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Bakker J. Neurobiological characteristics associated with gender identity: Findings from neuroimaging studies in the Amsterdam cohort of children and adolescents experiencing gender incongruence. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105601. [PMID: 39029340 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105601] [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] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 07/05/2024] [Accepted: 07/05/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024]
Abstract
This review has been based on my invited lecture at the annual meeting of the Society for Behavioral Neuroendocrinology in 2023. Gender incongruence is defined as a marked and persistent incongruence between an individual's experienced gender and the sex assigned at birth. A prominent hypothesis on the etiology of gender incongruence proposes that it is related to an altered or less pronounced sexual differentiation of the brain. This hypothesis has primarily been based on postmortem studies of the hypothalamus in transgender individuals. To further address this hypothesis, a series of structural and functional neuroimaging studies were conducted in the Amsterdam cohort of children and adolescents experiencing gender incongruence. Additional research objectives were to determine whether any sex and gender differences are established before or after puberty, as well as whether gender affirming hormone treatment would affect brain development and function. We found some evidence in favor of the sexual differentiation hypothesis at the functional level, but this was less evident at the structural level. We also observed some specific transgender neural signatures, suggesting that they might present a unique brain phenotype rather than being shifted towards either end of the male-female spectrum. Our results further suggest that the years between childhood and mid-adolescence represent an important period in which puberty-related factors influence several neural characteristics, such as white matter development and functional connectivity patterns, in both a sex and gender identity specific way. These latter observations thus lead to the important question about the possible negative consequences of delaying puberty on neurodevelopment. To further address this question, larger-scale, longitudinal studies are required to increase our understanding of the possible neurodevelopmental impacts of delaying puberty in transgender youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Bakker
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, Belgium.
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Seidenbecher S, Schöne M, Kaufmann J, Schiltz K, Bogerts B, Frodl T. Neuroanatomical correlates of aggressiveness: a case-control voxel- and surface-based morphometric study. Brain Struct Funct 2024; 229:31-46. [PMID: 37819409 PMCID: PMC10827843 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02715-x] [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: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/20/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Aggression occurs across the population ranging on a symptom continuum. Most previous studies have used magnetic resonance imaging in clinical/forensic samples, which is associated with several confounding factors. The present study examined structural brain characteristics in two healthy samples differing only in their propensity for aggressive behavior. Voxel- and surface-based morphometry (SBM) analyses were performed on 29 male martial artists and 32 age-matched male controls. Martial artists had significantly increased mean gray matter volume in two frontal (left superior frontal gyrus and bilateral anterior cingulate cortex) and one parietal (bilateral posterior cingulate gyrus and precuneus) brain clusters compared to controls (whole brain: p < 0.001, cluster level: family-wise error (FWE)-corrected). SBM analyses revealed a trend for greater gyrification indices in martial artists compared to controls in the left lateral orbital frontal cortex and the left pars orbitalis (whole brain: p < 0.001, cluster level: FWE-corrected). The results indicate brain structural differences between martial artists and controls in frontal and parietal brain areas critical for emotion processing/inhibition of emotions as well as empathic processes. The present study highlights the importance of studying healthy subjects with a propensity for aggressive behavior in future structural MRI research on aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Seidenbecher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Maria Schöne
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Jörn Kaufmann
- Department of Neurology, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kolja Schiltz
- Department of Forensic Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Bernhard Bogerts
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Salus-Institute, Salus gGmbH, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Thomas Frodl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Leipziger Str. 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
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Barth C, Crestol A, de Lange AMG, Galea LAM. Sex steroids and the female brain across the lifespan: insights into risk of depression and Alzheimer's disease. Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol 2023; 11:926-941. [PMID: 37865102 DOI: 10.1016/s2213-8587(23)00224-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Despite widespread sex differences in prevalence and presentation of numerous illnesses affecting the human brain, there has been little focus on the effect of endocrine ageing. Most preclinical studies have focused on males only, and clinical studies often analyse data by covarying for sex, ignoring relevant differences between the sexes. This sex- (and gender)-neutral approach is biased and contributes to the absence of targeted treatments and services for all sexes (and genders). Female health has been historically understudied, with grave consequences for their wellbeing and health equity. In this Review, we spotlight female brain health across the lifespan by informing on the role of sex steroids, particularly oestradiol, on the female brain and on risk for diseases more prevalent in females, such as depression and Alzheimer's disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Barth
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Arielle Crestol
- Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway; NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Ann-Marie G de Lange
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV) and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland; Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK; Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Liisa A M Galea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Wang Y, Wang H, Cai J, Yu W, Zhang Y, Zhang Y, Tang Z. Association Between Estradiol and Human Aggression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Psychosom Med 2023; 85:754-762. [PMID: 37678333 PMCID: PMC10662589 DOI: 10.1097/psy.0000000000001247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although several studies have examined the association between estradiol and human aggression, a consistent understanding of their correlation has yet to be established. This study aimed to investigate this relationship comprehensively. METHODS We systematically searched five English databases (PubMed, Web of Science, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL) from their inception to June 5, 2023. Two authors independently screened publications and extracted data based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Statistical analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.4, and a random-effects model was used to pool the data. RESULTS We identified 14 eligible studies comprising data from 1820 participants that met the inclusion criteria. This meta-analysis indicated a positive correlation between estradiol and human aggression, albeit a weak one. The pooled Fisher z value was 0.16 (95% confidence interval = 0.05-0.26; I2 = 73%, p <.00001). Furthermore, we found that participants' sex and age, the measures of aggression, and the literature quality might be sources of heterogeneity. CONCLUSIONS Human aggression exhibited a weak positive correlation with estradiol concentration, whereas this relationship was influenced by participants' sex and age, the measure of aggression used, and the quality assessment of the literature. Gaining a better understanding of the association between estradiol and aggression could aid in the identification of populations prone to aggression.
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van Heesewijk J, Steenwijk MD, Kreukels BPC, Veltman DJ, Bakker J, Burke SM. Alterations in the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus - a specific neural correlate of gender incongruence? Psychol Med 2023; 53:3461-3470. [PMID: 35301969 PMCID: PMC10277722 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291721005547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2021] [Revised: 11/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Increasing numbers of adolescents seek help for gender-identity questions. Consequently, requests for medical treatments, such as puberty suppression, are growing. However, studies investigating the neurobiological substrate of gender incongruence (when birth-assigned sex and gender identity do not align) are scarce, and knowledge about the effects of puberty suppression on the developing brain of transgender youth is limited. METHODS Here we cross-sectionally investigated sex and gender differences in regional fractional anisotropy (FA) as measured by diffusion MR imaging, and the impact of puberty on alterations in the white-matter organization of 35 treatment-naive prepubertal children and 41 adolescents with gender incongruence, receiving puberty suppression. The transgender groups were compared with 79 age-matched, treatment-naive cisgender (when sex and gender align) peers. RESULTS We found that transgender adolescents had lower FA in the bilateral inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), forceps major and corpus callosum than cisgender peers. In addition, average FA values of the right IFOF correlated negatively with adolescents' cumulative dosage of puberty suppressants received. Of note, prepubertal children also showed significant FA group differences in, again, the right IFOF and left cortico-spinal tract, but with the reverse pattern (transgender > cisgender) than was seen in adolescents. CONCLUSIONS Importantly, our results of lower FA (indexing less longitudinal organization, fiber coherence, and myelination) in the IFOF of gender-incongruent adolescents replicate prior findings in transgender adults, suggesting a salient neural correlate of gender incongruence. Findings highlight the complexity with which (pubertal) sex hormones impact white-matter development and add important insight into the neurobiological substrate associated with gender incongruence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason van Heesewijk
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1131, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Martijn D. Steenwijk
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1131, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Baudewijntje P. C. Kreukels
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1131, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Dick J. Veltman
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1131, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Julie Bakker
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1131, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Sarah M. Burke
- Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, location VUmc, De Boelelaan 1131, Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands
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The role of brain structure in the association between pubertal timing and depression risk in an early adolescent sample (the ABCD Study®): A registered report. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101223. [PMID: 36870214 PMCID: PMC10009199 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Earlier pubertal timing is associated with higher rates of depressive disorders in adolescence. Neuroimaging studies report brain structural associations with both pubertal timing and depression. However, whether brain structure mediates the relationship between pubertal timing and depression remains unclear. METHODS The current registered report examined associations between pubertal timing (indexed via perceived pubertal development), brain structure (cortical and subcortical metrics, and white matter microstructure) and depressive symptoms in a large sample (N = ∼5000) of adolescents (aged 9-13 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. We used three waves of follow-up data when the youth were aged 10-11 years, 11-12 years, and 12-13 years, respectively. We used generalised linear-mixed models (H1) and structural equation modelling (H2 & H3) to test our hypotheses. HYPOTHESES We hypothesised that earlier pubertal timing at Year 1 would be associated with increased depressive symptoms at Year 3 (H1), and that this relationship would be mediated by global (H2a-b) and regional (H3a-g) brain structural measures at Year 2. Global measures included reduced cortical volume, thickness, surface area and sulcal depth. Regional measures included reduced cortical thickness and volume in temporal and fronto-parietal areas, increased cortical volume in the ventral diencephalon, increased sulcal depth in the pars orbitalis, and reduced fractional anisotropy in the cortico-striatal tract and corpus callosum. These regions of interest were informed by our pilot analyses using baseline ABCD data when the youth were aged 9-10 years. RESULTS Earlier pubertal timing was associated with increased depressive symptoms two years later. The magnitude of effect was stronger in female youth and the association remained significant when controlling for parental depression, family income, and BMI in females but not in male youth. Our hypothesised brain structural measures did not however mediate the association between earlier pubertal timing and later depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION The present results demonstrate that youth, particularly females, who begin puberty ahead of their peers are at an increased risk for adolescent-onset depression. Future work should explore additional biological and socio-environmental factors that may affect this association so that we can identify targets for intervention to help these at-risk youth.
