Parents Impact Kids’ Cognition More But Social Policies Still Matter

A new study of the factors that influence childhood cognition has found that the role of parents is more important than far-reaching public policies — but that public policies can make a difference.

“We looked at the effects of parental characteristics on the cognition of children in the U.S. and Great Britain,” said Dr. Toby Parcel, a professor of sociology at North Carolina State University and corresponding author of the study. “Basically, we wanted to see whether the welfare state in Great Britain gave its children an advantage.”

He noted that an earlier work by the researchers looked at children’s home environments and behavioral problems across the two countries.

“We found that parents were equally important in both places,” Parcel said. “In this study we looked at three things: pre-reading skills and scores of reading and mathematics achievement.”

For the new study, researchers at NC State and California State University, Northridge, analyzed two sets of data: A representative sample of 3,439 children between the ages of five and 13 in the U.S.; and a representative sample of 1,309 children in Great Britain across the same age range.

“We were able to do this study because the two data sets are comparable — same age range, same timeframe, and same measures of key variables,” Parcel explained.

The researchers discovered that parental characteristics were equally important in both countries in supporting stronger child cognition. However, there were some exceptions.

For example, the researchers found that children of single-mother families were at a disadvantage for verbal facility in the U.S., but not in Great Britain. Similarly, they found that a larger family size was associated with lower math scores in the U.S., but not in Great Britain.

“This may indicate that parents have fewer resources per child in larger families, and that the government in Great Britain has instituted policies that help compensate for that, whereas those policies are lacking in the U.S.,” Parcel said. “Those policies could possibly include the child allowances and National Health Service, which may help parents use their own resources to better support child cognition.”

The researchers also identified many ways in which the U.S. and Great Britain are similar. In both countries, low birth weight, health limitations, and larger family size were associated with lower verbal facility.

Child health limitations were also linked to lower math scores in both countries, and health limitations, male gender, and larger family size were associated with lower reading achievement in both countries.

The mother’s cognitive ability and stronger home environments were associated with higher verbal facility, math scores, and reading achievement in both countries, according to the study’s findings.

“Parents are equally important in both societies, and policies can’t replace good parents,” Parcel said. “But there do appear to be areas where policies can support families and help children succeed.”

The study was published in the journal Social Science Research.

Source: North Carolina State University

 
Photo Credit: MIKI Yoshihito. Shared under a Creative Commons license..

Teen Stalking Victims at Higher Risk for Depression, Risky Behaviors

A new study has found that 14 percent of girls and 13 percent of boys are victims of stalking.

These __teens are also more likely to report symptoms linked to depression, as well as risky behavior, including binge drinking and sexting, according to the study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

For the study, researchers surveyed 1,236 randomly selected teens. The survey asked __teens specific questions about the actions of others. Because it’s generally agreed that stalking requires a pattern of repeated unwanted behaviors, researchers used a list of 19 stalking victimization indicators and gathered data about how often each one occurred.

Teens were then separated into three classes based on the frequency of exposure: A non-victim class, a minimal exposure class, and a victim class.

Class size was fairly consistent across genders with 50 percent of girls and 53 percent of boys falling into the non-victim class, 36 percent of girls and 34 percent of boys qualifying for the minimal exposure class, and 14 percent of girls and 13 percent of boys making up the victim class.

“Little is actually known about the rates and potential consequences of stalking victimization in developing adolescent populations,” said lead investigator Dennis E. Reidy, Ph.D., Division of Violence Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

“Identifying how these different stalking tactics manifest in different combinations is critical because different stalking profiles likely confer varying degrees and forms of risk. For instance, a victim primarily experiencing surveillance/monitoring by a stalker may suffer far fewer physical, social, and psychological consequences than a victim of a stalker showing more diversity in stalking behavior.”

Once the researchers identified the three classes, they conducted further analysis to determine the potential mental and behavioral health factors associated with being a victim of stalking.

