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Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and... 2019Between 2009 and 2014, nearly 3% of US children (age ≤ 17 years) lived in households with at least 1 parent with substance use disorder. The present systematic... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Between 2009 and 2014, nearly 3% of US children (age ≤ 17 years) lived in households with at least 1 parent with substance use disorder. The present systematic review aimed to evaluate effects of parental opioid use disorder on the parent-child relationship and child developmental and behavioral outcomes.
METHODS
Several databases were comprehensively searched for studies published from January 1980 through February 2018 that reviewed effects of parental opioid addiction on parent-child relationships and outcomes of children (age, 0-16 years).
RESULTS
Of 304 unique studies, 12 evaluated effects of parental opioid addiction on the parent-child relationship as the primary outcome and on children's outcomes, including behaviors and development. Observation of mother-child interaction showed that mothers with opioid use disorders are more irritable, ambivalent, and disinterested while showing greater difficulty interpreting children's cues compared with the control group. Children of parents with opioid use disorders showed greater disorganized attachment; they were less likely to seek contact and more avoidant than children in the control group. The children also had increased risk of emotional and behavioral issues, poor academic performance, and poor social skills. Younger children had increased risk of abuse or neglect, or both, that later in life may lead to such difficulties as unemployment, legal issues, and substance abuse.
CONCLUSIONS
Current evidence shows association between parental opioid addiction and poorer mother-child attachment and suboptimal child developmental and behavioral outcomes. Further research and treatment targeting children and families with parental opioid use are needed to prevent difficulties later in life.
PubMed: 30651753
DOI: 10.1186/s13034-019-0266-3 -
International Journal of Environmental... May 2022Evidence indicates shared physiopathological mechanisms between autism and psychosis. In this regard, the endocannabinoid system has been suggested to modulate neural... (Review)
Review
Evidence indicates shared physiopathological mechanisms between autism and psychosis. In this regard, the endocannabinoid system has been suggested to modulate neural circuits during the early stage of neurodevelopment, with implications for both autism and psychosis. Nevertheless, such potential common markers of disease have been investigated in both autism and psychosis spectrum disorders, without considering the conundrum of differentiating the two groups of conditions in terms of diagnosis and treatment. Here, we systematically review all human and animal studies examining the endocannabinoid system and its biobehavioral correlates in the association between autism and psychosis. Studies indicate overlapping biobehavioral aberrancies between autism and schizophrenia, subject to correction by modulation of the endocannabinoid system. In addition, common cannabinoid-based pharmacological strategies have been identified, exerting epigenetic effects across genes controlling neural mechanisms shared between autism and schizophrenia. Interestingly, a developmental and transgenerational trajectory between autism and schizophrenia is supported by evidence that exogenous alteration of the endocannabinoid system promotes progression to inheritable psychosis phenotypes in the context of biobehavioral autism vulnerability. However, evidence for a diametral association between autism and psychosis is scant. Several clinical implications follow from evidence of a developmental continuum between autism and psychosis as a function of the endocannabinoid system dysregulation.
Topics: Animals; Autistic Disorder; Cannabinoids; Endocannabinoids; Psychotic Disorders; Schizophrenia
PubMed: 35565034
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19095616 -
Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Jul 2023Exposure to stress during early development may lead to altered neurobiological functions, thus increasing the risk for psychiatric illnesses later in life. One... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Exposure to stress during early development may lead to altered neurobiological functions, thus increasing the risk for psychiatric illnesses later in life. One potential mechanism associated with those outcomes is the disruption of glial density and morphology, despite results from rodent studies have been conflicting. To address that we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of rodent studies that investigated the effects of prenatal stress (PNS) and early life stress (ELS) on microglia, astrocyte, and oligodendrocyte density and morphology within the offspring. Our meta-analysis demonstrates that animals exposed to PNS or ELS showed significant increase in microglia density, as well as decreased oligodendrocyte density. Moreover, ELS exposure induced an increase in microglia soma size. However, we were unable to identify significant effects on astrocytes. Meta-regression indicated that experimental stress protocol, sex, age, and type of tissue analyzed are important covariates that impact those results. Importantly, PNS microglia showed higher estimates in young animals, while the ELS effects were stronger in adult animals. This set of data reinforces that alterations in glial cells could play a role in stress-induced dysfunctions throughout development.