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Piekarski DJ, Colich NL, Ho TC. The effects of puberty and sex on adolescent white matter development: A systematic review. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101214. [PMID: 36913887 PMCID: PMC10010971 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101214] [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: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence, the transition between childhood and adulthood, is characterized by rapid brain development in white matter (WM) that is attributed in part to rising levels in adrenal and gonadal hormones. The extent to which pubertal hormones and related neuroendocrine processes explain sex differences in WM during this period is unclear. In this systematic review, we sought to examine whether there are consistent associations between hormonal changes and morphological and microstructural properties of WM across species and whether these effects are sex-specific. We identified 90 (75 human, 15 non-human) studies that met inclusion criteria for our analyses. While studies in human adolescents show notable heterogeneity, results broadly demonstrate that increases in gonadal hormones across pubertal development are associated with macro- and microstructural changes in WM tracts that are consistent with the sex differences found in non-human animals, particularly in the corpus callosum. We discuss limitations of the current state of the science and recommend important future directions for investigators in the field to consider in order to advance our understanding of the neuroscience of puberty and to promote forward and backward translation across model organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, United States.
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8
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Fekih-Romdhane F, Malaeb D, Sarray El Dine A, Obeid S, Hallit S. The relationship between smartphone addiction and aggression among Lebanese adolescents: the indirect effect of cognitive function. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:735. [PMID: 36572845 PMCID: PMC9791769 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03808-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite a large body of research has shown that smartphone addiction (SA) is associated with aggressive behaviors, only a few mediators have been previously examined in this relationship among early adolescent students. No previous studies have explored, to our knowledge, the indirect role of cognitive function despite its great importance during this life period. This study is intended to verify whether cognitive function have indirect effects on the relationship between SA and aggression among high-school students in the context of Lebanese culture. METHODS This was a cross-sectional designed study, conducted between January and May 2022, and enrolling 379 Lebanese adolescent students (aged 13-17 years). The Cognitive Functioning Self-Assessment Scale, the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire-Short Form, and the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short form were used. RESULTS The bivariate analysis results revealed that higher SA and worse cognitive function were significantly associated with more physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. The mediation analyses found that cognitive function mediated the association between SA and physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. Higher SA was significantly associated with worse cognitive function and more physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. Finally, worse cognitive function was significantly associated with more physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility. CONCLUSION Our findings cautiously suggest that, to reduce adolescent students' aggression, interventions that promote cognitive performance may be effective. Particularly, students who are addicted to smartphones and show aggressive tendencies require interventions designed to improve cognition function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Feten Fekih-Romdhane
- The Tunisian Center of Early Intervention in Psychosis, Department of psychiatry “Ibn Omrane”, Razi hospital, 2010 Manouba, Tunisia ,grid.12574.350000000122959819Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Tunis El Manar University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Diana Malaeb
- grid.444421.30000 0004 0417 6142School of Pharmacy, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon ,grid.411884.00000 0004 1762 9788College of Pharmacy, Gulf Medical University, Ajman, United Arab Emirates
| | - Abir Sarray El Dine
- grid.444421.30000 0004 0417 6142Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese International University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Sahar Obeid
- grid.411323.60000 0001 2324 5973Social and Education Sciences Department, School of Arts and Sciences, Lebanese American University, Jbeil, Lebanon
| | - Souheil Hallit
- grid.444434.70000 0001 2106 3658School of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, P.O. Box 446, Jounieh, Lebanon ,grid.411423.10000 0004 0622 534XApplied Science Research Center, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan ,grid.512933.f0000 0004 0451 7867Research Department, Psychiatric Hospital of the Cross, Jal Eddib, Lebanon
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Ho TC, Gifuni AJ, Gotlib IH. Psychobiological risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescence: a consideration of the role of puberty. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:606-623. [PMID: 34117365 PMCID: PMC8960417 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01171-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents. While clinicians and researchers have begun to recognize the importance of considering multidimensional factors in understanding risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) during this developmental period, the role of puberty has been largely ignored. In this review, we contend that the hormonal events that occur during puberty have significant effects on the organization and development of brain systems implicated in the regulation of social stressors, including amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. Guided by previous experimental work in adults, we also propose that the influence of pubertal hormones and social stressors on neural systems related to risk for STBs is especially critical to consider in adolescents with a neurobiological sensitivity to hormonal changes. Furthermore, facets of the pubertal transition, such as pubertal timing, warrant deeper investigation and may help us gain a more comprehensive understanding of sex differences in the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms underlying adolescent STBs. Ultimately, advancing our understanding of the pubertal processes that contribute to suicide risk will improve early detection and facilitate the development of more effective, sex-specific, psychiatric interventions for adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C. Ho
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Anthony J. Gifuni
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Psychiatry Department and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC Canada
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
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Eshel N, Maron-Katz A, Wu W, Abu-Amara D, Marmar CR, Etkin A. Neural correlates of anger expression in patients with PTSD. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1635-1642. [PMID: 33500557 PMCID: PMC8280145 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-00942-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
Anger is a common and debilitating symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although studies have identified brain circuits underlying anger experience and expression in healthy individuals, how these circuits interact with trauma remains unclear. Here, we performed the first study examining the neural correlates of anger in patients with PTSD. Using a data-driven approach with resting-state fMRI, we identified two prefrontal regions whose overall functional connectivity was inversely associated with anger: the left anterior middle frontal gyrus (aMFG) and the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC). We then used concurrent TMS-EEG to target the left aMFG parcel previously identified through fMRI, measuring its cortical excitability and causal connectivity to downstream areas. We found that low-anger PTSD patients exhibited enhanced excitability in the left aMFG and enhanced causal connectivity between this region and visual areas. Together, our results suggest that left aMFG activity may confer protection against the development of anger, and therefore may be an intriguing target for circuit-based interventions for anger in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neir Eshel
- Department of Psychiatry, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA. .,Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
| | - Adi Maron-Katz
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.280747.e0000 0004 0419 2556Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA USA
| | - Wei Wu
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.79703.3a0000 0004 1764 3838School of Automation Science and Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Duna Abu-Amara
- grid.240324.30000 0001 2109 4251Department of Psychiatry and Center for Alcohol Use Disorder and PTSD, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Charles R. Marmar
- grid.240324.30000 0001 2109 4251Department of Psychiatry and Center for Alcohol Use Disorder and PTSD, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY USA
| | - Amit Etkin
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychiatry, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.511021.6Alto Neuroscience, Los Altos, CA USA
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11
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Matijevic S, Ryan L. Tract Specificity of Age Effects on Diffusion Tensor Imaging Measures of White Matter Health. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:628865. [PMID: 33790778 PMCID: PMC8006297 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.628865] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2020] [Accepted: 02/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Well-established literature indicates that older adults have poorer cerebral white matter integrity, as measured through diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Age differences in DTI have been observed widely across white matter, although some tracts appear more sensitive to the effects of aging than others. Factors like APOE ε4 status and sex may contribute to individual differences in white matter integrity that also selectively impact certain tracts, and could influence DTI changes in aging. The present study explored the degree to which age, APOE ε4, and sex exerted global vs. tract specific effects on DTI metrics in cognitively healthy late middle-aged to older adults. Data from 49 older adults (ages 54–92) at two time-points separated by approximately 2.7 years were collected. DTI metrics, including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), were extracted from nine white matter tracts and global white matter. Results showed that across timepoints, FA and MD increased globally, with no tract-specific changes observed. Baseline age had a global influence on both measures, with increasing age associated with lower FA and higher MD. After controlling for global white matter FA, age additionally predicted FA for the genu, callosum body, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), and both anterior and posterior cingulum. Females exhibited lower global FA on average compared to males. In contrast, MD was selectively elevated in the anterior cingulum and superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), for females compared to males. APOE ε4 status was not predictive of either measure. In summary, these results indicate that age and sex are associated with both global and tract-specific alterations to DTI metrics among a healthy older adult cohort. Older women have poorer white matter integrity compared to older men, perhaps related to menopause-induced metabolic changes. While age-related alterations to white matter integrity are global, there is substantial variation in the degree to which tracts are impacted, possibly as a consequence of tract anatomical variability. The present study highlights the importance of accounting for global sources of variation in DTI metrics when attempting to investigate individual differences (due to age, sex, or other factors) in specific white matter tracts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Matijevic
- Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
| | - Lee Ryan
- Cognition and Neuroimaging Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States
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12
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He Y, Li K, Li J, Wang J, Cheng N, Xiao J, Jiang T. Cingulum White Matter Integrity as a Mediator Between Harm Avoidance and Hostility. Neuroscience 2021; 461:36-43. [PMID: 33691143 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2021.02.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 02/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
As a textbook manifestation of an aggressive attitude, hostility can pose a serious threat to both an individual's life and the security of society at large. Past evidence suggests that some anxiety-related traits may be more prone to giving rise to hostility. However, many aspects of hostility, such as, determining the susceptible temperament for hostility, the neural basis of hostility, and the underlying mechanisms through which having a susceptible temperament generates hostility in a healthy brain, remain unclear. In this study, we sought to delve into these questions by assessing temperament and brain white matter integrity using self-report questionnaires and diffusion tensor imaging in a sizable sample of healthy adults (n = 357). First, we investigated the relationship between hostility and the four temperaments of the Cloninger model. Then, we investigated which white matter tracts were significantly correlated with hostility using a whole-brain analysis. Finally, we used a mediation analysis to explore the tripartite relationship between vulnerability temperament, the fractional anisotropy (FA) value of the white matter, and hostility. Our results suggest that a harm avoidance temperament may be susceptible to hostility and that the cingulum may be a key white matter region responsible for hostility. Based on these results, we developed a temperament-brain-attitude pathway showing how harm avoidance temperament could affect the brain and ultimately lead to hostility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yini He
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Kaixin Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Mechanical and Power Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Jin Li
- Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
| | - Nanhua Cheng
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Jing Xiao
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing 100048, China
| | - Tianzi Jiang
- Key Laboratory for NeuroInformation of Ministry of Education, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China; Brainnetome Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; School of Artificial Intelligence, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; The Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.
