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4 An Update: Greater Apathy Associated with Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor Use in Parkinson’s Disease
- Rachel Schade, Lauren Kenney, Alyssa Ray, Lauren Santos, Francesca Lopez, Adrianna Ratajska, Katie Rodriguez
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 110-111
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Objective:
Apathy is a primary lack of motivation that is frequently reported in Parkinson’s disease (PD) and often misdiagnosed as depression. In PD, apathy worsens over time with motor symptom progression. Evidence over the past 15 years has documented that use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is associated with increased apathy in patients with depression, including individuals with PD. In PD, this appears to be related to downregulation of dopaminergic systems by serotonin. Despite increasing evidence, SSRIs continue to be heavily prescribed in individuals with PD— potentially worsening apathy and decreasing quality of life for these individuals. This study is an update, re-examining the relationship between apathy and the use of SSRIs and other antidepressants in a large cohort of individuals with PD.
Participants and Methods:Participants included a convenience sample of 387 nondemented individuals with idiopathic PD who were in their mid-60's (mean age=64.9+8.72 years), well-educated (mean=14.95+2.78 years), predominantly male (72.4%), non-Hispanic white (94.5%), and in mid-stage of disease severity (on medication Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale motor score=25.3+10.1). All scored above clinical cutoff for dementia on a cognitive screener (Dementia Rating Scale-2 (DRS) > 125). Medications, cognitive, mood, and clinical data were extracted from chart review. Depression and apathy were measured using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-Il) and the Apathy Scale (AS). Antidepressant medications were grouped into SSRIs, serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) and other. Analyses included bootstrapped Pearson’s correlations, Pearson’s chi-square, and linear regressions
Results:Among 387 individuals with PD, 41.3% (N=160) were taking antidepressant medications. Of these 160, 61.3% were on SSRIs, 24.4% on SNRIs, and the remainder on other antidepressants. Approximately 36.9% of the 387 PD patients exceeded recommended clinical cutoffs for apathy (AS >14) and 23.5% for depression (BDI-II >14) (Starkstein et al., 1992; Beck et al., 1996). Individuals taking SSRIs (N=98, x2=5.14, p=0.023) or SNRIs (N=39; x2=5.43, p=0.020) were more likely to be clinically apathetic than those taking other depression medications (N=23; x2=1.28, p=0.26). Results of a multiple regression with age, education, disease duration, motor severity, DRS-2, BDI-II, and all psychotropic medications (anti-depressants, anti-anxiety, anti-psychotics) as independent variables explained 42.8% of the variance in total apathy scores (F[17,285]=12.550, p<0.001). SSRIs were the only medication to significantly predict greater AS scores (ß=0.110, p=0.020) in this model. Less education (ß=-0.119, p=0.017) worse cognition (ß=-0.128, p=0.009), and greater depressive symptoms (ß=0.561, p<0.001) were also significant predictors of apathy.
Conclusions:These findings suggest that use of SSRIs, but not other antidepressants, is associated with greater apathy in PD. Given the interactive relationship between serotonin and dopamine, the current findings highlight the importance of considering apathy as a potential adverse effect when determining which anti-depressants to prescribe to individuals with PD. Similarly, switching a SSRI for an alternative anti-depressant in individuals with PD who are apathetic may be a potential treatment for apathy that needs further study. Longitudinal studies are also needed to elucidate the relationship of apathy and anti-depressant use over time, specifically to determine potential causality of this observed association. Funding: T32-NS082168
22 Cognitive Reserve's Relationship to Brain Burden in Parkinson's Disease Without Dementia
- Lauren E. Kenney, Jared Tanner, Samuel J. Crowley, Thomas H. Mareci, Francesca V. Lopez, Adrianna M. Ratajska, Katie Rodriguez, Rachel Schade, Joshua Gertler, Catherine C. Price, Dawn Bowers
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 539-540
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Objective:
Individuals with Parkinson's disease (PD) have varying trajectories of cognitive decline. One reason for this heterogeneity may be "cognitive reserve": where higher education/IQ/current mental engagement compensates for increasing brain burden (Stern et al., 2020). With few exceptions, most studies examining cognitive reserve in PD fail to include brain metrics. This study's goal was to examine whether cognitive reserve moderated the relationship between neuroimaging indices of brain burden (diffusion free water fraction and T2-weighted white matter changes) and two commonly impaired domains in PD: executive function and memory. We hypothesized cognitive reserve would mitigate the relationship between higher brain burden and worse cognitive performance.