Topics: Animals; Female; Pregnancy; Astrocytes; Microglia; Oligodendroglia; Rodentia; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 37116770
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105202 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2022The neurocognitive basis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD; or motor clumsiness) remains an issue of continued debate. This combined systematic review and...
AIM
The neurocognitive basis of Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD; or motor clumsiness) remains an issue of continued debate. This combined systematic review and meta-analysis provides a synthesis of recent experimental studies on the motor control, cognitive, and neural underpinnings of DCD.
METHODS
The review included all published work conducted since September 2016 and up to April 2021. One-hundred papers with a DCD-Control comparison were included, with 1,374 effect sizes entered into a multi-level meta-analysis.
RESULTS
The most profound deficits were shown in: voluntary gaze control during movement; cognitive-motor integration; practice-/context-dependent motor learning; internal modeling; more variable movement kinematics/kinetics; larger safety margins when locomoting, and atypical neural structure and function across sensori-motor and prefrontal regions.
INTERPRETATION
Taken together, these results on DCD suggest fundamental deficits in visual-motor mapping and cognitive-motor integration, and abnormal maturation of motor networks, but also areas of pragmatic compensation for motor control deficits. Implications for current theory, future research, and evidence-based practice are discussed.
SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION
PROSPERO, identifier: CRD42020185444.
PubMed: 35153960
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.809455 -
Clinical Child and Family Psychology... Jun 2021Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for anxiety disorders in children and young people; however, many do not benefit. Behavioural exposure appears to... (Review)
Review
Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for anxiety disorders in children and young people; however, many do not benefit. Behavioural exposure appears to be the critical ingredient in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Research with adults has identified innovative strategies to optimise exposure-based treatments, yet it is not clear how to optimise the effects of exposure for children and young people. This review was a preliminary exploration of the association between potential optimisation strategies and treatment procedures and outcomes for the treatment of child anxiety symptoms/disorders. We searched Psych-Info and Medline databases using a systematic search strategy and identified 29 articles. We found preliminary evidence that some specific strategies may enhance the effects of exposure, such as dropping safety behaviours, parents and therapists discouraging avoidance, and the use of homework. However, not one significant finding was replicated by another study for the same timepoint using the same methodology. To a large degree, this lack of replication reflects a limited number of studies combined with a lack of consistency across studies around conceptualisations, methodological approaches, and outcome measures making it difficult to make meaningful comparisons between studies and draw firm conclusions. Examination is needed of a wide range of theoretically-driven potential optimisation strategies using methodologically robust, preclinical studies with children and young people. Furthermore, the methods used in future research must enable comparisons across studies and explore developmental differences in the effects of particular optimisation strategies.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Anxiety; Anxiety Disorders; Child; Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Humans; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic
PubMed: 33547624
DOI: 10.1007/s10567-020-00335-z -
Pediatrics Jun 2017The purpose of this systematic literature review is to describe what is known about fragile X syndrome (FXS) and to identify research gaps. The results can be used to... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this systematic literature review is to describe what is known about fragile X syndrome (FXS) and to identify research gaps. The results can be used to help inform future public health research and provide pediatricians with up-to-date information about the implications of the condition for individuals and their families.
METHODS
An electronic literature search was conducted, guided by a variety of key words. The search focused on 4 areas of both clinical and public health importance: (1) the full mutation phenotype, (2) developmental trajectories across the life span, (3) available interventions and treatments, and (4) impact on the family. A total of 661 articles were examined and 203 were included in the review.
RESULTS
The information is presented in the following categories: developmental profile (cognition, language, functional skills, and transition to adulthood), social-emotional profile (cooccurring psychiatric conditions and behavior problems), medical profile (physical features, seizures, sleep, health problems, and physiologic features), treatment and interventions (educational/behavioral, allied health services, and pharmacologic), and impact on the family (family environment and financial impact). Research gaps also are presented.
