Further evidence World Trade Center responders are at risk for dementia

July 28, 2020

Science Daily/Stony Brook University

Two studies led by Stony Brook University researchers to be presented virtually at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on July 28, 2020, indicate that World Trade Center (WTC) first responders are at risk for developing dementia. The studies included individuals with signs of cognitive impairment (CI) who show neuroradiological abnormalities and changes in their blood similar to that seen in Alzheimer's disease patients and those with related dementias.

One study in Alzheimer's and Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment and Disease Monitoring (DADM) shows that many responders with CI have reduced gray matter thickness in the brain consistent with neurodegenerative conditions and evidence their brain "age" is about 10 years older on average than the normal population. This research is in collaboration with scientists at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

The other study, to be published in Translational Psychiatry, reveals some responders with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and mild CI possess protein changes in their blood consistent with Alzheimer's.

"The environmental exposures and psychological pressures experienced by responders during 911 and its aftermath has had an insidious effect on their health and well-being," says Benjamin Luft, MD, Director of the Stony Brook WTC Health and Wellness Program. "Now nearly 20 years post-911, clinicians who care for these individuals are seeing more patients who are showing signs of cognitive disorders and possible dementia. Findings from our new studies provide data for the first time that support the idea that this population of patients who have cognitive impairment not only have psychological problems such as PTSD but may be at high-risk for neurodegenerative disorders, a possibility that needs immediate and continued investigation."

One study is the first to use MRI imaging to assess the brain matter of WTC responder patients with and without symptoms of CI. The goal of this study is to determine if WTC responders in their midlife have developed CI due to changes in their brain possibly caused by neurotoxins they were exposed to at Ground Zero. The age range of patients was 45 to 65 years, an age range where cortical atrophy is rare in the normal population.

Researchers measured the brain cortex, the area responsible for cognition. Cortical thickness is a consistent measure of brain atrophy commonly used in studies of patients with Alzheimer's and related dementias. Imaging revealed areas of the cortex are atrophied in many WTC patients with cognitive impairment, compared to control subjects.

"While there are many reasons for cognitive decline because of brain changes, the loss of gray matter in the brain is one of the most concerning and can be measured by cortical thickness," explains Sean Clouston, PhD, lead author and Associate Professor of Family, Population and Preventive Medicine and in the Program in Public Health. "We found a direct correlation between those suffering from cognitive impairment and cortical thickness, indicating a reduction in gray matter of the brain at levels consistent with neurodegenerative disease."

The overall amount of cortical atrophy in responders with CI was significantly more than responders who did not have CI symptoms, as well as to the general population based on normative data.

According to the authors, the MRI imaging revealed that cortical thickness was significantly reduced in 23 out of 34 cortical regions among those with CI. These included the frontal, temporal and occipital lobes. When compared to published data, both responders with CI and those without CI showed significant reductions in cortical thickness in seven regions in or near the temporal lobe potentially indicative of a population-level effect.

Dr. Clouston said that the level of reduction in the cortical thickness in many responders is similar to that in patients with dementia and is "a possible indicator of early stage dementia with possible early onset dementia likely to occur for a portion of these individuals at midlife."

However, he explains that these patients need to be studied longitudinally to determine whether these changes progress over time. Additional imaging and other related brain research is also necessary to determine the cause or causes of brain atrophy in WTC responders.

The second study describes an analysis of 276 proteins in the blood in 181 WTC male responders in midlife -- their average age 55 years.

Each of the identified proteins are instrumental to a range of processes indicative of neurological diseases, cellular regulation, immunology, cardiovascular, inflammatory, developmental and metabolism functions.

Given that PTSD and mild CI are common to 911 responders -- which affect their cognitive and memory processes -- individuals with these conditions were studied.

By using a sophisticated process that identifies dysregulation of proteins among the 276 identified for the study, the researchers found that WTC responders with mild CI also had proteinopathy, or problematic changes in the proteome, consistent with Alzheimer's and related diseases as well as other neuropsychiatric conditions.

"We believe that neuro-inflammation is a possible mechanism in which responders with PTSD appear to be at a higher risk of developing mild cognitive impairment," said Dr. Luft, senior author. "We hope our unique analysis of proteins associated with cognitive impairment-related diseases in this population is an additional way to identify their risk based on changes in their body likely due from their exposures."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200728113554.htm

The most important task for a PTSD service dog for veterans is disrupting anxiety

July 22, 2020

Science Daily/Purdue University

Science has shown that service dogs can benefit some veterans with PTSD. But the exact role service dogs play in the day-to-day lives of veterans -- and the helpfulness of the tasks they perform -- is less known.

A recent study led by Purdue University's College of Veterinary Medicine shows what trained tasks service dogs perform the most often and which ones are the most helpful to veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. The study found that the task of disrupting episodes of anxiety ranked among the most important and most often used.

"There has been some debate on what kind of training PTSD service dogs need to be effective and how their assistance may be different than what a pet dog can provide," said Kerri Rodriguez, a human-animal interaction graduate student and a lead author on the study. "This study suggests that veterans are, in fact, using and benefiting from the specific trained tasks, which sets these dogs apart from pet dogs or emotional support dogs."

Rodriguez led the work with Maggie O'Haire, associate professor of human-animal interaction. Their research was published in Frontiers in Psychology. The study was done in conjunction with K9s For Warriors, with support and funding from Merrick Pet Care, and is in preparation for an ongoing large-scale clinical trial that is studying veterans with and without service dogs over an extended period of time.

The study found that, on average, the dog's training to both alert the veteran to any increasing anxiety and providing physical contact during anxiety episodes were reported to be the most important and the most often used in a typical day. Veterans with a service dog also rated all of the service dog's trained tasks as being "moderately" to "quite a bit" important for their PTSD.

Some trained tasks include picking up on cues veterans display when experiencing distress or anxiety and consequently nudging, pawing or licking them to encourage the veteran to focus on the dog. The service dogs also are trained to notice when veterans are experiencing anxiety at night and will actively wake up the person from nightmares.

The dogs also are trained to perform tasks in public -- such as looking the opposite way in a crowded room or store to provide a sense of security for the veteran.

The study also found that trained service dog tasks were used on average 3.16 times per day, with individual tasks ranging from an average of 1.36 to 5.05 times per day.

Previous research led by Rodriguez showed that the bond between a service dog and the veteran was a significant factor in the importance of untrained behaviors. Although all trained tasks were reported to be important for veterans' PTSD, those with a service dog actually rated the importance of untrained behaviors higher than the importance of trained tasks. This suggests that there are some therapeutic aspects of the service dog's companionship that are helping just as much, if not more, than the dog's trained tasks, Rodriguez said. "These service dogs offer valuable companionship, provide joy and happiness, and add structure and routine to veterans' lives that are likely very important for veterans' PTSD."

The study surveyed 216 veterans from K9s For Warriors, including 134 with a service dog and 82 on the waitlist. The study complements a previous publication published last year that focused specifically on the service dogs' training, behavior and the human-animal bond.

While service dogs were reported to help a number of specific PTSD symptoms such as having nightmares, experiencing flashbacks, or being hyperaware in public, there were some symptoms that service dogs did not help, such as amnesia and risk-taking.

"Both this research, as well as other related studies on PTSD service dogs, suggest that service dogs are not a standalone cure for PTSD," O'Haire said. "Rather, there appear to be specific areas of veterans' lives that a PTSD service dog can help as a complementary intervention to other evidence-based treatments for PTSD."

Veterans on the waitlist to receive a service dog expected the service dog's trained tasks to be more important for their PTSD and used more frequently on a daily basis than what was reported by veterans who already had a service dog.

