Autism spectrum disorder and severe social impairment associated with elevated plasma interleukin-8.

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with an unclear etiology and pathophysiology. Previous studies have indicated that the dysregulation of cytokines may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASD and that the levels of cytokines may serve as potential biomarkers of this disorder. METHODS: The current study employed a family triad-based case-control design to study the levels of plasma cytokines in families with ASD (n = 45 triads) and controls (n = 38 triads) with a Human Cytokine Twenty-Five-Plex Kit. The Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) was used to measure social impairment of ASD children. RESULTS: After controlling for the levels of parental cytokines, we identified that interferon-α (IFN-α), interleukin-7 (IL-7), IL-8, IFN-γ-inducible protein-10, and macrophage inflammatory protein-1ß were associated with ASD, and IL-8 was the only cytokine also associated with the levels of both parental cytokines in the offspring-parents regression analysis and three subdomains of SRS (social awareness, cognition, and motivations) in the children with ASD. The receiver operating characteristic curve showed that the log-transformed IL-8 level discriminated children with autism from controls with an area under the curve of 0.858 (95% confidence interval: 0.777-0.939). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that IL-8 is a potential biomarker for ASD and may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASD. IMPACT: The study suggests that IL-8 is a promising biomarker for ASD and may be involved in the pathogenesis of ASD. Only a very few studies have reported the parental cytokine levels. The significant strength of this article is that we applied the family triad-based approach to explore cytokine levels in families with autism and controls. There are no objective biomarkers, making the accurate diagnosis, prognostic prediction and effective treatment difficult, and our study provides promising results.

Development and Calibration of the TBI-QOL Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and TBI-QOL Satisfaction With Social Roles and Activities Item Banks and Short Forms.

OBJECTIVE: To develop traumatic brain injury (TBI)-optimized versions of the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QoL) Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities item banks, evaluate the psychometric properties of the item banks developed for adults with TBI, develop short form and computer adaptive test (CAT) versions, and report information to facilitate research and clinical applications. DESIGN: We used a mixed methods design to develop and evaluate Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities items. Focus groups defined the constructs, cognitive interviews guided item revisions, and confirmatory factor analysis and item response theory methods helped calibrate item banks and evaluate differential item functioning related to demographic and injury characteristics. SETTING: Five TBI Model Systems centers in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: Community-dwelling adults with TBI (N=556). INTERVENTIONS: None. OUTCOME MEASURES: Traumatic Brain Injury-Quality of Life (TBI-QOL) Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and TBI-QOL Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities item banks. RESULTS: Forty-five Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and 41 Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities items demonstrated good psychometric properties. Although some of the items are new, most were drawn from analogous banks in the Neuro-QoL measurement system. Consequently, the 2 TBI-QOL item banks were linked to the Neuro-QoL metric, and scores are comparable with the general population. All CAT and short forms correlated highly (>0.90) with the full item banks and demonstrate comparable construct coverage and measurement error. CONCLUSION: The TBI-QOL Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and TBI-QOL Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities item banks are TBI-optimized versions of the Neuro-QoL Ability to Participate in Social Roles and Activities and Satisfaction with Social Roles and Activities item banks and demonstrate excellent measurement properties in individuals with TBI. These measures, particularly in CAT or short form format, are suitable for efficient and precise measurement of social outcomes in clinical and research applications.

Behavioral problems in children of mothers with epilepsy prenatally exposed to valproate, carbamazepine, lamotrigine, or levetiracetam monotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the behavioral functioning of children prenatally exposed to carbamazepine (CBZ), lamotrigine (LTG), levetiracetam (LEV), or valproate (VPA) monotherapy. METHODS: In collaboration with the European Registry of Antiepileptic Drugs and Pregnancy (EURAP), the Dutch EURAP & Development study was designed, a prospective observational study. Between January 2015 and March 2018, the Child Behavior Checklist and the Social Emotional Questionnaire were used to examine the nature and severity of behavioral problems. VPA-exposed children were compared to children exposed to CBZ, LTG, or LEV, taking potential confounders into account. A direct comparison was also made between LTG and LEV, as these are first-choice treatments for many women with epilepsy of childbearing potential. RESULTS: Of the 405 invited, 181 children were included; 26 were exposed to VPA, 37 to CBZ, 88 to LTG, and 30 to LEV. For most children, both parents completed the behavioral questionnaires. Across all four antiepileptic drug (AED) exposure groups, high percentages of children with clinically relevant behavior problems were found, with behavioral problems occurring in 32% of VPA-exposed children, 14% of CBZ, 16% of LTG, and 14% of LEV. After controlling for potential confounders, VPA-exposed children had significantly more social problems than those exposed to LTG (-2.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -5.2 to -0.4; P = 0.022) or LEV (-3.2, CI: -6.1 to -0.3; P = 0.028), and significantly more attention problems than LEV-exposed children (-3.7, CI: -6.7 to -0.8; P = 0.013). LTG-exposed children had significantly more attention deficit (-9.2, CI: -17.3 to 1.1; P = 0.026), but significantly less anxious behavior when compared to LEV-exposed children (9.0, CI: 0.3-17.6; P = 0.042). SIGNIFICANCE: Compared to population norms, a high proportion of children of mothers with epilepsy exposed prenatally to monotherapy with four common AEDs had clinical behavioral problems reported by parents. Different patterns were seen, with some but not all subscales raised for all AED exposure groups. It is important that prenatally AED-exposed children are regularly screened for behavioral problems so that appropriate help can be provided.

