Associations of Maternal Prenatal Smoking with Early Childhood Physical Aggression, Hyperactivity-Impulsivity, and Their Co-Occurrence

This study investigated associations between maternal prenatal smoking and physical aggression (PA), hyperactivity-impulsivity (HI) and co-occurring PA and HI between ages 17 and 42 months in a population sample of children born in Québec (Canada) in 1997/1998 (N=1745). Trajectory model estimation showed three distinct developmental patterns for PA and four for HI. Multinomial regression analyses showed that prenatal smoking significantly predicted children’s likelihood to follow different PA trajectories beyond the effects of other perinatal factors, parental psychopathology, family functioning and parenting, and socio-economic factors. However, prenatal smoking was not a significant predictor of HI in a model with the same control variables. Further multinomial regression analyses showed that, together with gender, presence of siblings and maternal hostile reactive parenting, prenatal smoking independently predicted co-occurring high PA and high HI compared to low levels of both behaviors, to high PA alone, and to high HI alone. These results show that maternal prenatal smoking predicts multiple behavior regulation problems in early childhood

Orbitofrontal cortex and drug use during adolescence : role of prenatal exposure to maternal smoking and BDNF genotype

Context : Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking (PEMCS) may affect brain development and behavior in adolescent offspring. Objective : To evaluate the involvement of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in mediating the relationship between PEMCS and substance use. Design : Cross-sectional analyses from the Saguenay Youth Study aimed at evaluating the effects of PEMCS on brain development and behavior among adolescents. Nonexposed adolescents were matched with adolescents exposed prenatally to cigarette smoking by maternal educational level. Participants and Setting : A French Canadian founder population of the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada.The behavioral data set included 597 adolescents (275 sibships; 12-18 years of age), half of whom were exposed in utero to maternal cigarette smoking. Analysis of cortical thickness and genotyping were performed using available data from 314 adolescents. Main Outcome Measures : The likelihood of substance use was assessed with the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children Predictive Scales. The number of different drugs tried by each adolescent was assessed using another questionnaire. Thickness of the OFC was estimated from T1-weighted magnetic resonance images using FreeSurfer software. Results : Prenatal exposure to maternal cigarette smoking is associated with an increased likelihood of substance use. Among exposed adolescents, the likelihood of drug experimentation correlates with the degree of OFC thinning. In nonexposed adolescents, the thickness of the OFC increases as a function of the number of drugs tried. The latter effect is moderated by a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genotype (Val66Met). Conclusions : We speculate that PEMCS interferes with the development of the OFC and, in turn, increases the likelihood of drug use among adolescents. In contrast, we suggest that, among nonexposed adolescents, drug experimentation influences the OFC thickness via processes akin to experience-induced plasticity

Moderation of parenting by inhibitory control in the prediction of the common and unique variance of hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattention

This study examined whether the interaction between parenting and inhibitory control predicts hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattention in 195 children. Observation data of positive parenting were collected at 4 years, and mother reports of coercive parenting at 5 years, inhibitory control at 6 years, and hyperactivity-impulsivity/inattention at 7 years were obtained. The common and unique variance of hyperactivity-impulsivity and inattention symptoms were examined as outcomes using a bifactor model. Results indicated that positive parenting practices predicted lower levels of hyperactivity-impulsivity/inattention behaviors at age 7 only when children's inhibitory control was high. These results support the vantage sensitivity model, which posits that some individuals show an increased sensitivity to positive experiences exclusively, and support the appropriateness of a targeted prevention approach in early childhood

Antidepressants use during pregnancy and child psychomotor, cognitive and language development at 2 years of age—Results 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 = −0.91, 95% CI -1.73, −0.09 for fine motor, B = −0.89, 95% CI -1.81, 0.02 for gross motor), but not with cognitive (B = −0.53, 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

The content of recurrent dreams in young adolescents

Studies on children’s recurrent dreams have been largely anecdotal and based on adults’ recollections of dreams experienced during childhood. We collected 102 reports of recurrent dreams from a sample of young adolescents aged between 11 and 15 years and scored the narratives using a range of content measures, including in relation to the threat simulation theory (TST) of dreaming. The most frequently reported themes involved confrontations with monsters or animals, followed by physical aggressions, falling and being chased. Recurrent dreams were more likely to include negative content elements than positive elements. Only half of the recurrent dreams contained threatening elements and their analysis provided mixed support for the TST. Differences between the content of recurrent dreams reported by young adolescent versus adults are discussed as are possible sex effects and key issues that remain to be addressed by future researc

