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Kerestes R, Chase HW, Phillips ML, Ladouceur CD, Eickhoff SB. Multimodal evaluation of the amygdala's functional connectivity. Neuroimage 2017; 148:219-229. [PMID: 28089676 PMCID: PMC5416470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 12/09/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
The amygdala is one of the most extensively studied human brain regions and undisputedly plays a central role in many psychiatric disorders. However, an outstanding question is whether connectivity of amygdala subregions, specifically the centromedial (CM), laterobasal (LB) and superficial (SF) nuclei, are modulated by brain state (i.e., task vs. rest). Here, using a multimodal approach, we directly compared meta-analytic connectivity modeling (MACM) and specific co-activation likelihood estimation (SCALE)-derived estimates of CM, LB and SF task-based co-activation to the functional connectivity of these nuclei as assessed by resting state fmri (rs-fmri). Finally, using a preexisting resting state functional connectivity-derived cortical parcellation, we examined both MACM and rs-fmri amygdala subregion connectivity with 17 large-scale networks, to explicitly address how the amygdala interacts with other large-scale neural networks. Analyses revealed strong differentiation of CM, LB and SF connectivity patterns with other brain regions, both in task-dependent and task-independent contexts. All three regions, however, showed convergent connectivity with the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) that was not driven by high base rate levels of activation. Similar patterns of connectivity across rs-fmri and MACM were observed for each subregion, suggesting a similar network architecture of amygdala connectivity with the rest of the brain across tasks and resting state for each subregion, that may be modified in the context of specific task demands. These findings support animal models that posit a parallel model of amygdala functioning, but importantly, also modify this position to suggest integrative processing in the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Kerestes
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Henry W Chase
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Mary L Phillips
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Cecile D Ladouceur
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1), Research Center Jülich, Germany; Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany; Institute of Systems Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf, Germany
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Kaunhoven RJ, Dorjee D. How does mindfulness modulate self-regulation in pre-adolescent children? An integrative neurocognitive review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 74:163-184. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2016] [Revised: 11/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/06/2017] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
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53
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Functional connectomics from a "big data" perspective. Neuroimage 2017; 160:152-167. [PMID: 28232122 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2016] [Revised: 01/21/2017] [Accepted: 02/13/2017] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
In the last decade, explosive growth regarding functional connectome studies has been observed. Accumulating knowledge has significantly contributed to our understanding of the brain's functional network architectures in health and disease. With the development of innovative neuroimaging techniques, the establishment of large brain datasets and the increasing accumulation of published findings, functional connectomic research has begun to move into the era of "big data", which generates unprecedented opportunities for discovery in brain science and simultaneously encounters various challenging issues, such as data acquisition, management and analyses. Big data on the functional connectome exhibits several critical features: high spatial and/or temporal precision, large sample sizes, long-term recording of brain activity, multidimensional biological variables (e.g., imaging, genetic, demographic, cognitive and clinic) and/or vast quantities of existing findings. We review studies regarding functional connectomics from a big data perspective, with a focus on recent methodological advances in state-of-the-art image acquisition (e.g., multiband imaging), analysis approaches and statistical strategies (e.g., graph theoretical analysis, dynamic network analysis, independent component analysis, multivariate pattern analysis and machine learning), as well as reliability and reproducibility validations. We highlight the novel findings in the application of functional connectomic big data to the exploration of the biological mechanisms of cognitive functions, normal development and aging and of neurological and psychiatric disorders. We advocate the urgent need to expand efforts directed at the methodological challenges and discuss the direction of applications in this field.
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54
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Neonatal Amygdala Functional Connectivity at Rest in Healthy and Preterm Infants and Early Internalizing Symptoms. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2017; 56:157-166. [PMID: 28117062 PMCID: PMC5302247 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Alterations in the normal developmental trajectory of amygdala resting state functional connectivity (rs-FC) have been associated with atypical emotional processes and psychopathology. Little is known, however, regarding amygdala rs-FC at birth or its relevance to outcomes. This study examined amygdala rs-FC in healthy, full-term (FT) infants and in very preterm (VPT) infants, and tested whether variability of neonatal amygdala rs-FC predicted internalizing symptoms at age 2 years. METHOD Resting state fMRI data were obtained shortly after birth from 65 FT infants (gestational age [GA] ≥36 weeks) and 57 VPT infants (GA <30 weeks) at term equivalent. Voxelwise correlation analyses were performed using individual-specific bilateral amygdala regions of interest. Total internalizing symptoms and the behavioral inhibition, depression/withdrawal, general anxiety, and separation distress subdomains were assessed in a subset (n = 44) at age 2 years using the Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment. RESULTS In FT and VPT infants, the amygdala demonstrated positive correlations with subcortical and limbic structures and negative correlations with cortical regions, although magnitudes were decreased in VPT infants. Neonatal amygdala rs-FC predicted internalizing symptoms at age 2 years with regional specificity consistent with known pathophysiology in older populations: connectivity with the anterior insula related to depressive symptoms, with the dorsal anterior cingulate related to generalized anxiety, and with the medial prefrontal cortex related to behavioral inhibition. CONCLUSION Amygdala rs-FC is well established in neonates. Variability in regional neonatal amygdala rs-FC predicted internalizing symptoms at 2 years, suggesting that risk for internalizing symptoms may be established in neonatal amygdala functional connectivity patterns.
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Ryali S, Supekar K, Chen T, Kochalka J, Cai W, Nicholas J, Padmanabhan A, Menon V. Temporal Dynamics and Developmental Maturation of Salience, Default and Central-Executive Network Interactions Revealed by Variational Bayes Hidden Markov Modeling. PLoS Comput Biol 2016; 12:e1005138. [PMID: 27959921 PMCID: PMC5154470 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 09/13/2016] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Little is currently known about dynamic brain networks involved in high-level cognition and their ontological basis. Here we develop a novel Variational Bayesian Hidden Markov Model (VB-HMM) to investigate dynamic temporal properties of interactions between salience (SN), default mode (DMN), and central executive (CEN) networks—three brain systems that play a critical role in human cognition. In contrast to conventional models, VB-HMM revealed multiple short-lived states characterized by rapid switching and transient connectivity between SN, CEN, and DMN. Furthermore, the three “static” networks occurred in a segregated state only intermittently. Findings were replicated in two adult cohorts from the Human Connectome Project. VB-HMM further revealed immature dynamic interactions between SN, CEN, and DMN in children, characterized by higher mean lifetimes in individual states, reduced switching probability between states and less differentiated connectivity across states. Our computational techniques provide new insights into human brain network dynamics and its maturation with development. Characterizing the temporal dynamics of functional interactions between distributed brain regions is of fundamental importance for understanding human brain organization and its development. Progress in the field has been hampered both by a lack of strong computational techniques to investigate brain dynamics and an inadequate focus on core brain systems involved in higher-order cognition. Here we address these gaps by developing a novel variational Bayesian Hidden Markov Model (VB-HMM) that uncovers non-stationary dynamical functional networks in human fMRI data. In two cohorts of adults, VB-HMM revealed multiple short-lived states characterized by rapid switching and transient connectivity between the salience (SN), default mode (DMN), and central executive (CEN) networks—three brain systems critical for higher-order cognition. In children, relative to adults, VB-HMM revealed immature dynamic interactions between SN, CEN, and DMN, characterized by higher mean lifetimes in individual states, reduced switching probability between states and less differentiated connectivity across states. Our findings suggest that the flexibility of switching between distinct brain states is weaker in childhood, and they provide a novel framework for modeling immature brain network organization in children. More generally, the approach used here may prove useful to the investigation of dynamic brain organization in neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srikanth Ryali
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SR); (KS); (VM)
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SR); (KS); (VM)
| | - Tianwen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
| | - John Kochalka
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Weidong Cai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Jonathan Nicholas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Aarthi Padmanabhan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
- Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
- Stanford Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, United States of America
- * E-mail: (SR); (KS); (VM)
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Guo X, Duan X, Long Z, Chen H, Wang Y, Zheng J, Zhang Y, Li R, Chen H. Decreased amygdala functional connectivity in adolescents with autism: A resting-state fMRI study. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2016; 257:47-56. [PMID: 27969061 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2016.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2016] [Revised: 09/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The human brain undergoes dramatic changes in amygdala-related functional connectivity network during adolescence. Given that the amygdala is a vital component of the "social brain", the Amygdala Theory of Autism has been proposed to account for atypical patterns of socio-emotional behavior in autism. Most of the previous neuroimaging evidence has concentrated on local functional or structural abnormalities of the amygdala in relation to social deficits in autism, rather than on its integrated role as part of larger brain networks. To examine whether functional integration pattern of the amygdala is altered in autism, the current study examined sixty-five adolescent subjects (30 autism and 35 healthy controls, 12-18 years old) from two independent datasets (UCLA and Leuven) of the Autism Brain Imaging Data Exchange. Whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity maps seeded in the amygdala were calculated and compared between patient and control groups. Compared with healthy controls, adolescents with autism showed decreased functional connectivity between the amygdala and subcortical regions in both datasets, including the bilateral thalamus and right putamen. These findings support the Amygdala Theory of Autism, demonstrating altered functional connectivity pattern associated with the amygdala in autism, and provide new insights into the pathophysiology of autism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaonan Guo
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
| | - Xujun Duan
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
| | - Zhiliang Long
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
| | - Heng Chen
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
| | - Yifeng Wang
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
| | - Junjie Zheng
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
| | - Youxue Zhang
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
| | - Rong Li
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China
| | - Huafu Chen
- Center for Information in BioMedicine, Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, PR China.
