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Marcu GM, Băcilă CI, Zăgrean AM. Temporal-Posterior Alpha Power in Resting-State Electroencephalography as a Potential Marker of Complex Childhood Trauma in Institutionalized Adolescents. Brain Sci 2024; 14:584. [PMID: 38928584 PMCID: PMC11201643 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14060584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2024] [Revised: 05/26/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The present study explored whether, given the association of temporal alpha with fear circuitry (learning and conditioning), exposure to complex childhood trauma (CCT) is reflected in the temporal-posterior alpha power in resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) in complex trauma-exposed adolescents in a sample of 25 adolescents and similar controls aged 12-17 years. Both trauma and psychopathology were screened or assessed, and resting-state EEG was recorded following a preregistered protocol for data collection. Temporal-posterior alpha power, corresponding to the T5 and T6 electrode locations (international 10-20 system), was extracted from resting-state EEG in both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. We found that in the eyes-open condition, temporal-posterior alpha was significantly lower in adolescents exposed to CCT relative to healthy controls, suggesting that childhood trauma exposure may have a measurable impact on alpha oscillatory patterns. Our study highlights the importance of considering potential neural markers, such as temporal-posterior alpha power, to understanding the long-term consequences of CCT exposure in developmental samples, with possible important clinical implications in guiding neuroregulation interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Mariana Marcu
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 550201 Sibiu, Romania
- Collective of Scientific Research in Neurosciences of the Clinical Psychiatry Hospital “Dr. Gheorghe Preda”, 550082 Sibiu, Romania
| | - Ciprian Ionuț Băcilă
- Collective of Scientific Research in Neurosciences of the Clinical Psychiatry Hospital “Dr. Gheorghe Preda”, 550082 Sibiu, Romania
- Faculty of Medicine, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, 550169 Sibiu, Romania
| | - Ana-Maria Zăgrean
- Division of Physiology and Neuroscience, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 020021 Bucharest, Romania
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Connor A, Deschamps A, Busque L, Tardif JC, Bourgoin V, Dubé MP, Busseuil D, D'Antono B. Childhood Maltreatment and Leukocyte Telomere Length: Cardiac Vagal Activity Influences the Relation in Older Adults. Psychosom Med 2024; 86:146-156. [PMID: 38345296 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/10/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Childhood maltreatment is associated with shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL). However, the influence of cardiac vagal control on this relation is unknown. We examined whether cardiac vagal control at rest and in response to stress moderates or cross-sectionally mediates the relationship between childhood maltreatment and LTL. METHODS Participants were 1179 men and women (aged 65 [7.2] years) suffering from coronary artery disease or non-cardiovascular chronic disease. They completed a childhood maltreatment questionnaire and underwent a stress protocol while electrocardiogram was monitored. High-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) measures were obtained at rest, during stress, and after stress in absolute and normalized units (nu). LTL was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed. RESULT HF-HRV and HF-HRV in normalized units (HFnu) measures did not mediate the childhood maltreatment-LTL relation. However, baseline HFnu ( p = .027) and HFnu reactivity ( p = .051) moderated the relation. Specifically, maltreatment was associated with significantly lower LTL among those with baseline HFnu at ( b = -0.059, p = .003) or below the mean ( b = -0.103, p < .001), but not among those with higher baseline HFnu. It was also associated with significantly lower LTL among participants who showed either blunted ( b = -0.058, p = .004) or increased HFnu ( b = -0.099, p = .001) responses to stress but not in those with large decreases in HFnu. CONCLUSIONS Childhood maltreatment was associated with lower LTL in those who showed a distinct cardiac vagal profile at baseline and in response to stress. The mechanisms and implications remain to be determined.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Connor
- From the Research Centre, Montreal Heart Institute (Connor, Tardif, Dubé, Busseuil, D'Antono); Psychology Department, Université de Montréal (Connor, D'Antono); Department of Anesthesiology (Deschamps), Montreal Heart Institute; and Research Center, Hematology Division (Bourgoin), Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont, and Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal (Tardif, Dubé), Montreal, Canada
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The long-term impact of early adverse experience on adaptive functioning: a pilot study integrating measures of mental status, nonverbal communication, and heart rate variability. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2023; 14:2181766. [PMID: 37052107 PMCID: PMC9980016 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2181766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) can disrupt the development of behavioural and physiological systems, increasing the risk of physical and psychological adverse outcomes across the lifespan. CM may cause interpersonal dysfunctions that impair social communication and lead to dysfunctional activation of the autonomic nervous system. The present exploratory study analyzed the long-term impact of CM from an integrated perspective through the simultaneous assessment of psychological symptoms, social and behavioural communication, and physiological regulation. Methods: Participants were 55 healthy university students (9 males and 46 females; mean age ± SD = 25.26 ± 2.83 years), who filled out a battery of questionnaires to assess the presence of CM (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) and psychopathological symptoms (Symptom Check-List-90 Item Revised). Participants were then subjected to a videotaped interview for the assessment of non-verbal behaviour (Ethological Coding System for Interviews) and measurement of tonic heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of physiological adaptability to the environment. We performed Pearson's correlation analysis to evaluate the associations between non-verbal behaviour, HRV, and CM variables. Multiple regression analysis was used to evaluate the independent associations between CM variables on HRV and nonverbal behaviour. Results: We found an association between more severe CM, increased symptoms-related distress (ps < .001), less submissive behaviour (ps < .018), and decreased tonic HRV (ps < .028). As a result of multiple regression analysis, participants with a history of emotional abuse (R² = .18, p = .002) and neglect (R² = .10, p = .03) were more likely to display decreased submissive behaviour during the dyadic interview. Moreover, early experience of emotional (R² = .21, p = .005) and sexual abuse (R² = .14, p = .04) was associated with decreased tonic HRV. Conclusion: Our preliminary findings show the utility of analyzing the long-term effects of adverse early experiences at different levels of ‘adaptive functioning’ (the capabilities needed to respond effectively to environmental demands). Substantial traumatic experiences during childhood, such as emotional abuse, emotional neglect, and sexual abuse were associated with lower heart rate variability levels in a sample of young adults. Young adults with a history of emotional abuse and neglect were more likely to display decreased submissive behaviour (ethological behaviour) during the dyadic interview. Severe childhood maltreatment was associated with increased symptoms-related distress, less submissive behaviour (ethological behaviour), and decreased tonic heart rate variability in young adults.
