Hugo Cogo Moreira

• Pompeia, Sabine; Taporoski, Tâmara P.; Segura, Isis Angélica; Gómez, Luz Marina; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Horimoto, Andrea Roseli Vançan Russo [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2026). The unity and diversity of executive functions across adulthood in a diverse Brazilian sample with varying educational attainment. Neuropsychology. ISSN 0894-4105. doi: 10.1037/neu0001085.
• Perfetto, Sofia E.; Ruthirakuhan, Myuri; Wong, Yuen Yan; Ryoo, Si Won; Huang, Celine H.L. & Fan, Fan [Show all 16 contributors for this article] (2026). Apoptosis protein markers in comorbid type 2 diabetes mellitus and depression; relationships with cognitive performance, incident dementia, and white matter hyperintensities. Journal of Affective Disorders. ISSN 0165-0327. 414. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2026.122353. Full text in Research Archive
• Fanton, Marcos Roberto; Mazzaferro, Mateus; Viana, Karine Porpino; Micali, Danilo; Santana, Vinicius Oliveira & Milani, Ana C.C. [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2026). Maternal adverse childhood experiences, postnatal depression, and early parenting behaviors: a study of microcoded mother–infant interaction in early infancy. Frontiers in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 5. doi: 10.3389/frcha.2026.1772342. Full text in Research Archive
• Ilari, Beatriz; Bortz, Graziela; Germano, Nayana Di Giuseppe & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2026). Musical Participation, Resilience, and Locus of Control in Musicians from the Margins. Behavioral Sciences. 16(4). doi: 10.3390/bs16040618. Full text in Research Archive
• Bilet-Mossige, Marthe; Ulriksen, Line Britt; Larsen, Kenneth; Nordahl-Hansen, Anders & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2026). A cluster-RCT deploying online video teacher training to improve reading skills in students with intellectual disabilities using augmentative and alternative communication: A study protocol. Research in Developmental Disabilities. ISSN 0891-4222. 170. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2026.105250. Full text in Research Archive
• Sanchez, Zila; Caetano, Sheila; Valente, Juliana Y.; Soares-Santos, Luis Eduardo & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2026). Does the apple fall far from the tree? when parenting styles disrupt the intergenerational pattern of substance use. Addictive Behaviours. ISSN 0306-4603. 174. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2025.108567. Full text in Research Archive
• Rotenberg, Luisa de Siqueira; Kjærstad, Hanne Lie; Nardini, Clara; Curvello, Renata; Franco, Milene da Silva & Boog, Maria Eduarda Carozzino [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2026). The causal relationship between social cognition and psychosocial functional outcome over time in bipolar disorder: A latent change score model approach. Journal of Affective Disorders. ISSN 0165-0327. 393. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2025.120346. Full text in Research Archive
• Bortz, Graziela; Ilari, Beatriz; Germano, Nayana Di Giuseppe; Jackowski, Andrea Parolin; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Lúcio, Patrícia Silva (2025). The impact of music education on children's cognitive and socioemotional development: A quasi-experimental study in the Guri Program in Brazil. PLOS ONE. 20(10), p. e0314355–e0314355. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0314355. Full text in Research Archive
• Ryoo, Si Won; Lin, William Z.; Magliocco, Alexandra; Ruthirakuhan, Myuri; Wong, Yuen Yan & Perfetto, Sofia E. [Show all 23 contributors for this article] (2025). Metabolic and vascular contributions to dementia: Soluble epoxide hydrolase-derived linoleic acid oxylipins and glycemic status are related to cerebral small vessel disease markers, atrophy, and cognitive performance. Alzheimer's & Dementia. ISSN 1552-5260. 21(10). doi: 10.1002/alz.70718. Full text in Research Archive
• Mangar, Stephen; Grandner, Michael; Airlodi, Livia; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Dimitriou, Dagmara (2025). The Development of Chronic Insomnia in Prostate Cancer Patients Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy: DEPRIVED Study. Psycho-Oncology. ISSN 1057-9249. 34(11). doi: 10.1002/pon.70316. Full text in Research Archive
• Trejos-Castillo, Elizabeth; Mastergeorge, Ann; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Santana, Vinicius Oliveira; Zugman, André & Pan, Pedro Mario [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2025). Can socioeconomic status moderate the effect of a conflictive family environment on brain structure and externalizing/internalizing behavior in children and adolescents? Revista Brasileira de Psiquiatria. ISSN 1516-4446. 47. doi: 10.47626/1516-4446-2025-4195. Full text in Research Archive
• H.E.Y.U.A.N., Wu, Che; Abhinav, Sharma,; D., Edwards, Jodi; P., Liu, Peter; Fangyun, Wu, Caixia & H.O., Podolsky, S. [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2025). Sodium-glucose Cotransporter-2 Inhibitor Initiation and Incident Dementia in Heart Failure With Diabetes: A Population-based Cohort Study. Journal of Cardiac Failure. ISSN 1071-9164. doi: 10.1016/j.cardfail.2025.05.022. Full text in Research Archive
• França, Thiago F.A.; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Pompeia, Sabine (2025). What do we measure when we measure pubertal development? Conceptual challenges in measuring and interpreting pubertal effects on brain and behavior. Hormones and Behavior. ISSN 0018-506X. 175. doi: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2025.105803. Full text in Research Archive
• Jiang, Guocheng; Lin, Fa Hsuan; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Rabin, Jennifer S.; Chen, J. Jean & Swardfager, Walter [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Thalamus anatomy predicts cognitive performance and hippocampal atrophy in aging adults: a UK Biobank study. Brain Communications. 7(5). doi: 10.1093/braincomms/fcaf334. Full text in Research Archive
• Perfetto, Sofia E.; Ruthirakuhan, Myuri; Ryoo, Si Won; Wong, Yuen Yan; Xiong, Lisa Y. & Anita, Natasha Z. [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2025). Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Cognitive Performance, and Incident Dementia; Identifying Mediating Pathways and Biomarkers From the Plasma Proteome. Journal of Neurochemistry. ISSN 0022-3042. 169(12). doi: 10.1111/jnc.70306. Full text in Research Archive
• Ramos, Aline Camargo; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Eid, Michael; Santana, Vinicius Oliveira; Ribeiro, Lucas Pinto & Milani, Ana Carolina Coelho [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2025). Mother infant cortisol levels and maternal childhood adversity. Scientific Reports. 15(1). doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-28548-8. Full text in Research Archive
• Wu, Che Yuan; Sharma, Abhinav; Edwards, Jodi D.; Liu, Peter P.; Wu, C. Fangyun & Podolsky, Sho [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2025). Drug Development. Alzheimer's & Dementia. ISSN 1552-5260. 21, p. e096860–e096860. doi: 10.1002/alz70859_096860. Full text in Research Archive
• Halsøy, Øyvind; Ebrahimi, Omid Vakili; Johnson, Sverre Urnes; Hoffart, Asle; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Fjermestad, Krister Westlye (2025). Depressive Symptoms in Individuals With Chronic Conditions During the Covid-19 Pandemic: A 2-Year Longitudinal Study. Stress and Health. ISSN 1532-3005. 41(4). doi: 10.1002/smi.70082. Full text in Research Archive
• Øien, Roald A; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Nordahl-Hansen, Anders; K., Juel, Emily; K., Silverman, Wendy & Larsen, Kenneth [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2025). Sex and age as moderators in the expression of internalizing and externalizing behaviors: insights from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) | BMC Psychology | Full Text. BMC Psychology. 13. doi: 10.1186/s40359-025-03529-8. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Children referred for anxiety disorders frequently show both internalizing and externalizing problems, but the role of sex and age in shaping these behavioral expressions remains unclear. Prior research suggests sex differences may shift across development, yet findings have been inconsistent. We analyzed data from 600 children (ages 6–17; 53.2% male) referred to a pediatric anxiety specialty clinic in the Northeastern United States between 2013 and 2021. Parents completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/6–18). Ordinary least squares regression models with an interaction term (sex × age) were estimated using Hayes’ PROCESS macro (Model 1). The Johnson–Neyman technique was applied to identify developmental periods where sex differences were significant. Sex significantly moderated the association between age and CBCL scores. Boys displayed higher externalizing scores than girls between ages 6 and 9.7 years, whereas girls showed higher internalizing scores from age 10.4 years onward. Effect sizes for the interactions were modest (ΔR2 range = .03–.05). Findings indicate that the expression of behavioral problems among anxiety-referred youth differs by both sex and developmental stage. Early externalizing difficulties in boys and later-emerging internalizing difficulties in girls suggest that findings may inform age- and sex-sensitive approaches to assessment and intervention to age- and sex-specific trajectories in pediatric anxiety populations.

