Evaluating preschool visual attentional selective-set: Preliminary erp modeling and simulation of target enhancement homology

We reanalyzed, modeled and simulated Event-Related Potential (ERP) data from 13 healthy children (Mean age = 5.12, Standard Deviation = 0.75) during a computerized visual sustained target detection task. Extending an ERP-based ACT–R (Adaptive Control of Thought–Rational) neurocognitive modeling approach, we tested whether visual sustained selective-set attention in preschool children involves the enhancement of neural response to targets, and it shows key adult-like features (neurofunctional homology). Blinded automatic peaks analysis was conducted on vincentized binned grand ERP averages. Time-course and distribution of scalp activity were detailed through topographic mapping and paths analysis. Reaction times and accuracy were also measured. Adult Magnetic Resonance Imaging-based mapping using ACT–R dipole source modeling and electric-field spiking simulation provided very good fit with the actual ERP data (R2 > 0.70). In most electrodes, between 50 and 400 ms, ERPs concurrent with target presentation were enhanced relative to distractor, without manual response confounds. Triangulation of peak analysis, ACT–R modeling and simulation for the entire ERP epochs up to the moment of manual response (~700 ms, on average) suggested converging evidence of distinct but interacting processes of enhancement and planning for response release/inhibition, respectively. The latter involved functions and structures consistent with adult ERP activity which might correspond to a large-scale network, implicating Dorsal and Ventral Attentional Networks, corticostriatal loops, and subcortical hubs connected to prefrontal cortex top-down working memory executive control. Although preliminary, the present approach suggests novel directions for further tests and falsifiable hypotheses on the origins and development of visual selective attention and their ERP correlates

Screening for depression in children and adolescents in primary care or non-mental health settings: a systematic review update

Abstract Background The transition from childhood to adolescence is associated with an increase in rates of some psychiatric disorders, including major depressive disorder, a debilitating mood disorder. The aim of this systematic review is to update the evidence on the benefits and harms of screening for depression in primary care and non-mental health clinic settings among children and adolescents. Methods This review is an update of a previous systematic review, for which the last search was conducted in 2017. We searched Ovid MEDLINE® ALL, Embase Classic+Embase, PsycINFO, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and CINAHL on November 4, 2019, and updated on February 19, 2021. If no randomized controlled trials were found, we planned to conduct an additional search for non-randomized trials with a comparator group. For non-randomized trials, we applied a non-randomized controlled trial filter and searched the same databases except for Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials from January 2015 to February 2021. We also conducted a targeted search of the gray literature for unpublished documents. Title and abstract, and full-text screening were completed independently by pairs of reviewers. Results In this review update, we were unable to find any randomized controlled studies that satisfied our eligibility criteria and evaluated the potential benefits and harms of screening for depression in children and adolescents. Additionally, a search for non-randomized trials yielded no studies that met the inclusion criteria. Conclusions The findings of this review indicate a lack of available evidence regarding the potential benefits and harms of screening for depression in children and adolescents. This absence of evidence emphasizes the necessity for well-conducted clinical trials to evaluate the effectiveness of depression screening among children and adolescents in primary care and non-mental health clinic settings. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42020150373

Self-silencing and anger regulation as predictors of disordered eating among adolescent females

The main purpose of this study was to examine how self-silencing, emotional regulation, and body-esteem differentiated healthy eating from different patterns of disordered eating. A community sample of adolescent females was classified as either: 1) Restrained Eaters (n=104, Mage=14.48); 2) Emotional Eaters (n=125, Mage=14.52); or, 3) Healthy Eaters (n=396, Mage=13.71). A discriminant function analysis revealed two significant functions. The first function differentiated the two disordered eating groups (i.e., the restrained and emotional eaters) from the healthy group, with the disordered eating groups scoring significantly higher on levels of self-silencing and anger regulation, and lower on body-esteem. The second function differentiated between the restrained and emotional eaters, with the emotional eaters reporting higher levels of externalized self-perception and anger, and lower levels of body-esteem. The results suggest that body-esteem and anger suppression were the most influential variables in differentiating between groups. The finding

Internalization of the thin and muscular body ideal and disordered eating in adolescence: The mediation effects of body esteem

This study investigates body esteem factors (weight-esteem and appearance-esteem) as mediators of the relationship between 'internalization of the ideal body figure' and disordered eating behaviors (restrained, emotional and external eating) in a community sample of adolescent males (n = 810) and females (n = 1137) from the Ontario Research on Eating and Adolescent Lifestyles (REAL) study. Mediation models were examined using a bootstrapping approach to test indirect effects and indirect contrasts. In males, weight-esteem partially mediated the relationship between muscular ideal and restrained eating; appearance-esteem partially mediate

Weight status and DSM-5 diagnoses of eating disorders in adolescents from the community