CONCLUSIONS
The identification and treatment of FXS remains an important public health and clinical concern. The information presented in this article provides a more robust understanding of FXS and the impact of this complex condition for pediatricians. Despite a wealth of information about the condition, much work remains to fully support affected individuals and their families.
Topics: Adult; Caregivers; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA Mutational Analysis; Delivery of Health Care; Developmental Disabilities; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein; Fragile X Syndrome; Genetic Testing; Humans; Language Development Disorders; Male; Parenting; Phenotype; Prognosis; Public Health; Social Adjustment; Trinucleotide Repeats
PubMed: 28814537
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1159C -
Toxicology Nov 2015Risk assessments of arsenic have focused on skin, bladder, and lung cancers and skin lesions as the sensitive cancer and non-cancer health endpoints, respectively;... (Review)
Review
UNLABELLED
Risk assessments of arsenic have focused on skin, bladder, and lung cancers and skin lesions as the sensitive cancer and non-cancer health endpoints, respectively; however, an increasing number of epidemiologic studies that can inform risk assessment have examined neurodevelopmental effects in children. We conducted a systematic review and risk assessment based on the epidemiologic literature on possible neurodevelopmental effects at lower arsenic exposures. Twenty-four cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies were identified that report on the association between low-level arsenic exposure (i.e., largely <100 μg/L of arsenic in drinking water) and neurological outcomes in children. Although the overall evidence does not consistently show a causal dose-response relationship at low doses, the most rigorously conducted studies from Bangladesh indicate possible inverse associations with cognitive function, predominantly involving concurrent arsenic exposure as measured by biomarkers (i.e., arsenic in urine or blood) and raw verbal test scores at ages 5-11 years. Issues such as non-comparability of outcome measures across studies; inaccuracies of biomarkers and other measures of inorganic arsenic exposure; potential effect modification by cultural practices; insufficient adjustment for nutritional deficiencies, maternal IQ, and other important confounders; and presence of other neurotoxicants in foreign populations limit generalizability to U.S.
POPULATIONS
Of the few U.S. studies available, the most rigorously conducted study did not find a consistent dose-response relationship between arsenic concentrations in tap water or toenails and decrements in IQ scores. Assuming that the strongest dose-response relationship from the most rigorous evidence from Bangladesh is generalizable to U.S. populations, possible reference doses were estimated in the range of 0.0004-0.001 mg/kg-day. These doses are higher than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reference dose for chronic lifetime exposure, thus indicating protectiveness of the existing value for potential neurotoxicity in children. This reference dose is undergoing revision as EPA considers various health endpoints in the reassessment of inorganic arsenic health risks.
Topics: Adolescent; Arsenic; Arsenicals; Child; Child, Preschool; Developmental Disabilities; Female; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Neurotoxicity Syndromes; Pregnancy; Water Pollutants, Chemical
PubMed: 26388044
DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2015.09.002 -
PloS One 2023Children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, developmental language disorder (DLD), intellectual... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
RATIONALE
Children with neurodevelopmental disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism, developmental language disorder (DLD), intellectual disability (ID), and social (pragmatic) communication disorder (SPCD) experience difficulties with social functioning due to differences in their social, emotional and cognitive skills. Previous systematic reviews have focussed on specific aspects of social functioning rather than broader peer functioning and friendships.
OBJECTIVE
To systematically review and methodologically appraise the quality and effectiveness of existing intervention studies that measured friendship outcomes for children with ADHD, autism, DLD, ID, and SPCD.
METHOD
Following PRISMA guidelines, we searched five electronic databases: CINAHL, Embase, Eric, PsycINFO, and PubMed. Two independent researchers screened all abstracts and disagreements were discussed with a third researcher to reach consensus. The methodological quality of studies was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool for Randomised Trials.
RESULTS
Twelve studies involving 15 interventions were included. Studies included 683 children with a neurodevelopmental disorder and 190 typically-developing children and diagnosed with either autism or ADHD. Within-group meta-analysis showed that the pooled intervention effects for friendship across all interventions were small to moderate (z = 2.761, p = 0.006, g = 0.485). The pooled intervention effect between intervention and comparison groups was not significant (z = 1.206, p = 0.400, g = 0.215).