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13
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Childhood conduct problems are associated with reduced white matter fibre density and morphology. J Affect Disord 2021; 281:638-645. [PMID: 33239244 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2020.11.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Childhood conduct problems are an important public health issue as these children are at-risk of adverse outcomes. Studies using diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI) have found that conduct problems in adults are characterised by abnormal white-matter microstructure within a range of white matter pathways underpinning socio-emotional processing, while evidence within children and adolescents has been less conclusive based on non-specific diffusion tensor imaging metrics. Fixel-based analysis (FBA) provides measures of fibre density and morphology that are more sensitive to developmental changes in white matter microstructure. The current study used FBA to investigate whether childhood conduct problems were related both cross-sectionally and longitudinally to microstructural alterations within the fornix, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and the uncinate fasciculus (UF). dMRI data was obtained for 130 children across two time-points in a community sample with high levels of externalising difficulties (age: time-point 1 = 9.47 - 11.86 years, time-point 2 = 10.67 -13.45 years). Conduct problems were indexed at each time-point using the Conduct Problems subscale of the parent-informant Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Conduct problems were related to lower fibre density in the fornix at both time-points, and in the ILF at time-point 2. We also observed lower fibre cross-section in the UF at time-point 1. The change in conduct problems did not predict longitudinal changes in white-matter microstructure across time-points. The current study suggests that childhood conduct problems are related to reduced fibre-specific microstructure within white matter fibre pathways implicated in socio-emotional functioning.
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Jones SA, Kliamovich D, Nagel BJ. Sex hormones partially explain the sex-dependent effect of lifetime alcohol use on adolescent white matter microstructure. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 307:111230. [PMID: 33271433 PMCID: PMC7775887 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2020.111230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Revised: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies demonstrate profound sex-specific patterns of white matter microstructural neurodevelopment (i.e. fractional anisotropy; FA, and mean diffusivity; MD) during adolescence. While alcohol use has been associated with alterations in FA and MD, no studies have addressed the potential for sex-specific, alcohol-dose-dependent effects, during development. This prospective longitudinal study (2-4 visits, 310 total scans) used voxel-wise multilevel modeling, in 132 (68 female) adolescents (ages 12-21), to assess the sex-specific effects of lifetime alcohol use on FA and MD, during development. Follow-up analyses tested the role of sex hormones, testosterone and estradiol, in explaining the effects of alcohol use on FA and MD. In the splenium of the corpus callosum and posterior thalamic radiation, male adolescents demonstrated lower FA and greater MD as a function of more lifetime alcohol use, while female adolescents demonstrated the opposite. Further, significant associations between sex hormones and FA/MD partially explained the effect of alcohol use on FA and MD in male adolescents. These results provide evidence for sex-specific and dose-related effects of alcohol use on white matter microstructure, which are partially explained by sex hormones, and highlight the importance of studying sex and hormones when investigating the effects of alcohol use on the adolescent brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Dakota Kliamovich
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States; Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.
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15
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Barendse ME, Simmons JG, Smith RE, Seal ML, Whittle S. Adrenarcheal hormone-related development of white matter during late childhood. Neuroimage 2020; 223:117320. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
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16
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Harrison NA, Earley RL, Salekin RT. Reconsidering the role of sex hormones in psychopathy development: Estrogen and psychopathy among male justice-involved youth. Psychophysiology 2020; 58:e13694. [PMID: 33040361 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2019] [Revised: 08/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Prominent theory suggests that factor one psychopathic traits may develop from increased input from hormones in the hypothalamic pituitary gonadal axis (HPG; i.e., testosterone) and decreased input from the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA; i.e., cortisol). Although there are extensive findings connecting low cortisol to psychopathy, less support has emerged for high levels of testosterone. This study examined whether incorporating the HPG hormone, estradiol, into this model would reveal relationships in line with theory: high levels of estradiol and testosterone in combination with low levels of cortisol would inform psychopathic traits. Baseline and reactive hormone levels were measured and compared to Psychopathy Checklist-Youth Version (PCL-YV) interviews among 66 male justice-involved youth (M age = 15.73) in a Southeastern juvenile detention center. The primary findings of this study were relationships between interacting HPA and HPG axis hormones with facet one and facet two psychopathic traits. Specifically, psychopathy total scores, interpersonal traits, and affective traits related to estradiol and testosterone reactivity, in that psychopathy scores were more likely with decreases in hormone reactivity (i.e., change in hormone level) following a stressor. Moreover, affective traits related to reactivity in all three hormones. These findings support inclusion of estradiol in neurobiological models of psychopathy and consideration of the individual components of psychopathy. This study adds to the growing body of research supporting interactions between variations in functioning of the HPA and HPG axes in relation to psychopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalie A Harrison
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Ryan L Earley
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Randall T Salekin
- Department of Psychology, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
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17
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Geniole SN, Bird BM, McVittie JS, Purcell RB, Archer J, Carré JM. Is testosterone linked to human aggression? A meta-analytic examination of the relationship between baseline, dynamic, and manipulated testosterone on human aggression. Horm Behav 2020; 123:104644. [PMID: 31785281 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Testosterone is often considered a critical regulator of aggressive behaviour. There is castration/replacement evidence that testosterone indeed drives aggression in some species, but causal evidence in humans is generally lacking and/or-for the few studies that have pharmacologically manipulated testosterone concentrations-inconsistent. More often researchers have examined differences in baseline testosterone concentrations between groups known to differ in aggressiveness (e.g., violent vs non-violent criminals) or within a given sample using a correlational approach. Nevertheless, testosterone is not static but instead fluctuates in response to cues of challenge in the environment, and these challenge-induced fluctuations may more strongly regulate situation-specific aggressive behaviour. Here, we quantitatively summarize literature from all three approaches (baseline, change, and manipulation), providing the most comprehensive meta-analysis of these testosterone-aggression associations/effects in humans to date. Baseline testosterone shared a weak but significant association with aggression (r = 0.054, 95% CIs [0.028, 0.080]), an effect that was stronger and significant in men (r = 0.071, 95% CIs [0.041, 0.101]), but not women (r = 0.002, 95% CIs [-0.041, 0.044]). Changes in T were positively correlated with aggression (r = 0.108, 95% CIs [0.041, 0.174]), an effect that was also stronger and significant in men (r = 0.162, 95% CIs [0.076, 0.246]), but not women (r = 0.010, 95% CIs [-0.090, 0.109]). The causal effects of testosterone on human aggression were weaker yet, and not statistically significant (r = 0.046, 95% CIs [-0.015, 0.108]). We discuss the multiple moderators identified here (e.g., offender status of samples, sex) and elsewhere that may explain these generally weak effects. We also offer suggestions regarding methodology and sample sizes to best capture these associations in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- S N Geniole
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Dr. North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada; Department of Psychology, University of the Fraser Valley, 33844 King Rd, Abbotsford, BC V2S 7M8, Canada; Department of Basic Psychological Research and Research Methods, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, 1160, Vienna, Austria
| | - B M Bird
- Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, 8888 University Dr, Burnaby, British Columbia, V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - J S McVittie
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Dr. North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada
| | - R B Purcell
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Dr. North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada
| | - J Archer
- School of Psychology, University of Central Lancashire, Preston, Lancashire PR1 2HE, UK
| | - J M Carré
- Department of Psychology, Nipissing University, 100 College Dr. North Bay, ON P1B8L7, Canada.
