Cognitive-Neuropsychological Function in Chronic Physical Aggression and Hyperactivity.

Abstract

Histories of violence and of hyperactivity are both characterized by poor cognitive-neuropsychological function. However, researchers do not know whether these histories combine in additive or interactive ways. The authors tested 303 male young adults from a community sample whose trajectories of teacher-rated physical aggression and motoric hyperactivity from kindergarten to age 15 were well defined. No significant interaction was found. In a 1st model, both histories of problem behavior were independently associated with cognitive-neuropsychological function in most domains. In a second model controlling for IQ, General Memory, and test motivation, none of the three Working Memory tests (relevant to executive function) remained associated with physical aggression or hyperactivity. These results support an additive model but no specificity to executive function [corrected].

The neurocognition of conduct disorder behaviors: specificity to physical aggression and theft after controlling for ADHD symptoms

“…In general, there is support for neurocognitive impairments being characteristic of CD and antisocial behavior even after controlling for ADHD [Giancola et al, 1998;Raine et al, 2005;Séguin et al, 2004]. We suggest that this may be specifically for physically aggressive CD behaviors; that is, ADHD symptoms shared variance with only half of the neurocognitive tests that had previously related to physical aggression, but not to theft.…”

“…High scores represented success for all tests. Methodological details are available elsewhere [Séguin et al, 2004] and are summarized here. Verbal and performance IQ estimates were obtained with the Vocabulary test (VIQ) and Block Design test (PIQ) from French Canadian equivalents [Chevrier, 1989] of the Vocabulary (VT) and Block Design (BD) tests of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale -III [Wechsler, 1997].…”

“…At age 20 years (Range: 18.47-22.02), a sample of 494 young men were selected from the larger study on the basis of teacher-reported histories of physical aggression and hyperactivity since kindergarten (age 6 years) with the aim of recruiting 300 based on an a priori power analysis (303 accepted) to come into a laboratory for neurocognitive testing [Séguin et al, 2004]. The association between physical aggression and hyperactivity in the laboratory sample represented well the same association across the larger sample (ordinal by ordinal Spearman r=.64, P<.0001) Informed consent was obtained from all participants.…”

“…However, not all CD studies report these impairments [Fairchild et al, 2009;Pennington and Ozonoff, 1996]. The variation in results may be due to the fact that CD is often comorbid with ADHD, yet studies seldom examined their comorbidity [Déry et al, 1999;Diamantopoulou et al, 2007;Séguin et al, 2004Séguin et al, , 2009Waschbusch, 2002].…”

Rough‐and‐tumble play and the regulation of aggression: an observational study of father–child play dyads

“…Highly sociable children may elicit a more cooperative play style from parents [Russell et al, 1998]. Furthermore, aggressive children are known to have poor selfregulation abilities [Séguin et al, 2004;Séguin and Zelazo, 2005] and, as a result, they may be more difficult to contain and control during RTP, which would make the activity less enjoyable for more timid fathers. These alternative accounts could be addressed in future studies that control for these individual characteristics in longitudinal designs.…”