"Veterans on the waitlist may have higher expectations for a future PTSD service dog because of feelings of hope and excitement, which may not necessarily be a bad thing," Rodriguez said. "However, it is important for mental health professionals to encourage realistic expectations to veterans who are considering getting a PTSD service dog of their own."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200722142116.htm

Front-line physicians stressed and anxious at work and home

New study reports moderate to severe stress levels in ER doctors during the frenetic early phase of COVID-19 pandemic

July 21, 2020

Science Daily/University of California - San Francisco

Amid the COVID-19 chaos in many hospitals, emergency medicine physicians in seven cities around the country experienced rising levels of anxiety and emotional exhaustion, regardless of the intensity of the local surge, according to a new analysis led by UC San Francisco.

In the first known study to assess stress levels of U.S. physicians during the coronavirus pandemic, doctors reported moderate to severe levels of anxiety at both work and home, including worry about exposing relatives and friends to the virus. Among the 426 emergency physicians surveyed, most reported changes in behavior toward family and friends, especially decreased signs of affection.

"Occupational exposure has changed the vast majority of physicians' behavior at both work and home," said lead author Robert M. Rodriguez, MD, a professor of Emergency Medicine at UCSF. "At home, doctors are worried about exposing family members or roommates, possibly needing to self-quarantine, and the effects of excess social isolation because of their work on the front line."

The results, which appear July 21, 2020, in Academic Emergency Medicine, found slight differences between men and women, with women reporting higher stress. Among male physicians, the median reported effect of the pandemic on both work and home stress levels was 5 on a scale of 1 to 7 (1=not at all, 4=somewhat, and 7=extremely). For women, the median was 6 in both areas. Both men and women also reported that levels of emotional exhaustion or burnout increased from a pre-pandemic median of 3 to a median of 4 after the pandemic started.

Lack of PPE was associated with the highest level of concern and was also the measure most often cited that would provide greatest relief. The doctors also voiced anxiety about inadequate rapid diagnostic testing, the risk of community spread by discharged patients, and the well-being of coworkers diagnosed with COVID-19.

But the survey also showed clear-cut ways of mitigating anxiety:

• Improve access to PPE;

• Increase availability of rapid turnaround testing;

• Clearly communicate COVID-19 protocol changes;

• Assure access to self-testing and personal leave for front line providers.

The responses came from faculty (55 percent), fellows (4.5 percent), and residents (about 39 percent), with a median age of 35. Most physicians lived with a partner (72 percent), while some lived alone (nearly 15 percent) or with roommates (11 percent). Nearly 39 percent had a child under age 18.

The study involved healthcare providers at seven academic emergency departments and affiliated institutions in California, Louisiana and New Jersey. Researchers noted that the majority of study sites were in California, which at the time of the survey had not yet experienced the large surges of patients seen in other areas of the country. But the study found that median levels of anxiety in the California sites were similar to those in the New Orleans and Camden sites, which were experiencing surges at the time.

"This suggests that the impact of COVID-19 on anxiety levels is pervasive and that measures to mitigate stress should be enacted universally," Rodriguez said. "Some of our findings may be intuitive, but this research provides a critical early template for the design and implementation of interventions that will address the mental health needs of emergency physicians in the COVID-19 pandemic era."

The study is longitudinal, with this first phase focused on the early "acceleration" phase of the pandemic. Subsequent studies will address stressors that have arisen throughout the course of the pandemic, including childcare and homeschooling demands, the economic impact of fewer patients overall in the ER, and possible development of long-term post-traumatic stress.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200721084205.htm

High school athletes require longer recovery following concussions

Epidemiologic findings from a high school population

July 21, 2020

Science Daily/Henry Ford Health System

High school athletes sustaining a concussion require careful attention when determining return-to-sport (RTS) readiness. The purpose of this study was to determine epidemiological and RTS data of a large cohort of high school athletes who sustained one or more concussions. Young athletes are typically sidelined for at least one month after suffering a concussion, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study that provides new perspective on concussions and brain injuries.

The study's results were published ahead of the Michigan High School Athletic Association's recent announcement that the fall high school sports season will begin as traditionally scheduled, with football practices starting on Aug. 10.

The findings published by Orthopedics, a nationally recognized, peer-reviewed journal for orthopedic surgeons, are from a study conducted between September 2013 and December 2016. The study focused on 357 high school adolescents who sustained one or more concussions by analyzing historical data and then comparing it to more recent findings tied to an increase in reported concussions among young athletes.

The average age of the study's patients was 15-and-a-half years with nearly 62% being males, the most common sport participated in by these athletes was football, followed by hockey and then soccer. From the study's participants, 14 % reported suffering from amnesia and 33 % reported a history of concussions. Results of the study include:

• Athletes with only one concussion required just over 30 days of recovery prior to returning to sport (RTS) while others who reported a second or more concussions required more time.

• The most common sport of injury was football (27.7%). There was a high incidence of previous concussion (33.1%), and 32 athletes sustained a recurrent concussion.

• Visual motor speed and reaction time scores decreased with recurrent concussions.

• Male and female athletes with a previous history of concussion, and those with delayed diagnosis, required increased time to RTS.

The research team also found that athletes who have suffered concussions have a higher incidence of non-contact lower extremity injuries due to balance issues after concussions which may have implications on the performance, safety and well-being of athletes. These findings will be the focus of the next study also led by Toufic Jildeh, M.D., administrative chief resident in Orthopaedic Surgery at Henry Ford Hospital.

One of the earliest studies on concussion data came from the NFL's mild traumatic brain injury committee and was published in the journal Neurosurgery in January 2004. Based on data collected between 1996 and 2001, researchers found that NFL players were sidelined for six or fewer days after a concussion.

A related 2019 study also led by Dr. Jildeh and published in American Journal of Sports Medicine showed a similar trend with NFL players being sidelined much longer.

"Historically, the literature reported a concussion prevalence of 4-5%, however recent studies have found that nearly 20% of adolescents have suffered at least one concussion, there's a huge disparity in terms of reporting over time," says Dr. Jildeh. Previously, it was thought that young age was a protective factor against concussion and that the neuroplasticity offered fast recovery. However, this thinking has been disproven with more recent studies.

"Concussions have been a pressing issue. We want to limit the number of concussions and head injuries in a young athlete," says Vasilios (Bill) Moutzouros, M.D., chief of Sports Medicine at Henry Ford and a study co-author, adding that younger athletes who suffer a concussion early in life are much more likely to experience longer term effects if they get repeatedly concussed.

Kelechi Okoroha, M.D., a Henry Ford sports medicine surgeon and study co-author, points to the findings as a baseline for young athletes with a history of concussions, "Depending on the number of concussions, the 30-day mark gives us a baseline for how much time adolescent athletes required before returning to sport," he says.

The study offers a lot of information to reflect on and build on according to Jeffrey Kutcher, M.D., medical director and sports neurologist at the Henry Ford Concussion and Sports Neurology Clinic, and global director of the Kutcher Clinic.

"Concussion diagnosis and management requires an individualized and comprehensive neurological approach to ensure we are accurately diagnosing and managing return to play effectively," says Dr. Kutcher who also serves as advisor to the players' associations for the National Football League and National Hockey League.

The study concludes that team physicians must be particularly mindful when evaluating an adolescent athlete due to the short and long-term neurocognitive implications, particularly as it pertains to RTS, and that high school athletes sustaining a concussion require careful attention when determining RTS readiness.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200721094433.htm

Traditional PTSD therapy doesn't trigger drug relapse

People with addiction aren't getting effective treatment for PTSD due to incorrect presumptions

July 20, 2020

Science Daily/Johns Hopkins Medicine

Researchers have now demonstrated that behavior therapy that exposes people to memories of their trauma doesn't cause relapses of opioid or other drug use, and that PTSD severity and emotional problems have decreased after the first therapy session.

