Search

Objective: Executive Functioning (EF) is a construct that is considered central to cognitive development and has recently garnered attention for its potential role in social functioning. This study investigated the relationship between EF and social skill using both multiple regression and relative weights analyses. Participants: A sample of undergraduate college students in the U.S. (N = 257; Nfemale = 145; Mage = 19.51) participated for course credit. Methods: Participants completed an online survey. Data were analyzed using multiple regression and relative weights analysis to better understand the unique contribution of EF skills to specific social skills. Results: For some dimensions of EF, ability positively correlated with adaptive social outcome, whereas for some other dimensions, lower ability correlated with positive social outcomes. Conclusions: EF may play a role in the general social functioning of college students, though the relationship appears complex and domain-specific. Statement of relevance: Social interaction is one of the most important things that humans do on a day-to-day basis, impacting both mental and physical wellness. College is a particularly important period where social interaction becomes increasingly important as well as complex. While there is no currently agreed upon cognitive basis of social interaction, the executive function (EF) system is believed to play a central role. The current study provides further evidence of the role of the EF system across different social skills in addition to highlighting the complexity of these relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and an evening chronotype are both common among college students, and there is growing interest in understanding the possible link between attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder and circadian function. However, mixed findings have been reported, and many of the existing studies have used small samples that were unable to examine chronotype across attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder presentations. Participants were 4751 students (73% female; 80% White), aged 18–29 years (M = 19.28, SD = 1.50), from five universities who completed measures assessing attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depressive and anxiety symptoms, as well as the Morningness–Eveningness Questionnaire to assess chronotype (categorical) and circadian preference (dimensional). Participants with either attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive presentation or attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder combined presentation had higher rates of being an evening type (47.2% and 41.5%, respectively) than participants without elevated attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder (28.5%), and participants with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder predominantly inattentive presentation also had higher rates of being an evening type than participants with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder predominantly hyperactive–impulsive presentation (30.7%). Dimensional analyses indicated that attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder inattentive symptoms were more strongly associated than hyperactive–impulsive symptoms with eveningness preference. Finally, greater eveningness preference strengthened the association between attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder inattention and depressive symptoms but not anxiety symptoms. This is the largest study to document that college students with elevated attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms are more likely to be evening types than other college students, and inattentive symptoms in particular are associated with later circadian preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Sluggish Cognitive Tempo (SCT), characterized by lethargy and daydreaming, has most commonly been studied in community samples and in youth with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Despite shared neurodevelopmental symptoms with ADHD, few studies have investigated SCT in Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). The current study investigated SCT symptoms in youth with ASD, ADHD, and comorbid ASD+ADHD to explore the relations between SCT and global and social impairment. Method: Caregivers of children and adolescents (n = 98; ages 6–17) diagnosed with ADHD (n = 46), ASD (n = 28), or ASD+ADHD (n = 24) completed measures of social impairment, SCT, and demographic variables. Results: All three clinical groups demonstrated comparable levels of SCT. Diagnosis and SCT independently contributed to parent-rated social impairment, while SCT and IQ, but not diagnosis, contributed to clinician-rated global functioning. Specifically, having comorbid ASD+ADHD, but not an ASD or ADHD diagnosis alone, significantly predicted greater social impairment. Conclusion: These results extend previous literature investigating SCT in ASD and provide evidence to suggest that SCT is associated with social and global impairment above and beyond the impairment associated with ADHD and/or ASD. These results may have implications for clinical assessment and treatment of ASD and ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the importance of daily life executive functioning (EF) for college students' success, few measures exist that have been validated in college students specifically. This study examined the