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The contributions of resting state and task-based functional connectivity studies to our understanding of adolescent brain network maturation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:13-32. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 07/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Aghajani M, Colins OF, Klapwijk ET, Veer IM, Andershed H, Popma A, van der Wee NJ, Vermeiren RRJM. Dissociable relations between amygdala subregional networks and psychopathy trait dimensions in conduct-disordered juvenile offenders. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:4017-4033. [PMID: 27453465 PMCID: PMC5129576 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Accepted: 06/12/2016] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Psychopathy is a serious psychiatric phenomenon characterized by a pathological constellation of affective (e.g., callous, unemotional), interpersonal (e.g., manipulative, egocentric), and behavioral (e.g., impulsive, irresponsible) personality traits. Though amygdala subregional defects are suggested in psychopathy, the functionality and connectivity of different amygdala subnuclei is typically disregarded in neurocircuit-level analyses of psychopathic personality. Hence, little is known of how amygdala subregional networks may contribute to psychopathy and its underlying trait assemblies in severely antisocial people. We addressed this important issue by uniquely examining the intrinsic functional connectivity of basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CMA) amygdala networks in relation to affective, interpersonal, and behavioral traits of psychopathy, in conduct-disordered juveniles with a history of serious delinquency (N = 50, mean age = 16.83 ± 1.32). As predicted, amygdalar connectivity profiles exhibited dissociable relations with different traits of psychopathy. Interpersonal psychopathic traits not only related to increased connectivity of BLA and CMA with a corticostriatal network formation accommodating reward processing, but also predicted stronger CMA connectivity with a network of cortical midline structures supporting sociocognitive processes. In contrast, affective psychopathic traits related to diminished CMA connectivity with a frontolimbic network serving salience processing and affective responding. Finally, behavioral psychopathic traits related to heightened BLA connectivity with a frontoparietal cluster implicated in regulatory executive functioning. We suggest that these trait-specific shifts in amygdalar connectivity could be particularly relevant to the psychopathic phenotype, as they may fuel a self-centered, emotionally cold, and behaviorally disinhibited profile. Hum Brain Mapp 37:4017-4033, 2016. © 2016 The Authors Human Brain Mapping Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moji Aghajani
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands.
- Department of Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Olivier F Colins
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
- School of Law, Psychology, and Social Work, Orebro University, Orebro, Sweden
| | - Eduard T Klapwijk
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ilya M Veer
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Andershed
- School of Law, Psychology, and Social Work, Orebro University, Orebro, Sweden
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Faculty of Law, Leiden University, Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nic J van der Wee
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robert R J M Vermeiren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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Shen MD, Li DD, Keown CL, Lee A, Johnson RT, Angkustsiri K, Rogers SJ, Müller RA, Amaral DG, Nordahl CW. Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala Is Disrupted in Preschool-Aged Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2016; 55:817-24. [PMID: 27566123 PMCID: PMC5003422 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2016.05.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2015] [Revised: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/22/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine whether functional connectivity of the amygdala is altered in preschool-age children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and to assess the clinical relevance of observed alterations in amygdala connectivity. METHOD A resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging study of the amygdala (and a parallel study of primary visual cortex) was conducted in 72 boys (mean age 3.5 years; n = 43 with ASD; n = 29 age-matched controls). RESULTS The ASD group showed significantly weaker connectivity between the amygdala and several brain regions involved in social communication and repetitive behaviors, including bilateral medial prefrontal cortex, temporal lobes, and striatum (p < .05, corrected). Weaker connectivity between the amygdala and frontal and temporal lobes was significantly correlated with increased autism severity in the ASD group (p < .05). In a parallel analysis examining the functional connectivity of primary visual cortex, the ASD group showed significantly weaker connectivity between visual cortex and sensorimotor regions (p < .05, corrected). Weaker connectivity between visual cortex and sensorimotor regions was not correlated with core autism symptoms, but instead was correlated with increased sensory hypersensitivity in the visual/auditory domain (p < .05). CONCLUSION These findings indicate that preschool-age children with ASD have disrupted functional connectivity between the amygdala and regions of the brain important for social communication and language, which might be clinically relevant because weaker connectivity was associated with increased autism severity. Moreover, although amygdala connectivity was associated with behavioral domains that are diagnostic of ASD, altered connectivity of primary visual cortex was related to sensory hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D. Shen
- MIND Institute and the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA
| | - Deana D. Li
- MIND Institute and the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA
| | - Christopher L. Keown
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory at San Diego State University, San Diego, CA.,University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA
| | - Aaron Lee
- MIND Institute and the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA
| | - Ryan T. Johnson
- MIND Institute and the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA
| | - Kathleen Angkustsiri
- MIND Institute and the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA
| | - Sally J. Rogers
- MIND Institute and the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA
| | - Ralph-Axel Müller
- Brain Development Imaging Laboratory at San Diego State University, San Diego, CA
| | - David G. Amaral
- MIND Institute and the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, CA
| | - Christine Wu Nordahl
- MIND Institute and the University of California Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento.
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Graham AM, Buss C, Rasmussen JM, Rudolph MD, Demeter DV, Gilmore JH, Styner M, Entringer S, Wadhwa PD, Fair DA. Implications of newborn amygdala connectivity for fear and cognitive development at 6-months-of-age. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2016; 18:12-25. [PMID: 26499255 PMCID: PMC4819011 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2015.09.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2015] [Revised: 09/16/2015] [Accepted: 09/21/2015] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The first year of life is an important period for emergence of fear in humans. While animal models have revealed developmental changes in amygdala circuitry accompanying emerging fear, human neural systems involved in early fear development remain poorly understood. To increase understanding of the neural foundations of human fear, it is important to consider parallel cognitive development, which may modulate associations between typical development of early fear and subsequent risk for fear-related psychopathology. We, therefore, examined amygdala functional connectivity with rs-fcMRI in 48 neonates (M=3.65 weeks, SD=1.72), and measured fear and cognitive development at 6-months-of-age. Stronger, positive neonatal amygdala connectivity to several regions, including bilateral anterior insula and ventral striatum, was prospectively associated with higher fear at 6-months. Stronger amygdala connectivity to ventral anterior cingulate/anterior medial prefrontal cortex predicted a specific phenotype of higher fear combined with more advanced cognitive development. Overall, findings demonstrate unique profiles of neonatal amygdala functional connectivity related to emerging fear and cognitive development, which may have implications for normative and pathological fear in later years. Consideration of infant fear in the context of cognitive development will likely contribute to a more nuanced understanding of fear, its neural bases, and its implications for future mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice M Graham
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Claudia Buss
- Department of Medical Psychology, Charité University of Medicine Berlin, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Drive, Irvine, CA 92697, United States.
| | - Jerod M Rasmussen
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Drive, Irvine, CA 92697, United States
| | - Marc D Rudolph
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Damion V Demeter
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, 333 South Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
| | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, 333 South Columbia Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
| | - Sonja Entringer
- Department of Medical Psychology, Charité University of Medicine Berlin, Luisenstrasse 57, 10117 Berlin, Germany; Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Drive, Irvine, CA 92697, United States
| | - Pathik D Wadhwa
- Development, Health and Disease Research Program, University of California, Irvine, 837 Health Sciences Drive, Irvine, CA 92697, United States
| | - Damien A Fair
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.