• Kirchhofer, Solveig Melanie; Fredriksen, Trude; Orm, Stian; Botta, Matteo; Zahl, Erica & Moreira, Hugo Cogo [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2025). Effectiveness of a group intervention to improve mental health in siblings of children with chronic disorders: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. ISSN 0146-8693. 50(6), p. 443–453. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsaf021. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Objective: We evaluated the effectiveness of SIBS, a preventive intervention for siblings and parents of children with chronic disorders (CDs). Methods: This two-arm, unmasked cluster randomized controlled trial registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04056884), included 288 siblings (M age ¼ 10.4 years, SD ¼ 1.9) and parents of children with CDs (mainly neurodevelopmental disorders) randomly assigned to intervention (k ¼ 34, n ¼ 137) or waitlist control (k ¼ 35, n ¼ 151) groups. Eligible siblings were aged 8–16 years and had a sibling diagnosed with a CD. SIBS is manual-based and was delivered as five sessions over 2 weeks in primary care and hospital settings across Norway. Three sessions are separate for siblings and parents, and two are integrated sibling–parent dialogues. The primary outcome was sibling mental health, rated by siblings, parents, and teachers. The secondary outcome was parent–child communication, rated by siblings and parents. Analyses included intention-totreat (ITT) and complier average causal effects (CACE). Results: Although not statistically significant, at 3-month follow-up, the intervention group showed fewer mental health problems (ITT: siblingrated d ¼ −0.16, 95% CI [−0.49, 0.17]; parent-rated d ¼ −0.10, 95% CI [−0.48, 0.12]; teacher-rated d ¼ −0.18, 95% CI [−0.50, 0.29]) and higherquality parent–child communication (ITT: sibling-rated d ¼ 0.21, 95% CI [−0.10, 0.52]; parent-rated d ¼ 0.24, 95% CI [−0.07, 0.55]) compared to waitlist. Conclusions: The SIBS intervention demonstrated small, consistent positive effects on sibling mental health and parent–child communication. This suggests SIBS is a promising preventive program for siblings of children with CDs. Keywords: siblings, parents, intervention, prevention, randomized controlled trial.

• Santos, Miguel Henrique da Silva dos; Valente, Juliana Y.; Gubert, Fabiane A.; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Sanchez, Zila M. (2025). Parental practices as mediators of the effect of a family-based program on the prevention of substance use among Brazilian adolescentes. Children and Youth Services Review. ISSN 0190-7409. 168. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2024.108038. Full text in Research Archive
• Halsøy, Øyvind; Orm, Stian; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Silverman, Wendy K. & Fjermestad, Krister Westlye (2025). Trajectories of depression and anxiety in adults with rare disorders across 13 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. 20(1). doi: 10.1186/s13023-025-03633-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Adults with rare disorders experience multiple psychosocial risk factors beyond their medical symptoms, including impaired quality of life, social isolation, loneliness, and mental health problems. These risk factors were amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, when health care appointments and social/vocational activities were reduced or cancelled. There is a lack of longitudinal data tracking this population over time, making the long term consequences uncertain. Methods: We conducted a monthly survey of 58 adults aged between 19 and 71 years (M = 45.1 years, SD = 12.6) with rare disorders across 13 months during the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway. We measured symptoms of anxiety and depression with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-5. Covid fear was measured with the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale. We examined the mental health and covid fear trajectories across the 13 months with multi-level growth curve models with repeated measures at Level 1 and individuals at Level 2. To account for differences in governmental restrictions throughout the 13 months, we used the stringency index from The Oxford Covid-19 Government Response Tracker. Results: The growth models indicated stable levels of anxiety and depression over 13 months that were elevated compared to existing population data and were unpredicted by pandemic restrictions. The level of covid fear was significantly associated with the levels of anxious and depressive symptoms. Conclusions: The current study found elevated and stable trajectories of mental health symptoms throughout the pandemic for persons with rare disorders. This highlights the necessity of investigating the long-lasting influence of the pandemic on mental health among individuals with rare disorders.

• Panjeh, Sareh; Pompeia, Sabine & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2025). Associations between sleep habits and different impulsivity facets in adolescence. Research in Developmental Disabilities. ISSN 0891-4222. 159. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2025.104962. Full text in Research Archive
• Santana, Vinicius Oliveira; Ramos, Aline Camargo; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Araújo, Célia Maria; Alves, Barbara Shibuya & Ribeiro, Lucas [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2025). Sex-specific association between maternal childhood adversities and offspring's weight gain in a Brazilian cohort. Scientific Reports. 15(1), p. 2960–2960. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-87078-5. Full text in Research Archive
• Zahl, Erica; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Fredriksen, Trude; Kirchhofer, Solveig Melanie; Orm, Stian & Vatne, Torun Marie [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2024). Mental health dynamics between mothers and siblings of children with disabilities. Frontiers in Psychology. 15. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1501343. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction: When a child has a disability, their families face significant challenges that also impact parents' and siblings' mental health and adjustment. We examined the potential bidirectional relationships between parental mental health and sibling mental health and adjustment in families of children with a disability. Methods: We utilized baseline and 12-month follow-up data from a randomized controlled trial of a brief intervention designed to enhance parent-sibling communication in families of children with a disability. The sample comprised 214 siblings aged 8-16 years and their parents (N = 203 mothers, N = 124 fathers). We estimated bivariate latent change score models to examine the longitudinal cross-domain associations between changes in parental mental health and changes in sibling mental health, and changes in parental mental health and sibling adjustment. Results: The results showed that changes in maternal mental health and sibling adjustment over the 12-month period were correlated (r =

