Low Persistence of Inattention Symptoms From Childhood to Adolescence: A Population-Based Study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the persistence of dimensional measures of inattention in a population-based, gender-balanced sample of adolescents with parent reports of inattention from childhood and self-reports of inattention in adolescence. METHOD: Adolescents, 16-19 years old, completed the Adult ADHD Self Report Scale. Their parents completed the Swanson, Nolan, and Pelham Rating Scale-4th Edition when they were 7-9 and 11-13 years old. RESULTS: More severe inattention in boys than girls in childhood shifted to a female predominance in adolescence. The correlation between reports of inattention in childhood and adolescence was weak, with parent reports explaining only ~5% of the variance in the inattention score reported in adolescence. CONCLUSION: The weak association between inattention in childhood and adolescence is consistent with the emerging challenges associated with being an adolescent, but the impact of shifts in informants, gender and age on symtpom presentations should be investigated in future studies.

Low heart rate variability is associated with a negativity valence bias in interpreting ambiguous emotional expressions.

Most people tend to overstate positive aspects of their experiences, that is, a positive valence bias. However, some people tend to have attenuated attention for negative aspects of perceived information, that is, negative valence bias. This dispositional tendency in either valence is especially significant for emotion regulation as it influences the intensity of later stages of emotional experiences. Heart rate variability (HRV) is used as an index of emotion regulation and for the effect dispositional valence bias has on social cognition. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether a positivity or negativity bias in processing ambiguous facial expressions would predict high or lower HRV, respectively, in a healthy sample. The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test was presented to a sample of 128 healthy participants (N = 86 women participants), and resting HRV was acquired. In multiple linear regression analyses, the mean accuracy scores for items with positive, negative, and neutral valences were included as predictors of HRV. As a follow-up analysis, we tested whether a general tendency to interpret negative stimulus as positive, that is, a positivity bias, predicted HRV. Higher accuracy on items with negative emotional valence predicted lower HRV. There was no association between accuracy scores on items of positive or neutral valence and HRV. Higher positivity bias predicted higher HRV. The present findings suggest that a dispositional valence bias relates to levels of HRV and, as such, is influenced by the functioning of the vagal system. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy improves insomnia symptoms in individuals with recurrent depression: secondary analyses from a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Embedded within a randomized efficacy trial, the present study aimed to investigate whether mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) for recurrent depression improved symptoms of insomnia. Methods: Sixty-eight remitted participants with at least three prior episodes of depression were randomized to 8 weeks of MBCT (n = 33) or a waitlist control condition (n = 35). The Bergen Insomnia Scale was used to screen for insomnia symptoms before and after the intervention. The analyses were conducted using one-way between-groups analyses of covariance. Results: Twenty-five MBCT participants and 30 waitlist controls completed the study (74.5% females; mean age 40.7 ± 12.9 years). At baseline, 83.6% screened positive for the insomnia diagnosis. Following the intervention and after controlling for corresponding insomnia parameters at baseline, MBCT completers reported significantly less severe insomnia symptoms (p = 0.017), as well as less problems with prolonged sleep onset (p = 0.047) and nocturnal awakenings (p = 0.023), relative to controls. No group differences were found on early morning awakening, daytime impairment, or dissatisfaction with sleep. Conclusion: The results suggest that MBCT improves certain insomnia symptoms. However, additional sleep-specific interventions may be needed to further improve this population's sleep.Clinical Trial Registration: ISRCTN, ISRCTN18001392, registered 22/11/2018. URL: 10.1186/ISRCTN18001392.

Goal management training improves executive control in adults with ADHD: an open trial employing attention network theory to examine effects on attention.

BACKGROUND: Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) typically experience poorer attentional control. According to the attention network theory, attentional control relies on three interacting networks of alerting, orienting, and executive control. In ADHD, it is mainly the alerting and executive control networks that are suggested and found to be compromised. METHODS: In the current study, we investigated if a group-based metacognitive remediation program (Goal Management Training [GMT]) in adults with ADHD would enhance attentional control using an experimental measure of the attention network theory. We expected that GMT would specifically enhance the executive control and alerting networks. RESULTS: Data from post- and follow up-assessments of 21 adults (age: 39.05 [11.93]) with ADHD who had completed GMT were included. Linear mixed-effects modeling revealed significant improvements in the functioning of the executive control network for the majority of the participants, although a small subset of participants showed a negative development following the intervention. Results also showed an improvement in the orienting network at follow up, but no change in the alerting network. CONCLUSION: The results may indicate that improvements in the functioning of the executive control network are central to the positive effects of GMT reported in disorders characterized by impaired attentional control. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was retrospectively registered in the ISRCTN (Identifier: ISRCTN91988877) on the 18/01/2021.