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Moore SM, Welsh MC, Peterson E. Childhood maltreatment predicts physical health in college students. JOURNAL OF AMERICAN COLLEGE HEALTH : J OF ACH 2023; 71:942-951. [PMID: 34152945 DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2021.1909047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Objective: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with physical health problems throughout the lifespan, yet more research is needed regarding the trajectory of health problems (e.g., onset of health risk indicators) in young adults. The current study examined whether college students self-reporting higher levels of CM exhibited poorer physical health outcomes. Method: Young adults in college (N = 100) completed a physical health assessment (heart rate, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, blood sugar, waist circumference), self-reported measures of health (symptoms of illness), and CM during spring semester 2018. Results: CM scores predicted higher heart rate and increased symptoms of illness. Females with maltreatment history presented higher levels of obesity and more metabolic syndrome conditions than their peers. Conclusions: Findings support the importance of examining the trajectory of CM to chronic disease, as health risk indicators are present in young adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susannah M Moore
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, USA
| | - Marilyn C Welsh
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, USA
| | - Eric Peterson
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, Colorado, USA
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Xie YH, Zhang YM, Fan FF, Song XY, Liu L. Functional role of frontal electroencephalogram alpha asymmetry in the resting state in patients with depression: A review. World J Clin Cases 2023; 11:1903-1917. [PMID: 36998965 PMCID: PMC10044961 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v11.i9.1903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Depression is a psychological disorder that affects the general public worldwide. It is particularly important to make an objective and accurate diagnosis of depression, and the measurement methods of brain activity have gradually received increasing attention. Resting electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha asymmetry in patients with depression shows changes in activation of the alpha frequency band of the left and right frontal cortices. In this paper, we review the findings of the relationship between frontal EEG alpha asymmetry in the resting state and depression. Based on worldwide studies, we found the following: (1) Compared with individuals without depression, those with depression showed greater right frontal EEG alpha asymmetry in the resting state. However, the pattern of frontal EEG alpha asymmetry in the resting state in depressive individuals seemed to disappear with age; (2) Compared with individuals without maternal depression, those with maternal depression showed greater right frontal EEG alpha asymmetry in the resting state, which indicated that genetic or experience-based influences have an impact on frontal EEG alpha asymmetry at rest; and (3) Frontal EEG alpha asymmetry in the resting state was stable, and little or no change occurred after antidepressant treatment. Finally, we concluded that the contrasting results may be due to differences in methodology, clinical characteristics, and participant characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Hong Xie
- Psychology College of Teacher Education, Center of Group Behavior and Social Psychological Service, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Ye-Min Zhang
- Psychology College of Teacher Education, Center of Group Behavior and Social Psychological Service, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Fan-Fan Fan
- Psychology College of Teacher Education, Center of Group Behavior and Social Psychological Service, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Xi-Yan Song
- Psychology College of Teacher Education, Center of Group Behavior and Social Psychological Service, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang Province, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Psychology College of Teacher Education, Center of Group Behavior and Social Psychological Service, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211, Zhejiang Province, China
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Marcu GM, Szekely-Copîndean RD, Radu AM, Bucuță MD, Fleacă RS, Tănăsescu C, Roman MD, Boicean A, Băcilă CI. Resting-state frontal, frontlateral, and parietal alpha asymmetry:A pilot study examining relations with depressive disorder type and severity. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1087081. [PMID: 37008856 PMCID: PMC10062203 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1087081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionThe search for biomarkers has been central to efforts of improving clinical diagnosis and prognosis in psychopathology in the last decades. The main approach has been to validate biomarkers that could accurately discriminate between clinical diagnoses of very prevalent forms of psychopathology. One of the most popular electrophysiological markers proposed for discrimination in depressive disorders is the electroencephalography (EEG)-derived frontal alpha asymmetry. However, the validity, reliability and predictive value of this biomarker have been questioned in recent years, mainly due to conceptual and methodological heterogeneity.MethodsIn the current non-experimental, correlational study we investigated relationship of resting-state EEG alpha asymmetry from multiple sites (frontal, frontolateral, and parietal) with different forms of depressive disorders (varying in type or severity), in a clinical sample.ResultsResults showed that alpha asymmetry in the parietal (P3-P4) was significantly higher than in the frontal (F3-F4) and frontolateral sites (F7-F8). However, we did not find significant relations between alpha asymmetry indices and our depressive disorder measures, except for a moderate positive association between frontolateral alpha asymmetry (eyes-closed only) and depressive disorder severity (determined through clinical structured interview). We also found no significant differences in alpha asymmetry between participants, depending on their depression type.DiscussionBased on results, we propose the parietal and frontolateral asymmetry indices to form hypotheses that should not be abandoned in the depression markers research, but worth for further experimental research. Methodological and clinical implications of the current findings are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela M. Marcu
- Department of Psychology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
- Faculty of Medicine, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania
- Scientific Collective for Research in Neuroscience, Clinical Psychiatric Hospital “Dr. Gh. Preda”, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Raluca D. Szekely-Copîndean
- Scientific Collective for Research in Neuroscience, Clinical Psychiatric Hospital “Dr. Gh. Preda”, Sibiu, Romania
- Department of Social and Human Research, Romanian Academy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Ana-Maria Radu
- Department of Psychology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
- Scientific Collective for Research in Neuroscience, Clinical Psychiatric Hospital “Dr. Gh. Preda”, Sibiu, Romania
- *Correspondence: Ana-Maria Radu,
| | - Mihaela D. Bucuță
- Department of Psychology, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
- Center for Psychological Research, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Radu S. Fleacă
- Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Ciprian Tănăsescu
- Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Mihai D. Roman
- Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Adrian Boicean
- Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
| | - Ciprian I. Băcilă
- Scientific Collective for Research in Neuroscience, Clinical Psychiatric Hospital “Dr. Gh. Preda”, Sibiu, Romania
- Faculty of Medicine, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Sibiu, Romania
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Alen NV, Shields GS, Nemer A, D'Souza IA, Ohlgart MJ, Hostinar CE. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between parenting and child autonomic nervous system activity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 139:104734. [PMID: 35716874 PMCID: PMC11023739 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Parental socialization may influence the development of children's autonomic nervous system (ANS), a key stress-response system. However, to date no quantitative synthesis of the literature linking parenting and child ANS physiology has been conducted. To address this gap, we conducted a pre-registered meta-analysis. A systematic review of the literature identified 103 studies (n = 13,044 participants) with available effect sizes describing the association between parenting and either parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) or sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in children. The overall analysis revealed non-significant associations between parenting and child ANS physiology on average. However, moderation analyses revealed a positive association between more positive parenting and higher resting PNS activity that was stronger when a study was experimental rather than correlational, and when the sample included children with a clinical condition. In conclusion, well-controlled experimental studies show that positive parenting is associated with the development of higher resting PNS activity, an effect that may be stronger among children who are at elevated developmental risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas V Alen
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Biological and Clinical Psychology, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Grant S Shields
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA; Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701, USA
| | - Adele Nemer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, USA
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Sensation-seeking-related DNA methylation and the development of delinquency: A longitudinal epigenome-wide study. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 35:791-799. [PMID: 35734807 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Heightened sensation-seeking is related to the development of delinquency. Moreover, sensation-seeking, or biological correlates of sensation-seeking, are suggested as factors linking victimization to delinquency. Here, we focused on epigenetic correlates of sensation-seeking. First, we identified DNA methylation (DNAm) patterns related to sensation-seeking. Second, we investigated the association between sensation-seeking related DNAm and the development of delinquency. Third, we examined whether victimization was related to sensation-seeking related DNAm and the development of delinquency. Participants (N = 905; 49% boys) came from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. DNAm was assessed at birth, age 7 and age 15-17. Sensation-seeking (self-reports) was assessed at age 11 and 14. Delinquency (self-reports) was assessed at age 17-19. Sensation-seeking epigenome-wide association study revealed that no probes reached the critical significance level. However, 20 differential methylated probes reached marginal significance. With these 20 suggestive sites, a sensation-seeking cumulative DNAm risk score was created. Results showed that this DNAm risk score at age 15-17 was related to delinquency at age 17-19. Moreover, an indirect effect of victimization to delinquency via DNAm was found. Sensation-seeking related DNAm is a potential biological correlate that can help to understand the development of delinquency, including how victimization might be associated with adolescent delinquency.
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Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia Change during Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy: Results from a Randomized Controlled Feasibility Trial. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:1487-1499. [PMID: 35689729 PMCID: PMC9187846 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-022-00946-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a well-established treatment for pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) has been proposed as an adjunct to TF-CBT that may improve treatment effects through enhanced targeting of affect regulation, as indexed by specific changes in the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA). The current study reports results from a randomized controlled feasibility trial (N = 33; Mage = 11.79 [SD = 3.08]; 64% White; 67% female) that measured RSA during Sessions 1, 4, 8, and 12 of a twelve-session TF-CBT protocol and tested whether: 1) TF-CBT + AAT achieved higher average RSA amplitudes relative to TF-CBT alone, and 2) RSA regulation, defined as less variability around person-specific RSA slopes during treatment, explained variation in post-treatment PTSD symptoms. Multilevel modeling failed to support an effect for TF-CBT + AAT on RSA amplitudes (δ001 = 0.08, p = 0.844). However, regardless of treatment condition, greater RSA withdrawal was observed within Sessions 4 (γ11 = -.01, p < .001) and 12 (γ13 = -.01, p = .015) relative to the Session 1 baseline. The average level of RSA amplitude in Session 8 was also significantly lower compared to Session 1 (γ02 = -0.70, p = .046). Intraindividual regression models demonstrated that greater RSA regulation predicted improved PTSD symptoms at post-treatment after adjusting for pre-treatment levels (b3 = 20.00, p = .012). These preliminary results offer support for future confirmatory trials testing whether affect regulation, as indexed by changes in RSA, is a mechanism of action for TF-CBT in the treatment of pediatric PTSD.
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Bick J, Lipschutz R, Tabachnick A, Biekman B, Katz D, Simons R, Dozier M. Timing of adoption is associated with electrophysiological brain activity and externalizing problems among children adopted internationally. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22249. [PMID: 35452537 PMCID: PMC9038029 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated middle childhood resting electroencephalography (EEG) and behavioral adjustment in 35 internationally adopted children removed from early caregiving adversity between 6 and 29 months of age. Older age of adoption was associated with more immature or atypical profiles of middle childhood cortical function, based on higher relative theta power (4-6 Hz), lower relative alpha power (7-12 Hz), lower peak alpha frequency, and lower absolute beta (13-20 Hz) and gamma (21-50 Hz) power. More immature or atypical EEG spectral power indirectly linked older age of adoption with increased risk for externalizing problems in middle childhood. The findings add to existing evidence linking duration of early adverse exposures with lasting effects on brain function and behavioral regulation even years after living in a stable adoptive family setting. Findings underscore the need to minimize and prevent children's exposures to early caregiving adversity, especially in the first years of life. They call for innovative interventions to support neurotypical development in internationally adopted children at elevated risk.