Brain Serotonin Synthesis in Adult Males Characterized by Physical Aggression during Childhood: A 21-Year Longitudinal Study

Adults exhibiting severe impulsive and aggressive behaviors have multiple indices of low serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission. It remains unclear though whether low 5-HT mediates the behavior or instead reflects a pre-existing vulnerability trait.C-AMT bilaterally in the orbitofrontal cortex and self-reported more impulsiveness. Despite this, in adulthood there were no group differences in plasma tryptophan levels, genotyping, aggression, emotional intelligence, working memory, computerized measures of impulsivity, psychosocial functioning/adjustment, and personal and family history of mood and substance abuse disorders.These results force a re-examination of the low 5-HT hypothesis as central in the biology of violence. They suggest that low 5-HT does not mediate current behavior and should be considered a vulnerability factor for impulsive-aggressive behavior that may or may not be expressed depending on other biological factors, experience, and environmental support during development

Sensibilité à la récompense et à la punition chez les individus à risque de dépendance aux drogues et à l’alcool

Affiche présentée dans le cadre du colloque de l'ARC «Favoriser l’accès et le partage par la création d’un observatoire» lors du 86e Congrès de l'Acfas à l' Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC), les 7 et 8 mai 2018.Une minorité de consommateurs de drogues et d’alcool développe un trouble d’utilisation de substances (TUS). Les jeunes dont le niveau de comportements externalisés (EXT) est supérieur sont à risque plus élevé de TUS. Cette étude examine si les individus aux traits EXT élevés (eEXT), comparés à des EXT faibles (fEXT), ont une sensibilité altérée aux récompenses et punitions – par exemple, des évaluations sociales positives. Un total de 72 jeunes adultes (18-20 ans) suivis depuis la naissance ont été catégorisés comme fEXT (n=37) ou eEXT (n=35) selon leurs données (11-16 ans). Ils ont rempli l’Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT), le Baratt Impulsiveness Scale, Sensitivity to Punishment & Reward Questionnaire, et la Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS). Des tests t pour échantillons indépendants et des corrélations de Pearson ont été utilisés pour examiner les différences entre les groupes et le lien entre les mesures comportementales. On constate chez les eEXT une sensibilité accrue aux récompenses et punitions, une impulsivité plus élevée et une consommation significativement supérieure de cannabis. Au total, la sensibilité aux récompenses corrèle avec l’AUDIT et la consommation de cannabis. Les individus avec eEXT sont plus sensibles aux récompenses, ce qui peut contribuer à leur développement de TUS. Ces résultats fournissent des informations importantes pour le développement de stratégies d’intervention précoces, la prévention et le traitement des TUS

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 6–8 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 6–8 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

Serotonergic Contribution to Boys' Behavioral Regulation

Animal and human adult studies reveal a contribution of serotonin to behavior regulation. Whether these findings apply to children is unclear. The present study investigated serotonergic functioning in boys with a history of behavior regulation difficulties through a double-blind, acute tryptophan supplementation procedure.Participants were 23 boys (age 10 years) with a history of elevated physical aggression, recruited from a community sample. Eleven were given a chocolate milkshake supplemented with 500 mg tryptophan, and 12 received a chocolate milkshake without tryptophan. Boys engaged in a competitive reaction time game against a fictitious opponent, which assessed response to provocation, impulsivity, perspective taking, and sharing. Impulsivity was further assessed through a Go/No-Go paradigm. A computerized emotion recognition task and a staged instrumental help incident were also administered.Boys, regardless of group, responded similarly to high provocation by the fictitious opponent. However, boys in the tryptophan group adjusted their level of responding optimally as a function of the level of provocation, whereas boys in the control group significantly decreased their level of responding towards the end of the competition. Boys in the tryptophan group tended to show greater perspective taking, tended to better distinguish facial expressions of fear and happiness, and tended to provide greater instrumental help to the experimenter.The present study provides initial evidence for the feasibility of acute tryptophan supplementation in children and some effect of tryptophan supplementation on children's behaviors. Further studies are warranted to explore the potential impact of increased serotonergic functioning on boys' dominant and affiliative behaviors