factor structure of the Barkley Deficits in Executive Functioning Scale (BDEFS) in college students. Participants were 1,311 students (ages 18-28 years, 65% female) from five universities in the United States. Additionally, the study examined invariance across sex, age, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Exploratory structural equation modeling provided strong support for the BDEFS five-factor structure though some items had high cross-loadings on multiple factors. Findings generally supported invariance across sex and age; however, loadings, thresholds, and factor means differed based on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms. Stronger support for invariance across sex emerged for a reduced item version that eliminated cross-loading items. Overall, findings provide support for the validity and utility of the BDEFS in college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined whether pre-disaster indicators of sympathetic and parasympathetic activity moderated the relation between degree of disaster exposure from an EF-4 tornado and changes in the externalizing and internalizing behavior problems of children at-risk for aggression. Participants included 188 children in 4th-6th grades (65% male; 78% African American; ages 9–13) and their parents from predominantly low-income households who were participating in a prevention study when the tornado occurred in 2011. Fourth-grade children who exhibited elevated levels of aggressive behavior were recruited in three annual cohorts. Parent-rated externalizing and internalizing problems were assessed prior to the tornado (Wave 1; W1), and at 4–12 months (W2), 16–24 months (W3), 42–28 months (W4) and 56–60 months (W5) post-tornado. Children's pre-tornado Skin Conductance Level (SCL) reactivity and Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA) withdrawal were assessed at W1 using SCL and RSA measured during resting baseline and during the first 5 min of the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). Children and parents reported their exposure to tornado-related trauma and disruptions at Wave 3. Children displayed less reduction in externalizing problems if there had been higher child- or parent-reported tornado exposure and less RSA withdrawal, or if they had lower parent-reported TORTE and less SCL reactivity or lower SCL baseline. Highlighting the importance of children's pre-disaster arousal, higher levels of disaster exposure negatively affected children's level of improvement in externalizing problems when children had less vagal withdrawal, and when tornado exposure disrupted the protective effects of higher SCL reactivity and higher SCL baseline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We examined differences between those with and without ADHD symptoms on resting state electroencephalography (EEG) indices and unique relations with sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) symptoms. Method: Children with ADHD symptoms (n = 21) and healthy controls (n = 20) were assessed using rating scales, a neuropsychological task measuring sustained attention and inhibitory control, and EEG activity during a resting state period. Between-group, correlational, and regression analyses were conducted. Results: Large differences (particularly for theta/beta ratio in frontal and frontocentral regions) were found on EEG measures between those with and without ADHD symptoms. While ADHD and SCT symptoms both related to sustained attention on a computerized task, only ADHD symptoms were related to frontal and frontocentral theta/beta ratio. Conclusion: Results support the conclusion that ADHD symptoms are strongly associated with theta/beta ratio in frontal and frontocentral regions. Future studies should explore unique neurophysiological correlates of SCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We compared clinic-referred youth with ADHD + sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT; n = 34), ADHD Only (n = 108), and SCT Only (n = 22) on demographics, co-occurring symptomatology, comorbid diagnoses, and social functioning. Method: In total, 164 youth (age = 6-17 years, M = 9.97) and their parent(s) presented to an outpatient clinic for a psychoeducational assessment. Between-group analyses and regressions were used to examine study variables. Results: SCT groups were older and exhibited more parent-reported internalizing problems, externalizing problems, sleep problems, and social withdrawal on the Child Behavior Checklist. No significant differences emerged between groups on the Teacher Report Form. Regression analyses involving multiple covariates revealed that SCT symptoms were uniquely related to social withdrawal but not general social problems. Conclusion: Based on parent report, SCT symptoms have a unique relationship with internalizing problems, sleep problems, and social withdrawal. Future research should explore correlates of SCT in youth using multiple informants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We compared clinic-referred youth with ADHD + sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT; n = 34), ADHD Only (n = 108), and SCT Only (n = 22) on demographics, co-occurring symptomatology, comorbid diagnoses, and social functioning. Method: In total, 164 youth (age = 6-17 years, M = 9.97) and their parent(s) presented to an outpatient clinic for a psychoeducational assessment. Between-group analyses and regressions were used to examine study