Along with tracking the stalking indicators, the survey also asked the teens about psychiatric symptoms, such as mood disorder, post-traumatic stress, feelings of hopelessness; sexual behaviors, including number of partners, frequency of sexting, oral sex, and intercourse; and substance use.

The findings revealed that teens in the victim class were more likely to report mood symptoms and instances of risky behavior than teens in the other two groups.

“A general trend across boys and girls alike emerged,” Reidy said. “Adolescents in the victim class reported more psychiatric symptoms during the past month and a higher frequency of physical dating violence victimization, alcohol use, and binge drinking during the prior 12 months. Additionally, girls in the victim class reported higher prevalence of marijuana use and more sexting and oral sex partners during the past year.”

“The data suggest a substantial proportion of adolescents are victims of stalking and are likewise at risk for a number of deleterious health outcomes,” he added. “As such, this population merits further attention by prevention researchers and practitioners.”

Source: Elsevier

Computerized “Building Blocks” Provide Insight on Developmental Problems

Building blocks, the classic children’s toy, are now being imbedded with technology that may provide a clearer view of problems a child or adult may suffer due to developmental disabilities, brain trauma, or dementia.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University say preliminary findings show the new tool aids therapeutic interventions for children with an autistic spectrum disorder, attention deficit disorder, or speech delays.

In testing college-age adults, blocks with sensors inside detected hyperactivity and revealed the problem-solving strategies used by each subject. The sensors also detected performance accuracy and the time each user took to complete given tasks.

The blocks are fully automated, wirelessly relaying data to a computer. The technology could potentially allow a parent or other caregiver in a rural home to administer tests while a trained clinician hundreds of miles away completes the assessment by internet.

“These Sensor-Integrated Geometric Blocks, or SIG-Blocks, can be used for cognitive testing and training with subjects of any age, and the testing is customizable,” said Kiju Lee, assistant professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Case Western Reserve and leader of block development.

The research is published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior. Lee’s coauthors are Donghwa Jeong, a PhD student at the Case School of Engineering; Rachel Schindler, a PhD student in psychology; and Elizabeth Short, psychology professor.

In a pilot set of tests, 89 college students played what are called Tangible Geometric Games, using blocks with printed geometric patterns on their surfaces. The games required them to:

• Assemble multiple blocks to reflect an image of blocks on a computer screen.
• Fill in a missing block to match a pattern shown on a computer screen.
• Recreate a pattern flashed on the screen and removed.

“One advantage of using the blocks is they eliminate human error and biases,” Short said.

Human error can include when to begin and finish timing a standardized intelligence test, how closely a clinician monitors the subject, and interpretations of activity.

Research has shown that adults — including experimenters — are biased toward subjects who appear intelligent, giving them a benefit of the doubt over subjects who appear less so.

“Testing has always been standardized, but this is more fine-tuned and more accurate,” Short said.

“The sensor-enabled blocks record the movement pattern — each attempt, each movement, and how long it takes, hesitancy, whether a subject thinks through the task and makes the necessary manipulation or whether he turns and turns the block until he gets it right.”

Another advantage, the researchers say, is testing with the blocks is not as rigid as standardized tests.

“If a subject can’t assemble three blocks into a pattern, we can move to two blocks or simplify the pattern,” Short said. “This way, I can get to the skill problem: they can’t rotate the block, or can’t invert the block.”

The blocks can then be used to train the children or adults to use the blocks in certain ways, to try to address the skill problem.

Additionally, researchers have also been testing children ages four to eight, some with autism spectrum disorder, speech delays, and hyperactivity. The blocks are also being used to test adult patients who have suffered from traumatic brain injuries.

Lee has also started to use this block technology and games on older adults.

“Psychologists have used block design tests for more than 100 years, so we know which designs are difficult to reproduce and the time it takes,” explains Grover “Cleve” Gilmore, dean of the Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences and professor of psychology and social work.

“For the first time we can evaluate the micro aspects of manipulating each block and the full assembly. I think this will give us a better understanding of cognition and what happens in aging and what happens with dementia.”