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Kim YJ, Levantsevych OM, Elon L, Lewis TT, Suglia SF, Bremner JD, Quyyumi AA, Pearce B, Raggi P, Vaccarino V, Shah AJ. Early life stress and autonomic response to acute mental stress in individuals with coronary heart disease. J Trauma Stress 2022; 35:521-532. [PMID: 35032417 PMCID: PMC9109683 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Revised: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) has been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. We examined whether ELS was associated with autonomic function and stress reactivity among individuals with coronary heart disease (CHD). We included patients with stable CHD from two parallel studies, the Mental Stress Ischemia Prognosis Study (MIPS) and the Myocardial Infarction and Mental Stress Study 2 (MIMS2), and assessed ELS using the Early Trauma Inventory-Self-Report-Short Form. Participants underwent a laboratory-based mental stress task while undergoing ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring. We used multivariate linear regression models to estimate the associations between ELS and heart rate variability (HRV; low frequency [LF], high frequency [HF], and LF and HF [LH] ratio). The analytic sample included 405 MIPS and 284 MIMS2 participants. Most participants endorsed at least one experience of ELS (92.2%). Although we did not observe associations between ELS and HRV outcomes in the overall sample, ELS was associated with lower LH ratio HRV during recovery in the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) subgroup, ELS x PTSD interaction, p = .041. In the MIMS2 subgroup, ELS was associated with lower resting period LF HRV,B ̂ $ \widehat{B} $ = -0.16 ln ms2 ; 95% CI [-0.31, -0.02]. Exposure to physical trauma was associated with decreased HF HRV overall reactivity only among participants with high to moderate depressive symptoms,B ̂ $ \widehat{B} $ = -0.52 ln ms2 vs.B ̂ $ \widehat{B} $ = 0.01 ln ms2 , p = .013. Overall, heterogeneous associations between ELS and HRV emerged, suggesting the need for additional research regarding longer-term ambulatory HRV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ye Ji Kim
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Lisa Elon
- Department of Biostatistics, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tené T. Lewis
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Shakira F. Suglia
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - J. Douglas Bremner
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology and Center for Positron Emission Tomography, Emory University School of Medicine Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Arshed A. Quyyumi
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Bradley Pearce
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Paolo Raggi
- Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Amit J. Shah
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Schmidt LA, Poole KL, Krzeczkowski J, Van Lieshout RJ, Saigal S, Mathewson KJ. Long‐term stability of frontal electroencephalogram alpha power and asymmetry at rest in adults born at extremely low or normal birth weight: A 10‐year longitudinal study. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22256. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Louis A. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Kristie L. Poole
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - John Krzeczkowski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behaviour Neurosciences McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Ryan J. Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behaviour Neurosciences McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Saroj Saigal
- Department of Pediatrics McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Karen J. Mathewson
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour McMaster University Hamilton Ontario Canada
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Tell D, Burr RL, Mathews HL, Janusek LW. Heart Rate Variability and Inflammatory Stress Response in Young African American Men: Implications for Cardiovascular Risk. Front Cardiovasc Med 2021; 8:745864. [PMID: 34722677 PMCID: PMC8548416 DOI: 10.3389/fcvm.2021.745864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: African American men have a disproportionately higher incidence of and suffer greater severity and earlier death from cardiovascular disease (CVD). A common feature of many diseases, which disproportionately afflict disadvantaged African Americans, is inflammation. In particular, inflammation plays a decisive role in the pathogenesis of CVD in that persistent inflammation contributes to plaque evolution and destabilization. Adverse childhood experiences increase the risk for adult inflammatory based disease, particularly cardiovascular disease. This inflammatory burden becomes evident during stressful events and may be related to alterations in autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. We previously reported that African American men who experienced childhood adversity exhibited a greater inflammatory (IL-6) response to acute stress challenge (Trier Social Stress Test - TSST). The purpose of this study was to determine whether altered ANS activity, as measured by heart rate variability (HRV), contributes to a greater proinflammatory response to stress in those exposed to childhood adversity. Methods: Thirty-four African American adult males underwent the TSST while instrumented with Holter monitors to record continuous heart rate for HRV determination. HRV was calculated as the low frequency (LF) to high frequency (HF) heart rate ratio (LF/HF), with higher LF/HF ratios corresponding to higher sympathetic vs. parasympathetic activity. Salivary samples were collected pre- and post-TSST to measure the proinflammatory cytokine IL-6. Childhood adversity was assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Results: Hierarchical linear modeling demonstrated that higher levels of physical abuse were related to a steeper rise in LF/HF ratio during the TSST. Further, a higher LF/HF ratio, in combination with greater exposure to emotional and physical abuse was associated with a greater IL-6 response to the TSST. Conclusions: These findings suggest that adverse childhood experiences associate with an adult phenotype characterized by an altered ANS response to stress as well as a greater proinflammatory (IL-6) response to an acute stressor. Elevations in salivary inflammatory markers have been associated with increased CVD risk. In conclusion, these findings suggest a role for the ANS in the underlying neuro-biological processes whereby childhood adversity predisposes to a more intense inflammatory response to stressful challenge during adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dina Tell
- Department of Health Systems and Adult Health, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Robert L Burr
- Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Herbert L Mathews
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Linda Witek Janusek
- Department of Health Promotion, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
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14
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Palser ER, Morris NA, Roy ARK, Holley SR, Veziris CR, Watson C, Deleon J, Miller ZA, Miller BL, Gorno-Tempini ML, Sturm VE. Children with developmental dyslexia show elevated parasympathetic nervous system activity at rest and greater cardiac deceleration during an empathy task. Biol Psychol 2021; 166:108203. [PMID: 34653546 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Reading difficulties are the hallmark feature of dyslexia, but less is known about other areas of functioning. Previously, we found children with dyslexia exhibited heightened emotional reactivity, which correlated with better social skills. Whether emotional differences in dyslexia extend to the parasympathetic nervous system-an autonomic branch critical for attention, social engagement, and empathy-is unknown. Here, we measured autonomic nervous system activity in 24 children with dyslexia and 24 children without dyslexia, aged 7 - 12, at rest and during a film-based empathy task. At rest, children with dyslexia had higher respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) than those without dyslexia. Cardiac deceleration during the empathy task was greater in dyslexia and correlated with higher resting RSA across the sample. Children with dyslexia produced more facial expressions of concentration during film-viewing, suggesting greater engagement. These results suggest elevated resting parasympathetic activity and accentuated autonomic and behavioral responding to others' emotions in dyslexia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor R Palser
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Nathaniel A Morris
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ashlin R K Roy
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Sarah R Holley
- Psychology Department, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA
| | - Christina R Veziris
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Christa Watson
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Jessica Deleon
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Zachary A Miller
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Bruce L Miller
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Maria Luisa Gorno-Tempini
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA
| | - Virginia E Sturm
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94131, USA.
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15
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Hassan R, Schmidt LA. Longitudinal investigation of shyness and physiological vulnerability: Moderating influences of attention biases to threat and safety. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22180. [PMID: 34423433 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Shyness has long been identified as a vulnerability factor to developing psychosocial problems, but there is heterogeneity in these observed outcomes. One potential factor underlying these relations is individual differences in threat sensitivity. Using a longitudinal design, we examined whether attentional biases toward social threat and safety measured during adulthood moderated the association between shyness measured in emerging adulthood (N = 83, nfemale = 48; Mage = 23.56 years, SDage = 1.09 years) and frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry at rest, a physiological index of vulnerability to psychopathology, measured nearly a decade later in adulthood (Mage = 31.68 years, SDage = 2.27 years). We found that only biases to threat moderated the association between shyness and resting frontal EEG asymmetry longitudinally. In individuals who displayed relative vigilance to social threat, shyness was associated with greater relative right frontal EEG activity at rest (i.e., increased physiological vulnerability). These findings suggest that attentional biases to threat may play a role in understanding the relation between shyness and some known physiological vulnerabilities to psychopathology in adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raha Hassan
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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16
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Goldstein BL, Grasso DJ, McCarthy KJ, DiVietro S, Briggs-Gowan MJ. Neurophysiological patterns associated with blunted emotional face processing and withdrawal tendencies in young children exposed to intimate partner violence. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22154. [PMID: 34196402 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Studies linking child maltreatment to abnormal neurophysiological responses to emotional stimuli and mental health impairment have not specifically explored these patterns in young children exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV). The present study examined two neurophysiological indicators, resting-state electroencephalography and an emotion event-related potential (ERP) in 21 IPV exposed and 30 nonexposed children ages 4-6 years recruited from the community and domestic violence shelters. Frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) was assessed while at rest. FAA is often associated with avoidant/withdrawn behavior and increased risk of IPV-related mental health conditions (e.g., depression). Additionally, the late positive potential (LPP) ERP component, reflecting motivated attention, was acquired in the context of an age-appropriate affective oddball paradigm with low probability animal pictures as targets and human facial expressions (angry, happy, neutral) as distracters. Results demonstrated that IPV-exposed children, compared with nonexposed children, exhibited lower left FAA during resting state and reduced LPPs to oddball targets and affective faces relative to neutral faces in the oddball task. Together, these results suggest neural patterns associated with a blunted response to emotional stimuli and withdrawal tendencies, respectively, in young children exposed to IPV. Implications for emotional socialization in this vulnerable population are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandon L Goldstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Damion J Grasso
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Kimberly J McCarthy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Susie DiVietro
- Injury Prevention Center, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford, Connecticut, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
| | - Margaret J Briggs-Gowan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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17
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Kaliush PR, Terrell S, Vlisides-Henry RD, Lin B, Neff D, Shakiba N, Conradt E, Crowell SE. Influences of adversity across the lifespan on respiratory sinus arrhythmia during pregnancy. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22132. [PMID: 34053065 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
