Clinical Characteristics of Preschool Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Callous-Unemotional Traits

There is a need to know whether callous-unemotional (CU) traits identify a more severe group of oppositional defiant children (ODD). The aim of this study is to ascertain cross-sectionally and longitudinally the specific contribution of CU levels and the presence of ODD in the psychological state of preschool children from the general population. A total of 622 children were assessed longitudinally at ages 3 and 5 with a semi-structured diagnostic interview and questionnaires filled out by parents and teachers. In multivariate models simultaneously including ODD diagnosis and CU levels, controlling by socioeconomic status, ethnicity, sex, severity of conduct disorder symptoms and other comorbidity, high CU scores were related to higher levels of aggression, withdrawn, externalizing and global symptomatology, functional impairment and higher probability of comorbid disorders and use of services. The contribution of CU traits on children’s psychological state was not moderated by the presence/absence of ODD. Stability for CU traits and number of ODD-symptoms between ages 3 and 5 was statistically significant but moderate-low (intra-class correlation under .40). Assessment and identification of CU traits from preschool might help to identify a subset of children who could have socialization problems, not only among those with ODD but also among those without a diagnosis of conduct problems.     

行为遗传的双生子研究

本研究采用双生子法对人类几项行为 (简单的生理-心理动作、记忆、智能、个性) 进行了研究。以探讨上述行为中遗传与环境因素的不同影响。结果证明,上述行为均有不同程度的遗传倾向。但这种倾向随着行为的简单到复杂及与环境接触时间的增长有所不同。似乎有减弱的趋势。Abstract: In order to investigate genetic and inviromental factors influenceing human behavios. Authors studies some humen behaviors (Physical-psychological action, memory, intelligence, and personality) with twins method. The result shows that the above behaviors have different genetic prepotency. It seems to be decrease depending on times of contacting enviroment and from simple to complex behaviors.     

The Genetics of Development and Behavior in Caenorhabditis elegans

The current genetic research on Caenorhabditis elegans and the application of genetic techniques to the analysis of development and behavior in this animal are reviewed. Some aspects of the work are emphasized more than others and this inevitably reflects the author''s own interests and prejudices. An effort was made to point out the advantages that C. elegans offers for certain types of investigations and to point out, in general terms, the relevance of this work to other areas of biological research.     

Feasibility and Uncertainty in Behavior Genetics for the Nonhuman Primate

The analysis of phenotypic covariances among genetically related individuals is the basis for estimations of genetic and phenotypic effects on phenotypes. Beyond heritability, there are several other estimates that can be made with behavior genetic models of interest to primatologists. Some of these estimates are feasible with primate samples because they take advantage of the types of relatives available to compare in primate species and because most behaviors are expressed orders of magnitude more often and in a greater variety of contexts than morphological or life-history traits. The hypotheses that can be tested with these estimates are contrasted with hypotheses that will be difficult to achieve in primates because of sample size limitations. Feasible comparisons include the proportion of variance from interaction effects, the variation of genetic effects across environments, and the genetics of growth and development. Simulation shows that uncertainty of genetic parameters can be reduced by sampling each individual more than once. Because sample sizes are likely to remain relatively small in most primate behavior genetics, expressing uncertainty in parameter estimates is needed to move our inferences forward.     

The Development of Voluntary Behavior in Preschool-Age Children

In the literature on the psychology of the preschool-age child one finds it frequently stated that the preschool period is when the first signs of the development of volition [or the will] appear (Ushinsky [19], Sikorskii [17], Kornilov [6], and others). Empirical studies on the development of specific processes in the child, e.g., perception, memory, speech, and movement, have shown that the principal change these processes undergo in the three-to-seven-year-old child is that they become voluntary and subject to regulation.* Empirical studies have also been made, of course, on the specific problem of the development of voluntary behavior in the child (Ivanov [4], Gurevich [3], Gorbacheva [2]).     

发展性阅读障碍的产生机制——从行为到遗传研究

发展性阅读障碍(developmental dyslexia,DD)是一种特殊的学习障碍,探索DD的产生机制有助于寻求DD儿童的鉴别和治疗方法.目前拼音文宁国家对DD的产生机制研究很多,结果也很丰富,但是很多观点还不一致.汉语DD研究起步较晚,各方面还不够深入和完善.简述了DD在认知、脑神经和基因方面的研究进展,对拼音文字DD与汉语DD的研究结果进行了对比,以揭示不同语言文字系统下DD者的认知神经差异.研究认为,应该大力加强对汉语DD的探究,这样不但为中国DD儿童的诊治提供理论基础,也可以为DD的语种特异性问题提供科学依据.     