variables. Results: SCT groups were older and exhibited more parent-reported internalizing problems, externalizing problems, sleep problems, and social withdrawal on the Child Behavior Checklist. No significant differences emerged between groups on the Teacher Report Form. Regression analyses involving multiple covariates revealed that SCT symptoms were uniquely related to social withdrawal but not general social problems. Conclusion: Based on parent report, SCT symptoms have a unique relationship with internalizing problems, sleep problems, and social withdrawal. Future research should explore correlates of SCT in youth using multiple informants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are known to have difficulty with peer relations, though the mechanisms by which these children struggle with interpersonal relationships are not well known. The current study examined the relation between working memory (WM) and the encoding of nonverbal social cues using a dual-task paradigm tested in children with High and Low ADHD symptoms. A total of 40 children were recruited (20 High ADHD; 20 Low ADHD) and completed computerized tasks of social encoding and WM in both single- and dual-task conditions. A series of repeated measures mixed-model ANOVAs revealed that both children with High ADHD and Low ADHD performed significantly worse during the dual-task condition compared to the single task conditions. Also, children with High ADHD had significantly lower performance than Low ADHD children on task-based social encoding and WM. This study supports the role of WM in nonverbal social encoding in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social functioning is critical for the successful navigation of everyday life for children, adolescents, and adults. Recent theories have postulated a neuropsychological basis for social functioning with particularly strong links with the executive functioning (EF) system. The current study examined attention problems as a mediator between EF (e.g., working memory, planning, and response inhibition) and social functioning in a child and adolescent outpatient sample. Participants were 218 children ages 6-16 (M = 10.23; SD = 2.52; 68.8 % males) who were referred to an outpatient clinic for psychoeducational assessment. Bias-corrected bootstrapping mediation analyses were used to examine the hypothesized models. The effects of working memory and planning (but not response inhibition) on social problems were mediated by attention problems in both teacher- and mother-reported models. These findings also held up in cross-source models (e.g., mother-reported attention problems as a mediator in a model predicting teacher-reported social problems). These findings have implications for dimensional models of social functioning and conceptual models for specific clinical populations (e.g., attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) present with deficits in both social cognition and executive functioning (EF), which contribute to social impairment. Autistic youth are also frequently diagnosed with comorbid attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a disorder that, like ASD, includes impaired EF and social functioning. The comorbidity of ASD and ADHD may result in compounded social impairment, but prior research has not sufficiently evaluated the extent to which this comorbidity profile responds to evidence-based intervention targeting social deficits. It is conceivable that dually targeting EF and social cognition impairment will be more impactful than direct social skills training alone. The authors present an integrative model for intervention programming that examines pathways to social impairment in order to more effectively improve social skills and thereby impact both proximal (e.g., emotion expression, current peer relationships) and more distal outcomes (e.g., depression, self-esteem) in youth with ASD and other neurodevelopmental disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing recognition that clinical and developmental outcomes will be optimized by interventions that harness strengths in addition to ameliorating deficits. Although empirically-supported methods for identifying strengths are available for children and adolescents, this framework has yet to be applied to emerging adulthood. This study evaluates the nature of the Five Cs model of Positive Youth Development (PYD) - character, confidence, competence, connection, and caring - in a sample of emerging adults from six universities (N = 4654; 70% female; 81% White). Historically, PYD has been modeled as either separate correlated factors or a second-order factor structure. More recently, the bifactor model has been recommended to determine the degree to which PYD is unidimensional versus multidimensional. The present study examined the multidimensionality of PYD by comparing the model fit of a one-factor, five-correlated factor model, and second-order factor structure with a bifactor model and found support for the bifactor model with evidence of invariance across sex. Criterion validity was also assessed using three criterion measures particularly relevant for adjustment during emerging adulthood: anxiety, depressive symptoms, and emotion regulation difficulties. PYD and the residual Cs tended to correlate negatively with indicators of maladaptive development. Future directions including applications of the PYD framework as a measure of thriving across emerging adulthood