There is limited understanding of factors across the lifespan that influence pregnant women's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), which could have implications for their health and offspring development. We examined associations among 162 English- and Spanish-speaking pregnant women's childhood maltreatment history, emotion dysregulation, recent life stress, and resting RSA during the third trimester. Moderated mediation analyses indicated that more severe childhood maltreatment history (95% confidence interval (CI) [0.26, 0.63]) and higher emotion dysregulation (95% CI [0.001, 0.006]) predicted more stress during pregnancy, and childhood maltreatment history interacted with emotion dysregulation to predict resting RSA (95% CI [-0.04, -0.0003]). Exploratory analyses revealed that women's health-related stress during pregnancy mediated the relation between emotion dysregulation and RSA regardless of childhood maltreatment severity (95% CI [-0.007, -0.002]). These findings suggest that women's resting RSA during pregnancy may reflect physical and emotional stress accumulation across the lifespan and that relations between early life adversity and prenatal psychophysiology may be buffered by protective factors, such as emotion regulation. In addition, these findings underscore the importance of distinguishing between types of prenatal stress. Given the implications for women's health and offspring development, we urge researchers to continue exploring factors associated with pregnant women's psychophysiology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Terrell
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Betty Lin
- Department of Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, New York, USA
| | - Dylan Neff
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Utah, USA
| | - Nila Shakiba
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Utah, USA
| | - Elisabeth Conradt
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Utah, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah, Utah, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Utah, USA
| | - Sheila E Crowell
- Department of Psychology, University of Utah, Utah, USA.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Utah, Utah, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Utah, Utah, USA
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18
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19
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Bylsma LM. Emotion context insensitivity in depression: Toward an integrated and contextualized approach. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13715. [PMID: 33274773 PMCID: PMC8097691 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is characterized by pervasive mood disturbance as well as deficits in emotional processing, reactivity, and regulation. There is accumulating evidence that MDD is characterized by emotional patterns consistent with environmental disengagement, as reflected in attenuated positive and negative emotional reactivity, consistent with Emotion Context Insensitivity (ECI) theory. However, MDD individuals vary considerably in the extent to which they exhibit specific alterations in patterns of emotional responding. Emotions are complex, multicomponent processes that invoke responses across multiple functional domains and levels of analysis, including subjective experience, behavior, autonomic regulation, cognition, and neural processing. In this article, I review the current state of the literature on emotional responding and MDD from the lens of ECI. I focus on the importance of assessing emotional indices from multiple levels of analysis across development and contexts. I also discuss methodological and measurement issues that may contribute to inconsistent findings. In particular, I emphasize how psychophysiological measures can help elucidate emotional processes that underlie the pathophysiology of MDD as part of an integrated and contextualized approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Bylsma
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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20
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Blaisdell KN, Barker TV, Giuliano RJ, Fisher PA. Alpha electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry among toddlers in foster care. Dev Psychopathol 2020; 32:1743-1753. [PMID: 33427181 PMCID: PMC8966577 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The majority of children living in foster care in the United States have a history of maltreatment and/or disrupted caregiving. Maltreatment in early childhood adversely affects development at many levels, including neurobiology and behavior. One neurobiological measure associated with maltreatment is alpha electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry. Prior research has found greater right frontal asymmetry among children with a history of maltreatment. However, little research has been extended developmentally downward to examine alpha asymmetry and its behavioral correlates among toddlers in foster care; this was the purpose of the present study. Differences in EEG asymmetry were examined between a sample of foster toddlers (mean age = 3.21 years, n = 38) and a community comparison, low-income sample without a history of foster care (mean age = 3.04 years, n = 16). The toddlers in the foster care group exhibited greater right alpha asymmetry, primarily driven by differences in parietal asymmetry. Neither frontal nor parietal asymmetry were clearly related to internalizing or externalizing behaviors, measured concurrently or at previous time points. These findings reveal differences in alpha EEG asymmetry among toddlers in foster care, and highlight the need to better understand associations between neurobiological and behavioral functioning following early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ryan J. Giuliano
- University of Manitoba, Department of Psychology. Winnipeg, Canada
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21
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Sigrist C, Mürner-Lavanchy I, Peschel SKV, Schmidt SJ, Kaess M, Koenig J. Early life maltreatment and resting-state heart rate variability: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:307-334. [PMID: 33171141 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Revised: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Recent focus on the consequences of early life adversity (ELA) in neurobiological research led to a variety of findings suggesting alterations in several physiological systems, such as the cardiovascular system. In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we focused on the relationship between early life maltreatment (ELM), one form of ELA, and resting vagal activity indexed by resting-state heart rate variability (HRV). A systematic search of the literature yielded 1'264 hits, of which 32 studies reporting data for group comparisons or correlations were included. By quantitative synthesis of existing studies using random-effect models, we found no evidence for a relationship between ELM exposure and resting vagal activity in principal. Conducting meta-regression analyses, however, we found the relationship between ELM and resting vagal activity to significantly vary as a function of both age and the presence of psychopathology. In light of the current multitude of vastly unclear pathways linking ELM to the onset of disease, we emphasize the need for further research and outline several aspects to consider in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Sigrist
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Ines Mürner-Lavanchy
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie K V Peschel
- Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | - Stefanie J Schmidt
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Michael Kaess
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Section for Translational Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Julian Koenig
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Section for Experimental Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
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22
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Hassan R, Macmillan HL, Schmidt LA. TRAJECTORIES OF DISSOCIATIVE EXPERIENCES IN ADOLESCENT FEMALES EXPOSED TO CHILD MALTREATMENT: INFLUENCE OF FRONTAL EEG ASYMMETRY. JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1521/jscp.2020.39.9.824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: Dissociative experiences resulting in disruptions in the integration of an organized sense of self are one consequence of childhood maltreatment, and is associated with psychopathology and maladjustment across development. Despite the consequences of dissociative experiences, we know relatively little about the physiological factors associated with the development of dissociative experiences in children exposed to maltreatment. Methods: Using a 3-wave short-term prospective design, we examined the influence of resting frontal alpha asymmetry at rest on the trajectory of dissociative experiences in a sample of adolescents exposed to documented child maltreatment (N = 55; Mage = 15.93, SDage = 1.02). Results: Adolescents with greater relative left frontal alpha asymmetry at rest exhibited increasing trajectories of dissociative experiences over one year. Discussion: Our results are discussed in the context physiological indexes of emotion dysregulation associated with dissociative experiences in youth exposed to child maltreatment.
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23
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Poole KL, Santesso DL, Van Lieshout RJ, Schmidt LA. Frontal Brain Asymmetry and the Trajectory of Shyness Across the Early School Years. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 47:1253-1263. [PMID: 30715664 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-019-00513-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Although resting right frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry has been linked to avoidance and withdrawal-related behaviors such as shyness in previous cross-sectional studies, relatively little research has examined the influence of frontal brain electrical activity on the development of shyness in children using a prospective, longitudinal study design. Here, we tested whether resting frontal EEG asymmetry predicted the trajectory of children's shyness across five assessments. Children were enrolled in the study during the summer prior to grade 1 (N = 37; Mage = 6.39 years, S.D. = 0.15 years), at which time resting frontal EEG activity and maternal report of children's shyness were collected. Mothers then reported on their child's shyness over another four follow-up assessments, spanning 2 years (winter of grade 1, summer prior to grade 2 entry, winter of grade 2, and summer prior to grade 3). Growth curve analysis revealed that children displaying greater relative right frontal EEG activity had lower levels of shyness relative to children exhibiting greater relative left frontal EEG activity at study enrollment (i.e., age 6), but displayed statistically significant linear increases in shyness across time, with the highest levels of shyness by the summer prior to grade 3 (i.e., age 8). There was, however, no relation between left frontal EEG asymmetry and change in shyness across time. These preliminary findings suggest that right frontal EEG asymmetry may reflect a biological diathesis for the growth of shyness during the early school years.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie L Poole
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Room 130, Psychology Building, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada.
| | - Diane L Santesso
- Department of Psychology, University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Ryan J Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Room 130, Psychology Building, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
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24
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Hassan R, MacMillan HL, Saigal S, Schmidt LA. Brain, interrupted: alpha/delta EEG ratio in survivors of pre- and post-natal adversity. Int J Neurosci 2020; 132:31-37. [PMID: 32700609 DOI: 10.1080/00207454.2020.1797724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
RESULTS Young adults born at extremely low birth weight (prenatal adversity; N = 64, Mage = 23.14 years, SDage = 1.26 years) had a lower alpha/delta ratio score compared to normal birth weight controls (N = 76, Mage = 23.60 years, SDage = 1.09 years), while youth exposed to child maltreatment (postnatal adversity; N = 39, Mage = 16.18 years, SDage = 1.15) had a higher alpha/delta ratio compared to controls (N = 23, Mage = 16.00 years, SDage = 1.50 years). CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that being exposed to pre- and post-natal adversity may have different long-term consequences on brain development. We speculate that these differences might be associated with some of the different functional outcomes known to characterize each type of adverse experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raha Hassan
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Harriet L MacMillan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Saroj Saigal
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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25
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Abstract
Maltreatment adversely impacts the development of children across a host of domains. One way in which maltreatment may exert its deleterious effects is by becoming embedded in the activity of neurophysiological systems that regulate metabolic function. This paper reviews the literature regarding the association between childhood maltreatment and the activity of three systems: the parasympathetic nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. A particular emphasis is placed on the extent to which the literature supports a common account of activity across these systems under conditions of homeostasis and stress. The paper concludes with an outline of directions for future research and the implications of the literature for policy and practice.
