14 research outputs found
Do Medical Homes Reduce Disparities in Receipt of Preventive Services Between Children Living in Immigrant and Non-immigrant Families?
Application of Balanced Scorecard in the Evaluation of a Complex Health System Intervention: 12 Months Post Intervention Findings from the BHOMA Intervention: A Cluster Randomised Trial in Zambia
A Prospective Study of Psychological Distress and Weight Status in Adolescents/Young Adults
Burn model system national longitudinal database representativeness by race, ethnicity, gender, and age
The association between major depressive disorder and obesity in US adolescents: results from the 2001â2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
MRI volume of the medial frontal cortex predicts financial capacity in patients with mild Alzheimerâs disease
Chronic Adolescent Exposure to Î-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in COMT Mutant Mice: Impact on Psychosis-Related and Other Phenotypes
Cannabis use confers a two-fold increase in the risk for psychosis, with adolescent use conferring even greater risk. A highâlow activity catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) polymorphism may modulate the effects of adolescent Î-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) exposure on the risk for adult psychosis. Mice with knockout of the COMT gene were treated chronically with THC (4.0 and 8.0âmg/kg over 20 days) during either adolescence (postnatal days (PDs) 32â52) or adulthood (PDs 70â90). The effects of THC exposure were then assessed in adulthood across behavioral phenotypes relevant for psychosis: exploratory activity, spatial working memory (spontaneous and delayed alternation), object recognition memory, social interaction (sociability and social novelty preference), and anxiety (elevated plus maze). Adolescent THC administration induced a larger increase in exploratory activity, greater impairment in spatial working memory, and a stronger anti-anxiety effect in COMT knockouts than in wild types, primarily among males. No such effects of selective adolescent THC administration were evident for other behaviors. Both object recognition memory and social novelty preference were disrupted by either adolescent or adult THC administration, independent of genotype. The COMT genotype exerts specific modulation of responsivity to chronic THC administration during adolescence in terms of exploratory activity, spatial working memory, and anxiety. These findings illuminate the interaction between genes and adverse environmental exposures over a particular stage of development in the expression of the psychosis phenotype
Chronic adolescent exposure to Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol in COMT mutant mice: impact on indices of dopaminergic, endocannabinoid and GABAergic pathways.
Cannabis use confers a two-fold increase in risk for psychosis, with adolescent use conferring an even greater risk. A high-low activity polymorphism in catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), a gene encoding the COMT enzyme involved in dopamine clearance in the brain, may interact with adolescent cannabis exposure to increase risk for schizophrenia.
The impact of such an interaction on central neurotransmitter pathways implicated in schizophrenia is unknown. Male mice with knockout of the COMT gene were treated chronically with delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) during adolescence (postnatal day 32â52). We measured the size and density of GABAergic cells and the protein expression of cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hippocampus (HPC) in knockout mice relative to heterozygous mutants and wild-type controls. Size and density of dopaminergic neurons was also assessed in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) across the genotypes. COMT genotype Ă THC treatment interactions were observed for: (1) dopaminergic cell size in the VTA, (2) CB1R protein expression in the HPC, and (3) parvalbumin (PV) cell size in the PFC. No effects of adolescent THC treatment were observed for PV and dopaminergic cell density across the COMT genotypes. COMT genotype modulates the effects of chronic THC administration during adolescence on indices of neurotransmitter function in the brain. These findings illuminate how COMT deletion and adolescent cannabis use can interact to modulate the function of neurotransmitters systems implicated in schizophrenia
Diversity Issues in Pediatric Behavioral Health Care
Youth from racial/ethnic, sexual, and gender minority groups have significant disparities in health and mental health outcomes. While the literature suggests that evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapies benefit youth and families with minority or marginalized status, less research has focused specifically on these populations in pediatric behavioral health care. Existing evidence pointing to the potential positive impact of pediatric psychologists working with marginalized communities including racial/ethnic minority and LGBTQ youth will be reviewed, along with a brief discussion of the relevance of culturally adapted or tailored interventions in pediatric behavioral health care. Important considerations for practitioners working with minority or marginalized youth and families will be discussed, including issues of mistrust, stigma, and accessibility of services.https://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_facbooks/1668/thumbnail.jp