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18
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Ho TC, Colich NL, Sisk LM, Oskirko K, Jo B, Gotlib IH. Sex differences in the effects of gonadal hormones on white matter microstructure development in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 42:100773. [PMID: 32452463 PMCID: PMC7058897 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by rapid brain development in white matter (WM) that is attributed in part to surges in gonadal hormones. To date, however, there have been few longitudinal investigations relating changes in gonadal hormones and WM development in adolescents. We acquired diffusion-weighted MRI to estimate mean fractional anisotropy (FA) from 10 WM tracts and salivary testosterone from 51 females and 29 males (ages 9-14 years) who were matched on pubertal stage and followed, on average, for 2 years. We tested whether interactions between sex and changes in testosterone levels significantly explained changes in FA. We found positive associations between changes in testosterone and changes in FA within the corpus callosum, cingulum cingulate, and corticospinal tract in females (all ps<0.05, corrected) and non-significant associations in males. We also collected salivary estradiol from females and found that increases in estradiol were associated with increases in FA in the left uncinate fasciculus (p = 0.04, uncorrected); however, this effect was no longer significant after accounting for changes in testosterone. Our findings indicate there are sex differences in how changes in testosterone relate to changes in WM microstructure of tracts that support impulse control and emotion regulation across the pubertal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Ho
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States; Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, United States; University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry & Weill Institute for Neurosciences, San Francisco, CA, United States.
| | - Natalie L Colich
- University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Lucinda M Sisk
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States; Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Kira Oskirko
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Booil Jo
- Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States
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19
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Mohammadi B, Szycik GR, Te Wildt B, Heldmann M, Samii A, Münte TF. Structural brain changes in young males addicted to video-gaming. Brain Cogn 2020; 139:105518. [PMID: 31954233 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Excessive video gaming has a number of psychological and social consequences. In this study, we looked at possible changes in gray and white matter and asked whether these changes are correlated to psychological measures. Twentynine players of violent videogames (mean daily playing time 4.7 h) and age matched controls were subjected to a battery of questionnaires assessing aggression, empathy, hostility, internet addiction and psychological well-being. Diffusion tensor and 3D T1-weighted MR images were obtained to examine gray (via voxel-based morphometry) and white (via tract-based spatial statistics) matter changes. Widespread regions of decreased gray matter in the players were found but no region showed increased intensity of gray matter. Density of gray matter showed a negative correlation with the total length of playing in years in the right posterior cingulate gyrus, left pre- and postcentral gyrus, right thalamus, among others. Furthermore, fractional anisotropy, a marker for white matter structure, was decreased in the left and right cingulum in the players. Both, gray and white matter changes correlated with measures of aggression, hostility, self esteem, and the degree of internet addiction. This study thus shows profound changes of brain structure as a function of excessive playing of violent video games.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahram Mohammadi
- Dept. of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; CNS-lab, International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany
| | - Gregor R Szycik
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
| | | | - Marcus Heldmann
- Dept. of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Amir Samii
- CNS-lab, International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany
| | - Thomas F Münte
- Dept. of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany; Institute of Psychology II, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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20
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Peper JS, Burke SM, Wierenga LM. Sex differences and brain development during puberty and adolescence. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2020; 175:25-54. [PMID: 33008529 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-64123-6.00003-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Sex differences in behavior, and whether these behavioral differences are related to sex differences in brain development, has been a longstanding topic of debate. Presumably, sex differences can provide critically important leads for explaining the etiology of various illnesses that show (i) large sex differences in prevalence and (ii) have an origin before or during adolescence. The general aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of scientific studies on sex differences in normative brain and behavioral development across puberty and adolescence, including the (sex) hormone-driven transition phase of puberty. Moreover, we describe the literature on brain and behavioral development in gender dysphoria, a severe and persistent incongruence between the self-identified gender and the assigned sex at birth. From the literature it becomes clear there is evidence for a specific link between pubertal maturation and developmental changes in arousal, motivation, and emotion. However, this link is rather similar between boys and girls. Moreover, although there is substantial evidence for sex differences in mean brain structure, these have not always been linked to sex differences in behavior, cognition, or psychopathology. Furthermore, there is little evidence for sex differences in brain development and thus, studies so far have been unable to explain sex differences in cognition. Suggestions for future research and methodologic considerations are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiska S Peper
- Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Sarah M Burke
- Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Lara M Wierenga
- Department of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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21
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Regions of white matter abnormalities in the arcuate fasciculus in veterans with anger and aggression problems. Brain Struct Funct 2019; 225:1401-1411. [PMID: 31883025 PMCID: PMC7271041 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-019-02016-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Aggression after military deployment is a common occurrence in veterans. Neurobiological research has shown that aggression is associated with a dysfunction in a network connecting brain regions implicated in threat processing and emotion regulation. However, aggression may also be related to deficits in networks underlying communication and social cognition. The uncinate and arcuate fasciculi are integral to these networks, thus studying potential abnormalities in these white matter connections can further our understanding of anger and aggression problems in military veterans. Here, we use diffusion tensor imaging tractography to investigate white matter microstructural properties of the uncinate fasciculus and the arcuate fasciculus in veterans with and without anger and aggression problems. A control tract, the parahippocampal cingulum was also included in the analyses. More specifically, fractional anisotropy (FA) estimates are derived along the trajectory from all fiber pathways and compared between both groups. No between-group FA differences are observed for the uncinate fasciculus and the cingulum, however parts of the arcuate fasciculus show a significantly lower FA in the group of veterans with aggression and anger problems. Our data suggest that abnormalities in arcuate fasciculus white matter connectivity that are related to self-regulation may play an important role in the etiology of anger and aggression in military veterans.
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Stoica T, Knight LK, Naaz F, Ramic M, Depue BE. Cortical morphometry and structural connectivity relate to executive function and estradiol level in healthy adolescents. Brain Behav 2019; 9:e01413. [PMID: 31568680 PMCID: PMC6908880 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Emotional and behavioral control is necessary self-regulatory processes to maintain stable goal-driven behavior. Studies indicate that variance in these executive function (EF) processes is related to morphological features of the brain and white matter (WM) differences. Furthermore, sex hormone level may modulate circuits in the brain important for cognitive function. METHODS We aimed to investigate the structural neural correlates of EF behavior in gray matter (GM) and WM while taking into account estradiol level, in an adolescent population. The present study obtained neuroimaging behavioral and physiological data from the National Institute of Health's Pediatric Database (NIHPD). We analyzed the relationship between cortical morphometry and structural connectivity (N = 55), using a parent-administered behavioral monitoring instrument (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-BRIEF), estradiol level, as well as their interaction. RESULTS Executive function behavior and estradiol level related to bidirectional associations with cortical morphometry in the right posterior dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (pDLPFC) and primary motor cortex (PMC), as well as fractional anisotropy (FA) in the forceps major and minor. Lastly, the interaction of EF behavior and estradiol level related to decreased volume in the right PMC and was linked to altered FA in the right inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (iFOF). CONCLUSIONS The study provides evidence that the relationship between EF behavior and estradiol level related to bidirectional GM and WM differences, implying estradiol level has an influence on the putative structural regions underlying EF behavior. The findings represent a crucial link between EF behavior and hormonal influence on brain structure in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teodora Stoica
- Interdisciplinary Program in Translational Neuroscience, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Lindsay Kathleen Knight
- Interdisciplinary Program in Translational Neuroscience, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Farah Naaz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Melina Ramic
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA
| | - Brendan E Depue
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.,Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
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Goddings AL, Beltz A, Peper JS, Crone EA, Braams BR. Understanding the Role of Puberty in Structural and Functional Development of the Adolescent Brain. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2019; 29:32-53. [PMID: 30869842 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in our understanding of structural and functional brain development in adolescence. However, understanding the role of puberty in this process has received much less attention. This review examines this relationship by summarizing recent research studies where the role of puberty was investigated in relation to brain structure, connectivity, and task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The studies together suggest that puberty may contribute to adolescent neural reorganization and maturational advancement, and sex differences also emerge in puberty. The current body of work shows some mixed results regarding impact and exact direction of pubertal influence. We discuss several limitations of current studies and propose future directions on how to move the field forward.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jiska S Peper
- Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
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Bolhuis K, Muetzel RL, Stringaris A, Hudziak JJ, Jaddoe VWV, Hillegers MHJ, White T, Kushner SA, Tiemeier H. Structural Brain Connectivity in Childhood Disruptive Behavior Problems: A Multidimensional Approach. Biol Psychiatry 2019; 85:336-344. [PMID: 30119874 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2018] [Revised: 07/04/2018] [Accepted: 07/05/2018] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies of white matter connectivity in children with disruptive behavior have yielded inconsistent results, possibly owing to the trait's heterogeneity, which comprises diverse symptoms like physical aggression, irritability, and delinquency. This study examined associations of global and specific white matter connectivity with childhood disruptive behavior problems, while accounting for their complex multidimensionality. METHODS In a large cross-sectional population-based study of 10-year-old preadolescents (n = 2567), we assessed four previously described empirically derived dimensions of disruptive behavior problems using the Child Behavior Checklist: physical aggression, irritability, disobedient behavior, and delinquent behavior. Global and specific white matter microstructure was assessed by diffusion tensor imaging. RESULTS Global fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity were not associated with broad measures of disruptive behavior, e.g., Child Behavior Checklist externalizing problems scale. Global fractional anisotropy was negatively associated with delinquent behavior (β = -.123, pfalse discovery rate adjusted = .028) and global mean diffusivity was positively associated with delinquent behavior (β = .205, pfalse discovery rate adjusted < 0.001), suggesting reduced white matter microstructure in preadolescents with higher levels of delinquent behavior. Lower white matter microstructure in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, superior longitudinal fasciculus, cingulum, and uncinate underlie these associations. Global white matter microstructure was not associated with physical aggression, irritability, or disobedient behavior. CONCLUSIONS Delinquent behavior, a severe manifestation of childhood disruptive behavior, was associated with lower white matter microstructure in tracts connecting frontal and temporal lobes. These brain regions are involved in decision making, reward processing, and emotion regulation. This study demonstrated that incorporating the multidimensional nature of childhood disruptive behavior traits shows promise in advancing the search for elucidating neurobiological correlates of disruptive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Koen Bolhuis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Argyris Stringaris
- Mood Brain & Development Unit, Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - James J Hudziak
- Department of Psychiatry, Vermont Center for Children, Youth and Families, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
| | - Vincent W V Jaddoe
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus Medical Center-Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Manon H J Hillegers
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Department of Radiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Steven A Kushner
- Department of Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts.
