Florida Department of Children and Families

Sleep disorders are linked with cognitive impairments, emotional dysregulation, and motivational alterations and have been parsed into two broad categories, parasomnias (altered sleep cycles) and dyssomnias (difficulties falling/staying asleep). We conducted coordinate-based meta-analyses to delineate common and distinct brain alterations across structural neuroimaging studies assessing parasomnias (n = 17) and dyssomnias (n = 40). To infer brain network-level and behavioral implications we additionally performed meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and functional decoding. Across all disorders, sleep disruption was associated with convergent structural decreases in the thalamus. When focusing on parasomnia-related studies, convergent structural decreases were observed in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). No regions of convergent structural alterations were identified across dyssomnia-related studies. MACM analyses indicated that the identified thalamic region was embedded in a broader cortico–striato–thalamic network, whereas the PCC region was embedded within a network composed of medial prefrontal, striatal, insular, and mid-cingulate regions. Functional decoding linked the thalamic region to behavioral domains involving task execution and performance monitoring, while the PCC region was associated with valuation, decision-making, and motivational regulation. These outcomes suggest that structural alterations associated with sleep-related disorders may disrupt distributed brain networks, potentially contributing to altered cognitive, emotional, and motivational functioning.

ABSTRACT Objective We examined the longitudinal effects of internet-delivered PCIT (iPCIT) on caregiver and child imitation in young Hispanic/Latine children with developmental delay (DD). We also examined the moderating roles of acculturation and enculturation on such treatment effects. Method Three-year-old, Hispanic/Latine children aging out of early intervention services for developmental delay (n = 98) and their primary caregivers were randomized to receive iPCIT or referrals as usual (RAU) in the community. Caregiver and child imitation were observationally coded during a 5-min child-directed play situation, which occurred during home-based evaluations at four timepoints – i.e. Baseline, Post, 6-month follow-up, and 12-month follow-up. Results Treatment effects were significantly moderated by caregiver acculturation. Specifically, iPCIT was associated with greater caregiver and child imitation among families reporting higher, but not lower, levels of caregiver acculturation. However, caregiver enculturation did not moderate the effects of iPCIT on either caregiver or child imitation. Conclusions Findings suggest parenting intervention effects on levels of imitation were particularly strong for Hispanic/Latine caregivers reporting higher levels of acculturation. This highlights the promotive role acculturative identity can play in boosting parenting intervention effects, particularly those of caregiver and child imitation. Findings also underscore the importance of assessing cultural factors to better inform personalized care and skill acquisition among Hispanic/Latine samples. Future research is needed to identify mechanisms that help explain precisely how cultural identity factors, such as acculturation and enculturation, can boost treatment-related imitation gains for Hispanic/Latine children with DD and their families.

ABSTRACT Although our understanding of the neural bases of speech and language has advanced considerably in recent decades, a disconnect persists between this knowledge and early interventions currently used in clinical practice. Insights into how neurobiological data may be incorporated into identification, differential diagnosis, and targeted treatment offer valuable lessons for early developmental intervention. Neurobiologically-informed methods already incorporated into the treatment of speech and language disorders show promise for improving treatment strategies, but these approaches are not yet widely adopted. Bridging the gap between neuroscience and clinical care could initiate a paradigm shift from symptom-based management to proactive, neurobiologically-informed care.

Food is essential for human survival; however, food can be an important route of exposure to contaminants. This study investigated the presence and distribution of anthropogenic contaminants in food consumed by families with small children in South Florida, United States, evaluating seasonal and socio-economic variabilities in chemical composition. QuEChERS protocols, followed by non-targeted analysis (NTA) using an LC-Orbitrap HRMS system, were used for the comprehensive screening of organic contaminants. The compounds were annotated and identified with the Compound Discoverer (CD) software, and contaminant distributions were analyzed using boxplots and Principal Component Analysis (PCA). The results showed significant seasonal and socio-economic differences in contaminant distributions (p < 0.05). In the wet season, a predominance of polymers and surfactants, such as dodecanedioic acid and N-dodecylacrylamide, were found in food, which might be due to increased transport of industrial pollutants during increased precipitation, while plasticizers (e.g., bis(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate) and drugs (e.g., warfarin) were more prevalent during the dry season, which could be related to less dilution effects in this period. A higher abundance of 1-nitrosopiperidine, present in cured meats, was noted in food from upper socio-economic classes, while the lower class showed higher abundance of benzocaine, a common topical anesthetic.

