7 research outputs found
Engagement of Preschool-Aged Children in Daily Routines
Abstract: Child engagement refers to the time spent interacting with physical and social environ- ments according to age, abilities, and a situation. The aim of this study is to assess the functioning of children in early childhood routines using engagement assessment instruments relative to the presence of developmental disabilities, age, gender, and parental characteristics within the contexts of preschool and family routines. The sample comprised 150 children aged 3ā5 (AS = 4.02, D = 0.78), including typically developing children (N = 49) and children with developmental disabilities (N = 101). To assess the childrenās engagement in preschool classrooms, we used the Classroom Measure of Engagement, Independence, and Social Relationships (ClaMEISR), and the Child Engagement in Daily Life Measure was used to assess the childrenās engagement in family routines. The results obtained indicate a significantly higher rate of engagement in routines and activities among girls and older children. Parental characteristics associated with childrenās engagement included em- ployment and marital status. Children with developmental disabilities, compared to their typically developing peers, had lower levels of engagement in social relationships and functional independ- ence in daily routines. The results indicate that both instruments have a high internal consistency and are thus suitable for future use in the Republic of Serbia
Differences in MB-COMT DNA methylation in monozygotic twins on phenotypic indicators of impulsivity
Epigenetic modifications of the membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase (MB-COMT) gene may affect the enzymatic degradation of dopamine, and consequently, human behavior. This study investigated the association between membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNA methylation (DNAm) differences in 92 monozygotic (MZ) twins with phenotypic manifestations of cognitive, behavioral, and personality indicators associated with reward-related behaviors and lack of control. We used pyrosequencing to determine DNAm of the regulatory region of membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase in saliva DNA. Results of intrapair differences in the percentage of membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNAm at each of five CpG sites show that there are associations between phenotypic indicators of lack of control and membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNAm differences on CpG1, CpG2 and CpG4, suggesting the common epigenetic patterns for personality traits, cognitive functions, and risk behaviors
Differences in MB-COMT DNA methylation in monozygotic twins on phenotypic indicators of impulsivity
Epigenetic modifications of the membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase (MB-COMT) gene may affect the enzymatic degradation of dopamine, and consequently, human behavior. This study investigated the association between membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNA methylation (DNAm) differences in 92 monozygotic (MZ) twins with phenotypic manifestations of cognitive, behavioral, and personality indicators associated with reward-related behaviors and lack of control. We used pyrosequencing to determine DNAm of the regulatory region of membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase in saliva DNA. Results of intrapair differences in the percentage of membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNAm at each of five CpG sites show that there are associations between phenotypic indicators of lack of control and membrane bound catechol-O-methyltransferase DNAm differences on CpG1, CpG2 and CpG4, suggesting the common epigenetic patterns for personality traits, cognitive functions, and risk behaviors
Nasledni i sredinski Äinioci kognitivnih sposobnosti
U oblasti ispitivanja individualnih razlika, bihejvioralnoāgenetiÄka paradigma predstavlja nezamenljivo sredstvo kako za utvrÄivanje etiologije odreÄenog fenomena, tako i za specifikovanje prirode odnosa izmeÄu razliÄitih ispitivanih konstrukata. Jedan od ciljeva ovog istraživanja bio je utvrÄivanje doprinosa genskih i sredinskih Äinilaca fenotipskim individualnim razlikama na razliÄitim merama kognitivnih sposobnosti, koje obuhvataju opÅ”tu kognitivnu sposobnost i egzekutivne funkcije. Pored toga, istraživanje se bavilo i ispitivanjem odnosa izmeÄu razliÄitih mera egzekutivnih funkcija i izvorima kovariranja meÄu njima, kao i u kakvom su odnosu razliÄite mere egzekutivnih funkcija s merom opÅ”te kognitivne sposobnosti. U istraživanju je uÄestvovalo 404 blizanca (123 para monozigotnih i 79 parova dizigotnih blizanaca), istog i razliÄitog pola, koji su odrasli zajedno. Egzekutivne funkcije procenjivane su Viskonsin testom sortiranja karata, Testom pravljenja tragaāforma B, Testom verbalne fluentnosti, kao i putem dva raÄunarski podržana zadatka, namenjena proceni sposobnosti Inhibicije i sposobnosti Mentalnog Å”iftinga/fleksibilnosti. Za merenje opÅ”te kognitivne sposobnosti (gāfaktora) primenjene su Progresivne matrice za napredne. Rezultati dobijeni u ovom istraživanju sugeriÅ”u znaÄajnu gensku determinisanost moždanih struktura koje leže u osnovi postignuÄa na razliÄitim testovima kognitivnih sposobnosti. Sa izuzetkom nekoliko mera, gotovo svi ispitivani fenotipovi su pokazali izvestan genski doprinos koji se kretao u intervalu od niskog do