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Zabegalov KN, Kolesnikova TO, Khatsko SL, Volgin AD, Yakovlev OA, Amstislavskaya TG, Friend AJ, Bao W, Alekseeva PA, Lakstygal AM, Meshalkina DA, Demin KA, de Abreu MS, Rosemberg DB, Kalueff AV. Understanding zebrafish aggressive behavior. Behav Processes 2019; 158:200-210. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.11.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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26
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Chegeni R, Sagoe D, Mentzoni RA, Pallesen S. Aggression and Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid Use Intent in Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study. Subst Use Misuse 2019; 54:1509-1518. [PMID: 30931688 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2019.1589522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Background: There is a dearth of longitudinal studies on risk factors for anabolic-androgenic steroid (AAS) use and intent. Objectives: We conducted a longitudinal investigation of factors associated with AAS use intent from age 18 to 19, examining particularly the role of physical and verbal aggression. A sample of Norwegians completed questionnaires containing demographic, AAS use and intent, other addictions, aggression, and health measures at ages 18 (N = 1333, females = 58.9%) and 19 (N = 1277, females = 61.7%). The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlations, and hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Results show that AAS use prevalence increased from 1 person at age 18 to 4 persons at age 19. Intent to use AAS, being male, living alone, and AAS use (all at 18 years) were associated with higher AAS use intent at 19 years. We found no associations between physical or verbal aggression and AAS use intent from ages 18 to 19. Conclusions: Our findings indicate temporal stability in AAS use intent, as well as the influence of demographic and health factors on AAS use intent from ages 18 to 19. Implications of findings for practice and future research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Razieh Chegeni
- a Department of Psychosocial Science , University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway
| | - Dominic Sagoe
- a Department of Psychosocial Science , University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway
| | - Rune A Mentzoni
- a Department of Psychosocial Science , University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway
| | - Ståle Pallesen
- a Department of Psychosocial Science , University of Bergen , Bergen , Norway
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27
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Bos MG, Wierenga LM, Blankenstein NE, Schreuders E, Tamnes CK, Crone EA. Longitudinal structural brain development and externalizing behavior in adolescence. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2018; 59:1061-1072. [PMID: 30255501 PMCID: PMC6175471 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cross-sectional studies report relations between externalizing behavior and structural abnormalities in cortical thickness of prefrontal regions and volume reductions in subcortical regions. To understand how these associations emerge and develop, longitudinal designs are pivotal. METHOD In the current longitudinal study, a community sample of children, adolescents and young adults (N = 271) underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in three biennial waves (680 scans). At each wave, aspects of externalizing behavior were assessed with parent-reported aggression and rule-breaking scores (Child Behavior Checklist), and self-reported aggression scores (Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire). Regions of interest (ROIs) were selected based on prior research: dorsolateral prefrontal (dlPFC), orbitofrontal (OFC), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), insula, and parahippocampal cortex, as well as subcortical regions. Linear mixed models were used to assess the longitudinal relation between externalizing behavior and structural brain development. Structural covariance analyses were employed to identify whether longitudinal relations between ROIs (maturational coupling) were associated with externalizing behavior. RESULTS Linear mixed model analyses showed a negative relation between parent-reported aggression and right hippocampal volume. Moreover, this longitudinal relation was driven by change in hippocampal volume and not initial volume of hippocampus at time point 1. Exploratory analyses showed that stronger maturational coupling between prefrontal regions, the limbic system, and striatum was associated with both low and high externalizing behavior. CONCLUSIONS Together, these findings reinforce the hypothesis that altered structural brain development coincides with development of more externalizing behavior. These findings may guide future research on normative and deviant development of externalizing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marieke G.N. Bos
- Institute of PsychologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands,Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Lara M. Wierenga
- Institute of PsychologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands,Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Neeltje E. Blankenstein
- Institute of PsychologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands,Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands,Institute of Education and Child StudiesLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands,Department of Child and Adolescent PsychiatryVU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Elisabeth Schreuders
- Institute of PsychologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands,Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands,Department of Developmental PsychologyTilburg UniversityTilburgThe Netherlands
| | - Christian K. Tamnes
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway,Department of PsychiatryDiakonhjemmet HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Eveline A. Crone
- Institute of PsychologyLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands,Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeidenThe Netherlands
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28
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Vijayakumar N, Op de Macks Z, Shirtcliff EA, Pfeifer JH. Puberty and the human brain: Insights into adolescent development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:417-436. [PMID: 29972766 PMCID: PMC6234123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 31.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Alongside the exponential flourish of research on age-related trajectories of human brain development during childhood and adolescence in the past two decades, there has been an increase in the body of work examining the association between pubertal development and brain maturation. This review systematically examines empirical research on puberty-related structural and functional brain development in humans, with the aim of identifying convergent patterns of associations. We emphasize longitudinal studies, and discuss pervasive but oft-overlooked methodological issues that may be contributing to inconsistent findings and hindering progress (e.g., conflating distinct pubertal indices and different measurement instruments). We also briefly evaluate support for prominent models of adolescent neurodevelopment that hypothesize puberty-related changes in brain regions involved in affective and motivational processes. For the field to progress, replication studies are needed to help resolve current inconsistencies and gain a clearer understanding of pubertal associations with brain development in humans, knowledge that is crucial to make sense of the changes in psychosocial functioning, risk behavior, and mental health during adolescence.
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29
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Peper JS, Braams BR, Blankenstein NE, Bos MG, Crone EA. Development of Multifaceted Risk Taking and the Relations to Sex Steroid Hormones: A Longitudinal Study. Child Dev 2018; 89:1887-1907. [DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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30
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Barendse MEA, Simmons JG, Byrne ML, Seal ML, Patton G, Mundy L, Wood SJ, Olsson CA, Allen NB, Whittle S. Brain structural connectivity during adrenarche: Associations between hormone levels and white matter microstructure. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 88:70-77. [PMID: 29175736 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.11.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Levels of the adrenal hormones dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), its sulfate (DHEAS), and testosterone, have all been linked to behavior and mental health during adrenarche, and preclinical studies suggest that these hormones influence brain development. However, little is known about how variation in these hormones is associated with white matter structure during this period of life. The current study aimed to examine associations between DHEA, DHEAS, and testosterone, and white matter microstructure during adrenarche. To avoid the confounding effect of age on hormone levels, we tested these associations in 87 children within a narrow age range (mean age 9.56 years, SD=0.34) but varying in hormone levels. All children provided saliva samples directly after waking and completed a diffusion-weighted MRI scan. Higher levels of DHEA were associated with higher mean diffusivity (MD) in a widespread cluster of white matter tracts, which was partially explained by higher radial diffusivity (RD) and partially by higher axial diffusivity (AD). In addition, there was an interaction between DHEA and testosterone, with higher levels of testosterone being associated with higher fractional anisotropy (FA) and lower MD and RD when DHEA levels were relatively high, but with lower FA and higher MD and RD when DHEA levels were low. These findings suggest that relatively early exposure to DHEA, as well as an imbalance between the adrenal hormones, may be associated with alterations in white matter microstructure. These findings highlight the potential relevance of adrenarcheal hormones for structural brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marjolein E A Barendse
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia.