About a quarter of people with drug or alcohol use disorders also suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which is typically caused by a traumatic or stressful life event such as rape or combat, and which leaves the person with intense anxiety. However, patients and health care providers have been reluctant to pursue the gold-standard treatment for PTSD -- cognitive behavioral therapy -- because they anticipate that thinking and talking about traumatic events during therapy will cause relapse.

Johns Hopkins researchers have now demonstrated that behavior therapy that exposes people to memories of their trauma doesn't cause relapses of opioid or other drug use, and that PTSD severity and emotional problems have decreased after the first therapy session.

These findings were published June 29 in the Journal of Traumatic Stress.

This work originated from a larger project in which Jessica Peirce, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and her colleagues tested how to get often reluctant patients in addiction treatment to participate in PTSD therapy. In a 2017 article in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, her team showed that patients with opioid dependence attended on average nine exposure therapy sessions for treating PTSD when given money as an incentive, compared with only one session without the incentive.

Building on this earlier work, for the new study, her team examined week-to-week comparisons of cravings for opioids or other drugs before and after therapy sessions, self-reported days of drug use, and other distress. The researchers found there was no increase in use of opioids or other drugs, or in reported instances of stress after therapy sessions to treat PTSD. By the ninth therapy session, PTSD severity scores decreased, on average, by 54% compared to the first session.

"Now that we have evidence that treating PTSD won't impact recovery, patients can request therapy, and mental health providers have a duty to make it available to their patients," says Peirce. "There is a lot more resilience within this population than many health care providers give them credit for, and not offering the proper treatment is doing patients a disservice."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200720092838.htm

Traumatic experiences can leave their mark on a person's eyes

July 17, 2020

Science Daily/Swansea University

New research by Welsh academics shows that a patient's pupils can reveal if they have suffered a traumatic experience in the past.

Post-traumatic stress disorder can occur when a person has experienced a traumatic event such as a car crash, combat stress, or abuse. They can be left with a greater sensitivity, or hyperarousal, to everyday events and an inability to switch off and relax.

The research, led by Dr Aimee McKinnon at Cardiff University and published in the journal Biological Psychology, looked for traces of these traumatic events in the eyes of patients who were suffering from PTSD by measuring the pupil of the eye while participants were shown threatening images such as vicious animals or weapons, as well as other images that showed neutral events, or even pleasant images.

The response of people with PTSD was different to other people, including people who had been traumatised but did not have PTSD.

At first the pupil failed to show the normal sharp constriction that is caused by changes in light level -- but then their pupils grew even larger to the emotional stimuli than for the other participants.

Another unexpected result was that pupils of the patients with PTSD not only showed the exaggerated response to threatening stimuli, but also to stimuli that depicted "positive" images, such as exciting sports scenes.

Swansea University's Professor Nicola Gray, who co-authored the paper along with Professor Robert Snowden of Cardiff University, believes this is an important finding.

She said: "This shows that the hyper-response of the pupil is in response to any arousing stimulus, and not just threatening ones. This may allow us to use these positive pictures in therapy, rather than relying upon negative images, that can be quite upsetting to the patient, and therefore make therapy more acceptable and bearable. This idea now needs testing empirically before it is put into clinical practice."

Dr McKinnon, who is now at Oxford University, added: "These findings allow us to understand that people with PTSD are automatically primed for threat and fear responses in any uncertain emotional context, and to consider what a burden this must be to them in everyday life.

"It also suggests that it is important for us to recognise that, in therapy, it is not just the fear-based stimuli that need deliberately re-appraising.

"If someone with PTSD is faced with any high-level of emotional stimulation, even if this is positive emotion, it can immediately trigger the threat system. Clinicians need to understand this impact of positive stimuli in order to support their service-users overcome the significant challenges they face."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200717120138.htm

Language may undermine women in science and tech

August 3, 2020

Science Daily/Carnegie Mellon University

Despite decades of positive messaging to encourage women and girls to pursue education tracks and careers in STEM, women continue to fall far below their male counterparts in these fields. A new study at Carnegie Mellon University examined 25 languages to explore the gender stereotypes in language that undermine efforts to support equality across STEM career paths. The results are available in the August 3rd issue of Nature Human Behavior.

Molly Lewis, special faculty at CMU and her research partner, Gary Lupyan, associate professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, set out to examine the effect of language on career stereotypes by gender. They found that implicit gender associations are strongly predicted by the language we speak. Their work suggests that linguistic associations may be causally related to people's implicit judgement of what women can accomplish.

"Young children have strong gender stereotypes as do older adults, and the question is where do these biases come from," said Lewis, first author on the study. No one has looked at implicit language -- simple language that co-occurs over a large body of text -- that could give information about stereotypical norms in our culture across different languages."

In general, the team examined how words co-occur with women compared to men. For example, how often is 'woman' associated with 'home,' 'children' and 'family,' where as 'man' was associated with 'work,' 'career' and 'business.'

"What's not obvious is that a lot of information that is contained in language, including information about cultural stereotypes, [occurs not as] direct statements but in large-scale statistical relationships between words," said Lupyan, senior author on the study. "Even without encountering direct statements, it is possible to learn that there is stereotype embedded in the language of women being better at some things and men at others."

They found that languages with a stronger embedded gender association are more clearly associated with career stereotypes. They also found that a positive relationship between gender-

marked occupation terms and the strength of these gender stereotypes.

Previous work has shown that children begin to ingrain gender stereotypes in their culture by the age of two. The team examined statistics regarding gender associations embedded in 25 languages and related the results to an international dataset of gender bias (Implicit Association Test).

Surprisingly, they found that the median age of the country influences the study results. Countries with a larger older population have a stronger bias in career-gender associations.

"The consequences of these results are pretty profound," said Lewis. "The results suggest that if you speak a language that is really biased then you are more likely to have a gender stereotype that associates men with career and women with family."

She suggests children's books be written and designed to not have gender-biased statistics. These results also have implications for algorithmic fairness research aimed at eliminating gender bias in computer algorithms.

"Our study shows that language statistics predict people's implicit biases -- languages with greater gender biases tend to have speakers with greater gender biases," Lupyan said. "The results are correlational, but that the relationship persists under various controls [and] does suggest a causal influence."

Lewis notes that the Implicit Association Test used in this study has been criticized for low reliability and limited external validity. She stresses that additional work using longitudinal analyses and experimental designs is necessary to explore language statistics and implicit associations with gender stereotypes.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803120130.htm

Childhood connection to nature has many benefits but is not universally positive

A connection to nature is complex, as well as positive emotions, it can generate negative emotions linked to issues like climate change

August 6, 2020

Science Daily/British Ecological Society

The review, published in the British Ecological Society Journal People and Nature, is the first to focus on nature connection in children and adolescents. In the article Dr Chawla comprehensively reviews the full scope of literature on the topic, covering peer-reviewed articles, books and studies by environmental organizations.

The review finds that connecting with nature supports multiple areas of young people's wellbeing. "There is strong evidence that children are happier, healthier, function better, know more about the environment, and are more likely to take action to protect the natural world when they spend time in nature." said Dr Chawla.

Several studies found that children's connection with nature increased with time spent in natural environments. Time spent in this way was also a predictor for active care for nature in adulthood. These findings support strategies and policies that ensure that young people have access to wild areas, parks, gardens, green neighborhoods, and naturalized grounds at schools.

