In response to the RFA # OD-99-006, titled Research on Child Neglect, we propose a 5-year cross sectional investigation to non-invasively examine the psychobiological consequences of neglect in children. Child neglect is associated with delays in and deficits of multi-system developmental achievements in behavioral, cognitive and emotional regulation. These findings may be caused by adverse brain development. To this effect, we propose to examine the effects of neglect on the development of biological stress systems, brain maturation and neuropsychological (cognitive) function of prepubertal children. Seventy neglected subjects, age 3 to 10 years, will be enrolled after a recent referral to child protective services (CPS) and who meet pre-determined study criteria for neglect. They will be compared to seventy non- maltreated sociodemographically similar control children. We are specifically studying this age group because brain maturation measures increase robustly and linearly during this developmental period. Thus, if child neglect is associated with adverse brain development, intervention during this time period could help attenuate these hypothesized brain changes because it is a time of active brain development. 24-hour urinary catecholamine and urinary free cortisol (UFC) concentrations will assess biological stress systems. Brain maturation will be assessed with measures of MRI-based brain morphometry of cerebral volume and cortical myelination (i.e. cortical white matter volume and corpus callosum area). Neuropsychological functioning will assess brain function.
Specific aims are to compare measures of biological stress systems, brain maturation, and neuropsychological function in neglected non-physically and non-sexually abused children to non-maltreated sociodemographically similar controls. We hypothesize that compared to controls, neglected non-abused children will show evidence of alterations in biological stress systems and brain maturation and poorer neuropsychological functioning. Secondary aims are to explore clinical summary variable measures of: 1) the subject's neglect, 2) environmental and emotional stimulation, 3) physical growth, and 4) measures of traumatic experiences and symptoms of PTSD, to try and identify the best clinical predictors of outcome measures of biological stress systems, brain maturation and neuropsychological function. Within the neglect group, we expect to identify a subsample with without psychopathology. We will explore these same clinical summary variable measures as well as measures of biological stress systems and brain maturation for protective factors against child psychopathology and delayed neuropsychological function in this resilient subgroup of neglected children.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH061744-04
Application #
6528687
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-SSS-C (01))
Program Officer
Boyce, Cheryl A
Project Start
2000-09-29
Project End
2005-08-31
Budget Start
2002-09-18
Budget End
2003-08-31
Support Year
4
Fiscal Year
2002
Total Cost
$420,432
Indirect Cost
Name
Duke University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
071723621
City
Durham
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27705
Nooner, Kate B; Hooper, Stephen R; De Bellis, Michael D (2018) An examination of sex differences on neurocognitive functioning and behavior problems in maltreated youth. Psychol Trauma 10:435-443
Stave, Elise A; De Bellis, Michael D; Hooper, Steven R et al. (2017) Dimensions of Attention Associated With the Microstructure of Corona Radiata White Matter. J Child Neurol 32:458-466
Morey, Rajendra A; Haswell, Courtney C; Hooper, Stephen R et al. (2016) Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex Volumes Differ in Maltreated Youth with and without Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 41:791-801
Urger, Sacide E; De Bellis, Michael D; Hooper, Stephen R et al. (2015) The superior longitudinal fasciculus in typically developing children and adolescents: diffusion tensor imaging and neuropsychological correlates. J Child Neurol 30:9-20
De Bellis, Michael D; Hooper, Stephen R; Chen, Steven D et al. (2015) Posterior structural brain volumes differ in maltreated youth with and without chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. Dev Psychopathol 27:1555-76
Crozier, Joseph C; Wang, Lihong; Huettel, Scott A et al. (2014) Neural correlates of cognitive and affective processing in maltreated youth with posttraumatic stress symptoms: does gender matter? Dev Psychopathol 26:491-513
Marcus Jenkins, Jade V; Woolley, Donald P; Hooper, Stephen R et al. (2013) Direct and Indirect Effects of Brain Volume, Socioeconomic Status and Family Stress on Child IQ. J Child Adolesc Behav 1:
Urger, Efsun; Debellis, Michael D; Hooper, Steven R et al. (2013) Influence of analysis technique on measurement of diffusion tensor imaging parameters. AJR Am J Roentgenol 200:W510-7
De Bellis, Michael D; Woolley, Donald P; Hooper, Stephen R (2013) Neuropsychological findings in pediatric maltreatment: relationship of PTSD, dissociative symptoms, and abuse/neglect indices to neurocognitive outcomes. Child Maltreat 18:171-83
Spratt, Eve G; Friedenberg, Samantha L; Swenson, Cynthia C et al. (2012) The Effects of Early Neglect on Cognitive, Language, and Behavioral Functioning in Childhood. Psychology (Irvine) 3:175-182

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