Executive Network Activation Moderates the Association between Neighborhood Threats and Externalizing Behavior in Youth.

Neighborhood threats can increase risk for externalizing problems, including aggressive, oppositional, and delinquent behavior. Yet, there is substantial variability in how youth respond to neighborhood threats. Difficulty with cognitive functioning, particularly in the face of emotional information, may increase risk for externalizing in youth who live in neighborhoods with higher threats. However, little research has examined: 1) associations between neighborhood threats and executive networks involved in cognitive functioning or 2) whether executive networks may amplify risk for externalizing in the context of neighborhood threats. Further, most research on neighborhood threats does not account for youth's experiences in other social contexts. Utilizing the large, sociodemographically diverse cohort of youth (ages 9-10) included in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study, we identified four latent profiles of youth based on threats in their neighborhoods, families, and schools: low threat in all contexts, elevated family threat, elevated neighborhood threat, and elevated threat in all contexts. The elevated neighborhood threat and elevated all threat profiles showed lower behavioral performance on an emotional n-back task relative to low threat and elevated family threat profiles. Lower behavioral performance in the elevated neighborhood threat profile specifically was paralleled by lower executive network activity during a cognitive challenge. Moreover, among youth with lower executive network activity, higher probability of membership in the elevated neighborhood threat profile was associated with higher externalizing. Together, these results provide evidence that interactions between threats that are concentrated in youth's neighborhoods and attenuated executive network function may contribute to risk for externalizing problems.

Race and early face-sensitive event-related potentials in children and adults.

Studies examining children's face perception have revealed developmental changes in early and face-sensitive event-related potential (ERP) components. Children also tend to show racial biases in their face perception and evaluation of others. The current study examined how early face-sensitive ERPs are influenced by face race in children and adults. A second objective examined face recognition proficiency and implicit racial bias in relation to ERP responses to own- and other-race faces. Electroencephalographic responses were recorded while Caucasian children and adults viewed Caucasian and East Asian faces. Participants also completed recognition tasks and an IAT with Caucasian and East Asian faces. Other-race faces elicited larger P100 amplitudes than own-race faces. Furthermore, adults with better other-race recognition proficiency showed larger P100 amplitude responses to other-race faces compared with adults with worse other-race recognition proficiency. In addition, larger implicit biases favoring own-race individuals were associated with larger P100 to N170 peak-to-peak amplitudes for other-race faces in adults. In contrast, larger implicit biases favoring own-race individuals were associated with smaller P100 to N170 peak-to-peak amplitudes for both own- and other-race faces in 8- to 10-year-olds. There was also an age-related decrease in P100 to N170 peak-to-peak amplitudes for own-race faces among 5- to 10-year-olds with better own-race recognition proficiency. The age-related decrease in N170 latency for other-race faces was also more pronounced in 5- to 10-year-olds with better other-race recognition proficiency. Thus, recognition proficiency and implicit racial bias are associated with early ERP responses in adults and children, but in different ways.

The assessment and treatment of wound pain at dressing change.

Pain is a common reason for patients with acute or chronic wounds seeking hospital admission, but it appears to be under-treated by health professionals. A quantitative descriptive study was conducted to investigate nurses' knowledge with regard to dressing change and wound pain. Data were collected from registered nurses (n=94). Analysis indicated a low level of knowledge with regard to pain assessment and strategies to overcome pain at dressing change, but a good knowledge of factors that contribute to pain at dressing change.