontocentral deficits in MMN and P3a were present in all patient groups. The at-risk group's MMN and P3a amplitudes were intermediate to those of the control and recent-onset groups. The recent-onset and chronic patients, but not the at-risk subjects, showed significant RON amplitude reductions, relative to the control group. Associations between MMN, P3a, RON and psychosocial functioning were present in the chronic patients. In the at-risk subjects, P3a and RON deficits were significantly associated with higher levels of negative symptoms.ConclusionsAbnormalities in the automatic processes of sensory discrimination, orienting and reorienting of attention are evident in the early phases of schizophrenia and raise the possibility of progressive worsening across stages of the illness. The finding that MMN and P3a, but not RON, were reduced before psychosis onset supports the continued examination of these components as potential early biomarkers of schizophrenia.

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The Effect of Cognitive Remediation Therapy on Social Skills in Institutionalized Elderly Patients with Schizophrenia

Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials ◽

10.2174/1574887112666170522142315 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (3) ◽

pp. 182-186 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Fatemeh Mohammadi ◽

Yadollah Abolfathi Momtaz ◽

Seyedeh Ameneh Motalebi ◽

Shahnaz Boosepasi

Keyword(s):

Social Skills ◽

Elderly Patients ◽

Behavioral Problems ◽

Psychiatric Patients ◽

Intervention Group ◽

Cognitive Remediation ◽

Control Group ◽

Cognitive Remediation Therapy ◽

Chi Square ◽

Institutionalized Elderly

Background: There are limited scientific investigations on cognitive remediation in elderly patients with schizophrenia. The present study was aimed to examine the efficacy of cognitive remediation therapy on social skills in institutionalized elderly patients with schizophrenia. Methods: The study employed a randomized clinical trial. A total of 60 institutionalized elderly patients with schizophrenia from Razi Psychiatric Hospital, Tehran were selected and randomly allocated into two equal groups (control and intervention). The intervention group attended to cognitive remediation therapy for 8 weeks. The Evaluation of Living Skills Scale for psychiatric patients was used for data collection. The Chi Square, independent and paired t-tests using SPSS, version 22, were employed to analyze the data. Results: The mean age of 60 elderly patients participated in the study was 65.25 ± 4.19 years. No significant differences were found between two groups at baseline. However, independent t-tests showed significant differences between the intervention and the control group in social skills after implementation of intervention. Additionally, the results of paired t-tests revealed significant improvements in intervention group on communication skills (t=5.50, p<0.001), behavioral problems with others (t=5.44, p<0.001), and self-care (t=4.70, p<0.001). No significant differences were observed from pretest to post test in control group. Conclusion: The results of the present study may support the efficacy of cognitive remediation therapy on social skills of elderly patients with schizophrenia.

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Exercise and Stevia Rebaudiana (R) Extracts Attenuate Diabetic Cardiomyopathy in Type 2 Diabetic Rats: Possible Underlying Mechanisms

Endocrine Metabolic & Immune Disorders - Drug Targets ◽

10.2174/1871530320666200420084444 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (7) ◽

pp. 1117-1132

Author(s):

Abdelaziz M. Hussein ◽

Elsayed A. Eid ◽

Ismaeel Bin-Jaliah ◽

Medhat Taha ◽

Lashin S. Lashin

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

Blood Glucose ◽

Diabetic Cardiomyopathy ◽

Caspase 3 ◽

Stevia Rebaudiana ◽

Diabetic Rats ◽

Control Group ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Type 2 Diabetic

Background and Aims: In the current work, we studied the effects of exercise and stevia rebaudiana (R) extracts on diabetic cardiomyopathy (DCM) in type 2 diabetic rats and their possible underlying mechanisms. Methods: : Thirty-two male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly allocated into 4 equal groups; a) normal control group, b) DM group, type 2 diabetic rats received 2 ml oral saline daily for 4 weeks, c) DM+ Exercise, type 2 diabetic rats were treated with exercise for 4 weeks and d) DM+ stevia R extracts: type 2 diabetic rats received methanolic stevia R extracts. By the end of the experiment, serum blood glucose, HOMA-IR, insulin and cardiac enzymes (LDH, CK-MB), cardiac histopathology, oxidative stress markers (MDA, GSH and CAT), myocardial fibrosis by Masson trichrome, the expression of p53, caspase-3, α-SMA and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) by immunostaining in myocardial tissues were measured. Results: T2DM caused a significant increase in blood glucose, HOMA-IR index, serum CK-MB and LDH, myocardial damage and fibrosis, myocardial MDA, myocardial α-SMA, p53, caspase-3, Nrf2 and TH density with a significant decrease in serum insulin and myocardial GSH and CAT (p< 0.05). On the other hand, treatment with either exercise or stevia R extracts significantly improved all studied parameters (p< 0.05). Moreover, the effects of stevia R was more significant than exercise (p< 0.05). Conclusion: Both exercise and methanolic stevia R extracts showed cardioprotective effects against DCM and Stevia R offered more cardioprotective than exercise. This cardioprotective effect of these lines of treatment might be due to attenuation of oxidative stress, apoptosis, sympathetic nerve density and fibrosis and upregulation of the antioxidant transcription factor, Nrf2.