are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The current study investigated whether a maladaptive family environment would moderate the strength of the relations of sluggish cognitive tempo (SCT) to attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder inattention (ADHD‐IN) and to depressive symptoms in a large sample of college students. Methods: Participants (n = 3,172), between the ages of 18–29 (M ± SDage = 19.24 ± 1.52; 69.8% women; 80.4% White) and enrolled in five universities in the United States completed self‐report measures of symptomatology, interparental conflict, and family expressiveness of emotions. Results: A negative emotional climate strengthened relations of SCT with ADHD‐IN and depressive symptoms. Moreover, the lack of a positive emotional climate strengthened the co‐occurrence of SCT with depressive symptoms, though not with ADHD‐IN. Conclusions: The current study is the first to demonstrate that the family environment moderates the association between SCT and co‐occurring symptomatology in young adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examine whether children with a primary diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) differ from children with a secondary diagnosis of GAD on clinician, parent, teacher, and youth-report measures. Based on consensus diagnoses, 64 youth referred to a general outpatient assessment clinic were categorized as having either a primary or secondary diagnosis of GAD. A semi-structured diagnostic interview was used to guide diagnostic decisions and assign primary versus secondary diagnostic status. We predicted that youth with a primary GAD diagnosis would present with greater anxiety symptomatology and symptom impairment on a variety of anxiety-related measures than youth with a secondary GAD diagnosis. Contrary to our hypotheses, no differences were found between those with primary versus secondary GAD diagnoses on measures of symptom severity and clinical impairment, comorbid diagnoses, or youth and teacher-report measures. Our findings have potential implications for the current practice of requiring primary anxiety diagnostic status as an inclusion criterion in clinical research and treatment outcome studies. Assuming our findings are confirmed in larger samples and with other anxiety disorders, future clinical trials and basic psychopathology research might not exclude youth based on absence of a particular anxiety disorder as the primary disorder but rather include individuals for whom that anxiety disorder is secondary as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guidelines exist for the assessment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), but they are often unclear as to how a clinician should consider multiple informants, methods, and co-occurring symptoms to reach an overall diagnostic probability for an individual patient. The current study used receiver operating characteristic analyses and evidence-based medicine methods to evaluate the Achenbach System of Empirically Based Assessment measures and the Conners’ Continuous Performance Test for ADHD diagnosis in youth. Children (n = 379) and their parent(s) presented at an outpatient clinic for a psychoeducational assessment. Analyses examined the diagnostic efficiency and utility of study measures for predicting a best-estimate ADHD diagnosis. The Child Behavior Checklist Attention Problems construct, Teacher Report Form Attention Problems construct, and Hit Reaction Time Standard Error showed adequate diagnostic efficiency and unique contributions to the prediction of ADHD, Combined Type diagnosis. None of these measures showed good diagnostic efficiency or utility for the prediction of ADHD, Predominantly Inattentive Type. Child anxiety did not moderate the relations between predictors and ADHD diagnosis. Both the Child Behavior Checklist and Teacher Report Form Attention Problems constructs can discriminate youth with ADHD, Combined Type from other clinic-referred youth. Although Hit Reaction Time Standard Error also showed diagnostic utility, the decision to include a computerized measure should consider time and expense and be utilized in cases where diagnostic probability is unclear. Finally, anxiety may be associated with elevated attention problems, but it does not appear that anxiety affects diagnostic cutoffs for ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a risk-resilience framework, this study examined how varying levels of exposure to a natural disaster (EF-4 tornado) and children’s characteristics (sex; anxiety) influenced the behavioral and psychological adjustment of children who shared a common risk factor predisaster (elevated aggression) prior to exposure through 1-year postdisaster. Participants included 360 children in Grades 4–6 (65% male; 78% African American) and their parents from predominantly low-income households who were already participating in a longitudinal study of indicated prevention effects for externalizing outcomes when the tornado occurred in 2011. Fourth-grade children who were screened for overt aggressive behavior were recruited in 3 annual cohorts (120 per year, beginning in 2009). Parent-rated aggression and internalizing problems were assessed prior to the tornado (Wave 1), within a half-year after the tornado (Wave 2), and at a 1-year follow-up (Wave 3). Children and parents rated their exposure to aspects of tornado-related traumatic experiences at Wave 3. Children displayed less reduction on aggression