scholarly journals What life course theoretical models best explain the relationship between exposure to childhood adversity and psychopathology symptoms: recency, accumulation, or sensitive periods?

2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (15) ◽  
pp. 2562-2572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin C. Dunn ◽  
Thomas W. Soare ◽  
Miriam R. Raffeld ◽  
Daniel S. Busso ◽  
Katherine M. Crawford ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Emotional Abuse ◽  
Financial Stress ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Sensitive Periods ◽  
Legal Problems ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Psychopathology Symptoms

BackgroundAlthough childhood adversity is a potent determinant of psychopathology, relatively little is known about how the characteristics of adversity exposure, including its developmental timing or duration, influence subsequent mental health outcomes. This study compared three models from life course theory (recency, accumulation, sensitive period) to determine which one(s) best explained this relationship.MethodsProspective data came from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n= 7476). Four adversities commonly linked to psychopathology (caregiver physical/emotional abuse; sexual/physical abuse; financial stress; parent legal problems) were measured repeatedly from birth to age 8. Using a statistical modeling approach grounded in least angle regression, we determined the theoretical model(s) explaining the most variability (r2) in psychopathology symptoms measured at age 8 using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and evaluated the magnitude of each association.ResultsRecencywas the best fitting theoretical model for the effect of physical/sexual abuse (girlsr2= 2.35%; boysr2= 1.68%). Bothrecency(girlsr2= 1.55%) andaccumulation(boysr2= 1.71%) were the best fitting models for caregiver physical/emotional abuse.Sensitive periodmodels were chosen alone (parent legal problems in boysr2= 0.29%) and withaccumulation(financial stress in girlsr2= 3.08%) more rarely. Substantial effect sizes were observed (standardized mean differences = 0.22–1.18).ConclusionsChild psychopathology symptoms are primarily explained by recency and accumulation models. Evidence for sensitive periods did not emerge strongly in these data. These findings underscore the need to measure the characteristics of adversity, which can aid in understanding disease mechanisms and determining how best to reduce the consequences of exposure to adversity.

scholarly journals DNA methylation partially mediates the relationship between childhood adversity and depressive symptoms in adolescence

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke J. Smith ◽  
Alexandre A Lussier ◽  
Janine Cerutti ◽  
Daniel J. Schaid ◽  
Andrew J. Simpkin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dna Methylation ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Adolescent Depression ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Cpg Sites ◽  
Cpg Site ◽  
Sensitive Periods ◽  
The Relationship

Background: Exposure to adversity during childhood is estimated to at least double the risk of depression later in life. Some evidence suggests childhood adversity may have a greater impact on depression risk, if experienced during specific windows of development called sensitive periods. During these sensitive periods, there is evidence that adversity may leave behind biological memories, including changes in DNA methylation (DNAm). Here we ask if those changes play a role in the link between adversity and later adolescent depressive symptoms. Methods: We applied a method for high-dimensional mediation analysis using data from a subsample (n=627-675) of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. We first assessed the possibility of time-dependent relationships between seven types of childhood adversity (caregiver abuse, physical/sexual abuse, maternal psychopathology, one-adult household, family instability, financial stress, neighborhood disadvantage), measured on at least four occasions between ages 0-7 years, and adolescent depression at mean age 10.6. Specifically, we considered three types of life course hypotheses (sensitive periods, accumulation, and recency), and then evaluated which of these hypotheses had the strongest association in each adversity-adolescent depression relationship using the structured life course modeling approach (SLCMA; pronounced slick-mah). To conduct the mediation analyses, we used a combination of pruning and sure independence screening (a dimension reduction method) to reduce the number of methylated CpG sites under consideration to a viable subset for our sample size. We then applied a sparse group lasso penalized model to identify the top mediating loci from that subset using the combined strength of the coefficient measuring the relationship between the childhood adversity and a CpG site (α) and of the coefficient measuring the relationship between the CpG site and depressive symptoms (β) as a metric. Using a Monte Carlo method for assessing mediation (MCMAM), we assigned a significance level and confidence interval to each identified mediator. Results: Across all seven adversities, we identified a total of 70 CpG sites that showed evidence of mediating the relationship between adversity and adolescent depression symptoms. Of these 70 mediators, 37 were significant at the p < 0.05 level when applying the MCMAM, a method tailored to estimating the significance of SEM-derived mediation effects. These sites exhibited four different mediating patterns, differentiated by the direction of α and β. These patterns had signals that were: (1) both positive (19 loci), (2) both negative (18 loci), (3) positive α and negative β (23 loci) or (4) negative α and positive β (10 loci). Conclusion: Our results suggest that DNAm partially mediates the relationship between different types of childhood adversity and depressive symptoms in adolescence. These findings provide insight into the biological mechanisms that link childhood adversity to depression, which will ultimately help develop treatments to prevent depression in more vulnerable populations.