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The Predictive Value of the Mother’s Risk Factors in Formation of Fetal Developmental Delay

Global Pediatric Health ◽

10.1177/2333794x21999149 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. 2333794X2199914

Author(s):

Maka Chigladze

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Pregnant Women ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Deficiency Anemia ◽

Control Group ◽

Case Group ◽

Retrospective Case ◽

Standards Of Living ◽

Poor Nutrition

The research aimed at studying the mother’s social-hygienic and medical biological risk factors and determining their predictive value. The retrospective case-control study was conducted with 142 pregnant women participating in it. In the case group there were involved 92 mothers whose pregnancy was completed by the birth of a newborn baby suffering from the intrauterine growth restriction. The control group was made of 50 pregnant women, whose pregnancy was completed by the birth of a healthy neonate. The research resulted in specifying the risk factors of high priority: the low standards of living (OR 3.61), chronic stress (OR-3.06), sleeping disorder (OR-3.33) and poor nutrition (OR-3.81). As regards the coexisting pathology the following was revealed: endocrine pathology (OR-3.27), ischemic heart disease (OR-4.35), arterial hypertension (OR-6.47), iron deficiency anemia (OR-4.11), pathology of respiratory system (OR-3.42), chronic genital inflammatory and infectious processes. The preeclampsia (92%) and low amniotic fluid (89%) were detected to have the high predictive value. The awareness of risk factors allows us to employ the timely measures for the reduction of negative impact on the fetus and neonate.

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Sleep behavior of infants with infantile hemangioma treated with propranolol—a cohort study

European Journal of Pediatrics ◽

10.1007/s00431-021-04147-3 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Martin Theiler ◽

Nicole Knöpfel ◽

Susanne von der Heydt ◽

Agnes Schwieger-Briel ◽

Isabelle Luchsinger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Sleep Quality ◽

Outcome Measures ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Behavioral Development ◽

Sleep Efficiency ◽

Sleep Pattern ◽

Control Group ◽

Infant Sleep ◽

Sleep Behavior

AbstractSleep problems are frequently reported in infants treated with propranolol for infantile hemangiomas, possibly serving as a marker for a negative impact on central nervous system function. In this cohort study, we objectively investigate the sleep behavior of infants with infantile hemangiomas on propranolol compared to a healthy, untreated control group. Sleep of propranolol-treated infants and controls was investigated using ankle actigraphy and a 24-h diary for 7–10 days at ages 3 and 6 months. The main outcome measures were the Number of Nighttime Awakenings and Sleep Efficiency. The main secondary outcome measures included 24-hour Total Sleep, daytime sleep behavior, and parent-rated infant sleep quality and behavioral development based on the Brief Infant Sleep Questionnaire (BISQ) and the age-appropriate Ages-and-Stages Questionnaire (ASQ), respectively. Fifty-four term-born infants were included in each cohort. No group difference in any investigated parameter was seen at age 3 months. At age 6 months, the propranolol group exhibited a decrease in Sleep Efficiency and a trend towards an increased Number of Nighttime Awakenings compared to the control group. Treated infants at 6 months also had shorter daytime waking periods. 24-hour Total Sleep was unaffected by propranolol. No negative impact of propranolol on subjective sleep quality and behavioral development was noted.Conclusion: Propranolol exerts a measurable yet mild impact on objectively assessed infants’ sleep measures. Behavioral developmental scores were unaffected. Our results support propranolol as first-line therapy for complicated infantile hemangiomas. What is Known:• Sleep disorders are frequently reported in infants with infantile hemangiomas treated with propranolol and often lead to treatment discontinuation.• Investigations of the sleep pattern in this patient group using objective measures are lacking. What is New:• The sleep pattern of propranolol-treated infants is assessed using actigraphy and a 24-h sleep diary and compared to healthy, untreated controls.• Propranolol leads to a decreased sleep efficiency at night and an increased demand of daytime sleep, yet effects are mild overall.

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Effects of multi-domain cognitive training on working memory retrieval in older adults: behavioral and ERP evidence from a Chinese community study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-79784-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Xiangfei Hong ◽