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61
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Rausch A, Zhang W, Haak KV, Mennes M, Hermans EJ, van Oort E, van Wingen G, Beckmann CF, Buitelaar JK, Groen WB. Altered functional connectivity of the amygdaloid input nuclei in adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorder: a resting state fMRI study. Mol Autism 2016; 7:13. [PMID: 26823966 PMCID: PMC4730628 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-015-0060-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2015] [Accepted: 12/07/2015] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Amygdala dysfunction is hypothesized to underlie the social deficits observed in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). However, the neurobiological basis of this hypothesis is underspecified because it is unknown whether ASD relates to abnormalities of the amygdaloid input or output nuclei. Here, we investigated the functional connectivity of the amygdaloid social-perceptual input nuclei and emotion-regulation output nuclei in ASD versus controls. METHODS We collected resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, tailored to provide optimal sensitivity in the amygdala as well as the neocortex, in 20 adolescents and young adults with ASD and 25 matched controls. We performed a regular correlation analysis between the entire amygdala (EA) and the whole brain and used a partial correlation analysis to investigate whole-brain functional connectivity uniquely related to each of the amygdaloid subregions. RESULTS Between-group comparison of regular EA correlations showed significantly reduced connectivity in visuospatial and superior parietal areas in ASD compared to controls. Partial correlation analysis revealed that this effect was driven by the left superficial and right laterobasal input subregions, but not the centromedial output nuclei. CONCLUSIONS These results indicate reduced connectivity of specifically the amygdaloid sensory input channels in ASD, suggesting that abnormal amygdalo-cortical connectivity can be traced down to the socio-perceptual pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annika Rausch
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wei Zhang
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Koen V Haak
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Maarten Mennes
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erno J Hermans
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Erik van Oort
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; MIRA Institute, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands
| | - Guido van Wingen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Department of Psychiatry, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Christian F Beckmann
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Jan K Buitelaar
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wouter B Groen
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands ; Karakter Child and Adolescent Psychiatry University Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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62
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Aghajani M, Veer IM, van Hoof MJ, Rombouts SARB, van der Wee NJ, Vermeiren RRJM. Abnormal functional architecture of amygdala-centered networks in adolescent posttraumatic stress disorder. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:1120-35. [PMID: 26859310 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2015] [Revised: 12/03/2015] [Accepted: 12/05/2015] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a prevalent, debilitating, and difficult to treat psychiatric disorder. Very little is known of how PTSD affects neuroplasticity in the developing adolescent brain. Whereas multiple lines of research implicate amygdala-centered network dysfunction in the pathophysiology of adult PTSD, no study has yet examined the functional architecture of amygdala subregional networks in adolescent PTSD. Using intrinsic functional connectivity analysis, we investigated functional connectivity of the basolateral (BLA) and centromedial (CMA) amygdala in 19 sexually abused adolescents with PTSD relative to 23 matched controls. Additionally, we examined whether altered amygdala subregional connectivity coincides with abnormal grey matter volume of the amygdaloid complex. Our analysis revealed abnormal amygdalar connectivity and morphology in adolescent PTSD patients. More specifically, PTSD patients showed diminished right BLA connectivity with a cluster including dorsal and ventral portions of the anterior cingulate and medial prefrontal cortices (p < 0.05, corrected). In contrast, PTSD patients showed increased left CMA connectivity with a cluster including the orbitofrontal and subcallosal cortices (p < 0.05, corrected). Critically, these connectivity changes coincided with diminished grey matter volume within BLA and CMA subnuclei (p < 0.05, corrected), with CMA connectivity shifts additionally relating to more severe symptoms of PTSD. These findings provide unique insights into how perturbations in major amygdalar circuits could hamper fear regulation and drive excessive acquisition and expression of fear in PTSD. As such, they represent an important step toward characterizing the neurocircuitry of adolescent PTSD, thereby informing the development of reliable biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moji Aghajani
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Curium, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Ilya M Veer
- Division of Mind and Brain Research, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Marie-José van Hoof
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Curium, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands.,Rivierduinen Institute for Mental Health Care, Psychotraumacenter and Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Serge A R B Rombouts
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands.,Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden University, Institute of Psychology, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Nic J van der Wee
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands.,Department of Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the Netherlands
| | - Robert R J M Vermeiren
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Curium, Leiden, the Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, the Netherlands
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63
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Engman J, Linnman C, Van Dijk KRA, Milad MR. Amygdala subnuclei resting-state functional connectivity sex and estrogen differences. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2016; 63:34-42. [PMID: 26406106 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2015] [Revised: 09/09/2015] [Accepted: 09/09/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The amygdala is a hub in emotional processing, including that of negative affect. Healthy men and women have distinct differences in amygdala responses, potentially setting the stage for the observed sex differences in the prevalence of fear, anxiety, and pain disorders. Here, we examined how amygdala subnuclei resting-state functional connectivity is affected by sex, as well as explored how the functional connectivity is related to estrogen levels. Resting-state functional connectivity was measured using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) with seeds placed in the left and right laterobasal (LB) and centromedial (CM) amygdala. Sex differences were studied in 48 healthy men and 48 healthy women, matched for age, while the association with estrogen was analyzed in a subsample of 24 women, for whom hormone levels had been assessed. For the hormone analyses, the subsample was further divided into a lower and higher estrogen levels group based on a median split. We found distinct sex differences in the LB and CM amygdala resting-state functional connectivity, as well as preliminary evidence for an association between estrogen levels and connectivity patterns. These results are potentially valuable in explaining why women are more afflicted by conditions of negative affect than are men, and could imply a mechanistic role for estrogen in modulating emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Engman
- Department of Psychology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
| | - Clas Linnman
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Koene R A Van Dijk
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA, USA; Department of Psychology, Center for Brain Science, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Mohammed R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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64
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Cortisol awakening response predicts intrinsic functional connectivity of the medial prefrontal cortex in the afternoon of the same day. Neuroimage 2015; 122:158-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.08.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 08/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
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65
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Ehrlich DE, Josselyn SA. Plasticity-related genes in brain development and amygdala-dependent learning. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2015; 15:125-43. [PMID: 26419764 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2015] [Revised: 09/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Learning about motivationally important stimuli involves plasticity in the amygdala, a temporal lobe structure. Amygdala-dependent learning involves a growing number of plasticity-related signaling pathways also implicated in brain development, suggesting that learning-related signaling in juveniles may simultaneously influence development. Here, we review the pleiotropic functions in nervous system development and amygdala-dependent learning of a signaling pathway that includes brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), extracellular signaling-related kinases (ERKs) and cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB). Using these canonical, plasticity-related genes as an example, we discuss the intersection of learning-related and developmental plasticity in the immature amygdala, when aversive and appetitive learning may influence the developmental trajectory of amygdala function. We propose that learning-dependent activation of BDNF, ERK and CREB signaling in the immature amygdala exaggerates and accelerates neural development, promoting amygdala excitability and environmental sensitivity later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- D E Ehrlich
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, Neuroscience Institute, NYU Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.,Department of Otolaryngology, NYU Langone School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - S A Josselyn
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.,Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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66
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Lei Y, Shao Y, Wang L, Ye E, Jin X, Zou F, Zhai T, Li W, Yang Z. Altered superficial amygdala-cortical functional link in resting state after 36 hours of total sleep deprivation. J Neurosci Res 2015; 93:1795-803. [DOI: 10.1002/jnr.23601] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2014] [Revised: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Lei
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center; Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Yongcong Shao
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center; Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Lubin Wang
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center; Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Enmao Ye
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center; Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Xiao Jin
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center; Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Feng Zou
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center; Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Tianye Zhai
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center; Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Wuju Li
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Yang
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center; Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
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67
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Qin S, Duan X, Supekar K, Chen H, Chen T, Menon V. Large-scale intrinsic functional network organization along the long axis of the human medial temporal lobe. Brain Struct Funct 2015; 221:3237-58. [PMID: 26336951 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-015-1098-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 08/20/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The medial temporal lobe (MTL), encompassing the hippocampus and parahippocampal gyrus (PHG), is a heterogeneous structure which plays a critical role in memory and cognition. Here, we investigate functional architecture of the human MTL along the long axis of the hippocampus and PHG. The hippocampus showed stronger connectivity with striatum, ventral tegmental area and amygdala-regions important for integrating reward and affective signals, whereas the PHG showed stronger connectivity with unimodal and polymodal association cortices. In the hippocampus, the anterior node showed stronger connectivity with the anterior medial temporal lobe and the posterior node showed stronger connectivity with widely distributed cortical and subcortical regions including those involved in sensory and reward processing. In the PHG, differences were characterized by a gradient of increasing anterior-to-posterior connectivity with core nodes of the default mode network. Left and right MTL connectivity patterns were remarkably similar, except for stronger left than right MTL connectivity with regions in the left MTL, the ventral striatum and default mode network. Graph theoretical analysis of MTL-based networks revealed higher node centrality of the posterior, compared to anterior and middle hippocampus. The PHG showed prominent gradients in both node degree and centrality along its anterior-to-posterior axis. Our findings highlight several novel aspects of functional heterogeneity in connectivity along the long axis of the human MTL and provide new insights into how its network organization supports integration and segregation of signals from distributed brain areas. The implications of our findings for a principledunderstanding of distributed pathways that support memory and cognition are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaozheng Qin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA.