Lee said the team has incorporated computational measures of play complexity that allow them to see correlations with age. To look further, the researchers are in the process of designing tests and games that are individualized for each user. Lee’s lab has also been developing new versions of blocks, which provide visual, tactile and auditory feedback.

All will be incorporated into new games.

“We’ve got a lot of testing to do in adults and children,” Short said. “But I’m cautiously optimistic this technology can give information.”

Source: Case Western Reserve University/EurekAlert
 
Photo: Sensor-Integrated Geometric Blocks, or SIG-Blocks, have a number of sensors inside that help reveal hyperactivity, problem-solving strategies and more during testing. Credit: Kiju Lee.

Early Interventions May Prevent Teen Substance Abuse

New research suggests it is never too early to begin interventions to reduce the risk of teen substance abuse.

Investigators from the University at Buffalo Research Institute on Addictions (RIA) discovered that in some settings, interactions to prevent alcohol and drug use should begin in early childhood.

“The children of parents with alcohol problems are at much greater risk for underage drinking and developing a substance use disorder,” said the study’s author, Rina Das Eiden, Ph.D., senior research scientist at RIA.

“It’s important to understand when and under what circumstances such problems develop, so we can craft interventions to steer this high-risk population away from substance use and its attendant problems.”

Eiden examined different pathways to adolescent substance use, starting in infancy, for children of parents with alcohol use disorder (AUD). She found that maternal warmth and sensitivity in early childhood played a significant role.

“When mothers can be warm and sensitive during interactions with their toddlers, even under the stresses associated with their partners’ alcohol problems, there is a lower likelihood of adolescent substance use,” Eiden says.

Parents with AUD demonstrated lower rates of maternal sensitivity toward their toddlers, continuing into kindergarten age, Eiden found.

As the children entered middle school (sixth grade), their mothers were less likely to monitor peer groups and activities, leading to higher engagement with substance-using and delinquent peers and drinking in early adolescence (eight grade).

Investigators discovered these children also displayed lower self-regulation, or the ability to behave according to rules without supervision, at preschool age.

The low self-control can lead to problem behaviors from kindergarten age to early adolescence, and higher alcohol and marijuana use in late adolescence.

The results have implications for both the timing and content of preventive interventions against substance use among adolescents of parents with AUD.

Timing interventions in early childhood and before major developmental transitions, such as transition to school and moving from elementary to middle school, may be most beneficial, say the researchers.

For content, the most helpful interventions would be to encourage and support mothers in being warm and sensitive during interactions with their toddlers, and to keep a close eye their children’s activities and peer groups during the transition from middle childhood to early adolescence.

“This attention also would promote children’s self-regulation in the preschool years, which may lead to a decrease in problem behaviors from school age into adolescence,” Eiden says.

Source: University of Buffalo

Depression Seen As Rising Among Teens, Especially Girls

A new report from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds the rate of adolescents reporting a recent bout of clinical depression grew by 37 percent over the decade ending in 2014. In addition, the study found one in six teenage girls experiences an episode of depression.

The findings, published online in the journal Pediatrics, highlight a need to focus on the mental well-being of young people and match those in peril with mental health professionals.

“This shows us there are a growing number of untreated adolescents with depression and that we are making few inroads in getting mental health care to this population,” said study leader Ramin Mojtabai, M.D., Ph.D., MPH.

“It is imperative that we find ways to reach these teenagers and help them manage their depression.”

Experts also note that suicide rates have been increasing in recent years, particularly among adolescent girls and young women.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this month reported that suicide rates among American middle school students — those aged 10 to 14 — were higher than rates of death from motor vehicle crashes in that age group.

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the 2005 to 2014 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health on adolescents and young adults to examine trends in “major depressive episodes” over the previous year.

Major depressive episodes, also known as clinical depression, occur when someone develops a depressed mood or a loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities along with other depressive symptoms consistently for at least two weeks.