• Menezes, Felipe Toscano Lins de; Lopes, Alexandre Bussinger; Alencar, Jéssica Monique Dias; Bichuetti, Denis Bernardi; Souza, Nilton Amorim de & Moreira, Hugo Cogo [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2024). A mixture model for differentiating longitudinal courses of multiple sclerosis. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. ISSN 2211-0348. 81. doi: 10.1016/j.msard.2023.105346. Full text in Research Archive
• Chiodi, Sofia Lira; Lúcio, Patrícia Silva; Ilari, Beatriz; Germano, Nayana Di Giuseppe; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Bortz, Graziela (2024). Relationship Between Direct Aggression and Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Attention and Intelligence Among Children at Risk for Behavioral Problems. Child Psychiatry and Human Development. ISSN 0009-398X. doi: 10.1007/s10578-024-01738-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Anita, Natasha Z.; Herrmann, Nathan; Ryoo, Si Won; Major-Orfao, Chelsi; Lin, William Z. & Kwan, Felicia [Show all 23 contributors for this article] (2024). Cytochrome P450-soluble epoxide hydrolase oxylipins, depression and cognition in type 2 diabetes. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications (JDC). ISSN 1056-8727. 38(9). doi: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2024.108826. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Aims: This study examined serum cytochrome P450-soluble epoxide hydrolase (CYP450-sEH) oxylipins and depressive symptoms together in relation to cognitive performance in individuals with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: Clinically cognitively normal T2DM individuals were recruited (NCT04455867). Depressive symptom severity was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II; total scores ≤13 indicated minimal depressive symptoms and ≥ 14 indicated significant depressive symptoms). Executive function and verbal memory were assessed. Fasting serum oxylipins were quantified by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass-spectrometry. Results: The study included 85 participants with minimal depressive symptoms and 27 with significant symptoms (mean age: 63.3 ± 9.8 years, 49 % women). In all participants, higher concentrations of linoleic acid derived sEH (12,13-dihydroxyoctadecamonoenoic acid; DiHOME) and CYP450 (12(13)-epoxyoctadecamonoenoic acid; EpOME) metabolites were associated with poorer executive function (F1,101 = 6.094, p = 0.015 and F1,101 = 5.598, p = 0.020, respectively). Concentrations of multiple sEH substrates interacted with depressive symptoms to predict 1) poorer executive function, including 9(10)-EpOME (F1,100 = 12.137, p < 0.001), 5(6)-epoxyeicosatrienoic acid (5(6)-EpETrE; F1,100 = 6.481, p = 0.012) and 11(12)-EpETrE (F1,100 = 4.409, p = 0.038), and 2) verbal memory, including 9(10)-EpOME (F1,100 = 4.286, p = 0.041), 5(6)-EpETrE (F1,100 = 6.845, p = 0.010), 11 (12)-EpETrE (F1,100 = 3.981, p = 0.049) and 14(15)-EpETrE (F1,100 = 5.019, p = 0.027). Conclusions: Associations of CYP450-sEH metabolites and depressive symptoms with cognition highlight the biomarker and therapeutic potential of the CYP450-sEH pathway in T2DM.

• Xiong, Lisa Y.; Alexander, Madeline Wood; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Wu, Che-Yuan; Eid, Michael & Herrmann, Nathan [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2024). Longitudinal relationships between depressive symptoms, functional impairment, and physical activity in later late life. GeroScience. ISSN 2509-2715. doi: 10.1007/s11357-024-01282-1. Full text in Research Archive
• Caetano, Sheila C.; Mariano, Marília; Silva, Anderson Ribeiro da; Mendes-Sousa, Marília Moreira; Ferreira, Natália Alexandre & Moreira, Hugo Cogo [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2024). Effectiveness of the Elos 2.0 Program, a Classroom Good Behavior Game Version in Brazil. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction. ISSN 1557-1874. doi: 10.1007/s11469-024-01256-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The Good Behavior Game (GBG) is a universal classroom behavior management method to reduce disruptive problems. This study aimed to evaluate the efectiveness of the Elos 2.0 Program, a GBG version from Brazil, on the TOCA-C subscales: concentration problems, disruptive behavior, and prosocial behavior. We evaluated 2030 children aged 6–10 years. The Elos 2.0 program had a positive effect on concentration improvement by 0.254 standard deviations (Cohen’s d=0.254, 95%CI=0.038–0.469), and on prosocial behavior by 0.436 standard deviations (Cohen’s d=0.436, 95%CI=0.139–0.734). The odds of no disruptive behavior in Elos 2.0 were 4.88 times (95%CIOR=1.89–12.60), compared to the control group. Our findings indicate that the Elos 2.0 program is associated with modest/robust improvements in children’s prosocial and concentration skills and a decrease in disruptive behavior. This study is a preliminary support for the implementation of the Elos 2.0 Program in Brazilian public schools. REBEC/Brazil: U1111-1228–2342.

• Xiong, Lisa Y.; Alexander, Madeline Wood; Wong, Yuen Yan; Wu, Che-Yuan; Ruthirakuhan, Myuri & Edwards, Jodi D. [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2024). Latent profiles of modifiable dementia risk factors in later midlife: relationships with incident dementia, cognition, and neuroimaging outcomes. Molecular Psychiatry. ISSN 1359-4184. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02685-4. Full text in Research Archive
• Ernst, Monique; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Desai, Jay & Merke, Deborah P. (2024). Sexual dimorphism in anxiety is programmed in-utero by sex-steroids: Proof of concept using a disease-model and stress responses to COVID pandemic. Psychiatry Research. ISSN 0165-1781. 331. doi: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115623. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Sex differences in the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic have been consistently reported, showing disproportionally high rates of anxiety/distress in women relative to men. The mechanisms underlying this sexual dimorphism remain unclear. The present study queries the potential protective role of early hyperandrogenism on brain development. A natural model of sex-steroids abnormality, classic congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), was used to test this question. CAH is characterized by adrenal androgen overproduction in utero (prenatal) through the neonatal critical developmental period. An online survey collected information on subjective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Matched on demographic variables, 60 adults carrying a diagnosis of classic CAH and 240 adults from the general population (non-CAH) were compared on levels of anxiety/distress in the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic (May 2020-April 2021). Structural Equation Modeling was used to test the modulation by CAH status of Sex effects on anxiety/distress. Results revealed lower levels of anxiety/distress in the female CAH group compared to the other 3 groups (male CAH, female non-CAH, and male non-CAH). This finding suggests that pre-neonatal hyperandrogenism might impact the development of neural circuits underlying anxiety processes, in a way that enhances resilience to chronic stress.

• Sanchez, Zila M.; Valente, Juliana Y.; Gubert, Fabiane A.; Galvão, Patrícia P. O.; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Rebouças, Lidiane N. [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2024). Short-term effects of the strengthening families Program (SFP 10–14) in Brazil: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health (CAPMH). 18(1). doi: 10.1186/s13034-024-00748-6. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction. This study reports the evaluation of the short-term effects of the Strengthening Families Program (SFP 10–14), adapted as Famílias Fortes (Strong Families) in Brazil, on preventing adolescent drug use and improving parenting behaviors. Methods. A two-arm, parallel cluster randomized controlled trial was conducted in 60 Social Assistance Reference Centers (SARC) from 12 Brazilian municipalities. In each city, the SARC were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. A total of 805 families participated in the study, each contributing data from one parent or legal guardian and one adolescent totaling 1,610 participants. Data collection occurred before intervention implementation and 6 months after baseline collection. Data were analyzed using multilevel mixed-effects modeling with repeated measures in two different paradigms: Intention to Treat (ITT) and Per protocol (PP). The study was registered in the Brazilian Ministry of Health Register of Clinical Trials (REBEC), under protocol no. RBR-5hz9g6z. Results. Considering the ITT paradigm, the program reduced the chance of parents and legal guardians being classified as negligent by 60% (95%CI 0.21; 0.78), increased the use of nonviolent discipline by caregivers (Coef 0.33,95%CI 0.01; 0.64) and decreased the chance of adults exposing adolescents to their drunken episodes by 80% (95%CI 0.06; 0.54). No program effects were observed on outcomes related to adolescent drug use. Similar results were found for the PP paradigm. Conclusion. The positive effects on family outcomes suggest preventive potential of the program among the Brazilian population. Long-term evaluations are necessary to verify if the program can also achieve the drug use reduction goals not observed in the short term.

• Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2024). Very low association between multidimensional musical environment exposure and musical perception skills among children: Evidence from a large multilevel cross-sectional study. Psychology of Music. ISSN 0305-7356. 53(1). doi: 10.1177/03057356241235665. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  This study aimed to explore whether music perception is correlated with the load of exposure to musical activities in daily life, such as attending musical events, playing an instrument, attending music classes (at school or for a social project), and the time children spend listening to music using a non-experimental design. We are reusing data from the studies by Barros et al. and Cogo-Moreira & Lamont, from a random school-based sample (multilevel design) including 1,006 children from first to fifth grade in 14 schools in São Paulo, Brazil. Data were collected using the “M-factor”, a new paradigm to assess music perception, and a questionnaire to track children’s self-reported musical activities related to their individual daily lives in different environments (home and school). At the within-participants level, self-reported exposure to music activity accounted for only 5.3% of the variance in music perception after adjusting for age and sex. Hence, the magnitude of the association between music exposure and music perception skills was small when both music exposure and music perception skills were evaluated under continuous scores and using a heterogeneous population.

• Ulriksen, Line Britt; Bilet-Mossige, Marthe; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Øien, Roald A & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2024). Reading instruction for students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication: A multiple single case study with baseline, posttest, follow-up, and maintenance. Research in Developmental Disabilities. ISSN 0891-4222. 151. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2024.104790. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The purpose of the current study was to examine whether seven children, aged 6–10 years, with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication, could acquire phonological awareness and reading skills by using a reading material that is based on research on the evidence-based reading program Accessible literacy learning. The effect of the measures has been examined using a multiple single-case design with baseline, posttest, follow-up, and maintenance. All the teachers were trained to deliver the reading intervention in the students’ familiar place at school. The results indicated that students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication could acquire phonological awareness and decoding by working systematically with reading material based on evidence-based strategies.

• Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Krance, Saffire H.; Wu, Che-Yuan; Lanctôt, Krista L.; Herrmann, Nathan & Black, Sandra E. [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). State, trait, and accumulated features of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) in mild Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions. 9(1). doi: 10.1002/trc2.12376. Full text in Research Archive
• Wu, Che-Yuan; Iskander, Carina; Wang, Christa; Xiong, Lisa Y.; Shah, Baiju R. & Edwards, Jodi D. [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2023). Association of Sodium–Glucose Cotransporter 2 Inhibitors With Time to Dementia: A Population-Based Cohort Study. Diabetes Care. ISSN 0149-5992. 46(2), p. 297–304. doi: 10.2337/dc22-1705. Full text in Research Archive
• Wu, Che-Yuan; Iskander, Carina; Wang, Christa; Xiong, Lisa Y.; Shah, Baiju R. & Edwards, Jodi D. [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2023). Association of sulfonylureas with the risk of dementia: A population-based cohort study. Journal of The American Geriatrics Society. ISSN 0002-8614. 71(10), p. 3059–3070. doi: 10.1111/jgs.18397. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Gangestad, Jonathan; Johannessen, Sandra & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2023). Evaluating the Feasibility of Emotion Expressions in Avatars Created from Real Person Photos: Pilot Web-Based Survey of Virtual Reality Software. JMIR Formative Research. 7, p. e44632–e44632. doi: 10.2196/44632. Full text in Research Archive
• Ruthirakuhan, M.; Alexander, Alexander Wood; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Robinson, T.; Amariglio, R. & Buckley, R.F. [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2023). Investigating the Factor Structure of the Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite and Cognitive Function Index across Racial/Ethnic, Sex, and Aβ Status Groups in the A4 Study. Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (JPAD). ISSN 2274-5807. doi: 10.14283/jpad.2023.98. Full text in Research Archive
• Panjeh, Sareh; Nordahl-Hansen, Anders & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2023). Establishing new cutoffs for Cohen's d: An application using known effect sizes from trials for improving sleep quality on composite mental health. International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research. ISSN 1049-8931. doi: 10.1002/mpr.1969. Full text in Research Archive
• Pompeia, Sabine; Panjeh, Sareh; Louzada, Fernando Mazzili; D’Almeida, Vania; Hipolide, Debora Cristina & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2023). Social jetlag is associated with adverse cardiometabolic latent traits in early adolescence: an observational study. Frontiers in Endocrinology. 14. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1085302. Full text in Research Archive
• Ruthirakuhan, Myuri; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Swardfager, Walter; Herrmann, Nathan; Lanctot, Krista L. & Black, Sandra E. (2023). Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Mortality: A Latent Class Approach. Journal of the American Heart Association (JAHA). 12(1). doi: 10.1161/JAHA.122.025724. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  BackgroundCardiovascular risk factors co‐occur with one another, and little is known about the extent of their clustering and risk of Alzheimer disease (AD). We identify groups of cardiovascular risk factors in cognitively normal individuals and investigate between‐group differences in incident AD and death.Methods and ResultsCognitively normal individuals were recruited from the National Alzheimer's Coordinator Center. A latent class analysis was conducted with hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, heart condition, stroke, smoking history, diabetes, and high body mass index. Between‐group differences in the incidence of AD, mortality, and mortality‐adjusted AD were investigated. This study included 12 412 cognitively normal individuals (average follow‐up, 65 months). Three groups were identified: (1) low probabilities of cardiovascular risk factors (reference; N=5398 [43%]), (2) hypertension and hypercholesterolemia (vascular‐dominant; N=5721 [46%]), and (3) hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, and high body mass index (vascular‐metabolic; N=1293 [10%]). Both vascular groups were significantly older, had more men, were slightly less educated, and were slightly more cognitively impaired than the reference group (all P<0.05). However, only the vascular‐metabolic group had a significantly younger age of death compared with the reference group (84.3 versus 88.7 years, P<0.001). Only the vascular‐dominant group had a greater incidence of AD (odds ratio [OR], 1.30; P<0.001) compared with the reference group. Mortality was greater in the vascular‐dominant (OR, 3.26; P<0.001) and vascular‐metabolic groups (OR, 1.84; P=0.02). Mortality‐adjusted AD was greater in the vascular‐dominant (OR, 1.54; P=0.02) and vascular‐metabolic groups (OR, 1.46; P=0.04).ConclusionsThree distinct cardiovascular risk factor groups were identified in cognitively normal elderly individuals. Only the vascular‐dominant group was associated with a greater incidence of AD. Selective mortality may contribute to the attenuated association between the vascular‐metabolic group and incident AD.