and internalizing problems if the children had experienced distress after the tornado or fears for their life, in combination with their pre-tornado level of anxiety. Higher levels of children’s and parents’ exposure to the tornado interacted with children’s lower baseline child anxiety to predict less reduction in aggression and internalizing problems 1 year after the tornado. Higher levels of disaster exposure negatively affected at-risk children’s level of improvement in aggression and internalizing problems, when life threat (parent- and child-reported) and child-reported distress after the tornado were moderated by baseline anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Although integral abutment bridges (IABs) can reduce construction and maintenance costs compared with conventional jointed bridges, certain aspects of their structural behavior are still not well understood. Most prior IAB research was related to substructure behavior, and as a result, most limit states that have been considered in design guidelines have been based on substructure considerations. However, integral abutment construction also affects superstructure behavior and demands, and superstructure properties directly influence substructure behavior. This paper presents numerical simulations evaluating the behavior of IABs with composite steel I-girders subjected to temperature changes consistent with seasonal fluctuations in the state of Illinois. Bridge superstructures, abutments, piers, and pile foundations were modeled to determine various structural demands imposed by these temperature changes. A suite of nonlinear bridge models is introduced in which key bridge parameters were varied, such as overall bridge length, intermediate-span length, pile size, and skew. Results indicate that effective expansion length (EEL) has a primary influence on bridge longitudinal movement under thermal loads regardless of girder, abutment, or pile design. Also, results show that superstructure girder response (elastic) and substructure pile response (inelastic) to superstructure temperature change are influenced by parameters such as EEL, pile size, skew, and the rotational restraint that the superstructure imposes on the substructure. Results presented herein suggest that superstructure geometry should be directly or indirectly considered in IAB substructure design, and that thermally induced stresses and strains should be accounted for in superstructure and substructure design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined the efficacy of Collaborative & Proactive Solutions (CPS) in treating oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in youth by comparing this novel treatment to Parent Management Training (PMT), a well-established treatment, and a waitlist control (WLC) group. One hundred thirty-four youth (ages 7–14, 61.9% male, 83.6% White) who fulfilledDiagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders(4th ed.) criteria for ODD were randomized to CPS, PMT, or WLC groups. ODD was assessed with semistructured diagnostic interviews, clinical global severity and improvement ratings, and parent report measures. Assessments were completed pretreatment, posttreatment, and at 6 months following treatment. Responder and remitter analyses were undertaken using intent-to-treat mixed-models analyses. Chronological age, gender, and socioeconomic status as well as the presence of comorbid attention deficit/hyperactivity and anxiety disorders were examined as predictors of treatment outcome. Both treatment conditions were superior to the WLC condition but did not differ from one another in either our responder or remitter analyses. Approximately 50% of youth in both active treatments were diagnosis free and were judged to be much or very much improved at posttreatment, compared to 0% in the waitlist condition. Younger age and presence of an anxiety disorder predicted better treatment outcomes for both PMT and CPS. Treatment gains were maintained at 6-month follow-up. CPS proved to be equivalent to PMT and can be considered an evidence-based, alternative treatment for youth with ODD and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be identified in the preschool years, but little is known about the correlates of ADHD symptoms in preschool children. Research to date suggests that factors such as temperament, personality, and neuropsychological functioning may be important in understanding the development of early ADHD symptomatology. The current study sought to extend this research by examining how cognitive and reactive control processes predict ADHD symptoms. Data were drawn from a larger study that measured the cognitive, social, and emotional functioning of preschool children. Eighty-seven children (aged 4–6 years) were evaluated using teacher report and laboratory task measures relevant to cognitive control (i.e., conscientiousness, working memory) and reactive control (i.e., neuroticism, delay of gratification) processes. In multiple regression analyses, cognitive control variables added unique variance in the prediction of both inattention and hyperactivity, but only reactive control variables added unique variance in the prediction of hyperactivity. The current findings align with past research suggesting that cognitive control processes (e.g., conscientiousness) are related to both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, while reactive control processes (e.g., neuroticism) are more strongly