| | - Xujun Duan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA.,Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Huafu Chen
- Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology, Chengdu, People's Republic of China
| | - Tianwen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, CA, 94304, USA. .,Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA. .,Stanford Neuroscience Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
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68
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Fareri DS, Gabard-Durnam L, Goff B, Flannery J, Gee DG, Lumian DS, Caldera C, Tottenham N. Normative development of ventral striatal resting state connectivity in humans. Neuroimage 2015; 118:422-37. [PMID: 26087377 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.06.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2014] [Revised: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Incentives play a crucial role in guiding behavior throughout our lives, but perhaps no more so than during the early years of life. The ventral striatum is a critical piece of an incentive-based learning circuit, sharing robust anatomical connections with subcortical (e.g., amygdala, hippocampus) and cortical structures (e.g., medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), insula) that collectively support incentive valuation and learning. Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) is a powerful method that provides insight into the development of the functional architecture of these connections involved in incentive-based learning. We employed a seed-based correlation approach to investigate ventral striatal rsFC in a cross-sectional sample of typically developing individuals between the ages of 4.5 and 23-years old (n=66). Ventral striatal rsFC with the mPFC showed regionally specific linear age-related changes in connectivity that were associated with age-related increases in circulating testosterone levels. Further, ventral striatal connectivity with the posterior hippocampus and posterior insula demonstrated quadratic age-related changes characterized by negative connectivity in adolescence. Finally, across this age range, the ventral striatum demonstrated positive coupling with the amygdala beginning during childhood and remaining consistently positive across age. In sum, our findings suggest that normative ventral striatal rsFC development is dynamic and characterized by early establishment of connectivity with medial prefrontal and limbic structures supporting incentive-based learning, as well as substantial functional reorganization with later developing regions during transitions into and out of adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic S Fareri
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Gordon F. Derner Institute of Advanced Psychological Studies, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY 11530, USA.
| | - Laurel Gabard-Durnam
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bonnie Goff
- Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Jessica Flannery
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Daniel S Lumian
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO 80208, USA
| | - Christina Caldera
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, USA; Department of Psychology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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69
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Smith RF, McDonald CG, Bergstrom HC, Ehlinger DG, Brielmaier JM. Adolescent nicotine induces persisting changes in development of neural connectivity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 55:432-43. [PMID: 26048001 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.05.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2015] [Accepted: 05/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent nicotine induces persisting changes in development of neural connectivity. A large number of brain changes occur during adolescence as the CNS matures. These changes suggest that the adolescent brain may still be susceptible to developmental alterations by substances which impact its growth. Here we review recent studies on adolescent nicotine which show that the adolescent brain is differentially sensitive to nicotine-induced alterations in dendritic elaboration, in several brain areas associated with processing reinforcement and emotion, specifically including nucleus accumbens, medial prefrontal cortex, basolateral amygdala, bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, and dentate gyrus. Both sensitivity to nicotine, and specific areas responding to nicotine, differ between adolescent and adult rats, and dendritic changes in response to adolescent nicotine persist into adulthood. Areas sensitive to, and not sensitive to, structural remodeling induced by adolescent nicotine suggest that the remodeling generally corresponds to the extended amygdala. Evidence suggests that dendritic remodeling is accompanied by persisting changes in synaptic connectivity. Modeling, electrophysiological, neurochemical, and behavioral data are consistent with the implication of our anatomical studies showing that adolescent nicotine induces persisting changes in neural connectivity. Emerging data thus suggest that early adolescence is a period when nicotine consumption, presumably mediated by nicotine-elicited changes in patterns of synaptic activity, can sculpt late brain development, with consequent effects on synaptic interconnection patterns and behavior regulation. Adolescent nicotine may induce a more addiction-prone phenotype, and the structures altered by nicotine also subserve some emotional and cognitive functions, which may also be altered. We suggest that dendritic elaboration and associated changes are mediated by activity-dependent synaptogenesis, acting in part through D1DR receptors, in a network activated by nicotine. The adolescent nicotine effects reviewed here suggest that modification of late CNS development constitutes a hazard of adolescent nicotine use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert F Smith
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA.
| | - Craig G McDonald
- Department of Psychology, George Mason University, MSN 3F5, Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
| | - Hadley C Bergstrom
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, 3625 Fishers Lane Room 2N09, Rockville, MD 20814, USA
| | - Daniel G Ehlinger
- Boston Children's Hospital, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, 300 Longwood Ave., Boston, MA 02115, USA
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70
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Fear of the unknown: uncertain anticipation reveals amygdala alterations in childhood anxiety disorders. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:1428-35. [PMID: 25502633 PMCID: PMC4397401 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Revised: 10/22/2014] [Accepted: 11/18/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Children with anxiety disorders (ADs) experience persistent fear and worries that are highly debilitating, conferring risk for lifelong psychopathology. Anticipatory anxiety is a core clinical feature of childhood ADs, often leading to avoidance of uncertain and novel situations. Extensive studies in non-human animals implicate amygdala dysfunction as a critical substrate for early life anxiety. To test specific amygdala-focused hypotheses in preadolescent children with ADs, we used fMRI to characterize amygdala activation during uncertain anticipation and in response to unexpected stimuli. Forty preadolescent (age 8-12 years) children, 20 unmedicated AD patients and 20 matched controls completed an anticipation task during an fMRI scan. In the task, symbolic cues preceded fear or neutral faces, such that 'certain' cues always predicted the presentation of fear or neutral faces, whereas 'uncertain' cues were equally likely to be followed by fear or neutral faces. Both AD children and controls showed robust amygdala response to faces. In response to the uncertain cues, AD children had increased amygdala activation relative to controls. Moreover, in the AD children, faces preceded by an 'uncertain' cue elicited increased amygdala activation, as compared with the same faces following a 'certain' cue. Children with ADs experience distress both in anticipation of and during novel and surprising events. Our findings suggest that increased amygdala activation may have an important role in the generation of uncertainty-related anxiety. These findings may guide the development of neuroscientifically informed treatments aimed at relieving the suffering and preventing the lifelong disability associated with pediatric ADs.