• Panjeh, Sareh; Nordahl-Hansen, Anders & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2023). Moving Forward to a World Beyond 0.2, 0.5, and 0.8 Effects Sizes: New Cutoffs for School-Based Anti-Bullying Interventions. Journal of Interpersonal Violence. ISSN 0886-2605. 38(11-12), p. 7843–7851. doi: 10.1177/08862605221147065. Full text in Research Archive
• Ulriksen, Line Britt; Bilet-Mossige, Marthe; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Larsen, Kenneth & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders (2023). Reading intervention for students with intellectual disabilities without functional speech who require augmentative and alternative communication: a multiple single-case design with four randomized baselines. Trials. 24(1). doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07452-4. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Literacy is one of the most important skills a students can achieve, as it provides access to information and communication. Unfortunately, literacy skills are not easily acquired, especially for students with intellectual disabilities who require augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). There are many barriers to literacy acquisition, some due to low expectations from parents and teachers and lack of evidence-based reading programs and reading materials adapted for AAC. Barriers as a result of extensive support needs is also a real factor. This trial aims to deliver reading instructions to 40 students with intellectual disabilities who require AAC and contribute in the debate on how to best support this population through reading instructions to maximizes their reading skills. Methodology: Forty non-verbal or minimally verbal students (age 6–14) with intellectual disabilities who require AAC will be part of a reading intervention with a multiple single-case design with four randomized baselines. The intervention period will last for 18 months and will commence in March 2023. The students will receive the intervention in a one-to-one format, working systematically with a reading material that contains phonological awareness and decoding tasks based on the Accessible Literacy Learning (ALL) developed by Janice Light and David McNaughton. All the teachers will be trained to deliver the reading intervention. Discussion: The reading material “Lesing for alle” (Reading for all) is based on and follow the strategies behind the research of ALL. The current trial will through a reading intervention contribute to move beyond only teaching sight words and combine several reading components such as sound blending, letter-sound correspondence, phoneme segmentation, shared reading, recognition of sight words, and decoding. The strategies and methods in use is built on the existing science of reading, especially what has been effective in teaching reading for students with intellectual disabilities who require AAC. There is limited generalizability of prior findings in reading-related phonological processing interventions to different populations of them who use AAC specially outside of the USA. More research is needed to understand how programs designed to improve reading skills across other settings understand the program’s long-term effects and to study the effectiveness when delivered by educators who are not speech language therapists or researchers.

• Zebarth, Julia; Kamal, Radia; Perlman, George; Ouk, Michael; Xiong, Lisa Y. & Yu, Di [Show all 34 contributors for this article] (2023). Perivascular spaces mediate a relationship between diabetes and other cerebral small vessel disease markers in cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Journal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases. ISSN 1052-3057. 32(9). doi: 10.1016/j.jstrokecerebrovasdis.2023.107273. Full text in Research Archive
• Segura, Isis Angelica; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Nouri, Ali; Miranda, Monica Carolina & Pompéia, Sabine (2023). Cross-Country (Brazil and Iran) Invariance of Fractionation of Executive Functions in Early Adolescence. Journal of Cognition and Development. ISSN 1524-8372. doi: 10.1080/15248372.2023.2245471. Full text in Research Archive
• Nordahl-Hansen, Anders; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Panjeh, Sareh & Quintana, Daniel (2023). Redefining effect size interpretations for psychotherapy RCTs in depression. Journal of Psychiatric Research. ISSN 0022-3956. 169, p. 38–41. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2023.11.009. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction: Effect sizes are often used to interpret the magnitude of a result and in power calculations when planning research studies. However, as effect size interpretations are context-dependent, Jacob Cohen’s suggested guidelines for what represents a small, medium, and large effect are unlikely to be suitable for a diverse range of research populations and interventions. Our objective here is to determine empirically-derived effect size thresholds associated with psychotherapy randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in depression by calculating the effect size distribution. Methods: We extracted effect sizes from 366 RCTs provided by the systematic review of Cuijpers and colleagues (2020) on psychotherapy for depressive disorders across all age groups. The 50th percentile effect size, as this represents a medium effect size, and the 25th (small) and 75th (large) percentile effect sizes were calculated to determine empirically-derived effect size thresholds. Results: After adjusting for publication bias, 0.27, 0.53, and 0.86 represent small, medium, and large effect sizes, respectively, for psychotherapy treatment for depressive disorders. Discussion: The effect size distribution for psychotherapy treatment of depression indicates that observed effect size thresholds are larger than Cohen’s suggested effect size thresholds (0.2, 0.5, and 0.8). These results have implications for the interpretation of study effects and the planning of future studies via power analyses, which often use effect size thresholds.

• Wu, Che-Yuan; Wang, Christa; Saskin, Refik; Shah, Baiju R.; Kapral, Moira K. & Lanctôt, Krista L. [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2023). No association between metformin initiation and incident dementia in older adults newly diagnosed with diabetes. Journal of Internal Medicine. ISSN 0954-6820. 295(1), p. 68–78. doi: 10.1111/joim.13723. Full text in Research Archive
• Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Molinari, Giovanna Lima; Carvalho, Carolina Alves Ferreira de; Kida, Adriana de Souza Batista; Lúcio, Patrícia Silva & Avila, Clara Regina Brandão de (2023). Pontos de corte, sensibilidade e especificidade para rastreamento da fluência leitora em crianças. CoDAS (Communication Disorders, Audiology and Swallowing). ISSN 2317-1782. 35(3). doi: 10.1590/2317-1782/20232021263pt. Full text in Research Archive
• Fjermestad, Krister Westlye; Orm, Stian; Silverman, Wendy K. & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2022). Short report: COVID-19-related anxiety is associated with mental health problems among adults with rare disorders. Research in Developmental Disabilities. ISSN 0891-4222. 123. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104181. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background For adults with rare disorders, COVID-19 can be more severe and deadlier. This may lead to anxiety about COVID-19 among adults with rare disorders, including worries about being infected. COVID-19 anxiety is linked with mental health problems in the general population. Aims To examine the levels of mental health problems and COVID-19 anxiety, and their association, among adults with rare disorders. Methods and procedures Adults with rare disorders (N = 58, Mage = 45.2 years, SD = 12.7, 69.0% females, 31.0% males) answered standardized mental health and COVID-19 anxiety questionnaires online. Their scores were compared with samples without rare disorders. Outcomes and results Mental health problems were higher than in a sample without rare disorders (effect size d = 1.14), as was COVID-19 anxiety (effect size d = 0.53). COVID-19 anxiety correlated significantly with mental health problems (r = .46). Controlling for age, gender, and work status, COVID-19 anxiety explained 16.1% of the variance in mental health problems (ΔR2 = .161, p = .001). Conclusions and implications COVID-19 anxiety is higher than norms and associated with mental health problems for adults with rare disorders. During the pandemic, clinicians are recommended to assess COVID-19 anxiety for patients with rare disorders.

• Ferreira, Valdemir; Coutinho-Lourenco, Fausto; Menezes, Alessandra A. S.; Gusmoes, Julia Dell; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Sanchez, Zila M. (2022). Psychometric validation of the audio-guided rBVQ instrument for bullying evaluation among students. Psico-USF. ISSN 1413-8271. 27(2). doi: 10.1590/1413-82712022270214. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (rBVQ) is an internationally used instrument to identify bullying, but due to Brazilian students’ low proficiency in reading and writing, it had to be adapted for audio-guided use through smartphones. We investigated construct validity, using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), under a two-correlated factor solution. Participated 1,742 fifth graders and 2,316 seventh graders from 30 public schools in the city of São Paulo. We found excellent fit indices models for both grades (fifth grade: CFI=0.985, RMSEA=0.020; seventh grade: CFI=0.990, RMSEA=0.015), as well as factor loading higher than 0.4 for all items, indicating their relevance to the construct. The rBVQ demonstrated excellent psychometric properties and may help future studies that aim to investigate bullying in populations with similar profiles. In addition, this study innovates by evaluating an audio-guided instrument and using mobile technology.