Participants and Methods:Participants included 108 individuals with PD without dementia (age mean=67.9±6.3, education mean=16.6±2.5) who were prospectively recruited for two NIH-funded projects at the University of Florida. All received neuropsychological measures of executive function (Trails B, Stroop, Letter Fluency) and memory (delayed recall: Hopkin's Verbal Learning Test-Revised, WMS-III Logical Memory). Domain specific z-score composites were created using data from age/education matched non-PD peer controls (N=62). For the Cognitive Reserve (CR) proxy, a z-score composite included years of education, WASI-II Vocabulary, and Wechsler Test of Adult Reading. At the time of testing, participants completed multiple MRI scans (T1-weighted, diffusion, Fluid Attenuated Inversion Recovery) from which the following were extracted: 1) whole-brain free water within the white matter (a measure of microstructural integrity and neuroinflammation), 2) white matter hyperintensities/white matter total volume (WMH/WMV), and bilaterally-averaged edge weights of white matter connectivity between 3) dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and caudate and 4) entorhinal cortex and hippocampi. Separate linear regressions for each brain metric used executive function and memory composites as dependent variables; predictors were age, CR proxy, respective brain metric, and a residual centered interaction term (brain metric*CR proxy). Identical models were run in dichotomized short and long disease duration groups (median split=6 years).
Results:In all models, a lower CR proxy significantly predicted worse executive function (WMH/WMV: beta=0.49, free water: beta=0.54, frontal edge weight: beta=0.49, p's<0.001) and memory (WMH/WMV: beta=0.42, free water: beta=0.35, temporal edge weight: beta=0.39, p's <0.01). For neuroimaging metrics, higher free water significantly predicted worse executive function (beta=-0.39, p=0.002) but not memory. No other brain metrics were significant predictors of either domain. Accounting for PD duration, higher free water predicted worse executive function for those with both short (beta=-0.49, p=0.04) and long disease duration (beta=-0.48, p=0.02). Specifically in those with long disease duration, higher free water (beta=-0.57 p=0.02) and lower edge weights between entorhinal cortex and hippocampi (beta=0.30, p=0.03) predicted worse memory. Overall, no models contained significant interactions between the CR proxy and any brain metric.
Conclusions:Results replicate previous work showing that a cognitive reserve proxy relates to cognition. However, cognitive reserve did not moderate brain burden's relationship to cognition. Across the sample, greater neuroinflammation was associated with worse executive function. For those with longer disease duration, higher neuroinflammation and lower medial temporal white matter connectivity related to worse memory. Future work should examine other brain burden metrics to determine whether/how cognitive reserve influences the cognitive trajectory of PD.
3 The Relationship Between Depression, Anxiety, and Autonomic Dysfunction in de novo Parkinson’s Disease Patients Over Time
- Adrianna M. Ratajska, Francesca V. Lopez, Lauren E. Kenney, Katie Rodriguez, Rachel Schade, Joshua Gertler, Dawn Bowers
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 109-110
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Objective:
Autonomic dysfunction is an important non-motor symptom of Parkinson’s disease (PD), with point prevalence estimates of approximately 50-70%. Common presentations include cardiovascular dysregulation, gastrointestinal dysfunction, impaired thermoregulation, and sexual dysfunction. In the present study, we sought to examine whether autonomic symptoms would predict trajectories of change in depression and anxiety over a 5-year period in newly diagnosed individuals with PD. Given that alterations in autonomic nervous system functioning (e.g., reduced heart rate variability, lower autonomic arousal) are frequently observed in individuals who have anxiety and depression, as well as the negative influence these symptoms can have on quality of life/functioning, we predicted that greater autonomic symptoms would be related to increased mood symptoms over time.
