ORCID Profile
0000-0003-3429-0475
Current Organisations
University Medical Center Freiburg
,
University of Nottingham
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Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.JPSYCHIRES.2015.05.009
Abstract: Adolescent anxiety is common and impairing and often persists into adulthood. There is growing evidence that adult anxiety is characterized by abnormal fear responses to threat and safety cues, along with perturbations in fear-related neural circuits. Although some of this work has been extended to adolescents, with promising results, it is not yet clear whether changes in these circuits across developmental age varies between anxious and non-anxious adolescents. Here we used fMRI to examine how age modulates neural responses as adolescents are exposed to threat and safety cues. Participants were 15 anxious and 11 non-anxious adolescents (age 12-17) who completed a fear conditioning paradigm. The paradigm incorporated a threat cue comprising a neutral face which was paired with a fearful, screaming face, a safety cue comprising a different neutral face, and a control stimulus. Across the whole s le, neural activation to the threat cue (relative to the control cue) correlated positively with age in a number of regions, including the dorsal anterior cingulate and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, neural activation to the safety cue (relative to the control cue) was modulated differently by age in the two groups: a more positive association between activation and age was observed in the control group compared to the anxious group in various regions including medial and dorsolateral PFC, anterior insula, and amygdala. These findings suggest that maturation of the neural substrates of fear responses to safety cues may be perturbed in anxious adolescents, potentially contributing to the emergence and maintenance of anxiety disorders in adulthood.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.ZEFQ.2022.07.002
Abstract: Participation of patients and relatives in research means that those affected are involved in the research process in a partnership role. Despite the growing importance of participatory approaches and the large number of available concepts, many researchers and patients are faced with the question of how participatory research can be realized and organized in concrete terms. Here we report on our experiences with two different forms of patient participation in research in the context of pediatric health care research at a university hospital: (1) In a project for the development and evaluation of a case management for patients with spinal muscular atrophy, patient representatives have an consultative role. (2) In the patient advisory board, which is to accompany the research activities of the research group at the site continuously and systematically, i.e. in all phases, the participation currently corresponds to a contributory role (involvement) which, in the future, could be moved onto the collaborative stage. In both forms of participation, the essential questions include the selection of the participating patients, the type and extent of participation, and the evaluation of the effect of participation on the research that is carried out. In our experience, both forms of participation add value to research from the perspective of all participants. At the same time, they bring different opportunities and challenges. While in project-based participation the sphere of influence is already delineated by researchers, the context of the patient advisory board provides more room and openness to develop, for ex le, a research agenda and thus identify new research topics. In our experience, however, sufficient resources (in terms of time and money) are required from all participants, as well as good, trusting cooperation with jointly developed processes to realize both forms of participation.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 10-09-2009
DOI: 10.1111/J.1600-0447.2009.01398.X
Abstract: Comorbidity between Tourette's syndrome (TS) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is high. In children, those with both TS+ADHD fare less well than those with TS-only on measures of both psychopathology and behaviour. The objective of this study was to document such measures in adult patients. Eighty adults with TS-only were compared to 64 with TS+ADHD using a clinical interview and standardised measures of depression, anxiety and obsessionality. The two groups were no different on measures of TS severity. TS+ADHD patients had significantly more depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive behaviour and maladaptive behaviours than patients with TS-only. There were also significant differences in the incidence of copro- and echo-phenomena and family history of ADHD. The finding of increased overall behavioural difficulties and psychopathology in adult patients with TS+ADHD when compared with TS-only is in agreement with previous findings in children with TS. Appropriate treatment of ADHD in TS patients during childhood may prevent many behavioural problems in adulthood.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 08-10-2009