visokog nivoa. Preostali deo varijanse individualnih razlika na ovim merama objaÅ”njen je uticajem faktora nedelje sredine. Kada je u pitanju etiologija Nasledni i sredinski Äinioci kognitivnih sp osobnosti iv kovariranja razliÄitih egzekutivnih mera meÄusobno i njihovo kovariranje sa konstruktom opÅ”te kognitivne sposobnosti, rezultati ovog istraživanja sugeriÅ”u da je ono, u najveÄem stepenu, genskog porekla. I dok u osnovi sliÄnosti/jedinstva koriÅ”Äenih kognitivnih mera stoji u prvom redu deljena genska varijansa, njihovu partikularnost/razliÄitost odreÄuje specifiÄna nedeljena sredina. Dobijeni rezultat o postojanju jednog opÅ”teg genskog faktora, koji se izdvaja u sluÄaju razliÄitih egzekutivnih mera, govori, bar jednim delom, u prilog tezi o jedinstvu razliÄitih egzekutivnih mera i o postojanju zajedniÄke baziÄne sposobnosti koja leži u njihovoj osnovi, dok specifiÄni genski uticaji, zajedno sa specifiÄnom nedeljenom sredinom govore u prilog razliÄitosti svake od ovih mera
The stigma of obesity in adolescence
Introduction/Objective. Obese children and adolescents are exposed to stigma
and discrimination from peers, teachers and family which can lead to
numerous health problems, including psychosocial problems. The aim of this
study is to determine whether obese adolescents in Serbia are exposed to
stigmatization and which are the most common forms of stigmatization they
face. Methods. The study included 335 adolescents who were hospitalized for a
treatment of obesity. During hospitalization weight and height were
measured, and body mass index was calculated. Participants completed
independently Questionnaire about weightbased stigmatization made for the
purpose of this research. Questionnaire also included questions about sex,
age of respondents, and about obesity of other family members. Results.
Fifty-nine percent of participants experienced offence, 19% were teased,
47.5% were subject of a gossip, and 25% were excluded from peer group; 45%
reported that other people had prejudice against them. Male adolescents
significantly more often faced overt forms of stigmatization/discrimination
compared to female adolescents. Nineteen percent of participants were
stigmatized by health workers and 6% stated that their family is ashamed of
their obesity. Conclusion. A significant percent of obese adolescents is
exposed to a stigma due to their weight, most often to insults, gossip and
social exclusion. Obese adolescents are most often exposed to stigmatization
by peers, but there are a significant proportion of adolescents who are
exposed to stigma from health workers
Heritability of dimensions of Eysenck's pen model and the alternative five-factor model of personality
The main aim of this study is to estimate the heritability of AFFM and PEN dimensions, including 67 pairs of twins (34 monozygotic and 33 dizygotic) of both genders, aged 18 - 44. The heritability has been estimated by the biometric method, two full (ACE and ADE) and three reduced (AE, DE and CE) models tested for each personality trait. Taking into consideration the AFFM dimensions, additive genetic factors and a non-shared environment contribute the most significantly to the phenotypic variation of activity, sociability and the impulsive sensation seeking; anxiety and aggressiveness are best accounted for by the dominant genetic effects. In the PEN domain, fit indicators suggest that ACE and the reduced AE models provide the best explanation for the phenotypic manifestations of neuroticism, while ACE and CE models account for the variation of L scale. Although the fit indicators calculated for extraversion and psychotic behavior are somewhat problematic, the parameter estimates show that extraversion is best accounted for by the additive genetic variance, shared environmental effects, and the non-shared environment, whereas psychotic behavior is the most adequately explained by both shared and non-shared environmental effects
Neurocognitive profile of HIV-positive adults on combined antiretroviral therapy: A single-centre study in Serbia
<p>The advent of combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) has prolonged the life expectancy of HIVā+āindividuals and decreased the incidence of HIV-associated dementia. However, milder forms of neurocognitive impairment remain common and are often associated with poor daily functioning and lower medication adherence. This paper presents a research aimed at exploring the cognitive status differences between HIVā+āsubjects (<i>N</i>ā=ā39) on cART therapy and a group of demographically comparable healthy subjects (<i>N</i>ā=ā39) in Serbia. The significance of differences between the HIVā+āgroup and the healthy control group in performance in six cognitive domains was tested using the multivariate analysis of variance. Results showed a lower performance of the HIVā+āgroup in the domains of attention/working memory, and learning. HIV-related clinical variables were not significantly associated with cognitive performance. An older age in HIVā+āpatients was significantly related to a lower performance in all six cognitive domains, as opposed to healthy subjects, implying a synergistic interaction between HIV and aging, resulting in accentuated cognitive difficulties. Our findings suggest that even with the absence of a subjective experience of cognitive deficits and with a good basic control of the illness, a certain degree of cognitive deficit can be observed in the tested group.</p