Cognitive bias modification (CBM) has evolved from an experimental method testing cognitive mechanisms of psychopathology to a promising tool for accessible digital mental health care. While we are still discovering the conditions under which clinically relevant effects occur, the dire need for accessible, effective, and low-cost mental health tools underscores the need for implementation where such tools are available. Providing our expert opinion as Association for Cognitive Bias Modification members, we first discuss the readiness of different CBM approaches for clinical implementation, then discuss key considerations with regard to implementation. Evidence is robust for approach bias modification as an adjunctive intervention for alcohol use disorders and interpretation bias modification as a stand-alone intervention for anxiety disorders. Theoretical predictions regarding the mechanisms by which bias and symptom change occur await further testing. We propose that CBM interventions with demonstrated efficacy should be provided to the targeted populations. To facilitate this, we set a research agenda based on implementation frameworks, which includes feasibility and acceptability testing, co-creation with end-users, and collaboration with industry partners.

Inhibitory control plays an important role in children's cognitive and socioemotional development, including their psychopathology. It has been established that contextual factors such as socioeconomic status (SES) and parents' psychopathology are associated with children's inhibitory control. However, the relations between the neural correlates of inhibitory control and contextual factors have been rarely examined in longitudinal studies. In the present study, we used both event-related potential (ERP) components and time-frequency measures of inhibitory control to evaluate the neural pathways between contextual factors, including prenatal SES and maternal psychopathology, and children's behavioral and emotional problems in a large sample of children (N = 560; 51.75% females; Mage = 7.13 years; Rangeage = 4-11 years). Results showed that theta power, which was positively predicted by prenatal SES and was negatively related to children's externalizing problems, mediated the longitudinal and negative relation between them. ERP amplitudes and latencies did not mediate the longitudinal association between prenatal risk factors (i.e., prenatal SES and maternal psychopathology) and children's internalizing and externalizing problems. Our findings increase our understanding of the neural pathways linking early risk factors to children's psychopathology.

Early adolescent alcohol use is associated with adverse developmental and health outcomes. Parental knowledge can prevent or delay substance use, while youth behaviors may concurrently influence parenting. More research is needed to examine the role of youth's perceptions of legitimacy of parental authority. This multi-informant study examined prospective bidirectional effects between parental knowledge and child disclosure alongside youth-reported alcohol use and perceived legitimacy of parental authority. Data were analyzed across three waves in a community sample of 304 mother-child dyads. A cross-lagged panel model was estimated using repeated measures of adolescent alcohol use, perceived legitimacy of parental authority, parental knowledge, and child disclosure. Positive reciprocal associations were found in early adolescence between child disclosure and both parental knowledge and perceived legitimacy of parental authority. Legitimacy of parental authority negatively predicted alcohol use across adolescence. Child alcohol use also negatively predicted parental knowledge among mothers in later adolescence. Effects were not reciprocated nor sustained. Novel findings demonstrate that the parental legitimacy beliefs predict reduced alcohol use and have a reciprocal association with child disclosure. Clinical implications to mitigate youth alcohol use initiation, by enhancing parental self-efficacy and positive parenting, are discussed.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptom profiles are known to undergo changes throughout development, rendering the neurobiological assessment of ADHD challenging across different developmental stages. Particularly in young children (ages 4 to 7 years), measuring inhibitory control network activity in the brain has been a formidable task due to the lack of child-friendly functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) paradigms. This study aims to address these difficulties by focusing on measuring inhibitory control in very young children within the MRI environment. A total of 56 children diagnosed with ADHD and 78 typically developing (TD) 4-7-year-old children were examined using a modified version of the Kiddie-Continuous Performance Test (K-CPT) during BOLD fMRI to assess inhibitory control. We concurrently evaluated their performance on the established and standardized K-CPT outside the MRI scanner. Our findings suggest that the modified K-CPT effectively elicited robust and expected brain activity related to inhibitory control in both groups. Comparisons between the two groups revealed subtle differences in brain activity, primarily observed in regions associated with inhibitory control, such as the inferior frontal gyrus, anterior insula, dorsal striatum, medial pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA), and cingulate cortex. Notably, increased activity in the right anterior insula was associated with improved response time (RT) and reduced RT variability on the K-CPT administered outside the MRI environment, although this did not survive statistical correction for multiple comparisons. In conclusion, our study successfully overcame the challenges of measuring inhibitory control in very young children within the MRI environment by utilizing a modified K-CPT during BOLD fMRI. These findings shed light on the neurobiological correlates of inhibitory control in ADHD and TD children, provide valuable insights for understanding ADHD across development, and potentially inform ADHD diagnosis and intervention strategies. The research also highlights remaining challenges with task fMRI in very young clinical samples.