Autism-Related Variation in Reciprocal Social Behavior: A Longitudinal Study.

Deficits in reciprocal social behavior are a characterizing feature of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism-related variation in reciprocal social behavior (AVR) in the general population is continuously distributed and highly heritable-a function of additive genetic influences that overlap substantially with those which engender clinical autistic syndromes. This is the first long-term prospective study of the stability of AVR from childhood through early adulthood, conducted via serial ratings using the Social Responsiveness Scale, in a cohort-sequential study involving children with ASD, other psychiatric conditions, and their siblings (N = 602, ages = 2.5-29). AVR exhibits marked stability throughout childhood in individuals with and without ASD.

A sociocognitive approach to social problem solving in patients with traumatic brain injury: a pilot study.

PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) have difficulty dealing with the social world and may display inappropriate social behavior that negatively affects their social and occupational rehabilitation. This difficulty may be explained by a social problem-solving (SPS) impairment, but little is yet known about the cognitive processes involved in the ability to solve social problems. Several publications have demonstrated that executive functions are related to social problem solving, but the role of social cognition needs to be confirmed. The present pilot study examined the expected relationships between SPS ability and both social cognition and social behavioral skills. RESEARCH DESIGN: We compared the performances of 15 patients with TBI on SPS, theory-of-mind and social behavior tasks with those of 25 matched healthy controls. MAIN OUTCOMES AND RESULTS: Our results showed for the first time that impaired social problem solving is associated with a theory-of-mind deficit, but surprisingly not with executive impairment. There was no evidence that SPS deficits predict social behavioral disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Studying social problem solving in patients with TBI may inform the design of more appropriate methods of social rehabilitation.

Trajectories of behavior, attention, social and emotional problems from childhood to early adulthood following extremely preterm birth: a prospective cohort study.

To investigate trajectories of behavior, attention, social and emotional problems to early adulthood in extremely preterm survivors compared to a term-born comparison group. Longitudinal analysis of a prospective, population-based cohort of 315 surviving infants born < 26 completed weeks of gestation recruited at birth in 1995, from the UK/Republic of Ireland, and a term-born comparison group recruited at age 6. The parent-report Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire was completed at age 6, 11, 16 and 19 years. The Total Behavioral Difficulties Score was 4.81 points higher in extremely preterm individuals compared to their term-born peers over the period (95% CI 3.76-5.87, p < 0.001) and trajectories were stable in both groups. The impact of difficulties on home life, friendships, school or work and/or leisure activities was greater in the EPT group (RR 4.28, 95% CI 2.89-6.35, p < 0.001), and hyperactivity/inattention and peer problems accounted for the largest differences. A clinically significant behavioral screen at age 2.5 was associated with a higher Total Behavioral Difficulties Score from 6 years onwards in extremely preterm participants (Mean difference 6.90, 95% CI 5.01-8.70, p < 0.0.01), as was moderate/severe cognitive impairment at last assessment (Mean difference: 4.27, 95% CI 2.76-5.77, p < 0.001). Attention, social and emotional problems in extremely preterm individuals persist into early adulthood with significant impact on daily life. A positive behavioral screen in infancy and moderate/severe cognitive impairment are associated with early adult outcomes.

Deviant Peers and Adolescent Risky Behaviors: The Protective Effect of Nonverbal Display of Parental Warmth.

