Administering an appeasing substance to beef calves at weaning to optimize productive and health responses during a 42-d preconditioning program.

This experiment evaluated the impacts of administering a bovine appeasing substance (BAS) to beef calves at weaning on their performance, physiological responses, and behavior during a 42-d preconditioning program. Eighty calves (40 heifers and 40 steers; 90% British × 10% Nellore) were weaned at 233 ± 2 d of age (day 0); ranked by sex, weaning age, and body weight (BW); and assigned to receive BAS (IRSEA Group, Quartier Salignan, France; n = 40) or placebo (diethylene glycol monoethyl ether; CON; n = 40). Treatments (5 mL) were topically applied to the nuchal skin area of each animal following dam separation. Within treatment, calves were allocated to one of eight drylot pens (four pens per treatment; pen being the experimental unit) and received a free-choice total mixed ration (TMR) from day 0 to 42, intake of which was assessed daily. Live behavior observations were conducted on days 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32. Temperament was assessed and blood samples were collected via jugular venipuncture on days -21, 0, 3, 7, 14, 28, and 42. Hair samples were collected from the tail switch on days 0, 14, 28, and 42. Calves were vaccinated against bovine respiratory disease viruses on days -21 and 0. Average daily gain from day 0 to 42 did not differ between treatments (P = 0.57) but was greater (P = 0.05) in BAS vs. CON calves from day 0 to 28. Intake of TMR was greater (P = 0.05) during the first week for BAS vs. CON calves (treatment × week; P = 0.08). The mean proportion of calves feeding simultaneously and performance of social and play behaviors were greater (P ≤ 0.05) for BAS vs. CON calves. Escape attempts were greater (P < 0.01) for BAS vs. CON calves on day 1 (treatment × day; P = 0.03). Exit velocity was greater (P = 0.04) for CON vs. BAS calves on day 14 and tended (P = 0.10) to be greater for CON vs. BAS calves on day 7 (treatment × day; P = 0.03). Mean plasma concentrations of haptoglobin were greater (P = 0.02) in CON vs. BAS calves. Hair cortisol concentrations were greater (P = 0.05) in CON vs. BAS calves on day 14 (treatment × day; P = 0.03). Mean serum concentrations of antibodies against bovine viral diarrhea virus were greater (P = 0.02) in BAS vs. CON calves. Collectively, BAS administration to beef calves at weaning alleviated stress-induced physiological reactions, improved temperament evaluated via chute exit velocity, enhanced humoral immunity acquired from vaccination, and appeared to have accelerated adaptation to novel management scheme and environment.

Associations between paracetamol (acetaminophen) intake between 18 and 32 weeks gestation and neurocognitive outcomes in the child: A longitudinal cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The majority of epidemiological studies concerning possible adverse effects of paracetamol (acetaminophen) in pregnancy have been focussed on childhood asthma. Initial results of a robust association have been confirmed in several studies. Recently, a few cohort studies have looked at particular neurocognitive outcomes, and several have implicated hyperactivity. OBJECTIVES: In order to confirm these findings, further information and results are required. Here, we assess whether paracetamol intake between 18 and 32 weeks gestation is associated with childhood behavioural and cognitive outcomes using a large population. METHODS: Data collected by the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) at 32 weeks gestation and referring to the period from 18 to 32 weeks, identified 43.9% of women having taken paracetamol. We used an exposome analysis first to determine the background factors associated with pregnant women taking the drug, and then allowed for those factors to assess associations with child outcomes (measured using regression analyses). RESULTS: We identified 15 variables independently associated with taking paracetamol in this time period, which were used as potential confounders. Of the 135 neurocognitive variables considered, adjusting for the likelihood of false discovery, we identified 56 outcomes for adjusted analyses. Adjustment identified 12 showing independent associations with paracetamol use at P < .05, four of which were at P < .0001 (all related to child behaviours reported by the mother at 42 and 47 months; eg conduct problems: adjusted mean score + 0.22 (95% confidence interval 0.10, 0.33)). There were few associations with behavioural or neurocognitive outcomes after age 7-8 years, whether reported by the mother or the teacher. CONCLUSIONS: If paracetamol use in mid-to-late pregnancy has an adverse effect on child neurocognitive outcome, it appears to mainly relate to the pre-school period. It is important that these results be tested using other datasets or methodologies before assuming that they are causal.