Participants and Methods:Participants included 414 individuals from the Parkinson’s Progression Markers Initiative, a prospective study of newly diagnosed and untreated individuals with PD. The PD participants (mean age=61.6+9.7, mean education=15.6+3.0, 92.5% non-Hispanic White) were followed annually for up to five years. Self-reported autonomic symptoms were measured using the Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson’s Disease-Autonomic Dysfunction (SCOPA-AUT), which consists of a total score and 6 subdomain scores (gastrointestinal, urinary, cardiovascular, thermoregulatory, pupillomotor, sexual). Mood measures included the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Motor severity was assessed using the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) Part III. Bootstrapped linear regressions were performed to evaluate the relationship between autonomic symptoms (subdomains) and mood using data from the last visit (year 5). For longitudinal analyses, bootstrapped multilevel modeling was used to examine a) changes in SCOPA-AUT total over time (unconditional growth model only) and b) the relationship between mood and SCOPA-AUT total score over time, controlling for age/sex and motor severity.
Results:Autonomic symptoms explained 28.2% of the total variance in trait anxiety, with unique predictors of gastrointestinal (/3=.266, p<.001) and thermoregulatory (ß=.202, p=.004) symptoms. For depression, autonomic symptoms explained 27.9% of the total variance, with unique predictors of gastrointestinal (ß=.225, p=.012), thermoregulatory (ß=.178, p=.013), and cardiovascular (ß=.154, p=.012) symptoms. There was a gradual linear increase in total autonomic symptoms over time (b=0.86, p<.001). Greater total autonomic symptoms were associated with higher average trait anxiety (b=0.54, p<.001), slightly greater increase in trait anxiety over time (b=0.04, p<.05), and occasion-to-occasion fluctuations in trait anxiety (b=0.24, p<.001). Similarly, increased total autonomic symptoms were associated with higher average depressive symptoms (b=0.14, p<.001), minimally greater increase in depressive symptoms over time (b=0.01, p<.05), and occasion-to-occasion fluctuations in depressive symptoms (b=0.08, p<.001). Motor severity did not explain individual differences or trajectories of change in depression or trait anxiety.
Conclusions:Autonomic symptoms, particularly gastrointestinal, cardiovascular, and thermoregulatory dysfunction, were related to increased mood symptoms in PD patients and predicted increases in depression/anxiety over time. Our findings do not distinguish between two theoretical possibilities - whether autonomic symptoms lead to depression/anxiety versus involvement of co-occurring neural systems underlying both. Regardless, our study highlights the importance of treating autonomic dysfunction in early PD, and future work should incorporate additional measures of autonomic dysfunction (e.g., physiological probes).
20 Laterality of Motor Symptom Onset is Not Associated with Cognitive Performance or Mood Symptoms in a Sample of 600 Individuals with Idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease”
- Joshua Gertler, Lauren Kenney, Adrianna M Ratajska, Francesca V Lopez, Katie Rodriguez, Rachel Schade, Dawn Bowers
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 537-538
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Objective:
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is typically characterized by unilateral onset of motor symptoms (i.e., tremors, rigidity) which is caused by dopaminergic degeneration of the substantia nigra that influences basal ganglia-prefrontal circuitry. Over time, motor symptoms become more bilateral, though continue to remain asymmetric. Many neuropsychological studies suggest that laterality of motor onset may be linked to hemispheric specific cognitive or mood changes. Namely, worse verbal/language performance may be present in individuals with right body (left hemisphere) onset and conversely for visuospatial performance, with depression symptoms relating more so to individuals with right body (left hemisphere) onset. To date, findings are often inconsistent, with some studies showing evidence for laterality effects and others not. The basis for this inconsistency is unclear, though one possibility relates to small sample sizes and varying methodologies. Thus, the goal of this study was to examine potential cognitive and mood laterality effects in a large clinical sample of individuals with PD.
Participants and Methods:Participants included a convenience sample of 600 nondemented individuals with idiopathic PD from the University of Florida Fixel Institute Movement Disorders Center. As a group, participants were around 60 years of age (Mean Age=63.9+9.4), well educated (Mean years=14.9+2.7), predominantly male (70%), and white non-Hispanic (93%). Side of initial motor symptom onset was based on self-report: Right (N=337) and Left (N=263). Approximately 79% were tremor predominant. All received mood and neurocognitive measures as part of standard clinical care, including indices of executive function (Stroop Color-Word, Trails B, Letter Fluency), recent verbal memory (delayed recall: Hopkin’s Verbal Learning Test, WMS-III Logical Memory), language (Boston Naming Test, Animal fluency), visuospatial skills (Judgment of Line Orientation, Facial Recognition Test). Evaluation of emotion symptoms included: depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II), apathy (Apathy Scale), and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory). Analyses used raw scores from these measures. Due to non-normality of most measures’ distributions, laterality effects were examined using bootstrapped multivariate methods (multivariate analysis of variance [MANOVA]). Separate MANOVA’s were run for each cognitive domain (i.e., EF, language, etc.) and mood measures.