| | - Julian G Simmons
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Michelle L Byrne
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Marc L Seal
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - George Patton
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Lisa Mundy
- Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
| | - Stephen J Wood
- Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence for Youth Mental Health, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK
| | - Craig A Olsson
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, VIC, 3125, Australia
| | - Nicholas B Allen
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, 97403, USA
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC, 3052, Australia
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31
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Wierenga LM, van den Heuvel MP, Oranje B, Giedd JN, Durston S, Peper JS, Brown TT, Crone EA. A multisample study of longitudinal changes in brain network architecture in 4-13-year-old children. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 39:157-170. [PMID: 28960629 PMCID: PMC5783977 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2017] [Revised: 09/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent advances in human neuroimaging research have revealed that white-matter connectivity can be described in terms of an integrated network, which is the basis of the human connectome. However, the developmental changes of this connectome in childhood are not well understood. This study made use of two independent longitudinal diffusion-weighted imaging data sets to characterize developmental changes in the connectome by estimating age-related changes in fractional anisotropy (FA) for reconstructed fibers (edges) between 68 cortical regions. The first sample included 237 diffusion-weighted scans of 146 typically developing children (4-13 years old, 74 females) derived from the Pediatric Longitudinal Imaging, Neurocognition, and Genetics (PLING) study. The second sample included 141 scans of 97 individuals (8-13 years old, 62 females) derived from the BrainTime project. In both data sets, we compared edges that had the most substantial age-related change in FA to edges that showed little change in FA. This allowed us to investigate if developmental changes in white matter reorganize network topology. We observed substantial increases in edges connecting peripheral and a set of highly connected hub regions, referred to as the rich club. Together with the observed topological differences between regions connecting to edges showing the smallest and largest changes in FA, this indicates that changes in white matter affect network organization, such that highly connected regions become even more strongly imbedded in the network. These findings suggest that an important process in brain development involves organizing patterns of inter-regional interactions. Hum Brain Mapp 39:157-170, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara M Wierenga
- Institute of psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, RB 2300, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, RB 2300, The Netherlands
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, CX 3584, The Netherlands
| | - Bob Oranje
- NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, CX 3584, The Netherlands
| | - Jay N Giedd
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Sarah Durston
- NICHE Lab, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, CX 3584, The Netherlands
| | - Jiska S Peper
- Institute of psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, RB 2300, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, RB 2300, The Netherlands
| | - Timothy T Brown
- Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, La Jolla, Califoria
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Institute of psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, RB 2300, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, RB 2300, The Netherlands
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32
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Tamnes CK, Roalf DR, Goddings AL, Lebel C. Diffusion MRI of white matter microstructure development in childhood and adolescence: Methods, challenges and progress. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2017; 33:161-175. [PMID: 29229299 PMCID: PMC6969268 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2017.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Revised: 05/18/2017] [Accepted: 12/04/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) continues to grow in popularity as a useful neuroimaging method to study brain development, and longitudinal studies that track the same individuals over time are emerging. Over the last decade, seminal work using dMRI has provided new insights into the development of brain white matter (WM) microstructure, connections and networks throughout childhood and adolescence. This review provides an introduction to dMRI, both diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and other dMRI models, as well as common acquisition and analysis approaches. We highlight the difficulties associated with ascribing these imaging measurements and their changes over time to specific underlying cellular and molecular events. We also discuss selected methodological challenges that are of particular relevance for studies of development, including critical choices related to image acquisition, image analysis, quality control assessment, and the within-subject and longitudinal reliability of dMRI measurements. Next, we review the exciting progress in the characterization and understanding of brain development that has resulted from dMRI studies in childhood and adolescence, including brief overviews and discussions of studies focusing on sex and individual differences. Finally, we outline future directions that will be beneficial to the field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - David R Roalf
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Catherine Lebel
- Department of Radiology, Cumming School of Medicine, and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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33
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Goldenberg D, Telzer EH, Lieberman MD, Fuligni AJ, Galván A. Greater response variability in adolescents is associated with increased white matter development. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2017; 12:436-444. [PMID: 27651539 PMCID: PMC5390745 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsw132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2016] [Accepted: 09/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of learning, exploration, and continuous adaptation to fluctuating environments. Response variability during adolescence is an important, understudied, and developmentally appropriate behavior. The purpose of this study was to identify the association between performance on a dynamic risky decision making task and white matter microstructure in a sample of 48 adolescents (14–16 years). Individuals with the greatest response variability on the task obtained the widest range of experience with potential outcomes to risky choice. When compared with their more behaviorally consistent peers, adolescents with greater response variability rated real-world examples of risk taking behaviors as less risky via self-report. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) were used to examine fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD). Greater FA in long-range, late-maturing tracts was associated with higher response variability. Greater FA and lower MD were associated with lower riskiness ratings of real-world risky behaviors. Results suggest that response variability and lower perceived risk attitudes of real-world risk are supported by neural maturation in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diane Goldenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Eva H Telzer
- Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Matthew D Lieberman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Andrew J Fuligni
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adriana Galván
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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34
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Besteher B, Squarcina L, Spalthoff R, Bellani M, Gaser C, Brambilla P, Nenadić I. Brain structural correlates of irritability: Findings in a large healthy cohort. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:6230-6238. [PMID: 28945310 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23824] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 09/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Irritability and nonviolent aggression are common behavioral features across the population, yet there is limited neurobiological research into subclinical phenotypes representing the lower edge of a symptom continuum ranging from slight irritability to criminal violence. We studied brain structural correlates of irritability in a large healthy cohort to test the hypothesis of associations with fronto-limbic brain structures implicated in mood regulation. In a large multicenter effort, we recruited 409 mentally healthy adults from the community, who received T1-weighted high-resolution 3 T MRI scans. These structural scans were automatically preprocessed for voxel- and surface-based morphometry measurements with the CAT 12 toolbox implemented in SPM 12. Subclinical aggressive symptoms were assessed using the SCL-90-R aggression/hostility subscale and then correlated with cortical volume (VBM), and cortical thickness and gyrification. VBM analysis showed significant (P < 0.05, FDR-corrected at peak-level) positive correlations of cortical volume with SCL-90-R aggression subscale values in large clusters spanning bilateral anterior cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices and left lingual and postcentral gyri. Surface-based morphometry yielded mostly uncorrected positive correlations with cortical thickness in bilateral precentral gyri and with gyrification in left insula and superior temporal gyrus. Our findings imply an association of subclinical aggressive symptoms with cortical volume in areas important for emotion awareness and regulation, which might also be related to cortical adaptation to mental stress. These results overlap with several findings on impulsive aggression in patients suffering from affective and disruptive behavior disorders. They also suggest a biological symptom continuum manifesting in these brain areas. Hum Brain Mapp 38:6230-6238, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Besteher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Robert Spalthoff
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | | | - Christian Gaser
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, University of Texas at Houston, Houston, Texas
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Philipps-University Marburg/Marburg University Hospital - UKGM, Marburg, Germany
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35
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Lazaratou H, Kalogerakis Z, Economou M, Xenitidis K. Socioeconomic crisis and aggressive behaviour of Greek adolescents. Int J Soc Psychiatry 2017; 63:488-491. [PMID: 28805156 DOI: 10.1177/0020764017719737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Aggressive behaviours are common during adolescence. In Greece, adolescents and their families experience a severe and enduring recession with potentially adverse impact on mental health. AIM This study aimed to examine the correlation between adolescents' aggressive behaviour and economic factors. METHODS The Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ) was used to measure aggression. Reduction in pocket money and three items of the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale were used to measure material deprivation as a result of the economic crisis. The questionnaires were administrated to a sample of 2,159 adolescent students of the Greater Athens Metropolitan Area. RESULTS Students who during the previous 4 weeks had experienced household food insecurity (anxiety/uncertainty about food, insufficient food quality or insufficient food intake) or had their pocket money decreased within the last 6 months scored on average significantly higher in the AQ compared to their counterparts who did not. CONCLUSION The shortage in basic goods due to the actual Greek economic crisis seems to be related to aggressive behaviours during adolescence and we should take this into account in clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Lazaratou
- 1 First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Zacharias Kalogerakis
- 1 First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Marina Economou
- 1 First Department of Psychiatry, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
| | - Kiriakos Xenitidis
- 2 The Maudsley Hospital, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
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36
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Kranz GS, Seiger R, Kaufmann U, Hummer A, Hahn A, Ganger S, Tik M, Windischberger C, Kasper S, Lanzenberger R. Effects of sex hormone treatment on white matter microstructure in individuals with gender dysphoria. Neuroimage 2017; 150:60-67. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.02.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Revised: 12/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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37
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Schutter DJLG, Meuwese R, Bos MGN, Crone EA, Peper JS. Exploring the role of testosterone in the cerebellum link to neuroticism: From adolescence to early adulthood. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 78:203-212. [PMID: 28214680 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/10/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Previous research has found an association between a smaller cerebellar volume and higher levels of neuroticism. The steroid hormone testosterone reduces stress responses and the susceptibility to negative mood. Together with in vitro studies showing a positive effect of testosterone on cerebellar gray matter volumes, we set out to explore the role of testosterone in the relation between cerebellar gray matter and neuroticism. Structural magnetic resonance imaging scans were acquired, and indices of neurotic personality traits were assessed by administering the depression and anxiety scale of the revised NEO personality inventory and Gray's behavioural avoidance in one hundred and forty-nine healthy volunteers between 12 and 27 years of age. Results demonstrated an inverse relation between total brain corrected cerebellar volumes and neurotic personality traits in adolescents and young adults. In males, higher endogenous testosterone levels were associated with lower scores on neurotic personality traits and larger cerebellar gray matter volumes. No such relations were observed in the female participants. Analyses showed that testosterone significantly mediated the relation between male cerebellar gray matter and measures of neuroticism. Our findings on the interrelations between endogenous testosterone, neuroticism and cerebellar morphology provide a cerebellum-oriented framework for the susceptibility to experience negative emotions and mood in adolescence and early adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis J L G Schutter
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 3, 6525 HR Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
| | - Rosa Meuwese
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke G N Bos
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
| | - Jiska S Peper
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, The Netherlands
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38
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White-matter tract abnormalities and antisocial behavior: A systematic review of diffusion tensor imaging studies across development. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2017; 14:201-215. [PMID: 28180079 PMCID: PMC5280002 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2016] [Revised: 12/20/2016] [Accepted: 01/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Antisocial behavior (AB), including aggression, violence, and theft, is thought be underpinned by abnormal functioning in networks of the brain critical to emotion processing, behavioral control, and reward-related learning. To better understand the abnormal functioning of these networks, research has begun to investigate the structural connections between brain regions implicated in AB using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), which assesses white-matter tract microstructure. This systematic review integrates findings from 22 studies that examined the relationship between white-matter microstructure and AB across development. In contrast to a prior hypothesis that AB is associated with greater diffusivity specifically in the uncinate fasciculus, findings suggest that adult AB is associated with greater diffusivity across a range of white-matter tracts, including the uncinate fasciculus, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, cingulum, corticospinal tract, thalamic radiations, and corpus callosum. The pattern of findings among youth studies was inconclusive with both higher and lower diffusivity found across association, commissural, and projection and thalamic tracts. Antisocial behavior (AB) is characterized by impaired emotion and reward processing. These behaviors may develop from microstructural abnormalities of white-matter tracts. We provide a systematic review of 22 diffusion tensor imaging studies of AB. Adult AB was linked to greater diffusivity (“poorer integrity”) across a range of white-matter tracts. For youth AB, there were mixed findings.
