Evaluating a computer-based body exposure paradigm for the treatment of body image disturbance in adolescent Anorexia Nervosa: effects on the attentional bias and emotions.

Background: A diagnostic criterion of Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is body image disturbance. Body exposure therapy is a widely used approach to treat this; however, it is unclear which part of body exposure therapy is relevant for regaining a realistic perspective on the own body. This study aimed to examine the role of the attentional bias (AB), which AN patients exhibit to the most disliked parts of their body.

Early intervention for adolescents with anorexia nervosa: Pilot evaluation of an outpatient group therapy prior to inpatient treatment.

Objective: An increasing demand for inpatient treatment for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) during and after the Covid-19 pandemic contrasts with limited capacity and long waiting times. The current pilot study evaluated an outpatient group therapy (GT) as early intervention for adolescents with AN prior to inpatient treatment.

Methods: Seventeen female adolescents who participated at the GT (intervention group, INT) were compared to 16 adolescents without GT (treatment-as-usual, TAU).

Processing of food stimuli in anorexia nervosa: An ERP-study comparing adolescents and adults.

Background: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is associated with altered processing of disorder-relevant stimuli. Event-related potentials (ERP) - such as the Late Positive Potential (LPP) - give information about the underlying mechanisms of central nervous stimulus processing.

Methods: Patients with AN (22 adolescents, 23 adults) and healthy controls (HCs; 17 adolescents, 24 adults) were included.

Effects of an App-Based Mindfulness Intervention during Pregnancy on the Infant's Prenatal Androgen Exposure: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

Prenatal androgen exposure modulates the development of the brain, with lasting effects on its function and behavior over the infant's life span. Environmental factors during pregnancy, in particular maternal stress, have been shown to influence the androgen load of the unborn child. We here addressed the research gap on whether a mindfulness intervention or a pregnancy education administered to pregnant women more affects the androgen exposure of the unborn child (quantified by the proxies of second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) and anogenital distance assessed one year after delivery and at delivery, respectively).

A 10-Year-Old Girl's Dysfunctional 'Self-Help' in ADHD: Suppression of Hyperkinetic Symptoms via Self-Induced Weight Loss in the Context of Anorexia Nervosa-A Case Report.

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are frequent mental disorders in child and adolescent psychiatry. Comorbidity of these disorders is, however, rare among minors. Thus, little is known about their mutual impact on illness development as well as diagnostic and therapeutic influencing factors.

The Father's Part: Influences of Paternal Psychopathology and Parenting Behavior on Child and Adolescent Well-Being.

Family influences on child quality of life (QoL) are increasingly understood. Parenting behavior and parent individual psychopathology are among the established predictors of offspring mental health. However, literature often addresses these factors as 'parental', lacking further gender-specific differentiation while predominantly studying maternal aspects.

Effects of prenatal alcohol exposition on cognitive outcomes in childhood and youth: a longitudinal analysis based on meconium ethyl glucuronide.

Background: Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) has been linked to severe, adverse child outcomes. However, little is known regarding subclinical outcomes of low/moderate PAE and its longitudinal consequences, especially regarding neurophysiological and neurocognitive development. A newborn biomarker of PAE, meconium ethyl glucuronide (EtG), has been shown to predict cognitive impairments in primary-school-aged children.

The Benefit of a Retrospective Pregnancy Anamnesis in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry: The Reliability of Maternal Self-Report during Childhood Development.

Pregnancy anamnesis is a crucial part of child and adolescent psychiatry diagnostics. In previous works, the reliability of retrospective maternal self-report on perinatal characteristics was heterogeneous. This prospective longitudinal study aimed to evaluate women's recall of prenatal events in a within-subject design.

2D:4D biomarker reliability and validity in a within-subject pregnancy-childhood-adolescence cohort.