scholarly journals Examining the epigenetic mechanisms of childhood adversity and sensitive periods: a gene set-based approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yiwen Zhu ◽  
Alexandre A Lussier ◽  
Andrew D.A.C. Smith ◽  
Andrew J. Simpkin ◽  
Matthew J. Suderman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Epigenetic Mechanisms ◽  
Early Life Adversity ◽  
Linear Discriminant ◽  
Gene Set ◽  
Sensitive Periods

Background: Sensitive periods are developmental stages of heightened plasticity when exposure to childhood adversity may exert lasting impacts. A few biological pathways are known to play key roles in regulating sensitive period plasticity across brain development. Epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation (DNAm) may provide a means through which life experiences during sensitive periods induce long-term biological changes. In the current study, we investigated the possibility that adversity during sensitive periods led to DNAm changes in genes that regulate the timing and duration of sensitive periods in development. Methods: Using childhood adversity data and genome-wide DNAm profiles from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n=785), we summarized DNAm variation of CpG sites in the promoters of genes regulating sensitive periods with the first two principal components (PCs). DNAm summaries were calculated for genes regulating sensitive period opening (ngenes=15), closing (ngenes=36), and expression/duration (ngenes=8). We then performed linear discriminant analysis to test associations between these DNAm summaries and the timing of exposure to seven types of adversity. Results: Sexual or physical abuse and financial hardship during middle childhood (6-7 years) were associated with DNAm of genes regulating the onset and duration of sensitive periods. Sensitivity analyses assessing the presence of any exposure before age 7 and a composite measure of adversity yielded fewer signals, highlighting the importance of accounting for timing and adversity type. Conclusions: With our novel gene set-based approach, we have uncovered suggestive evidence that epigenetic regulation of developmental plasticity may be affected by early life adversity. The complementarity of our gene-level view of the epigenome to the more common and granular epigenome-wide association study may yield novel mechanistic insights not only for adversity but also for other exposures and outcomes.

scholarly journals Multimorbidity and leisure-time physical activity over the life course: a population-based birth cohort study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Natan Feter ◽  
Jayne S. Leite ◽  
Daniel Umpierre ◽  
Eduardo L. Caputo ◽  
Airton J. Rombaldi
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Life Course ◽  
Leisure Time ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Adult Life ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Independent Effect ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Birth Cohort Study ◽  
Saturated Model

Abstract Background We aimed to test which life course model best described the association between leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) and multimorbidity at age 55. We analyzed data from birth to age 55 using the database from the 1958 National Child Development Survey. Methods Multimorbidity was considered as the presence of more than one chronic condition. LTPA was measured through questionnaires from 1965 (age 7) to 2013 (age 55), which were applied in eight different occasions. We compared the fit of a series of nested adjusted logistic regression models (representing either the critical, accumulation or sensitive period models) with a fully saturated model. Data were reported as odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results From an eligible sample of 15,613 cohort members, 9137 were interviewed in the latest sweep (58.5%). Men were more physically active than women at ages 11, 16, and 23 (p < 0.001). LTPA every day in the week was more frequent in women than men in ages 33, 42, and 50 (p < 0.001). The prevalence of multimorbidity at age 55 was 33.0% (n = 2778). The sensitive analysis revealed that LTPA during adolescence (OR: 0.83; 95% CI: 0.70, 0.98) and mid adult life (age 50 and 55; OR: 0.82; 95%CI: 0.69, 0.98) have a stronger effect on the risk for multimorbidity at age 55 considering all other life stages in the model. Also, adolescence showed a critical independent effect on the risk for multimorbidity (OR: 0.82; 95%CI: 0.70, 0.97). No difference was found between those models. Conclusions These data support the notion of a protective physical activity “legacy” at early ages of childhood against multimorbidity at older ages. We highlight the need for LTPA promotion through intervention tailored especially on schooling and older ages in order to reduce the burden of multimorbidity.

scholarly journals Sensitive periods for the effect of childhood interpersonal violence on psychiatric disorder onset among adolescents

2017 ◽  
Vol 211 (6) ◽  
pp. 365-372 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin C. Dunn ◽  
Yan Wang ◽  
Jenny Tse ◽  
Katie A. McLaughlin ◽  
Garrett Fitzmaurice ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Psychiatric Disorder ◽  
Physical Abuse ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Interpersonal Violence ◽  
Childhood Adversity ◽  
Elevated Risk ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Sensitive Periods

