27 research outputs found
Face and emotion recognition in MCDD versus PDD-NOS
Previous studies indicate that Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder (MCDD) children differ from PDD-NOS and autistic children on a symptom level and on psychophysiological functioning. Children with MCDD (n = 21) and PDD-NOS (n = 62) were compared on two facets of social-cognitive functioning: identification of neutral faces and facial expressions. Few significant group differences emerged. Children with PDD-NOS demonstrated a more attention-demanding strategy of face processing, and processed neutral faces more similarly to complex patterns whereas children with MCDD showed an advantage for face recognition compared to complex patterns. Results further suggested that any disadvantage in face recognition was related more to the autistic features of the PDD-NOS group rather than characteristics specific to MCDD. No significant group differences emerged for identifying facial expressions
Identifying affective personality profiles: A latent profile analysis of the Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales
Based on evolutionary theory, a recent model in affective neuroscience delineated six emotional brain systems at the core of human personality: SEEKING, CARING, PLAYFULNESS, FEAR, ANGER, SADNESS. The Affective Neuroscience Personality Scales (ANPS) assess their functioning. Using a person-centred approach of the ANPS, this study: (i) examined the existence of latent personality profiles, (ii) studied their gender invariance, (iii) assessed their longitudinal (4 years) stability, and (iv) explored how they relate to several intrapersonal, interpersonal, and emotion regulation skills. Latent Profile Analysis in 2 samples (Canadian, longitudinal, Nâ=â520; French, cross-sectional, Nâ=â830) found that, qualitatively, 3 profiles characterized both populations and genders, with one distinction for the second profile where the French women endorsed slightly higher and lower scores for, respectively, the negative and positive emotions. Whilst not being quantitatively similar across genders, the personality profiles remained consistent across time in the longitudinal sample. Associations between profiles and intrapersonal (e.g. depression), interpersonal (e.g. empathy), and emotion regulation skills measures (e.g. emotional intelligence) offered concurrent validity evidence. This person centred approach to ANPS offers a holistic and parsimonious way to study affective personality dimensions. It opens promising avenues for future studies on the predictive value of ANPS profiles, and for personality-targeted interventions
Amygdala Hypoactivity to Fearful Faces in Boys With Conduct Problems and Callous-Unemotional Traits
OBJECTIVE: Although early-onset conduct problems predict both psychiatric and health problems in adult life, little research has been done to index neural correlates of conduct problems. Emerging research suggests that a subgroup of children with conduct problems and elevated levels of callous-unemotional traits may be genetically vulnerable to manifesting disturbances in neural reactivity to emotional stimuli indexing distress. Using functional MRI, the authors evaluated differences in neural response to emotional stimuli between boys with conduct problems and elevated levels of callous-unemotional traits and comparison boys. METHOD: Seventeen boys with conduct problems and elevated levels of callous-unemotional traits and 13 comparison boys of equivalent age (mean=11 years) and IQ (mean=100) viewed blocked presentations of fearful and neutral faces. For each face, participants distinguished the sex of the face via manual response. RESULTS: Relative to the comparison group, boys with conduct problems and elevated levels of callous-unemotional traits manifested lesser right amygdala activity to fearful faces. CONCLUSIONS: This finding is in line with data from studies of adults with antisocial behavior and callous-unemotional traits (i.e., psychopaths), as well as from a recent study of adolescents with callous-unemotional traits, and suggests that the neural substrates of emotional impairment associated with callous-unemotional antisocial behavior are already present in childhood
Harsh parenting practices mediate the association between parent affective profiles and child adjustment outcomes:Differential associations for mothers and fathers
Childrenâs early emotional environment strongly influences their later behavioural development. Yet, besides maternal depression, limited knowledge exists about the effect of other emotions and the role of fathers. Using 290 triads (mother/father/child), we investigated how positive (SEEKING, CARING, PLAYFULNESS) and negative (FEAR, ANGER, SADNESS) dimensions of mothersâ and fathersâ affectivity relate to their offspringâs externalizing and internalizing behaviours directly as well as indirectly via parenting practices. Parental variables were measured when children were 4 years old and childrenâs behaviours were measured at 8 years of age. Latent Profile Analysis identified three parental affective profiles: low negative emotions, balanced, and high emotional. Structural equation models showed that, for boys, mothersâ low negative emotions and high emotional profiles predicted later internalizing behaviours (direct effect; ÎČ = â0.21 and ÎČ = 0.23), while fathersâ low negative emotions profile predicted externalizing behaviours indirectly (ÎČ = â0.10). For girls, mothersâ profiles (low negative emotions and high emotional) predicted both internalizing (ÎČ = â0.04 and ÎČ = 0.07) and externalizing (ÎČ = â0.05 and ÎČ = 0.09) behaviours indirectly, but no effects of fathersâ profiles were found. Mothersâ and fathersâ affective profiles contributed to the behavioural development of their offspring in different ways, according to the type of behaviour (internalizing or externalizing) and the childâs sex. These findings may help in tailoring existing parenting interventions on affective profiles, thus enhancing their efficacy