• Ekuni, Roberta; Souza, Bruno Miguel Nogueira; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Lourenço, Fausto Coutinho & Pompeia, Sabine (2022). Bidirectional longitudinal dynamics of self-reported total sleep time and perceived stress: Establishing potential causal relationships. Sleep Health. ISSN 2352-7218. 8(4), p. 406–409. doi: 10.1016/j.sleh.2022.01.004. Full text in Research Archive
• Segura, Isis Angelica; Panjeh, Sareh; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Nouri, Ali; Miranda, Monica Carolina & Esmaeili, Fattaneh [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Fractionation of executive functions in adolescents from Iran: invariance across age and socioeconomic status. Current Psychology. ISSN 1046-1310. doi: 10.1007/s12144-022-03974-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Executive functions (EFs) are cognitive skills that regulate thoughts and behavior. The seminal EF unity and diversity theoretical framework proposes the existence of three correlated EF latent domains (inhibition, updating, and switching) that become distinguishable from a certain moment during adolescence, but it is unclear how age and socioeconomic status (SES) afect these abilities. Here, we assessed 407 9-15-year-old Iranians of variable SES using an open-access battery of executive function tests that includes two tasks of each EF domain and allows for sociocultural adaptations regarding language and stimuli. Various EF model confgurations proposed in the literature were tested (one, two and three EF latent factor, nested and bifactor-S-1 models) using confrmatory factor analyses. In addition, to explore the unbiased efects of age and SES, we performed invariance testing (across age and SES) using multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model to the best ftting model solution. The three-correlated EF factor model had the best ft and was mostly invariant across age and SES, with all three EF latent traits improving with age, while SES exerted only minimal positive efects on shifting and updating. We concluded that the three separable EF domains, found in adults and adolescents of other ages from diferent populations, can already be detected from the beginning of adolescence when culturally and psychometrically appropriate EF tasks are used. Additionally, these abilities continue to improve with age and are little afected by SES, suggesting that the unity and diversity framework is useful to study the cross-country generality of EF development.

• Wu, Che-Yuan; Xiong, Lisa Y.; Ouk, Michael; Rabin, Jennifer S.; Herrmann, Nathan & Lanctôt, Krista L. [Show all 11 contributors for this article] (2022). Gastric acid suppressants and cognitive decline in people with or without cognitive impairment. Alzheimer's and Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions. 8(1). doi: 10.1002/trc2.12243. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Introduction Studies suggest associations between proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and dementia risk; however, many neither considered histamine-2 receptor antagonists (H2RAs) nor baseline cognitive status. Methods Participants (National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center Database; 2005–2021) using a PPI or H2RA were compared. Covariate-adjusted Cox regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for progression from normal cognition to mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and from MCI to dementia over 5 years. In a propensity-score–matched subsample of mild–moderate Alzheimer's disease (AD), mixed-effects negative binomial regression was used to estimate decline in delayed recall memory. Results Compared to PPI, H2RA use was associated with earlier progression from MCI to dementia (HR = 1.40 [1.09–1.81]; n = 1701), and with faster memory decline in AD over time (rate ratio = 0.76 [0.64–0.92]; n = 628), but not with progression from normal cognition to MCI (HR = 0.94 [0.71–1.24]; n = 2784). Discussion Compared to PPIs, H2RAs were associated with cognitive decline, specifically among people with pre-existing cognitive impairment.

• Euclydes, Verônica L. V.; Gastaldi, Vinicius D.; Feltrin, Arthur S.; Hoffman, Daniel J.; Gouveia, Gisele & Moreira, Hugo Cogo [Show all 17 contributors for this article] (2022). DNA methylation mediates a randomized controlled trial home-visiting intervention during pregnancy and the Bayley infant's cognitive scores at 12 months of age. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. ISSN 2040-1744. 13(5). doi: 10.1017/S2040174421000738. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The crosstalk between maternal stress exposure and fetal development may be mediated by epigenetic mechanisms, including DNA methylation (DNAm). To address this matter, we collect 32 cord blood samples from low-income Brazilian pregnant adolescents participants of a pilot randomized clinical intervention study (ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier: NCT02807818). We hypothesized that the association between the intervention and infant neurodevelopmental outcomes at 12 months of age would be mediated by DNAm. First, we searched genome methylation differences between cases and controls using different approaches, as well as differences in age acceleration (AA), represented by the difference of methylation age and birth age. According to an adjusted p-value ≤ 0.05 we identified 3090 differentially methylated positions- CpG sites (DMPs), 21 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and one comethylated module weakly preserved between groups. The intervention group presented a smaller AA compared to the control group (p = 0.025). A logistic regression controlled by sex and with gestational age indicated a coefficient of −0.35 towards intervention group (p = 0.016) considering AA. A higher cognitive domain score from Bayley III scale was observed in the intervention group at 12 months of age. Then, we performed a potential causal mediation analysis selecting only DMPs highly associated with the cognitive domain (adj. R2 > 0.4), DMRs and CpGs of hub genes from the weakly preserved comethylated module and epigenetic clock as raw values. DMPs in STXBP6, and PF4 DMR, mediated the association between the maternal intervention and the cognitive domain at 12 months of age. In conclusion, DNAm in different sites and regions mediated the association between intervention and cognitive outcome.

• Perlman, George; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Wu, Che-Yuan; Herrmann, Nathan & Swardfager, Walter (2022). Depression interacts with allostatic load to predict cognitive decline in middle age. Psychoneuroendocrinology. ISSN 0306-4530. 146. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105922. Full text in Research Archive
• Nouri, Ali; Panjeh, Sareh; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Pompeia, Sabine (2022). Factors that influence morningness-eveningness and daytime sleepiness: A cross-cultural comparison of Iranian and Brazilian adolescents. Chronobiology International. ISSN 0742-0528. doi: 10.1080/07420528.2022.2157735. Full text in Research Archive
• Almeida, Maia Denise de; Farid, Bardid; Tobias, Koch; Paula, Okuda; George, Ploubidis & Nordahl-Hansen, Anders [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2022). Is Motor Milestone Assessment in Infancy Valid and Scaled Equally Across Sex, Birth Weight, and Gestational Age? Findings From the Millennium Cohort Study. Frontiers in Psychology. 12(781602), p. 1–9. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.781602. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Is the assessment of motor milestones valid and scaled equivalently for all infants? It is not only important to understand if the way we use gross and fine motor scores are appropriate for monitoring motor milestones but also to determine if these scores are confounded by specific infant characteristics. Therefore, the aim of the study is to investigate the latent structure underlying motor milestone assessment in infancy and measurement invariance across sex, birth weight, and gestational age. For this study, the birth cohort data from the United Kingdom Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) was used, which includes the assessment of eight motor milestone tasks from the Denver Developmental Screening Test in 9-month-old infants (N = 18,531), depicting early motor development of the first children of generation Z. Confirmatory factor analyses showed a better model fit for a two-factor structure (i.e., gross and fine motor development) compared to a one-factor structure (i.e., general motor development), and multiple indicators multiple causes modeling revealed no differential item functioning related to sex, birth weight, and gestational age. The study provides support for the use of gross and fine motor scores when assessing motor milestones in infants—both boys and girls with different birth weights and of varying gestational ages. Further investigation into widely adopted assessment tools is recommended to support the use of valid composite scores in early childhood research and practice.