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26
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Bakema MJ, van Zuiden M, Collard D, Zantvoord JB, de Rooij SR, Elsenburg LK, Snijder MB, Stronks K, van den Born BJH, Lok A. Associations Between Child Maltreatment, Autonomic Regulation, and Adverse Cardiovascular Outcome in an Urban Population: The HELIUS Study. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:69. [PMID: 32256391 PMCID: PMC7092011 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A mounting body of literature emphasizes the potential negative effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on both mental and physical health throughout life, including an increased risk for developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). Since CVD is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, it is of great importance to advance our understanding of the effects of on CVD. This holds both for the actual incidence and for intermediate biological pathways that may convey CVD risk, such as imbalance in autonomic nervous system regulation, resulting in a chronically heightened sympathetic activity and lowered reactivity. In a large urban, multi-ethnic population-based cohort study we investigated whether there is an association between child maltreatment, CVD incidence and autonomic regulation. METHODS Within the Health in an Urban Setting (HELIUS) study, a large, multi-ethnic population cohort study including n = 22,165 Amsterdam residents, we used logistic regression analyses to investigate the association between the number of self-reported types of child maltreatment (range 0-4), and self-reported adverse cardiovascular outcome (aCVO). Self-reported child maltreatment included emotional neglect, emotional abuse, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. Furthermore, in a subsample (n = 10,260), mean age 44.3, we investigated associations between child maltreatment, autonomic regulation, and aCVO using linear regression analyses. Both baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and heart rate variability (HRV) were assessed as non-invasive indices of autonomic regulation. RESULTS The number of endorsed child maltreatment types was significantly associated with a higher aCVO risk. The association remained significant after adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, health-behavioral, and psychological covariates (p = 0.011, odds ratio: 1.078, confidence interval: 1.018-1.142). The cumulative exposure to child maltreatment was negatively associated with BRS and HRV, but the association was no longer significant after correction for socioeconomic and demographic covariates. CONCLUSION In a large, multi-ethnic urban-population cohort study we observed a positive association between number of endorsed child maltreatment types and self-reported aCVO but not autonomic regulation, over and above the effect of relevant demographic, health, and psychological factors. Future studies should examine the potential role of the dynamics of autonomic dysregulation as potential underlying biological pathways in the association between ACEs and CVD, as this could eventually facilitate the development of preventive and therapeutic strategies for CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maryse J. Bakema
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Mirjam van Zuiden
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Didier Collard
- Department of Internal and Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Jasper B. Zantvoord
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Susanne R. de Rooij
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Leonie K. Elsenburg
- Department of Public Health, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Marieke B. Snijder
- Department of Internal and Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Karien Stronks
- Department of Public Health, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Bert-Jan H. van den Born
- Department of Internal and Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Anja Lok
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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27
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van de Ven MCJ, van den Heuvel MI, Bhogal A, Lewis T, Thomason ME. Impact of maternal childhood trauma on child behavioral problems: The role of child frontal alpha asymmetry. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 62:154-169. [PMID: 31372993 PMCID: PMC6994323 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 07/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Childhood trauma is associated with many long-term negative outcomes, and is not limited to the individual experiencing the trauma, but extends to subsequent generations. However, mechanisms underlying the association between maternal childhood trauma and child psychopathology are not well understood. Here, we targeted frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) as a potential underlying factor of the relationship between maternal childhood trauma and child behavioral problems. Electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded from (N = 45) children (Mean age = 57.9 months, SD = 3.13) during an eyes-closed paradigm in order to evaluate FAA. Mothers reported on their childhood trauma experiences using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and on their child's behavior using the child behavior checklist (CBCL). We found that maternal childhood trauma significantly predicted child total, internalizing, and externalizing behavior at age 5 years. We also observed a role for FAA such that it acted as a moderator, but not mediator, for behavioral problems. We found that children with relative more right/less left frontal activity were more at risk to develop behavioral problems when their mother had been exposed to trauma in her childhood. These results indicate that child frontal asymmetry may serve as a susceptibility marker for child behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria C. J. van de Ven
- Cognitive Neuropsychology, Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | | | | | - Toni Lewis
- Department of PsychologyWayne State UniversityDetroitMichigan
| | - Moriah E. Thomason
- Department of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryNew York University School of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical CenterNew YorkNew York
- Department of Population HealthNew York University School of Medicine, NYU Langone Medical CenterNew YorkNew York
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Meiers G, Nooner K, De Bellis MD, Debnath R, Tang A. Alpha EEG asymmetry, childhood maltreatment, and problem behaviors: A pilot home-based study. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2020; 101:104358. [PMID: 31958695 PMCID: PMC7024668 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 12/23/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Child maltreatment, trauma symptoms, and alpha electroencephalography (EEG) asymmetry have been linked to problem behaviors and alcohol use disorders. OBJECTIVE The goal of this pilot study was to clarify the role of alpha EEG asymmetry in the relation of maltreatment and problem behaviors. It was hypothesized that adolescents with more maltreatment, trauma symptoms, and right alpha EEG asymmetry would have more problem behaviors and alcohol use. It was also hypothesized that alpha EEG asymmetry would moderate the association between maltreatment/trauma symptoms and problem behaviors. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Participants were 52 adolescents aged 12-14 years. Resting-state alpha EEG asymmetry was measured in this home-based study as a potential moderator in the association of child maltreatment and trauma symptoms to problem behaviors including alcohol use. RESULTS Child maltreatment reports and trauma symptoms were significantly associated with problem behaviors (β = 0.259, p = 0.037 and β = 0.594, p < 0.001, respectively). Trauma symptoms were associated with alcohol-use (Incidence Rate Ratio = 1.048, p = 0.032). Right alpha EEG asymmetry moderated the positive association of trauma symptoms and problem behaviors (β = -0.383, p = 0.024). However, this was not the case for left alpha EEG asymmetry. CONCLUSIONS Neural correlates associated with individuals' affective-behavioral profiles may play a role in the susceptibility for problem behaviors among adolescents exposed to higher levels of childhood trauma. This could be useful in developing targeted assessments and interventions to prevent or treat these problems in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gloria Meiers
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403, US.
| | - Kate Nooner
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina Wilmington, 601 South College Road, Wilmington, NC 28403, US.
| | - Michael D De Bellis
- Healthy Childhood Brain Development/Developmental Traumatology Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Box 104360, Durham, NC 27710, US.
| | - Ranjan Debnath
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, US.
| | - Alva Tang
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, US.
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Young-Southward G, Svelnys C, Gajwani R, Bosquet Enlow M, Minnis H. Child Maltreatment, Autonomic Nervous System Responsivity, and Psychopathology: Current State of the Literature and Future Directions. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2020; 25:3-19. [PMID: 31177826 DOI: 10.1177/1077559519848497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment may affect autonomic nervous system (ANS) responsivity, and ANS responsivity may influence the impact of child maltreatment on later outcomes including long-term mental/physical health. This review systematically evaluated the evidence regarding effects of maltreatment on ANS responsivity in children and examined how ANS responsivity may influence the association between maltreatment and psychopathology, with attention to relevant developmental issues. We searched the literature for relevant studies using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. We searched five electronic databases, performed key word searches in relevant journals, hand searched reference sections of relevant articles, and contacted experts in the field. Articles were extracted according to inclusion criteria and their quality assessed. The search produced 1,388 articles; 22 met inclusion criteria. Most of the studies suggested blunted cardiovascular responsivity generally and sympathetic activation specifically in response to stress in maltreated children compared to nonmaltreated children. Findings around vagal responsivity and skin conductance were mixed. Limited evidence was found for ANS responsivity as a moderator or mediator of psychopathology risk among maltreated children. Maltreatment may be associated with blunted sympathetic activation in stressful situations. Differences in ANS responsivity may influence psychopathology risk among maltreated children. Further research is needed to confirm the nature and magnitude of such effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genevieve Young-Southward
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Level 4, West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital, Yorkhill, Glasgow, UK
| | - Cassandra Svelnys
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ruchika Gajwani
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Level 4, West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital, Yorkhill, Glasgow, UK
| | - Michelle Bosquet Enlow
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Helen Minnis
- Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Level 4, West Glasgow Ambulatory Care Hospital, Yorkhill, Glasgow, UK
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Psychophysiological influences on personality trajectories in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment. Dev Psychopathol 2019; 32:1390-1401. [PMID: 31755404 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579419001342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Although child maltreatment is a major public health concern, which adversely affects psychological and physical development, we know relatively little concerning psychophysiological and personality factors that may modify risk in children exposed to maltreatment. Using a three-wave, short-term prospective design, we examined the influence of individual differences in two disparate psychophysiological measures of risk (i.e., resting frontal brain electrical activity and respiratory sinus arrhythmia) on the trajectories of extraversion and neuroticism in a sample of female adolescents (N = 55; M age = 14.02 years) exposed to child maltreatment. Adolescents exposed to child maltreatment with relatively higher left frontal absolute alpha power (i.e., lower brain activity) at rest exhibited increasing trajectories of extraversion, and adolescents exposed to child maltreatment with relatively lower respiratory sinus arrhythmia at rest displayed increasing trajectories of neuroticism over 1 year. Individual differences in psychophysiological measures indexing resting central and peripheral nervous system activity may therefore differentially influence personality characteristics in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment.