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71
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Structural connectivity of the developing human amygdala. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125170. [PMID: 25875758 PMCID: PMC4398350 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2014] [Accepted: 03/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
A large corpus of research suggests that there are changes in the manner and degree to which the amygdala supports cognitive and emotional function across development. One possible basis for these developmental differences could be the maturation of amygdalar connections with the rest of the brain. Recent functional connectivity studies support this conclusion, but the structural connectivity of the developing amygdala and its different nuclei remains largely unstudied. We examined age related changes in the DWI connectivity fingerprints of the amygdala to the rest of the brain in 166 individuals of ages 5-30. We also developed a model to predict age based on individual-subject amygdala connectivity, and identified the connections that were most predictive of age. Finally, we segmented the amygdala into its four main nucleus groups, and examined the developmental changes in connectivity for each nucleus. We observed that with age, amygdalar connectivity becomes increasingly sparse and localized. Age related changes were largely localized to the subregions of the amygdala that are implicated in social inference and contextual memory (the basal and lateral nuclei). The central nucleus’ connectivity also showed differences with age but these differences affected fewer target regions than the basal and lateral nuclei. The medial nucleus did not exhibit any age related changes. These findings demonstrate increasing specificity in the connectivity patterns of amygdalar nuclei across age.
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72
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Alarcón G, Cservenka A, Rudolph MD, Fair DA, Nagel BJ. Developmental sex differences in resting state functional connectivity of amygdala sub-regions. Neuroimage 2015; 115:235-44. [PMID: 25887261 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2015.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2014] [Revised: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022] Open
Abstract
During adolescence, considerable social and biological changes occur that interact with functional brain maturation, some of which are sex-specific. The amygdala is one brain area that has displayed sexual dimorphism, specifically in socio-affective (superficial amygdala [SFA]), stress (centromedial amygdala [CMA]), and learning and memory (basolateral amygdala [BLA]) processing. The amygdala has also been implicated in mood and anxiety disorders which display sex-specific features, most prominently observed during adolescence. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the present study examined the interaction of age and sex on resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) of amygdala sub-regions, BLA and SFA, in a sample of healthy adolescents between the ages 10 and 16 years (n = 122, 71 boys). Whole-brain, voxel-wise partial correlation analyses were conducted to determine RSFC of bilateral BLA and SFA seed regions, created using the Eickhoff-Zilles maximum probability maps based on cytoarchitectonic mapping and FMRIB's Integrated Registration and Segmentation Tool (FIRST). Monte Carlo simulation was implemented to correct for multiple comparisons (threshold of 53 contiguous voxels with a z-value ≥ 2.25). Results indicated that with increasing age, there was a corresponding decrease in RSFC between both amygdala sub-regions and parieto-occipital cortices, with a concurrent increase in RSFC with medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Specifically, boys and girls demonstrated increased coupling of mPFC and left and right SFA with age, respectively; however, neither sex showed increased connectivity between mPFC and BLA, which could indicate relative immaturity of fronto-limbic networks that is similar across sex. A dissociation in connectivity between BLA- and SFA-parieto-occipital RSFC emerged, in which girls had weaker negative RSFC between SFA and parieto-occipital regions and boys had weaker negative RSFC of BLA and parieto-occipital regions with increased age, both standing in contrast to adult patterns of amygdala sub-regional RSFC. The present findings suggest relative immaturity of amygdala sub-regional RSFC with parieto-occipital cortices during adolescence, with unique patterns in both sexes that may support memory and socio-affective processing in boys and girls, respectively. Understanding the underlying normative functional architecture of brain networks associated with the amygdala during adolescence may better inform future research of the neural features associated with increased risk for internalizing psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Alarcón
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Anita Cservenka
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Marc D Rudolph
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Damien A Fair
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239, USA.
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73
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Thomason ME, Marusak HA, Tocco MA, Vila AM, McGarragle O, Rosenberg DR. Altered amygdala connectivity in urban youth exposed to trauma. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 10:1460-8. [PMID: 25836993 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life trauma exposure represents a potent risk factor for the development of mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, deleterious consequences of trauma are exacerbated in youth living in impoverished, urban environments. A priori probability maps were used to examine resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the amygdala in 21 trauma-exposed, and 21 age- and sex-matched urban children and adolescents (youth) without histories of trauma. Intrinsic FC analyses focused on amygdala-medial prefrontal circuitry, a key emotion regulatory pathway in the brain. We discovered reduced negative amygdala-subgenual cingulate connectivity in trauma-exposed youth. Differences between groups were also identified in anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate to amygdala connectivity. Overall, results suggest a model in which urban-dwelling trauma-exposed youth lack negative prefrontal to amygdala connectivity that may be critical for regulation of emotional responses. Functional changes in amygdala circuitry might reflect the biological embedding of stress reactivity in early life and mediate enhanced vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriah E Thomason
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD,
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and
| | - Maria A Tocco
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Angela M Vila
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University
| | - Olivia McGarragle
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and
| | - David R Rosenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and
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74
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Vértes PE, Bullmore ET. Annual research review: Growth connectomics--the organization and reorganization of brain networks during normal and abnormal development. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2015; 56:299-320. [PMID: 25441756 PMCID: PMC4359009 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We first give a brief introduction to graph theoretical analysis and its application to the study of brain network topology or connectomics. Within this framework, we review the existing empirical data on developmental changes in brain network organization across a range of experimental modalities (including structural and functional MRI, diffusion tensor imaging, magnetoencephalography and electroencephalography in humans). SYNTHESIS We discuss preliminary evidence and current hypotheses for how the emergence of network properties correlates with concomitant cognitive and behavioural changes associated with development. We highlight some of the technical and conceptual challenges to be addressed by future developments in this rapidly moving field. Given the parallels previously discovered between neural systems across species and over a range of spatial scales, we also review some recent advances in developmental network studies at the cellular scale. We highlight the opportunities presented by such studies and how they may complement neuroimaging in advancing our understanding of brain development. Finally, we note that many brain and mind disorders are thought to be neurodevelopmental in origin and that charting the trajectory of brain network changes associated with healthy development also sets the stage for understanding abnormal network development. CONCLUSIONS We therefore briefly review the clinical relevance of network metrics as potential diagnostic markers and some recent efforts in computational modelling of brain networks which might contribute to a more mechanistic understanding of neurodevelopmental disorders in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra E Vértes
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridge, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of CambridgeCambridge, UK
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation TrustCambridge, UK
- ImmunoPsychiatry, Alternative Discovery and Development, GlaxoSmithKlineCambridge, UK
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75
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Cservenka A. Advances in Human Neuroconnectivity Research: Applications for Understanding Familial History Risk for Alcoholism. Alcohol Res 2015; 37:89-95. [PMID: 26259090 PMCID: PMC4476606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in brain imaging have allowed researchers to further study the networks connecting brain regions. Specifically, research examining the functioning of these networks in groups with a genetic predisposition for alcoholism has found atypical circuitry in the brains of such individuals. Further research with larger sample sizes and multimodal method integration are necessary to confirm these intriguing findings.