CONCLUSION
Findings provide evidence that some individual interventions are effective in improving social functioning and fostering more meaningful friendships between children with neurodevelopmental disorders and their peers. Effective interventions involved educators, targeted child characteristics known to moderate peer functioning, actively involved peers, and incorporated techniques to facilitate positive peer perceptions and strategies to support peers. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of friendship interventions for children with DLD, ID and SPCD, more comprehensively assess peer functioning, include child self-report measures of friendship, and longitudinally evaluate downstream effects on friendship.
Topics: Child; Humans; Friends; Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity; Peer Group; Social Adjustment; Neurodevelopmental Disorders
PubMed: 38096327
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0295917 -
JCPP Advances Jun 2022Peer adversity and aggression are common experiences in childhood and adolescence which lead to poor mental health outcomes. To date, there has been no review conducted...
BACKGROUND
Peer adversity and aggression are common experiences in childhood and adolescence which lead to poor mental health outcomes. To date, there has been no review conducted on the neurobiological changes associated with relational peer-victimisation, bullying and cyberbullying.
METHODS
This systematic review assessed structural and functional brain changes associated with peer-victimisation, bullying, and cyberbullying from 1 January 2000 to April 2021. A systematic search of Psychoinfo, Pubmed, and Scopus was performed independently by two reviewers using predefined criteria. Twenty-six studies met the selection criteria and were considered for review.
RESULTS
The data collected shows altered brain activation of regions implicated in processing reward, social pain, and affect; and heightened sensitivity and more widespread activation of brain regions during acute social exclusion, most notably in the amygdala, left parahippocampal gyrus, and fusiform gyrus, associated with victimisation exposure. In addition, victimised youths also demonstrated greater risk-taking behaviours following acute social exclusion showing greater ventral striatum-inferior frontal gyrus coupling, activation in the bilateral amygdala, orbital frontal cortex (OFC), medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), temporoparietal junction (TPJ), medial posterior parietal cortex (MPPC) and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), suggesting greater social monitoring, seeking of inclusion, and more effortful cognitive control. The studies included participants from a very broad developmental age range, mostly using cross-sectional measure of peer-victimisation exposure, at varying developmental stages.
CONCLUSIONS
This review highlights the need for more neuroimaging studies in cyberbullying, as well as longitudinal studies across more diverse samples for investigating gender, age, and developmental interactions with peer-victimising. This also brings to attention the importance of addressing bullying victimisation particularly in adolescence, given the evidence for social stress in heightening developmentally sensitive processes which are associated with depression, anxiety, and externalising symptoms.
PubMed: 37431463
DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12081 -
Genes Jan 2022Fragile X syndrome (FXS) causes intellectual disability and is the known leading cause of autism. Common problems in FXS include behavior and social problems. Along with... (Review)
Review
Fragile X syndrome (FXS) causes intellectual disability and is the known leading cause of autism. Common problems in FXS include behavior and social problems. Along with syndromic characteristics and autism comorbidity, environmental factors might influence these difficulties. This systematic review focuses on the last 20 years of studies concerning behavior and social problems in FXS, considering environmental and personal variables that might influence both problems. Three databases were reviewed, leading to fifty-one studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) problems remain the greatest behavior problems, with behavioral problems and social competence being stable during the 20 years. Some developmental trajectories might have changed due to higher methodological control, such as aggressive behavior and attention problems. The socialization trajectory from childhood to adolescence remains unclear. Comorbidity with autism in individuals with FXS increased behavior problems and worsened social competence profiles. At the same time, comparisons between individuals with comorbid FXS and autism and individuals with autism might help define the comorbid phenotype. Environmental factors and parental characteristics influenced behavior problems and social competence. Higher methodological control is needed in studies including autism symptomatology and parental characteristics. More studies comparing autism in FXS with idiopathic autism are needed to discern differences between conditions.
Topics: Autistic Disorder; Child; Fragile X Syndrome; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Problem Behavior; Social Skills
PubMed: 35205326
DOI: 10.3390/genes13020280