Preweaning treatment with methamphetamine induces increases in both corticosterone and ACTH in rats.

Treatment with methamphetamine (MA) on postnatal days P11-20 induces adult spatial learning and memory deficits without affecting monoamine levels in various brain regions. In this study, we examined the pituitary and adrenal response of animals administered MA four times daily on P11, P11-15, or from P11 to P20. Corticosterone (CORT) and adrenocorticotropin hormone (ACTH) levels were assessed over a 1-hour period following MA exposure. On P11, MA produced marked elevations of both CORT and ACTH; this is during the stress hyporesponsive period (SHRP). On P15 and P20, the maximal effect of MA on CORT titers was observed at 30 min, with lower, but still significantly increased, levels at 60 min compared to controls. Males receiving MA on P15 had higher levels of ACTH than did control males, while no differences were noted among females. On P20, MA treatment resulted in higher levels of ACTH relative to vehicle-injected controls, but levels were not different from controls that were only weighed at each drug administration. MA treatment inhibited body, but not brain weight gain, resulting in hippocampal weights that were heavier in the MA-treated animals when expressed as a percent of body weight. The elevations of adrenal steroids by MA, during late phases of hippocampal neurogenesis, may contribute to neuronal alterations that are later manifested in deficits of learning and memory.

The HOME inventory: a new scale for families of pre- and early adolescent children with disabilities.

A preliminary form of a new version of the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment (HOME) is presented. It is designed for use with families of children aged 10-15. The 80-item preliminary version of the Preadolescent HOME (PA-HOME) was field tested on 117 children with varying disabilities. The 80 items were selected from a pool of over 250 items by means of several field tests and accompanying item analyses. Both factor analyses and item analyses were used to help pare down items and produce a scale with acceptable psychometric properties. The psychometric properties of the PA-HOME are quite similar to those reported for the other three versions of the HOME Inventory. It appears to be a reasonably reliable scale with moderate correlations with other measures of the family environment, such as SES, social support, and marital stability. It has low to moderate correlations with measures of child competence in this sample of children with disabilities. The correlations are of the same general magnitude of correlations between the Infant-Toddler, Early Childhood, and Middle Childhood versions of HOME in samples of younger children with disabilities.

Uses of the HOME inventory for families with handicapped children.

The use of the HOME Inventory with families of children with handicaps was described. Normative and psychometric information for the Infant-Toddler, Early Childhood, and Middle Childhood versions of the Inventory was provided for groups of children with diverse handicaps and groups of children with mental retardation. Moderate correlations were observed between HOME and family social status measures, minimal between HOME and life stress measures, and low to moderate between HOME and social support measures. Low to moderate correlations were observed between HOME and child competence measures.

Home environment and school performance: a ten-year follow-up and examination of three models of environmental action.

The home environments of 42 10- and 11-year-old children were examined when they were infants and again during middle childhood. Significant correlations were observed between home environments measured at both 2 years and 10 years and the children's SRA achievement test scores and their classroom behavior. However, the home environment at 6 months was only related to a limited number of classroom behaviors. Partial correlations were used to test 3 models of environmental action: Model I (primacy of early experience), Model II (predominance of the contemporary environment), Model III (cumulative effects in stable environments). Strongest relations were noted for the contemporary environment, but all 3 models received some support. Correlations between HOME scores and children's competence in middle childhood revealed a complex portrait that was not explainable with reference to a single model of environmental action. The version of the HOME Inventory used with families of elementary school children is also introduced.

Experiences in day care and social competence among maltreated children.

The experience of 39 preschool-age maltreated children from 13 child care facilities was examined to determine the extent to which the children's social development was related to the quality of day-care service. Maltreated children assigned by the Arkansas Department of Social Services to three different types of child care facilities were observed: specialized day-care programs, regular day-care centers and family day homes. The children scored below average in intelligence and were rated by their parents as displaying higher than normal rates of disturbed behavior. While no comparison group of non-maltreated children was included in the study, observations of the maltreated children in the child care setting revealed substantially more positive than negative social behavior. The children were reasonably effective in interacting with adult caregivers in day care. The maltreated children were also productive in most encounters with peers. Ratings of the quality of care received in day care were significantly correlated with the children's social competence in child care. Aspects of social behavior in maltreated children were related to the organization of the program, the physical facilities, traits of the caregiver, and caregiver expectations for the children.