Maternal Depression History Moderates the Association Between Criticism (but not Praise) and Depressive Symptoms in Youth.

Children of mothers with past depression are at increased risk for developing the disorder themselves; however, the specific factors that increase their risk are unclear. Aberrant reactivity to social experiences may be one characteristic that increases risk for depression in offspring. This study investigates whether mothers' depression history is associated with increased reactivity to criticism and decreased reactivity to praise in offspring by examining 72 youths (ages 8-15). Every evening for 21 days, youths reported their depressive symptoms and whether they were criticized and/or praised by their mothers, fathers, siblings, and friends, resulting in 1,382 data entries across participants. Mothers reported their own depression history and current depressive symptoms. Maternal depression history moderated offspring's response to criticism. Although all youths reacted to perceived criticism from family members with transient increases of depressive symptoms, only children of mothers with higher (vs. lower) levels of past depression exhibited cumulative, person-level associations between perceived criticism and their own depressive symptoms. Additionally, only children of depressed mothers exhibited increases in depressive symptoms on days in which they were criticized by friends. Perceived parental praise was associated with lower levels of depression in youths regardless of maternal depression. Youth depressive symptoms were more strongly related to their parents' (vs. siblings or friends) criticism and praise, highlighting parents' more central role in youth depression risk. Taken together, our results reveal that maternal depression history is associated with increased reactivity to perceived criticism across relational contexts potentially contributing to youths' risk for developing depression.

Retinoschisis associated with Kearns-Sayre syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Kearns-Sayre Syndrome (KSS) is characterized by pigmentary retinopathy, external ophthalmoplegia and heart block. We report on a now 24-year-old male with clinical retinoschisis and molecularly confirmed KSS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Physical and complete ophthalmic examination, molecular diagnosis. RESULTS: Over nine years of follow-up, the subject manifested progressive signs and symptoms of KSS, including external ophthalmoplegia/strabismus, ptosis, pigmentary retinopathy, corneal edema, Type I diabetes mellitus, gut dysmotility, sensorineural deafness and heart block. At age 21 he was incidentally found to have retinoschisis on optical coherence tomography that remained stable over three years follow-up. Sequencing of the RS1 gene revealed no pathogenic variants, effectively ruling out co-existing X-linked retinoschisis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest retinoschisis may be a rare manifestation of KSS. A trial of a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor was frustrated by coexisting corneal edema associated with the condition.