Effects of immunocastration performed at two live weights on the growth physiology, temperament and testicular development of feral beef bulls.

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of administering an anti-gonadotropin-releasing hormone vaccine (Improvac® , developed for pigs) on the performance, temperament, testicular development, and hormone and metabolite profiles of feral bulls (Bos taurus) vaccinated at two different live weights (LW). In all, 16 Serrana de Teruel animals were involved in this 2 x 2 factorial design using the factors LW (LIGHT vs. HEAVY) and vaccine treatment (control, C vs. vaccinated, VA). All animals received the same diet (ad libitum concentrate plus straw) over a 164-day fattening period. Temperament was assessed using chute and flight speed tests. Testicular diameter and subcutaneous fat thickness were recorded. Testosterone, IGF-1, urea, NEFA, and creatinine profiles were analyzed. Bull weight gain was reduced in VA compared to C animals, regardless of the initial LW. The vaccine did not affect the temperament tests, subcutaneous fat thickness or NEFA and creatinine concentrations and had minor effects on linear body measures. The vaccine inhibited testicular growth, reduced plasma testosterone to residual levels, and increased urea concentrations. LIGHT-C animals exhibited increased mean plasma IGF-1 concentrations compared to LIGHT-VA animals. In conclusion, vaccination reduced bull growth and sexual development irrespective of LW at immunization.

Hub distribution of the brain functional networks of newborns prenatally exposed to maternal depression and SSRI antidepressants.

BACKGROUND: Prenatal maternal depression (PMD) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants are associated with increased developmental risk in infants. Reports suggest that PMD is associated with hyperconnectivity of the insula and the amygdala, while SSRI exposure is associated with hyperconnectivity of the auditory network in the infant brain. However, associations between functional brain organization and PMD and/or SSRI exposure are not well understood. METHODS: We examined the relation between PMD or SSRI exposure and neonatal brain functional organization. Infants of control (n = 17), depressed SSRI-treated (n = 20) and depressed-only (HAM-D ≥ 8) (n = 16) women, underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging at postnatal Day 6. At 6 months, temperament was assessed using Infant Behavioral Questionnaire (IBQ). We applied GTA and partial least square regression (PLSR) to the resting-state time series to assess group differences in modularity, and connector and provincial hubs. RESULTS: Modularity was similar across all groups. The depressed-only group showed higher connector hub values in the left anterior cingulate, insula, and caudate as well as higher provincial hub values in the amygdala compared to the control group. The SSRI group showed higher provincial hub values in Heschl's gyrus relative to the depressed-only group. PLSR showed that newborns' hub values predicted 10% of the variability in infant temperament at 6 months, suggesting different developmental patterns between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Prenatal exposures to maternal depression and SSRIs have differential impacts on neonatal functional brain organization. Hub values at 6 days predict variance in temperament between infant groups at 6 months of age.

The relationship between temperament and depression in Parkinson's disease patients under dopaminergic treatment.

AIM: The risk factors for depressive symptoms in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) under dopaminergic drug treatment are unclear. In this study, we examined whether some temperament traits are related to the presence of comorbid depression in PD patients, independent of the characteristics of illness and drug treatment. METHODS: The participants in this study were 74 patients with idiopathic PD who were already treated with stable doses of levodopa or dopamine agonists. Depressive (n = 20) and non-depressive (n = 52) PD patients were assessed by means of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale, Beck Depression Inventory, and Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris and San Diego Auto-questionnaire. The doses of levodopa and dopamine agonists were converted into levodopa equivalent daily dose. RESULTS: The duration of treatment in the depressive group was significantly longer than in the non-depressive group (P = 0.03). The depressive patients had significantly higher scores on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale than the non-depressive patients. Depressive (P < 0.0001), cyclothymic (P < 0.0001), anxious (P < 0.0001), and irritable (P = 0.02) temperament scores were significantly higher in depressive than in non-depressive patients. Hyperthymia scores were significantly higher in non-depressive patients than in depressive patients (P = 0.01). Logistic regression analysis revealed that depressive temperament traits (P = 0.03) significantly predicted the diagnosis of depression. In contrast, hyperthymic temperament seemed to be associated with the absence of depression (P = 0.006). CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the severity of PD and duration of dopaminergic treatment were not predictive of the development of depression in PD patients. Depressive temperament strongly predicted the development of depression in our sample. Hyperthymic temperament seemed to be associated with patients without depression. We suggest that depressive temperament traits seem to be related to depression, while hyperthymic temperament may have a protective role in the risk of depression in PD patients.