Overall, 176,245 adolescents aged 12 to 17 and 180,459 adults aged 18 to 25 were involved in the annual study between 2005 and 2014. Participants were told about symptoms of depression and were asked whether they had experienced them in the prior year.

In 2005, 8.7 percent of adolescents reported major depressive episodes in the past year; the percentage increased to 11.3 percent in 2014. Interestingly, the rate had remained relatively steady from 2005 to 2011, but grew significantly from 2012 through 2014.

Among girls, the prevalence of major depressive episodes increased from 13.1 percent in 2005 to 17.3 percent in 2014.

White adolescents and young adults were also more likely than non-whites to experience these episodes. Among young adults, the prevalence of these episodes grew from 8.8 percent in 2005 to 9.6 percent in 2014, though the increase was only found in those ages 18 to 20.

The findings were based only on self-reporting, not on clinical diagnoses. The researchers controlled for substance abuse and socioeconomic factors.

There were few significant changes in the use of mental health treatment among those adolescents and young adults with depression.

In adolescents, after 2011, there were small increases in visits to specialty mental health providers, the use of inpatient and day treatment centers and medication. These increases, however, were not enough to keep up with the increases in those with clinical depression.

The increase in some treatment could be related to the expansion of health insurance under the Affordable Care Act and mental health parity legislation, though the future of health insurance expansion is in jeopardy following the recent election of a new U.S. president.

The researchers say it is unclear what is driving the rise in major depressive episodes, particularly among girls. They say adolescent girls may have been exposed to a greater degree of depression risk factors in recent years.

Cyberbullying, for example, may have increased more in girls, as studies have shown that they use mobile phones more frequently and intensively than boys, and problematic mobile phone use among young people has been linked to depressed mood.

The results coincided with a major economic downturn; however, there has not been an increase in the prevalence of clinical depression among adults over the period and this study found no increase among those age 21 to 25.

“The growing number of depressed adolescents and young adults who do not receive any mental health treatment calls for renewed outreach efforts, especially in school and college health centers, counseling services, and pediatric practices, where many of the untreated adolescents and adults with depression may be detected and managed,” Mojtabai said.

Source: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/EurekAlert

New Tools May Improve Effectiveness of Behavioral Therapy for Autism

Researchers say two new approaches have the potential to help a large number of children with autism spectrum disorder through behavioral therapy.

The two recently published papers represent new methods to develop precision treatments for people with autism.

The first paper found that functional MRIs (fMRI) could predict which children will benefit from Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT) with near-perfect accuracy. PRT is one of a few evidence-based interventions for autism.

The technique, developed by researchers from the George Washington University (GWU) and the Children’s National Health System used fMRI to determine the functionality of four clusters in the brain that are involved in processing emotional information, social information, social attention, and social reward.

According to the study, children with higher functionality in those brain clusters benefitted more from PRT.

The behavioral therapy is currently effective in approximately 60 percent of children and is costly and time-intensive. fMRI could be used to identify the children most likely to respond to the treatment and may lead to follow-up research to better prepare those who would not.

“Parents want their children to receive the best treatment during this period, but it is not always clear how much a given treatment plan would benefit the children,” said Dr. Daniel Yang, researcher at the GWU Autism & Neurodevelopmental Disorders Institute, and one of the lead authors of the paper.

“Although more research is needed, the current research provides an important first step toward establishing objective biomarkers that can accurately predict treatment outcome in young children with autism.”

The second paper examined the effect of the hormone oxytocin on the activity of social perception and reward brain circuits in children with autism spectrum disorder.

This was one of the first investigations of its kind.

Researchers found that by administering oxytocin as a nasal spray before social experiences, children had stronger responses to the social information. The findings suggest that use of oxytocin treatment before behavioral therapy could help reinforce the reward system in the brain that motivates social behaviors.

However, researchers stress that the treatment must be developed in conjunction with therapies designed to positively reward social behaviors, as heightened response to negative emotions can also occur.

