Disentangling the neural underpinnings of response inhibition in disruptive behavior and co-occurring ADHD.

While impaired response inhibition has been reported in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), findings in disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) have been inconsistent, probably due to unaccounted effects of co-occurring ADHD in DBD. This study investigated the associations of behavioral and neural correlates of response inhibition with DBD and ADHD symptom severity, covarying for each other in a dimensional approach. Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were available for 35 children and adolescents with DBDs (8-18 years old, 19 males), and 31 age-matched unaffected controls (18 males) while performing a performance-adjusted stop-signal task.

Neurofeedback for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Importance: Neurofeedback has been proposed for the treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but the efficacy of this intervention remains unclear.

Objective: To conduct a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) using probably blinded (ie, rated by individuals probably or certainly unaware of treatment allocation) or neuropsychological outcomes to test the efficacy of neurofeedback as a treatment for ADHD in terms of core symptom reduction and improved neuropsychological outcomes.

Data Sources: PubMed (MEDLINE), Ovid (PsycInfo, MEDLINE, Embase + Embase Classic), and Web of Science, as well as the reference lists of eligible records and relevant systematic reviews, were searched until July 25, 2023, with no language limits.

Long-term impact of maternal prenatal smoking on EEG brain activity and internalizing/externalizing problem symptoms in young adults.

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of smoking during pregnancy on the development of the child. While previous research has established its detrimental effects during early childhood, understanding potential long-term consequences into adulthood remains limited. This study specifically aimed to explore the influence of prenatal smoking exposure on brain activity and whether internalizing and externalizing symptoms are influenced by prenatal smoking exposure in a cohort of young adults.

Early-Life Adversities Are Associated With Lower Expected Value Signaling in the Adult Brain.

Background: Early adverse experiences are assumed to affect fundamental processes of reward learning and decision making. However, computational neuroimaging studies investigating these circuits in the context of adversity are sparse and limited to studies conducted in adolescent samples, leaving the long-term effects unexplored.

Methods: Using data from a longitudinal birth cohort study (n = 156; 87 female), we investigated associations between adversities and computational markers of reward learning (i.

Randomized controlled trial of individualized arousal-biofeedback for children and adolescents with disruptive behavior disorders (DBD).

Disruptive behavior disorders [including conduct disorder (CD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)] are common childhood and adolescent psychiatric conditions often linked to altered arousal. The recommended first-line treatment is multi-modal therapy and includes psychosocial and behavioral interventions. Their modest effect sizes along with clinically and biologically heterogeneous phenotypes emphasize the need for innovative personalized treatment targeting impaired functions such as arousal dysregulation.

Lifespan adversities affect neural correlates of behavioral inhibition in adults.

Introduction: Growing evidence suggests that adverse experiences have long-term effects on executive functioning and underlying neural circuits. Previous work has identified functional abnormalities during inhibitory control in frontal brain regions in individuals exposed to adversities. However, these findings were mostly limited to specific adversity types such as maltreatment and prenatal substance abuse.

Limited usefulness of neurocognitive functioning indices as predictive markers for treatment response to methylphenidate or neurofeedback@home in children and adolescents with ADHD.

Introduction: Earlier studies exploring the value of executive functioning (EF) indices for assessing treatment effectiveness and predicting treatment response in attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) mainly focused on pharmacological treatment options and revealed rather heterogeneous results. Envisioning the long-term goal of personalized treatment selection and intervention planning, this study comparing methylphenidate treatment (MPH) and a home-based neurofeedback intervention (NF@Home) aimed to expand previous findings by assessing objective as well as subjectively reported EF indices and by analyzing their value as treatment and predictive markers.

Methods: Children and adolescents ( = 146 in the per protocol sample) aged 7-13 years with a formal diagnosis of an inattentive or combined presentation of ADHD were examined.

Amygdala-related electrical fingerprint is modulated with neurofeedback training and correlates with deep-brain activation: proof-of-concept in borderline personality disorder.

Background: The modulation of brain circuits of emotion is a promising pathway to treat borderline personality disorder (BPD). Precise and scalable approaches have yet to be established. Two studies investigating the amygdala-related electrical fingerprint (Amyg-EFP) in BPD are presented: one study addressing the deep-brain correlates of Amyg-EFP, and a second study investigating neurofeedback (NF) as a means to improve brain self-regulation.

Normative Modeling of Brain Morphometry Across the Lifespan Using CentileBrain: Algorithm Benchmarking and Model Optimization.

We present an empirically benchmarked framework for sex-specific normative modeling of brain morphometry that can inform about the biological and behavioral significance of deviations from typical age-related neuroanatomical changes and support future study designs. This framework was developed using regional morphometric data from 37,407 healthy individuals (53% female; aged 3-90 years) following a comparative evaluation of eight algorithms and multiple covariate combinations pertaining to image acquisition and quality, parcellation software versions, global neuroimaging measures, and longitudinal stability. The Multivariate Factorial Polynomial Regression (MFPR) emerged as the preferred algorithm optimized using nonlinear polynomials for age and linear effects of global measures as covariates.

Different whole-brain functional connectivity correlates of reactive-proactive aggression and callous-unemotional traits in children and adolescents with disruptive behaviors.