You Chen ◽

Jijun Wang ◽

Yuan Shen ◽

Qingwei Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Working Memory ◽

Training Program ◽

Cognitive Training ◽

Local Community ◽

Training Group ◽

Event Related Potential ◽

Control Group ◽

Baseline Session

AbstractWorking memory (WM) is a fundamental cognitive function that typically declines with age. Previous studies have shown that targeted WM training has the potential to improve WM performance in older adults. In the present study, we investigated whether a multi-domain cognitive training program that was not designed to specifically target WM could improve the behavioral performance and affect the neural activity during WM retrieval in healthy older adults. We assigned healthy older participants (70–78 years old) from a local community into a training group who completed a 3-month multi-domain cognitive training and a control group who only attended health education lectures during the same period. Behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) data were recorded from participants while performing an untrained delayed match or non-match to category task and a control task at a pre-training baseline session and a post-training follow-up session. Behaviorally, we found that participants in the training group showed a trend toward greater WM performance gains than participants in the control group. Event-related potential (ERP) results suggest that the task-related modulation of P3 during WM retrieval was significantly enhanced at the follow-up session compared with the baseline session, and importantly, this enhancement of P3 modulation was only significant in the training group. Furthermore, no training-related effects were observed for the P2 or N2 component during WM retrieval. These results suggest that the multi-domain cognitive training program that was not designed to specifically target WM is a promising approach to improve WM performance in older adults, and that training-related gains in performance are likely mediated by an enhanced modulation of P3 which might reflect the process of WM updating.

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Generalized Joint Hypermobility and Anxiety in Adolescents and Young Adults, the Impact on Physical and Psychosocial Functioning

Healthcare ◽

10.3390/healthcare9050525 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 525

Author(s):

Janneke de Vries ◽

Jeanine Verbunt ◽

Janine Stubbe ◽

Bart Visser ◽

Stephan Ramaekers ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Psychosocial Functioning ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Pain Catastrophizing ◽

Joint Hypermobility ◽

Adolescents And Young Adults ◽

P Value ◽

High Performing ◽

Generalized Joint Hypermobility ◽

The Impact

The purpose of this study was to study the association between the presence of generalized joint hypermobility (GJH) and anxiety within a non-clinical high performing group of adolescents and young adults. Second, to study the impact of GJH and/or anxiety on physical and psychosocial functioning, 168 adolescents and young adults (mean (SD) age 20 (2.9)) were screened. Joint (hyper)mobility, anxiety, and physical and psychosocial functioning were measured. In 48.8% of all high performing adolescents and young adults, GJH was present, whereas 60% had symptoms of anxiety. Linear models controlled for confounders showed that adolescents and young adults with GJH and anxiety had decreased workload (ß (95%CI) −0.43 (−0.8 to −0.08), p-value 0.02), increased fatigue (ß (95%CI) 12.97 (6.3–19.5), p-value < 0.01), and a higher level of pain catastrophizing (ß (95%CI) 4.5 (0.5–8.6), p-value 0.03). Adolescents and young adults with only anxiety had increased fatigue (ß (95%CI) 11 (4.9–19.5). In adolescents and young adults with GJH alone, no impact on physical and psychosocial functioning was found. Adolescents and young adults with the combination of GJH and anxiety were significantly more impaired, showing decreased physical and psychosocial functioning with decreased workload, increased fatigue, and pain catastrophizing. Presence of GJH alone had no negative impact on physical and psychosocial functioning. This study confirms the association between GJH and anxiety, but especially emphasizes the disabling role of anxiety. Screening for anxiety is relevant in adolescents and young adults with GJH and might influence tailored interventions.

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Efficacy of the Treatment of Developmental Language Disorder: A Systematic Review

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11030407 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 407

Author(s):

Sara Rinaldi ◽

Maria Cristina Caselli ◽

Valentina Cofelice ◽

Simonetta D’Amico ◽

Anna Giulia De Cagno ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Language Disorder ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Receptive Vocabulary ◽

Primary School Children ◽

Control Group ◽

Developmental Language Disorder ◽

Expressive Vocabulary ◽

Phonological Skills ◽

Syntactic Skills ◽

Positive Effect

Background. Language disorder is the most frequent developmental disorder in childhood and it has a significant negative impact on children’s development. The goal of the present review was to systematically analyze the effectiveness of interventions in children with developmental language disorder (DLD) from an evidence-based perspective. Methods. We considered systematic reviews, meta-analyses of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), control group cohort studies on any type of intervention aimed at improving children’s skills in the phono-articulatory, phonological, semantic-lexical, and morpho-syntactic fields in preschool and primary school children (up to eight years of age) that were diagnosed with DLD. We identified 27 full-length studies, 26 RCT and one review. Results. Early intensive intervention in three- and four-year-old children has a positive effect on phonological expressive and receptive skills and acquisitions are maintained in the medium term. Less evidence is available on the treatment of expressive vocabulary (and no evidence on receptive vocabulary). Intervention on morphological and syntactic skills has effective results on expressive (but not receptive) skills; however, a number of inconsistent results have also been reported. Only one study reports a positive effect of treatment on inferential narrative skills. Limited evidence is also available on the treatment of meta-phonological skills. More studies investigated the effectiveness of interventions on general language skills, which now appears as a promising area of investigation, even though results are not all consistent. Conclusions. The effectiveness of interventions over expressive and receptive phonological skills, morpho-syntactic skills, as well as inferential skills in narrative context underscores the importance that these trainings be implemented in children with DLD.

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