Publications by authors named "W A Silverman"

Background: Adults with Down syndrome (DS) have increased risk for developing Alzheimer's disease (AD). Several studies have found that the onset of new neuropsychiatric and behavioral symptoms in DS is associated with AD progression. There is evidence in the neurotypical population that AD-related apathy is more severe among males, while females display higher prevalence of depression, psychosis, and delusions.

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Background: The identification of predictors of treatment response is crucial for improving treatment outcome for children with anxiety disorders. Machine learning methods provide opportunities to identify combinations of factors that contribute to risk prediction models.

Methods: A machine learning approach was applied to predict anxiety disorder remission in a large sample of 2114 anxious youth (5-18 years).

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Article Synopsis
  • - Individuals with Down syndrome (DS) face a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease (AD), but about 20% do not show dementia symptoms until later in life, potentially due to the presence of mosaicism, which can reduce gene expression from chromosome 21.
  • - Researchers analyzed data from two major studies (ABC-DS and a legacy study) that included neuropsychological assessments and biomarkers to determine the prevalence and impact of mosaicism, finding it in less than 10% of participants.
  • - Those with mosaicism exhibited lower levels of AD-related biomarkers and a slower decline in cognitive scores compared to individuals with full trisomy, indicating a potential protective effect against dementia, though more research is needed to fully understand these findings.
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Extending a recent parent mediation efficacy trial, we identified parent reinforcement and relationship behaviors as setting boundary conditions, or moderators, of youth anxiety outcome in 254 youths and their parents, who were randomized to: (1) Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) with parent reinforcement behavior training (CBT + Reinf); (2) CBT with parent relationship behavior training (CBT + Relat); or (3) individual youth CBT - a comparator control arm. Findings revealed that parents with high baseline negative reinforcement levels and acceptance levels (i.e.

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Objective: Functional somatic symptoms are associated with significant distress and impairment for children and their families. Despite the central role that families play in their children's care, there is little clinical research to guide how parents can support their children with functional somatic symptoms and promote better functioning. To address this gap, we developed a parent-based intervention for functional somatic symptoms in children and obtained preliminary data on acceptability, feasibility, treatment satisfaction, and clinical outcomes.

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