Developmental Instability and Individual Variation in Brain Development: Implications for the Origin of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

ABSTRACT— Research on the origin of neurodevelopmental disorders has traditionally been pursued within a constrained, disorder-specific perspective. The developmental instability (DI) model described here offers a broader approach based on the evolutionary genetics of normal variation, reflecting our understanding that the processes generating genetic diversity are not unique to any specific disorder. The DI model helps account for shared features, including atypical functional and anatomic asymmetries, reduced general intellectual functioning, and complex patterns of heritability, across different types of neural variation. The model suggests research strategies that may help illuminate the specific and unique causal factors characterizing different types of neural variation.     

对老年认知障碍中医药防治研究的思考和对策

中医学基础理论和临床实践范式的特殊性,使得中医学科学研究面临着困惑和困难。本文从“中医理法”的角度对中医药防治老年认知障碍研究工作进行了思考,提出应重视辨病论治和辨证论治相结合;重视预防研究;重视病因研究;重视体质研究;强调形神合一;跟踪现代医学研究的进展;重视科研方法学和技术的学习和应用,以进一步提高中医科学研究工作的水平。     

协作还是斗争——心理障碍治疗百年

长期以来,在心理障碍治疗领域存在着心理治疗师与精神科医生的相互斗争,从协作的角度对心理治疗百年史进行回顾,认为百年心理治疗史实际上是心理医生与临床医生相互斗争走向协作的历史。这一过程可大致区分为自发、附属、斗争到整合四大阶段。就长远来看,在心理障碍的治疗中,这两类专业人员的相互配合是不可避免的。     

African American Children’s Depressive Symptoms: The Prospective Effects of Neighborhood Disorder, Stressful Life Events, and Parenting

The prospective effects of observed neighborhood disorder, stressful life events, and parents’ engagement in inductive reasoning on adolescents’ depressive symptoms were examined using data collected from 777 African American families. Multilevel analyses revealed that stressful life events experienced at age 11 predicted depressive symptoms at age 13. Furthermore, a significant interaction between neighborhood disorder and parents’ engagement in inductive reasoning was found, indicating that parental use of inductive reasoning was a protective factor for depressive symptoms particularly for youths living in highly disordered neighborhoods. The importance of examining correlates of depressive symptoms from a contextual framework, focusing on individuals, families, and neighborhood contexts, is emphasized.     

Correlates of Depressive Disorders in the Quebec General Population 6 to 14 Years of Age

There are relatively few community-based epidemiological studies in which correlates of depressive disorders were identified through multivariate analyses in children and adolescents aged 6--14 years. Moreover, several family characteristics (e.g., parent-child relationship) have never been explored in this regard. The purpose of this study was twofold. Using data from the Quebec Child Mental Health Survey, it sought: (1) to identify psychosocial correlates associated with depressive disorder in two age-groups (6--11 and 12-14 years) according to informant (child/adolescent, parent); and (2) to interpret the relative importance of correlates by ranking variables according to strength and consistency of association across age-groups. Logistic regression models show correlates to be inconsistent across informants. The ranking of correlates indicates a major contribution of only-child status/ordinal position, parent's major depressive disorder, stressful family events, and parent-child relationship, thereby supporting the hypothesis of the relevance of family context in the development of depression.     

An experimental analysis of body checking

The relationship between repeated body checking and its impact on body size estimation and body dissatisfaction is of interest for two reasons. First, it has importance in theoretical accounts of the maintenance of eating disorders and, second, body checking is targeted in cognitive-behavioural treatment. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of manipulating body checking on body size estimation and body dissatisfaction. Sixty women were randomly assigned either to repeatedly scrutinize their bodies in a critical way in the mirror ("high body checking") or to refrain from body checking but to examine the whole of their bodies in a neutral way ("low body checking"). Body dissatisfaction, feelings of fatness and the strength of a particular self-critical thought increased immediately after the manipulation among those in the high body checking condition. Feelings of fatness decreased among those in the low body checking condition. These changes were short-lived. The manipulation did not effect estimations of body size or the discrepancy between estimations of body size and desired body size. The implications of these findings for understanding the influence of body checking on the maintenance of body dissatisfaction are considered.     

Forecasting friendship: How marital quality, maternal mood, and attachment security are linked to children's peer relationships

Mothers' perceptions of marital quality and depressed mood and children's attachment security and friendship quality were assessed in the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. One month after their birth and again when the children were 3 and 4 years old and in first and third grades, mothers rated the quality of their marital relationship; when the children were 2 years old, the Attachment Q-Set was used to assess the mother–child attachment relationship; the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale was used to measure the mother's depressed mood when the child was 2 years old and in third grade; and when children were in fourth grade, they were observed interacting with their best friend to assess friendship quality. Using a series of regression and path analyses, we determined whether and how marital quality, maternal mood, and attachment security predicted friendship quality. Better quality friendship interactions in fourth grade were significantly associated with better marital quality and greater attachment security. The association between marital quality and friendship quality was partially mediated by attachment security. Friendship quality was not related to maternal mood.     

Ethnic differences in BMI, weight concerns, and eating behaviors: comparison of Native American, White, and Hispanic adolescents

Evidence suggests that substantial proportions of adolescents, regardless of ethnicity or gender, are engaged in excessive weight control behaviors. Crago and Shisslak (2003), however, have noted that small samples and poorly validated instruments have limited the value of previous ethnic difference studies. Using the McKnight Risk Factor Survey, we compared Native American, White, and Hispanic adolescents. Native students were divided into groups with one (NA-mixed) or two (NA) Native American biological parents. Surveys were completed by 5th through 10th grade students. BMI z-scores were significantly higher for boys and girls in the NA group, and boys in this group were significantly more engaged in weight control behaviors, including purging. A higher percentage of Native and Hispanic girls preferred a larger body size. BMI was positively correlated with weight and shape concerns and with weight control behaviors, regardless of ethnicity or gender. Overweight among Native adolescents may put them at greater risk for eating problems than their White peers.     

心率变异性在心身疾病和情绪障碍研究中的应用

心率变异性的频谱成分可单独反映交感神经和副交感神经活动的影响。高频（HF）是由迷走神经单独介导；低频（LF）受迷走神经和交感神经共同调制，但主要反映交感神经的活动性 。此指标可对高血压、冠心病和月经前期烦躁等心身障碍进行评价。该文还探讨了它用于情绪研究的价值，并认为在不同情绪体验期间的自主神经活动有多种搭配模式，正常人与情绪障碍者之间以及情绪障碍（抑郁、焦虑、恐怖、强迫）患者在自主神经活动方面可能存在显著差别     

Coordination and movement pathology: models of structure and function

Here we consider the role of abstract models in advancing our understanding of movement pathology. Models of movement coordination and control provide the frameworks necessary for the design and interpretation of studies of acquired and developmental disorders. These models do not however provide the resolution necessary to reveal the nature of the functional impairments that characterise specific movement pathologies. In addition, they do not provide a mapping between the structural bases of various pathologies and the associated disorders of movement. Current and prospective approaches to the study and treatment of movement disorders are discussed. It is argued that the appreciation of structure–function relationships, to which these approaches give rise, represents a challenge to current models of interlimb coordination, and a stimulus for their continued development.