This study examines whether nonverbal displays of parents' warmth during an in-lab conflict discussion mitigate the links between affiliation with deviant peers and risky behaviors. A sample of 107 youth and their parents participated in a study spanning from mid-adolescence (T1) to late adolescence (T2). At T1, family members discussed a contentious issue, which was coded for parents' nonverbal warmth. At T1 and T2, youth reported on their friends' and their own risky behaviors. Fathers' warmth moderated each prospective association between deviant peers and risky behaviors. Mothers' warmth did not emerge as a significant moderator. Girls, in particular, benefitted from fathers' warmth as a buffer in the trajectory from T1 risky behaviors to T2 risky behaviors and deviant peers.

Factors influencing hospital admission among patients with autopsy-confirmed dementia.

BACKGROUND: The symptoms of geriatric syndromes and the behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), in addition to clinical conditions, are associated with hospital admission among dementia patients. However, the principal factors that necessitate hospital admission among dementia patients have not been fully elucidated. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the data in the medical and autopsy reports of patients who had been treated at a hospital in Toyohashi, Japan. Each patient had been hospitalized sometime between 2012 and 2016 and underwent a brain autopsy. Dementia and the subtypes of dementia were diagnosed neuropathologically. Information about patients' general backgrounds, clinical conditions at the time of admission, and the geriatric syndrome symptoms and BPSD before admission was collected; comparisons were then made between patients with and without dementia and among those with the different major subtypes of dementia. Then, the factors relating to hospital admission of dementia patients were comprehensively evaluated by using principle component analysis. RESULTS: Of the 128 eligible patients, 100 (78.1%) had dementia. In the comparison of patients with and without dementia, patients without dementia were younger at both admission (P = 0.034) and death (P = 0.003). Among the patients with dementia with Lewy bodies, delusions had a significantly high prevalence (P = 0.014). Principal component analysis identified nine components (disinhibition, irritability/lability, agitation/aggression, anxiety, delusions, sleep/night-time behaviour disorders, hallucinations, aberrant motor behaviour, and speech impairment) as the principal factors related to hospital admission among dementia patients. Thus, BPSD were identified as principal factors. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to other factors, BPSD are more likely to cause dementia patients to be admitted to hospital. The present results indicate that measures should be taken to ameliorate the difficulties associated with caring for patients with BPSD at home.

The Manitoba Youth Justice Program: empowering and supporting youth with FASD in conflict with the law.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) describes a constellation of physical, cognitive, neurologic, and behavioral impairments resulting from prenatal exposure to alcohol. FASD is recognized as being one of the most common causes of preventable brain injury in children. There had long been concerns that some youth in conflict with the law may be affected with FASD given repetitive patterns of offending and apparent lack of understanding of the consequences of their actions. In 2004, funding was received from Justice Canada for a pilot project with a cross-departmental steering committee working together to determine a best way of working across systems to provide FASD assessments to these youth. It was recognized that provision of timely FASD assessments would allow the court to provide more meaningful sentences taking into account the youth's strengths and challenges and enhance the changes of decreased recidivism and increased changes of rehabilitation. This paper describes the basic science around FASD and its diagnosis, provides a history of the FASD Youth Justice Program, and reports on legal issues, structure, statistics, accomplishments, and ongoing future challenges.

Dementia-related restlessness: relationship to characteristics of persons with dementia and family caregivers.

OBJECTIVE: Dementia-related restlessness is commonly endorsed by caregivers but not well understood. This study examines differences in characteristics (demographics, cognitive status, physical function, pain, and mood) of persons with dementia whose caregivers endorse restlessness versus those who do not. We also examine the relationship of restlessness to caregiver well-being including burden, upset with behaviors, mastery, and depressive symptomatology. METHODS: We combined baseline data from three caregiver intervention studies of community-dwelling persons with dementia who exhibited neuropsychiatric symptoms (n = 569) as measured by the Agitated Behaviors in Dementia Scale. We conducted bivariate correlations and independent t-tests by using the Agitated Behaviors in Dementia Scale restlessness item. RESULTS: Nearly 65% (n = 367) of dementia caregivers reported restlessness. There were no significant differences between those with and without (n = 202) reported restlessness concerning functional status (physical or cognitive). However, persons with restlessness had significantly higher pain scores (p < 0.01), were more likely to be on behavioral medications (p < 0.001), and had more neuropsychiatric symptoms as compared with persons without restlessness (M = 11.11, nonrestless; M = 6.61, restless) (p < 0.001). Caregivers of persons with dementia-related restlessness reported greater burden (p < 0.001), behavioral upset (p < 0.001), depression (p < 0.001), and lower mastery providing care (p < 0.01) compared with caregivers of persons without dementia-related restlessness. CONCLUSIONS: Restlessness is a common neuropsychiatric symptom that appears to be associated with poorer functioning in persons with dementia and greater distress in their caregivers. Further research is needed to understand the unique contributions of restlessness to care burden and quality of life of persons with dementia, as well as ways to address this distressing symptom. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Increased zonulin is associated with hyperactivity and social dysfunctions in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