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31
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Maternal mental health and internalizing and externalizing psychopathology in extremely low birth weight adults. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2019; 11:632-639. [PMID: 31753052 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174419000771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The mental health of adult extremely low birth weight (ELBW) (<1000 g) survivors is poorer than their normal birth weight (NBW) peers. An understanding of the modifiable factors that affect this risk could provide targets for intervention. We set out to determine the extent to which a maternal history of mental health problems influenced mental health in ELBW and NBW offspring in adulthood. A total of 85 ELBW and 88 NBW individuals born between 1977 and 1982 in central west Ontario, Canada self-reported on internalizing (depression, anxiety) and externalizing (attention-deficit hyperactivity and antisocial) problems using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) scales of the Young Adult Self-Report at ages 22-26 and 30-35. They also reported on their mother's maternal mental health using the Family History Screen. An interaction was found between birth weight status and maternal history of an anxiety disorder such that ELBW survivors showed a greater increase in internalizing scores than NBW participants at 22-26 (β = 10.27, p = 0.002) and at 30-35 years of age (β = 12.65, p = 0.002). An interaction was also observed between birth weight and maternal history of mood disorder, with higher externalizing scores in ELBW survivors than NBW adults at 22-26 (β = 7.21, p < 0.0001). ELBW adults appear to be more susceptible to the adverse mental health effects of exposure to maternal mood and anxiety disorders than those born at NBW. These links further highlight the importance of detecting and treating mental health problems in the parents of preterm survivors as a means of attempting to reduce the burden of psychopathology in this population.
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Poole KL, MacMillan HL, Schmidt LA. Trajectories of Resting Heart Period and Shyness in Adolescent Females Exposed to Child Maltreatment. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2019; 24:364-373. [PMID: 30595043 DOI: 10.1177/1077559518818373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Relatively little is known about the psychophysiological processes underlying the development of socioemotional vulnerabilities that are common among adolescents exposed to child maltreatment. Using a prospective, longitudinal design, we investigated whether trajectories of resting heart period (HP; a physiological correlate of stress vulnerability) across three visits (separated by 6 months) was associated with shyness (a type of socioemotional vulnerability) in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment (N = 55; Mage = 14.07 years). Adolescents' resting HP across visits was best characterized by two latent trajectories: a stable high class (25.5%) and a stable low class (74.5%). The stable low HP trajectory was associated with higher shyness at Time 1 (T1), and HP trajectory moderated the association between T1 and Time 3 (T3) shyness. Females in the stable low HP trajectory demonstrated stability of shyness from T1 to T3, whereas T1 and T3 shyness were unrelated for females in the stable high HP trajectory. We also found that shyness at T1 and T3 was associated with greater levels of anxiety at T3. These findings illustrate heterogeneity in the developmental patterns of resting autonomic activity in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment; such differences may influence the continuity of some traits linked with socioemotional vulnerability such as shyness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie L Poole
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Harriet L MacMillan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Schmidt LA, Poole KL. Frontal brain maturation and the stability of children's shyness. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 62:446-453. [PMID: 31512756 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Recent evidence suggests that relative to nonshy children, shy children exhibit a lower overall frontal EEG alpha/delta ratio (ADR) during middle childhood, possibly reflecting relatively less frontal brain maturation at this age. We examined this same ADR measure in relation to the stability of observed shyness and parent-reported child social anxiety measured across two laboratory visits separated by approximately 1 year during late childhood in 51 children (33% female, age range 10-16 years). We found that the overall frontal ADR score was significantly lower among children with high, stable observed shyness and parent-reported child social anxiety compared to children in the low, stable class. Findings provide convergent evidence suggesting that the stability of shyness in late childhood may be linked to relatively less overall frontal brain maturation at this age. We speculate on the adaptive function of delaying frontal brain maturation in the origins and maintenance of children's shyness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kristie L Poole
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Poole KL, Schmidt LA. Frontal brain delta-beta correlation, salivary cortisol, and social anxiety in children. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2019; 60:646-654. [PMID: 30809809 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Correlated activity of slow-wave (e.g. delta) and fast-wave (e.g. beta) frontal brain oscillations is thought to be an electrophysiological correlate of individual differences in neuroendocrine activity and anxiety in adult samples. We know, however, relatively little about the physiological and functional correlates of delta-beta coupling in children. METHOD We examined whether longitudinal patterns of children's basal salivary cortisol and social anxiety across two visits separated by 1 year were associated with frontal brain delta-beta correlation in children (Mage = 7.59 years, SD = 1.70). At Time 1 (T1), resting baseline electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings were collected from the children and delta and beta power was measured, and at both T1 and Time 2 (T2), basal salivary cortisol was measured, and parents reported on children's symptoms of social anxiety. RESULTS Using latent class growth curve analysis, we found that children's salivary cortisol across visits was characterized by a high, stable class (53%), and a low, unstable class (47%), and children's social anxiety was characterized by a high, stable class (50%) and a low, stable class (50%). Using Fisher's r-to-z transformation, we found that frontal EEG delta-beta correlation was significantly stronger among children with high, stable salivary cortisol levels (compared to the low, unstable class; z = 2.11, p = .02), and among children with high, stable social anxiety levels (compared to the low, stable class; z = 1.72, p = .04). CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that longitudinal patterns of neuroendocrine stress activity and social anxiety may be associated with the correlation of EEG power in slow and fast frontal brain oscillations as early as childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristie L Poole
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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35
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Hastings PD, Kahle S, Fleming C, Lohr MJ, Katz LF, Oxford ML. An intervention that increases parental sensitivity in families referred to Child Protective Services also changes toddlers' parasympathetic regulation. Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12725. [PMID: 30156354 PMCID: PMC6294712 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing maltreatment in early childhood predicts poor parasympathetic regulation, characterized by low baseline parasympathetic activity and strong withdrawal of parasympathetic influence in response to tasks. The Promoting First Relationships® (PFR) program improves parental sensitivity toward young children in families identified as maltreating. Using a subsample from a randomized control trial, we examined whether parental participation in PFR had lasting effects on toddlers' parasympathetic regulation, as measured by respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA), relative to a resource and referral control condition. In addition, we examined whether parental sensitive and responsive behavior mediated or moderated associations between parent treatment group and children's RSA. More than 6 months after completing treatment, 29 families in the PFR condition and 30 families in the control condition were visited at home, and toddlers' RSA was assessed at baseline and during five moderately challenging tasks. Groups did not differ in baseline RSA, but differed in RSA reactivity to the tasks. Across tasks, toddlers of parents in the control condition manifested significantly larger RSA decreases than toddlers of parents in the PFR condition. Parental behavior showed divergent associations with RSA change for toddlers of parents in the PFR versus control condition, with PFR treatment predicting RSA change ranging from small decreases to increases in toddlers of parents who showed the most sensitive, responsive behavior in the 6 months following treatment. This preliminary study showed that the same intervention that improved parenting also improved toddlers' parasympathetic regulation in response to everyday activities, warranting further experimental investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul D. Hastings
- Center for Mind & Brain, Department of Psychology, University of California Davis
| | - Sarah Kahle
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, University of California Davis
| | - Charles Fleming
- Center for the Study of Health and Risk Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington
| | - Mary Jane Lohr
- Department of Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington
| | | | - Monica L. Oxford
- Department of Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington
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36
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Butt M, Espinal E, Aupperle RL, Nikulina V, Stewart JL. The Electrical Aftermath: Brain Signals of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Filtered Through a Clinical Lens. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:368. [PMID: 31214058 PMCID: PMC6555259 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00368] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 05/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This review aims to identify patterns of electrical signals identified using electroencephalography (EEG) linked to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) diagnosis and symptom dimensions. We filter EEG findings through a clinical lens, evaluating nuances in findings according to study criteria and participant characteristics. Within the EEG frequency domain, greater right than left parietal asymmetry in alpha band power is the most promising marker of PTSD symptoms and is linked to exaggerated physiological arousal that may impair filtering of environmental distractors. The most consistent findings within the EEG time domain focused on event related potentials (ERPs) include: 1) exaggerated frontocentral responses (contingent negative variation, mismatch negativity, and P3a amplitudes) to task-irrelevant distractors, and 2) attenuated parietal responses (P3b amplitudes) to task-relevant target stimuli. These findings suggest that some individuals with PTSD suffer from attention dysregulation, which could contribute to problems concentrating on daily tasks and goals in lieu of threatening distractors. Future research investigating the utility of alpha asymmetry and frontoparietal ERPs as diagnostic and predictive biomarkers or intervention targets are recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamona Butt
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States
| | - Elizabeth Espinal
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States
| | - Robin L Aupperle
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States.,Department of Community Medicine, Oxley College of Health Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
| | - Valentina Nikulina
- Department of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY, United States.,Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jennifer L Stewart
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, United States.,Department of Community Medicine, Oxley College of Health Sciences, University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, United States
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37
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The impact of childhood trauma and psychophysiological reactivity on at-risk women's adjustment to parenthood. Dev Psychopathol 2018; 31:127-141. [PMID: 30585566 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418001591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have an impact on women's adaptation to parenthood, but mechanisms are poorly understood. Autonomic nervous system reactivity was tested as a potential mediating mechanism in a sample of 193 at-risk primiparous women. ACEs were measured retrospectively during pregnancy. A baby cry-response task was administered during pregnancy while indicators of sympathetic reactivity (pre-ejection period; PEP) and parasympathetic reactivity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA) were recorded. Parenting self-efficacy, anxiety, and depressive symptoms were measured during pregnancy and 1 year after giving birth. Harsh discipline was measured 2 years after giving birth. Structural equation modeling was employed to test whether baseline PEP and RSA and reactivity mediated links between ACEs and postnatal outcomes, adjusted for prenatal variables. High ACEs predicted less RSA reactivity (p = .02), which subsequently predicted increases in depressive symptoms (p = .03). The indirect effect was not significant (p = .06). There was no indirect link between high ACEs and harsh parenting through PEP nor RSA (n = 98). The parasympathetic nervous system may be involved in negative affective responses in the transition to parenthood among women exposed to childhood trauma.