Benefits and limitations of drug studies in temperament research: biochemical responses as indicators of temperament.

This paper presents a discussion of principles and problems of neurotransmitter challenge tests using examples of experiments, most of which were performed in the author's laboratory. Drugs targeting synthesis, release, receptors or reuptake of dopamine, serotonin and noradrenergic transmitter (TM) systems were used for characterizing or discriminating certain temperament or personality traits and their sub-factors. Any personality or temperament trait is characterized by multiple TM responses, thus constellations of hormone responses to drugs acting on different TM systems or on different sources of TM activity were investigated within individuals in crossover designs. The major conclusions are: (i) intra-individual patterns of hormone responses to different TM-related drugs, or to agonists and antagonists, can help to discriminate subtypes of temperament dimensions, and (ii) the latency and shape of response curves may help specify processes of biological responses related to psychological dimensions and reveal common TM sensitivities in clusters of traits. TM sensitivity, defined by hormone responses, does not always correspond to accompanying behavioural indicators, but may provide more specific information on underlying mechanisms. Additional consideration of drug doses and experimental induction of stressors may serve to identify temperament-related susceptibilities to certain drugs. Limitations of the challenge approach and recommendations for future research are discussed.This article is part of the theme issue 'Diverse perspectives on diversity: multi-disciplinary approaches to taxonomies of individual differences'.

Evaluation of behavioral problems after prenatal dexamethasone treatment in Swedish children and adolescents at risk of congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

Prenatal dexamethasone (DEX) treatment in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is effective in reducing virilization in affected girls, but potential long-term adverse effects are largely unknown. In this report we intended to explore potential side effects of DEX therapy to enhance the adequacy of future risk benefit analyses of DEX treatment. We investigated the long-term effects of first trimester prenatal DEX treatment on behavioral problems and temperament in children and adolescents aged 7-17 years. The study included 34 children and adolescents, without CAH, who had been exposed to DEX during the first trimester and 67 untreated controls. Standardized parent-completed questionnaires were used to evaluate adaptive functioning and behavioral/emotional problems (CBCL), social anxiety (SPAI-C-P), and temperament (EAS) in the child. Self-reports were used to assess the children's perception of social anxiety (SASC-R). No statistically significant differences were found between DEX-treated and control children and adolescents, suggesting that, in general, healthy children treated with DEX during early fetal life are well adjusted.

Prenatal exposure to methadone or buprenorphine: Early childhood developmental outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Methadone and buprenorphine are recommended to treat opioid use disorders during pregnancy. However, the literature on the relationship between longer-term effects of prenatal exposure to these medications and childhood development is both spare and inconsistent. METHODS: Participants were 96 children and their mothers who participated in MOTHER, a randomized controlled trial of opioid-agonist pharmacotherapy during pregnancy. The present study examined child growth parameters, cognition, language abilities, sensory processing, and temperament from 0 to 36 months of the child's life. Maternal perceptions of parenting stress, home environment, and addiction severity were also examined. RESULTS: Tests of mean differences between children prenatally exposed to methadone vs. buprenorphine over the three-year period yielded 2/37 significant findings for children. Similarly, tests of mean differences between children treated for NAS relative to those not treated for NAS yielded 1/37 significant finding. Changes over time occurred for 27/37 child outcomes including expected child increases in weight, head and height, and overall gains in cognitive development, language abilities, sensory processing, and temperament. For mothers, significant changes over time in parenting stress (9/17 scales) suggested increasing difficulties with their children, notably seen in increasing parenting stress, but also an increasingly enriched home environment (4/7 scales) CONCLUSIONS: Findings strongly suggest no deleterious effects of buprenorphine relative to methadone or of treatment for NAS severity relative to not-treated for NAS on growth, cognitive development, language abilities, sensory processing, and temperament. Moreover, findings suggest that prenatal opioid agonist exposure is not deleterious to normal physical and mental development.