related to hyperactivity/impulsivity in preschool children. Future longitudinal research utilizing various methods and measures is needed to understand how cognitive and reactive control processes contribute to ADHD symptom development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have examined differences between younger and older children with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The current study examined differences between children with GAD who were younger than the typical age of onset (i.e., ages 7-9) and children with GAD who were within the age range for typical age of onset (i.e., ages 10-13). These groups, defined as 'younger' versus 'older,' did not differ on demographic variables, but the older group had lower intelligence quotients. At the same time, mean values for both groups fell within the average range. Older children with GAD generally reported similar levels of worry as younger children with the exception of greater school-related worry, trouble paying attention, and getting upset easily. Younger children reported greater harm avoidance than older children. Parent reports did not generally differ between groups with the exception of greater perfectionism in younger children and greater school competence issues for older children. Teachers reported greater learning problems and less happiness in older children. Overall, limited differences were found on GAD severity and impairment, but some differences were found on cognitive and school functioning variables (e.g., intelligence, school-related worry, learning problems, school competence) and parent-child agreement on worry. Further, such differences did not appear to be accounted for by comorbid disorders or other variables. Overall, these findings suggest that GAD may be associated with different characteristics in younger and older children. Future studies, particularly prospective studies, are needed to understand the development of GAD and associated impairments such as academic functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent and chronic mental health condition that often results in substantial impairments throughout life. Although evidence-based pharmacological and psychosocial treatments exist for ADHD, effects of these treatments are acute, do not typically generalize into non-treated settings, rarely sustain over time, and insufficiently affect key areas of functional impairment (i.e., family, social, and academic functioning) and executive functioning. The limitations of current evidence-based treatments may be due to the inability of these treatments to address underlying neurocognitive deficits that are related to the symptoms of ADHD and associated areas of functional impairment. Although efforts have been made to directly target the underlying neurocognitive deficits of ADHD, extant neurocognitive interventions have shown limited efficacy, possibly due to misspecification of training targets and inadequate potency. We argue herein that despite these limitations, next-generation neurocognitive training programs that more precisely and potently target neurocognitive deficits may lead to optimal outcomes when used in combination with specific skill-based psychosocial treatments for ADHD. We discuss the rationale for such a combined treatment approach, prominent examples of this combined treatment approach for other mental health disorders, and potential combined treatment approaches for pediatric ADHD. Finally, we conclude with directions for future research necessary to develop a combined neurocognitive + skill-based treatment for youth with ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intervention and prevention programs for children with externalizing problems frequently involve children with co-occurring internalizing problems. Little is known about how these co-occurring internalizing problems predict outcomes, particularly for programs involving cognitive-behavioral strategies. The current study examined how a set of child-related risk factors (including anxiety and depressive symptoms) predicted change in parent- and teacher-reported externalizing problems following a school-based preventative intervention for children at risk for externalizing problems. Participants included 112 preadolescent children (ages 9–12) who participated in a study designed to evaluate the efficacy of the Coping Power Program (Lochman & Wells, 2004). Participants included 81 boys (68%) who were primarily African American (69%) or Caucasian (30%). Regression analyses were conducted to examine predictors of change in parent- and teacher-reported externalizing problems on the Behavior Assessment System for Children (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 1992). Results indicated that greater child depression symptoms (as reported by parent or teacher) were associated with a larger reduction in externalizing behavior problems based on parent or teacher report. This effect was found in both the parent and teacher models and held after controlling for a number of child-oriented baseline variables including baseline aggression. Future research studies should examine whether co-occurring symptoms of depression relate to enhanced changes in externalizing problems following intervention for externalizing problems, particularly when cognitive-behavioral interventions are utilized. In addition, it will be important for studies to examine such effects relative to a control group and/or alternative treatment