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Stone LB, Amole MC, Cyranowski JM, Swartz HA. History of childhood emotional abuse predicts lower resting-state high-frequency heart rate variability in depressed women. Psychiatry Res 2018; 269:681-687. [PMID: 30273892 PMCID: PMC6223021 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2018.08.106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2018] [Revised: 08/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Childhood emotional abuse impairs emotion regulation and increases risk for major depressive disorder in adulthood. Mounting evidence suggests that decreased resting-state high-frequency heart rate variability, an index of parasympathetic function, represents a transdiagnostic biomarker of emotion dysregulation. We propose that adults with histories of major depressive disorder and childhood emotional abuse represent a subpopulation at particularly high risk to exhibit deficits in parasympathetic control. The current report compared resting-state high-frequency heart rate variability across three groups: (1) depressed women who endorsed childhood emotional abuse (N = 11); (2) depressed women without childhood emotional abuse (N = 19), and (3) never-depressed women without childhood emotional abuse (N = 22). Participants completed childhood trauma self-reports and assessment of resting-state high-frequency heart rate variability. ANCOVAs comparing the three groups after controlling for health-related, psychiatric, and respiratory factors were significant. Depressed women with childhood emotional abuse exhibited lower high-frequency heart rate variability than both groups without childhood emotional abuse (d's ranging from 0.81-0.92). Surprisingly, psychiatric factors were non-significant predictors, indicating that childhood emotional abuse may have a unique impact on autonomic functioning. Future research on larger samples is needed to disentangle the relative and synergistic burdens of depression and childhood trauma on physiologic indicators of emotion dysregulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey B Stone
- Department of Psychology, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA, USA
| | - Marlissa C Amole
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | | | - Holly A Swartz
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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Fagan SE, Zhang W, Gao Y. Social Adversity and Antisocial Behavior: Mediating Effects of Autonomic Nervous System Activity. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 45:1553-1564. [PMID: 28070755 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-017-0262-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The display of antisocial behaviors in children and adolescents has been of interest to criminologists and developmental psychologists for years. Exposure to social adversity is a well-documented predictor of antisocial behavior. Additionally, measures of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity, including heart rate variability (HRV), pre-ejection period (PEP), and heart rate, have been associated with antisocial behaviors including rule-breaking and aggression. Social neuroscience research has begun to investigate how neurobiological underpinnings affect the relationship between social adversity and antisocial/psychopathic behavior in children and adolescents. This study investigated the potential mediating effects of ANS activity on the relationship between social adversity and antisocial behavior in a group of 7- to 10-year-old children from the community (N = 339; 48.2% male). Moderated multiple mediation analyses revealed that low resting heart rate, but not PEP or HRV, mediated the relationship between social adversity and antisocial behavior in males only. Social adversity but not ANS measures were associated with antisocial behavior in females. Findings have implications for understanding the neural influences that underlie antisocial behavior, illustrate the importance of the social environment regarding the expression of these behaviors, and highlight essential gender differences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn E Fagan
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA. .,Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Queens College, City University of New York, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY, 11367, USA
| | - Yu Gao
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, 365 5th Ave, New York, NY, 10016, USA.,Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, 11210, USA
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40
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Van Lieshout RJ, Boyle MH, Favotto L, Krzeczkowski JE, Savoy C, Saigal S, Schmidt LA. Impact of extremely low-birth-weight status on risk and resilience for depression and anxiety in adulthood. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2018; 59:596-603. [PMID: 28971484 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/31/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preterm birth is associated with an increased risk of depression and anxiety, but it is not known if this is due to greater exposure to risk, or if perinatal adversity amplifies the impact of traditional risk factors. This study sought to determine if exposure to perinatal adversity modifies associations between traditional risk and resilience factors and depression and anxiety in adulthood. METHODS A sample of 142 extremely low-birth-weight (ELBW < 1,000 g) survivors and 133 sociodemographically matched normal birth weight (NBW) control participants was followed longitudinally to 22-26 years of age. Separate postnatal risk and resilience scales were created using eight risk and seven resilience factors, respectively. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the internalizing scale of the Young Adult Self-Report (YASR). This scale was also dichotomized at the 90th percentile to define clinically significant psychopathology. RESULTS While the average number of risk exposures did not differ between groups, ELBW survivors were more susceptible to risk than NBW control participants. For the ELBW group, each additional risk factor resulted in a 2-point increase in internalizing scores, and two and a half times the odds of clinically significant internalizing symptoms (OR = 2.47, 95% CI = 1.63, 3.76). The protective effect of resiliency factors was also blunted among ELBW survivors. CONCLUSIONS Extremely low-birth-weight survivors may be more sensitive to traditional risk factors for psychopathology and less protected by resiliency factors. Intervention strategies aimed at preventing or reducing exposure to traditional childhood risk factors for psychopathology may reduce the burden of mental illness in adult survivors of prematurity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan J Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Michael H Boyle
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Lindsay Favotto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - John E Krzeczkowski
- Neuroscience Graduate Program, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Calan Savoy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Saroj Saigal
- Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Louis A Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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Lahat A, Tang A, Tanaka M, Van Lieshout RJ, MacMillan HL, Schmidt LA. Longitudinal Associations Among Child Maltreatment, Resting Frontal Electroencephalogram Asymmetry, and Adolescent Shyness. Child Dev 2018; 89:746-757. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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ADHD Symptoms in Post-Institutionalized Children Are Partially Mediated by Altered Frontal EEG Asymmetry. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 45:857-869. [PMID: 27687682 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-016-0208-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Individual differences in the propensity for left versus right frontal electroencephalogram (EEG) asymmetry may underlie differences in approach/withdrawal tendencies and mental health deficits. Growing evidence suggests that early life adversity may shape brain development and contribute to the emergence of mental health problems. The present study examined frontal EEG asymmetry (FEA) following the transition to family care in children adopted internationally from institutional care settings between 15 and 36 months of age (N = 82; 46 female, 36 male). Two comparison groups were included: an international adoption control consisting of children adopted from foster care with little to no institutional deprivation (N = 45; 17 female, 28 male) and a post-adoption condition control consisting of children reared in birth families of the same education and income as the adoptive families (N = 48; 23 female, 25 male). Consistent with evidence of greater approach and impulsivity-related behavior problems in post-institutionalized (PI) children, PI status was associated with greater left FEA than found in the other two groups. In addition, left FEA served as a mediator between institutionalization and age 5 ADHD symptoms for girls. Age at adoption and other preadoption factors were examined with results suggesting that earlier adoption into a supportive family resulted in a more typical pattern of brain functioning. Findings support the idea that the capacity of brain activity to evidence typical functioning following perturbation may differ in relation to the timing of intervention and suggest that the earlier the intervention of adoption, the better.