BDNF and NRG1 polymorphisms and temperament in selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-treated patients with major depression.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the separate effects of and possible interactions between the functional polymorphisms of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) rs11030101, BDNF rs61888800, and neuregulin-1 (NRG1) rs3924999 and NRG1 rs6994992 on change of temperament scores in a clinical sample of subjects with major depression (MDD), who received selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor treatment for a period of 6 weeks. METHODS: The study population consisted of 98 Finnish individuals with MDD. They were assessed by the 107-item Temperament and Character Inventory temperament questionnaire (version IX) and the Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS). In general linear univariate models (GLM) for novelty seeking (NS) or reward dependence (RD) change age, gender, MADRS score change and BDNF and NRG1 genotypes were used as explaining explanatory variables. RESULTS: Mean comparisons between corresponding temperament dimensions and genotypes showed significant differences between NS change and BDNF rs61888800 T-carrying status (mean difference: GG 0.30, GT/TT 2.47, p=0.022, t-test) and between RD change and NRG1 rs3924999 A-carrying status (mean difference: GG 1.21, GA/AA -0.33, p=0.003). In GLM models for NS change the significant predictors comprised BDNF rs61888800 T-carrying status, age and MADRS score change (model 1), and additionally NRG1 rs6994992 T-carrying status (model 2). For RD change the predictors included NRG1 rs3924999 A-carrying status, age and MADRS score change (model 1) and additionally gender (model 2). CONCLUSION: According to the current results both BDNF and NRG1 are associated with temperament traits during depression. These results warrant further studies regarding the impact of this association on depression recovery.

Trace lithium and mental health.

Lithium therapy is generally accepted as a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder, and it is also identified as one of the best augmenting options for treatment-resistant depression. Furthermore, lithium has been investigated in association with suicide, dementia and aggressiveness. In this review, we examined articles about the effects of very small amounts of lithium in treating suicide, dementia, bipolar disorder and temperament, to assess the present state of trace lithium's effect on mental state. The results indicate that trace lithium may be effective for suicide prevention but randomized, placebo-controlled trials are required to draw a definite conclusion. Indications for using trace lithium in treating such conditions as dementia, bipolar disorder and temperament are supported by very limited evidence and such effects are yet to be determined.

Effect of temperament on cortisol response to a single exercise bout in Thoroughbred racehorses - short communication.

Temperament has not been taken into account in previous studies evaluating the stress response to exercise in horses. The aim of the present study was to investigate the cortisol response in Thoroughbred racehorses to a single exercise bout, and to analyse the results based on the basic personality of the horse examined. Twenty healthy Thoroughbred horses were selected for the study based on a 25-item rating questionnaire survey used for characterising equine temperament. Eight temperamental and twelve calm horses took part in the experiment. The horses trotted as a warm-up activity, and then galloped on a rounded sand track. Blood sampling was conducted four times for each horse. Horses with a more excitable temperament showed a higher cortisol response to the test (P = 0.036). In conclusion, cortisol levels in response to a mild intensive exercise can be affected by temperament in horses. Serum cortisol may be a relevant marker to quantify individual temperamental differences in racehorses.

Prenatal phthalate exposures and child temperament at 12 and 24 months.

INTRODUCTION: Gestational phthalate exposures have been adversely associated with attention, externalizing, and internalizing behaviors in childhood. Early childhood temperament may be a marker of later behavioral patterns. We therefore sought to determine whether gestational phthalate exposures were associated with infant and toddler temperament. METHODS: The Mount Sinai Children's Environmental Health Study is a prospective cohort study of children born between May 1998 and July 2001 in New York City (N=404). Phthalate metabolites were measured in spot urine samples collected from pregnant women in their third trimester. Child temperament was assessed by parental report at 12-months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ) (N=204) and at 24-months using the Toddler Behavior Assessment Questionnaire (TBAQ) (N=279). We used multiple linear regression to evaluate associations between urinary phthalate metabolites and eleven temperament domains. RESULTS: Phthalate biomarker concentrations were weakly associated with lower gross motor activity levels as well as higher duration of orienting at the 12-month assessment. Mono(3-carboxypropyl) phthalate (MCPP), monobenzyl phthalate (MBzP) and the sum of metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (∑DEHP) were associated with lower levels of smiling and laughing at 12 months. At 24-months, social fear and lower pleasure was linked to higher concentrations of MCPP and MBzP, and higher ∑DEHP was weakly associated with increased anger levels at 24-months. CONCLUSIONS: Though we observed some weak associations between biomarkers of prenatal exposure to phthalates and temperament at 12- and 24-months, overall phthalates biomarkers were not strongly associated with alterations in temperament.

