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Haller J. Aggression, Aggression-Related Psychopathologies and Their Models. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:936105. [PMID: 35860723 PMCID: PMC9289268 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.936105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Neural mechanisms of aggression and violence are often studied in the laboratory by means of animal models. A multitude of such models were developed over the last decades, which, however, were rarely if ever compared systematically from a psychopathological perspective. By overviewing the main models, I show here that the classical ones exploited the natural tendency of animals to defend their territory, to fight for social rank, to defend themselves from imminent dangers and to defend their pups. All these forms of aggression are functional and adaptive; consequently, not necessarily appropriate for modeling non-natural states, e.g., aggression-related psychopathologies. A number of more psychopathology-oriented models were also developed over the last two decades, which were based on the etiological factors of aggression-related mental disorders. When animals were exposed to such factors, their aggressiveness suffered durable changes, which were deviant in the meaning that they broke the evolutionarily conserved rules that minimize the dangers associated with aggression. Changes in aggression were associated with a series of dysfunctions that affected other domains of functioning, like with aggression-related disorders where aggression is just one of the symptoms. The comparative overview of such models suggests that while the approach still suffers from a series of deficits, they hold the important potential of extending our knowledge on aggression control over the pathological domain of this behavior.
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52
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Wade M, Wright L, Finegold KE. The effects of early life adversity on children's mental health and cognitive functioning. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:244. [PMID: 35688817 PMCID: PMC9187770 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-02001-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2021] [Revised: 05/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Emerging evidence suggests that partially distinct mechanisms may underlie the association between different dimensions of early life adversity (ELA) and psychopathology in children and adolescents. While there is minimal evidence that different types of ELA are associated with specific psychopathology outcomes, there are partially unique cognitive and socioemotional consequences of specific dimensions of ELA that increase transdiagnostic risk of mental health problems across the internalizing and externalizing spectra. The current review provides an overview of recent findings examining the cognitive (e.g., language, executive function), socioemotional (e.g., attention bias, emotion regulation), and mental health correlates of ELA along the dimensions of threat/harshness, deprivation, and unpredictability. We underscore similarities and differences in the mechanisms connecting different dimensions of ELA to particular mental health outcomes, and identify gaps and future directions that may help to clarify inconsistencies in the literature. This review focuses on childhood and adolescence, periods of exquisite neurobiological change and sensitivity to the environment. The utility of dimensional models of ELA in better understanding the mechanistic pathways towards the expression of psychopathology is discussed, with the review supporting the value of such models in better understanding the developmental sequelae associated with ELA. Integration of dimensional models of ELA with existing models focused on psychiatric classification and biobehavioral mechanisms may advance our understanding of the etiology, phenomenology, and treatment of mental health difficulties in children and youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Wade
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Liam Wright
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Katherine E. Finegold
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
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53
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Health implications of maltreated children exposed to domestic violence. J Public Health (Oxf) 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10389-020-01450-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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54
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Shonkoff JP, Boyce WT, Bush NR, Gunnar MR, Hensch TK, Levitt P, Meaney MJ, Nelson CA, Slopen N, Williams DR, Silveira PP. Translating the Biology of Adversity and Resilience Into New Measures for Pediatric Practice. Pediatrics 2022; 149:187008. [PMID: 35535547 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2021-054493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
As the science of adversity and resilience advances, and public awareness of the health consequences of stress grows, primary care providers are being increasingly asked to address the effects of adverse experiences on child wellbeing. Given limited tools for assessing these effects early in life, the authors explore how enhanced capacity to measure stress activation directly in young children could transform the role and scope of pediatric practice. When employed within a trusted relationship between caregivers and clinicians, selective use of biological measures of stress responses would help address the documented limitations of rating scales of adverse childhood experiences as a primary indicator of individual risk and strengthen the ability to focus on variation in intervention needs, assess their effectiveness, and guide ongoing management. The authors provide an overview of the potential benefits and risks of such expanded measurement capacity, as well as an introduction to candidate indicators that might be employed in an office setting. The ultimate value of such measures for both pediatricians and parents will require vigilant attention to the ethical responsibilities of assuring their correct interpretation and minimizing the harm of inappropriate labeling, especially for children and families experiencing the hardships and threats of racism, poverty, and other structural inequities. Whereas much work remains to be done to advance measurement development and ensure its equitable use, the potential of validated markers of stress activation and resilience to strengthen the impact of primary health care on the lives of young children facing significant adversity demands increased attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack P Shonkoff
- Center on the Developing Child.,Harvard Graduate School of Education.,Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts.,Department of Pediatrics, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - W Thomas Boyce
- University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Nicole R Bush
- Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences.,Department of Pediatrics, Division of Developmental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Takao K Hensch
- Center on the Developing Child.,Conte Center for Basic Mental Health Research.,Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts.,Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Pat Levitt
- Developmental Neuroscience and Neurogenetics Program, The Saban Research Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.,Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Brenner Centre for Molecular Medicine, Singapore, Republic of Singapore
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Center on the Developing Child.,Harvard Graduate School of Education.,Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Natalie Slopen
- Center on the Developing Child.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - David R Williams
- Center on the Developing Child.,Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Patricia Pelufo Silveira
- Ludmer Centre for Neuroinformatics and Mental Health, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.,Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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55
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Lurie LA, Hangen EJ, Rosen ML, Crosnoe R, McLaughlin KA. Reduced growth mindset as a mechanism linking childhood trauma with academic performance and internalizing psychopathology. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022:105672. [PMID: 35610110 PMCID: PMC10028502 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite the high prevalence of childhood adversity and well-documented associations with poor academic achievement and psychopathology, effective, scalable interventions remain largely unavailable. Existing interventions targeting growth mindset-the belief that personal characteristics are malleable-have been shown to improve academic achievement and symptoms of psychopathology in youth. OBJECTIVE The present study examines growth mindset as a potential modifiable mechanism underlying the associations of two dimensions of childhood adversity-threat and deprivation-with academic achievement and internalizing psychopathology. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Participants were 408 youth aged 10-18 years drawn from one timepoint of two longitudinal studies of community-based samples recruited to have diverse experiences of childhood adversity. METHOD Experiences of threat and deprivation were assessed using a multi-informant, multi-method approach. Youth reported on growth mindset of intelligence and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Parents provided information about youths' academic performance. RESULTS Both threat and deprivation were independently associated with lower growth mindset, but when accounting for co-occurring adversities, only the association between threat and lower growth mindset remained significant. Lower growth mindset was associated with worse academic performance and greater symptoms of both anxiety and depression. Finally, there was a significant indirect effect of experiences of threat on both lower academic performance and greater symptoms of anxiety through lower growth mindset. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that growth mindset could be a promising target for efforts aimed at mitigating the impact of childhood adversity on academic achievement and psychopathology given the efficacy of existing brief, scalable growth mindset interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Lurie
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.
| | | | - Maya L Rosen
- Harvard University, United States; Smith College, United States
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56
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Cohen JR, McNeil S, Menon SV. Childhood Maltreatment and Anhedonic Symptoms: Test of a Dual-risk Model in Emerging Adults. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2022; 37:NP7447-NP7469. [PMID: 33118458 DOI: 10.1177/0886260520969242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Anhedonia, defined as deficits in positive affect and approach related behaviors, remains an understudied trauma response. As anhedonic responses to interpersonal violence are associated with a more severe course of psychopathology that is more difficult to treat, an increased focus on risk factors for anhedonia is necessary. The present study sought to address this gap in the literature by testing a theoretical model that highlights two transdiagnostic pathways leading to anhedonic responses in emerging adults attending college. Specifically, our study examined how childhood maltreatment subtypes (a) uniquely associate with depressive and post-traumatic stress (PTS) manifestations of anhedonia and (b) how temperament (i.e., anticipatory positive affect) and distress (i.e., negative mood) explain these relations. At baseline, a racially diverse sample of 462 emerging adults (AgeMean = 19.45; 75.5% female; 45.5% White) completed self-report forms on childhood abuse and neglect, anticipatory positive affect, negative mood, and anhedonia. Individuals completed measures of temperament and psychological distress again 6-weeks, and 12-weeks later. Latent growth curve models were utilized to test our model. Consistent with hypotheses, deficits in anticipatory positive affect uniquely explained the relation between neglect and depressive/PTS anhedonic symptoms. Meanwhile, negative mood mediated the relation between abuse and both forms of anhedonia. These findings support the theory that two separate risk pathways lead to anhedonia. Support for our model suggests that distinguishing between pathways for anhedonic responses may be the key to a more targeted, transdiagnostic, trauma-informed approach for treating and preventing these deleterious, treatment-resistant, internalizing symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Suvarna V Menon
- University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, IL, USA
- Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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57
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Ellis BJ, Sheridan MA, Belsky J, McLaughlin KA. Why and how does early adversity influence development? Toward an integrated model of dimensions of environmental experience. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:447-471. [PMID: 35285791 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 36.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Two extant frameworks - the harshness-unpredictability model and the threat-deprivation model - attempt to explain which dimensions of adversity have distinct influences on development. These models address, respectively, why, based on a history of natural selection, development operates the way it does across a range of environmental contexts, and how the neural mechanisms that underlie plasticity and learning in response to environmental experiences influence brain development. Building on these frameworks, we advance an integrated model of dimensions of environmental experience, focusing on threat-based forms of harshness, deprivation-based forms of harshness, and environmental unpredictability. This integrated model makes clear that the why and the how of development are inextricable and, together, essential to understanding which dimensions of the environment matter. Core integrative concepts include the directedness of learning, multiple levels of developmental adaptation to the environment, and tradeoffs between adaptive and maladaptive developmental responses to adversity. The integrated model proposes that proximal and distal cues to threat-based and deprivation-based forms of harshness, as well as unpredictability in those cues, calibrate development to both immediate rearing environments and broader ecological contexts, current and future. We highlight actionable directions for research needed to investigate the integrated model and advance understanding of dimensions of environmental experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce J Ellis
- Departments of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jay Belsky
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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58
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Testing the empirical integration of threat-deprivation and harshness-unpredictability dimensional models of adversity. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:513-526. [PMID: 35256038 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent dimensional models of adversity informed by a neurobiological deficit framework highlights threat and deprivation as core dimensions, whereas models informed by an evolutionary, adaptational and functional framework calls attention to harshness and unpredictability. This report seeks to evaluate an integrative model of threat, deprivation, and unpredictability, drawing on the Fragile Families Study. Confirmatory factor analysis of presumed multiple indicators of each construct reveals an adequate three-factor structure of adversity. Theory-based targeted predictions of the developmental sequelae of each dimension also received empirical support, with deprivation linked to health problems and cognitive ability; threat linked to aggression; and unpredictability to substance use and sexual risk-taking. These findings lend credibility to utility of the three-dimensional integrative framework of adversity. It could thus inform development of dimensional measures of risk assessment and exploration of multidimensional adversity profiles, sensitive to individual differences in lived experiences, supporting patient-centered, strength-based approaches to services.