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Brosschot JF, Verkuil B, Thayer JF. Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress: Unsafe Environments and Conditions, and the Default Stress Response. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2018; 15:E464. [PMID: 29518937 PMCID: PMC5877009 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15030464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2017] [Revised: 02/13/2018] [Accepted: 02/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Prolonged physiological stress responses form an important risk factor for disease. According to neurobiological and evolution-theoretical insights the stress response is a default response that is always "on" but inhibited by the prefrontal cortex when safety is perceived. Based on these insights the Generalized Unsafety Theory of Stress (GUTS) states that prolonged stress responses are due to generalized and largely unconsciously perceived unsafety rather than stressors. This novel perspective necessitates a reconstruction of current stress theory, which we address in this paper. We discuss a variety of very common situations without stressors but with prolonged stress responses, that are not, or not likely to be caused by stressors, including loneliness, low social status, adult life after prenatal or early life adversity, lack of a natural environment, and less fit bodily states such as obesity or fatigue. We argue that in these situations the default stress response may be chronically disinhibited due to unconsciously perceived generalized unsafety. Also, in chronic stress situations such as work stress, the prolonged stress response may be mainly caused by perceived unsafety in stressor-free contexts. Thus, GUTS identifies and explains far more stress-related physiological activity that is responsible for disease and mortality than current stress theories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jos F Brosschot
- Institute of Psychology, Unit Health, Medical and Neuropsychology, Leiden University, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Bart Verkuil
- Institute of Psychology, Unit Clinical Psychology, Leiden University, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Julian F Thayer
- Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
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Buisman RSM, Pittner K, Compier-de Block LHCG, van den Berg LJM, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Alink LRA. The past is present: The role of maltreatment history in perceptual, behavioral and autonomic responses to infant emotional signals. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2018; 77:23-34. [PMID: 29294414 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2017.12.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Revised: 12/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In the current study associations between parents' experiences of childhood maltreatment and their perceptual, behavioral and autonomic responses to infant emotional signals were examined in a sample of 160 parents. Experienced maltreatment (both physical and emotional abuse and neglect) was reported by the participants and, in approximately half of the cases, also by their parents. During a standardized infant vocalization paradigm, participants were asked to squeeze a handgrip dynamometer at maximal and at half strength while listening to infant crying and laughter sounds and to rate their perception of the sounds. In addition, their heart rate (HR), pre-ejection period (PEP), and vagal tone (RSA) were measured as indicators of underlying sympathetic and parasympathetic reactivity. Results indicated that participants did not differ in their perceptions of the infant vocalizations signals according to their maltreatment experiences. However, maltreatment experiences were associated with the modulation of behavioral responses. Experiences of neglect during childhood were related to more handgrip force during infant crying and to less handgrip force during infant laughter. Moreover, a history of neglect was associated with a higher HR and a shorter PEP during the entire infant vocalization paradigm, which may indicate chronic cardiovascular arousal. The findings imply that a history of childhood neglect negatively influences parents' capacities to regulate their emotions and behavior, which would be problematic when reacting to children's emotional expressions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renate S M Buisman
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands.
| | - Katharina Pittner
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | - Lenneke R A Alink
- Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, The Netherlands; Faculty of Law, VU University Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Poole KL, Santesso DL, Van Lieshout RJ, Schmidt LA. Trajectories of frontal brain activity and socio-emotional development in children. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 60:353-363. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21620] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kristie L. Poole
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Diane L. Santesso
- Department of Psychology; University of Winnipeg; Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
| | - Ryan J. Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Louis A. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
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Tang A, Miskovic V, Lahat A, Tanaka M, MacMillan H, Van Lieshout RJ, Schmidt LA. Trajectories of resting frontal brain activity and psychopathology in female adolescents exposed to child maltreatment. Dev Psychobiol 2017; 60:67-77. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.21585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alva Tang
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Vladimir Miskovic
- Department of Psychology; State University of New York at Binghamton; Binghamton New York
| | - Ayelet Lahat
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Masako Tanaka
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Harriet MacMillan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
- Department of Pediatrics; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Ryan J. Van Lieshout
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
| | - Louis A. Schmidt
- Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour; McMaster University; Hamilton Ontario Canada
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Moran JK, Crombach A, Elbert T, Nandi C, Bambonyé M, Wienbruch C, Lommen U, Weierstall R. The individual contribution of DSM 5 symptom clusters of PTSD, life events, and childhood adversity to frontal oscillatory brain asymmetry in a large sample of active combatants. Biol Psychol 2017; 129:305-313. [PMID: 28958482 PMCID: PMC5678498 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2017] [Revised: 08/14/2017] [Accepted: 09/23/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been linked to deviations in lateralized frontal functional oscillatory activity. This is possibly because left and right DLPFC have differential roles in regulating both memory and stress response, which are both dysfunctional in PTSD. However, previous results are heterogeneous, and could be attributable to individual symptom clusters, traumatic or aggressive life events, early life stress, or the interaction of these factors. In a large sample of active combatants (N=401), we regressed these factors on frontal electroencephalography (EEG) asymmetry across 5 frequency bands (delta: 2-4Hz; theta: 4-8Hz; alpha: 8-12Hz; beta: 12-24Hz; gamma: 24-48Hz). Negative cognition and mood was associated with stronger relative left delta and theta band power. Traumatic life events showed stronger right alpha and beta band power. Traumatic life events in interaction with hyperarousal predicted stronger relative right left-right imbalance (theta, alpha, and beta bands), whereas childhood adversity, in interaction with negative cognition and mood, predicted stronger relative left left-right imbalance (delta, theta, alpha and beta bands). The contribution of lateralized DLPFC dysfunction to PTSD is thus dependent on the individual complexities of subsymptom clusters and life history, and future studies need to take these factors into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- James K Moran
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Anselm Crombach
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; Department of Psychology, University Lumière of Bujumbura, Burundi
| | - Thomas Elbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; Department of Psychology, University Lumière of Bujumbura, Burundi
| | - Corina Nandi
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Manassé Bambonyé
- Department of Psychology, University Lumière of Bujumbura, Burundi
| | - Christian Wienbruch
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Ursula Lommen
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Roland Weierstall
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, Germany; MSH Medical School Hamburg, University of Applied Sciences and Medical University, Germany
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Schalinski I, Moran JK, Elbert T, Reindl V, Wienbruch C. Oscillatory magnetic brain activity is related to dissociative symptoms and childhood adversities - A study in women with multiple trauma. J Affect Disord 2017; 218:428-436. [PMID: 28505586 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2016] [Revised: 03/24/2017] [Accepted: 05/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Individuals with trauma-related disorders are complex and heterogeneous; part of this complexity derives from additional psychopathology like dissociation as well as environmental adversities such as traumatic stress, experienced throughout the lifespan. Understanding the neurophysiological abnormalities in Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) requires a simultaneous consideration of these factors. METHODS Resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were obtained from 41 women with PTSD and comorbid depressive symptoms, and 16 healthy women. Oscillatory brain activity was extracted for five frequency bands and 11 source locations, and analyzed in relation to shutdown dissociation and adversity-related measures. RESULTS Dissociative symptoms were related to increased delta and lowered beta power. Adversity-related measures modulated theta and alpha oscillatory power (in particular childhood sexual abuse) and differed between patients and controls. LIMITATIONS Findings are based on women with comorbid depressive symptoms and therefore may not be applicable for men or groups with other clinical profiles. In respect to childhood adversities, we had no reliable source for the early infancy. CONCLUSION Trauma-related abnormalities in neural organization vary with both exposure to adversities as well as their potential to evoke ongoing shutdown responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Schalinski
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany.
| | - J K Moran
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - T Elbert
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - V Reindl
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics, and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Germany
| | - C Wienbruch
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Germany
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Frontal brain asymmetry, childhood maltreatment, and low-grade inflammation at midlife. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 75:152-163. [PMID: 27829190 PMCID: PMC5289285 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2016.10.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2016] [Revised: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 10/27/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Frontal EEG asymmetry is thought to reflect variations in affective style, such that greater relative right frontal activity at rest predicts enhanced emotional responding to threatening or negative stimuli, and risk of depression and anxiety disorders. A diathesis-stress model has been proposed to explain how this neuro-affective style might predispose to psychopathology, with greater right frontal activity being a vulnerability factor especially under stressful conditions. Less is known about the extent to which greater relative right frontal activity at rest might be associated with or be a diathesis for deleterious physical health outcomes. The present study examined the association between resting frontal EEG asymmetry and systemic, low-grade inflammation and tested the diathesis-stress model by examining whether childhood maltreatment exposure interacts with resting frontal asymmetry in explaining inflammation. Resting EEG, serum inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen) and self-reported psychological measures were available for 314 middle-aged adults (age M=55.3years, SD=11.2, 55.7% female). Analyses supported the diathesis-stress model and revealed that resting frontal EEG asymmetry was significantly associated with inflammation, but only in individuals who had experienced moderate to severe levels of childhood maltreatment. These findings suggest that, in the context of severe adversity, a trait-like tendency towards greater relative right prefrontal activity may predispose to low-grade inflammation, a risk factor for conditions with inflammatory underpinnings such as coronary heart disease.
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Winzeler K, Voellmin A, Hug E, Kirmse U, Helmig S, Princip M, Cajochen C, Bader K, Wilhelm FH. Adverse childhood experiences and autonomic regulation in response to acute stress: the role of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING 2016; 30:145-154. [DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2016.1238076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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