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Key Words
- AB, antisocial behavior
- AD, axial diffusivity
- APD, antisocial personality disorder
- Antisocial behavior
- CD, conduct disorder
- CU, callous-unemotional
- Callous-unemotional traits
- DMN, default mode network
- DTI, diffusion tensor imaging
- Diffusion tensor imaging
- FA, fractional anisotropy
- IFOF, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus
- ILF, inferior longitudinal fasciculus
- MD, mean diffusivity
- Neuroimaging
- Psychopathy
- RD, radial diffusivity
- SLF, superior longitudinal fasciculus
- Systematic review
- UF, uncinate fasciculus
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39
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Savic I, Frisen L, Manzouri A, Nordenstrom A, Lindén Hirschberg A. Role of testosterone and Y chromosome genes for the masculinization of the human brain. Hum Brain Mapp 2017; 38:1801-1814. [PMID: 28070912 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2016] [Revised: 10/18/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Women with complete androgen insensitivity syndrome (CAIS) have a male (46,XY) karyotype but no functional androgen receptors. Their condition, therefore, offers a unique model for studying testosterone effects on cerebral sex dimorphism. We present MRI data from 16 women with CAIS and 32 male (46,XY) and 32 female (46,XX) controls. METHODS FreeSurfer software was employed to measure cortical thickness and subcortical structural volumes. Axonal connections, indexed by fractional anisotropy, (FA) were measured with diffusion tensor imaging, and functional connectivity with resting state fMRI. RESULTS Compared to men, CAIS women displayed a "female" pattern by having thicker parietal and occipital cortices, lower FA values in the right corticospinal, superior and inferior longitudinal tracts, and corpus callosum. Their functional connectivity from the amygdala to the medial prefrontal cortex, was stronger and amygdala-connections to the motor cortex weaker than in control men. CAIS and control women also showed stronger posterior cingulate and precuneus connections in the default mode network. Thickness of the motor cortex, the caudate volume, and the FA in the callosal body followed, however, a "male" pattern. CONCLUSION Altogether, these data suggest that testosterone modulates the microstructure of somatosensory and visual cortices and their axonal connections to the frontal cortex. Testosterone also influenced functional connections from the amygdala, whereas the motor cortex could, in agreement with our previous reports, be moderated by processes linked to X-chromosome gene dosage. These data raise the question about other genetic factors masculinizing the human brain than the SRY gene and testosterone. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1801-1814, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivanka Savic
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden.,Department of Neurology, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden
| | - Louise Frisen
- Dept of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden.,Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Research Center, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden
| | - Amirhossein Manzouri
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden
| | - Anna Nordenstrom
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden
| | - Angelica Lindén Hirschberg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, SE-113 30, Sweden.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
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40
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Herting MM, Sowell ER. Puberty and structural brain development in humans. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 44:122-137. [PMID: 28007528 PMCID: PMC5612369 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a transitional period of physical and behavioral development between childhood and adulthood. Puberty is a distinct period of sexual maturation that occurs during adolescence. Since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), human studies have largely examined neurodevelopment in the context of age. A breadth of animal findings suggest that sex hormones continue to influence the brain beyond the prenatal period, with both organizational and activational effects occurring during puberty. Given the animal evidence, human MRI research has also set out to determine how puberty may influence otherwise known patterns of age-related neurodevelopment. Here we review structural-based MRI studies and show that pubertal maturation is a key variable to consider in elucidating sex- and individual- based differences in patterns of human brain development. We also highlight the continuing challenges faced, as well as future considerations, for this vital avenue of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Herting
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States.
| | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
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41
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Development of brain networks and relevance of environmental and genetic factors: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 71:215-239. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2016] [Revised: 07/10/2016] [Accepted: 08/23/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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42
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Alarcón G, Cservenka A, Nagel BJ. Adolescent neural response to reward is related to participant sex and task motivation. Brain Cogn 2016; 111:51-62. [PMID: 27816780 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2016.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2016] [Revised: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 10/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Risky decision making is prominent during adolescence, perhaps contributed to by heightened sensation seeking and ongoing maturation of reward and dopamine systems in the brain, which are, in part, modulated by sex hormones. In this study, we examined sex differences in the neural substrates of reward sensitivity during a risky decision-making task and hypothesized that compared with girls, boys would show heightened brain activation in reward-relevant regions, particularly the nucleus accumbens, during reward receipt. Further, we hypothesized that testosterone and estradiol levels would mediate this sex difference. Moreover, we predicted boys would make more risky choices on the task. While boys showed increased nucleus accumbens blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) response relative to girls, sex hormones did not mediate this effect. As predicted, boys made a higher percentage of risky decisions during the task. Interestingly, boys also self-reported more motivation to perform well and earn money on the task, while girls self-reported higher state anxiety prior to the scan session. Motivation to earn money partially mediated the effect of sex on nucleus accumbens activity during reward. Previous research shows that increased motivation and salience of reinforcers is linked with more robust striatal BOLD response, therefore psychosocial factors, in addition to sex, may play an important role in reward sensitivity. Elucidating neurobiological mechanisms that support adolescent sex differences in risky decision making has important implications for understanding individual differences that lead to advantageous and adverse behaviors that affect health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Alarcón
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Anita Cservenka
- School of Psychological Science, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
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Abstract
AbstractVariation in the quality of parental care has a tremendous impact on a child's social–emotional development. Research investigating the predictors of this variability in human caregiving behavior has mostly focused on learning mechanisms. Evidence is currently accumulating for the complementary underlying role of steroid hormones and neuropeptides. An overview is provided of the hormones and neuropeptides relevant for human caregiving behavior. Then the developmental factors are described that stimulate variability in sensitivity to these hormones and neuropeptides, which may result in variability in the behavioral repertoire of caregiving. The role of genetic variation in neuropeptide and steroid receptors, the role of testosterone and oxytocin during fetal development and parturition, and the impact of experienced caregiving in childhood on functioning of the neuroendocrine stress and oxytocin system are discussed. Besides providing a heuristic framework for further research on the ontogenetic development of human caregiving, a neuroendocrine model is also presented for the intergenerational transmission of caregiving practices. Insight into the underlying biological mechanisms that bring about maladaptive caregiving behavior, such as neglect and insensitive parenting, will hopefully result in more efficient approaches to reduce the high prevalence of such behavior and to minimize the impact on those affected.
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44
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Frontostriatal White Matter Integrity Predicts Development of Delay of Gratification: A Longitudinal Study. J Neurosci 2016; 36:1954-61. [PMID: 26865618 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.3459-15.2016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED The ability to delay gratification increases considerably across development. Here, we test the hypothesis that this impulse control capacity is driven by increased maturation of frontostriatal circuitry using a fiber-tracking approach combined with longitudinal imaging. In total, 192 healthy volunteers between 8 and 26 years underwent diffusion tensor imaging scanning and completed a delay-discounting task twice, separated by a 2-year interval. We investigated dynamic associations between frontostriatal white matter (WM) integrity and delay of gratification skills. Moreover, we examined the predictive value of frontostriatal WM integrity for future delay of gratification skills. Results showed that delay discounting increases with age in a quadratic fashion, with greatest patience during late adolescence. Data also indicated nonlinear development of frontostriatal WM, with relative fast development during childhood and early adulthood and--on average--little change during mid-adolescence. Furthermore, the positive association between age and delay discounting was further increased in individuals with higher WM integrity of the frontostriatal tracts. Predictive analysis showed that frontostriatal WM development explained unique variance in current and future delay of gratification skills. This study adds to a descriptive relation between WM integrity and delay of gratification by showing that maturation of frontostriatal connectivity predicts changes in delay of gratification skills. These findings have implications for studies examining deviances in impulse control by showing that the developmental path between striatum and prefrontal cortex may be an important predictor for when development goes astray. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT During the transition from childhood to adulthood, individuals generally show increased patience and become better in delaying gratification. The exact neural correlates of delay of gratification, however, remain poorly understood. By measuring both frontostriatal white matter (WM) integrity and delay of gratification skills at two time points, we were able to provide links for our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying this type of impulse regulation capacity. We demonstrate that the ability to delay gratification improves between childhood and young adulthood and this improvement is predicted by the integrity of frontostriatal WM connections. This study adds to a descriptive relation between WM quality and delay of gratification by showing that maturation of frontostriatal connectivity predicts improvements in delay of gratification skills.