Vagally mediated heart rate variability, stress, and perceived social support: a focus on sex differences.

Higher vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), reflecting vagal activity as indexed by heart function and lower stress vulnerability, is associated with higher perceived social support. Seeking social support is an adaptive stress response, and evolutionary theories suggest that females use this strategy more than males. The current study investigated the hypothesis that higher vmHRV is related to higher perceived social support under conditions of higher, relative to lower, stress, and that this association is most prominent in females. A healthy student sample (n = 143; 82 males, 61 females; mean age 19.9) completed the short version of the Medical outcomes study social support survey (MOS) and the Perceived stress scale (PSS). Activity in the high frequency band of heart rate variability (HF-HRV), deducted from five-minute resting electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings, indexed vmHRV. A moderation analysis was conducted, with PSS and sex as moderators of the association between vmHRV and MOS. Statistical effects were adjusted for age, education, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), alcohol and drug use, ECG-derived respiration (EDR), and mean heart rate. Higher PSS scores moderated the association between vmHRV and MOS in females but not males. Lower PSS scores did not moderate the relation between vmHRV and MOS. This suggests that higher vmHRV is associated with higher perceived social support under conditions of higher stress in females but not males, consistent with evolution of different stress management strategies in the sexes. The results may have implications for individualized intervention strategies for increasing vmHRV and perceived social support.

Self-Compassion and Its Association With Ruminative Tendencies and Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability in Recurrent Major Depression.

Background: Recurrent Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is one of the most disabling mental disorders in modern society. Prior research has shown that self-compassion protects against ruminative tendencies, a key feature of recurrent MDD. In addition, self-compassion has been found to be positively related to higher psychophysiological flexibility (indexed by a higher vagally mediated heart rate variability; vmHRV) in young, healthy adults. To our knowledge, there is a lack of studies on how self-compassion relates to vmHRV in patients with recurrent MDD. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether higher self-compassion would associate with (1) lower ruminative tendencies and (2) higher vmHRV in a sample of adults with recurrent MDD. Methods: We included a sample of 63 patients (46 females) between 20 and 71 years old (M = 40.24, SD = 12.8) with a history of three or more depressive episodes. They filled out the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Rumination Rating Scale (RRS). ECG (used to derive vmHRV) was acquired while resting and the square root of the mean squared differences of successive RR interval values (RMSSD) was calculated as measure of vmHRV. Results: As hypothesized, self-compassion was associated with lower ruminative tendencies. However, self-compassion was not associated with level of vmHRV. Several confounding variables were controlled for in the statistical analyses, and higher age predicted lower vmHRV across all statistical analyses. Conclusion: The results confirmed our hypothesis that higher self-compassion would be associated with lower ruminative tendencies in recurrent MDD. Contrary to our expectation, we did not find that the tendency to be more self-compassionate was associated with higher vmHRV. As such, higher self-compassion seems to relate with a lower tendency to ruminate about past mistakes and events but does not seem to relate to a flexible autonomic stress response (as indexed by higher vmHRV). Other potential explanatory factors for lower vmHRV in recurrent MDD is suggested as focus for exploration in future studies.

Innovative approaches in investigating inter-beat intervals: Graph theoretical method suggests altered autonomic functioning in adolescents with ADHD.

Cardiac inter-beat intervals (IBIs) are considered to reflect autonomic functioning and self-regulatory abilities and are often investigated by traditional time- and frequency domain analyses. These analyses investigate IBI fluctuations across relatively long time series. The similarity graph algorithm is a nonlinear method that analyzes segments of IBI time series (i.e., time windows)-possibly being more sensitive to transient and spontaneous IBI fluctuations. We hypothesized that the similarity graph algorithm would detect differences between Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and control groups. Resting electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings were collected in 10-18-year-olds with ADHD (n = 37) and controls (n = 36). IBIs were converted to graphs that were subsequently investigated for similarity. We varied the criterion for defining IBIs as similar, assessing which setting best distinguished ADHD and control groups. Using this setting, we applied the similarity graph algorithm to time windows of 2-5, 6-13 and 12-25 s, respectively. We also performed traditional IBI analyses. Independent samples t tests assessed group differences. Results showed that a 1.5% criterion of similarity and a time window of 2-5 s best distinguished adolescents with ADHD and controls. The similarity graph algorithm showed a higher number of edges, maximum edges and cliques, and lower edges10+10/edges2+2 in the ADHD group compared to controls. The results suggested more similar IBIs in the ADHD group compared to the controls, possibly due to altered vagal activity and less effective regulation of heart rate. Traditional analyses did not detect any group differences. Consequently, the similarity graph algorithm might complement traditional IBI analyses as a marker of psychopathology.

