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1. Relations between catechol‐O‐methyltransferase Val158Met genotype and inhibitory control development in childhood

   https://doi.org/10.1002/dev.21901  

   Bowers, Maureen E. ; Buzzell, George A. ; Salo, Virginia ; Troller‐Renfree, Sonya V. ; Hodgkinson, Colin A. ; Goldman, David ; Gorodetsky, Elena ; Martin McDermott, Jennifer ; Henderson, Heather A. ; Fox, Nathan A. ( August 2019 , Developmental Psychobiology)

   The Val158Met rs4680 single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at the catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) gene, primarily involved in dopamine breakdown within prefrontal cortex, has shown relations with inhibitory control (IC) in both adults and children. However, little is known about howCOMTgenotype relates to developmental trajectories of IC throughout childhood. Here, our study explored the effects of theCOMTgenotype (Val/Val, Val/Met, and Met/Met) on IC trajectories between the ages of 5 and 10 years. Children (n = 222) completed a Go/Nogo task at ages 5, 7, and 10; IC was characterized using signal detection theory to examine IC performance (d′) and response strategy (RS) (criterion).COMTgenotype was not related to initial levels of IC performance and RS at age 5 or change in RS from ages 5 to 10. In contrast,COMTgenotype was related to change in IC performance between 5 and 10 years. While Val/Val children did not differ from Val/Met children in development of IC performance, children with the Met/Met genotype exhibited more rapid development of IC performance when compared with Val/Met peers. These results suggest thatCOMTgenotype modulates the development of IC performance in middle childhood.

    

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2. Influence of age at seizure onset on the acquisition of neurodevelopmental skills in an SCN8A cohort

   https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.16288  

   Encinas, Alejandra C. ; Moore, Ida ; Watkins, Joseph C. ; Hammer, Michael F. ( July 2019 , Epilepsia)

   To characterize a cohort of patients withSCN8A‐related epilepsy and to perform analyses to identify correlations involving the acquisition of neurodevelopmental skills.

   We analyzed patient data (n = 91) submitted to an online registry tailored to characteristics of children withSCN8Avariants. Participants provided information on the history of their child's seizures, medications, comorbidities, and developmental skills based on the DenverIIitems. Spearman rank tests were utilized to test for correlations among a variety of aspects of seizures, medications, and neurodevelopmental progression.

   The 91 participants carried 71 missense variants (41 newly reported) and three truncating variants. Ages at seizure onset ranged from birth to >12 months of age (mean ± SD = 5 months 21 days ± 7 months 14 days). Multiple seizure types with multimodal onset times and developmental delay were observed as general features of this cohort. We found a positive correlation between a developmental score based upon percentage of acquired skills and the age at seizure onset, current seizure freedom, and initial febrile seizures. Analyses of cohort subgroups revealed clear distinctions between patients who had a single reported variant inSCN8Aand those with an additional variant reported in a gene other thanSCN8A, as well as between patients with different patterns of regression before and at seizure onset.

   This is the first study of anSCN8A patient cohort of this size and for which correlations between age at seizure onset and neurodevelopment were investigated. Our correlation studies suggest that variants of uncertain significance should be considered in assessing children withSCN8A‐related disorders. This study substantially improves the characterization of this patient population and our understanding of the neurodevelopmental effects associated with seizures forSCN8A patients, and provides a clinical context at initial presentation that may be prognostic for developmental outcome.

    

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3. Feasibility, Acceptability, and Initial Efficacy of Delivering Alcohol Use Cognitive Interventions via Crowdsourcing

   https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.13987  

   Strickland, Justin C. ; Hill, J. Chauncey ; Stoops, William W. ; Rush, Craig R. ( March 2019 , Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research)

   Inhibitory control training and working memory training are 2 cognitive interventions that have been considered for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Existing studies have typically relied on small samples that preclude the evaluation of small effects. Crowdsourcing is a sampling method that can address these limitations by effectively and efficiently recruiting large samples with varying health histories. This study tested the feasibility and acceptability of delivering cognitive training interventions via crowdsourcing.

   Participants withAUDwere recruited from the crowdsourcing website Amazon Mechanical Turk (mTurk) (ClinicalTrials.gov;NCT03438539). Following completion of a baseline survey, participants were randomized to an inhibitory control, working memory, or control training condition. Participants were asked to complete training tasks daily over a 2‐week period. Follow‐up assessments evaluating acceptability measures and alcohol and soda consumption were completed immediately following and 2 weeks after training.

   Response rates were satisfactory over the 2‐week intervention period (65% of training tasks completed), and performance on training tasks was consistent with expected effects. A majority of participants indicated that they were satisfied with the study procedures (94.6%), would participate again (97.4%), and would consider incorporating the training task in their daily life (81.1%). Modest reductions in alcohol consumption were observed (e.g., 0.5 drinking day/wk), primarily in the inhibitory control group, and these effects were selective to alcohol use and did not extend to soda consumption.

