Multifactorial Determinants of Target and Novelty-Evoked P300 Amplitudes in Children of Addicted Parents

Abstract

BackgroundAlthough P300 amplitude reductions constitute a persistent finding in children of addicted parents, relatively little is known about the specificity of this finding. The major aim of this study was to investigate the association between parental rearing, adverse life events, stress-reactivity, substance use and psychopathology on the one hand, and P300 amplitude in response to both target and novel distracter stimuli on the other hand. Moreover, we assessed whether risk group status (i.e., having a parental history of Substance Use Disorders [SUD]) uniquely contributed to P300 amplitude variation above and beyond these other variables.MethodsEvent-related potentials were recorded in high-risk adolescents with a parental history of SUD (HR;n=80) and normal-risk controls (NR;n=100) while performing a visual Novelty Oddball paradigm. Stress-evoked cortisol levels were assessed and parenting, life adversities, substance use and psychopathology were examined by using self-reports.ResultsHR adolescents displayed smaller P300 amplitudes in response to novel- and to target stimuli than NR controls, while the latter only approached significance. Interestingly, the effect of having a parental history of SUD on target-P300 disappeared when all other variables were taken into account. Externalizing problem behavior was a powerful predictor of target-P300. In contrast, risk group status uniquely predicted novelty-P300 amplitude reductions above and beyond all other factors.ConclusionOverall, the present findings suggest that the P300 amplitude reduction to novel stimuli might be a more specific endophenotype for SUD than the target-P300 amplitude. This pattern of results underscores the importance of conducting multifactorial assessments when examining important cognitive processes in at-risk adolescents.

Parental Deprivation- and Threat-Based Factors Associated with Youth Emotion-Based Neurocircuitry and Externalizing Behavior: A Systematic Review

“…The mediation model presented in this review was supported during toddlerhood by one study assessing for parental depression (Dawson et al, 2003), but was not supported during school age by a study assessing for poor monitoring and supervision (Barbosa et al, 2018) or a different study assessing for parental depression (Ashman et al, 2008). Studies assessing for parental substance use did not specifically test for mediation but noted significant associations between lower brain activation or reduced cortical pruning and externalizing behavior (Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Heitzeg et al, 2014;Holla et al, 2019); thus, these implied mediation pathways should be more closely examined in future studies.…”

“…Across nine studies, there was support for the deprivation-based dimensional model with disruption in frontoparietal regions (i.e., lower activation, reduced cortical pruning) due to poor monitoring and supervision, maternal depression, as well as parental substance use (Ashman et al, 2008;Barbosa et al, 2018;Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Dawson et al, 2003;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Heitzeg et al, 2014;Holla et al, 2019;Kamarajan et al, 2015). When examining maternal stimulation (i.e., low deprivation; Holz et al, 2018), a mediation model was supported such that higher maternal stimulation led to lower ADHD symptoms through reduced caudate head activity.…”

“…Youth who had parents with alcohol use disorders demonstrated higher cortical thickness in frontal regions (i.e., delay in cortical pruning; Holla et al, 2019) and reduced P300 amplitudes (i.e., lower cognitive engagement; Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Kamarajan et al, 2015). Similarly, some work found that youth from middle childhood to adolescence (Andre et al, 2020b) and adulthood (Venkatasubramanian et al, 2007) with parental substance use history had smaller frontal and limbic volumes (e.g., ACC, corpus callosum, cingulum, genu, and isthmus) and exhibited lower frontal activation (Heitzeg et al, 2014).…”

Parental Deprivation- and Threat-Based Factors Associated with Youth Emotion-Based Neurocircuitry and Externalizing Behavior: A Systematic Review

“…The mediation model presented in this review was supported during toddlerhood by one study assessing for parental depression (Dawson et al, 2003), but was not supported during school age by a study assessing for poor monitoring and supervision (Barbosa et al, 2018) or a different study assessing for parental depression (Ashman et al, 2008). Studies assessing for parental substance use did not specifically test for mediation but noted significant associations between lower brain activation or reduced cortical pruning and externalizing behavior (Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Heitzeg et al, 2014;Holla et al, 2019); thus, these implied mediation pathways should be more closely examined in future studies.…”