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59
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Frankenhuis WE, Amir D. What is the expected human childhood? Insights from evolutionary anthropology. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:473-497. [PMID: 34924077 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001401] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
In psychological research, there are often assumptions about the conditions that children expect to encounter during their development. These assumptions shape prevailing ideas about the experiences that children are capable of adjusting to, and whether their responses are viewed as impairments or adaptations. Specifically, the expected childhood is often depicted as nurturing and safe, and characterized by high levels of caregiver investment. Here, we synthesize evidence from history, anthropology, and primatology to challenge this view. We integrate the findings of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and cross-cultural investigations on three forms of threat (infanticide, violent conflict, and predation) and three forms of deprivation (social, cognitive, and nutritional) that children have faced throughout human evolution. Our results show that mean levels of threat and deprivation were higher than is typical in industrialized societies, and that our species has experienced much variation in the levels of these adversities across space and time. These conditions likely favored a high degree of phenotypic plasticity, or the ability to tailor development to different conditions. This body of evidence has implications for recognizing developmental adaptations to adversity, for cultural variation in responses to adverse experiences, and for definitions of adversity and deprivation as deviation from the expected human childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willem E Frankenhuis
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
- Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, Germany
| | - Dorsa Amir
- Department of Psychology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, USA
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60
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Finlay S, Roth C, Zimsen T, Bridson TL, Sarnyai Z, McDermott B. Adverse childhood experiences and allostatic load: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 136:104605. [PMID: 35278597 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are stressful and/or traumatic experiences associated with an increased lifetime risk of negative health outcomes. The Allostatic Load (AL) is a measure of multisystem dysregulation, resulted by chronic stress. We systematically reviewed the English language literature on the association between ACEs and AL to identify the clinical risk profile, with the exclusion of reviews and preclinical studies. Searches covered the publication period up to the 1st of February 2022 and identified 25 studies in which ACEs such as maltreatment, abuse, poverty, psychological abuse, and discrimination were investigated in the context of AL. The selected studies used different sets of AL biomarkers resulting in substantial heterogenicity of calculating the AL index. Overall, we found that ACEs are associated with elevated AL and poorer health outcomes in adulthood. Furthermore, health risk behaviors, social support, and coping resources either moderate or mediate this association. These findings suggest that targeting individuals at risk and starting interventions early might reduce AL and its deleterious health consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Finlay
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical & Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia.
| | - Cody Roth
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical & Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tiansha Zimsen
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
| | - Tahnee Lee Bridson
- North-West Mental Health, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Victoria, Australia; Fireside Research, Woodbridge Tasmania, Australia
| | - Zoltan Sarnyai
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroscience, Centre for Molecular Therapeutics, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; Australian Institute of Tropical Health and Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia; College of Public Health, Medical & Veterinary Sciences, James Cook University, Queensland, Australia
| | - Brett McDermott
- College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia
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61
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Are Affective Temperaments, Emotional Abuse, and Neglect Involved in Mentalization Abilities in Patients With Psychiatric Disorders? J Nerv Ment Dis 2022; 210:276-281. [PMID: 34710896 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Patients who have experienced emotional abuse and neglect often develop psychiatric disorders in adulthood. However, whether emotional abuse, neglect, and mentalization abilities relate to one another and the role of possible mediators of this relationship in psychiatric patients are still unknown. We evaluated the potential role of affective temperament as a mediator of the relationship between emotional abuse and neglect and mentalization. We performed a cross-sectional study of 252 adult psychiatric inpatients. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Mentalization Questionnaire, and Temperament Evaluation of Memphis, Pisa, Paris, and San Diego Autoquestionnaire (TEMPS-A) were administered. Results showed a significant indirect effect of emotional abuse and neglect on scores on the Mentalization Questionnaire through the TEMPS-A (b = 0.25, 95% confidence interval [0.143-0.375]), demonstrating that affective temperament mediates the relationship among emotional abuse, neglect, and mentalization impairment in psychiatric patients. A careful evaluation of mentalization abilities in patients with psychiatric disorders and who have a history of emotional abuse and neglect is necessary for a better understanding of psychopathology and for the choice of therapeutic strategies.
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62
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Miller JG, López V, Buthmann JL, Garcia JM, Gotlib IH. A Social Gradient of Cortical Thickness in Adolescence: Relations With Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Family Socioeconomic Status, and Depressive Symptoms. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:253-262. [PMID: 36032055 PMCID: PMC9410503 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G. Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
- Address correspondence to Jonas G. Miller, Ph.D.
| | - Vanessa López
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | | | - Jordan M. Garcia
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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63
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Lian J, Kiely KM, Anstey KJ. Cumulative risk, factor analysis, and latent class analysis of childhood adversity data in a nationally representative sample. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2022; 125:105486. [PMID: 35026439 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood adversity is a multifaceted construct that is in need of comprehensive operationalisation. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to explore the optimal method to operationalise a scale of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Data were from Wave 1 of the Personality and Total Health (PATH) Through Life Project (N = 7485, 51% women). Participants from three age groups (20-25, 40-45, 60-65) retrospectively reported their childhood experiences of domestic adversity on a 17-item scale (e.g., physical abuse, verbal abuse, neglect, poverty). METHODS We compared three approaches to operationalising the 17-item scale: a cumulative risk approach, factor analysis, and latent class analysis (LCA). The cumulative risk and dimensional models were represented by a unidimensional and two-dimensional model respectively using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). RESULTS The cumulative risk approach and LCA were viable approaches to operationalising ACE data in PATH. CFA of the dimensional model produced latent factors of threat and deprivation that were highly correlated, potentially leading to problems with multicollinearity when estimating associations. LCA revealed six classes of ACEs: high adversity, low adversity, low affection, authoritarian upbringing, high parental dysfunction, and moderate parental dysfunction. CONCLUSION Our study found multiple latent classes within a 17-item questionnaire assessing domestic adversity. Using both the cumulative method and latent class approach may be a more informative approach when examining the relationship between ACEs and later health outcomes. Future ACE studies may benefit by considering multi-dimensional approaches to operationalising adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- James Lian
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
| | - Kim M Kiely
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
| | - Kaarin J Anstey
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia; Neuroscience Research Australia, Randwick, NSW, Australia.
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64
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Zhu Y, Wang MJ, Crawford KM, Ramírez-Tapia JC, Lussier AA, Davis KA, de Leeuw C, Takesian AE, Hensch TK, Smoller JW, Dunn EC. Sensitive period-regulating genetic pathways and exposure to adversity shape risk for depression. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:497-506. [PMID: 34689167 PMCID: PMC8674315 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01172-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Animal and human studies have documented the existence of developmental windows (or sensitive periods) when experience can have lasting effects on brain structure or function, behavior, and disease. Although sensitive periods for depression likely arise through a complex interplay of genes and experience, this possibility has not yet been explored in humans. We examined the effect of genetic pathways regulating sensitive periods, alone and in interaction with common childhood adversities, on depression risk. Guided by a translational approach, we: (1) performed association analyses of three gene sets (60 genes) shown in animal studies to regulate sensitive periods using summary data from a genome-wide association study of depression (n = 807,553); (2) evaluated the developmental expression patterns of these genes using data from BrainSpan (n = 31), a transcriptional atlas of postmortem brain samples; and (3) tested gene-by-development interplay (dGxE) by analyzing the combined effect of common variants in sensitive period genes and time-varying exposure to two types of childhood adversity within a population-based birth cohort (n = 6254). The gene set regulating sensitive period opening associated with increased depression risk. Notably, 6 of the 15 genes in this set showed developmentally regulated gene-level expression. We also identified a statistical interaction between caregiver physical or emotional abuse during ages 1-5 years and genetic risk for depression conferred by the opening genes. Genes involved in regulating sensitive periods are differentially expressed across the life course and may be implicated in depression vulnerability. Our findings about gene-by-development interplay motivate further research in large, more diverse samples to further unravel the complexity of depression etiology through a sensitive period lens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiwen Zhu
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Min-Jung Wang
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Alexandre A Lussier
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Kathryn A Davis
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Christiaan de Leeuw
- Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anne E Takesian
- Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, Massachusetts Eye & Ear and Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Head/Neck Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Takao K Hensch
- Center for Brain Science, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
- F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center, Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jordan W Smoller
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Erin C Dunn
- Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
- Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, The Broad Institute of Harvard and MIT, Cambridge, MA, USA.
