scholarly journals Reward Dysfunction in General and Specific Psychopathology in Children and Adults

Author(s):  
Ankita Saxena ◽  
Catharina A Hartman ◽  
Steven D Blatt ◽  
Wanda Fremont ◽  
Stephen J Glatt ◽  
...  

Background: Reward dysfunction has been implicated in many psychiatric disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorders, depression, and substance use disorders. However, psychiatric comorbidities are common, and the specificity of reward dysfunction to individual psychopathologies is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between reward functioning and specific or general psychopathologies. Methods: 1044 adults and their 1215 children (ages 6-12) completed various measures of the Positive Valence System domain from the Research Domain Criteria (RDoC), which included the Delayed and Probability Discounting Tasks, Energy Expenditure for Reward Task, and Iowa Gambling Task. Children also completed the Experienced Pleasure Scale for children, while adults completed the Temporal Experience of Pleasure Scale and the Behavioral Activation System tasks. Psychopathology was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for children and the Adult Self Report (ASR) for parents. Results: One general factor identified via principal factors factor analysis explained the majority of variance in psychopathology in both groups. Reward measures in both adults and children were significantly associated with general psychopathology as well as most specific psychopathologies. Some associations between reward and psychopathology did not hold following removal of general psychopathology; nonetheless, certain reward constructs were uniquely associated with specific disorder problems but not general psychopathology. Conclusion: Disorder problem specific associations with reward functioning can be identified after removal of comorbidity. General propensity toward psychopathology is significantly but not uniquely correlated with reward dysfunction. Altogether, this may have broader implications for future study of the role of reward in disease pathogenesis.

Author(s):  
Jolien Rijlaarsdam ◽  
Charlotte A. M. Cecil ◽  
J. Marieke Buil ◽  
Pol A. C. van Lier ◽  
Edward D. Barker

AbstractAlthough there is mounting evidence that the experience of being bullied associates with both internalizing and externalizing symptoms, it is not known yet whether the identified associations are specific to these symptoms, or shared between them. The primary focus of this study is to assess the prospective associations of bullying exposure with both general and specific (i.e., internalizing, externalizing) factors of psychopathology. This study included data from 6,210 children participating in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Child bullying was measured by self-report at ages 8 and 10 years. Child psychopathology symptoms were assessed by parent-interview, using the Development and Well-being Assessment (DAWBA) at ages 7 and 13 years. Bullying exposure significantly associated with the general psychopathology factor in early adolescence. In particular, chronically victimized youth exposed to multiple forms of bullying (i.e., both overt and relational) showed higher levels of general psychopathology. Bullying exposure also associated with both internalizing and externalizing factors from the correlated-factors model. However, the effect estimates for these factors decreased considerably in size and dropped to insignificant for the internalizing factor after extracting the shared variance that belongs to the general factor of psychopathology. Using an integrative longitudinal model, we found that higher levels of general psychopathology at age 7 also associated with bullying exposure at age 8 which, in turn, associated with general psychopathology at age 13 through its two-year continuity. Findings suggest that exposure to bullying is a risk factor for a more general vulnerability to psychopathology.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lili Zhang ◽  
Himanshu Vashisht ◽  
Alekhya Nethra ◽  
Brian Slattery ◽  
Tomas Ward

BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a significant world-wide health problem. It has been reported that people with chronic pain experience decision-making impairments, but these findings have been based on conventional lab experiments to date. In such experiments researchers have extensive control of conditions and can more precisely eliminate potential confounds. In contrast, there is much less known regarding how chronic pain impacts decision-making captured via lab-in-the-field experiments. Although such settings can introduce more experimental uncertainty, it is believed that collecting data in more ecologically valid contexts can better characterize the real-world impact of chronic pain. OBJECTIVE We aim to quantify decision-making differences between chronic pain individuals and healthy controls in a lab-in-the-field environment through taking advantage of internet technologies and social media. METHODS A cross-sectional design with independent groups was employed. A convenience sample of 45 participants were recruited through social media - 20 participants who self-reported living with chronic pain, and 25 people with no pain or who were living with pain for less than 6 months acting as controls. All participants completed a self-report questionnaire assessing their pain experiences and a neuropsychological task measuring their decision-making, i.e. the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in their web browser at a time and location of their choice without supervision. RESULTS Standard behavioral analysis revealed no differences in learning strategies between the two groups although qualitative differences could be observed in learning curves. However, computational modelling revealed that individuals with chronic pain were quicker to update their behavior relative to healthy controls, which reflected their increased learning rate (95% HDI from 0.66 to 0.99) when fitted with the VPP model. This result was further validated and extended on the ORL model because higher differences (95% HDI from 0.16 to 0.47) between the reward and punishment learning rates were observed when fitted on this model, indicating that chronic pain individuals were more sensitive to rewards. It was also found that they were less persistent in their choices during the IGT compared to controls, a fact reflected by their decreased outcome perseverance (95% HDI from -4.38 to -0.21) when fitted using the ORL model. Moreover, correlation analysis revealed that the estimated parameters had predictive value for the self-reported pain experiences, suggesting that the altered cognitive parameters could be potential candidates for inclusion in chronic pain assessments. CONCLUSIONS We found that individuals with chronic pain were more driven by rewards and less consistent when making decisions in our lab-in-the-field experiment. In this case study, it was demonstrated that compared to standard statistical summaries of behavioral performance, computational approaches offered superior ability to resolve, understand and explain the differences in decision- making behavior in the context of chronic pain outside the lab.


Author(s):  
Sunny J. Dutra ◽  
Marianne Reddan ◽  
John R. Purcell ◽  
Hillary C. Devlin ◽  
Keith M. Welker

This chapter not only draws from previous authoritative measurement overviews in the general field of emotion, but also advances these resources in several key ways. First, it provides a specific focus on positive valence systems, which have not yet received specific methodological attention. Second, the field of positive emotion (PE) has expanded in recent years with new and innovative methods, making an updated review of methodological tools timely. Third, the chapter incorporates discussion of PE disturbance in clinical populations and the methods best suited to capture PE dysfunctions. This chapter also outlines some tools that can allow researchers to capture a broad array of PE quantified by self-report, behavioral coding, and biological correlates as seen through changes in the central and peripheral nervous system (i.e., brain and body). After reviewing PE measurement methods and correlates, this chapter includes several methods for studying PE beyond the individual level (i.e., interpersonal) and traditional laboratory settings (i.e., ambulatory or experience sampling). It provides key examples of their applications to study PE in clinical populations while acknowledging several of their basic advantages and disadvantages.


2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Evandro Morais Peixoto ◽  
Daniela Sacramento Zanini ◽  
Josemberg Moura de Andrade

Abstract Background The Kessler Distress Scale (K10) is a self-report scale for the assessment of non-specific psychological distress in the general and clinical population. Because of its ease of application and good psychometric properties, the K10 has been adapted to several cultures. The present study seeks to adapt the K10 to Brazilian Portuguese and estimate its validity evidence and reliability. Methods A total of 1914 individuals from the general population participated in the study (age = 34.88, SD = 13.61, 77.7% female). The adjustment indices were compared among three different measurement models proposed for the K10 through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The items’ properties were analyzed by Andrich’s Rating Scale Model (RSM). Furthermore, evidence based on relations to other variables (depression, stress, anxiety, positive and negative affects, and satisfaction with life) was estimated. Results CFA indicated the adequacy of the bifactor model (CFI= 0.985; TLI= 0.973; SMR= 0.019; RMSEA= 0.050), composed of two specific factors (depression and anxiety) and one general factor (psychological distress), corresponding to the theoretical hypothesis. Additionally, it was observed multiple-group invariance by gender and age range. The RSM provided an understanding of the organization of the continuum represented by the psychological distress construct (items difficulty), which varied from −0.89 to 1.00; good adjustment indexes; infit between 0.67 and 1.32; outfit between 0.68 and 1.34; and desirable reliability, α= 0.87. Lastly, theoretically coherent associations with the external variables were observed. Conclusions It is concluded that the Brazilian version of the K10 is a suitable measure of psychological distress for the Brazilian population.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (6) ◽  
pp. 437
Author(s):  
Shervin Assari ◽  
Shanika Boyce ◽  
Mohsen Bazargan