“…Across nine studies, there was support for the deprivation-based dimensional model with disruption in frontoparietal regions (i.e., lower activation, reduced cortical pruning) due to poor monitoring and supervision, maternal depression, as well as parental substance use (Ashman et al, 2008;Barbosa et al, 2018;Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Dawson et al, 2003;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Heitzeg et al, 2014;Holla et al, 2019;Kamarajan et al, 2015). When examining maternal stimulation (i.e., low deprivation; Holz et al, 2018), a mediation model was supported such that higher maternal stimulation led to lower ADHD symptoms through reduced caudate head activity.…”

“…Youth who had parents with alcohol use disorders demonstrated higher cortical thickness in frontal regions (i.e., delay in cortical pruning; Holla et al, 2019) and reduced P300 amplitudes (i.e., lower cognitive engagement; Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Kamarajan et al, 2015). Similarly, some work found that youth from middle childhood to adolescence (Andre et al, 2020b) and adulthood (Venkatasubramanian et al, 2007) with parental substance use history had smaller frontal and limbic volumes (e.g., ACC, corpus callosum, cingulum, genu, and isthmus) and exhibited lower frontal activation (Heitzeg et al, 2014).…”

Facial Expression Processing of Children Orphaned by Parental HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Sectional ERP Study with Rapid Serial Visual Presentation

“…The heterogeneous phenomenon demonstrated in the control group is consistent with the hypothesis of three stages of facial expressions processing proposed by Luo et al [ 30 ], depicting that various emotional facial expressions were distinguished as positive or negative at later processing stages. Although the neural mechanism studies of AIDS orphans were data deficient, many ERP studies in ADHD children, deaf children, children of addicted parents, and patients with depression and schizophrenia have indicated less sustained attention to emotional stimuli and the absence of heterogeneous during P300 [ 23 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. The P300 component, an index of conscious and elaborate evaluation of emotional stimuli [ 47 ], is also thought to be associated with the assignment of emotional meaning (semantic value) to faces [ 48 , 49 ].…”

Parental Deprivation- and Threat-Based Factors Associated with Youth Emotion-Based Neurocircuitry and Externalizing Behavior: A Systematic Review

“…The mediation model presented in this review was supported during toddlerhood by one study assessing for parental depression (Dawson et al, 2003), but was not supported during school age by a study assessing for poor monitoring and supervision (Barbosa et al, 2018) or a different study assessing for parental depression (Ashman et al, 2008). Studies assessing for parental substance use did not specifically test for mediation but noted significant associations between lower brain activation or reduced cortical pruning and externalizing behavior (Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Heitzeg et al, 2014;Holla et al, 2019); thus, these implied mediation pathways should be more closely examined in future studies.…”

“…Across nine studies, there was support for the deprivation-based dimensional model with disruption in frontoparietal regions (i.e., lower activation, reduced cortical pruning) due to poor monitoring and supervision, maternal depression, as well as parental substance use (Ashman et al, 2008;Barbosa et al, 2018;Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Dawson et al, 2003;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Heitzeg et al, 2014;Holla et al, 2019;Kamarajan et al, 2015). When examining maternal stimulation (i.e., low deprivation; Holz et al, 2018), a mediation model was supported such that higher maternal stimulation led to lower ADHD symptoms through reduced caudate head activity.…”

“…Youth who had parents with alcohol use disorders demonstrated higher cortical thickness in frontal regions (i.e., delay in cortical pruning; Holla et al, 2019) and reduced P300 amplitudes (i.e., lower cognitive engagement; Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Kamarajan et al, 2015). Similarly, some work found that youth from middle childhood to adolescence (Andre et al, 2020b) and adulthood (Venkatasubramanian et al, 2007) with parental substance use history had smaller frontal and limbic volumes (e.g., ACC, corpus callosum, cingulum, genu, and isthmus) and exhibited lower frontal activation (Heitzeg et al, 2014).…”