- Harvard Center on the Developing Child, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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65
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Cheng P, Ju P, Xia Q, Chen Y, Li J, Gao J, Zhang L, Yan F, Cheng X, Pei W, Chen L, Zhu C, Zhang X. Childhood maltreatment increases the suicidal risk in Chinese schizophrenia patients. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:927540. [PMID: 36203836 PMCID: PMC9530939 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.927540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Childhood trauma might be a modifiable risk factor among adults with serious mental illness. However, the correlation of child trauma and suicide is unclear, which were cited most frequently as the biggest challenge to schizophrenia (SCZ) patients in China. We aim to study relationships between child trauma and suicide in SCZ patients of different disease stages. METHODS Ninety-one participants were included and divided into two groups, namely, first-episode group (n = 46), relapsed group (n = 45). The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale was used to evaluate the severity of psychotic symptoms. The Beck's Suicide Intent Scale and The Nurses' Global Assessment of Suicide Risk were conducted by patient self-report to assess suicide symptom. The childhood trauma questionnaire was used to estimate severity of traumatic stress experienced during childhood. RESULTS Childhood trauma and different dimensions of suicide were significantly higher in the relapsed group than first-episode group (P < 0.01, respectively). BMI has a significant positive relationship with recent psychosocial stress (β = 0.473, t = 3.521, P < 0.001) in first-episode group. As in relapsed group, BMI has a positive effect between severe mental illness and suicide ideation (β = 0.672, t = 5.949, P < 0.001; β = 0.909, t = 2.463, P < 0.001), Furthermore, emotional neglect presented positively related to the suicide risk and proneness to suicidal behavior (β = 0.618, t = 5.518, P < 0.001; β = 0.809, t = 5.356, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION Relapsed group of patients had significantly more severe childhood trauma, recent psychosocial stress, suicidal risk and proneness to suicidal behavior. BMI and emotional neglect are unique predictors for different dimensions of suicide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peng Cheng
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Peijun Ju
- Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Qingrong Xia
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Yuanyuan Chen
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jingwei Li
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jianliang Gao
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Loufeng Zhang
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Fanfan Yan
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Xialong Cheng
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Wenzhi Pei
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Long Chen
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Cuizhen Zhu
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
| | - Xulai Zhang
- Department of Science and Education, Affiliated Psychological Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Center for Mental and Psychological Diseases, Hefei Fourth People's Hospital, Hefei, China.,Anhui Clinical Research Center for Mental Disorders, Anhui Mental Health Center, Hefei, China
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66
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Ding K, Wang H, Li C, Liu F, Yu D. Decreased Right Prefrontal Synchronization Strength and Asymmetry During Joint Attention in the Left-Behind Children: A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study. Front Physiol 2021; 12:759788. [PMID: 34867465 PMCID: PMC8634881 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.759788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there are millions of left-behind children in China, the researches on brain structure and functions in left-behind children are not sufficient at the brain imaging level. This study aimed to explore whether there is decreased prefrontal synchronization during joint attention in left-behind children. Sixty children (65.12 ± 6.54 months, 29 males) with 34 left-behind children were recruited. The functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging data from the prefrontal cortex during joint attention, as well as behavioral measures (associated with family income, intelligence, language, and social-emotional abilities), were collected. Results verified that brain imaging data and behavioral measures are correlative and support that left-behind children have deficits in social-emotional abilities. More importantly, left-behind children showed decreased synchronization strength and asymmetry in the right middle frontal gyrus during joint attention. The findings suggest that decreased right prefrontal synchronization strength and asymmetry during joint attention might be vulnerability factors in the development of left-behind children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keya Ding
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Research Center for Learning Science, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Hongan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Research Center for Learning Science, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chuanjiang Li
- Hangzhou College of Early Childhood Teachers' Education, Zhejiang Normal University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Fulin Liu
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Research Center for Learning Science, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Dongchuan Yu
- Key Laboratory of Child Development and Learning Science, Research Center for Learning Science, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Southeast University, Nanjing, China.,Department of Child Development and Behavior, Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
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67
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Roubinov D, Meaney MJ, Boyce WT. Change of pace: How developmental tempo varies to accommodate failed provision of early needs. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:120-134. [PMID: 34547365 PMCID: PMC8648258 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Revised: 07/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The interplay of genes and environments (GxE) is a fundamental source of variation in behavioral and developmental outcomes. Although the role of developmental time (T) in the unfolding of such interactions has yet to be fully considered, GxE operates within a temporal frame of reference across multiple timescales and degrees of biological complexity. Here, we consider GxExT interactions to understand adversity-induced developmental acceleration or deceleration whereby environmental conditions hasten or hinder children's development. To date, developmental pace changes have been largely explained through a focus on the individual: for example, how adversity "wears down" aging biological systems or how adversity accelerates or decelerates maturation to optimize reproductive fitness. We broaden such theories by positing shifts in developmental pace in response to the parent-child dyad's capacity or incapacity for meeting children's early, physiological and safety needs. We describe empirical evidence and potential neurobiological mechanisms supporting this new conceptualization of developmental acceleration and deceleration. We conclude with suggestions for future research on the developmental consequences of early adverse exposures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Roubinov
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Department of Psychiatry and Sackler Program for Epigenetics and Psychobiology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, H3H 1R4, Canada; Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1M1, Canada; Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A ⁎STAR), 117609, Singapore; Department of Paediatrics, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 119228, Singapore
| | - W Thomas Boyce
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR, Toronto, Ontario, M5G 1M1, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Francisco, United States
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68
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Ibrahim P, Almeida D, Nagy C, Turecki G. Molecular impacts of childhood abuse on the human brain. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100343. [PMID: 34141833 PMCID: PMC8187840 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood abuse (CA) is a prevalent global health concern, increasing the risk of negative mental health outcomes later in life. In the literature, CA is commonly defined as physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as neglect. Several mental disorders have been associated with CA, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder, along with an increased risk of suicide. It is thought that traumatic life events occurring during childhood and adolescence may have a significant impact on essential brain functions, which may persist throughout adulthood. The interaction between the brain and the external environment can be mediated by epigenetic alterations in gene expression, and there is a growing body of evidence to show that such changes occur as a function of CA. Disruptions in the HPA axis, myelination, plasticity, and signaling have been identified in individuals with a history of CA. Understanding the molecular impact of CA on the brain is essential for the development of treatment and prevention measures. In this review, we will summarize studies that highlight the molecular changes associated with CA in the human brain, along with supporting evidence from peripheral studies and animal models. We will also discuss some of the limitations surrounding the study of CA and propose extracellular vesicles as a promising future approach in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Ibrahim
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Daniel Almeida
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
| | - Corina Nagy
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Verdun, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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69
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Keding TJ, Heyn SA, Russell JD, Zhu X, Cisler J, McLaughlin KA, Herringa RJ. Differential Patterns of Delayed Emotion Circuit Maturation in Abused Girls With and Without Internalizing Psychopathology. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:1026-1036. [PMID: 34407623 PMCID: PMC8570983 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.20081192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Childhood abuse represents one of the most potent risk factors for developing psychopathology, especially in females. Evidence suggests that exposure to early-life adversity may be related to advanced maturation of emotion processing neural circuits. However, it remains unknown whether abuse is related to early circuit maturation and whether maturation patterns depend on the presence of psychopathology. METHODS A multisite sample of 234 girls (ages 8-18 years) completed clinical assessment, maltreatment histories, and high-resolution T1-weighted structural MRI. Girls were stratified by abuse history and internalizing disorder diagnosis into typically developing (no abuse/no diagnosis), resilient (abuse/no diagnosis), and susceptible (abuse/current diagnosis) groups. Machine learning models of normative brain development were aggregated in a stacked generalization framework trained to predict chronological age using gray matter volume in whole-brain, emotion, and language circuit parcellations. Brain age gap estimations (BrainAGEs; predicted age minus true chronological age) were calculated as indices of relative circuit maturation. RESULTS Childhood abuse was related to reduced BrainAGE (delayed maturation) specific to emotion circuits. Delayed emotion circuit BrainAGE was further related to increased hyperarousal symptoms. Childhood physical neglect was associated with increased whole-brain BrainAGE (advanced maturation). Neural contributors to emotion circuit BrainAGE differed in girls with and without an internalizing diagnosis, especially in the lateral prefrontal, parietal, and insular cortices and the hippocampus. CONCLUSIONS Abuse exposure in girls is associated with a delayed structural maturation pattern specific to emotion circuitry, a potentially adaptive mechanism enhancing threat generalization. Physical neglect, on the other hand, is associated with a broader brain-wide pattern of advanced structural maturation. The differential influence of fronto-parietal cortices and the hippocampus on emotion circuit maturity in resilient girls may represent neurodevelopmental markers of reduced psychiatric risk following abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taylor J. Keding
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health; Madison, WI, USA
| | - Sara A. Heyn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health; Madison, WI, USA
| | - Justin D. Russell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health; Madison, WI, USA
| | - Xiaojin Zhu
- Department of Computer Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI, USA
| | - Josh Cisler
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health; Madison, WI, USA
| | | | - Ryan J. Herringa
- Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison, WI, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine & Public Health; Madison, WI, USA
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70