Background: Disruptive behavior in children and adolescents can manifest as reactive aggression and proactive aggression and is modulated by callous-unemotional traits and other comorbidities. Neural correlates of these aggression dimensions or subtypes and comorbid symptoms remain largely unknown. This multi-center study investigated the relationship between resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) and aggression subtypes considering comorbidities.

Exploring real-time functional magnetic resonance imaging neurofeedback in adolescents with disruptive behavior disorder and callous unemotional traits.

Introduction: Adolescents with increased callous unemotional traits (CU traits) in the context of disruptive behavior disorder (DBD) show a persistent pattern of antisocial behavior with shallow affect and a lack of empathy or remorse. The amygdala and insula as regions commonly associated with emotion processing, empathy and arousal are implicated in DBD with high CU traits. While behavioral therapies for DBD provide significant but small effects, individualized treatments targeting the implicated brain regions are missing.

A stable and replicable neural signature of lifespan adversity in the adult brain.

Environmental adversities constitute potent risk factors for psychiatric disorders. Evidence suggests the brain adapts to adversity, possibly in an adversity-type and region-specific manner. However, the long-term effects of adversity on brain structure and the association of individual neurobiological heterogeneity with behavior have yet to be elucidated.

The importance of high quality real-life social interactions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought about dramatic restrictions to real-life social interactions and a shift towards more online social encounters. Positive social interactions have been highlighted as an important protective factor, with previous studies suggesting an involvement of the amygdala in the relationship between social embeddedness and well-being. The present study investigated the effect of the quality of real-life and online social interactions on mood, and explored whether this association is affected by an individual's amygdala activity.

Remote assessment of ADHD in children and adolescents: recommendations from the European ADHD Guidelines Group following the clinical experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic led ADHD services to modify the clinical practice to reduce in-person contact as much as possible to minimise viral spread. This had far-reaching effects on day-to-day clinical practice as remote assessments were widely adopted. Despite the attenuation of the acute threat from COVID, many clinical services are retaining some remote practices.

The importance of familial risk factors in children with ADHD: direct and indirect effects of family adversity, parental psychopathology and parenting practices on externalizing symptoms.

Background: Children experiencing unfavorable family circumstances have an increased risk of developing externalizing symptoms. The present study examines the direct, indirect and total effects of family adversity, parental psychopathology, and positive and negative parenting practices on symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in children with ADHD.

Methods: Data from 555 children (M = 8.

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on children with and without affective dysregulation and their families.

Analyzing COVID-19-related stress in children with affective dysregulation (AD) seems especially interesting, as these children typically show heightened reactivity to potential stressors and an increased use of maladaptive emotion regulation strategies. Children in out-of-home care often show similar characteristics to those with AD. Since COVID-19 has led to interruptions in psychotherapy for children with mental health problems and to potentially reduced resources to implement treatment strategies in daily life in families or in out-of-home care, these children might show a particularly strong increase in stress levels.

Emotion recognition profiles in clusters of youth based on levels of callous-unemotional traits and reactive and proactive aggression.

Youth with disruptive behavior showing high callous-unemotional (CU) traits and proactive aggression are often assumed to exhibit distinct impairments in emotion recognition from those showing mainly reactive aggression. Yet, reactive and proactive aggression and CU traits may co-occur to varying degrees across individuals. We aimed to investigate emotion recognition in more homogeneous clusters based on these three dimensions.

Visual Occipito-Temporal N1 Sensitivity to Digits Across Elementary School.

Number processing abilities are important for academic and personal development. The course of initial specialization of ventral occipito-temporal cortex (vOTC) sensitivity to visual number processing is crucial for the acquisition of numeric and arithmetic skills. We examined the visual N1, the electrophysiological correlate of vOTC activation across five time points in kindergarten (T1, mean age 6.

Toward Precision Medicine in ADHD.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex and heterogeneous neurodevelopmental condition for which curative treatments are lacking. Whilst pharmacological treatments are generally effective and safe, there is considerable inter-individual variability among patients regarding treatment response, required dose, and tolerability. Many of the non-pharmacological treatments, which are preferred to drug-treatment by some patients, either lack efficacy for core symptoms or are associated with small effect sizes.

Resting state EEG power spectrum and functional connectivity in autism: a cross-sectional analysis.

Background: Understanding the development of the neuronal circuitry underlying autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is critical to shed light into its etiology and for the development of treatment options. Resting state EEG provides a window into spontaneous local and long-range neuronal synchronization and has been investigated in many ASD studies, but results are inconsistent. Unbiased investigation in large and comprehensive samples focusing on replicability is needed.

Age-related brain deviations and aggression.

Background: Disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) are heterogeneous at the clinical and the biological level. Therefore, the aims were to dissect the heterogeneous neurodevelopmental deviations of the affective brain circuitry and provide an integration of these differences across modalities.

Methods: We combined two novel approaches.

Exploring psychophysiological indices of disruptive behavior disorders and their subtypes of aggression.

Background: Psychophysiological measures of arousal are often considered as potential biomarkers for disruptive behavior disorder (DBD). Nevertheless, the evidence is mixed, possibly reflecting the heterogeneity of DBD and different subtypes of aggression. Additionally, arousal measures of the central nervous system (e.