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76
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Shao Y, Lei Y, Wang L, Zhai T, Jin X, Ni W, Yang Y, Tan S, Wen B, Ye E, Yang Z. Altered resting-state amygdala functional connectivity after 36 hours of total sleep deprivation. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112222. [PMID: 25372882 PMCID: PMC4221616 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives Recent neuroimaging studies have identified a potentially critical role of the amygdala in disrupted emotion neurocircuitry in individuals after total sleep deprivation (TSD). However, connectivity between the amygdala and cerebral cortex due to TSD remains to be elucidated. In this study, we used resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate the functional connectivity changes of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and centromedial amygdala (CMA) in the brain after 36 h of TSD. Materials and Methods Fourteen healthy adult men aged 25.9±2.3 years (range, 18–28 years) were enrolled in a within-subject crossover study. Using the BLA and CMA as separate seed regions, we examined resting-state functional connectivity with fMRI during rested wakefulness (RW) and after 36 h of TSD. Results TSD resulted in a significant decrease in the functional connectivity between the BLA and several executive control regions (left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [DLPFC], right dorsal anterior cingulate cortex [ACC], right inferior frontal gyrus [IFG]). Increased functional connectivity was found between the BLA and areas including the left posterior cingulate cortex/precuneus (PCC/PrCu) and right parahippocampal gyrus. With regard to CMA, increased functional connectivity was observed with the rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) and right precentral gyrus. Conclusion These findings demonstrate that disturbance in amygdala related circuits may contribute to TSD psychophysiology and suggest that functional connectivity studies of the amygdala during the resting state may be used to discern aberrant patterns of coupling within these circuits after TSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yongcong Shao
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yu Lei
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - Lubin Wang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - Tianye Zhai
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - Xiao Jin
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - Wei Ni
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - Yue Yang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - Shuwen Tan
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
| | - Bo Wen
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
| | - Enmao Ye
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
- * E-mail: (EY); (ZY)
| | - Zheng Yang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing, PR China
- Cognitive and Mental Health Research Center, Beijing, PR China
- * E-mail: (EY); (ZY)
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77
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Callaghan BL, Sullivan RM, Howell B, Tottenham N. The international society for developmental psychobiology Sackler symposium: early adversity and the maturation of emotion circuits--a cross-species analysis. Dev Psychobiol 2014; 56:1635-50. [PMID: 25290865 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2013] [Revised: 08/17/2014] [Accepted: 09/05/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Early-life caregiving shapes the architecture and function of the developing brain. The fact that the infant-caregiver relationship is critically important for infant functioning across all altricial species, and that the anatomical circuits supporting emotional functioning are highly preserved across different species, suggests that the results of studies examining the role of early adversity and emotional functioning should be translatable across species. Here we present findings from four different research laboratories, using three different species, which have converged on a similar finding: adversity accelerates the developmental trajectory of amygdala-prefrontal cortex (PFC) development and modifies emotional behaviors. First, a rodent model of attachment learning associated with adversity is presented showing precocial disruption of attachment learning and emergence of heightened fear learning and emotionality. Second, a model of infant-mother separation is presented in which early adversity is shown to accelerate the developmental emergence of adult-like fear retention and extinction. Third, a model of early life adversity in Rhesus monkeys is presented in which a naturally occurring variation in maternal-care (abuse) is shown to alter the functioning of emotion circuits. Finally, a human model of maternal deprivation is presented in which children born into orphanages and then adopted abroad exhibit aberrant development of emotion circuits. The convergence of these cross-species studies on early life adversity suggests that adversity targets the amygdala and PFC and has immediate impact on infant behavior with the caregiver, and emotional reactions to the world. These results provide insight into mechanisms responsible for caregiver induced mental health trajectory alterations.
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78
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Hippocampal-neocortical functional reorganization underlies children's cognitive development. Nat Neurosci 2014; 17:1263-9. [PMID: 25129076 PMCID: PMC4286364 DOI: 10.1038/nn.3788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 159] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The importance of the hippocampal system for rapid learning and memory is well recognized, but its contributions to a cardinal feature of children's cognitive development-the transition from procedure-based to memory-based problem-solving strategies-are unknown. Here we show that the hippocampal system is pivotal to this strategic transition. Longitudinal functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 7-9-year-old children revealed that the transition from use of counting to memory-based retrieval parallels increased hippocampal and decreased prefrontal-parietal engagement during arithmetic problem solving. Longitudinal improvements in retrieval-strategy use were predicted by increased hippocampal-neocortical functional connectivity. Beyond childhood, retrieval-strategy use continued to improve through adolescence into adulthood and was associated with decreased activation but more stable interproblem representations in the hippocampus. Our findings provide insights into the dynamic role of the hippocampus in the maturation of memory-based problem solving and establish a critical link between hippocampal-neocortical reorganization and children's cognitive development.
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79
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Grèzes J, Valabrègue R, Gholipour B, Chevallier C. A direct amygdala-motor pathway for emotional displays to influence action: A diffusion tensor imaging study. Hum Brain Mapp 2014; 35:5974-83. [PMID: 25053375 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
An important evolutionary function of emotions is to prime individuals for action. Although functional neuroimaging has provided evidence for such a relationship, little is known about the anatomical substrates allowing the limbic system to influence cortical motor-related areas. Using diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and probabilistic tractography on a cohort of 40 participants, we provide evidence of a structural connection between the amygdala and motor-related areas (lateral and medial precentral, motor cingulate and primary motor cortices, and postcentral gyrus) in humans. We then compare this connection with the connections of the amygdala with emotion-related brain areas (superior temporal sulcus, fusiform gyrus, orbitofrontal cortex, and lateral inferior frontal gyrus) and determine which amygdala nuclei are at the origin of these projections. Beyond the well-known subcortical influences over automatic and stereotypical emotional behaviors, a direct amygdala-motor pathway might provide a mechanism by which the amygdala can influence more complex motor behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Grèzes
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, Inserm U960, Institute for Cognitive Studies, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France; Centre de NeuroImagerie de Recherche - CENIR, Centre de Recherche de l'Institut du Cerveau et de la Moelle épinière, Université Pierre et Marie Curie-Paris 6, UMR-S975, Inserm U975, CNRS UMR7225, Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
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80
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DeWitt SJ, Aslan S, Filbey FM. Adolescent risk-taking and resting state functional connectivity. Psychiatry Res 2014; 222:157-64. [PMID: 24796655 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2014.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Revised: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 03/26/2014] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The existing literature on the role of emotion regulation circuits (amygdala-prefrontal cortex) in the adolescent brain yields mixed results, particularly on the role of these regions in the context of reward sensitivity and risk-taking behavior sensitivity and risk-taking behavior. Here, we examined functional connectivity in the resting state in 18 risk-taking (RT) adolescents compared with 18 non-risk-taking (NRT) adolescents as defined by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey. Separate seed-based correlations with bilateral amygdala and bilateral nucleus accumbens used as the seed were performed to determine functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The results showed greater connectivity between the amygdala (seed region) and the right middle frontal gyrus, left cingulate gyrus, left precuneus and right inferior parietal lobule in RT adolescents than in NRT adolescents. Likewise, there was greater connectivity between the nucleus accumbens (seed region) and the right middle frontal gyrus in RT adolescents compared with NRT adolescents. These findings suggest that risk-taking behavior in adolescents is associated with hyperconnectivity during the resting state in networks associated with emotion regulation, reward sensitivity, executive control, and the default mode.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J DeWitt
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Sina Aslan
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA; Advance MRI, LLC, Frisco, TX, USA
| | - Francesca M Filbey
- Center for BrainHealth, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA.