However, a connection with nature is not universally positive. "My review shows that connecting with nature is a complex experience that can generate troubling emotions as well as happiness." said Dr Chawla.

"We need to keep in mind that children are inheriting an unravelling biosphere, and many of them know it. Research shows that when adolescents react with despair, they are unlikely to take action to address challenges."

Thankfully the review finds that there is overlap in the strategies used to increase children's feelings of connection with nature and supporting them with difficult dimensions of this connection.

These strategies include helping young people learn what they can do to protect the natural world, as individuals and working collectively with others, and sharing examples of people who care for nature. Research covered in the review finds that young people are more likely to believe a better world is possible when friends, family and teachers listen sympathetically to their fears and give them a safe space to share their emotions.

One of the most surprising findings from the review was the complete disconnect between researchers studying the benefits of childhood connection to nature and those studying responses to environmental threats. "People who study children's connection with nature and those who study their coping with environmental risk and loss have been pursuing separate directions without referencing or engaging with each other." said Dr Chawla. "I am arguing that researchers on both sides need to be paying attention to each other's work and learning from each other."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200806092435.htm

Understanding why some children enjoy TV more than others

August 5, 2020

Science Daily/University of East Anglia

New research shows that children's own temperament could be driving the amount of TV they watch. The research shows how the brain responses of 10-month-old babies watching a clip from Disney's Fantasia on repeat could predict whether they would enjoy watching fast-paced TV shows six months later. The findings are important for the ongoing debate around early TV exposure.

Children's own temperament could be driving the amount of TV they watch -- according to new research from the University of East Anglia and Birkbeck, University of London.

New findings published today show that the brain responses of 10-month-old babies could predict whether they would enjoy watching fast-paced TV shows six months later.

The research team says that the findings are important for the ongoing debate around early TV exposure.

Lead researcher Dr Teodora Gliga, from UEA's School of Psychology, said: "The sensory environment surrounding babies and young children is really complex and cluttered, but the ability to pay attention to something is one of the first developmental milestones in babies.

"Even before they can ask questions, children vary greatly in how driven they are to explore their surroundings and engage with new sights or sounds.

"We wanted to find out why babies appear to be so different in the way that they seek out new visual sensory stimulation -- such as being attracted to shiny objects, bright colours or moving images on TV.

"There have been various theories to explain these differences, with some suggesting that infants who are less sensitive will seek less stimulation, others suggesting that some infants are simply faster at processing information -- an ability which could drive them to seek out new stimulation more frequently.

"In this study we bring support for a third theory by showing that a preference for novelty makes some infants seek more varied stimulation."

Using a brain imaging method known as electroencephalography (EEG), the research team studied brain activity in 48 10-month old babies while they watched a 40-second clip from the Disney movie Fantasia on repeat.

They studied how the children's brain waves responded to random interruptions to the movie -- in the form of a black and white chequerboard suddenly flashing on screen.

Dr Gliga said: "As the babies watched the repeated video clip, EEG responses told us that they learned its content. We expected that, as the video became less novel and therefore engaged their attention less, they would start noticing the checkerboard.

"But some of the babies started responding to the checkerboard earlier on while still learning about the video -- suggesting that these children had had enough of the old information.

"Conversely, others remained engaged with the video even when there was not much to learn from it," she added.

Parents and carers were also asked to fill in a questionnaire about their babies' sensory behaviours -- including whether they enjoyed watching fast-paced brightly-coloured TV shows. This was followed up with a second similar questionnaire six months later.

Dr Gliga said: "It was very interesting to find that brain responses at 10 months, indicating how quickly infants switched their attention from the repeated video to the checkerboard, predicted whether they would enjoy watching fast-paced TV shows six months later.

"These findings are important for the ongoing debate on early TV exposure since they suggest that children's temperament may drive differences in TV exposure.

"It is unlikely that our findings are explained by early TV exposure since parents reported that only a small proportion of 10-month-olds were watching TV shows," she added.

Elena Serena Piccardi, from Birkbeck, University of London, said: "The next part of our research will aim to understand exactly what drives these individual differences in attention to novelty, including the role that early environments may have.

"Exploration and discovery are essential for children's learning and cognitive development. Yet, different children may benefit from different environments for their learning. As such, this research will help us understand how individualized environments may nurture children's learning, promote their cognitive development and, ultimately, support achievement of their full potential.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200805091832.htm

To bond with nature, kids need solitary activities outdoors

August 5, 2020

Science Daily/North Carolina State University

A new study found solitary activities like fishing, hunting or exploring outside are key to building strong bonds between children and nature. Activities like these encourage children to both enjoy being outside and to feel comfortable there.

In addition to these independent activities, researchers led by an investigator from North Carolina State University reported that they found social activities can help cement the bond between children and nature.

The findings could help children gain the mental and physical benefits linked with being outdoors at a time when researchers say younger generations of Americans may be less connected to nature than before.

"In order to create a strong bond with nature, you need to provide kids with an opportunity to be alone in nature, or to experience nature in a way that they can personally connect with it, but you need to reinforce that with social experiences either with peers or adults," said Kathryn Stevenson, corresponding author of the study and an assistant professor in North Carolina State University's Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management.

For the study, researchers surveyed 1,285 children aged 9 through 12 in North Carolina. The survey focused on identifying the types of activities that help children build a strong connection to nature, which they defined as when children enjoy being outdoors and feel comfortable there.

The researchers asked children about their experiences with outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and playing sports, and their feelings about nature overall. The researchers then used children's survey responses to assess which activities were most likely to predict whether they had a strong connection to nature.

While they found that children who participated in solitary activities such as hunting or fishing built strong connections to nature, they also saw that social activities outdoors, such as playing sports or camping, helped to cement the strongest bonds that they saw in children.

"We saw that there were different combinations of specific activities that could build a strong connection to nature; but a key starting point was being outside, in a more solitary activity," Stevenson said.

The finding that solitary activities were important predictors of strong connections to the natural world wasn't surprising given findings from previous research, said Rachel Szczytko, the study's first author. She was previously an environmental education research assistant at NC State, and now works at the San Francisco-based Pisces Foundation.

"We have seen that when people who go into environmentally focused careers reflect on their lives, they describe having formational experiences outdoors during childhood, like walking on a favorite trail or exploring the creek by their home," she said. "We know that these kind of meaningful life experiences are motivating going forward. So we expected that when children are doing something more solitary, contemplative, when they're noticing what's around them, and have a heightened sense of awareness, they are more likely having these formative experiences and are developing more comfort and affinity for the outdoors."

The findings highlight a need to provide more solitary opportunities for kids when they are outside.

"When you think about recreation opportunities for kids, social activities are often covered; people are signing their kids up for sports, camp and scouts," Stevenson said. "Maybe we need more programming to allow children to be more contemplative in nature, or opportunities to establish a personal connection. That could be silent sits, or it could be activities where children are looking or observing on their own. It could mean sending kids to the outdoors to make observations on their own. It doesn't mean kids should be unsupervised, but adults could consider stepping back and letting kids explore on their own."

Researchers said children who are connected to nature are also likely to spend more time outside, which can lead to benefits for children's mental and physical health, attention span and relationships with adults. In addition, researchers said building connections with nature is also important for getting children involved in environmental conservation.