BACKGROUND: In attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), deteriorations of brain gut axis has been shown in previous studies. One area where the most important challenges are seen in ADHD is social functioning. Zonulin is a protein found in the intestinal intraepithelial component; it has been shown that the level of zonulin increases when intestinal permeability is impaired. Changes in intestinal function were shown in ADHD. Zonulin has been shown to be associated with social impairment in children with autism spectrum disorder. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the relationship between the ADHD symptoms and zonulin in children with ADHD. Secondarily relation of zonulin and difficulties in social functioning was examined in these children. METHODS: Forty children diagnosed with ADHD and forty-one healthy children similar age and gender to ADHD group and their mothers were included in the study. Children without any chronic systemic immunological or infectious diseases were included in the case and control group. The ADHD symptoms were scored by the DuPaul ADHD scale and the social functioning of the children was assessed by the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS). Serum zonulin levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Children with ADHD had higher serum zonulin levels and were more impaired in social functioning compared to controls. The level of zonulin was independently predicted with hyperactivity symptoms and SRS scores in regression analysis. CONCLUSION: In this sample of children with ADHD, elevated zonulin levels were associated with increased symptoms of hyperactivity and impairment of social functioning.

A haven of green space: learning from a pilot pre-post evaluation of a school-based social and therapeutic horticulture intervention with children.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests outdoor activity in green spaces is important for children's mental, emotional and social wellbeing. A recognised green space intervention is "Social and Therapeutic Horticulture" (STH). We discuss findings from a pilot STH intervention, "A Haven of Green Space" conducted in North West England. The target group were school children aged 9-15 years experiencing behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. This exploratory study aims to assess the mental wellbeing of the children pre- and post-intervention, and assess the value of the evaluation methods and "Five Ways to Wellbeing" evaluation framework. METHODS: The intervention involved 6 monthly sessions with two horticulturists and a psychotherapist. Sessions were participatory with the development of selected greenspaces at each school directed by the children. Evaluation was situated in the "Five Ways to Wellbeing" framework, using a mixed-methods pre- post-evaluation design. Existing public mental health evaluation methodologies were adapted for use with school children: Mental Well Being Impact Assessment (MWIA) and Wellbeing Check Cards. The MWIA was analysed qualitatively identifying over-arching themes. The quantitative wellbeing check cards were analysed by mean score comparison. RESULTS: Results were collected from 36 children across the three participating schools, and suggest that the Haven Green Space intervention was associated with improved mental wellbeing. MWIA factors relating to mental wellbeing ("emotional wellbeing" and "self-help") were positively impacted in all three schools. However, findings from the wellbeing check cards challenge this, with worsening scores across many domains. CONCLUSIONS: A key study limitation is the pilot nature of the intervention and challenges in adapting evaluation methods to context and age-range. However, results indicate that group based socially interactive horticulture activities facilitated by trained therapists are associated with positive impacts upon the mental and emotional wellbeing of children experiencing behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. Further research is needed to verify this, and to support using the "Five Ways" in intervention development and evaluation. Finally, we recommend continued efforts to develop age-appropriate evaluation methods.

Cognitive behavioural therapy for aggression among individuals with moderate to severe acquired brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Aggression is common after an acquired brain injury (ABI). Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a form of psychotherapy, in which therapists help patients to identify their maladaptive behaviours. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the effectiveness of CBT interventions in treating aggression in an ABI population. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using: PubMed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, EMBASE and PsycINFO from database inception to August 2016. English articles were included if: at least 50% of the study sample had a moderate to severe ABI, there were at least three adult human participants, and use of a CBT intervention for the treatment of aggression. RESULTS: Seven articles met inclusion criteria: one RCT, an RCT crossover and five pre-post trials. Of these, four articles were included in a pre-post meta-analysis for treatment efficacy on subscales of the State Trait Anger Expression Inventory (STAXI) and STAXI-2 outcome measures. The meta-analysis found CBT was effective in moderating the external behaviours of aggression, but not internal anger. CONCLUSION: The differences in outcomes may be related to the differential management of anger expression and anger suppression. CBT shows promise, but further studies with comparator groups are needed before conclusions about its efficacy can be made.