• Ottoy, Julie; Ozzoude, Miracle; Zukotynski, Katherine; Adamo, Sabrina; Scott, Christopher & Gaudet, Vincent [Show all 33 contributors for this article] (2022). Vascular burden and cognition: Mediating roles of neurodegeneration and amyloid PET. Alzheimer's & Dementia. ISSN 1552-5260. doi: 10.1002/alz.12750. Full text in Research Archive
• Valente, Juliana Y.; Moreira, Hugo Cogo & Sanchez, Zila M. (2022). Applying a Pattern-Centered Approach to Assess the Effect of a School-Based Drug Use Prevention Program in Brazil: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Prevention. ISSN 2731-5533. 43, p. 529–548. doi: 10.1007/s10935-022-00681-4. Full text in Research Archive
• Proença, Cecília R; Markowitz, John C.; Coimbra, Bruno M.; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Maciel, Mariana R. & Mello, Andrea F. [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2022). Interpersonal psychotherapy versus sertraline for women with posttraumatic stress disorder following recent sexual assault: a randomized clinical trial. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. 13(2), p. 2127474–2127474. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2022.2127474. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Sexual assault often triggers posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a potentially chronic severe mental disorder. Most guidelines recommend selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and trauma-focused psychotherapies as treatment options. Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), adapted for PTSD (IPT-PTSD), focuses on interpersonal consequences of trauma rather than confronting the trauma itself. Studies have found IPT-PTSD efficaciously reduced PTSD symptoms with limited attrition. No efficacy trials have compared IPT-PTSD and SSRI. We hypothesized IPT would reduce PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms more than sertraline among women with PTSD following a recent sexual assault. Objectives: To compare the efficacy of IPT-PTSD to SSRI sertraline in a 14-week randomized clinical trial for women with PTSD following a recent sexual assault. Methods: Seventy-four women with PTSD who had suffered sexual assault in the last six months were randomly assigned to 14 weeks of IPT-PTSD (n = 39) or sertraline (n = 35). Instruments assessed PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. This randomized clinical trial was conducted in São Paulo, Brazil, using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale-5 (CAPS-5) as the primary outcome measure. Results: Both treatments significantly reduced PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, without between-group outcome differences. CAPS-5 mean decreased from 42.5 (SD = 9.4) to 27.1 (SD = 15.9) with sertraline and from 42.6 (SD = 9.1) to 29.1 (SD = 15.5) with IPT-PTSD. Attrition was high in both arms (p = .40). Conclusions: This trial showed within-group improvements without differences between IPTPTSD and sertraline treatment of PTSD. Our findings suggest that non-exposure-based psychotherapies may benefit patients with PTSD, although we did not directly compare these treatments to an exposure therapy. Brazilian Clinical Trials Registry RBR-3z474z.

• Ollis, Lucie; Cropley, Mark; Plans, David & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2022). Disentangling change across the time and true stability of employees’ resilience using latent state model. BMC Psychiatry. 22(651). doi: 10.1186/s12888-022-04294-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  There is debate within the literature about whether resilience should be considered a stable character trait or a dynamic, changeable process (state). Two widely used measures to assess resilience are the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) and the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA). The aim of this study was to evaluate the true stability (invariance) and change across time in resilience captured by these two measures. Using the perspective of Latent State-Trait theory, the aim was to decipher if the CD-RISC and the RSA are more trait-like or more state-like and to address whether true differences in resilience between participants increased (or decreased) across time. In this longitudinal study, UK-based employees (N = 378) completed the CD-RISC (10-item version) and the RSA (33-item version, aggregated and analyzed under six parcels) at three occasions over six months. A latent-state model and latent-state model with indicator specific residual factors were utilized. The analysis suggested that both questionnaires capture trait and state components of resilience. These results contribute to the discussion about how resilience scales are measuring change and stability, and how we define resilience as a more trait-like or state-like phenomena. The findings also highlight the issue of what resilience scales are measuring and whether resilience is a quantifiable construct.

• Scarpato, B.S.; Swardfager, W.; Eid, M.; Ploubidis, G.B.; MacIntosh, B.J. & Wu, C.Y. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Dynamics between psychological distress and body mass index throughout adult life; evidence from 3 large cohort studies. Journal of Psychiatric Research. ISSN 0022-3956. 144, p. 378–388. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.10.030. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Associations between body mass index (BMI) and psychological distress (PD) have been reported; however, few longitudinal studies have accounted for likely life-course differences in BMI and PD stability, consistency, and their interplay across time. Methods: Via random intercepts cross-lagged panel models, we assessed the predictive effects (from BMI to PD or vice-versa) across the last two centuries in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults [CARDIA, beginning in 1985-6] study using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale [CES-D], and in the National Child Development Study [NCDS, beginning in 1958] and British Cohort Study [BCS, beginning in 1970] using the Malaise Inventory [MI]), assessed at least 4 times in adult life. Findings: In CARDIA (n = 4724), NCDS58 (n = 7149) and BCS70 (n = 5967), autoregressive effects were stronger for BMI than for PD, meaning that carry-over effects from one occasion to the next were larger for BMI than for PD. Small interindividual correlations between traits of higher BMI and higher PD were identified among females (rfemale<|0⋅2|) but not males (rmale<|0⋅03|) in CARDIA and NCDS. Cross-lagged effects were very weak or close to zero (standardized effects η<|0⋅1|). Interpretation: In the United States, depressive symptoms and BMI were positively correlated at the trait level among females. In the United Kingdom, relationships between PD and BMI were inconsistent between generations, with effect sizes of unlikely clinical importance, indicating negligible dominance of an intraindividual effect of BMI on PD or vice versa.

• Manfro, Pedro H.; Pereira, Rivka B.; Rosa, Martha; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Fisher, HL & Kohrt, Brandon A. [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2021). Adolescent depression beyond DSM definition: a network analysis. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ISSN 1018-8827. doi: 10.1007/s00787-021-01908-1. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Calls for refning the understanding of depression beyond diagnostic criteria have been growing in recent years. We examined the prevalence and relevance of DSM and non-DSM depressive symptoms in two Brazilian school-based adolescent samples with two commonly used scales, the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-A) and the Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (MFQ). We analyzed cross-sectional data from two similarly recruited samples of adolescents aged 14–16 years, as part of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence (IDEA) study in Brazil. We assessed dimensional depressive symptomatology using the PHQ-A in the frst sample (n=7720) and the MFQ in the second sample (n=1070). We conducted network analyses to study symptom structure and centrality estimates of the two scales. Additionally, we compared centrality of items included (e.g., low mood, anhedonia) and not included in the DSM (e.g., low self-esteem, loneliness) in the MFQ. Sad mood and worthlessness items were the most central items in the network structure of the PHQ-A. In the MFQ sample, self-hatred and loneliness, two non-DSM features, were the most central items and DSM and non-DSM items in this scale formed a highly interconnected network of symptoms. Furthermore, analysis of the MFQ sample revealed DSM items not to be more frequent, severe or interconnected than non-DSM items, but rather part of a larger network of symptoms. A focus on symptoms might advance research on adolescent depression by enhancing our understanding of the disorder.