"There are all kinds of benefits from building connections to nature and spending time outside," Stevenson said. "One of the benefits we're highlighting is that children who have a strong connection to nature are more likely to want to take care of the environment in the future."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200805110113.htm

Strong relationships in adulthood won't 'fix' effects of early childhood adversity

August 3, 2020

Science Daily/University of Notre Dame

Harsh conditions in early life are a fundamental cause of adult stress, and according to new research from the University of Notre Dame on wild baboons, this effect is not explained by a lack of social support in adulthood. The study is the first to present a comprehensive analysis of relationships between early life experiences, adult social bonds and adult stress responses within a single biological system.

Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the research sheds light on the long-term effects of experiences such as famine, abuse, neglect or the death of a parent in early childhood. The researchers argue that dysregulated stress responses caused by those experiences -- including elevated stress hormones -- take a physiological toll on the body, and remain unaffected by healthy, supportive relationships in adulthood.

"Scientists have long believed that the link between early life adversity and adult stress could be due to a lack of social support in adulthood," said Elizabeth Archie, associate professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Notre Dame and co-author of the study. "But what we've found through this study is that long-term effects of childhood hardships are more powerful than the near-term effects of social support -- even if those experiences took place many years in the past. The effects of early adversity and social support on stress appear to travel along independent physiological paths -- so 'fixing' one won't necessarily fix the other."

One of the challenges to fully understanding how early childhood adversity can manifest in adulthood is that it requires measuring and tracking experiences from birth over the course of several decades.

Archie's team analyzed data collected from 192 female baboons who were studied from birth through the Amboseli Baboon Research Project, an ongoing longitudinal effort that has been conducting research on the behavior of wild baboons in Kenya for almost 50 years. The animals are close evolutionary relatives to humans, and on average, they share a genetic similarity of 94 percent. Like many primates, baboons are highly social. They live in groups of around 20 to 150 animals, including several adult females, adult males and many offspring.

For the study, researchers measured life experience against levels of glucocorticoids (fGCs) -- hormones that regulate physiological functions such as metabolism and immune function, and moderate the body's response to stress.

"Dysregulations in stress hormones or stress response are major risk factors for depression, anxiety, chronic inflammation and other health problems, so the experience of early life adversity is thought to contribute to global health disparities," said Archie, who also serves as associate director of the Amboseli project.

Levels of fGCs in subjects who experienced three or more forms of childhood adversity were 9 percent higher than in those who experienced no hardships. Those who experienced two or more types of adversity showed fGC levels 14 percent higher than in peers who had endured only one form of hardship, and 21 percent higher than in peers who had experienced no hardship at all.

While previous research has shown experiencing hardships in childhood can make it harder to form strong, supportive relationships as adults, the Notre Dame study found that even when social bonds were developed in adulthood, it had a minor effect on fGC levels and physiological responses to stress.

"Social bonds can have a significant effect on adult health, stress and survival," Archie said, "but they cannot make up for the effects of early life adversity -- which means targeting early life adversity itself is crucial for improving adult health."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803184154.htm

Child sleep problems associated with impaired academic and psychosocial functioning

August 3, 2020

Science Daily/Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Whether children have ongoing sleep problems from birth through childhood or do not develop sleep problems until they begin school, a new study by researchers at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) has found that sleep disturbances at any age are associated with diminished well-being by the time the children are 10 or 11 years old. The findings, which were published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, suggest health care providers should screen children for sleep problems at every age and intervene early when a sleep problem is identified.

"Our study shows that although those with persistent sleep problems have the greatest impairments when it comes to broad child well-being, even those with mild sleep problems over time experience some psychosocial impairments," said Ariel A. Williamson, PhD, a psychologist in the Sleep Center and faculty member at PolicyLab and the Center for Pediatric Clinical Effectiveness at CHOP. "The range of impairments across academic and psychosocial domains in middle childhood indicate that it is important to screen for sleep problems consistently over the course of a child's development, especially to target children who experience persistent sleep problems over time."

The researchers examined data from an Australian birth cohort involving more than 5,000 patients. Caregivers reported on whether their children had sleep problems at multiple points in time, from birth through 10 or 11 years of age. To assess child well-being, which included psychosocial measures like self-control and emotional/behavioral health and academic performance measures, the researchers used a combination of reports from caregivers and teachers as well as child-completed assessments.

In analyzing caregiver-reported sleep behaviors, the researchers found five distinct sleep problem trajectories, or patterns that characterized child sleep problems over time: persistent sleep problems through middle childhood (7.7%), limited infant/ preschool sleep problems (9.0%), increased middle childhood sleep problems (17.0%), mild sleep problems over time (14.4%) and no sleep problems (51.9%).

Using those with no sleep problems as a benchmark, the researchers found that children with persistent sleep problems had the greatest impairments across all outcomes except in their perceptual reasoning skills. Children with increased middle childhood sleep problems also experienced greater psychosocial problems and worse quality of life, but did not score lower on academic achievement. Children with limited infant/preschool sleep problems or mild increases in sleep problems over time also demonstrated psychosocial impairments and had worse caregiver-reported quality of life, but the effects were smaller than the other sleep trajectories.

While the researchers found impairments related to all of the sleep problem trajectories, they note the possibility that for certain trajectories, the relationship could be bidirectional -- that is, psychosocial issues like anxiety could lead to sleep issues, and vice versa, particularly in children who develop sleep problems later in childhood.

"Although this study cannot answer whether minor, early or persistent sleep problems represent a marker for the onset of behavioral health or neurodevelopmental conditions, our findings support consistently integrating questions about sleep into routine developmental screenings in school and primary care contexts," Williamson said.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803140012.htm

Experiencing childhood trauma makes body and brain age faster

Findings could help explain why children who suffer trauma often face poor health later in life

August 3, 2020

Science Daily/American Psychological Association

Children who suffer trauma from abuse or violence early in life show biological signs of aging faster than children who have never experienced adversity, according to research published by the American Psychological Association. The study examined three different signs of biological aging -- early puberty, cellular aging and changes in brain structure -- and found that trauma exposure was associated with all three.

"Exposure to adversity in childhood is a powerful predictor of health outcomes later in life -- not only mental health outcomes like depression and anxiety, but also physical health outcomes like cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer," said Katie McLaughlin, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Harvard University and senior author of the study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin. "Our study suggests that experiencing violence can make the body age more quickly at a biological level, which may help to explain that connection."

Previous research found mixed evidence on whether childhood adversity is always linked to accelerated aging. However, those studies looked at many different types of adversity -- abuse, neglect, poverty and more -- and at several different measures of biological aging. To disentangle the results, McLaughlin and her colleagues decided to look separately at two categories of adversity: threat-related adversity, such as abuse and violence, and deprivation-related adversity, such as physical or emotional neglect or poverty.

The researchers performed a meta-analysis of almost 80 studies, with more than 116,000 total participants. They found that children who suffered threat-related trauma such as violence or abuse were more likely to enter puberty early and also showed signs of accelerated aging on a cellular level-including shortened telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of our strands of DNA that wear down as we age. However, children who experienced poverty or neglect did not show either of those signs of early aging.

In a second analysis, McLaughlin and her colleagues systematically reviewed 25 studies with more than 3,253 participants that examined how early-life adversity affects brain development. They found that adversity was associated with reduced cortical thickness -- a sign of aging because the cortex thins as people age. However, different types of adversity were associated with cortical thinning in different parts of the brain. Trauma and violence were associated with thinning in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, which is involved in social and emotional processing, while deprivation was more often associated with thinning in the frontoparietal, default mode and visual networks, which are involved in sensory and cognitive processing.

These types of accelerated aging might originally have descended from useful evolutionary adaptations, according to McLaughlin. In a violent and threat-filled environment, for example, reaching puberty earlier could make people more likely to be able to reproduce before they die. And faster development of brain regions that play a role in emotion processing could help children identify and respond to threats, keeping them safer in dangerous environments. But these once-useful adaptations may have grave health and mental health consequences in adulthood.