An Exploratory Investigation of Goal Management Training in Adults With ADHD: Improvements in Inhibition and Everyday Functioning.

Background: Adults with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are predominantly treated with medication. However, there is also a need for effective, psychologically based interventions. As ADHD is strongly associated with reduced inhibitory control, cognitive remediation approaches should be efficient. Goal management training (GMT) aims at enhancing inhibitory control and has shown positive effects on inhibitory control in non-ADHD patient groups. The aim of the current study was to explore whether GMT would specifically enhance inhibitory control in adults with ADHD, and if such an enhancement would lead to secondary improvements in self-reported everyday functioning. Methods: Twenty-one participants with ADHD (mean age: 39.05 years [SD 11.93]) completed the intervention and assessments pre-, post- and 6 months after the intervention. Measures included neuropsychological tests and self-report questionnaires pertaining to cognitive- and executive functioning, emotion regulation, quality of life, and ADHD symptoms. Results: Compared to baseline, the participants showed enhanced inhibitory control on performance-based measures at post-assessment and 6-month follow-up. The participants also reported increased productivity and reduced cognitive difficulties in everyday life at both assessments post-treatment, as well as improvements in aspects of emotion regulation and a reduction in the severity of core ADHD-symptoms at 6-month follow-up. Conclusion: Our exploratory study showed that GMT seems to specifically improve one of the core executive dysfunctions in ADHD, namely inhibitory control, with a positive effect lasting at least 6 months post-treatment. The adults with ADHD also reported improved self-regulation in their everyday life after completing GMT, providing strong arguments for further investigations of GMT as a treatment option for this group of adults. Clinical Trial Registration: The study is registered under ISRCTN.com (ISRCTN91988877; https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN91988877).

Goal management training for adults with ADHD - clients' experiences with a group-based intervention.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence for the efficacy of group-based interventions for adults with ADHD. However, there is still a lack of research investigating how clients experience participating in such interventions. The aim of the current study was to explore how adults with ADHD experience participating in a group-based intervention (Goal Management Training) for ADHD. METHOD: We conducted individual, semi-structured, interviews with ten adults with ADHD who had participated in Goal Management Training administered as a group intervention. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using thematic analysis within a hermeneutic phenomenological framework. RESULTS: Our analysis identified three main themes. The participants' starting point captured the participants' motivation and expectations prior to treatment. The ambiguity of the group - the various meanings of the group consisted of three sub-themes (The group created a sense of belonging - "I am not alone"; The personal cost of participating in the group - "At times it was a hot mess"; and The group supported the learning experience - "We worked with it together"). The group promoted positive change - How the group affected the participants' everyday lives consisted of two sub-themes (Managing ADHD in daily life - "It's much easier to handle everyday life", and Personal growth - "Gaining new perspectives"). CONCLUSION: The group format was experienced as a valuable aspect of treatment. The structure provided by Goal Management Training allowed participants to expand their perspectives and experience improved management of ADHD, as well as personal growth. The opportunity to exchange experiences with others in similar situations was seen as particularly beneficial and brought feelings of recognition and belonging. However, some also experienced the group as a burden at times, for instance by stealing one's focus. This study expands existing knowledge by exploring clients' experiences of participating in group-based interventions for ADHD and shows how the group format provided participants with more than they had hoped for. While expecting a more instrumental outcome of treatment, such as tools to manage ADHD, participants also gained a welcomed, but unexpected outcome of personal growth.

The effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on risk and protective factors of depressive relapse - a randomized wait-list controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this randomized wait-list controlled trial was to explore the effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on risk and protective factors for depressive relapse within the domains of cognition, emotion and self-relatedness. METHODS: Sixty-eight individuals with recurrent depressive disorder were randomized to MBCT or a wait-list control condition (WLC). RESULTS: Completers of MBCT (N = 26) improved significantly on measures assessing risk and protective factors of recurrent depression compared to WLC (N = 30) on measures of rumination (d = 0.59, p = .015), emotion regulation (d = 0.50, p = .028), emotional reactivity to stress (d = 0.32, p = .048), self-compassion (d = 1.02, p < .001), mindfulness (d = 0.59, p = .010), and depression (d = 0.40, p = .018). In the Intention To Treat sample, findings were attenuated, but there were still significant results on measures of rumination, self-compassion and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from the present trial contribute to evidence that MBCT can lead to reduction in risk factors of depressive relapse, and strengthening of factors known to be protective of depressive relapse. The largest changes were found in the domain of self-relatedness, in the form of large effects on the participants' ability to be less self-judgmental and more self-compassionate. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN, ISRCTN18001392. Registered 29 June 2018.

Lower Cardiac Vagal Activity Predicts Self-Reported Difficulties With Emotion Regulation in Adolescents With ADHD.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between cardiac vagal activity (CVA), a measure of autonomic nervous system (ANS) flexibility, and self-reported emotion regulation (ER) difficulties in adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and controls. METHODS: The sample comprised 11-17-year-old adolescents with ADHD (n=34) and controls (n = 33). Multiple linear regression analyses investigated the relation between CVA, as indexed by high frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV), and ER difficulties as assessed by the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Supplemental analyses were performed in ADHD and control groups separately. Analyses assessed effects of body mass index (BMI), physical activity levels, and HF peak as a surrogate of respiration on CVA. RESULTS: Lower CVA was associated with ER difficulties, and specifically with limited access to effective ER strategies. When investigating the relation between CVA and ER in the ADHD and control groups separately, there was a tendency of lower CVA predicting limited access to effective ER strategies in the ADHD group, and not in the control group. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that lower CVA, i.e., reduced ANS flexibility, in adolescents with ADHD and controls is associated with self-reported ER difficulties, and specifically with limited access to effective ER strategies. There was a tendency for lower CVA to predict limited ER strategies only in the adolescents with ADHD and not controls.

Is Dispositional Self-Compassion Associated With Psychophysiological Flexibility Beyond Mindfulness? An Exploratory Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Dispositional mindfulness and self-compassion are shown to associate with less self-reported emotional distress. However, previous studies have indicated that dispositional self-compassion may be an even more important buffer against such distress than dispositional mindfulness. To our knowledge, no study has yet disentangled the relationship between dispositional self-compassion and mindfulness and level of psychophysiological flexibility as measured with vagally mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV). The aim was thus to provide a first exploratory effort to expand previous research relying on self-report measures by including a psychophysiological measure indicative of emotional stress reactivity. METHODS: Fifty-three university students filled out the "Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire" (FFMQ) and the "Self-Compassion Scale" (SCS), and their heart rate was measured during a 5 min resting electrocardiogram. Linear hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to examine the common and unique variance explained by the total scores of the FFMQ and the SCS on level of resting vmHRV. RESULTS: Higher SCS total scores associated significantly with higher levels of vmHRV also when controlling for the FFMQ total scores. The SCS uniquely explained 7% of the vmHRV. The FFMQ total scores did not associate with level of vmHRV. CONCLUSION: These results offer preliminary support that dispositional self-compassion associates with better psychophysiological regulation of emotional arousal above and beyond mindfulness.

The Association Between Juvenile Onset of Depression and Emotion Regulation Difficulties.

Juvenile onset of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with increased likelihood of recurrent episodes of depression and more detrimental clinical trajectories. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effect of juvenile onset of MDD on emotion regulation as measured by self-report and Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Furthermore, we wanted to assess whether juvenile onset impacted the association between rumination and depressive symptoms. Sixty-four individuals with at least three prior episodes of MDD were recruited and filled out self-report questionnaires measuring rumination and emotion regulation abilities. In addition, electrocardiographic assessments were used to calculate HRV. Based on self-reported age of MDD onset, individuals were divided in two groups: Juvenile onset of MDD (first MDD episode before the age of 18, n = 30) and adult onset of MDD (first MDD episode after the age of 18, n = 34). Results showed that individuals whose first depressive episode occurred in childhood and adolescence reported more rumination and less emotional clarity compared to individuals who had their first episode of MDD in adulthood. Moreover, the tendency to ruminate was strongly associated with depressive symptoms in the juvenile onset of MDD group, whereas no such association was found in the adult onset group. There was no significant group difference for HRV. The findings are discussed in light of existing literature, in addition to suggesting how our findings may inform clinical practice and future research. We conclude that juvenile onset of MDD may lead to difficulties in emotion regulation and that these difficulties may increase depressive symptoms and vulnerability for relapse in this particular subgroup.