• Navarro, Gabrielle de Oliveira S.V.; Fonseca, Laís; Talarico, Fernanda; Spindola, Leticia Maria Nery; Santoro, Marcos L. & Ota, Vanessa K. [Show all 14 contributors for this article] (2021). Polyenvironmental and polygenic risk scores and the emergence of psychotic experiences in adolescents. Journal of Psychiatric Research. ISSN 0022-3956. 142, p. 384–388. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2021.07.057. Full text in Research Archive
• Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Gusmões, Julia D.; Valente, Juliana Y.; Eid, Michael & Sanchez, Zila M. (2021). Does #Tamojunto alter the dynamic between drug use and school violence among youth?: Secondary analysis from a large cluster-randomized trial. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. ISSN 1018-8827. doi: 10.1007/s00787-021-01863-x. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The present study investigated how intervention might alter the relationship between perpetrating violence and later drug use. A cluster-randomized controlled trial design involving 72 schools (38 intervention, 34 control) and 6390 students attending grades 7 and 8 was employed in Brazil. Drug use and violence were assessed at three points. A random-intercept cross-lagged panel model examined the reciprocal association between drug use and school violence domains across the three data collection waves. For both groups, we found that the cross-lagged effect of perpetration on further drug use in adolescents was stronger than the reverse, but the interrelationship was not statistically significant between #Tamojunto and control schools. The carry-over effects of drug use and violence were also not significantly different between groups. There is a lack of evidence showing that #Tamojunto can modify the dynamics between drug use and school violence across the 21-month period. The direction of the causal effect (i.e., the more perpetration behavior, the more subsequent drug use behavior) is present, but weak in both groups. The trial registration protocol at the national Brazilian Register of Clinical Trials (REBEC) is #RBR-4mnv5g.

• Higuchi, Cinthia H.; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Fonseca, Laís; Ortiz, Bruno B.; Correll, Christoph U. & Noto, Cristiano [Show all 12 contributors for this article] (2021). Identifying strategies to improve PANSS based dimensional models in schizophrenia: Accounting for multilevel structure, Bayesian model and clinical staging. Schizophrenia Research. ISSN 0920-9964. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2021.06.034. Full text in Research Archive
• Magalhães, Eduardo Jorge Muniz; Sarin, Luciana Maria; Sant, Lorena Catarina Del; Lucchese, Ana Cecília; Nakahira, Carolina & Tuena, Marco Aurélio [Show all 18 contributors for this article] (2021). A Clinical Rationale for Assessing the Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse on Adjunctive Subcutaneous Esketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 12. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.608499. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: A history of child sexual abuse (CSA) is related to higher suicide rates and poor treatment outcomes in depressed adult patients. Twenty years after the first study investigating the effects of ketamine/esketamine on depression and suicide, there is a lack of data on the CSA effects on this emerging treatment. Here, we assess the impact of CSA on adjunctive subcutaneous (SC) esketamine for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Methods: A directed acyclic graphic (DAG) was designed to identify clinical confounders between CSA and esketamine predictors of response. The confounders were applied in a statistical model to predict depression symptom trajectory in a sample of 67 TRD outpatients. Results: The patient sample had a relatively high prevalence rate of CSA (35.82%). Positive family history of first-degree relatives with alcohol use disorder and sex were clinical mediators of the effects of esketamine in a CSA adult population. Overall, the presence of at least one CSA event was unrelated to esketamine symptom reduction. Conclusions: Unlike responses to conventional antidepressants and psychotherapy, CSA does not appear to predict poor response to esketamine.

• Panjeh, Sareh; Pompeia, Sabine & Moreira, Hugo Cogo (2021). Probing different aspects of short and ill-timed sleep in adolescents using the Morningness-Eveningness Scale for Children. Chronobiology International. ISSN 0742-0528. doi: 10.1080/07420528.2021.1998104. Full text in Research Archive
• Lúcio, Patrícia Silva; Lourenço, Fausto Coutinho; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; Bandalos, Deborah; Carvalho, Carolina Alves Ferreira de & Kida, Adriana de Souza Batista [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Reading Comprehension Tests for Children: Test Equating and Specific Age-Interval Reports. Frontiers in Psychology. 12, p. 1–13. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.662192. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Equating is used to directly compare alternate forms of tests. We describe the equating of two alternative forms of a reading comprehension test for Brazilian children (2nd to 5th grade), Form A (n = 427) and Form B (n = 321). We employed non-equivalent random groups design with internal anchor items. Local independence was attested via standardized residual Pearson’s bivariate correlation. First, from 176 items, we selected 42 in each form (33 unique and 9 in common) using 2PL model, a one-dimensional item response theory (IRT) model. Using the equateIRT package for R, the anchor items were used to link both forms. Linking coefficients were estimated under two different methods (Haebara and Stocking–Lord), resulting in scores equating by two methods: observed score equating (OSE) and true score equating (TSE). We provided reference-specific age-intervals for the sample. The final version was informative for a wide range of theta abilities. We concluded that the forms could be used interchangeably.

• Sanchez, Zila M.; Valente, Juliana Y.; Gusmões, Julia D.P.; Ferreira-Junior, Valdemir; Caetano, Sheila C & Moreira, Hugo Cogo [Show all 7 contributors for this article] (2021). Effectiveness of a school-based substance use prevention program taught by police officers in Brazil: Two cluster randomized controlled trials of the PROERD. International journal of drug policy. ISSN 0955-3959. 98. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103413. Full text in Research Archive
• Wu, Che-Yuan; Moreira, Hugo Cogo; MacIntosh, Bradley J.; Edwards, Jodi D.; Krance, Saffire H. & Eid, Michael [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2021). Dynamic relationships between depressive symptoms and insulin resistance over 20 years of adulthood. Psychological Medicine. ISSN 0033-2917. doi: 10.1017/S0033291721003032. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background. Bidirectional longitudinal relationships between depression and diabetes have been observed, but the dominant direction of their temporal relationships remains controversial. Methods. The random-intercept cross-lagged panel model decomposes observed variables into a latent intercept representing the traits, and occasion-specific latent ‘state’ variables. This permits correlations to be assessed between the traits, while longitudinal ‘cross-lagged’ associations and cross-sectional correlations can be assessed between occasion-specific latent variables. We examined dynamic relationships between depressive symptoms and insulin resistance across five visits over 20 years of adulthood in the population-based Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. Possible differences based on population group (Black v. White participants), sex and years of education were tested. Depressive symptoms and insulin resistance were quantified using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale and the homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), respectively. Results. Among 4044 participants (baseline mean age 34.9 ± 3.7 years, 53% women, 51% Black participants), HOMA-IR and CES-D traits were weakly correlated (r = 0.081, p = 0.002). Some occasion-specific correlations, but no cross-lagged associations were observed overall. Longitudinal dynamics of these relationships differed by population groups such that HOMAIR at age 50 was associated with CES-D score at age 55 (β = 0.076, p = 0.038) in White participants only. Longitudinal dynamics were consistent between sexes and based on education. Conclusions. The relationship between depressive symptoms and insulin resistance was best characterized by weak correlations between occasion-specific states and enduring traits, with weak evidence that insulin resistance might be temporally associated with subsequent depressive symptoms among White participants later in adulthood.

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• Dechsling, Anders; Cipriano, Christina; Børtveit, Line; Fjermestad, Krister Westlye; Karlsen, Ann-Charlott Beatrice Amundsen & Akerbæk, Tore Marius [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Examining the effectiveness of Second Step Early Learning versus free play on socio-emotional learning in kindergarten: a cluster randomized controlled trial protocol. doi: 10.1186/s13063-025-09047-7. Full text in Research Archive
• Dechsling, Anders; Cipriano, Christina; Børtveit, Line; Fjermestad, Krister Westlye; Karlsen, Ann-Charlott Beatrice Amundsen & Akerbæk, Tore Marius [Show all 8 contributors for this article] (2025). Examining the Effectiveness of Second-Step Early Learning versus Free Play on Socioemotional Learning in Kindergarten: A Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol. doi: https:/link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13063-025-09047-7. Full text in Research Archive

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