A novel objective chute score interacts with monensin to affect growth of receiving cattle.

Growth in cattle may be related to animal temperament via alterations in intake or feed conversion. However, temperament is ill-defined, and different temperament measures may relate differently to production traits or interact with dietary factors in their effects. To examine relationships between diet, temperament, growth, and health, 160 crossbred steers (262 ± 22 kg) were used in a 56-d RCBD experiment with a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial treatment structure with 5 pens/treatment. Steers were pen fed a corn silage-based diet with or without monensin (41.9 g/t DM), ad libitum. Temperament treatments (assigned on d -7) were exit velocity (EV; slow vs. fast) and objective chute score (OCS; low vs. high), a novel temperament measure, representing the CV of weights collected at 5 measures/s for 10 s while an animal's head was restrained in a chute. Both were measured on d -7, 0, 14, 28, 55, and 56. Subjective chute scores (SCS; visual estimates of animal activity obtained simultaneously with OCS measures) were measured on d -7 and d 56. Jugular blood samples from d 28 were analyzed for antibody response to leptospirosis vaccine and NEFA concentrations. No monensin × OCS × EV interactions were detected ( ≥ 0.11). There was a positive correlation between SCS and OCS ( < 0.01; = 0.57). Changes in OCS and EV across the duration of the study differed among treatments (treatment × day, < 0.10) and indicated that initial measures may be better proxies of growth than average measures. There were no interactions between EV and OCS ( ≥ 0.15) for any response variable and no interactions among treatments ( ≥ 0.31), nor main effects of temperament factors ( ≥ 0.12) for DMI (%BW). Monensin decreased DMI ( < 0.01) similarly across all levels of EV and OCS. Gains and G:F responses to monensin depended on OCS ( < 0.10) but not EV ( ≥ 0.80). Gain was reduced ( < 0.10) by monensin with low, but not high, OCS, and G:F was increased ( < 0.10) by monensin on high, but not low, OCS. Gain during the second 4 wk was lesser ( = 0.04) in fast, compared with slow, EV animals. Results provide novel indications that certain temperament measures can interact with dietary manipulation to influence animal performance.

Do social functioning and symptoms improve with continuation antidepressant treatment of persistent depressive disorder? An observational study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine efficacy of continued treatment with the serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor duloxetine on symptom reduction and functional improvement in outpatients with dysthymia. METHOD: Fifty outpatients with DSM-IV-TR diagnosed dysthymia who had participated in a 10 week double-blind, placebo-controlled study of duloxetine received open treatment for three months. Nineteen duloxetine responders continued duloxetine, 24 patients initially treated with placebo started open duloxetine treatment, and 7 duloxetine non-responders were treated with desvenlafaxine or bupropion, selected by clinician choice. RESULTS: Patients continuing duloxetine maintained symptom improvement, 84% meeting response and 63% remission criteria at week 22. Patients initially treated with placebo showed similarly high levels of response (83%) and remission (62%) at week 22, and most duloxetine non-responders subsequently responded to other antidepressants. Duloxetine-continuation patients improved modestly between weeks 10 and 22 on measures of social and cognitive functioning and temperament. Despite this improvement concurrently across several functional domains, 66.7% of patients continuing duloxetine remained in the impaired range of functioning according to the Social Adjustment Scale (SAS). CONCLUSIONS: Continued duloxetine treatment appears to be effective in maintaining symptom response in dysthymic disorder, and has positive effects on social functioning. However, the majority of patients do not show normalization of functioning, even when controlling for remission status. Additional treatments should be considered to target residual impairments in social functioning in mood remitted patients with persistent depressive disorder.

Relationship Between Temperament and Character Traits, Mood, and Medications in Bipolar I Disorder.

