Diffusion tensor imaging of white-matter structural features of maltreating mothers and their associations with intergenerational chain of childhood abuse.

Child abuse causes lifelong adverse outcomes for both physical and mental health, although many are resilient. Efforts to prevent this issue from the parental side require an understanding of the neurobiological basis that leads abusive parents to perpetrate abuse and the influence of the intergenerational chain of childhood abuse. Therefore, this study was conducted to compare the brain white-matter fiber structures between 11 maltreating mothers who had been recognized as having conducted child abuse prior to the intervention and 40 age-matched control mothers using tract-based spatial statistics. There was a significantly reduced axial diffusivity (AD) and a similar trend in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right corticospinal tract in maltreating mothers compared to control mothers. Therefore, maltreating mothers may have excessive control over the forcefulness of voluntary movements. These features also decreased as the number of childhood abuse experiences increased, suggesting that an intergenerational chain of child abuse may also be involved. Other aspects observed were that the higher the current depressive symptoms, the lower the AD and FA values; however, they were not related to parental practice or empathy. These results corroborate the neurobiological features that perpetrate behaviors in abusive mothers.

Psychometrics of rating scales for externalizing disorders in Japanese outpatients: The ADHD-Rating Scale-5 and the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale.

OBJECTIVES: This study validated the Japanese version of the Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder-Rating Scale-5 (ADHD-RS-5) and the Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale. We extended the ADHD-RS-5 by adding the oppositional defiant disorder and conduct disorder subscales to compare the two rating scales psychometrically. METHODS: We examined the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity and criterion validity of the two rating scales in 135 Japanese outpatients aged 6-18 years. RESULTS: The internal consistency and test-retest reliability were good for all the subscales of the two rating scales except for the conduct disorder subscale of the ADHD-RS-5 extended. Good construct validity was revealed by expected correlational patterns between subscales from the two rating scales and the Children Behavior Checklist. The criterion validity was good for all the subscales of the two rating scales rated by parents, while teacher-ratings revealed substantially lower predictive ability for all the subscales. Agreement between parent- and teacher-ratings of the two rating scales was generally moderate and using predictive ratings alone of both ratings showed the best predictive ability among the integration methods examined. CONCLUSION: The two rating scales have sound psychometric properties and will aid in screening and severity assessment of externalizing disorders in Japanese clinical settings.

Child Developmental MRI (CDM) project: protocol for a multi-centre, cross-sectional study on elucidating the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder through a multi-dimensional approach.

INTRODUCTION: Neuroimaging studies on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have demonstrated differences in extensive brain structure, activity and network. However, there remains heterogeneity and inconsistency across these findings, presumably because of the diversity of the disorders themselves, small sample sizes, and site and parameter differences in MRI scanners, and their overall pathogenesis remains unclear. To address these gaps in the literature, we will apply the travelling-subject approach to correct site differences in MRI scanners and clarify brain structure and network characteristics of children with ADHD and ASD using large samples collected in a multi-centre collaboration. In addition, we will investigate the relationship between these characteristics and genetic, epigenetic, biochemical markers, and behavioural and psychological measures. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: We will collect resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) and T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted MRI data from 15 healthy adults as travelling subjects and 300 children (ADHD, n=100; ASD, n=100; and typical development, n=100) with multi-dimensional assessments. We will also apply data from more than 1000 samples acquired in our previous neuroimaging studies on ADHD and ASD. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study protocol has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the University of Fukui Hospital (approval no: 20220601). Our study findings will be submitted to scientific peer-reviewed journals and conferences.

Psychometrics of the kiddie schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia present and lifetime version for DSM-5 in Japanese outpatients.

OBJECTIVE: The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-Age Children-Present and Lifetime version (K-SADS-PL) is a widely used semi-structured diagnostic interview in child and adolescent psychiatry. However, the psychometric properties of its updated version, the K-SADS-PL for DSM-5, have scarcely been examined, especially for criterion validity. This study was designed to examine the inter-rater reliability, criterion validity and construct validity of the K-SADS-PL for DSM-5 in 137 Japanese outpatients. METHODS: Two of 12 experienced clinicians independently performed the K-SADS interview for each patient in a conjoint session, and the resulting consensus diagnosis was compared with a "best-estimate" diagnosis made by two of eight experienced clinicians using all available information for the patient. RESULTS: The inter-rater reliability was excellent, as shown by κ > 0.75 for all disorders, with the exception of current separation anxiety disorder. The criterion validity was fair to good, as shown by κ > 0.40 for all disorders, with the exception of current and lifetime agoraphobia. The construct validity was also good, as shown by theoretically expected associations between the K-SADS-PL diagnoses and subscales of the child behavior checklist. CONCLUSION: The K-SADS-PL for DSM-5, now available in Japanese, generates valid diagnoses in child and adolescent psychiatry.

Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Parenting Stress Across Asian Countries: A Cross-National Study.

Background: In a previous study, we demonstrated that the accumulation of parenting stress during prolonged school closures and restrictions on daily activities due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan indicates the need for mental health intervention for parents at higher risk of parenting stress. However, few studies have focused on parenting stress in other Asian countries, although they have experienced higher numbers of infections. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether parenting stress among caregivers increased across Asia due to school closures and restrictions on activities during the COVID-19 pandemic and to examine whether there were any country-specific, cross-country, or cross-regional risk factors for increased parenting stress. Methods: We conducted an online survey immediately after the number of new cases in India significantly increased (September-November 2020). We measured parenting stress, anxiety, and fear associated with the COVID-19 crisis, as evaluated by the Parenting Stress Index, Short-Form (PSI-SF), and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS), across three Asian countries-India (n = 142), Malaysia (n = 69), and Japan (n = 182)-in addition to the United States (n = 203). We also investigated whether respondents had adverse childhood experiences (ACE) as a risk factor for parenting stress. Results: For all countries, we found significant increases in participants' current parenting stress levels, compared to what they recalled regarding their lives before COVID-19-related restrictions and school closures were enacted. Textual analysis qualitatively identified common terms related to parenting stress across all countries. We also found a statistical model that indicated ACE in parents was a critical risk factor for higher parenting stress via increasing anxiety and fear related to the pandemic. Conclusion: These results indicate the need to improve the mental health of caregivers who are at risk for higher levels of parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Asian countries as well as Western countries. These results indicate that there is a need to improve the mental health of caregivers who are at risk for higher levels of parenting stress during the COVID-19 pandemic globally.