DOI: 10.1007/S00213-009-1693-2
Abstract: Depressed patients perform poorly on tests of autobiographical memory specificity (AMS) this may have negative consequences for other important cognitive abilities, delays recovery from mood episodes, and, in recovered patients, may mediate vulnerability to future episodes. Although the cognitive mechanisms underlying AMS deficits are beginning to be understood, the neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. Serotonin is implicated in both depression and long-term memory therefore, temporary lowering of brain serotonin function via acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) offers a means of studying the role of serotonin in autobiographical memory specificity. In this study, 24 previously depressed women underwent low-dose ATD or sham depletion and completed tests of initial and delayed memory, recollection- and familiarity-based recognition, and AMS. ATD did not differentially affect state mood. Compared with sham depletion, ATD impaired immediate recall on the Auditory Verbal Learning Test. Although ATD did not differentially impair recollection- and familiarity-based recognition, it did slow recognition of positive words. ATD also reduced autobiographical memory specificity in response to negative cue words. The results confirm previous findings that low-dose ATD can reinstate depression-congruent biases in cognition without causing depressive mood in vulnerable populations. The ATD-induced reduction in memory specificity suggests that serotonergic dysfunction may mediate depressive deficits in autobiographical memory the interaction of cognitive and neurobiological vulnerability mechanisms is discussed.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2015
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 18-12-2014
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2022
DOI: 10.1007/S10578-012-0350-X
Abstract: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a ubiquitous research tool for developmental neuroscientists interested in brain structure and function in children and adolescents. However, ethical concerns are sometimes raised about using MRI with children and adolescents, especially when participants have anxiety. We asked 17 clinically/sub-clinically anxious and 19 non-anxious adolescents about their experiences of taking part in MRI for research purposes. Although the anxious group reported experiencing more anxiety during the scan, these differences had attenuated by the time participants got home. We found no evidence that anxious adolescents would be less likely to choose to have another scan or would feel more nervous during another scan. There was some evidence that more trait anxious adolescents found the MRI study enjoyable. These findings should give ethics committees, clinicians, and parents confidence that so long as researchers exercise appropriate care, MRI research is acceptable to adolescents, including those with clinical anxiety.
Publisher: BMJ
Date: 06-2022
DOI: 10.1136/BMJPO-2022-001509
Abstract: To describe mental health outcomes and measures of pandemic burden of children with and without special healthcare needs, and their caregivers following the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. This is the second of a sequential series of cross-sectional online surveys conducted among caregivers of children ≤18 years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, administrated between 2 April 2021 and 31 July 2021. Child and parental mental health were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and WHO-5 Well-being index. Children with Special Healthcare Needs (CSHCN) were identified using the CSHCN-Screener. Descriptive statistics, linear and hierarchical logistic regression modelling assessed associations between parent-reported child mental health problems and measures of pandemic burden, disease complexity, caregiver mental well-being and socioeconomic status. 521 participants were included in the final s le. There was a high prevalence of parent-reported mental health problems in n=302 (66.7%) children, particularly in CSHCN. Among caregivers, n=372 (72.5%) screened positive for depression. Logistic regression modelling showed a strong association of child mental health problems and disease complexity, parental mental well-being, increase in family conflict and inadequate social support. Our study identifies CSHCN as a particularly vulnerable group in terms of mental health outcomes. Psychosocial factors were important predictors of parent-reported child mental health problems. Policy measures should consider the importance of social support systems for vulnerable children and their families, and aim to provide accessible mental health support for caregivers.
