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Children with internalizing and externalizing difficulties are at risk for long-term negative effects in adulthood and are impacted by several caregiver factors. Findings of the present study are consistent with previous studies that found direct associations between caregiver victimization history (e.g., physical and sexual abuse) and child behavior problems. Examination of potential mechanisms revealed that caregiver everyday stress related to relationships/responsibilities (RR) served as a mediator between caregiver victimization history and increased children's internalizing symptoms. Though there may be other pathways that contribute to this relation, there does seem to be clinical and policy utility of this knowledge, particularly for at-risk families that are faced with high levels of everyday RR stress. Attenuation of this impact may be accomplished through connection to community resources such as access to family counseling to mitigate relational stress and policy addressing disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is known to contribute to deficits in executive functioning (EF). Executive functioning abilities are disrupted in adolescents with either conduct disorder or oppositional defiant disorder, collectively known as disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs). There is little research on the relationship between executive dysfunction and DBDs in a group with a confirmed history of TBI. The current study endeavored to examine EF abilities, as measured by parent report on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), in four groups: (1) adolescents with a TBI history and co-occurring DBDs history, (2) adolescents with a TBI history and no DBDs history, (3) adolescents with an orthopedic injury (OI) history and co-occurring DBDs history, and (4) adolescents with an OI history and no DBDs history. Groups were matched on the basis of age at injury and estimated socioeconomic status. Participants were evaluated at five time-points throughout the study, within 1 month of injury (initial assessment), 3, 12, 18, and 24 months post-injury. Results indicated the TBI and DBDs group was not significantly different from the OI and DBDs group, and both DBDs groups suffered higher levels of executive dysfunction than the TBI only and OI only groups, which were not significantly different from each other. Results also showed across the four groups, EF deficits were significantly lower at 1 month and 24 months post-injury, suggesting a positive trajectory in EF skill development. Results are discussed in terms of the prognostic importance of EF deficits in children with DBDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron deficiency (ID) is a common nutrient deficiency worldwide. This condition is linked to changes in myelin formation, dopaminergic function, and energy metabolism. Early ID results in persistent long-term cognitive and behavioral disturbances in children, despite a return to normal iron status. The present study assesses formerly ID adult rats on maze learning tasks that depend on specific brain regions related to learning, specifically the hippocampus, striatum, and amygdala. Rat dams were fed ID chow starting on gestational Day 2 through postnatal Day 7, and behavioral testing began at postnatal Day 65-following a return to normal iron status. Formerly ID rats exhibited delayed acquisition of the hippocampus-dependant task and no differences from controls on the striatum- and amygdala-dependent tasks. These findings likely reflect long-term reduction in but not abolition of hippocampus-dependent learning and preserved function in other brain structures (e.g., striatum and amygdala). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]