Clinical Population Genetics of Hereditary Diseases among Children of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic

Russian Journal of Genetics - The results of genetic and epidemiological study of monogenic hereditary diseases (HD) among children of the Karachay-Cherkess Republics are presented. The surveyed...     

Sedentary Behavior and Obesity in a Large Cohort of Children

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between sedentary behavior and obesity among 12‐year‐old children, while adjusting for moderate‐to‐vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and other potential confounding variables. Cross‐sectional analyses were carried out with data from 5,434 children who participated in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). Fat mass was derived using dual‐energy X‐ray emission absorptiometry, and height and weight measurements were used to calculate BMI (kg/m²). The children wore an accelerometer for 7 days. The cut points for sedentary behavior and MVPA were ≤199 and ≥3,600 counts per minute (cpm), respectively. Logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate odds ratios (ORs), adjusting for potential confounders of physical activity that included gender, social factors, early life factors, and maturation. The minimally adjusted association between sedentary behavior and obesity was positive, OR = 1.18 (1.08, 1.28). After adjusting for the series of potential confounders of physical activity the positive association remained, OR = 1.32 (1.14, 1.53). The crude association between 15 min of MVPA per day and obesity was negative, OR = 0.54 (0.48, 0.62). When 15 min of MVPA per day was additionally controlled for in the models, the positive associations between sedentary behavior and obesity were negated. Sedentary behavior was positively associated with obesity in the 12‐year‐old children, but this association was not independent of MVPA; low levels of MVPA among the sedentary children increased the odds of obesity. These findings support the importance of specifically engaging in MVPA during childhood to reduce the prevalence of obesity.     

Genetics of Intraspecies Variation in Avoidance Behavior Induced by a Thermal Stimulus in Caenorhabditis elegans

Individuals within a species vary in their responses to a wide range of stimuli, partly as a result of differences in their genetic makeup. Relatively little is known about the genetic and neuronal mechanisms contributing to diversity of behavior in natural populations. By studying intraspecies variation in innate avoidance behavior to thermal stimuli in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, we uncovered genetic principles of how different components of a behavioral response can be altered in nature to generate behavioral diversity. Using a thermal pulse assay, we uncovered heritable variation in responses to a transient temperature increase. Quantitative trait locus mapping revealed that separate components of this response were controlled by distinct genomic loci. The loci we identified contributed to variation in components of thermal pulse avoidance behavior in an additive fashion. Our results show that the escape behavior induced by thermal stimuli is composed of simpler behavioral components that are influenced by at least six distinct genetic loci. The loci that decouple components of the escape behavior reveal a genetic system that allows independent modification of behavioral parameters. Our work sets the foundation for future studies of evolution of innate behaviors at the molecular and neuronal level.     

Interpretation of Dog Behavior by Children and Young Adults

This study investigates people's ability to interpret dog behavior. Inability to interpret dog behavior correctly may be a factor contributing to young children's higher likelihood of being bitten by dogs. Children (4- to 10-year-olds) and adults (total n = 550) watched videos of dogs displaying friendly, aggressive, and fearful behavior. They were asked to interpret the dogs' behaviors and to describe which features they had attended to in making their decision. Four- and 6-year-old children were unable to identify fearful dogs, while participants in all age groups were capable of identifying friendly and aggressive behavior (p < 0.001). Misinterpretations of fearful behavior were significantly associated with reports of attending to the dog's face rather than other features (χ² = 80.2, df = 1, p < 0.001). Four-year-olds were particularly likely to report looking at the dog's face and together with 6-year-olds they focused more on one feature rather than multiple features in order to make their decisions. The results show that younger children are less good at interpreting dog behavior, and that they are particularly poor at recognizing fear in dogs, while aggression is the most readily recognized behavior. Children's lower ability to interpret dog behavior seems to be due to the features they focus on. Younger children appear to focus on the dogs' most salient features and not the features that would allow them to correctly interpret the dogs' behavior. For example, 4- and 6-year-olds tended to report attending to the fearful dog's face rather than its tail and general posture. The results suggest it would be beneficial to include information about how to interpret dog behavior in dog-bite prevention programs.