Results:The right and left sided onset groups did not significantly differ in demographic (age, education, sex) or disease characteristics (duration, PD subtype). Results of the MANOVA’s with cognitive variables were all nonsignificant broadly (all with F’s ranging from .33 to .94) and at the single test level. Similarly, the left and right onset groups did not significantly differ (a=0.05) across standard scales of depression (F=0.031), anxiety (Trait F=0.463; State F=3.29), and apathy (F=0.74).
Conclusions:We found no evidence that laterality of initial motor symptoms influenced cognitive or mood symptoms in a large cohort of 600 individuals with PD. These findings raise questions about importance of motor onset laterality for cognitive and emotion related changes in PD. Future studies should move beyond self-report and behavioral motor scales for determining hemispheric contributions. In PD, use of refined metrics for determining the extent of asymmetric dopaminergic degeneration (e.g., DAT scan) at the hemispheric level coupled with sensitive neuropsychological measures may provide clearer understanding of potential neural circuitry relationships.
21 Exploratory Factor Analysis of the Cognitive Change Index-20 in Individuals with Parkinson disease or Essential Tremor
- Katie Rodriguez, Lauren Kenney, Adrianna Ratajska, Francesca Lopez, Rachel Schade, Dawn Joshua Gertler
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 538-539
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Objective:
Subjective cognitive complaints are common in individuals with Parkinson’s disease and Essential Tremor. One scale often used to capture the type and severity of subjective cognitive concerns is the Cognitive Change Index-20 (CCI-20). Created by Saykin et al (2006), the CCI-20 is a questionnaire that assesses perception of cognitive changes in memory, executive function, and language domains. Despite its multidomain structure, previous research has not empirically examined whether the CCI-20's underlying factor structure aligns with the cognitive domains proposed during its original development. Thus, the goal of the current study was to investigate the factor structure of the CCI-20 in individuals with movement disorders (Parkinson’s disease, Essential Tremor) who are known to experience varying degrees of cognitive sequelae as part of their disease progression.
Participants and Methods:Participants included a convenience sample of 216 non-demented individuals with Parkinson disease (n=149) or Essential Tremor (n=67) who were seen at the University of Florida Fixel Institute Movement Disorders Center. All received the CCI-20 as part of a neuropsychological evaluation. The CCI-20 consists of 20 items, rated on a 5-point Likert scale, that ask questions about change in memory (12 items), executive function (5 items), and language (3 items) over the past 5 years. An exploratory factor analysis was conducted on CCI-20 scores using Promax rotation with factor extraction based on scree plot visual inspection and Kaiser’s rule (eigenvalues >1.0). Cronbach’s alpha was used to assess internal consistency reliability. Finally, Spearman correlations determined associations between factors and mood measures of depression (Beck Depression Inventory-II, BDI-II), apathy (Apathy Scale, AS), and anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, STAI).
Results:Because the Parkinson’s disease and Essential Tremor groups did not statistically differ in their CCI-20 total scores, they were combined into a single group for analyses. This resulted in 216 participants who were well-educated (m=15.01±2.92), in their mid-60's (m=67.72±9.33), predominantly male (63%), and non-Hispanic White (93.6%). The factor analysis resulted in 3 factors: factor 1 included 8 memory items (items 1-4, 6, 10-12; loadings from .524 to .920); factor 2 included all executive and language (items 13-20; loadings from .605 to .824), and factor 3 included four remaining memory items (items 5, 7-9; loadings from .628 to .810). Reliability of the 20 CCI items was good (a = .94), and reliability within each factor ranged from adequate (Factor 3, a = .78) to good (Factors 1 and 2, a = .90). All factors showed significant weak to moderate associations with BDI-II, AS, and STAI (state and trait) scores.