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81
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Qin S, Young CB, Duan X, Chen T, Supekar K, Menon V. Amygdala subregional structure and intrinsic functional connectivity predicts individual differences in anxiety during early childhood. Biol Psychiatry 2014; 75:892-900. [PMID: 24268662 PMCID: PMC3984386 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2013.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2013] [Revised: 09/04/2013] [Accepted: 10/03/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early childhood anxiety has been linked to an increased risk for developing mood and anxiety disorders. Little, however, is known about its effect on the brain during a period in early childhood when anxiety-related traits begin to be reliably identifiable. Even less is known about the neurodevelopmental origins of individual differences in childhood anxiety. METHODS We combined structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging with neuropsychological assessments of anxiety based on daily life experiences to investigate the effects of anxiety on the brain in 76 young children. We then used machine learning algorithms with balanced cross-validation to examine brain-based predictors of individual differences in childhood anxiety. RESULTS Even in children as young as ages 7 to 9, high childhood anxiety is associated with enlarged amygdala volume and this enlargement is localized specifically to the basolateral amygdala. High childhood anxiety is also associated with increased connectivity between the amygdala and distributed brain systems involved in attention, emotion perception, and regulation, and these effects are most prominent in basolateral amygdala. Critically, machine learning algorithms revealed that levels of childhood anxiety could be reliably predicted by amygdala morphometry and intrinsic functional connectivity, with the left basolateral amygdala emerging as the strongest predictor. CONCLUSIONS Individual differences in anxiety can be reliably detected with high predictive value in amygdala-centric emotion circuits at a surprisingly young age. Our study provides important new insights into the neurodevelopmental origins of anxiety and has significant implications for the development of predictive biomarkers to identify children at risk for anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaozheng Qin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California.
| | - Christina B Young
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Xujun Duan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304
| | - Tianwen Chen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304
| | - Kaustubh Supekar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304
| | - Vinod Menon
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304,Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304,Program in Neuroscience, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94304
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82
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Cservenka A, Fair DA, Nagel BJ. Emotional processing and brain activity in youth at high risk for alcoholism. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2014; 38:1912-23. [PMID: 24890898 DOI: 10.1111/acer.12435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 03/23/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Even in the absence of heavy alcohol use, youth with familial alcoholism (family history positive [FHP]) exhibit atypical brain functioning and behavior. Although emotional and cognitive systems are affected in alcohol use disorders (AUDs), little attention has focused on whether brain and behavior phenotypes related to the interplay between affective and executive functioning may be a premorbid risk factor for the development of AUDs in FHP youth. METHODS Twenty-four FHP and 22 family history negative (FHN) 12- to 16-year-old adolescents completed study procedures. After exclusion of participants with clinically significant depressive symptoms and those who did not meet performance criteria during an Emotional Go-NoGo task, 19 FHP and 17 FHN youth were included in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) analyses. Resting state functional connectivity MRI, using amygdalar seed regions, was analyzed in 16 FHP and 18 FHN youth, after exclusion of participants with excessive head movement. RESULTS fMRI showed that brain activity in FHP youth, compared with FHN peers, was reduced during emotional processing in the superior temporal cortex, as well as during cognitive control within emotional contexts in frontal and striatal regions. Group differences in resting state amygdalar connectivity were seen bilaterally between FHP and FHN youth. In FHP youth, reduced resting state synchrony between the left amygdala and left superior frontal gyrus was related to poorer response inhibition, as measured during the fMRI task. CONCLUSIONS To our knowledge, this is the first study to examine emotion-cognition interactions and resting state functional connectivity in FHP youth. Findings from this research provide insight into neural and behavioral phenotypes associated with emotional processing in familial alcoholism, which may relate to increased risk of developing AUDs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Cservenka
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon
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83
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Gabard-Durnam LJ, Flannery J, Goff B, Gee DG, Humphreys KL, Telzer E, Hare T, Tottenham N. The development of human amygdala functional connectivity at rest from 4 to 23 years: a cross-sectional study. Neuroimage 2014; 95:193-207. [PMID: 24662579 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 242] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2013] [Revised: 02/08/2014] [Accepted: 03/15/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional connections (FC) between the amygdala and cortical and subcortical regions underlie a range of affective and cognitive processes. Despite the central role amygdala networks have in these functions, the normative developmental emergence of FC between the amygdala and the rest of the brain is still largely undefined. This study employed amygdala subregion maps and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging to characterize the typical development of human amygdala FC from age 4 to 23years old (n=58). Amygdala FC with subcortical and limbic regions was largely stable across this developmental period. However, three cortical regions exhibited age-dependent changes in FC: amygdala FC with the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) increased with age, amygdala FC with a region including the insula and superior temporal sulcus decreased with age, and amygdala FC with a region encompassing the parahippocampal gyrus and posterior cingulate also decreased with age. The transition from childhood to adolescence (around age 10years) marked an important change-point in the nature of amygdala-cortical FC. We distinguished unique developmental patterns of coupling for three amygdala subregions and found particularly robust convergence of FC for all subregions with the mPFC. These findings suggest that there are extensive changes in amygdala-cortical functional connectivity that emerge between childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel J Gabard-Durnam
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
| | - Jessica Flannery
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Bonnie Goff
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Kathryn L Humphreys
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Eva Telzer
- University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Department of Psychology, Champaign, IL 61820, USA
| | - Todd Hare
- University of Zurich, Department of Economics, Zurich, CH 8006, Switzerland
| | - Nim Tottenham
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
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84
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Belden AC, Luby JL, Pagliaccio D, Barch DM. Neural activation associated with the cognitive emotion regulation of sadness in healthy children. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2014; 9:136-47. [PMID: 24646887 PMCID: PMC4061244 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2014.02.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2013] [Revised: 01/29/2014] [Accepted: 02/11/2014] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Children's use of reappraisal was associated with increased prefrontal activation. Children showed deactivation in the amygdala while reappraising sad photos. Children's PFC activity during reappraisal was consistent with adult findings.
When used effectively, cognitive reappraisal of distressing events is a highly adaptive cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategy, with impairments in cognitive reappraisal associated with greater risk for psychopathology. Despite extensive literature examining the neural correlates of cognitive reappraisal in healthy and psychiatrically ill adults, there is a dearth of data to inform the neural bases of CER in children, a key gap in the literature necessary to map the developmental trajectory of cognitive reappraisal. In this fMRI study, psychiatrically healthy schoolchildren were instructed to use cognitive reappraisal to modulate their emotional reactions and responses of negative affect after viewing sad photos. Consistent with the adult literature, when actively engaged in reappraisal compared to passively viewing sad photos, children showed increased activation in the vlPFC, dlPFC, and dmPFC as well as in parietal and temporal lobe regions. When children used cognitive reappraisal to minimize their experience of negative affect after viewing sad stimuli they exhibited dampened amygdala responses. Results are discussed in relation to the importance of identifying and characterizing neural processes underlying adaptive CER strategies in typically developing children in order to understand how these systems go awry and relate to the risk and occurrence of affective disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andy C Belden
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA.
| | - Joan L Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
| | - David Pagliaccio
- The Program in Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; The Program in Neuroscience, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA; Department of Psychology, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130, USA; Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA
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85
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Callaghan BL, Li S, Richardson R. The elusive engram: what can infantile amnesia tell us about memory? Trends Neurosci 2014; 37:47-53. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tins.2013.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2013] [Revised: 10/24/2013] [Accepted: 10/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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86
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A translational neuroscience framework for the development of socioemotional functioning in health and psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2013; 25:1293-309. [DOI: 10.1017/s095457941300062x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe development of socioemotional functioning is a complex process that occurs over a protracted time period and requires coordinating affective, cognitive, and social faculties. At many points in development, the trajectory of socioemotional development can be deleteriously altered due to a combination of environmental insults and individual vulnerabilities. The result can be psychopathology. However, researchers are just beginning to understand the neural and genetic mechanisms involved in the development of healthy and disordered socioemotional functioning. We propose a translational developmental neuroscience framework to understand the transactional process that results in socioemotional functioning in both healthy and disordered populations. We then apply this framework to healthy socioemotional development, pediatric anxiety, pediatric depression, and autism spectrum disorder, selectively reviewing current literature in light of the framework. Finally, we examine ways that the framework can help to frame future directions of research on socioemotional development and translational implications for intervention.
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87
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Developmental pathways to functional brain networks: emerging principles. Trends Cogn Sci 2013; 17:627-40. [PMID: 24183779 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2013.09.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 196] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2013] [Revised: 09/26/2013] [Accepted: 09/27/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The human brain undergoes protracted developmental changes during which it constructs functional networks that engender complex cognitive abilities. Understanding brain function ultimately depends on knowledge of how dynamic interactions between distributed brain regions mature with age to produce sophisticated cognitive systems. This review summarizes recent progress in our understanding of the ontogeny of functional brain networks. Here I describe how complementary methods for probing functional connectivity are providing unique insights into the emergence and maturation of distinct functional networks from childhood to adulthood. I highlight six emerging principles governing the development of large-scale functional networks and discuss how they inform cognitive and affective function in typically developing children and in children with neurodevelopmental disorders.