The new research underscores the need for early interventions to help avoid those consequences. All of the studies looked at accelerated aging in children and adolescents under age 18. "The fact that we see such consistent evidence for faster aging at such a young age suggests that the biological mechanisms that contribute to health disparities are set in motion very early in life. This means that efforts to prevent these health disparities must also begin during childhood," McLaughlin said.

There are numerous evidence-based treatments that can improve mental health in children who have experienced trauma, McLaughlin said. "A critical next step is determining whether these psychosocial interventions might also be able to slow down this pattern of accelerated biological aging. If this is possible, we may be able to prevent many of the long-term health consequences of early-life adversity," she says.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200803092120.htm

To improve students' mental health, teach them to breathe

July 31, 2020

Science Daily/Yale University

When college students learn specific techniques for managing stress and anxiety, their wellbeing improves across a range of measures and leads to better mental health, a new Yale study finds.

The research team evaluated three classroom-based wellness training programs that incorporate breathing and emotional intelligence strategies, finding that two led to improvements in aspects of wellbeing. The most effective program led to improvements in six areas, including depression and social connectedness.

The researchers, who reported findings in the July 15 edition of Frontiers in Psychiatry, said such resiliency training programs could be a valuable tool for addressing the mental health crisis on university campuses.

"In addition to academic skills, we need to teach students how to live a balanced life," said Emma Seppälä, lead author and faculty director of the Women's Leadership Program at Yale School of Management. "Student mental health has been on the decline over the last 10 years, and with the pandemic and racial tensions, things have only gotten worse."

Researchers at the Yale Child Study Center and the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (YCEI) conducted the study, which tested three skill-building training programs on 135 undergraduate subjects for eight weeks (30 hours total), and measured results against those of a non-intervention control group.

They found that a training program called SKY Campus Happiness, developed by the Art of Living Foundation, which relies on a breathing technique called SKY Breath Meditation, yoga postures, social connection, and service activities, was most beneficial. Following the SKY sessions, students reported improvements in six areas of wellbeing: depression, stress, mental health, mindfulness, positive affect, and social connectedness.

A second program called Foundations of Emotional Intelligence, developed by the YCEI, resulted in one improvement: greater mindfulness -- the ability for students to be present and enjoy the moment.

A third program called Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, which relies heavily on mindfulness techniques, resulted in no reported improvements.

In all, 135 Yale undergraduate students participated in the study. Across college campuses, there has been a significant rise in student depression, anxiety, and demand for mental health services. From 2009 to 2014, students seeking treatment from campus counseling centers rose by 30%, though enrollment increased by just 6% on average. Fifty-seven percent of counseling center directors indicated that their resources are insuf?cient to meet students' needs.

The researchers say resiliency training tools can address the overburdening of campus counseling centers directly. In the sessions. "Students learn tools they can use for the rest of their lives to continue to improve and maintain their mental health," said co-first author Christina Bradley '16 B.S., currently a Ph.D. student at University of Michigan.

Researchers administered the training sessions in person, but the courses can also be taken remotely.

"Continually adding staff to counseling and psychiatric services to meet demand is not financially sustainable -- and universities are realizing this," Seppälä said. "Evidence-based resiliency programs can help students help themselves."

Davornne Lindo '22 B.A., a member of the Yale track team who participated in the SKY Campus Happiness program, said practicing breathing techniques helped her to manage stress from both academics and athletics. "Now that I have these techniques to help me, I would say that my mentality is a lot healthier," Lindo said. "I can devote time to studying and not melting down. Races have gone better. Times are dropping." Another participant in the SKY program, Anna Wilkinson '22 B.A., said she was not familiar with the positive benefits of breathing exercises before the training, but now uses the technique regularly. "I didn't realize how much of it was physiology, how you control the things inside you with breathing," Wilkinson said. "I come out of breathing and meditation as a happier, more balanced person, which is something I did not expect at all."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200731135555.htm

Helicopter parents should step back and watch

July 30, 2020

Science Daily/Edith Cowan University

Researchers conducted the world's first data-driven study of parenting classes based on the Respectful Approach intervention. The Respectful Approach, modeled on Resources for Infant Educators (RIE)TM, guides parents to treat young children as capable and independent humans who can flourish if given safe space and freedom from too much adult direction.

Sitting back and watching your toddler explore their world is good for parent mental health, a new study has found.

As part of her PhD at Edith Cowan University in Western Australia, Mandy Richardson conducted the world's first data-driven study of parenting classes based on the Respectful Approach intervention.

The Respectful Approach, modelled on Resources for Infant Educators (RIE)TM, guides parents to treat young children as capable and independent humans who can flourish if given safe space and freedom from too much adult direction.

Parents were invited to take part in a class for infants or toddlers over six weeks where they observed their children in uninterrupted play in a room with age appropriate toys.

The infants and toddlers were free to investigate their environment and interact with other children while parents sat in the room and watched with a facilitator. After an observation period, each class introduced and discussed a topic related to the Respectful Approach.

At the end of the program, parents reported significantly lower stress levels, with more confidence and a better understanding of their children's capabilities.

Children make progress when given space and time 

Ms Richardson said the Respectful Approach is ultimately about building a trusting, lasting bond with positive communication between parents and children. There is less focus on checklists and achieving milestones, with acknowledgement that each child is different.

"Participants in the study reported worrying less about performance pressure after attending the classes, which let them refocus on their relationship with their children," she said.

"As parents we tend to go and 'save' our children when they start to struggle with something, instead of letting them try to resolve their own challenges. But if the children aren't looking for help, perhaps they can be left to do their own thing and work it out themselves."

Ms Richardson explained the Respectful Approach helps to establish good patterns in early years so children learn to build confidence in their abilities and to deal with conflict in emotionally intelligent ways.

"Traditionally early behavioural interventions have predominantly focused on modifying undesirable child behaviours," Ms Richardson said.

"By building good communication and a close parent-child bond, we can potentially prevent problems occurring in the long term."

Ms Richardson and her research supervisor Associate Professor Therese O'Sullivan are now expanding the pilot study to track parents and children over three years to determine whether the decline in parental stress levels has a lasting impact and investigate long term outcomes in child development.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200730110121.htm

Alzheimer's risk factors may be measurable in adolescents and young adults

July 30, 2020

Science Daily/Alzheimer's Association

Risk factors for Alzheimer's dementia may be apparent as early as our teens and 20s, according to new research reported at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference® (AAIC®) 2020.

These risk factors, many of which are disproportionately apparent in African Americans, include heart health factors -- such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes -- and social factors like education quality. According to the Alzheimer's Association Alzheimer's Disease Facts and Figures report, older African Americans are about twice as likely to have Alzheimer's or other dementias as older whites.

"By identifying, verifying, and acting to counter those Alzheimer's risk factors that we can change, we may reduce new cases and eventually the total number of people with Alzheimer's and other dementia," said Maria C. Carrillo, Ph.D., Alzheimer's Association chief science officer. "Research like this is important in addressing health inequities and providing resources that could make a positive impact on a person's life."

"These new reports from AAIC 2020 show that it's never too early, or too late, to take action to protect your memory and thinking abilities," Carrillo said.

The Alzheimer's Association is leading the U.S. Study to Protect Brain Health Through Lifestyle Intervention to Reduce Risk (U.S. POINTER), a two-year clinical trial to evaluate whether lifestyle interventions that simultaneously target many risk factors protect cognitive function in older adults who are at increased risk for cognitive decline. U.S. POINTER is the first such study to be conducted in a large, diverse group of Americans across the United States.