   These findings demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of utilizing crowdsourcing methods for interventions development. Such a demonstration helps establish the crowdsourcing setting for future large sample studies testing novel interventions forAUDand other substance use disorders.

    

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4. Independent Component and Graph Theory Analyses Reveal Normalized Brain Networks on Resting‐State Functional MRI After Working Memory Training in People With HIV

   https://doi.org/10.1002/jmri.28439  

   Jia, Chunying ; Long, Qunfang ; Ernst, Thomas ; Shang, Yuanqi ; Chang, Linda ; Adali, Tülay ( September 2022 , Journal of Magnetic Resonance Imaging)

   Cognitive training may partially reverse cognitive deficits in people with HIV (PWH). Previous functional MRI (fMRI) studies demonstrate that working memory training (WMT) alters brain activity during working memory tasks, but its effects on resting brain network organization remain unknown.

   To test whether WMT affects PWH brain functional connectivity in resting‐state fMRI (rsfMRI).

   Prospective.

   A total of 53 PWH (ages 50.7 ± 1.5 years, two women) and 53HIV‐seronegative controls (SN, ages 49.5 ± 1.6 years, six women).

   Axial single‐shot gradient‐echo echo‐planar imaging at 3.0 T was performed at baseline (TL1), at 1‐month (TL2), and at 6‐months (TL3), after WMT.

   All participants had rsfMRI and clinical assessments (including neuropsychological tests) at TL1 before randomization to Cogmed WMT (adaptive training,n = 58: 28 PWH, 30 SN; nonadaptive training,n = 48: 25 PWH, 23 SN), 25 sessions over 5–8 weeks. All assessments were repeated at TL2 and at TL3. The functional connectivity estimated by independent component analysis (ICA) or graph theory (GT) metrics (eigenvector centrality, etc.) for different link densities (LDs) were compared between PWH and SN groups at TL1 and TL2.

   Two‐way analyses of variance (ANOVA) on GT metrics and two‐samplet‐tests on FC or GT metrics were performed. Cognitive (eg memory) measures were correlated with eigenvector centrality (eCent) using Pearson's correlations. The significance level was set atP < 0.05 after false discovery rate correction.

   The ventral default mode network (vDMN) eCent differed between PWH and SN groups at TL1 but not at TL2 (P = 0.28). In PWH, vDMN eCent changes significantly correlated with changes in the memory ability in PWH (r = −0.62 at LD = 50%) and vDMN eCent before training significantly correlated with memory performance changes (r = 0.53 at LD = 50%).

   ICA and GT analyses showed that adaptive WMT normalized graph properties of the vDMN in PWH.

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5. Binge‐eating disorder with and without lifetime anorexia nervosa: A comparison of sociodemographic and clinical features

   https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23858  

   Pawar, Pratiksha S. ; Thornton, Laura M. ; Flatt, Rachael E. ; Sanzari, Christina M. ; Carrino, Emily A. ; Tregarthen, Jenna P. ; Argue, Stuart ; Bulik, Cynthia M. ; Watson, Hunna J. ( November 2022 , International Journal of Eating Disorders)

   To compare individuals who have experienced binge‐eating disorder (BED) and anorexia nervosa (AN) (BED AN+) to those who have experienced BED and not AN (BED AN–).

   Participants (N = 898) met criteria for lifetime BED and reported current binge eating. Approximately 14% had a lifetime diagnosis of AN. Analyses compared BED AN+ and BED AN– on sociodemographic variables and clinical history.

   The presence of lifetimeANwas associated with more severe eating disorder symptoms, including earlier onset, more frequent, more chronic, and more types of eating disorder behaviors over the lifetime, as well as a higher lifetime prevalence of bulimia nervosa (BN). Participants with lifetimeANreported being more likely to have received treatments forBEDorBN, had significantly lower minimum, current, and maximumBMIs, had more severe general anxiety, and were significantly more likely to be younger and female. In the full sample, the lifetime prevalence of unhealthy weight control behaviors was high and treatment utilization was low, despite an average 15‐year history since symptom onset. Gastrointestinal disorders and comorbid anxiety, depression, and attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder symptoms were prevalent.

   Individuals fared poorly on a wide array of domains, yet those with lifetimeANfared considerably more poorly. All patients withBEDshould be screened for mental health and gastrointestinal comorbidities and offered referral and treatment options.

   Individuals experiencing binge‐eating disorder have severe symptomology, but those who have experienced binge‐eating disorder and anorexia nervosa fare even more poorly. Our study emphasizes that patients with binge‐eating disorder would benefit from being screened for mental health and gastrointestinal comorbidities, and clinicians should consider history of unhealthy weight control behaviors to inform treatment and relapse prevention.

    

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