Conclusions:The CCI-20 revealed three distinct dimensions of subjective cognitive complaints that did not correspond to the memory, executive function, and language domains. Rather, the CCI-20 was decomposed into two different dimensions of memory complaints and one dimension of non-memory complaints. Mood symptoms played a significant role in driving all dimensions of subjective cognitive complaints. Future studies should confirm this triadic structure in a healthy older adult sample and explore the relationship between factors and objective cognitive performance beyond the contribution of mood. T32-AG061892; T32-NS082168
18 Regional patterns of mitochondrial function using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy in older adults at-risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
- Francesca V Lopez, Andrew O’Shea, Stacey Alvarez-Alvarado, Adrianna Ratajska, Lauren Kenney, Rachel Schade, Katie Rodriguez, Alyssa Ray, Rebecca O’Connell, Lauren Santos, Emily Van Etten, Hyun Song, Emma Armstrong, Tiffany Gin, Zhiguang Huo, Gene Alexander, Adam J Woods, Dawn Bowers
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- Journal:
- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 29 / Issue s1 / November 2023
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 21 December 2023, pp. 331-332
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Objective:
The brain is reliant on mitochondria to carry out a host of vital cellular functions (e.g., energy metabolism, respiration, apoptosis) to maintain neuronal integrity. Clinically relevant, dysfunctional mitochondria have been implicated as central to the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Phosphorous magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31p MRS) is a non-invasive and powerful method for examining in vivo mitochondrial function via high energy phosphates and phospholipid metabolism ratios. At least one prior 31p MRS study found temporal-frontal differences for high energy phosphates in persons with mild AD. The goal of the current study was to examine regional (i.e., frontal, temporal) 31p MRS ratios of mitochondrial function in a sample of older adults at-risk for AD. Given the high energy consumption in temporal lobes (i.e., hippocampus) and preferential age-related changes in frontal structure-function, we predicted 31p MRS ratios of mitochondrial function would be greater in temporal as compared to frontal regions.
Participants and Methods:The current study leveraged baseline neuroimaging data from an ongoing multisite study at the University of Florida and University of Arizona. Participants were older adults with memory complaints and a first-degree family history of AD [N = 70; mean [M] age [years] = 70.9, standard deviation [SD] =5.1; M education [years] = 16.2, SD = 2.2; M MoCA = 26.5, SD = 2.4; 61.4% female; 91.5% non-latinx white]. To achieve optimal sensitivity, we used a single voxel method to examine 31p MRS ratios (bilateral prefrontal and left temporal). Mitochondrial function was estimated by computing 5 ratios for each voxel: summed adenosine triphosphate to total pooled phosphorous (ATP/TP; momentary energy), ATP to inorganic phosphate (ATP/Pi; energy consumption), phosphocreatine to ATP (PCr/ATP; energy reserve), phosphocreatine to inorganic phosphate (PCr/Pi; oxidative phosphorylation), and phosphomonoesters to phosphodiesters (PME/PDE; cellular membrane turnover rate). All ratios were corrected for voxel size and cerebrospinal fluid fraction. Separate repeated measures analyses of variance controlling for scanner site differences (RM ANCOVAs) were performed.
Results:31p MRS ratios were unrelated to demographic characteristics and were not included as additional covariates in analyses. Results of separate RM ANCOVAs revealed all 31p MRS ratios of mitochondrial function were greater in left temporal relative to bilateral prefrontal voxel: ATP/TP (p < .001), ATP/Pi (p = .001), PCr/ATP (p = .004), PCr/Pi (p = .004), and PME/PDE (p = .017). Effect sizes (partial eta squared) ranged from 0.6-.20.
Conclusions:Consistent and extending one prior study, all 31p MRS ratios of mitochondrial function were greater in temporal as compared to frontal regions in older adults at-risk for AD. This may in part be related to the intrinsically high metabolic rate of the temporal region and preferential age-related changes in frontal structure-function. Alternatively, findings may reflect the influence of unaccounted factors (e.g., hemodynamics, auditory stimulation). Longitudinal study designs may inform whether patterns of mitochondrial function across different brain regions are present early in development, occur across the lifespan, or some combination. In turn, this may inform future studies examining differences in mitochondrial function (as measured using 31p MRS) in AD.