African American Youth At Higher Risk of Dementia

In a population of more than 714 African Americans in the Study of Healthy Aging in African Americans (STAR), Kristen George, Ph.D., MPH, of the University of California, Davis, and colleagues found that high blood pressure and diabetes, or a combination of multiple heart health-related factors, are common in adolescence and are associated with worse late-life cognition. Study participants were adolescents (n=165; ages 12-20), young adults (n=439; ages 21-34) and adults (n=110; ages 35-56). Mean age at cognitive assessment was 68.

Cognition was measured using in-person tests of memory and executive function. The researchers found that, in this study population, having diabetes, high blood pressure, or two or more heart health risk factors in adolescence, young adulthood, or mid-life was associated with statistically significantly worse late-life cognition. These differences persisted after accounting for age, gender, years since risk factors were measured, and education.

Before this report, little was known about whether cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors developed prior to mid-life were associated with late-life cognition. This is an important question because African Americans have a higher risk of CVD risk factors compared to other racial/ethnic groups from adolescence through adulthood.

According to the researchers, these findings suggest that CVD risk factors as early as adolescence influence late-life brain health in African Americans. Efforts to promote heart and brain healthy lifestyles must not only include middle-aged adults, but also younger adults and adolescents who may be especially susceptible to the negative impact of poor vascular health on the brain.

Early Adult BMI Associated With Late Life Dementia Risk

In what the authors say is the first study to report on the issue, higher early adulthood (age 20-49) body mass index (BMI) was associated with higher late-life dementia risk.

Relatively little is known about the role of early life BMI on the risk of Alzheimer and other dementias. The scientists studied a total of 5,104 older adults from two studies, including 2,909 from the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS) and 2,195 from the Health, Aging and Body Composition study (Health ABC). Of the total sample, 18% were Black and 56% were women. Using pooled data from four established cohorts spanning the adult life course, including the two cohorts under the study, the scientists estimated BMI beginning at age 20 for all older adults of CHS and Health ABC.

For women, dementia risk increased with higher early adulthood BMI. Compared to women with normal BMI in early adulthood, dementia risk was 1.8 times higher among those who were overweight, and 2.5 times higher among those who were obese. Analyses were adjusted for midlife and late life BMI.

They found no association between midlife BMI and dementia risk among women.

For men, dementia risk was 2.5 times higher among those who were obese in early adulthood, 1.5 times higher among those who were overweight in mid-life and 2.0 times higher among those who were obese in mid-life, in models also adjusted for late life BMI.

For both women and men, dementia risk decreased with higher late life BMI.

Adina Zeki Al Hazzouri, Ph.D. of Columbia University and colleagues found that high BMI in adulthood is a risk factor for dementia in late life. The researchers suggest that efforts aimed at reducing dementia risk may need to begin earlier in life with a focus on obesity prevention and treatment.

Quality of Early-Life Education Influences Dementia Risk

In a diverse group of more than 2,400 people followed up to 21 years, higher quality early-life education was associated with better language and memory performance, and lower risk of late-life dementia. Results were somewhat different between men and women, and between Blacks and Whites in the study.

The study included 2,446 Black and White men and women, age 65 and older, enrolled in the Washington Heights/Inwood Columbia Aging Project who attended elementary school in the United States. A school quality variable based on historical measures included: mandatory school enrollment age, minimum dropout age, school term length, student-teacher ratio, and student attendance.

People who attended school in states with lower quality education had more rapid decline in memory and language as an older adult. Black women and men and White women who attended schools in states with higher quality education were less likely to develop dementia. According to the scientists, the results were explained, in part, because people who attend higher quality schools end up getting more years of school.

Justina Avila-Rieger, PhD, a postdoctoral research scientist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and colleagues say the findings provide evidence that later life dementia risk and cognitive function is influenced by early-life state educational policies.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200730092616.htm

Increased attention to sad faces predicts depression risk in teenagers

July 28, 2020

Science Daily/Binghamton University

Teenagers who tend to pay more attention to sad faces are more likely to develop depression, but specifically within the context of stress, according to new research from Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Researchers at Binghamton University, led by graduate student Cope Feurer and Professor of Psychology Brandon Gibb, aimed to examine whether attentional biases to emotional stimuli, assessed via eye tracking, serve as a marker of risk for depression for teenagers.

"Although previous studies from the lab have examined who is most likely to show biased attention to sad faces and whether attention to sad faces is associated with risk for depression, the current study is the first to look at whether these attention biases impact how teenagers respond to stress, both in the lab and in the real world," said Feurer.

Biased attention to sad faces is associated with depression in adults and is hypothesized to increase depression risk specifically in the presence, but not absence, of stress by modulating stress reactivity. However, few studies have tested this hypothesis, and no studies have examined the relation between attentional biases and stress reactivity during adolescence, despite evidence that this developmental window is marked by significant increases in stress and depression risk.

Seeking to address these limitations, the new study examined the impact of adolescents' sustained attention to facial displays of emotion on individual differences in both mood reactivity to real-world stress and physiological reactivity to a laboratory-based stressor. Consistent with vulnerability-stress models of attention, greater sustained attention to sad faces was associated with greater depressive reactions to real-world stress.

"If a teenager has a tendency to pay more attention to negative stimuli, then when they experience something stressful they are likely to have a less adaptive response to this stress and show greater increases in depressive symptoms," said Feurer. "For example, if two teenagers both have a fight with a friend and one teenager spends more time paying attention to negative stimuli (i.e., sad faces) than the other, then that teenager may show greater increases in depressive symptoms in response to the stressor, potentially because they are paying more attention to the stressor and how the stressor makes them feel."

The researchers believe that the biological mechanism behind this finding lies in the brain's ability to control emotional reactivity.

"Basically, if the brain has difficulty controlling how strongly a teenager responds to emotions, this makes it harder for them to look away from negative stimuli and their attention gets 'stuck,'" said Feurer. "So, when teenagers who tend to pay more attention to sad faces experience stress, they may respond more strongly to this stress, as they have difficulty disengaging their attention from negative emotions, leaving these teens at increased risk for depression."

"This is also why we believe that findings were stronger for older than younger adolescents. Specifically, the brain becomes more effective at controlling emotional reactivity as teens get older, so it may be that being able to look away from negative stimuli doesn't protect against the impact of stress until later adolescence."

There is increasing research showing that the way teenagers pay attention to emotional information can be modified through intervention, and that changing attention biases can reduce risk for depression. The current study highlights attention toward sad faces as a potential target for intervention, particularly among older teenagers, said Feurer.

The researchers recently submitted a grant that would let them look at how these attention biases change across childhood and adolescence.

"This will help us better understand how this risk factor develops and how it increases risk for depression in youth," said Gibb. "Hopefully, this will help us to develop interventions to identify risk for these types of biases so that they can be mitigated before they lead to depression."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200728130837.htm

Food supplements may improve brain health among young children in low income countries

Findings could have important implications for children's education and national development, say researchers

July 22, 2020

Science Daily/BMJ

Giving nutritional supplements to young children in low income countries for around 6 months could improve their brain (cognitive) health, finds a trial published by The BMJ today.

The results could have important implications for children's education and national development in low income countries, say the researchers.

At least 250 million children worldwide younger than 5 fail to reach their cognitive developmental potential.

While undernutrition is not the only factor, it is associated with long term brain impairment. Previous research, however, has suggested that traditional supplementary foods for young children might lack key nutrients that could support regenerative changes in the brain.