“Although oxytocin is often referred to as the ‘love’ hormone, its effects actually depend on a child’s social surroundings,” said Dr. Allison Jack, assistant research professor of pharmacology and physiology at the GWU School of Medicine and Health Sciences and a co-author of the paper.

“Our study demonstrates that administering oxytocin to children with autism spectrum disorders has different effects on their brains depending on what type of environment they are exposed to.

“Only when children were experiencing positive social cues (like happy voices) did we see oxytocin having the effect that we would need it to have for therapeutic use, by increasing brain activity in the reward system.”

While the researchers said the results are promising, they do not suggest that using intranasal oxytocin should be considered as a core treatment for autism. Rather, the oxytocin treatment could be a way to enhance behavioral methods that are specifically tailored to provide positive social experiences and rewards.

The sample sizes of both studies were small, but the results were striking. The findings have the potential to complement each other, according to one of the corresponding authors.

“This research moves us closer to our goal of developing precision treatments for people with autism — getting the right treatment to the right person at the best time,” said Dr. Kevin Pelphrey, Carbonell Family Professor in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at GWU, and a co-author of both papers.

“As we move forward from here, we will launch a new era — brain imaging will become a routine part of a translational research chain. Brain imaging biological markers could be used, at the outset, to make treatment decisions related to dose, duration, intensity, and specific behavioral treatment approaches, as well as decisions about which drugs to use to improve treatment response.”

The papers were published in Translational Psychiatry and Scientific Reports, respectively.

Source: George Washington University/EurekAlert

Rat Study Suggests Teen Binge Drinking Can Affect Offspring

New research suggests repeated binge drinking during adolescence can affect brain functions in future generations.

Investigators at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine discovered the behavior could potentially place offspring at risk for such conditions as depression, anxiety, and metabolic disorders.

“Adolescent binge drinking not only is dangerous to the brain development of teenagers, but also may impact the brains of their children,” said senior author Toni R. Pak, Ph.D.

The study by Pak, first author Anna Dorothea Asimes, a Ph.D. student in Pak’s lab, and colleagues was presented at Neuroscience 2016, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.

Using an animal model, researchers found that adolescent binge drinking altered the on-off switches of multiple genes in the brains of offspring. When genes are turned on, they instruct cells to make proteins, which ultimately control physical and behavioral traits.

The study found that in offspring, genes that normally are turned on were turned off, and vice versa.

Teenage binge drinking is a major health concern in the United States, with 21 percent of teenagers reporting they have done it during the past 30 days. Among drinkers under age 21, more than 90 percent of the alcohol is consumed during binge drinking episodes.

Binge drinking is defined as raising the blood alcohol concentration to 0.08 percent, the legal driving limit, within two hours (generally about five drinks for a male and four drinks for a female).

In the study, one group of adolescent male and female rats was exposed to alcohol in amounts comparable to six binge drinking episodes. The rats mated after becoming sober and the females remained sober during their pregnancies. (Thus any effects on offspring could not be attributed to fetal alcohol syndrome.)

The alcohol-exposed rats were compared to a control group of rats that were not exposed to alcohol.

In the offspring of alcohol-exposed rats, researchers examined genes in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain involved in many functions, including reproduction, response to stress, sleep cycles, and food intake.

Researchers looked for molecular changes to DNA that would reverse the on-off switches in individual genes. They found 159 such changes in the offspring of binge-drinking mothers, 93 gene changes in the offspring of binge-drinking fathers and 244 gene changes in the offspring of mothers and fathers who both were exposed to binge drinking.

The study is the first to show a molecular pathway that teenage binge drinking by either parent can cause changes in the neurological health of subsequent generations.

While findings from an animal model do not necessarily translate to humans, there are significant similarities between the study’s animal model and humans, including their metabolism of alcohol, the function of the hypothalamus, and the pattern and amount of binge drinking, Pak said.

The study was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.

Source: Loyola University/EurekAlert