BackgroundAlthough childhood adversity is a strong determinant of psychopathology, it remains unclear whether there are ‘sensitive periods’ when a first episode of adversity is most harmful.AimsTo examine whether variation in the developmental timing of a first episode of interpersonal violence (up to age 18) associates with risk for psychopathology.MethodUsing cross-sectional data, we examined the association between age at first exposure to four types of interpersonal violence (physical abuse by parents, physical abuse by others, rape, and sexual assault/molestation) and onset of four classes of DSM-IV disorders (distress, fear, behaviour, substance use) (n=9984). Age at exposure was defined as: early childhood (ages 0–5), middle childhood (ages 6–10) and adolescence (ages 11–18).ResultsExposure to interpersonal violence at any age period about doubled the risk of a psychiatric disorder (odds ratios (ORs) = 1.51–2.52). However, few differences in risk were observed based on the timing of first exposure. After conducting 20 tests of association, only three significant differences in risk were observed based on the timing of exposure; these results suggested an elevated risk of behaviour disorder among youth first exposed to any type of interpersonal violence during adolescence (OR = 2.37, 95% CI 1.69–3.34), especially being beaten by another person (OR = 2.44; 95% CI 1.57–3.79), and an elevated risk of substance use disorder among youth beaten by someone during adolescence (OR=2.77, 95% CI 1.94–3.96).ConclusionsChildren exposed to interpersonal violence had an elevated risk of psychiatric disorder. However, age at first episode of exposure was largely unassociated with psychopathology risk.

The structure of the Cincinnati arch as determined by short period Rayleigh waves

1969 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 399-407
Author(s):  
Robert B. Herrmann
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Data ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
Layer Thickness ◽  
Rayleigh Waves ◽  
Layer Model ◽  
Depth Data ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Best Fitting ◽  
Good Agreement

Abstract The propagation of Rayleigh waves with periods of 0.4 to 2.0 seconds across the Cincinnati arch is investigated. The region of investigation includes southern Indiana and Ohio and northern Kentucky. The experimental data for all paths are fitted by a three-layer model of varying layer thickness but of fixed velocity in each layer. The resulting inferred structural picture is in good agreement with the known basement trends of the region. The velocities of the best fitting theoretical model agree well with velocity-depth data from a well in southern Indiana.

scholarly journals Socio-economic position at four time points across the life course and all-cause mortality: updated results from the Uppsala Birth Cohort Multigenerational Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-54
Author(s):  
Amy Heshmati ◽  
Gita D Mishra ◽  
Anna Goodman ◽  
Ilona Koupil
Keyword(s):  
Life Course ◽  
Birth Cohort ◽  
Later Life ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Saturated Model ◽  
All Cause Mortality ◽  
Economic Position ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Multigenerational Study

Socio-economic position (SEP) is associated with all-cause mortality across all stages of the life course; however, it is valuable to distinguish at what time periods SEP has the most influence on mortality. Our aim was to investigate whether the effect of SEP on all-cause mortality accumulates over the life course or if some periods of the life course are more important. Our study population were from the Uppsala Birth Cohort Multigenerational Study, born 1915–29 at Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden. We followed 3,951 men and 3,601 women who had SEP at birth available, during childhood (at age ten), in adulthood (ages 30–45) and in later life (ages 50–65) from 15 September 1980 until emigration, death or until 31 December 2010. We compared a set of nested Cox proportional regression models, each corresponding to a specific life course model (critical, sensitive and accumulation models), to a fully saturated model, to ascertain which model best describes the relationship between SEP and mortality. Analyses were stratified by gender. For both men and women the effect of SEP across the life course on all-cause mortality is best described by the sensitive period model, whereby being advantaged in later life (ages 50–65 years) provides the largest protective effect. However, the linear accumulation model also provided a good fit of the data for women suggesting that improvements in SEP at any stage of the life course corresponds to a decrease in all-cause mortality.

scholarly journals PERSONALITY MODEL OF INTELLECTUALY GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Vinnyk
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Theoretical Model ◽  
High School Student ◽  
Personal Development ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Sensitive Period ◽  
Moral Self ◽  
Adult Personality ◽  
Intellectually Gifted ◽  
Psychological Features

The theoretical model of intellectually gifted high school student’s personality is offered in the article. The components of this model has been substantiated. Theoretical model includes a personal maturity and intellectual achievements. Personal maturity is based on a structure of personality and has such components as: communicative, motivational, characterological, reflexive, experiential, emotional intellect, psychophysical, which are from their side are based on main individually-psychological qualities of the personality of intellectually gifted high school student. Psychological features of older teens are determined. On authors opinion, the sensitive period for personal development is an older teen age (15-17 years), when happens that the teen personality transforms into adult personality. Adult personality is based on communicative motivation, success reaching motivation, reflection, skills of emotions understanding and controlling, intellect, experience for moral self-control and social cooperation’s.

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