Intersectional research on childhood suicidality requires studies with a reliable and valid measure of suicidality, as well as a large sample size that shows some variability of suicidality across sex by race intersectional groups. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the feasibility of intersectionality research on childhood suicidality in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. We specifically explored the reliability and validity of the measure, sample size, and variability of suicidality across sex by race intersectional groups. Methods: We used cross-sectional data (wave 1) from the ABCD study, which sampled 9013 non-Hispanic white (NHW) or non-Hispanic black (NHB) children between the ages of 9 and 10 between years 2016 and 2018. Four intersectional groups were built based on race and sex: NHW males (n = 3554), NHW females (n = 3158), NHB males (n = 1164), and NHB females (n = 1137). Outcome measure was the count of suicidality symptoms, reflecting all positive history and symptoms of suicidal ideas, plans, and attempts. To validate our measure, we tested the correlation between our suicidality measure and depression and Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) sub-scores. Cronbach alpha was calculated for reliability across each intersectional group. We also compared groups for suicidality. Results: We observed some suicidality history in observed 3.2% (n = 101) of NHW females, 4.9% (n = 175) of NHW males, 5.4% (n = 61) of NHB females, and 5.8% (n = 68) of NHB males. Our measure’s reliability was acceptable in all race by sex groups (Cronbach alpha higher than .70+ in all intersectional groups). Our measure was valid in all intersectional groups, documented by a positive correlation with depression and CBCL sub-scores. We could successfully model suicidality across sex by race groups, using multivariable models. Conclusion: Given the high sample size, reliability, and validity of the suicidality measure, variability of suicidality, it is feasible to investigate correlates of suicidality across race by sex intersections in the ABCD study. We also found evidence of higher suicidality in NHB than NHW children in the ABCD study. The ABCD rich data in domains of social context, self-report, schools, parenting, psychopathology, personality, and brain imaging provides a unique opportunity to study intersectional differences in neural circuits associated with youth suicidality.


Assessment ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 107319112110039
Author(s):  
David Watson ◽  
Miriam K. Forbes ◽  
Holly F. Levin-Aspenson ◽  
Camilo J. Ruggero ◽  
Yuliya Kotelnikova ◽  
...  

As part of a broader project to create a comprehensive self-report measure for the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology consortium, we developed preliminary scales to assess internalizing symptoms. The item pool was created in four steps: (a) clarifying the range of content to be assessed, (b) identifying target constructs to guide item writing, (c) developing formal definitions for each construct, and (d) writing multiple items for each construct. This yielded 430 items assessing 57 target constructs. Responses from a heterogeneous scale development sample ( N = 1,870) were subjected to item-level factor analyses based on polychoric correlations. This resulted in 39 scales representing a total of 213 items. The psychometric properties of these scales replicated well across the development sample and an independent validation sample ( N = 496 adults). Internal consistency analyses established that most scales assess relatively narrow forms of psychopathology. Structural analyses demonstrated the presence of a strong general factor. Additional analyses of the 35 nonsexual dysfunction scales revealed a replicable four-factor structure with dimensions we labeled Distress, Fear, Body Dysmorphia, and Mania. A final set of analyses established that the internalizing scales varied widely—and consistently—in the strength of their associations with neuroticism and extraversion.


2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (2) ◽  
pp. 152-160 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julie Maslowsky ◽  
Daniel P. Keating ◽  
Christopher S. Monk ◽  
John Schulenberg

Risk behavior contributes to substantial morbidity and mortality during adolescence. This study examined neurocognitive predictors of proposed subtypes of adolescent risk behavior: planned (premeditated) versus unplanned (spontaneous). Adolescents (N = 69, 49% male, M = 15.1 [1.0] years) completed neurocognitive tasks (Iowa Gambling Task [IGT], and Game of Dice Task [GDT]) and a self-report measure indicating whether past-year risk behaviors were planned or unplanned. As hypothesized, identifying more beneficial choices on the neurocognitive tasks and perceiving benefits of risk behavior to outweigh costs predicted engagement in planned versus unplanned risk behavior. This study is the first to use neurocognitive assessments to differentiate planned and unplanned subtypes of risk behavior. Understanding mechanisms underlying these subtypes may inform prevention programs targeting specific contributors to adolescent risk behavior.