Occupational Status Is Compromised in Adults With ADHD and Psychometrically Defined Executive Function Deficits.

OBJECTIVE: Problems related to executive function (EF) are frequently reported in adults with ADHD. However, only a subgroup of patients show deficits on common neuropsychological tests designed to measure EF. We investigated whether this subgroup also had higher levels of functional impairments, including unemployment, than the ADHD group without such deficits. METHOD: We defined executive function deficit (EFD) from selected tests from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) and assessed ADHD symptoms and psychiatric comorbidity with the use of questionnaires in 79 ADHD patients and 77 controls (IQ above 80 in both groups). RESULTS: In the ADHD group, 24.3% had EFD. This subgroup showed significantly higher frequency of unemployment, more reading and writing problems, lower IQ scores, and more self-reported ADHD symptoms in childhood than the ADHD subgroup without EFD. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that it may be possible to identify individuals at risk of functional impairments, and emphasizes the importance of effective treatment programs targeting EF.

Verbal Memory Function in Intellectually Well-Functioning Adults With ADHD: Relations to Working Memory and Response Inhibition.

Objective: To investigate verbal memory function with relation to working memory (WM) and response inhibition (RI) in adults with ADHD. Method: Verbal memory function was assessed by the California Verbal Learning Test-Second Edition (CVLT-II), WM by the Paced Serial Addition Test, and RI by the Color-Word Interference Test from Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System in a sample of adults with normal to high intellectual function (IQ). Results: The ADHD group (n = 74) obtained lower scores than controls on measures of learning, recall, and immediate memory (CVLT-II). WM and RI explained a substantial part of verbal memory performance in both groups. A group to executive function (EF) interaction effect was identified for the total number of intrusions and false positive responses on the CVLT-II recognition trial. Conclusion: Verbal memory performance only partially overlaps with EF in intellectually well-functioning adults with ADHD. Both EF and verbal memory function should be assessed as part of a neuropsychological evaluation of adults with ADHD. (J. of Att. Dis. XXXX; XX(X) XX-XX).

Dispositional Mindfulness and Attentional Control: The Specific Association Between the Mindfulness Facets of Non-judgment and Describing With Flexibility of Early Operating Orienting in Conflict Detection.

Background: A state of mindfulness refers to a present-centered attentional awareness without judging. Being mindful seems to increase the ability to be flexible and adaptive in attention focus according to situational contingencies. The way mindfulness affects such attentional control is often measured with three different but interacting attentional networks of alerting (preparedness), orienting (selection of stimulus), and conflict detection (suppression of irrelevant stimuli). In the current study, the aim was to study the effects of dispositional mindfulness on these attention networks, and specifically the effects on the interactions between these attention networks. Methods: Fifty participants between 19 and 29 years old filled out the questionnaire Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire (FFMQ) and performed the revised version of the Attention Network Test (ANT-R). The five FFMQ facets of Describing, Non-Judgment, Orienting, Non-Reactivity, and Acting with Awareness were included as predictors in multiple linear regression analyses with the ANT-R scores of alerting, orienting, conflict detection, and the interaction scores of alerting by conflict detection and orienting by conflict detection as outcome variables, respectively. Results: Higher dispositional mindfulness as measured with the five FFMQ facets predicted interaction scores (faster reaction times) of orienting by conflict detection, but none of the other ANT-R scores. It was specifically the FFMQ facets of Describing and non-judgment that predicted this lower interaction score of orienting by conflict detection. Conclusion: Our findings indicate that being mindful is associated with a more flexible and efficient orienting attention. It is associated with a higher ability to disengage from salient stimuli that is irrelevant to pursue goal-directed behavior (conflict detection).

Keeping Emotions in Mind: The Influence of Working Memory Capacity on Parent-Reported Symptoms of Emotional Lability in a Sample of Children With and Without ADHD.