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Gunnar MR, Bowen M. What was learned from studying the effects of early institutional deprivation. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 210:173272. [PMID: 34509501 PMCID: PMC8501402 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173272] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2021] [Revised: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The effect of experiences in infancy on human development is a central question in developmental science. Children raised in orphanage-like institutions for their first year or so of life and then adopted into well-resourced and supportive families provide a lens on the long-term effects of early deprivation and the capacity of children to recover from this type of early adversity. While it is challenging to identify cause-and-effect relations in the study of previously institutionalized individuals, finding results that are consistent with animal experimental studies and the one randomized study of removal from institutional care support the conclusion that many of the outcomes for these children were induced by early institutional deprivation. This review examines the behavioral and neural evidence for altered executive function, declarative memory, affective disorders, reward processing, reactivity to threat, risk-taking and sensation-seeking. We then provide a brief overview of the neurobiological mechanisms that may transduce early institutional experiences into effects on brain and behavior. In addition, we discuss implications for policy and practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan R Gunnar
- University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development, 51 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Maya Bowen
- University of Minnesota Institute of Child Development, 51 E River Rd, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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71
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Ho TC, King LS. Mechanisms of neuroplasticity linking early adversity to depression: developmental considerations. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:517. [PMID: 34628465 PMCID: PMC8501358 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01639-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Early exposure to psychosocial adversity is among the most potent predictors of depression. Because depression commonly emerges prior to adulthood, we must consider the fundamental principles of developmental neuroscience when examining how experiences of childhood adversity, including abuse and neglect, can lead to depression. Considering that both the environment and the brain are highly dynamic across the period spanning gestation through adolescence, the purpose of this review is to discuss and integrate stress-based models of depression that center developmental processes. We offer a general framework for understanding how psychosocial adversity in early life disrupts or calibrates the biobehavioral systems implicated in depression. Specifically, we propose that the sources and nature of the environmental input shaping the brain, and the mechanisms of neuroplasticity involved, change across development. We contend that the effects of adversity largely depend on the developmental stage of the organism. First, we summarize leading neurobiological models that focus on the effects of adversity on risk for mental disorders, including depression. In particular, we highlight models of allostatic load, acceleration maturation, dimensions of adversity, and sensitive or critical periods. Second, we expound on and review evidence for the formulation that distinct mechanisms of neuroplasticity are implicated depending on the timing of adverse experiences, and that inherent within certain windows of development are constraints on the sources and nature of these experiences. Finally, we consider other important facets of adverse experiences (e.g., environmental unpredictability, perceptions of one's experiences) before discussing promising research directions for the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Lucy S King
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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72
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Yang R, Yu Q, Owen CE, Ibarra Aspe G, Wiggins JL. Contributions of childhood abuse and neglect to reward neural substrates in adolescence. Neuroimage Clin 2021; 32:102832. [PMID: 34649067 PMCID: PMC8517926 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102832] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood adverse experiences may come to bear particularly during adolescence, when neural reward systems are developing rapidly and psychopathology spikes. Despite prior work differentiating threat- (abuse) vs. deprivation- (neglect) related adversity, no research has yet identified their relative nor interactive contributions to reward neural substrates during adolescence. In the present study, we leveraged a diverse sample of adolescents with different childhood adversity profiles to examine neural responses to reward in relation to varying degrees of abuse vs. neglect. METHODS Adolescents (N = 45; 23 females; mean age = 14.9 years, SD = 1.9) completed a child-friendly monetary incentive delay task during fMRI acquisition. The self-report Childhood Trauma Questionnaire assessed childhood abuse and neglect. Whole brain ANCOVA analyses evaluated reward anticipation (reward vs. no reward expected) and feedback (hitting vs. missing the target with a reward vs. no reward) in relation to abuse and neglect dimensions. RESULTS Whole-brain analyses revealed that abuse, adjusted for neglect, is associated with greater differences between task conditions (reward vs. no reward, hit vs. miss) in regions associated with threat/emotion regulation (prefrontal and temporal cortices, as well as posterior regions including fusiform and posterior cingulate/precuneus). Additionally, level of neglect modulated neural response associated with abuse in prefrontal and temporoparietal regions, such that youths with high levels of both abuse and neglect showed qualitatively different, more exaggerated neural patterns compared to youths with elevated adversity in only one dimension. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that early experiences of abuse and neglect have a long developmental reach resulting in reward-related neural alterations in adolescence. Moreover, our results bolster theoretical conceptualizations of adversity along threat and deprivation dimensions and provide evidence that "adding up" adverse life events may not be sufficient to capture the qualitatively different neural profiles produced by differing combinations of types of adversity, which may in turn necessitate different treatment approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiyu Yang
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, United States
| | - Qiongru Yu
- San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, United States
| | | | | | - Jillian Lee Wiggins
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, United States; San Diego State University/University of California San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, United States
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73
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Milojevich HM, Lindquist KA, Sheridan MA. Adversity and Emotional Functioning. AFFECTIVE SCIENCE 2021; 2:324-344. [PMID: 36059901 PMCID: PMC9382958 DOI: 10.1007/s42761-021-00054-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 04/15/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to early adversity has been linked to variations in emotional functioning. To date, however, the precise nature of these variations has been difficult to pinpoint given widespread differences in the ways in which aspects of emotional functioning are defined and measured. Here, more consistent with models of emotional functioning in typically developing populations (e.g., Halberstadt et al., 2001), we propose defining emotional functioning as consisting of distinct domains of emotion expression, perception, knowledge, reactivity, and regulation. We argue that this framework is useful for guiding hypothesis generation about the specific impact of early adversity on children's emotional functioning. We operationalize the construct of emotional functioning, highlight what is currently known about the association between adversity exposure and each domain of emotional functioning, propose potential mechanisms for these associations, and set the stage for future research examining the development of emotional functioning in the context of early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M. Milojevich
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, 1000 NE 13th Street, Nicholson Tower Suite 4976, OK 73104 Oklahoma City, USA
| | - Kristen A. Lindquist
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Margaret A. Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
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King LS, Querdasi FR, Humphreys KL, Gotlib IH. Dimensions of the language environment in infancy and symptoms of psychopathology in toddlerhood. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13082. [PMID: 33455064 PMCID: PMC8285466 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The quality of the early environment influences the development of psychopathology. Children who are deprived of sufficient environmental enrichment in infancy may be at higher risk for developing symptoms of psychopathology in toddlerhood. In this study, we investigated the prospective association between naturalistic measures of adult language input obtained through passive monitoring of infants' daily environments and emerging psychopathology in toddlerhood. In a sample of 100 mothers and their infants recruited from the community (mean age [range] = 6.73 [5-9] months), we used the Language ENvironment Analysis (LENA) system to measure multiple dimensions of infants' language environments, including both the quantity and consistency of adult speech and conversational turns in infants' daily lives as well as the quantity of infant vocalizations. Subsequently, during toddlerhood (mean age [range] = 18.29 [17-21] months), mothers reported on their children's symptoms of psychopathology. Infants who experienced more consistent adult speech and conversational turns had lower symptoms of psychopathology in toddlerhood, independent of negative emotionality in infancy, maternal depressive symptoms, and laboratory-based measures of maternal sensitivity. These findings have implications for the measurement of environmental factors that may confer risk and resilience to emerging psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy S. King
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | | | - Kathryn L. Humphreys
- Vanderbilt University, Department of Psychology and Human Development, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Letkiewicz AM, Funkhouser CJ, Shankman SA. Childhood maltreatment predicts poorer executive functioning in adulthood beyond symptoms of internalizing psychopathology. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2021; 118:105140. [PMID: 34098377 PMCID: PMC8292220 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A history of childhood maltreatment predicts poorer functioning in several domains during childhood, including executive function (EF). While there is also evidence of poorer EF in adults with a history of childhood trauma, results are mixed. Notable limitations of previous research are (a) the use of single indicators of EF, and/or (b) not consistently assessing whether childhood maltreatment predicts poorer EF beyond internalizing psychopathology. OBJECTIVE We sought to overcome limitations of prior work by examining relationships between childhood maltreatment and EF in adulthood by using a latent factor of EF derived from multiple indicators and including psychopathology covariates in our analyses. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING The present study included a large sample of community adults (n = 489) who were oversampled for internalizing psychopathology symptoms. METHODS Primary analyses examined whether childhood maltreatment (cumulative and subtypes) predicted EF using a latent factor approach and linear mixed effects models. Follow-up analyses assessed the impact of childhood maltreatment on EF beyond internalizing psychopathology symptoms and assessed whether gender moderated relationships between EF and childhood maltreatment. RESULTS Greater cumulative maltreatment predicted poorer EF (B = -0.15), and emotional neglect emerged as a unique predictor of EF (B = -0.18). These results remained after controlling for psychopathology symptoms. Gender moderated the relationship between physical abuse and EF, with physical abuse predicting poorer EF among males (B = 0.30), but not females (B = -0.04). CONCLUSIONS Overall, results indicate that general EF deficits are related to a history of childhood maltreatment, which is not accounted for by internalizing psychopathology symptoms. Potential implications and future directions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison M Letkiewicz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Carter J Funkhouser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Stewart A Shankman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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76
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Laamanen P, Kiuru N, Flykt M, Vänskä M, Hietanen JK, Peltola MJ, Kurkela E, Poikkeus P, Tiitinen A, Lindblom J. How do early family systems predict emotion recognition in middle childhood? SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/sode.12526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Petra Laamanen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology Tampere University Tampere Finland
| | - Noona Kiuru
- Department of Psychology University of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Marjo Flykt
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology Tampere University Tampere Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics Faculty of medicine University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Mervi Vänskä
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology Tampere University Tampere Finland
| | - Jari K. Hietanen
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology Tampere University Tampere Finland
| | - Mikko J. Peltola