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45
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Crone EA, van Duijvenvoorde ACK, Peper JS. Annual Research Review: Neural contributions to risk-taking in adolescence--developmental changes and individual differences. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2016; 57:353-68. [PMID: 26889896 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Risk-taking, which involves voluntary choices for behaviors where outcomes remain uncertain, undergoes considerable developmental changes during childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. In addition, risk-taking is thought to be a key element of many externalizing disorders, such as ADHD, delinquency, conduct disorder, and substance abuse. In this review, we will discuss the potential adaptive and nonadaptive properties of risk-taking in childhood and adolescence. FINDINGS We propose that the changes in brain architecture and function are a crucial element underlying these developmental trajectories. We first identify how subcortical and cortical interactions are important for understanding risk-taking behavior in adults. Next, we show how developmental changes in this network underlie changes in risk-taking behavior. Finally, we explore how these differences can be important for understanding externalizing behavioral disorders in childhood and adolescence. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that longitudinal studies are of crucial importance for understanding these developmental trajectories, and many of these studies are currently underway.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eveline A Crone
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Anna C K van Duijvenvoorde
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Jiska S Peper
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
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46
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Hahn A, Kranz GS, Sladky R, Kaufmann U, Ganger S, Hummer A, Seiger R, Spies M, Vanicek T, Winkler D, Kasper S, Windischberger C, Swaab DF, Lanzenberger R. Testosterone affects language areas of the adult human brain. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:1738-48. [PMID: 26876303 PMCID: PMC4949561 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2015] [Revised: 12/17/2015] [Accepted: 01/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the sex steroid hormone testosterone is integrally involved in the development of language processing, ethical considerations mostly limit investigations to single hormone administrations. To circumvent this issue we assessed the influence of continuous high-dose hormone application in adult female-to-male transsexuals. Subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging before and after 4 weeks of testosterone treatment, with each scan including structural, diffusion weighted and functional imaging. Voxel-based morphometry analysis showed decreased gray matter volume with increasing levels of bioavailable testosterone exclusively in Broca's and Wernicke's areas. Particularly, this may link known sex differences in language performance to the influence of testosterone on relevant brain regions. Using probabilistic tractography, we further observed that longitudinal changes in testosterone negatively predicted changes in mean diffusivity of the corresponding structural connection passing through the extreme capsule. Considering a related increase in myelin staining in rodents, this potentially reflects a strengthening of the fiber tract particularly involved in language comprehension. Finally, functional images at resting-state were evaluated, showing increased functional connectivity between the two brain regions with increasing testosterone levels. These findings suggest testosterone-dependent neuroplastic adaptations in adulthood within language-specific brain regions and connections. Importantly, deteriorations in gray matter volume seem to be compensated by enhancement of corresponding structural and functional connectivity. Hum Brain Mapp 37:1738-1748, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Hahn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Georg S Kranz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronald Sladky
- MR Center of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Ulrike Kaufmann
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Sebastian Ganger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Allan Hummer
- MR Center of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Rene Seiger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Marie Spies
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Vanicek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Dietmar Winkler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Siegfried Kasper
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Windischberger
- MR Center of Excellence, Center for Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
| | - Dick F Swaab
- Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Rupert Lanzenberger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Austria
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47
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Lederer K, Fouche JP, Wilson D, Stein DJ, Uhlmann A. Frontal white matter changes and aggression in methamphetamine dependence. Metab Brain Dis 2016; 31:53-62. [PMID: 26671551 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-015-9775-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Chronic methamphetamine (MA) use can lead to white matter (WM) changes and increased levels of aggression. While previous studies have examined WM abnormalities relating to cognitive impairment, associations between WM integrity and aggression in MA dependence remain unclear. Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) was used to investigate WM changes in 40 individuals with MA dependence and 40 matched healthy controls. A region of interest (ROI) approach using tract based spatial statistics (TBSS) in FSL was performed. We compared fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), parallel diffusivity (λ║) and perpendicular diffusivity (λ┴) in WM tracts of the frontal brain. A relationship of WM with aggression scores from the Buss & Perry Questionnaire was investigated. Mean scores for anger (p < 0.001), physical aggression (p = 0.032) and total aggression (p = 0.021) were significantly higher in the MA group relative to controls. ROI analysis showed increased MD (U = 439.5, p = 0.001) and λ┴ (U = 561.5, p = 0.021) values in the genu of the corpus callosum, and increased MD (U = 541.5, p = 0.012) values in the right cingulum in MA dependence. None of the WM changes were significantly associated with aggression scores. This study provides evidence of frontal WM changes and increased levels of aggression in individuals with MA dependence. The lack of significant associations between WM and aggressive behaviour may reflect methodological issues in measuring such behaviour, or may indicate that the neurobiology of aggression is not simply correlated with WM damage but is more complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina Lederer
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa
| | - Jean-Paul Fouche
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Don Wilson
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa
| | - Anne Uhlmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, J-Block, Groote Schuur Hospital, Observatory, South Africa.
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48
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Achterberg M, van Duijvenvoorde ACK, Bakermans-Kranenburg MJ, Crone EA. Control your anger! The neural basis of aggression regulation in response to negative social feedback. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2016; 11:712-20. [PMID: 26755768 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Negative social feedback often generates aggressive feelings and behavior. Prior studies have investigated the neural basis of negative social feedback, but the underlying neural mechanisms of aggression regulation following negative social feedback remain largely undiscovered. In the current study, participants viewed pictures of peers with feedback (positive, neutral or negative) to the participant's personal profile. Next, participants responded to the peer feedback by pressing a button, thereby producing a loud noise toward the peer, as an index of aggression. Behavioral analyses showed that negative feedback led to more aggression (longer noise blasts). Conjunction neuroimaging analyses revealed that both positive and negative feedback were associated with increased activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) and bilateral insula. In addition, more activation in the right dorsal lateral PFC (dlPFC) during negative feedback vs neutral feedback was associated with shorter noise blasts in response to negative social feedback, suggesting a potential role of dlPFC in aggression regulation, or top-down control over affective impulsive actions. This study demonstrates a role of the dlPFC in the regulation of aggressive social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Achterberg
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, and
| | - Anna C K van Duijvenvoorde
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, and
| | - Marian J Bakermans-Kranenburg
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, and Centre for Child and Family Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Leiden Consortium on Individual Development, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands, and
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49
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Karlsgodt KH, Bato AA, Blair MA, DeRosse P, Szeszko PR, Malhotra AK. White matter microstructure in the executive network associated with aggression in healthy adolescents and young adults. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 10:1251-6. [PMID: 25691778 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Predicting which individuals may engage in aggressive behavior is of interest in today's society; however, there is little data on the neural basis of aggression in healthy individuals. Here, we tested whether regional differences in white matter (WM) microstructure were associated with later reports of aggressive tendencies. We recontacted healthy young adults an average of 3 years after they underwent research MRI scans. Via electronic survey, we administered the Buss Perry Aggression Questionnaire. We divided aggression into Aggressive Thoughts (Anger and Hostility subscales) and Aggressive Acts (Verbal and Physical subscales) and used Tract-Based Spatial Statistics to test the relationship of those measures to WM microstructure. In 45 individuals age 15-30 at baseline, we observed significant relationships between Aggressive Acts and fractional anisotropy (FA) in a parietal region consistent with the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). As the SLF has an established relationship to executive function, we performed an exploratory analysis in a subset of individuals with working memory data. Decreased FA in executive network regions, as well as working memory performance, were associated with later self-reported aggressive tendencies. This has implications for our healthy behavior understanding of as well as that of patient populations known to have executive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine H Karlsgodt
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset NY, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks NY, and Hofstra NorthShore LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead NY, USA
| | - Angelica A Bato
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset NY, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks NY, and
| | - Melanie A Blair
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset NY, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks NY, and
| | - Pamela DeRosse
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset NY, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks NY, and
| | - Philip R Szeszko
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset NY, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks NY, and Hofstra NorthShore LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead NY, USA
| | - Anil K Malhotra
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, Manhasset NY, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Glen Oaks NY, and Hofstra NorthShore LIJ School of Medicine, Hempstead NY, USA
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