PEDIATRICS ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 98 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-255
Author(s):  
Serena Tonstad ◽  
Torunn Stene Nøvik ◽  
Inger Helene Vandvik

Objective. To determine whether children treated for familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) have greater psychosocial dysfunction compared with their peers. Children. Children were 86 boys and 66 girls 7-16 years of age attending a lipid clinic. They were screened and instructed to follow a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol 18 months to 9 years earlier (mean, 4 years), and their mean dietary intake, estimated by a quantitative food frequency questionnaire, was within recommended limits. One-fourth had lost a parent or had a parent who had had cardiovascular disease due to FH (parental disease group). Methods. Results of the Child Behavior Checklist, Teacher's Report Form, and Youth Self-Report were compared with a population sample. A semistructured interview, the Child Assessment Schedule, was administered to the children with FH and a well-functioning comparison group from the population (epidemiologic cohort; n = 62). Results. Psychosocial scores were similar in the children with FH and the population sample. The Child Assessment Schedule showed that, compared with the epidemiologic cohort, children with FH did not have increased symptoms in any area of function, and scores for family, mood, and expression of anger were lower (less symptomatic). The prevalence of psychiatric diagnoses was 10%, which was not greater than expected. Children from the parental disease group had higher symptom scores in the areas of school and expression of anger than the rest of the children with FH. Their mean Children's Global Assessment Score (CGAS, which gives average children scores of 70-79) was slightly lower (77 vs 79). Belonging to the parental disease group predicted a lower CGAS in multivariate regression analyses, as did male sex, parental divorce, and low parental educational level. These factors explained up to 19% (95% confidence interval, 9%-31%) of the variance in CGAS. Conclusions. We found that the prevalence of psychosocial dysfunction was not greater than expected in children treated for FH. Psychosocial function within the group was associated with the usual demographic characteristics and with the loss or disease of a parent, beyond the period of bereavement or immediately after the event.


1989 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 166-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betty C. Epanchin ◽  
Mary Sue Rennells

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate parents' and teachers' sensitivity to the unhappiness and depression of 110 elementary-aged undercontrolled children being treated in an inpatient program. Sensitivity was operationally defined as congruence between the child's responses on two self-report measures (Children's Depression Inventory and Hopelessness Scale for Children) and the adults' behavioral ratings of the children on behavior checklists (Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher Report Form). The first hypothesis that children's self-reports of depressive symptoms would not be significantly correlated with parents' and teachers' ratings of depressive symptomatology was supported. Secondly, it was hypothesized that there would be no differences in the level of self-reported depressive symptoms when children who were rated as depressed by their parents and teachers were compared with children rated as not depressed by their parents and teachers. This was also supported. Finally, it was hypothesized that children who reported significant levels of depressive symptomatology would be rated by their parents and teachers as having more behavior problems than children who did not report significant levels of depressed symptomatology. This was partially supported. The implications of these results in relation to identification and treatment are discussed.


2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 392-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Monica J. Bilboul ◽  
Alice W. Pope ◽  
Heather T. Snyder

Objective To evaluate associations between self-concept and psychosocial adjustment among adolescents with craniofacial anomalies. Design Retrospective chart review. Setting Reconstructive plastic surgery department in urban medical center. Participants Forty-nine adolescents with congenital craniofacial anomalies, aged 14 to 18 years, and their parents. Main Outcome Measures Psychosocial adjustment (internalizing problems and social competence), assessed by self-report and parent-report forms of the Child Behavior Checklist; appearance self-concept and global self-worth, assessed by the Self-Perception Profile for Adolescents. Results Both appearance self-concept and global self-worth were associated with psychosocial adjustment; however, global self-worth remained associated with adjustment when the effects of appearance self-concept were controlled, whereas appearance self-concept was no longer associated with adjustment when global self-worth was controlled. Demographic variables (ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and adolescent gender) largely failed to moderate the associations between self-concept and adjustment. Conclusions Adolescent dissatisfaction with appearance is linked to psychosocial adjustment problems only when it is part of a negative overall view of the self.


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