Towards a Role for Clinical Pathology Diagnostics for Childhood Maltreatment.

Recent reports from the Center for Disease Control and Kaiser Permanente demonstrate that early life adverse experience leads to morbidity and mortality in adulthood. To date there are no objective tests that help care-givers or local child protective services make informed decisions for children with a history of abuse, neglect or trauma. This is the first report from a new group of trans-disciplinary investigators describing a new approach to identify the biological impact of childhood maltreatment using clinical pathology testing. Such new quantitative measurements will be useful to identify children at risk for poor mental and physical health outcomes and to follow response to interventions.

Body mass index trajectory throughout adolescence: a comparison of maltreated adolescents by maltreatment type to a community sample.

BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment is associated with adult obesity, but there is conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between childhood maltreatment and obesity during adolescence. OBJECTIVES: To compare the body mass index (BMI) trajectory of adolescents with a specific type of maltreatment (sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse or neglect) to adolescents with another type of maltreatment (maltreated sample n = 303) and to a comparison group (n = 151). METHODS: Individual growth models were used to estimate average growth trajectories of BMI percentile separately by sex (ages 9 to 22 years). Unconditional and conditional linear and quadratic growth models were estimated and maltreatment types were added before including covariates (ethnicity, anxiety, depression and pubertal stage). RESULTS: BMI growth trajectories of sexually abused girls and neglected girls were significantly different from comparison girls. Comparison girls had a growth trajectory that reached its apex at 15 years and then began to decline, whereas sexually abused girls and neglected girls had lower BMI than comparison girls until age 16-17 years when their BMI was higher than comparison girls. CONCLUSIONS: Late adolescence appears to be the developmental period during which differences in BMI percentiles become pronounced between girls with sexual abuse or with neglect vs. comparison girls.

A radiation hybrid map of mouse genes.

A comprehensive gene-based map of a genome is a powerful tool for genetic studies and is especially useful for the positional cloning and positional candidate approaches. The availability of gene maps for multiple organisms provides the foundation for detailed conserved-orthology maps showing the correspondence between conserved genomic segments. These maps make it possible to use cross-species information in gene hunts and shed light on the evolutionary forces that shape the genome. Here we report a radiation hybrid map of mouse genes, a combined project of the Whitehead Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Genome Research, the Medical Research Council UK Mouse Genome Centre, and the National Center for Biotechnology Information. The map contains 11,109 genes, screened against the T31 RH panel and positioned relative to a reference map containing 2,280 mouse genetic markers. It includes 3,658 genes homologous to the human genome sequence and provides a framework for overlaying the human genome sequence to the mouse and for sequencing the mouse genome.

Variants of intrafamilial sexual abuse experience: implications for short- and long-term development.

This study examines short- and long-term maladaptive outcomes in a sample of sexually abused females and a comparison group. The sample consists of intrafamilial sexual abuse victims ages 6-16 years at entry into the study and a demographically similar comparison group. The outcomes examined included measures of behavior and psychological problems such as aggressive behavior, depression, dissociation, and low self-esteem; and measures at two time points, first at entry into the study (median age 11 years) and approximately 7 years later (median age 18 years). The specific questions being addressed were (a) whether subgroups or profiles. based on the specific characteristics of the sexual abuse experienced, can be identified in this sample of abused females; and (b) whether these profile groups predict different patterns of adverse short- or long-term outcomes.

Social network constellation and sexuality of sexually abused and comparison girls in childhood and adolescence.

This longitudinal study examines how childhood and early adolescent (age 6 to 15) peer and nonpeer social networks relate to sexual attitudes and behaviors in adolescence and young adulthood (age 12 to 25) for sexually abused and comparison girls. A large number of male peers in childhood is related to heightened sexual activity, sexual preoccupation, increased sexual pressure, and risky sexual behavior in adolescence. High-quality, female, nonpeer relationships have a positive effect on attitudes toward casual sex. Multiple group models illuminate several cross-lag group moderators: (a) Abused girls who are happier with male nonpeers are less preoccupied with sex; (b) abused girls who are happier with male peers are more likely to use birth control; and (c) abused girls who have early physical relationships are more likely to engage in risky sexual behavior. Treatment implications include monitoring the effects of low-status peer groups, encouraging contact with female role models, and encouraging the formation of high-quality relationships with male peers and nonpeers.