conditions and to further explore possible mechanisms of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study examined cross-informant agreement and clinical utility of parent and teacher ratings of reactive and proactive aggression (two functions of aggression) in the prediction of aggressive and rule-breaking behavior (two forms of aggressive behavior) in a clinically-heterogeneous referred sample. Reactive and proactive measures were significantly related to one another within informant. Furthermore, the reactive and proactive measures of aggression were significantly related across informants and resulted in differential predictions of emotion-focused aggressive and goal-directed rule-breaking behaviors in home and school settings. Both reactive and proactive functions of aggression predicted aggressive acts that were more emotion-focused, whereas only the proactive function of aggression predicted instrumental acts of aggression. The current findings suggest that setting-specific reports of functions and forms of aggressive behavior are valuable and that it may be premature to abandon the reactive and proactive aggression distinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Many studies have linked the structure and function of frontostriatal circuitry to cognitive control deficits in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Few studies have examined the role of white matter tracts between these structures or the extent to which white matter tract myelination and regularity correlate in family members with the disorder. Method: Functional imaging maps from a go/nogo task were used to identify portions of the ventral prefrontal cortex and striatum involved in suppressing an inappropriate action (i.e., cognitive control) in 30 parent-child dyads (N=60), including 20 dyads (N=40) with ADHD and 10 dyads (N=20) without ADHD. An automated fiber-tracking algorithm was used to delineate white matter fibers adjacent to these functionally defined regions based on diffusion tensor images. Fractional anisotropy, an index of white matter tract myelination and regularity derived from diffusion tensor images, was calculated to characterize the associations between white matter tracts and function. Results: Fractional anisotropy in right prefrontal fiber tracts correlated with both functional activity in the inferior frontal gyrus and caudate nucleus and performance of a go/nogo task in parent-child dyads with ADHD, even after controlling for age. Prefrontal fiber tract measures were tightly associated between ADHD parents and their children. Conclusions: Collectively, these findings support previous studies suggesting heritability of frontostriatal structures among individuals with ADHD and suggest disruption in frontostriatal white matter tracts as one possible pathway to the disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examined the concurrent validity of the attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) module of the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV, Child and Parent versions (ADIS-C/P). One hundred eighty-four clinic-referred children were categorized into three ADIS-generated groups: No diagnosis of ADHD (No ADHD; n = 63), parent-only diagnosis of ADHD (Parent Only; n = 81), and parent plus child diagnosis of ADHD (Parent + Child; n = 40). The groups were compared on demographics, comorbid diagnoses, parent and child-report measures, and a computerized test of attention. Results support the concurrent validity of the ADIS ADHD module and highlight the positive relationship between internalizing symptomatology and parent-child agreement on ADHD diagnoses. The clinical implication of this study is that parent-child agreement on ADHD may serve as a marker of internalizing symptomatology. Future research on child self-perceptions is suggested in developing treatments for this internalizing ADHD group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several studies have documented fronto-striatal dysfunction in children and adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) using response inhibition tasks. Our objective was to examine functional brain abnormalities among youths and adults with ADHD and to examine the relations between these neurobiological abnormalities and response to stimulant medication. Method: A group of concordantly diagnosed ADHD parent–child dyads was compared to a matched sample of normal parent–child dyads. In addition, ADHD dyads were administered double-blind methylphenidate and placebo in a counterbalanced fashion over two consecutive days of testing. Frontostriatal function was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during performance of a go/no-go task. Results: Youths and adults with ADHD showed attenuated activity in fronto-striatal regions. In addition, adults with ADHD appeared to activate non-fronto-striatal regions more than normals. A stimulant medication trial showed that among youths, stimulant medication increased activation in fronto-striatal and cerebellar regions. In adults with ADHD, increases in activation were observed in the striatum and cerebellum, but not in prefrontal regions. Conclusions: This study extends findings of fronto-striatal dysfunction to adults with ADHD and highlights the importance of frontostriatal and frontocerebellar circuitry in this disorder, providing evidence of an endophenotype for examining the genetics of ADHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]