[The interparental relationship in families with children with ADHD: Interactions between couple distress and child's symptoms]. / Die elterliche Paarbeziehung in Familien mit Kindern mit ADHS: Wechselwirkungen zwischen Partnerschaftsstörungen und kindlicher Symptomatik.

The interparental relationship in families with children with ADHD: Interactions between couple distress and child's symptoms Abstract. The impact of the family in the development and maintenance of childhood ADHD is well established. However, previous research in this field focused largely on parenting and the quality of the parent-child relationship, whereas the role of the interparental relationship has been neglected. This review summarizes the current state of research on the interactions between a couple distress and their child's ADHD and discusses interparental conflict as a risk factor for the development of ADHS-related symptoms. Based on the present knowledge, an integrative model is postulated that assumes an interaction of genetic vulnerability for childhood ADHD and a couple distress. It depicts how distress in the interparental relationship may both directly and indirectly affect the etiology, maintenance, and/or amplification of childhood ADHD-related symptoms, which in turn affect the interparental relationship. The review highlights the significance of relationship distress prevention programs for couples to prevent adjustment problems in children, and the adequate consideration of couple conflict in diagnostics and therapy among families with children with ADHD.

Emotional and Behavioral Adjustment in a Spanish Sample of Adolescents.

Introducction. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between emotional and behavioral difficulties and suicidal ideation, bullying and cyberbullying, and substance use in adolescents. METHOD: The sample consisted of a total of 1,664 participants (M=16.12 years, SD=1.36, range 14-19 years, 697 males), selected by stratified random sampling. The instruments used were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, the Paykel Suicide Scale, the Cyberbullying- Brief Questionnaire, the Modified Substance Consumption Questionnaire, and the Oviedo Infrequency Response Scale. RESULTS: The results showed that 7.7% of adolescents obtained risk scores of poor mental health, and 13.4% would be in the limit score range. In addition, the results indicated that adolescents who showed a possible risk of emotional and behavioral mental health problems also present greater suicidal ideation, behaviors related to bullying and cyberbullying (perception, victimization), and substance use, specifically tobacco and cannabis. CONCLUSIONS: These results increase awareness of the importance of adolescents’ mental health, improve the training of health professionals and guide the implementation of measures to promote health and reduce the risk factors for suicide, school bullying and of substance use and abuse.

Cognitive and psychosocial function in retired professional hockey players.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The relationship between repeated concussions and neurodegenerative disease has received significant attention, particularly research in postmortem samples. Our objective was to characterise retired professional ice hockey players' cognitive and psychosocial functioning in relation to concussion exposure and apolipoprotein ε4 status. METHODS: Alumni athletes (N=33, aged 34-71 years) and an age-matched sample of comparison participants (N=18) were administered measures of cognitive function and questionnaires concerning psychosocial and psychiatric functioning. RESULTS: No significant group differences were found on neuropsychological measures of speeded attention, verbal memory or visuospatial functions, nor were significant differences observed on computerised measures of response speed, inhibitory control and visuospatial problem solving. Reliable group differences in cognitive performance were observed on tests of executive and intellectual function; performance on these measures was associated with concussion exposure. Group differences were observed for cognitive, affective and behavioural impairment on psychosocial questionnaires and psychiatric diagnoses. There was no evidence of differential effects associated with age in the alumni athletes. Possession of an apolipoprotein ε4 allele was associated with increased endorsement of psychiatric complaints, but not with objective cognitive performance. CONCLUSIONS: We found only subtle objective cognitive impairment in alumni athletes in the context of high subjective complaints and psychiatric impairment. Apolipoprotein ε4 status related to psychiatric, but not cognitive status. These findings provide benchmarks for the degree of cognitive and behavioural impairment in retired professional athletes and a point of comparison for future neuroimaging and longitudinal studies.

The social brain network in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome: a diffusion tensor imaging study.