Facial Expression Processing of Children Orphaned by Parental HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Sectional ERP Study with Rapid Serial Visual Presentation

“…The heterogeneous phenomenon demonstrated in the control group is consistent with the hypothesis of three stages of facial expressions processing proposed by Luo et al [ 30 ], depicting that various emotional facial expressions were distinguished as positive or negative at later processing stages. Although the neural mechanism studies of AIDS orphans were data deficient, many ERP studies in ADHD children, deaf children, children of addicted parents, and patients with depression and schizophrenia have indicated less sustained attention to emotional stimuli and the absence of heterogeneous during P300 [ 23 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. The P300 component, an index of conscious and elaborate evaluation of emotional stimuli [ 47 ], is also thought to be associated with the assignment of emotional meaning (semantic value) to faces [ 48 , 49 ].…”

Parental Deprivation- and Threat-Based Factors Associated with Youth Emotion-Based Neurocircuitry and Externalizing Behavior: A Systematic Review

“…The mediation model presented in this review was supported during toddlerhood by one study assessing for parental depression (Dawson et al, 2003), but was not supported during school age by a study assessing for poor monitoring and supervision (Barbosa et al, 2018) or a different study assessing for parental depression (Ashman et al, 2008). Studies assessing for parental substance use did not specifically test for mediation but noted significant associations between lower brain activation or reduced cortical pruning and externalizing behavior (Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Heitzeg et al, 2014;Holla et al, 2019); thus, these implied mediation pathways should be more closely examined in future studies.…”

“…Across nine studies, there was support for the deprivation-based dimensional model with disruption in frontoparietal regions (i.e., lower activation, reduced cortical pruning) due to poor monitoring and supervision, maternal depression, as well as parental substance use (Ashman et al, 2008;Barbosa et al, 2018;Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Dawson et al, 2003;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Heitzeg et al, 2014;Holla et al, 2019;Kamarajan et al, 2015). When examining maternal stimulation (i.e., low deprivation; Holz et al, 2018), a mediation model was supported such that higher maternal stimulation led to lower ADHD symptoms through reduced caudate head activity.…”

“…Youth who had parents with alcohol use disorders demonstrated higher cortical thickness in frontal regions (i.e., delay in cortical pruning; Holla et al, 2019) and reduced P300 amplitudes (i.e., lower cognitive engagement; Carlson & Iacono, 2008;Ehlers et al, 2001;Euser et al, 2013;Kamarajan et al, 2015). Similarly, some work found that youth from middle childhood to adolescence (Andre et al, 2020b) and adulthood (Venkatasubramanian et al, 2007) with parental substance use history had smaller frontal and limbic volumes (e.g., ACC, corpus callosum, cingulum, genu, and isthmus) and exhibited lower frontal activation (Heitzeg et al, 2014).…”

Facial Expression Processing of Children Orphaned by Parental HIV/AIDS: A Cross-Sectional ERP Study with Rapid Serial Visual Presentation

“…The heterogeneous phenomenon demonstrated in the control group is consistent with the hypothesis of three stages of facial expressions processing proposed by Luo et al [ 30 ], depicting that various emotional facial expressions were distinguished as positive or negative at later processing stages. Although the neural mechanism studies of AIDS orphans were data deficient, many ERP studies in ADHD children, deaf children, children of addicted parents, and patients with depression and schizophrenia have indicated less sustained attention to emotional stimuli and the absence of heterogeneous during P300 [ 23 , 43 , 44 , 45 , 46 ]. The P300 component, an index of conscious and elaborate evaluation of emotional stimuli [ 47 ], is also thought to be associated with the assignment of emotional meaning (semantic value) to faces [ 48 , 49 ].…”