Emotional lability (EL) often co-occurs with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. However, difficulties of regulating intense emotions in ADHD are still poorly understood. We investigated the potential role of working memory (WM) as a protective factor against EL in children with ADHD by building on models describing the close relationship between WM and regulation of emotions. The parents of 41 children with ADHD and 34 typically developing children (TDC) filled out the emotional control scale (ECS) from the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning and the child behavior checklist (CBCL). The children themselves completed the backward conditions of the digit span (DS) and spatial span (SS) tasks as well as the letter-umber sequencing (LNS) task. The results of a stepwise regression analysis confirmed the negative relationship between parent reported EL measured using the ECS and scores on the LNS, when controlling for symptoms of ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD). WM thus seems to be important for the ability of the children to express emotions in an adaptive and flexible way. We therefore suggest that a poorer WM capacity, which is often found in children with ADHD, may be a predictor of high levels of EL.

Development of Performance and ERPs in a Flanker Task in Children and Adolescents with Tourette Syndrome-A Follow-Up Study.

Background: Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder with childhood-onset, with a typical decline in tic severity, as well as an increasing ability to suppress tics in late childhood and adolescence. These processes develop in parallel with general improvement of self-regulatory abilities, and performance monitoring during this age-span. Hence, changes in performance monitoring over time might provide insight into the regulation of tics in children and adolescents with TS. Method: We measured reaction time, reaction time variability, accuracy, and event-related potentials (ERP) in 17 children with TS, including 10 children with comorbid Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), 24 children with ADHD, and 29 typically developing children, using a modified Eriksen Flanker task in two testing sessions administered on average 4.5 years apart. We then compared task performance, as well as ERP components across groups, and over time using regression models. Results: Task performance improved in all groups with age, and behavioral differences between children with TS and controls diminished at second assessment, while differences between controls and children with ADHD largely persisted. In terms of ERP, the early P3 developed earlier in children with TS compared with controls at the first assessment, but trajectories converged with maturation. ERP component amplitudes correlated with worst-ever tic scores. Conclusions: Merging trajectories between children with TS and controls are consistent with the development of compensatory self-regulation mechanisms during early adolescence, probably facilitating tic suppression, in contrast to children with ADHD. Correlations between ERP amplitudes and tic scores also support this notion.

The Association between Self-Reported Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Heart Rate Variability: The Salient Role of Not Accepting Negative Emotions.

Difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with development and maintenance of psychopathology. Typically, features of emotion regulation are assessed with self-report questionnaires. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an objective measure proposed as an index of emotional regulation capacity. A limited number of studies have shown that self-reported difficulties in emotion regulation are associated with HRV. However, results from prior studies are inconclusive, and an ecological validation of the association has not yet been tested. Therefore, further exploration of the relation between self-report questionnaires and psychophysiological measures of emotional regulation is needed. The present study investigated the contribution of self-reported emotion regulation difficulties on HRV in a student sample. We expected higher scores on emotion regulation difficulties to be associated with lower vagus-mediated HRV (vmHRV). Sixty-three participants filled out the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale and their resting HRV was assessed. In addition, a subsample of participants provided ambulatory 24-h HRV data, in order to ecologically validate the resting data. Correlation analyses indicated that self-reported difficulties in emotion regulation was negatively associated with vmHRV in both resting HRV and 24-h HRV. Specifically, when exploring the contribution of the different facets of emotion dysregulation, the inability to accept negative emotions showed the strongest association with HRV. The results are discussed and need for future research is described.

Suboptimal decision making by children with ADHD in the face of risk: Poor risk adjustment and delay aversion rather than general proneness to taking risks.

OBJECTIVE: Suboptimal decision making in the face of risk (DMR) in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be mediated by deficits in a number of different neuropsychological processes. We investigated DMR in children with ADHD using the Cambridge Gambling Task (CGT) to distinguish difficulties in adjusting to changing probabilities of choice outcomes (so-called risk adjustment) from general risk proneness, and to distinguish these 2 processes from delay aversion (the tendency to choose the least delayed option) and impairments in the ability to reflect on choice options. Based on previous research, we predicted that suboptimal performance on this task in children with ADHD would be primarily relate to problems with risk adjustment and delay aversion rather than general risk proneness. METHOD: Drug naïve children with ADHD (n = 36), 8 to 12 years, and an age-matched group of typically developing children (n = 34) performed the CGT. RESULTS: As predicted, children with ADHD were not more prone to making risky choices (i.e., risk proneness). However, they had difficulty adjusting to changing risk levels and were more delay aversive-with these 2 effects being correlated. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings add to the growing body of evidence that children with ADHD do not favor risk taking per se when performing gambling tasks, but rather may lack the cognitive skills or motivational style to appraise changing patterns of risk effectively. (PsycINFO Database Record