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88
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A window of vulnerability: impaired fear extinction in adolescence. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2013; 113:90-100. [PMID: 24513634 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2013.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2013] [Revised: 09/21/2013] [Accepted: 10/17/2013] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
There have been significant advances made towards understanding the processes mediating extinction of learned fear. However, despite being of clear theoretical and clinical significance, very few studies have examined fear extinction in adolescence, which is often described as a developmental window of vulnerability to psychological disorders. This paper reviews the relatively small body of research examining fear extinction in adolescence. A prominent finding of this work is that adolescents, both humans and rodents, exhibit a marked impairment in extinction relative to both younger (e.g., juvenile) and older (e.g., adult) groups. We then review some potential mechanisms that could produce the striking extinction deficit observed in adolescence. For example, one neurobiological candidate mechanism for impaired extinction in adolescence involves changes in the functional connectivity within the fear extinction circuit, particularly between prefrontal cortical regions and the amygdala. In addition, we review research on emotion regulation and attention processes that suggests that developmental changes in attention bias to threatening cues may be a cognitive mechanism that mediates age-related differences in extinction learning. We also examine how a differential reaction to chronic stress in adolescence impacts upon extinction retention during adolescence as well as in later life. Finally, we consider the findings of several studies illustrating promising approaches that overcome the typically-observed extinction impairments in adolescent rodents and that could be translated to human adolescents.
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89
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How do shared-representations and emotional processes cooperate in response to social threat signals? Neuropsychologia 2013; 55:105-14. [PMID: 24080262 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2013] [Revised: 08/21/2013] [Accepted: 09/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Research in social cognition has mainly focused on the detection and comprehension of others' mental and emotional states. Doing so, past studies have adopted a "contemplative" view of the role of the observer engaged in a social interaction. However, the adaptive problem posed by the social environment is first and foremost that of coordination, which demands more of social cognition beyond mere detection and comprehension of others' hidden states. Offering a theoretical framework that takes into account the dynamical aspect of social interaction - notably by accounting for constant interplay between emotional appraisal and motor processes in socially engaged human brain - thus constitutes an important challenge for the field of social cognition. Here, we propose that our social environment can be seen as presenting opportunities for actions regarding others. Within such a framework, non-verbal social signals such as emotional displays are considered to have evolved to influence the observer in consistent ways. Consequently, social signals can modulate motor responses in observers. In line with this theoretical framework we provide evidence that emotional and motor processes are actually tightly linked during the perception of threat signals. This is ultimately reflected in the human brain by constant interplay between limbic and motor areas.
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90
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Klapwijk ET, Goddings AL, Heyes SB, Bird G, Viner RM, Blakemore SJ. Increased functional connectivity with puberty in the mentalising network involved in social emotion processing. Horm Behav 2013; 64:314-22. [PMID: 23998674 PMCID: PMC4540076 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.03.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2012] [Revised: 02/28/2013] [Accepted: 03/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Puberty and Adolescence". There is increasing evidence that puberty plays an important role in the structural and functional brain development seen in adolescence, but little is known of the pubertal influence on changes in functional connectivity. We explored how pubertal indicators (salivary concentrations of testosterone, oestradiol and DHEA; pubertal stage; menarcheal status) relate to functional connectivity between components of a mentalising network identified to be engaged in social emotion processing by our prior work, using psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analysis. Female adolescents aged 11 to 13years were scanned whilst silently reading scenarios designed to evoke either social emotions (guilt and embarrassment) or basic emotions (disgust and fear), of which only social compared to basic emotions require the representation of another person's mental states. Pubertal stage and menarcheal status were used to assign participants to pre/early or mid/late puberty groups. We found increased functional connectivity between the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) and the right posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) and right temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) during social relative to basic emotion processing. Moreover, increasing oestradiol concentrations were associated with increased functional connectivity between the DMPFC and the right TPJ during social relative to basic emotion processing, independent of age. Our analysis of the PPI data by phenotypic pubertal status showed that more advanced puberty stage was associated with enhanced functional connectivity between the DMPFC and the left anterior temporal cortex (ATC) during social relative to basic emotion processing, also independent of age. Our results suggest increased functional maturation of the social brain network with the advancement of puberty in girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard T. Klapwijk
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Curium-Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | - Anne-Lise Goddings
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK
- UCL Institute of Child Health, London, UK
| | | | - Geoffrey Bird
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck College, London, UK
| | | | - Sarah-Jayne Blakemore
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, UK
- Corresponding author at: UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, 17 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AR, UK. (S.-J. Blakemore)
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91
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Scherf KS, Smyth JM, Delgado MR. The amygdala: an agent of change in adolescent neural networks. Horm Behav 2013; 64:298-313. [PMID: 23756154 PMCID: PMC3781589 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2013.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2012] [Revised: 05/03/2013] [Accepted: 05/28/2013] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Puberty and Adolescence". A unique component of adolescent development is the need to master new developmental tasks in which peer interactions become primary (for the purposes of becoming autonomous from parents, forming intimate friendships, and romantic/sexual partnerships). Previously, it has been suggested that the ability to master these tasks requires an important re-organization in the relation between perceptual, motivational, affective, and cognitive systems in a very general and broad way that is fundamentally influenced by the infusion of sex hormones during pubertal development (Scherf et al., 2012). Herein, we extend this argument to suggest that the amygdala, which is vastly connected with cortical and subcortical regions and contains sex hormone receptors, may lie at the heart of this re-organization. We propose that during adolescent development there is a shift in the attribution of relevance to existing stimuli and contexts that is mediated by the amygdala (e.g., heightened relevance of peer faces, reduced relevance of physical distance from parents). As a result, amygdala inputs to existing stable neural networks are re-weighted (increased or decreased), which destabilizes the functional interactions among regions within these networks and allows for a critical restructuring of the network functional organization. This process of network re-organization enables processing of qualitatively new kinds of social information and the emergence of novel behaviors that support mastery of adolescent-specific developmental tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Suzanne Scherf
- Dept. of Psychology, Center for Brain, Behavior & Cognition, and Social Science Research Institute, Penn State University
| | - Joshua M. Smyth
- Dept. of Biobehavioral Health and Social Science Research Institute, Penn State University
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Dennis M, Simic N, Bigler ED, Abildskov T, Agostino A, Taylor HG, Rubin K, Vannatta K, Gerhardt CA, Stancin T, Yeates KO. Cognitive, affective, and conative theory of mind (ToM) in children with traumatic brain injury. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2013; 5:25-39. [PMID: 23291312 PMCID: PMC3620837 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2012.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2012] [Revised: 11/09/2012] [Accepted: 11/10/2012] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied three forms of dyadic communication involving theory of mind (ToM) in 82 children with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 61 children with orthopedic injury (OI): Cognitive (concerned with false belief), Affective (concerned with expressing socially deceptive facial expressions), and Conative (concerned with influencing another's thoughts or feelings). We analyzed the pattern of brain lesions in the TBI group and conducted voxel-based morphometry for all participants in five large-scale functional brain networks, and related lesion and volumetric data to ToM outcomes. Children with TBI exhibited difficulty with Cognitive, Affective, and Conative ToM. The perturbation threshold for Cognitive ToM is higher than that for Affective and Conative ToM, in that Severe TBI disturbs Cognitive ToM but even Mild-Moderate TBI disrupt Affective and Conative ToM. Childhood TBI was associated with damage to all five large-scale brain networks. Lesions in the Mirror Neuron Empathy network predicted lower Conative ToM involving ironic criticism and empathic praise. Conative ToM was significantly and positively related to the package of Default Mode, Central Executive, and Mirror Neuron Empathy networks and, more specifically, to two hubs of the Default Mode Network, the posterior cingulate/retrosplenial cortex and the hippocampal formation, including entorhinal cortex and parahippocampal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen Dennis
- Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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