A YAC-based physical map of the mouse genome.

A physical map of the mouse genome is an essential tool for both positional cloning and genomic sequencing in this key model system for biomedical research. Indeed, the construction of a mouse physical map with markers spaced at an average interval of 300 kb is one of the stated goals of the Human Genome Project. Here we report the results of a project at the Whitehead Institute/MIT Center for Genome Research to construct such a physical map of the mouse. We built the map by screening sequenced-tagged sites (STSs) against a large-insert yeast artificial chromosome (YAC) library and then integrating the STS-content information with a dense genetic map. The integrated map shows the location of 9,787 loci, providing landmarks with an average spacing of approximately 300 kb and affording YAC coverage of approximately 92% of the mouse genome. We also report the results of a project at the MRC UK Mouse Genome Centre targeted at chromosome X. The project produced a YAC-based map containing 619 loci (with 121 loci in common with the Whitehead map and 498 additional loci), providing especially dense coverage of this sex chromosome. The YAC-based physical map directly facilitates positional cloning of mouse mutations by providing ready access to most of the genome. More generally, use of this map in addition to a newly constructed radiation hybrid (RH) map provides a comprehensive framework for mouse genomic studies.

The health of overseas-born Australians, 1994-1996.

Analysis of mortality, hospital separations and self-reported health indicators by country of birth group has confirmed that overseas-born populations are generally in better health than their Australian-born contemporaries. The better health of the overseas-born may be reflected in both the willingness and eligibility of individuals to emigrate. Overseas-born individuals were placed into one of four groups according to place of birth. These included the United Kingdom and Ireland, Other Europe, Asia and Other. All population groups reported lower mortality and hospitalisation rates for all causes of disease combined. The Asian-born population had the lowest mortality rates with 38% less mortality for males and 30% less for females. Hospitalisation rates were also lower for the Asian-born, with males and females having 46% and 37% fewer hospital separations compared to the Australian-born population. However, diabetes mortality was greater for males and females from Other Europe, Asia and Other regions. Both males and females from the United Kingdom and Ireland group showed increased mortality from lung cancer. Mortality and hospitalisation for cervical cancer was also significantly higher for Asian-born and Other females. The mortality and hospitalisation data corresponded well with self-reported prevalence of health-related risk factors. For example, self-reported diabetes prevalence was higher for the Other Europe, Asia and Other groups. Asian and Other females reported significantly less use of regular Pap smear tests, reflecting their increased mortality and hospitalisation for cervical cancer. These results support the finding of past studies that the health of migrants is generally better than that of the Australian-born population and reflects a 'healthy migrant' effect.

Disclosure patterns of sexual abuse and psychological functioning at a 1-year follow-up.

This study describes the disclosure processes of a sample of 68 sexually abused girls, with a focus on the manner in which abuse was revealed--on purpose, accidentally, or resulting from a precipitating event. This categorization is a more descriptive conceptualization of the disclosure process than has been proposed or assessed in previous studies. The circumstances surrounding disclosure are found to be related to long term psychological functioning. Children who disclosed accidentally were younger, experienced abuse for shorter durations, and received the most therapy. At follow-up, children who purposely disclosed had greater anxiety and greater difficulties coping. Discussion focuses on ways in which identifying and encouraging the least traumatic methods of disclosure would contribute to better outcomes for victims of sexual abuse.

Factors affecting utilization of treatment services by sexually abused girls.

This study describes the naturalistic therapy experiences of a sample of sexually abused girls and the relationship of these experiences to demographic factors, abuse experiences, psychopathology, and family functioning. The sample consisted of 81 sexually abused girls, aged 6 to 16, participating in a longitudinal study of the effects of sexual abuse. Results indicated strong effects for abuse experiences and child psychopathology on the total amount of therapy received. Patterns of treatment utilization were associated with ethnic minority status, but these differences are confounded by differing abuse experiences for racial groups in the sample. Other patterns of treatment utilization are discussed, as well as issues for further research and implications for treatment providers.