INTRODUCTION: Bipolar I disorder is an illness causing mood shifts that can result in personality and character trait alterations. The relationship between mood and personality and character traits in bipolar I disorder is unclear at this time. METHODS: We conducted a study from February 2009 to March 2010 that included 42 subjects with bipolar I disorder, which was confirmed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders. Mood was assessed via the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) and the 30-item Clinician-rated Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-C). Temperament and character traits were assessed via the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). Multivariate analysis was used to test relationships between mood and temperament and character traits with the effects of possible cofactors taken into account (eg, age, gender, medications). RESULTS: We noted a positive correlation between YMRS scores and persistence (P = .046) and a trend toward positive correlation with novelty seeking (P = .054). There was a positive correlation between higher IDS-C scores and harm avoidance (P < .001) and a negative correlation with self-directedness scores (P < .001). Antipsychotic use was positively correlated with the character trait self-directedness (P = .008), with a trend toward a positive correlation with reward dependence (P = .056). Lithium was negatively correlated with reward dependence (P = .047) and self-transcendence (P = .028), with a trend toward a negative correlation with novelty seeking (P = .053). CONCLUSIONS: The findings of our study suggest that some personality and character traits may vary according to mood state and medications in patients with bipolar I disorder. Prospective and longitudinal studies are required to fully characterize the relationships between personality and character traits and mood state in bipolar I disorder.

RETRACTED: Evaluation of behavioral problems after prenatal dexamethasone treatment in Swedish adolescents at risk of CAH.

This article has been retracted: please see Elsevier Policy on Article Withdrawal (http://www.elsevier.com/locate/withdrawalpolicy). This article has been retracted at the request of the authors due to technical errors that have called into question the reliability of the data used to inform the author's conclusions. All data on cognitive and behavioral outcomes in CAH and non­CAH cases, treated or not treated with DEX prenatally, were put into a single Excel database. The authors had in total four different patient groups for each age group (5­6 y, 7­17 y and 18-35 y). The database consisted of 237 cases in total and there were multiple columns for the different outcome measures. When the behavioral data for the sub-cohort described in this paper (first trimester treated non-CAH cases and healthy population controls, age 7­17 y) were copied to another sheet and compressed/modified in preparation for statistical analysis in SPSS, an error occurred. This technological issue caused rows to shift and the data from the different groups got mixed up. In particular, the non­CAH group versus the control group were "contaminated" with cases from the wrong patient group. The authors discovered this mistake when they started to analyse the data from the other sub­groups of patients, the CAH cases and the adult cohort, which was after their original results had already been published in Hormones and Behavior in this manuscript "Evaluation of behavioral problems after prenatal dexamethasone treatment in Swedish adolescents at risk of CAH". It then became apparent that the entire data set was unreliable and needed to be re­analysed which is what has motivated the retraction of this article. The authors have recently completed this re­analysis and the results have been published here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0018506X17300752

Dorsal raphe nucleus and harm avoidance: A resting-state investigation.

The temperament dimension of harm avoidance defines an individual's biological tendency to exhibit altering levels of anxious, inhibiting, and cautious behavior. High harm avoidance and anxiety are highly comorbid, likely due to activity in similar neural circuitries involving the dorsal raphe nucleus. Despite the many investigations that have explored personality factors and brain function, none have determined the influence of ongoing activity within dorsal raphe networks on harm avoidance. The aim of this study was to explore such a relationship. In 62 healthy subjects, a series of 180 functional magnetic resonance images covering the entire brain were collected, and each subject completed the 240-item TCI-R questionnaire. Independent component analyses were performed to define the dorsal raphe network and then to determine the regions significantly correlated with harm avoidance. The independent component analyses revealed three signal intensity fluctuation maps encompassing the dorsal raphe nucleus, showing interactions with regions of the amygdala, hippocampus, nucleus accumbens, and prefrontal, insular, and cingulate cortices. Within these systems, the resting signal intensity was significantly coupled to harm avoidance in the bilateral basal amygdala, bilateral ventral hippocampus, bilateral insula, bilateral nucleus accumbens, and medial prefrontal cortex. Note that we could not measure serotonergic output, but instead measured signal changes in the dorsal raphe that likely reflect synaptic activity. These data provide evidence that at rest, signal intensity fluctuations within the dorsal raphe networks are related to harm avoidance. Given the strong relationship between harm avoidance and anxiety-like behaviors, it is possible that ongoing activity within this identified neural circuitry can contribute to an individual developing anxiety disorders.

Effects of prenatal substance exposure on infant temperament vary by context.