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 06-05-2022
DOI: 10.3389/FMICB.2022.857965
Abstract: An association between certain ABO/Rh blood groups and susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been proposed for adults, although this remains controversial. In children and adolescents, the relationship is unclear due to a lack of robust data. Here, we investigated the association of ABO/Rh blood groups and SARS-CoV-2 in a multi-center study comprising 163 households with 281 children and 355 adults and at least one SARS-CoV-2 seropositive in idual as determined by three independent assays as a proxy for previous infection. In line with previous findings, we found a higher frequency of blood group A (+ 6%) and a lower frequency of blood group O (−6%) among the SARS-CoV-2 seropositive adults compared to the seronegative ones. This trend was not seen in children. In contrast, SARS-CoV-2 seropositive children had a significantly lower frequency of Rh-positive blood groups. ABO compatibility did not seem to play a role in SARS-CoV-2 transmission within the families. A correction for family clusters was performed and estimated fixed effects of the blood group on the risk of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity and symptomatic infection were determined. Although we found a different distribution of blood groups in seropositive in iduals compared to the reference population, the risk of SARS-CoV-2 seropositivity or symptomatic infection was not increased in children or in adults with blood group A or AB versus O or B. Increasing age was the only parameter positively correlating with the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In conclusion, specific ABO/Rh blood groups and ABO compatibility appear not to predispose for SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility in children.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 09-2011
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 08-2013
DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2012.747428
Abstract: Common and persistent fears may emerge through learning mechanisms such as fear conditioning and generalisation. Although there have been extensive studies of these learning processes in healthy but also psychiatric s les, many of the tasks used to produce conditioning and assess generalisation either use painful and aversive stimuli as the unconditioned stimuli (UCS), or suffer from poor belongingness between the conditioned stimuli and the UCS. Here, we present novel data from a paradigm designed to examine fear conditioning and generalisation in healthy in iduals. Two female faces served as conditioned threat cue (CS+) and conditioned safety cue (CS-) respectively. The CS+ was paired repeatedly with a fearful, screaming face (unconditioned stimulus). Generalisation included intermediate faces which varied in their similarity to the CS+ and CS-. We measured eyeblink startle reflex and self-reported ratings. Acquired fear of the CS+ generalised to intermediate stimuli in proportion to their perceptual similarity to the CS+. Our findings demonstrate how fears of new in iduals may develop based on resemblance to others with whom an in idual has had negative experiences. The paradigm offers new opportunities for probing the role of generalisation in the emergence of common and persistent fears.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 10-01-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-021-27595-9
Abstract: The quality and persistence of children’s humoral immune response following SARS-CoV-2 infection remains largely unknown but will be crucial to guide pediatric SARS-CoV-2 vaccination programs. Here, we examine 548 children and 717 adults within 328 households with at least one member with a previous laboratory-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. We assess serological response at 3–4 months and 11–12 months after infection using a bead-based multiplex immunoassay for 23 human coronavirus antigens including SARS-CoV-2 and its Variants of Concern (VOC) and endemic human coronaviruses (HCoVs), and additionally by three commercial SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays. Neutralization against wild type SARS-CoV-2 and the Delta VOC are analysed in a pseudotyped virus assay. Children, compared to adults, are five times more likely to be asymptomatic, and have higher specific antibody levels which persist longer (96.2% versus 82.9% still seropositive 11–12 months post infection). Of note, symptomatic and asymptomatic infections induce similar humoral responses in all age groups. SARS-CoV-2 infection occurs independent of HCoV serostatus. Neutralization responses of children and adults are similar, although neutralization is reduced for both against the Delta VOC. Overall, the long-term humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in children is of longer duration than in adults even after asymptomatic infection.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 22-04-2012
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
Date: 10-02-2022
Abstract: Several studies have described widening inequalities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, mostly for adult populations. Children and adolescents are particularly impacted by the indirect effects of the pandemic and lockdown measures, such as reduced access to or delays in health care and school closures. National surveys in several countries also show a rising mental health burden in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Children with special health care needs are a particularly vulnerable group in this context as they rely on a wide range of services, which were mostly suspended during the first wave of the pandemic. This study aims: (1) to describe the mental health outcomes of children with and without special healthcare needs and of their caregivers following the first national lockdown in Germany (2) to investigate variations in mental health outcomes and measures of pandemic burden according to socioeconomic status (3) to assess the impact of socioeconomic status, disease complexity and psychosocial burden on parent-reported child mental health problems. We conducted an online survey among 1,619 caregivers of children aged 1–18 years from August 11th until October 5th 2020. Participants were recruited both from families of children with special healthcare needs and of healthy children. Inequalities were analysed by descriptive statistics, simple and hierarchical logistic regression modelling to explore the association between socioeconomic status and psychological outcome measures, disease complexity and general burden related to COVID-19. There was a high prevalence of 57.4% of parent-reported mental health problems in children and of a positive screening score for depression in 30.9% of parents. Parent-reported mental health problems were more likely to affect children with low socioeconomic status, with complex chronic disease and those whose parents screened positive for depression. This study highlights inequalities in parent-reported child mental health outcomes by socioeconomic status and disease complexity in a large s le of German families with and without children with special health care needs. Political measures should put children at the centre and aim to mitigate the unequal impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly on the mental health of vulnerable children.
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Location: United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
No related grants have been discovered for Anneke Haddad.