Background: A lot of studies use the second-to-fourth digit length ratio (2D:4D) as a biomarker for intrauterine androgen load to predict behavioral and mental health problems. Thus, knowledge of 2D:4D's metric properties, namely reliability and validity, is essential.

Method: 2D:4D handscans were available from 149 adolescents (M = 13.

Heart Rate as a Correlate for the Emotional Processing of Body Stimuli in Anorexia Nervosa.

In anorexia nervosa, aberrant emotional reactions toward body stimuli have been discussed. We investigated heart rate as a physiological marker when viewing body stimuli and hypothesized altered HR reactions toward those highly significant and emotional stimuli in anorexia nervosa. In total, 37 anorexia nervosa patients and 43 control participants viewed pictures of women of five different weight categories, while their cardiac activity was recorded.

Becoming a Teenager after Early Surgical Ventricular Septal Defect (VSD) Repair: Longitudinal Biopsychological Data on Mental Health and Maternal Involvement.

Beside somatic strains of congenital heart diseases (CHD), affected children often show developmental impairments in the long term. Ventricular septal defect (VSD) is the most common congenital heart defect and early surgical repair is associated with positive somatic outcomes. However, psychological adjustment is of lifelong relevance.

Are perinatal measures associated with adolescent mental health? A retrospective exploration with original data from psychiatric cohorts.

Background: Perinatal markers of prenatal development are associated with offspring psychiatric symptoms. However, there is little research investigating the specificity of perinatal markers for the development of specific disorders. This study aimed to explore if perinatal markers are specifically associated with adolescent substance use disorder (SUDs).

Effects of the COVID-19 Restrictions on Eating Behaviour and Eating Disorder Symptomology in Female Adolescents.

Confinement due to the COVID-19 pandemic imposes a burden on adolescents worldwide and may seriously impact patients with an eating disorder (ED). The current anconian norexia ervosa during VID-19 (FRANCO) study explored (1) perceived change of depressive and ED symptomology during lockdown, (2) the role of social media, and (3) coping strategies of anorexia nervosa (AN) patients and clinical as well as healthy comparison groups. From June 2021 to September 2021, 222 female adolescents (19 with AN, 20 with depression, 45 with a self-reported psychiatric disorder (SRPD), and 138 controls) aged 11.

[Maternal depression and child development: A prospective analysis of consequences, risk and protective factors].

Maternal stress, specifically maternal mental health problems, are considered risk factors for child development. The literature suggests that prenatal depressive symptoms as well as depressive symptoms are a widespread phenomenon during the further development of the child and have repeatedly been shown to have adverse effects on child mental health outcomes. The present study examined the longitudinal relationships between maternal depression (prenatal, postnatal, during childhood and adolescence) and child mental health from childhood to adolescence.

Computer Based Body Exposure in Adolescents With Anorexia Nervosa: A Study Protocol.

Body dissatisfaction is a core feature of eating disorders (EDs) and plays an essential role in the development and maintenance of anorexia nervosa (AN). In the current study, a computer based body exposure intervention is conducted and evaluated regarding short-term effects on body dissatisfaction, psychopathology, viewing patterns, and stress reactivity. Within a randomized controlled trial (RCT) female adolescents and young women with AN are either receiving the intervention or treatment as usual (TAU).

Comparison of C-Reactive Protein in Dried Blood Spots and Saliva of Healthy Adolescents.

Background/aim: Determining C-reactive protein (CRP) by non-invasive methods is of great interest for research addressing inflammation in young people. However, direct comparisons of such methods applied in children and adolescents are lacking so far. This study aimed to evaluate the association between CRP measured in dried blood spots (DBS CRP) and in saliva (sCRP), two less invasive alternatives to venipuncture, in 12- to 14-year-old adolescents.

Association of Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and Prenatal Maternal Depression with Offspring Low-Grade Inflammation in Early Adolescence.