This was a prospective longitudinal multisite study of the effects of prenatal cocaine and/or opiate exposure on temperament in 4-month-olds of the Maternal Lifestyle Study (N = 958: 366 cocaine exposed, 37 opiate exposed, 33 exposed to both drugs, 522 matched comparison). The study evaluated positivity and negativity during The Behavior Assessment of Infant Temperament (Garcia Coll et al., 1988). Parents rated temperament (Infant Behavior Questionnaire; Rothbart, 1981). Cocaine-exposed infants showed less positivity overall, mainly during activity and threshold items, more negativity during sociability items, and less negativity during irritability and threshold items. Latent profile analysis indicated individual temperament patterns were best described by three groups: low/moderate overall reactivity, high social negative reactivity, and high nonsocial negative reactivity. Infants with heavy cocaine exposure were more likely in high social negative reactivity profile, were less negative during threshold items, and required longer soothing intervention. Cocaine- and opiate-exposed infants scored lower on Infant Behavior Questionnaire smiling and laughter and duration of orienting scales. Opiate-exposed infants were rated as less respondent to soothing. By including a multitask measure of temperament we were able to show context-specific behavioral dysregulation in prenatally cocaine-exposed infants. The findings indicate flatter temperament may be specific to nonsocial contexts, whereas social interactions may be more distressing for cocaine-exposed infants.

Changes in the Temperament and Character Inventory dimensions after paroxetine treatment in patients with major depressive disorder.

Previous studies have reported changes in the dimensions of the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) after patients with major depressive disorder are treated. We aimed to investigate the changes in the TCI dimensions after paroxetine treatment in patients with major depressive disorder. Forty-eight patients were enrolled in this study and were treated with 10-40 mg/day of paroxetine for 6 weeks. The TCI was completed twice, at weeks 0 and 6. We used the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS) to evaluate patients. The participants were divided into three groups (responders, non-responders, and early responders) based on treatment response. The scores of each dimension of the TCI were compared before and after treatment using repeated-measures two-way analyses of variance. In the responders group (n = 24), no TCI dimension scores changed significantly during treatment, but the interaction between sex and MADRS score change was significantly associated with the results. In the non-responders group (n = 15), the self-directedness score increased significantly during the treatment period (p = 0.000), and the change in MADRS score significantly affected the results. In the early responders group (n = 9), no TCI dimension scores changed significantly during treatment. The results of the present study may reveal a possible correlation between paroxetine treatment and changes in personality traits.

The role of zinc and iron-folic acid supplementation on early child temperament and eating behaviors in rural Nepal: a randomized controlled trial.

UNLABELLED: Child eating behaviors play an important role in nutrient intake, ultimately affecting child growth and later outcomes in adulthood. The study assessed the effects of iron-folic acid and zinc supplementation on child temperament and child eating behaviors in rural Nepal. Children (N = 569) aged 4-17 months in Sarlahi district, southern Nepal were randomized to receive daily supplements of placebo, iron-folic acid, zinc, or zinc plus iron-folic acid and followed for approximately 1 year. At baseline and four follow-up visits mothers completed questionnaires including information on demographic characteristics and child temperament and eating behaviors. The main effects of zinc and iron-folic acid supplementation on temperament and eating behaviors were assessed through crude and adjusted differences in mean cumulative score changes between visits 1 and 5. The adjusted rate-of-change for these outcomes was modeled using generalized estimating equations. Mean changes in temperament scores and in eating behavior scores between visits 1 and 5 were not significant in either the zinc or non-zinc group. Children in the iron-folic acid group increased temperament scores by 0.37 points over 5 visits (95% CI 0.02, 0.7), which was not significant after adjustment. Neither the adjusted rate-of-change in temperament scores between zinc and non-zinc (ß = -0.03, 95% CI -0.3, 0.2) or iron-folic acid and non-iron-folic acid (ß = 0.08, 95% CI -0.2, 0.3) were significantly different. Adjusted rate of change analysis showed no significant difference between zinc and non-zinc (ß = -0.14, 95% CI -0.3, 0.04) or between iron and non-iron eating behavior scores (ß = -0.11, 95% CI -0.3, 0.1). Only among children with iron-deficiency anemia at baseline was there a significant decrease in eating behavior score, indicating better eating behaviors, when supplemented with zinc (ß = -0.3, 95% CI -0.6, -0.01), Ultimately, this effect of zinc on eating behaviors was the only effect we observed after approximately one year of micronutrient supplementation. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00109551.