Perception of cognitive change by individuals with Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor seeking deep brain stimulation: Utility of the cognitive change index
- Katie Rodriguez, Rachel N. Schade, Francesca V. Lopez, Lauren E. Kenney, Adrianna M. Ratajska, Joshua Gertler, Dawn Bowers
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- Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society / Volume 30 / Issue 4 / May 2024
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 06 October 2023, pp. 370-379
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Objective:
The Cognitive Change Index (CCI-20) is a validated questionnaire that assesses subjective cognitive complaints (SCCs) across memory, language, and executive domains. We aimed to: (a) examine the internal consistency and construct validity of the CCI-20 in patients with movement disorders and (b) learn how the CCI-20 corresponds to objective neuropsychological and mood performance in individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) or essential tremor (ET) seeking deep brain stimulation (DBS).
Methods:216 participants (N = 149 PD; N = 67 ET) underwent neuropsychological evaluation and received the CCI-20. The proposed domains of the CCI-20 were examined via confirmatory (CFA) and exploratory (EFA) factor analyses. Hierarchical regressions were used to assess the relationship among subjective cognitive complaints, neuropsychological performance and mood symptoms.
Results:PD and ET groups were similar across neuropsychological, mood, and CCI-20 scores and were combined into one group who was well educated (m = 15.01 ± 2.92), in their mid-60’s (m = 67.72 ± 9.33), predominantly male (63%), and non-Hispanic White (93.6%). Previously proposed 3-domain CCI-20 model failed to achieve adequate fit. Subsequent EFA revealed two CCI-20 factors: memory and non-memory (p < 0.001; CFI = 0.924). Regressions indicated apathy and depressive symptoms were associated with greater memory and total cognitive complaints, while poor executive function and anxiety were associated with more non-memory complaints.
Conclusion:Two distinct dimensions were identified in the CCI-20: memory and non-memory complaints. Non-memory complaints were indicative of worse executive function, consistent with PD and ET cognitive profiles. Mood significantly contributed to all CCI-20 dimensions. Future studies should explore the utility of SCCs in predicting cognitive decline in these populations.
Mediators and moderators in the relationship between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development: a systematic review and meta-analysis
- Xuemei Ma, Alessandra Biaggi, Chiara Sacchi, Andrew J. Lawrence, Pei-Jung Chen, Rebecca Pollard, Maryam Matter, Nuria Mackes, Katie Hazelgrove, Craig Morgan, Seeromanie Harding, Alessandra Simonelli, Gunter Schumann, Carmine M. Pariante, Mitul Mehta, Giovanni Montana, Ana Rodriguez-Mateos, Chiara Nosarti, Paola Dazzan
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- Psychological Medicine / Volume 52 / Issue 10 / July 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 22 June 2022, pp. 1817-1837
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Maternal experiences of childhood adversity can increase the risk of emotional and behavioural problems in their children. This systematic review and meta-analysis provide the first narrative and quantitative synthesis of the mediators and moderators involved in the link between maternal childhood adversity and children's emotional and behavioural development. We searched EMBASE, PsycINFO, Medline, Cochrane Library, grey literature and reference lists. Studies published up to February 2021 were included if they explored mediators or moderators between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development. Data were synthesised narratively and quantitatively by meta-analytic approaches. The search yielded 781 articles, with 74 full-text articles reviewed, and 41 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Maternal mental health was a significant individual-level mediator, while child traumatic experiences and insecure maternal–child attachment were consistent family-level mediators. However, the evidence for community-level mediators was limited. A meta-analysis of nine single-mediating analyses from five studies indicated three mediating pathways: maternal depression, negative parenting practices and maternal insecure attachment, with pooled indirect standardised effects of 0.10 [95% CI (0.03–0.17)), 0.01 (95% CI (−0.02 to 0.04)] and 0.07 [95% CI (0.01–0.12)], respectively. Research studies on moderators were few and identified some individual-level factors, such as child sex (e.g. the mediating role of parenting practices being only significant in girls), biological factors (e.g. maternal cortisol level) and genetic factors (e.g. child's serotonin-transporter genotype). In conclusion, maternal depression and maternal insecure attachment are two established mediating pathways that can explain the link between maternal childhood adversity and their children's emotional and behavioural development and offer opportunities for intervention.