So a team of US researchers set out to assess the effects of food supplementation on improving working memory (a key element of long term academic attainment) and blood flow to the brain (cerebral blood flow, a measure of brain health) in children at risk of undernutrition.

Their findings are based on 1,059 children aged 15 months to 7 years living in 10 villages in Guinea-Bissau, West Africa, who were randomized to receive one of three meals, served five mornings each week for 23 weeks.

The first was a new food supplement (NEWSUP) high in antioxidants, other vitamins and minerals, polyphenols from cocoa, omega 3 fatty acids and protein. The second was a fortified blended food (FBF) used in nutrition programs, and the third was a control meal (a traditional rice breakfast).

The main outcome measure was working memory, but the researchers also measured red blood cell (hemoglobin) levels, growth, body composition, and cerebral blood flow at the start of the study and shortly before the end of supplementation.

Among children younger than 4, randomization to NEWSUP had a substantial beneficial effect on working memory, especially in those who consumed at least 75% of their supplement, compared with a traditional rice breakfast.

NEWSUP also increased cerebral blood flow, improved body composition (more lean tissue with less fat), and had a beneficial effect on hemoglobin concentration in children younger than 4 with anemia.

Among children aged 4 and older, NEWSUP had no significant effect on working memory or anemia, but increased lean tissue compared with fortified blended food.

The researchers point to some study limitations, such as being limited to one cognitive measure, and the need for longer study durations in older children to see if effects could be detected after 4 years.

However, strengths included being able to directly observe the children eating the meals provided and blinded assessment and analysis of data by people who were not involved in the study's design and delivery.

As such, they say nutritional supplementation for 23 weeks "could improve cognitive function in vulnerable young children living in low income countries, with additional benefits for brain health and nutritional status."

They acknowledge that further research is needed, but add these results could also be very relevant for children living in affluent countries, since many children consume an unhealthy diet, and for other vulnerable groups such as older adults with inadequate nutrition and vulnerability to cognitive impairment.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200722192153.htm

Concussions associated with cognitive, behavioral, and emotional consequences for students

July 22, 2020

Science Daily/University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Concussions can have a compounding effect on children, leading to long-term cognitive, behavioral, and emotional health consequences, according to researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), who published their findings in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.

In 2017, approximately 2.5 million high school students in the United States reported suffering at least one concussion related to sports or physical activity in the last 12 months, according to information from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The UTHealth researchers analyzed survey data from more than 13,000 high school students in the United States. According to the authors, it is the first study to report on the association between sports-related concussions and negative health implications based on a representative sample of U.S. high school students.

"We have previously speculated that children who suffer a concussion have more behavioral problems, so this study was able to provide a more comprehensive analysis on the various cognitive and behavioral health issues that this population faces in connection with this type of brain injury," said Gregory Knell, PhD, the study's first and corresponding author. Knell is an assistant professor at UTHealth School of Public Health in Dallas and is research faculty at Children's Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

A concussion is the most common form of traumatic brain injury, caused by a mild blow to the head. Common symptoms include a headache, ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, drowsiness, and blurry vision.

Participants were asked how many times they had suffered a concussion from playing a sport or during physical activity in the last 12 months. Students were also surveyed on relevant cognitive, emotional, and behavioral factors and related health outcomes, including questions on topics such as academics, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse.

The study revealed that 14.5% of female high school athletes and 18.1% of male high school athletes reported experiencing at least one concussion the previous year. These students also reported at least one factor associated to their behavioral, cognitive, and emotional health. The questions covered topics such as difficulty concentrating, poor grades, drinking and driving, carrying a weapon, getting into a physical altercation, using tobacco or marijuana, binge drinking, feeling depressed, and having suicidal thoughts or actions.

Of the male participants who suffered at least one concussion, 33.8% reported they drank and drove in the last 30 days. For the female athletes who reported suffering more than one concussion, 19% stated they had used marijuana at least once in the last 30 days. Both male and female participants who answered that they had been in at least one physical fight in the last year were significantly more likely to have reported having at least one concussion in that same timeframe.

Other associated factors that were significantly more likely in male students who reported a prior concussion included difficulty concentrating, tobacco/e-cigarette use, and binge drinking. Female students who reported prior concussions were more likely to ride in a car with a driver who had been drinking, and have suicidal thoughts or actions.

"Parents need to understand that a concussion is a very serious brain injury, one which requires treatment every time a concussion is sustained. This study has revealed this type of traumatic brain injury can have a compounding effect on children that could lead to more aggressive behavior, academic problems, and social issues," said study co-author Scott Burkhart, PsyD, a neuropsychologist at Children's Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine.

The research team encourages future studies to continue the surveillance on the prevalence of concussions among student athletes, as well as the severity of these injuries.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200722163225.htm

Sweet coolers a gateway to increased alcohol consumption

July 22, 2020

Science Daily/University of Guelph

It might be no surprise that sugar in sweetened coolers helps to mask the taste of alcohol and make it more appealing to novice consumers, including young people.

Based on the first study to look at the role of high-fructose corn syrup -- the main ingredient in most coolers -- a University of Guelph professor suggests that these sweetened beverages can actually promote harmful alcohol consumption.

The results should prompt caution particularly among university-age drinkers and their parents about the potential of coolers to encourage consumption of other alcoholic beverages, said psychology professor Francesco Leri.

"The more sweetened drinks that an adolescent drinks, the more likely they are to drink alcohol that is not sweetened," said Leri, who conducted the study with master's student Samantha Ayoub and psychology professor Linda Parker

As with earlier studies of how sweetened alcoholic beverages affect adolescent drinking behaviour, he said, this study suggests that these beverages act as "a gateway -- a way to get introduced and then like alcohol itself."

Other researchers have found that sweeteners such as sucrose and glucose encourage rats to drink more alcohol.

Published recently in the journal Alcohol, the U of G study is the first to look at the effects of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which makes up about one-quarter of the volume of many sweetened alcoholic beverages.

Using rats able to self-administer liquids, the researchers tested consumption of different proportions of alcohol mixed with 25-per-cent HFCS. Adding the corn syrup increased rats' intake and the palatability of the beverage. Palatability was measured by observing behaviours such as rats licking their snouts. Rats given alcohol normally show facial signs of disgust.

"Most rats don't voluntarily drink alcohol by itself. The moment we added HFCS, there was a huge increase in consumption," said Leri.

Beverages containing 10 per cent alcohol and 25 per cent corn syrup encouraged some rats to drink an amount equivalent to an average adult human consuming 4.5 beers in 30 minutes. Although the researchers didn't measure blood alcohol levels, consuming that much alcohol would cause blood alcohol levels in people to spike to "binge drinking" amounts.

Mixing alcohol with saccharin (a non-caloric sweetener) also prompted more consumption but less than with HFCS.

In earlier studies, Leri looked at the effects of HFCS on the brain. This time, he wanted to see how sweeteners might affect consumption of other addictive drugs such as alcohol.

He said someone drinking sweetened coolers can grow accustomed to the taste of alcohol, even if they initially dislike the latter on its own.

"Most people that don't like the taste of alcohol in a drink will drink sweetened coolers. We think they get an introduction to alcohol via sweeteners."

Leri said beverage manufacturers might be persuaded to use more natural sweeteners such as regular cane sugar or to refrain from marketing their products to younger consumers.

He encourages parents to discuss coolers with young people.

"Because it's sweet and tastes like pop doesn't make it any safer than a straight can of beer or glass of wine. Alcohol is alcohol no matter what. Because alcohol is sweet, there's a danger of over-drinking. It's important to monitor the amount taken, especially when it's mixed with other substances. It's just another drug of addiction, that's all it is."

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/07/200722142746.htm