BACKGROUND: Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a neurogenetic disorder that is associated with a 25-fold increase in schizophrenia. Both individuals with 22q11.2DS and those with schizophrenia present with social cognitive deficits, which are putatively subserved by a network of brain regions that are involved in the processing of social cognitive information. This study used two-tensor tractography to examine the white matter tracts believed to underlie the social brain network in a group of 57 young adults with 22q11.2DS compared to 30 unaffected controls. RESULTS: Results indicated that relative to controls, participants with 22q11.2DS showed significant differences in several DTI metrics within the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, cingulum bundle, thalamo-frontal tract, and inferior longitudinal fasciculus. In addition, participants with 22q11.2DS showed significant differences in scores on measures of social cognition, including the Social Responsiveness Scale and Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire. Further analyses among individuals with 22q11.2DS demonstrated an association between DTI metrics and positive and negative symptoms of psychosis, as well as differentiation between individuals with 22q11.2DS and overt psychosis, relative to those with positive prodromal symptoms or no psychosis. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that white matter disruption, specifically disrupted axonal coherence in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, may be a biomarker for social cognitive difficulties and psychosis in individuals with 22q11.2DS.

Negative symptoms mediate the relationship between neurocognition and function in individuals at ultrahigh risk for psychosis.

OBJECTIVE: Neurocognition is known to impact functioning in individuals at ultrahigh risk (UHR) for psychosis, but studies investigating potential mediators of this relationship are scarce. Building on evidence from schizophrenia spectrum disorders, the study tested whether negative symptoms and social skills act as mediators between neurocognition and functional outcome in UHR individuals. METHODS: Ultrahigh risk participants (N = 84) underwent neurocognitive testing using the Brief Assessment of Cognition in Schizophrenia. Social skills and negative symptoms were assessed using the High-Risk Social Challenge task and the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms respectively. Four instruments were used to assess overall functioning, and one instrument assessed quality of life encompassing social functioning. RESULTS: The cross-sectional analyses revealed that neurocognition was related to the measures of functioning. Negative symptoms mediated the relationship between neurocognition and four of the five measures of functioning. We did not find social skills to mediate between neurocognition and functioning. CONCLUSION: Negative symptoms appear to mediate the relationship between neurocognition and functional outcome in UHR individuals, but the finding needs to be confirmed and extended to longitudinal studies. This underscores the importance of focusing on both neurocognition and negative symptoms when aiming at improving the functional outcome of UHR individuals.

Reliability and validity of general health questionnaire (GHQ-12) for male tannery workers: a study carried out in Kanpur, India.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to test the reliability, validity and factor structure of GHQ-12 questionnaire on male tannery workers of India. We have tested three different factor models of the GHQ-12. METHODS: This paper used primary data obtained from a cross-sectional household study of tannery workers from Jajmau area of the city of Kanpur in northern India, which was conducted during January-June, 2015, as part of a doctoral program. The study covered 286 tannery workers from the study area. An interview schedule containing GHQ-12 was used for tannery workers who had completed at least 1 year at their present occupation preceding the survey. To test reliability, Cronbach's alpha test was used. The convergent test was used for validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare three factor structures for the GHQ-12. RESULTS: A total of 286 samples were analyzed in this study. The mean age of the tannery workers in this study was 38 years (SD = 1.42). We found the alpha coefficient to be 0.93 for the complete sample. The value of alpha represents the acceptable internal consistency for all the groups. Each item of scale showed almost the same internal consistency of 0.93 for the male tannery workers. The correlation between factor 1 (Anxiety and Depression) and factor 2 (Social Dysfunction) was 0.92. The correlation between factor 1 (Anxiety and Depression) and factor 3 (Loss of confidence) was the highest 0.98. Comparative fit index (CFI) estimate best-fitted for model-III that gave the CFI value 0.97. The SRMR indicator gave the lowest value 0.031 for the model-III. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that the Hindi version of GHQ-12 is a reliable and valid tool for measuring psychological distress in male tannery workers of Kanpur city, India. Study found that the model proposed by the Graetz was the best fitted model for the data.

Birth and Adoptive Parent Antisocial Behavior and Parenting: A Study of Evocative Gene-Environment Correlation.

Negative parenting is shaped by the genetically influenced characteristics of children (via evocative rGE) and by parental antisocial behavior; however, it is unclear how these factors jointly impact parenting. This study examined the effects of birth parent and adoptive parent antisocial behavior on negative parenting. Participants included 546 families within a prospective adoption study. Adoptive parent antisocial behavior emerged as a small but significant predictor of negative parenting at 18 months and of change in parenting from 18 to 27 months. Birth parent antisocial behavior predicted change in adoptive father's (but not mother's) parenting over time. These findings highlight the role of parent characteristics and suggest that evocative rGE effects on parenting may be small in magnitude in early childhood.