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology Tampere University Tampere Finland
| | - Enni Kurkela
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology Tampere University Tampere Finland
| | - Piia Poikkeus
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Helsinki University Central Hospital Hospital and University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Aila Tiitinen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology Helsinki University Central Hospital Hospital and University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Jallu Lindblom
- Faculty of Social Sciences/Psychology Tampere University Tampere Finland
- Department of Clinical Medicine University of Turku Turku Finland
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77
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Demidenko MI, Ip KI, Kelly DP, Constante K, Goetschius LG, Keating DP. Ecological stress, amygdala reactivity, and internalizing symptoms in preadolescence: Is parenting a buffer? Cortex 2021; 140:128-144. [PMID: 33984711 PMCID: PMC8169639 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2021.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2020] [Revised: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Ecological stress during adolescent development may increase the sensitivity to negative emotional processes that can contribute to the onset and progression of internalizing behaviors during preadolescence. Although a small number of studies have considered the link among the relations between ecological stress, amygdala reactivity, and internalizing symptoms in childhood and adolescence, these studies have largely been small, cross-sectional, and often do not consider unique roles of parenting or sex. In the current study, we evaluated the interrelations between ecological stress, amygdala reactivity, subsequent internalizing symptoms, and the moderating roles of parenting and sex among 9- and 10-year-old preadolescents from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study ®. A subset of participants who met a priori quality control criteria for bilateral amygdala activation during the EN-back faces versus places contrast (N = 7,385; Mean Age = 120 months, SD = 7.52; 49.5% Female) were included in the study. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to create a latent variable of ecological stress, and multiple structural equation models were tested to evaluate the association among baseline ecological stress and internalizing symptoms one year later, the mediating role of amygdala reactivity, and moderating effects of parental acceptance and sex. The results revealed a significant association between ecological stress and subsequent internalizing symptoms, which was greater in males than females. There was no association between amygdala reactivity during the Faces versus Places contrast and ecological stress or subsequent internalizing symptoms, and no mediating role of amygdala or moderating effect of parental acceptance on the association between ecological stress and internalizing symptoms. An alternative mediation model was tested which revealed that there was a small mediating effect of parental acceptance on the association between ecological stress and internalizing symptoms, demonstrating lower internalizing symptoms among preadolescents one year later. Given the lack of association in brain function, ecological stress and internalizing symptoms in preadolescents in this registered report, effects from comparable small studies should be reconsidered in larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ka I Ip
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, USA
| | | | | | | | - Daniel P Keating
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, USA; Survey Research Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, USA
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78
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Bell KL, Purcell JB, Harnett NG, Goodman AM, Mrug S, Schuster MA, Elliott MN, Emery ST, Knight DC. White Matter Microstructure in the Young Adult Brain Varies with Neighborhood Disadvantage in Adolescence. Neuroscience 2021; 466:162-172. [PMID: 34004262 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
Neighborhood disadvantage and community violence are common in poor, urban communities and are risk factors for emotional dysfunction. Emotional processes are supported by neural circuitry that includes the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus, amygdala, and hypothalamus. These brain regions are connected by white matter pathways that include the cingulum bundle, uncinate fasciculus, stria terminalis, and fornix. Emotional function varies with the microstructure of these white matter pathways. However, it is not clear whether the microstructure of these pathways varies with risk factors for emotional dysfunction (e.g., neighborhood disadvantage and violence exposure). Therefore, determining the relationships between neighborhood disadvantage, violence exposure, and white matter microstructure may offer insight into the neural mechanisms by which adverse life experiences alter developing neural systems. The current study investigated the association that exposure to neighborhood disadvantage and violence have with the quantitative anisotropy (QA), a measure of the amount of directional water diffusion, of the cingulum bundle, uncinate fasciculus, stria terminalis, and fornix. Neighborhood disadvantage (Mage = 11.20) and violence exposure (MW1age = 11.20; MW2age = 13.05; MW3age = 16.20; MW4age = 19.25) were assessed during adolescence and participants returned for magnetic resonance imaging as young adults (N = 303; Mage = 20.25, SD = 1.55), during which diffusion weighted brain images were collected. The QA of the cingulum bundle, uncinate fasciculus, and stria terminalis/fornix varied negatively with neighborhood disadvantage such that the QA of these white matter tracts decreased as neighborhood disadvantage increased. Violence exposure was not related to QA in any tract (i.e., cingulum bundle, uncinate fasciculus, and stria terminalis/fornix) after correction for multiple comparisons. These results suggest that an adolescent's neighborhood may play an important role in the microstructure (i.e., QA) of white matter pathways that connect brain regions that support emotional function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina L Bell
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Juliann B Purcell
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Nathaniel G Harnett
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Adam M Goodman
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Sylvie Mrug
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Mark A Schuster
- Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Susan Tortolero Emery
- School of Public Health, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth), Houston, TX, USA
| | - David C Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA.
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79
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Korom M, Goldstein A, Tabachnick AR, Palmwood EN, Simons RF, Dozier M. Early parenting intervention accelerates inhibitory control development among CPS-involved children in middle childhood: A randomized clinical trial. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13054. [PMID: 33098739 PMCID: PMC8065067 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Children at risk for neglect or abuse are vulnerable to delays in inhibitory control development. Prior findings suggest that early parenting interventions that target parental sensitivity and responsiveness during infancy can improve executive function outcomes of high-risk children during preschool years; however, little is known about how persistent these gains are through middle childhood. Participants included 76 CPS-involved children who were randomly assigned to either the ABC intervention (N = 32) or the Developmental Education for Families (DEF) control intervention (N = 44), and 53 low-risk children. Children completed the Stop Signal Reaction Time (SSRT) paradigm at ages 8 and 10. Intervention group predicted performance on the SSRT at age 8 such that children who received the ABC intervention and children in the low-risk group performed significantly better than children who received the DEF intervention (ABC vs. DEF: Cohen's d = 0.92; low-risk group vs. DEF: d = 0.56). The performances of the ABC and the low-risk groups were not statistically different. There were no significant group differences in SSRT performance at age 10. These findings demonstrate that the ABC intervention has long-term beneficial effects on inhibitory control development in children with a history of early caregiving adversity. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://youtu.be/P9oLyfo7pYA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marta Korom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Alison Goldstein
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | | | - Erin N Palmwood
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Robert F Simons
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Mary Dozier
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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80
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Campbell C, Tanzer M, Saunders R, Booker T, Allison E, Li E, O’Dowda C, Luyten P, Fonagy P. Development and validation of a self-report measure of epistemic trust. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0250264. [PMID: 33861805 PMCID: PMC8051785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0250264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Epistemic trust (ET) refers to trust in communicated knowledge. This paper describes the development and validation of a new self-report questionnaire, the Epistemic Trust, Mistrust and Credulity Questionnaire (ETMCQ). We report on two studies (Study 1, n = 500; Study 2, n = 705) examining the psychometric properties of the ETMCQ and the relationship between EMTCQ scores (i.e., an individual’s epistemic stance) and exposure to adverse childhood experiences, mental health symptoms, attachment, mentalizing and general self-efficacy. The factor structure of the ETMCQ was examined using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analyses, and its reliability and test-retest reliability were tested. Both studies yielded three correlated yet distinct factors–Trust, Mistrust and Credulity–and confirmed the reliability and validity of the ETMCQ. Preregistered hypotheses were confirmed and replicated across both studies. Main findings suggest intriguing links between the ETMCQ and developmental psychopathology constructs and are consistent with thinking on the role of epistemic stance in undermining adaptation and increasing the developmental risk of mental health problems. Mistrust and Credulity scores were associated with childhood adversity and higher scores on the global psychopathology severity index and both factors partially mediated the link between early adversity and mental health symptoms. Mistrust and Credulity were positively associated with difficulties in understanding mental states and insecure attachment styles. Post-hoc analysis identified that different attachment styles were associated with differences in epistemic stance. In addition, Trust was not associated with reduced levels of mental health symptoms and did not moderate the impact of childhood adversity–findings are congruent with the suggestion that the reduction of mistrust and credulity may be crucial common factors in promoting resilience and the effectiveness of psychotherapeutic interventions. This investigation and the ETMCQ provide an empirical measure of what until now has been largely a theoretical concept and open new avenues for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Campbell
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Michal Tanzer
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Rob Saunders
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Thomas Booker
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Allison
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Li
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claire O’Dowda
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patrick Luyten
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families, London, United Kingdom
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81
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Wu J, Liu Y, Fang H, Qin S, Nils K, Duan H. The Relationship Between Childhood Stress and Distinct Stages of Dynamic Behavior Monitoring in Adults: Neural and Behavioral Correlates. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:937-949. [PMID: 33830244 PMCID: PMC8421694 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity is a major risk factor for emotional and cognitive disorders later in adulthood. Behavior monitoring, one of the most important components of cognitive control, plays a crucial role in flexible interaction with the environment. Here, we test a novel conceptual model discriminating between two distinct dimensions of childhood adversity (i.e., deprivation and threat) and examine their relations to dynamic stages of behavior monitoring. Sixty young healthy adults participated in this study using event-related potentials (ERPs) and the dynamic stages of behavior monitoring including response inhibition, error detection, and post-error adjustments were investigated in a classical Go/NoGo task. Multiple regression analyses revealed that participants with higher severity of childhood adversity recruited more controlled attention, as indicated by larger (more negative) conflict detection-related NoGo-N2 amplitudes and larger (more negative) error detection-related ERN amplitudes. Higher severity of childhood abuse (an indicator of threat) was related to smaller (less positive) error appraisal-related Pe amplitudes on the neural level and subsequently lower post-error accuracy on the behavioral level. These results suggested that prefrontal-supported controlled attention is influenced by universal adversity in childhood while the error-related behavioral adjustment is mainly affected by childhood abuse, indicating the dimensions of deprivation and threat are at least partially distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhui Wu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China.,Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China