(1) This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the link between prenatal alcohol exposure and prenatal maternal depression with the offspring's low-grade inflammatory status. (2) Prenatal alcohol exposure was determined via maternal self-report during the 3rd trimester of pregnancy (self-report+: = 29) and the meconium alcohol metabolite Ethyl Glucuronide (EtG), collected at birth (≥30 ng/g: = 23). The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) was used to screen for prenatal maternal depressive symptoms during the 3rd trimester (≥10: = 35).

[Sleep behavior and problems in children and adolescents of a psychiatric day clinic sample: results and requirements for systematic diagnostic].

Sleep behavior and problems in children and adolescents of a psychiatric day clinic sample: results and requirements for systematic diagnostic Sleep disorders are common in adults as well as children and adolescents. Children and adolescents in psychiatric treatment (CAP) are especially affected by sleep problems. Cognitive behavioral therapy represents the first-line treatment, preceded by a standardized procedure for sleep diagnostics.

Prenatally traumatized mice reveal hippocampal methylation and expression changes of the stress-related genes Crhr1 and Fkbp5.

In our previous study, we found that prenatal trauma exposure leads to an anxiety phenotype in mouse pups, characterized by increased corticosterone levels and increased anxiety-like behavior. In order to understand the mechanisms by which aversive in utero experience leads to these long-lasting behavioral and neuroendocrine changes, we investigated stress reactivity of prenatally traumatized (PT) mice, as well as the expression and methylation levels of several key regulatory genes of the stress axis in the dorsal hippocampus (dHPC) of the PT embryo and adult mice. We detected increased corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor 1 (Crhr1) and decreased FK506 binding protein 5 (Fkbp5) mRNA levels in the left dHPC of adult PT mice.

Prenatal Alcohol Exposure and the Facial Phenotype in Adolescents: A Study Based on Meconium Ethyl Glucuronide.

Here, we explore the effects of prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) in adolescence. We investigated associations between meconium ethyl glucoronide (EtG) and facial malformation. For 129 children (66/63 male/female; M = 13.

Exploring Reference Values for Hair Cortisol: Hair Weight Versus Hair Protein.

Background: As a marker of cumulative cortisol activity, hair cortisol has received attention in clinical and methodological research. Currently, it is a common practice to relate the hair cortisol concentration (HCC) to hair weight. This article explores the hair protein concentration (HPC) as another possible reference value for HCC.

The association between prenatal alcohol consumption and preschool child stress system disturbance.

Background: Drinking alcohol during pregnancy is considered a risk factor for child development; however, child biomarkers of prenatal alcohol exposure have been rarely studied. We examined whether a meconium alcohol metabolite (ethyl glucuronide, EtG) was associated with child cortisol concentrations at primary school age.

Methods: For 137 children, prenatal alcohol exposure was operationalized by the meconium biomarker EtG and by maternal self-reports during pregnancy.

Attention towards food: Conflicting mechanisms in anorexia nervosa.

In Anorexia nervosa (AN) attentional biases towards, as well as away from, food cues have been found using different paradigms. In the current study, adult and adolescent AN patients and control participants performed two tasks while their eye movements were recorded. The tasks involved viewing and rating: 1.

Genome-Wide DNA Methylation Patterns in Children Exposed to Nonpharmacologically Treated Prenatal Depressive Symptoms: Results From 2 Independent Cohorts.

Background: Maternal depressive symptoms are a common phenomenon during pregnancy and are related to negative outcomes for child development and health. Modifications in child DNA methylation are discussed as an underlying mechanism for the association between prenatal depressive symptoms and alterations in child outcomes. However, formerly reported genome-wide associations have yet to be replicated.

Exploring Reference Values for Hair Cortisol: Hair Weight versus Hair Protein.

Background: As a marker of cumulative cortisol activity, hair cortisol has received attention in clinical and methodological research. Currently, it is common practice to relate hair cortisol concentration (HCC) to hair weight. The present paper explores hair protein concentration (HPC) as another possible reference value for HCC.