Objective To estimate jointly the point prevalence of weight and eating disorders in a community sample of adolescents; to investigate psychosocial correlates of thinness, overweight, and obesity, and of full- and subthreshold eating disorders (EDs); and to examine the relationships between weight status and prevalence of EDs. Method A total of 3,043 Canadian adolescents (1,254 males and 1,789 females; mean age = 14.19 years, SD = 1.61 years) completed self-report questionnaires, including the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale, and measures of psychosocial functioning. Objective weight and height were collected, and weight status was defined according to the International Obesity Task Force body mass index growth curve centiles. Results In all, 29.5% (95% CI = 26.7, 32.5) of males and 22.8% (95% CI = 20.5, 25.2) of females were overweight or obese. A total of 2.2% (95% CI = 1.5, 3.2) of males and 4.5% (95% CI = 4.4, 4.5) of females met DSM-5 criteria for an ED; in addition, 1.1% (95% CI = 0.7, 1.9) of males and 5.1% (95% CI = 4.0, 6.5) of females were identified with a subthreshold ED. Both full- and subthreshold EDs were significantly associated with markedly impaired psychosocial functioning. There was a significant relationship between prevalence of EDs and weight status, with an increased risk for a bulimic disorder in obese relative to normal-weight males (odds ratio [OR] = 7.86) and females (OR = 3.27). Conclusion This study provides estimates for the prevalence of DSM-5 EDs in adolescents, further support for their impact on mental health, and new evidence for an association between bulimic disorders and obesity. Results call for an integrated approach in research and prevention regarding the whole spectrum of eating- and weight-related disorders

Socioemotional predictors of body esteem in adolescent males

This study explores the relationship between self-silencing, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance and negative body esteem in a large community-based sample of male youth, to better understand the interrelationship among these socioemotional characteristics and their effects on body esteem. A cross-sectional study of 1,253 males in Grades 7 to 12 asked participants to complete self-report measures of body esteem, sociocultural attitudes toward appearance, and self-silencing as part of a larger study, and also took anthropometric measurements of weight and height. Results revealed that increased body mass index, greater engagement in self-silencing behaviors and higher levels of internalization of the masculine body ideal all contributed to poor body esteem in male youth. Findings from this study demonstrate that males, like females, are vulnerable to low body esteem when they rely on an externalized view of self-perception and allow themselves to take care of others needs before attending to their own, leaving little room for their voice to be heard. It was also found that greater endorsement of the mostly unattainable masculine beauty ideal as a personal standard and higher body mass index both contributed to lower body esteem, most likely influencing each other in various ways. Prevention efforts geared toward media literacy, promoting positive body image and fostering authenticity in one's relationships may be helpful at reducing poor body esteem in male youth

Comparative distribution and validity of DSM-IV and DSM-5 diagnoses of eating disorders in adolescents from the community

Objectives: DSM-5 changes for eating disorders (EDs) aimed to reduce preponderance of non-specified cases and increase validity of specific diagnoses. The objectives were to estimate the combined effect of changes on prevalence of EDs in adolescents and examine validity of diagnostic groupings. Method: A total of 3043 adolescents (1254 boys and 1789 girls, Mage=14.19years, SD=1.61) completed self-report questionnaires including the Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale. Results: Prevalence of full-threshold EDs increased from 1.8% (DSM-IV) to 3.7% (DSM-5), with a higher prevalence of bulimia nervosa (1.6%) and the addition of the diagnosis of purging disorder (1.4%); prevalence of binge eating disorder was unchanged (0.5%), and non-specified cases decreased from 5.1% (DSM-IV) to 3.4% (DSM-5). Validation analyses demonstrated that DSM-5 ED subgroups better captured variance in psychopathology than DSM-IV subgroups. Discussion: Findings extend results from previous prevalence and validation studies into the adolescent age range. Improved diagnostic categories should facilitate identification of EDs and indicate targeted treatments

Screening for depression in children and adolescents: a protocol for a systematic review update

Abstract Background Major depressive disorder is common, debilitating, and affects feelings, thoughts, mood, and behaviors. Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for the development of depression and adolescence is marked by an increased incidence of mental health disorders. This protocol outlines the planned scope and methods for a systematic review update that will evaluate the benefits and harms of screening for depression in children and adolescents. Methods This review will update a previously published systematic review by Roseman and colleagues. Eligible studies are randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing formal screening in primary care to identify children or adolescents not already self-reporting symptoms of, diagnosed with, or treated for depression. If no or only a single RCT is available, we will consider controlled studies without random assignment. Studies of participants with characteristics associated with an elevated risk of depression will be analyzed separately. Outcomes of interest are symptoms of depression, classification of major depressive disorder based on a validated diagnostic interview, suicidality, health-related quality of life, social function, impact on lifestyle behavior (e.g., substance use, school performance, lost time at work, or school), false-positive results, overdiagnosis, overtreatment, labeling, and other harms such as those arising from treatment. We will search MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, the Cochrane Library, and grey literature sources. Two reviewers will independently screen the titles and abstracts using the liberal accelerated method. Full-text screening will be performed independently by two reviewers using pre-specified eligibility criteria. Data extraction and risk of bias assessments will be performed independently by two reviewers. Pre-planned analyses, including subgroup and sensitivity analyses, are detailed within this protocol. Two independent reviewers will assess and finalize through consensus the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach, and prepare GRADE evidence profiles and summary of findings tables for each outcome of interest. Discussion The systematic review will provide a current state of the evidence of benefits and harms of depression screening in children and adolescents. These findings will be used by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care to inform the development of recommendations on depression screening. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD4202015037