| | - Yutong Liu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
| | - Huihua Fang
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China
| | - Shaozheng Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning & McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Kohn Nils
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Hongxia Duan
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060 China.,Shenzhen Institute of Neuroscience, Shenzhen 518057, China.,Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Kapittelweg 29, 6525 EN Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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82
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Hong SJ, Sisk LM, Caballero C, Mekhanik A, Roy AK, Milham MP, Gee DG. Decomposing complex links between the childhood environment and brain structure in school-aged youth. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100919. [PMID: 33556882 PMCID: PMC7868609 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood experiences play a profound role in conferring risk and resilience for brain and behavioral development. However, how different facets of the environment shape neurodevelopment remains largely unknown. Here we sought to decompose heterogeneous relationships between environmental factors and brain structure in 989 school-aged children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. We applied a cross-modal integration and clustering approach called 'Similarity Network Fusion', which combined two brain morphometrics (i.e., cortical thickness and myelin-surrogate markers), and key environmental factors (i.e., trauma exposure, neighborhood safety, school environment, and family environment) to identify homogeneous subtypes. Depending on the subtyping resolution, results identified two or five subgroups, each characterized by distinct brain structure-environment profiles. Notably, more supportive caregiving and school environments were associated with greater myelination, whereas less supportive caregiving, higher family conflict and psychopathology, and higher perceived neighborhood safety were observed with greater cortical thickness. These subtypes were highly reproducible and predicted externalizing symptoms and overall mental health problems. Our findings support the theory that distinct environmental exposures are differentially associated with alterations in structural neurodevelopment. Delineating more precise associations between risk factors, protective factors, and brain development may inform approaches to enhance risk identification and optimize interventions targeting specific experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok-Jun Hong
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Lucinda M Sisk
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Anthony Mekhanik
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amy K Roy
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michael P Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA; Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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83
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Kim-Spoon J, Herd T, Brieant A, Peviani K, Deater-Deckard K, Lauharatanahirun N, Lee J, King-Casas B. Maltreatment and brain development: The effects of abuse and neglect on longitudinal trajectories of neural activation during risk processing and cognitive control. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100939. [PMID: 33706181 PMCID: PMC7960935 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The profound effects of child maltreatment on brain functioning have been documented. Yet, little is known about whether distinct maltreatment experiences are differentially related to underlying neural processes of risky decision making: valuation and control. Using conditional growth curve modeling, we compared a cumulative approach versus a dimensional approach (relative effects of abuse and neglect) to examine the link between child maltreatment and brain development. The sample included 167 adolescents (13-14 years at Time 1, 53 % male), assessed annually four times. Risk processing was assessed by blood-oxygen-level-dependent responses (BOLD) during a lottery choice task, and cognitive control by BOLD responses during the Multi-Source Interference Task. Cumulative maltreatment effects on insula and dorsolateral anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) activation during risk processing were not significant. However, neglect (but not abuse) was associated with slower developmental increases in insula and dACC activation. In contrast, cumulative maltreatment effects on fronto-parietal activation during cognitive control were significant, and abuse (but not neglect) was associated with steeper developmental decreases in fronto-parietal activation. The results suggest neglect effects on detrimental neurodevelopment of the valuation system and abuse effects on accelerated neurodevelopment of the control system, highlighting differential effects of distinct neglect versus abuse adverse experiences on neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Toria Herd
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Alexis Brieant
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Kristin Peviani
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States
| | - Kirby Deater-Deckard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, United States
| | - Nina Lauharatanahirun
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States; Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Jacob Lee
- Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, United States
| | - Brooks King-Casas
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States; Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, Roanoke, VA, United States
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84
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The Contribution of Environmental Enrichment to Phenotypic Variation in Mice and Rats. eNeuro 2021; 8:ENEURO.0539-20.2021. [PMID: 33622702 PMCID: PMC7986535 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0539-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2020] [Revised: 01/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproducibility and translation of neuroscience research is assumed to be undermined by introducing environmental complexity and heterogeneity. Rearing laboratory animals with minimal (if any) environmental stimulation is thought to control for biological variability but may not adequately test the robustness of our animal models. Standard laboratory housing is associated with reduced demonstrations of species typical behaviors and changes in neurophysiology that may impact the translation of research results. Modest increases in environmental enrichment (EE) mitigate against insults used to induce animal models of disease, directly calling into question the translatability of our work. This may in part underlie the disconnect between preclinical and clinical research findings. Enhancing environmental stimulation for our model organisms promotes ethological natural behaviors but may simultaneously increase phenotypic trait variability. To test this assumption, we conducted a systematic review and evaluated coefficients of variation (CVs) between EE and standard housed mice and rats. Given findings of suboptimal reporting of animal laboratory housing conditions, we also developed a methodological reporting table for enrichment use in neuroscience research. Our data show that animals housed in EE were not more variable than those in standard housing. Therefore, environmental heterogeneity introduced into the laboratory, in the form of enrichment, does not compromise data integrity. Overall, human life is complicated, and by embracing such nuanced complexity into our laboratories, we may paradoxically improve on the rigor and reproducibility of our research.
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85
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Zitkovsky EK, Daniels TE, Tyrka AR. Mitochondria and early-life adversity. Mitochondrion 2021; 57:213-221. [PMID: 33484871 PMCID: PMC8172448 DOI: 10.1016/j.mito.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2020] [Revised: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA), which includes maltreatment, neglect, or severe trauma in childhood, increases the life-long risk for negative health outcomes. Mitochondria play a key role in the stress response and may be an important mechanism by which stress is transduced into biological risk for disease. By responding to cues from stress-signaling pathways, mitochondria interact dynamically with physiological stress responses coordinated by the central nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Preclinical evidence suggests that alterations in mitochondrial function and structure are linked to both early stress and systemic biological dysfunction. Early clinical studies support that increased mitochondrial DNA content and altered cellular energy demands may be present in individuals with a history of ELA. Further research should investigate mitochondria as a potential therapeutic target following ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily K Zitkovsky
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI 02906, USA; Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 222 Richmond St, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
| | - Teresa E Daniels
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI 02906, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
| | - Audrey R Tyrka
- Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI 02906, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI 02906, USA.
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86
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Flykt MS, Lindblom J, Belt R, Punamäki R. The role of mother's prenatal substance use disorder and early parenting on child social cognition at school age. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marjo Susanna Flykt
- Faculty of Social Sciences Tampere University Tampere Finland
- Faculty of Medicine University of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
| | - Jallu Lindblom
- Faculty of Social Sciences Tampere University Tampere Finland
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87
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Adverse childhood experiences: Mechanisms of risk and resilience in a longitudinal urban cohort. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 32:1418-1439. [PMID: 31663487 DOI: 10.1017/s095457941900138x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
There is an extensive literature describing the detrimental effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACE; e.g., abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction) on physical and mental health. However, few large-scale studies have explored these associations longitudinally in urban minority cohorts or assessed links to broader measures of well-being such as educational attainment, occupation, and crime. Although adversity and resilience have long been of interest in developmental psychology, protective and promotive factors have been understudied in the ACE literature. This paper investigates the psychosocial processes through which ACEs contribute to outcomes, in addition to exploring ways to promote resilience to ACEs in vulnerable populations. Follow-up data were analyzed for 87% of the original 1,539 participants in the Chicago Longitudinal Study (N = 1,341), a prospective investigation of the impact of an Early Childhood Education program and early experiences on life-course well-being. Findings suggest that ACEs impact well-being in low-socioeconomic status participants above and beyond the effects of demographic risk and poverty, and point to possible mechanisms of transmission of ACE effects. Results also identify key areas across the ecological system that may promote resilience to ACEs, and speak to the need to continue to support underserved communities in active ways.
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88
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Sympathetic nervous system dominance during stress recovery mediates associations between stress sensitivity and social anxiety symptoms in female adolescents. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 32:1914-1925. [PMID: 33427188 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is commonly diagnosed during adolescence and is associated with psychological stress reactivity and heightened physiological arousal. No study, however, has systematically examined which aspects of autonomic nervous system function mediate likely links between stress sensitivity and social anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Here, we assessed 163 adolescents (90 females; 12.29 ± 1.39 years) with respect to life stress and social anxiety symptoms, and measured respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance levels (SCL) during a psychosocial stress paradigm. We operationalized stress sensitivity as the residual variance in subjective stress severity after accounting for objective severity and changes in autonomic regulation using standardized change scores in RSA and SCL. In females only, stress sensitivity and social anxiety symptoms were significantly correlated with each other (p < .001) and with autonomic regulation during both reactivity and recovery (all ps < 0.04). Further, sympathetic nervous system dominance during recovery specifically mediated associations between stress sensitivity and social anxiety symptoms (B = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.02-2.64). In contrast, in males, stress sensitivity, autonomic regulation during reactivity or recovery, and social anxiety symptoms were not significantly associated (all ps > 0.1). We interpret these results in the context of psychobiological models of SAD and discuss implications for interventions targeting autonomic processes.