Antidepressants use during pregnancy and child psychomotor, cognitive and language development at 2Â years of ageâResults from the 3D Cohort Study
Introduction: Approximately 5.5% of pregnant women take antidepressants. Studies on prenatal exposure to antidepressants reported no association with child cognition, and inconsistent results with motor function and language development. A limitation has been the failure to adjust for prenatal maternal distress.Objectives: Assess the associations between prenatal exposure to antidepressants and child development at age two, while adjusting for maternal depressive symptoms and stress during pregnancy. Explore indirect effects through birth complications and consider sex-specific associations.Methods: This is an ancillary study of the 3D (Design Develop, Discover) Study initiated during pregnancy. Data on antidepressants were collected through medication logs spanning the entire pregnancy. Depressive symptoms and stress were assessed during pregnancy by self-reported questionnaires, motor and cognitive development with the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Development (BSID-III), and language development with the MacArthur Communicative Development Inventories at age 2. Multiple linear regressions were used to assess the associations between exposure and developmental outcomes. Mediation models were used to assess indirect effects. Interaction terms were introduced to assess sex-specific associations.Results: 1,489 mother-child dyads were included, of whom 61 (4.1%) reported prenatal antidepressant use. Prenatal exposure was negatively associated with motor development (B = â0.91, 95% CI -1.73, â0.09 for fine motor, B = â0.89, 95% CI -1.81, 0.02 for gross motor), but not with cognitive (B = â0.53, 95% CI -1.82, 0.72) and language (B = 4.13, 95% CI -3.72, 11.89) development. Adjusting for maternal prenatal distress only slightly modified these associations. No indirect effect or differential effect according to child sex were found.Conclusion: This study supports evidence of a negative association between prenatal exposure to antidepressants and motor development at age two, after adjusting for maternal distress, but the effect size remains very small, with about only one BSID-III point lower in average
Longitudinal associations between paternal mental health and child behavior and cognition in middle childhood
IntroductionPaternal mental health has been associated with adverse consequences on offspring psychosocial development, and family environmental factors may partly explain those associations. To clarify this, we need comprehensive prospective studies, particularly in middle-childhood when the child enters school and is expected to make use of behavioral and cognitive skills as part of their interactions and learning.MethodUsing data from a sub-sample of the prospective 3D birth cohort study comprised of mother-father-child triads, and a follow-up of the parents and the children at 6â8 years of age (n = 61; 36 boys, 25 girls), we examined whether paternal anxious and depressive symptoms measured during the pregnancy period (i.e., prenatally) or concurrently when the child was assessed at 6â8 years old were associated with children's cognition/behavior.ResultsIn contrast to our hypotheses, we found that greater prenatal paternal depressive symptoms predicted fewer child behavioral difficulties; and that greater concurrent childhood paternal depression or anxiety symptoms were associated with higher child full-scale IQ, controlling for the equivalent maternal mental health assessment and parental education. Father parenting perception did not mediate these associations, nor were they moderated by maternal mental health at the concurrent assessment, or paternal ratings of marital relationship quality.DiscussionThese findings suggest that higher symptoms of paternal mental health symptoms are associated with fewer child behavioral difficulties and higher cognitive performance in middle childhood. Potential clinical implications and future research directions are discussed
A sensorimotor control framework for understanding emotional communication and regulation
JHGW and CFH are supported by the Northwood Trust. TEVR was supported by a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship (1088785). RP and MW were supported by the the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for Cognition and its Disorders (CE110001021)Peer reviewedPublisher PD
Regard clinique sur lâĂ©tude des symptĂŽmes dĂ©pressifs et des pensĂ©es suicidaires chez des adolescents canadiens
Cette rĂ©flexion vise Ă dĂ©gager un sens clinique aux rĂ©sultats obtenus dâune Ă©tude empirique rĂ©alisĂ©e Ă partir dâun vaste Ă©chantillon dâadolescents canadiens de lâEnquĂȘte longitudinale nationale sur les enfants et les jeunes (ELNEJ). La rĂ©flexion dĂ©bouche sur des interprĂ©tations voulant que les jeunes les plus vulnĂ©rables aux symptĂŽmes dĂ©pressifs finissent par prĂ©senter soit des problĂšmes extĂ©riorisĂ©s, soit des problĂšmes mixtes (extĂ©riorisĂ©/intĂ©riorisĂ©) avec dĂ©valorisation de soi. Une faible estime de soi semble une variable cardinale associĂ©e Ă lâapparition des pensĂ©es suicidaires. Pour aider ces jeunes et leur entourage, les auteurs proposent dâorienter les efforts vers une prĂ©vention individualisĂ©e axĂ©e sur lâapprentissage de compĂ©tences psychosociales visant lâadolescent dans son milieu de vie