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Different neurocognitive functions regulating physical aggression and hyperactivity in early childhood.

ABSTRACT: There are strong parallels between early childhood and adolescent behavior problems. However, we do not know if behavioral symptoms associate with neurocognitive processes in very young children as they do in older children.We studied a population-based birth cohort of children (N = 1,950) whose developmental trajectories of physical aggression and hyperactivity were assessed between the ages of 17 and 41 months. We measured the following neurocognitive abilities at 41 months of age: Receptive vocabulary, visuospatial organization, and short-term memory.After controlling for other neurocognitive abilities, frequent physical aggression was related specifically to receptive vocabulary deficits (p < .0001) while frequent hyperactivity was related specifically to deficits of visuospatial organization (p < .0001). The pattern of associations was robust despite controls for socioeconomic and perinatal status.The different neurocognitive correlates of physical aggression and hyperactivity problems observed during adolescence are apparent in early childhood. Whereas physical aggression problems are associated with language deficits, hyperactivity problems are related to non-verbal deficits.

SUBMITTER: Seguin JR

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3278400 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Different neurocognitive functions regulating physical aggression and hyperactivity in early childhood.

Séguin Jean R JR Parent Sophie S Tremblay Richard E RE Zelazo Philip David PD

Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, and allied disciplines 20090227 6

<h4>Background</h4>There are strong parallels between early childhood and adolescent behavior problems. However, we do not know if behavioral symptoms associate with neurocognitive processes in very young children as they do in older children.<h4>Methods</h4>We studied a population-based birth cohort of children (N = 1,950) whose developmental trajectories of physical aggression and hyperactivity were assessed between the ages of 17 and 41 months. We measured the following neurocognitive abiliti ...[more]

PMID: 19298475

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Project description:BackgroundResearch shows that children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder are at elevated risk of criminality. However, several issues still need to be addressed in order to verify whether hyperactivity in itself plays a role in the prediction of criminality. In particular, co-occurrence with other behaviors as well as the internal heterogeneity in ADHD symptoms (hyperactivity and inattention) should be taken into account. The aim of this study was to assess the unique and interactive contributions of hyperactivity to the development of criminality, whilst considering inattention, physical aggression and family adversity.Methodology/principal findingsWe monitored the development of a population-based sample of kindergarten children (N?=?2,741). Hyperactivity, inattention, and physical aggression were assessed annually between the ages of 6 and 12 years by mothers and teachers. Information on the presence, the age at first charge and the type of criminal charge was obtained from official records when the participants were aged 25 years. We used survival analysis models to predict the development of criminality in adolescence and adulthood: high childhood hyperactivity was highly predictive when bivariate analyses were used; however, with multivariate analyses, high hyperactivity was only marginally significant (Hazard Ratio: 1.38; 95% CI: 0.94-2.02). Sensitivity analyses revealed that hyperactivity was not a consistent predictor. High physical aggression was strongly predictive (Hazard Ratio: 3.44; 95% CI: 2.43-4.87) and its role was consistent in sensitivity analyses and for different types of crime. Inattention was not predictive of later criminality.Conclusions/significanceAlthough the contribution of childhood hyperactivity to criminality may be detected in large samples using multi-informant longitudinal designs, our results show that it is not a strong predictor of later criminality. Crime prevention should instead target children with the highest levels of childhood physical aggression and family adversity.

Project description:ImportanceThis study used multitrajectory modeling to identify distinct trajectories of physical aggression from ages 1.5 to 13 years for boys and girls.ObjectivesTo trace the development of boys' and girls' physical aggression problems from infancy to adolescence using mother ratings, teacher ratings, and self-ratings and to identify early family predictors of children on the high physical aggression trajectories.Design, setting, and participantsThis cohort study used data from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD), a study of a representative, population-based sample of 2223 infants born in 1997 and 1998 in the Canadian province of Quebec. The dates of analysis were January 2017 to January 2018.Main outcomes and measuresTrained research assistants conducted 7 interviews (at child ages 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, 4.5, 5, 6, and 8 years) with the person most knowledgeable about the child (mothers in 99.6% [2214 of 2223] of cases). Teachers assessed the child's behavior at ages 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, and 13 years. Self-reports of behavior problems were obtained from the child at ages 10, 12, and 13 years.ResultsThe sample included 2223 participants, 51.2% of whom were boys and 91.2% of whom were of white race/ethnicity. The mean response rate for mother ratings of physical aggression during the first 8 years of life was 80.9% (range, 65.1%-91.7%). For teacher ratings of physical aggression from ages 6 to 13 years, the mean response rate was 45.7% (range, 35.4%-56.9%), while the mean response rate of physical aggression assessment from self-ratings between ages 10 and 13 years was 57.9% (range, 55.2%-60.5%). Attrition was higher among families with low socioeconomic status and single-parent families, as well as among young mothers and mothers who were not fluent in French or English. A statistical analysis to examine the consequences of attrition was included. For boys and girls, the frequency of physical aggressions increased from age 1.5 years (2039 [91.7%]) to age 3.5 years (1941 [87.3%]) and then substantially decreased until age 13 years (1228 [55.2%]). Three distinct developmental trajectories of physical aggression were observed for girls and 5 for boys. Most family characteristics measured at 5 months after the child's birth were associated with a high physical aggression trajectory for boys and girls.Conclusions and relevanceFamily characteristics at 5 months after the child's birth could be used to target preschool interventions aimed at preventing the development of boys' and girls' chronic physical aggression problems.

Project description:Animal and human studies suggest that inflammation is associated with behavioral disorders including aggression. We have recently shown that physical aggression of boys during childhood is strongly associated with reduced plasma levels of cytokines IL-1a, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10, later in early adulthood (Provencal et al., unpublished data). This study tests the hypothesis that there is an association between differential DNA methylation regions in cytokine genes in T cells and monocytes DNA in adult subjects and a trajectory of physical aggression from childhood to adolescence. We compared the methylation profiles of the entire genomic loci encompassing the IL-1a, IL-6, IL-4, IL10 and IL8 and three of their regulatory transcription factors (TF) NFkB1, NFAT5 and STAT6 genes in adult males on a chronic physical aggression trajectory (CPA) and males with the same background who followed a normal physical aggression trajectory (control group). We used the method of methylated DNA immunoprecipitation (MeDIP) with comprehensive cytokine gene loci and TF loci microarray hybridization, statistical analysis and false discovery rate correction. We recruited two groups of Caucasian males who were born in families with a low socioeconomic status and were living at the time of the present study within 200km from our laboratory. The first group, composed of 8 subjects, had a history of chronic physical aggression from age 6 to 15 years (chronic physical aggression group, CPA). The second group, composed of 12 subjects, was recruited from the same longitudinal studies but included only those who did not have a history of chronic physical aggression from age 6 to 15 (Control group, CG). Using custom-designed microarrays with 44K probes tiling cytokines IL-1a, IL-6, IL-4, IL10 and IL8 and three of their regulatory transcription factors (TF) NFkB1, NFAT5 and STAT6, we obtained DNA methylation profiles by meDIP-chip. Each profile was generated in triplicate.

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Different neurocognitive functions regulating physical aggression and hyperactivity in early childhood.

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Different neurocognitive functions regulating physical aggression and hyperactivity in early childhood.

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