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89
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Henry LM, Gracey K, Shaffer A, Ebert J, Kuhn T, Watson KH, Gruhn M, Vreeland A, Siciliano R, Dickey L, Lawson V, Broll C, Cole DA, Compas BE. Comparison of three models of adverse childhood experiences: Associations with child and adolescent internalizing and externalizing symptoms. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 130:9-25. [PMID: 33271039 PMCID: PMC8687696 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is prevalent and confers risk for psychopathology later in life. Approaches to understanding the impact of ACEs on development include the independent risk approach, the Dimensional Model of Adversity and Psychopathology (DMAP) distinguishing between threat and deprivation events, and the cumulative risk approach. The present research provides an empirical confirmation of DMAP and a comparison of these three approaches in predicting internalizing and externalizing symptoms in youth. In Study 1, mental health professionals (N = 57) rated ACEs as threat or deprivation events. These ratings were used to create composites to represent the DMAP approach in Study 2. With cross-sectional and longitudinal data from children and adolescents in state custody (N = 23,850), hierarchical linear regression analyses examined independent risk, DMAP, and cumulative risk models in predicting internalizing symptoms, disinhibited externalizing symptoms, and antagonistic externalizing symptoms. All three approaches produced significant models and revealed associations between exposure to ACEs and symptoms. Individual risk accounted for significantly more variance in symptoms than cumulative risk and DMAP. Cumulative risk masked differential associations between ACEs and psychological symptoms found in the individual risk and DMAP approaches. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M. Henry
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - Kathy Gracey
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical
Center
| | - April Shaffer
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical
Center
| | - Jon Ebert
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical
Center
| | - Tarah Kuhn
- Department of Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical
Center
| | - Kelly H. Watson
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - Meredith Gruhn
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - Allison Vreeland
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - Rachel Siciliano
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - Lindsay Dickey
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - Victoria Lawson
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - Cassandra Broll
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - David A. Cole
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
| | - Bruce E. Compas
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt
University
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90
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Berken JA, Heard-Garris N, Wakschlag LS. Guardians at the Gate: Early Adversity, Neurocognitive Development, and the Role of the Pediatrician in the Era of COVID-19. Front Pediatr 2021; 9:665335. [PMID: 33937157 PMCID: PMC8079717 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2021.665335] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) profoundly impact neurocognitive development. Specifically, when these events occur during critical periods of brain plasticity, a time of significant synaptogenesis, neural pruning, and myelination, typical neurodevelopment can become derailed. Adverse childhood experiences promote morphological changes in neuronal microcircuitry which may lead to diminished cognitive flexibility, inattention, increased impulsivity, decreased school readiness, and disruptive behaviors. In this regard, the current COVID-19 pandemic represents an especially complex adverse experience that disturbs a child's social milieu and support network, likely interfering with brain maturation and executive function. Here, we take a neurodevelopmental approach to argue for the critical role that pediatricians must fulfill in mitigating the potentially detrimental consequences of COVID-19. We call for ACE screening and anticipatory guidance in the primary care setting, and the use of validated interventions and skills to bolster resilience, when ACEs are identified. We present a clinical workflow for the physician to proactively assess, identify, stratify, and address the severity of ACEs worsened by COVID-19. We discuss home-based activities and resources for children and adolescents to promote stress reduction, connectiveness, and self-awareness and create a more positive environment to maximize neurodevelopmental potential in the face of the ongoing pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan A Berken
- Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.,Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nia Heard-Garris
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Division of Academic General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States.,Mary Ann & J. Milburn Smith Child Health, Outreach, Research, and Evaluation Center, Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Lauren S Wakschlag
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,Department of Medical Social Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, United States
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91
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Cohen JR, Thakur H. Developmental consequences of emotional abuse and neglect in vulnerable adolescents: A multi-informant, multi-wave study. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2021; 111:104811. [PMID: 33234389 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extant research and theory posit that emotional abuse and emotional neglect-exposure is uniquely harmful during adolescence. Yet, these findings are mostly based on mono-informant, retrospective studies with unselected adults that examine emotional maltreatment in the aggregate. This prevents inferences concerning the unique, prospective risk emotional abuse and neglect, as reported by multiple informants, may confer within at-risk, adolescent samples. OBJECTIVE In response, the present study examined how emotional abuse and emotional neglect-exposure in adolescence uniquely related to psychological symptoms and social impairment. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Our aims were tested in a child welfare system (CWS)-involved sample of adolescents (N = 657; AgeM = 12.49 at baseline) who were participating in a longitudinal study. METHODS A multi-informant approach was used to assess emotional abuse/neglect and mental health. Physical abuse and lifetime CWS contact represented covariates in growth curve models. RESULTS Emotional abuse predicted symptoms within informant, such that youth-reported emotional abuse predicted youth-reported internalizing, β = 0.21, p = .001, and externalizing, β=0.35, p = .001, symptoms while parent-reported emotional abuse predicted parent-reported externalizing, β=0.30, p < .001, and internalizing β=0.29, p < .001, symptoms. Meanwhile, youth-reported emotional neglect predicted heightened self-reported internalizing symptoms, β=0.29, p < .001, parent-reported externalizing symptoms, β=0.15, p = .002 and social impairment across youth, β=-0.17, p = .01 and parent, β=-0.24, p < .001, report. CONCLUSIONS This study shows the importance of distinguishing between these maltreatment subtypes in adolescence and provides measurement recommendations for future maltreatment research. The manuscript concludes by discussing adolescent emotional abuse and neglect-exposure as a maintenance, as opposed to causal risk, factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph R Cohen
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, United States.
| | - Hena Thakur
- University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, United States
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92
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Ho GWK, Hyland P, Karatzias T, Bressington D, Shevlin M. Traumatic life events as risk factors for psychosis and ICD-11 complex PTSD: a gender-specific examination. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2021; 12:2009271. [PMID: 34900125 PMCID: PMC8654406 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2021.2009271] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Numerous studies found robust associations between psychosis and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but few have examined the relationships between psychosis and recently formulated ICD-11 Complex PTSD (CPTSD). Further, no known study has examined the effects of different traumatic life events on CPTSD and psychotic-like symptoms in a manner that permits gender-specific effects to be identified. OBJECTIVE Using a nationally representative sample of 1,020 Irish adults, we examined gender-differences in (a) psychotic-like symptoms, CPTSD, and exposure to 21 different traumatic life events, and (b) the unique associations between different traumas with CPTSD and Psychosis. METHOD Bivariate analyses and structural equation modelling were performed. RESULTS Consistent with the literature, no gender differences were observed in psychotic-like symptoms. Females reported slightly higher levels of CPTSD and were more likely to be exposed to sexual and emotional abuse, whereas men reported greater exposure to physical violence, accidents, and disasters. Psychosis symptoms were explained by trauma exposure to a considerate degree and at a level similar to CPTSD; a moderate correlation was also found between CPTSD and Psychosis. Physical/emotional neglect was the only traumatic life event that significantly and most strongly predicted both conditions. Two gender-specific associations between different traumatic life events and CPTSD and Psychosis were identified out of the 42 possible effects modelled. CONCLUSIONS The present investigation provides initial evidence that psychotic-like symptoms and CPTSD are moderately correlated constructs in the general population. Results also highlight the importance of conducting a detailed assessment of trauma history for all clients presenting with symptoms of CPTSD, psychosis, or both.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace W K Ho
- School of Nursing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR
| | - Philip Hyland
- Department of Psychology, Maynooth University, Kildare, Ireland
| | - Thanos Karatzias
- School of Health & Social Care, Edinburgh Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland.,Rivers Centre for Traumatic Stress, NHS Lothian, Edinburgh, Scotland
| | - Daniel Bressington
- College of Nursing and Midwifery, Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Australia
| | - Mark Shevlin
- School of Psychology, Ulster University, Derry, Northern Ireland
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93
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Humphreys KL, Guyon-Harris KL, Tibu F, Wade M, Nelson CA, Fox NA, Zeanah CH. Psychiatric outcomes following severe deprivation in early childhood: Follow-up of a randomized controlled trial at age 16. J Consult Clin Psychol 2020; 88:1079-1090. [PMID: 33370132 DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Early psychosocial deprivation is associated with increased risk for psychopathology, yet few studies have examined outcomes in adolescents. METHOD At baseline (M age 22 months), 136 children from Bucharest, Romania, living in large institutions, were randomized into foster care (FCG) or to care as usual (CAUG). Caregivers completed psychiatric interviews regarding their children (52 FCG; 51 CAUG) at age 16 years (M = 16.67 years; SD = 0.78) to assess past year diagnoses and symptom counts. In addition, never-institutionalized community comparison children (n = 47) were included. RESULTS Ever-institutionalized children had higher rates of meeting criteria for any psychiatric disorder and higher symptom counts of internalizing, externalizing, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, and substance use disorders compared to never-institutionalized children (ps < .05). Using intent-to-treat analyses, we found that children in the CAUG had more than twice the rate of psychiatric disorders than children in the FCG (OR = 2.48, 95% CI [1.12, 5.48]). Furthermore, children in foster care who remained in their original placement did not significantly differ in their rates of psychiatric disorders compared to never-institutionalized children. CONCLUSIONS There are many ways children can be separated from parents, including placement into institutional care. The current findings indicate that such placements are associated with significant risks for psychopathology. Moreover, we provide causal evidence for the long-lasting positive effect of foster care in reducing the risk of psychopathology in adolescence, especially among those in stable placements. These results provide strong evidence that early and stable placements into quality foster care may mitigate risk for psychopathology following severe early psychosocial deprivation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Mark Wade
- Department of Applied Psychology and Human Development, University of Toronto
| | - Charles A Nelson
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital/ Harvard Medical School
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park
| | - Charles H Zeanah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine
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94
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Humphreys KL, Machlin LS, Guyon-Harris KL, Nelson CA, Fox NA, Zeanah CH. Psychosocial deprivation and receptive language ability: a two-sample study. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:36. [PMID: 33327936 PMCID: PMC7745465 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09341-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The quality of early caregiving experiences is a known contributor to the quality of the language experiences young children receive. What is unknown is whether, and if so, how psychosocial deprivation early in life is associated with long-lasting receptive language outcomes. Methods Two prospective longitudinal studies examining early psychosocial deprivation/neglect in different contexts (i.e., deprivation due to institutional care or deprivation experienced by children residing within US families) and receptive language as assessed via the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT) were used to assess the magnitude of these associations. First, 129 participants from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial of foster care as an alternative to institutional care in Romania, completed a receptive language assessment at age 18 years. Second, from the USA, 3342 participants from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study were assessed from infancy until middle childhood. Results Children exposed to early institutional care, on average, had lower receptive language scores than their never institutionalized counterparts in late adolescence. While randomization to an early foster care intervention had no long-lasting association with PPVT scores, the duration of childhood exposure to institutional care was negatively associated with receptive language. Psychosocial deprivation in US families was also negatively associated with receptive language longitudinally, and this association remained statistically significant even after accounting for measures of socioeconomic status. Conclusion Experiences of psychosocial deprivation may have long-lasting consequences for receptive language ability, extending to age 18 years. Psychosocial deprivation is an important prospective predictor of poorer receptive language. Trial registration Bucharest Early Intervention Project ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00747396
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn L Humphreys
- Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37203, USA. .,Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, USA.
| | | | | | - Charles A Nelson
- Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.,Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, USA
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95
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Wade M, Zeanah CH, Fox NA, Nelson CA. Social communication deficits following early-life deprivation and relation to psychopathology: a randomized clinical trial of foster care. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2020; 61:1360-1369. [PMID: 32222079 PMCID: PMC7967662 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2019] [Revised: 12/27/2019] [Accepted: 01/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children reared in institutions experience profound deprivation that is linked to impairments in social communication (SC). However, little is known about the long-term consequences of institutional rearing on SC through adolescence, and how SC deficits relate to broad-spectrum psychopathology. It is also unclear whether early removal from deprivation and placement into socially enriched environments remediates these difficulties. METHODS Children reared in Romanian institutions from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project were randomly assigned to care as usual or foster care intervention in early childhood. An age- and sex-matched group of never-institutionalized children was also recruited. SC data from 208 children at age 8 and 129 children at 16 were collected using the Social Communication Questionnaire. Psychopathology was assessed as saved factor scores for general (P) and specific internalizing (INT) and externalizing (EXT) problems. We examined (a) whether institutional rearing is associated with continued SC deficits into adolescence; (b) whether early placement into foster care mitigates risk for SC problems; and (c) associations between SC and psychopathology from middle childhood (age 8) to adolescence (age 16). RESULTS Findings suggest that: (a) institutionally-reared children have significantly more SC problems than never-institutionalized children at age 16; (b) children placed into foster care early in life have fewer problems with reciprocal social interaction compared to those with prolonged institutional rearing; and (c) deficits in SC at age 8 partially account for the link between institutional rearing and general psychopathology at age 16. CONCLUSIONS Early deprivation is associated with impairments in SC that persist into adolescence, with evidence for the remedial benefit of family-based care in the domain of reciprocal social interaction. Moreover, deficits in SC among ever-institutionalized children in middle childhood may increase the risk of broad-spectrum psychopathology in adolescence, thus providing one putative target for early intervention to safeguard against later psychiatric problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Wade
- Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
| | - Charles H. Zeanah
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine
| | - Nathan A. Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland
| | - Charles A. Nelson
- Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School
- Harvard Graduate School of Education
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96
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Hyde LW, Gard AM, Tomlinson RC, Burt SA, Mitchell C, Monk CS. An ecological approach to understanding the developing brain: Examples linking poverty, parenting, neighborhoods, and the brain. AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2020; 75:1245-1259. [PMID: 33382290 PMCID: PMC8167378 DOI: 10.1037/amp0000741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
We describe an ecological approach to understanding the developing brain, with a focus on the effects of poverty-related adversity on brain function. We articulate how combining multilevel ecological models from developmental science and developmental psychopathology with human neuroscience can inform our approach to understanding the developmental neuroscience of risk and resilience. To illustrate this approach, we focus on associations between poverty and brain function, the roles parents and neighborhoods play in this context, and the potential impact of developmental timing. We also describe the major challenges and needed advances in these areas of research to better understand how and why poverty-related adversity may impact the developing brain, including the need for: a population neuroscience approach with greater attention to sampling and representation, genetically informed and causal designs, advances in assessing context and brain function, caution in interpretation of effects, and a focus on resilience. Work in this area has major implications for policy and prevention, which are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan
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97
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Brien A, Hutchins TL, Westby C. Autobiographical Memory in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Hearing Loss, and Childhood Trauma: Implications for Social Communication Intervention. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2020; 52:239-259. [PMID: 33253623 DOI: 10.1044/2020_lshss-20-00062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose Speech-language pathologists (SLPs) work with a variety of populations at risk for poor autobiographical and episodic memory. The purpose of this tutorial is to describe autobiographical memory and how it is affected in children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, hearing loss, and childhood trauma, as well as provide clinicians with practical strategies for supporting autobiographical memory in each of these clinical populations. Method This tutorial reviews the literature on (a) autobiographical and episodic memory in typical development; (b) its relation to theory of mind, personal narrative skills, and executive functions; (c) elaborative reminiscing in typical development; (d) how autobiographical memory is impaired in children with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, hearing loss, and childhood trauma; and (e) strategies for supporting autobiographical memory in each clinical population. Conclusions When adequately prepared, SLPs are uniquely situated to address autobiographical and episodic memory in their work with children, families, and related professionals. This is a long-overdue focus of such great clinical import that justifies its inclusion in the traditional training and preparation of SLPs. Adapting elaborative reminiscing strategies for use with various clinical populations is promising for facilitating healthy EM development and related cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Brien
- Doctoral Candidate in Interprofessional Health Sciences, University of Vermont, Burlington
| | - Tiffany L Hutchins
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Vermont, Burlington
| | - Carol Westby
- Bilingual Multicultural Services, Albuquerque, NM
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98
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Mazibuko X, Chimbari M. Development and evaluation of the Ingwavuma receptive vocabulary test: A tool for assessing receptive vocabulary in isiZulu-speaking preschool children. SOUTH AFRICAN JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS 2020; 67:e1-e10. [PMID: 33314952 PMCID: PMC7736649 DOI: 10.4102/sajcd.v67i1.780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2020] [Revised: 08/16/2020] [Accepted: 08/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study used local resources- community members, photographer and speech therapists to develop a new test for screening receptive language skills and sought to determine its feasibility for use with a larger population in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to develop a one-word receptive vocabulary test appropriate for screening and diagnosis of isiZulu-speaking preschool-aged children. The objectives were (1) to determine sensitivity and specificity of the Ingwavuma Receptive Vocabulary Test (IRVT) and (2) to determine the relationship of IRVT scores with age, gender, time and the confounding variables of stunting and school. METHOD The study was quantitative, cross-sectional and descriptive in nature. The IRVT was piloted before being administered to 51 children (4-6 years old). Statistical analysis of test item prevalence, correlations to confounding variables and validity measurements were conducted using Statistical Package for Social Scientists version 25 (SPSS 25). RESULTS The IRVT was able to profile the receptive skills for the preschool children in Ingwavuma. The mean raw score for boys was 35, and 32 for girls. There was a significant Pearson correlation between test scores and age (0.028, p 0.05) with a high effect size (Cohen's d = 0. 949), gender (r = -0.032, p 0.05) with a medium effect size (Cohen's d = 0.521) and school (r = 0.033, p 0.05) with a small effect size (Cohen's d = 0.353). The sensitivity and specificity values were 66.7% and 33%, respectively. The test reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was 0.739, with a good test-retest reliability. CONCLUSION The IRVT has potential as a screening test for isiZulu receptive vocabulary skills amongst preschool children. This study contributes to a development of clinical and research resources for assessing language abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xolisile Mazibuko
- School of Nursing and Public Health, College of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban.
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99
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Prolonged Social Isolation, Started Early in Life, Impairs Cognitive Abilities in Rats Depending on Sex. Brain Sci 2020; 10:brainsci10110799. [PMID: 33143056 PMCID: PMC7692092 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci10110799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: The chronic stress of social isolation is a valid predictor of cognitive pathology. This study aimed to compare the effects of long-term social isolation on female versus male Wistar rats’ learning and memory. We hypothesized that prolonged social isolation stress, which starts early in life, would affect learning in a sex-dependent manner. Methods: Social isolation started at the edge of early to mid-adolescence and lasted 9 months. The rat’s cognitive abilities were assessed by habituation and reactivity to novelty in the open field (OF) test, spatial memory in the Morris water maze (MWM), and the conditioned passive avoidance (PA) reflex. Basal serum corticosterone levels were assessed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Regardless of the housing conditions, females habituated to the OF under low illumination slower than males. Under bright light, the single-housed rats showed hyporeactivity to novelty. In the MWM, all the rats learned to locate the platform; however, on the first training day, the single-housed females’ speed was lower relative to other groups. Four months later, in the post-reminder probe trial, the single-housed rats reached the area around the platform site later, and only males, regardless of housing conditions, preferred the target quadrant. Single-housed rats, irrespective of sex, showed a PA deficit. There was a more pronounced conditioned fear in the single-housed males than in females. In both male and female rats, basal corticosterone levels in rat blood serum after 9 months of social isolation did not differ from that in the group-housed rats of the corresponding sex. Meanwhile, females’ basal corticosterone level was higher than in males, regardless of the housing conditions. The relative weight of the adrenal glands was increased only in single-housed females. Conclusions: Under long-term social isolation, started early in life, single-housed females compared with males showed more pronounced cognitive impairments in the MWM and PA paradigm, findings that specify their greater vulnerability to the stress of prolonged social isolation.
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100
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Differential associations of parental harshness and parental disengagement with overall cortisol output at 15 years: Implications for adolescent mental health. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 34:129-146. [PMID: 33070808 PMCID: PMC8053724 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420000954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Psychosocial stress in childhood and adolescence is linked to stress system dysregulation, although few studies have examined the relative impacts of parental harshness and parental disengagement. This study prospectively tested whether parental harshness and disengagement show differential associations with overall cortisol output in adolescence. Associations between overall cortisol output and adolescent mental health problems were tested concurrently. Adolescents from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) provided hair samples for cortisol assay at 15 years (N = 171). Caregivers reported on parental harshness and disengagement experiences at 1, 3, 5, 9, and 15 years, and adolescents reported at 15 years. Both parent and adolescent reported depressive and anxiety symptoms and antisocial behaviors at 15. Greater parental harshness from 1-15 years, and harshness reported at 15 years in particular, was associated with higher overall cortisol output at 15. Greater parental disengagement from 1-15 years, and disengagement at 1 year specifically, was associated with lower cortisol output. There were no significant associations between cortisol output and depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, or antisocial behaviors. These results suggest that the unique variances of parental harshness and disengagement may have opposing associations with cortisol output at 15 years, with unclear implications for adolescent mental health.
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