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Cánepa ET, Berardino BG. Epigenetic mechanisms linking early-life adversities and mental health. Biochem J 2024; 481:615-642. [PMID: 38722301 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20230306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2024] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/15/2024]
Abstract
Early-life adversities, whether prenatal or postnatal exposure, have been linked to adverse mental health outcomes later in life increasing the risk of several psychiatric disorders. Research on its neurobiological consequences demonstrated an association between exposure to adversities and persistent alterations in the structure, function, and connectivity of the brain. Consistent evidence supports the idea that regulation of gene expression through epigenetic mechanisms are involved in embedding the impact of early-life experiences in the genome and mediate between social environments and later behavioral phenotypes. In addition, studies from rodent models and humans suggest that these experiences and the acquired risk factors can be transmitted through epigenetic mechanisms to offspring and the following generations potentially contributing to a cycle of disease or disease risk. However, one of the important aspects of epigenetic mechanisms, unlike genetic sequences that are fixed and unchangeable, is that although the epigenetic markings are long-lasting, they are nevertheless potentially reversible. In this review, we summarize our current understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms involved in the mental health consequences derived from early-life exposure to malnutrition, maltreatment and poverty, adversities with huge and pervasive impact on mental health. We also discuss the evidence about transgenerational epigenetic inheritance in mammals and experimental data suggesting that suitable social and pharmacological interventions could reverse adverse epigenetic modifications induced by early-life negative social experiences. In this regard, these studies must be accompanied by efforts to determine the causes that promote these adversities and that result in health inequity in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduardo T Cánepa
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and IQUIBICEN, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Bruno G Berardino
- Laboratorio de Neuroepigenética y Adversidades Tempranas, Departamento de Química Biológica, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires and IQUIBICEN, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Nusslock R, Alloy LB, Brody GH, Miller GE. Annual Research Review: Neuroimmune network model of depression: a developmental perspective. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:538-567. [PMID: 38426610 PMCID: PMC11090270 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
Depression is a serious public health problem, and adolescence is an 'age of risk' for the onset of Major Depressive Disorder. Recently, we and others have proposed neuroimmune network models that highlight bidirectional communication between the brain and the immune system in both mental and physical health, including depression. These models draw on research indicating that the cellular actors (particularly monocytes) and signaling molecules (particularly cytokines) that orchestrate inflammation in the periphery can directly modulate the structure and function of the brain. In the brain, inflammatory activity heightens sensitivity to threats in the cortico-amygdala circuit, lowers sensitivity to rewards in the cortico-striatal circuit, and alters executive control and emotion regulation in the prefrontal cortex. When dysregulated, and particularly under conditions of chronic stress, inflammation can generate feelings of dysphoria, distress, and anhedonia. This is proposed to initiate unhealthy, self-medicating behaviors (e.g. substance use, poor diet) to manage the dysphoria, which further heighten inflammation. Over time, dysregulation in these brain circuits and the inflammatory response may compound each other to form a positive feedback loop, whereby dysregulation in one organ system exacerbates the other. We and others suggest that this neuroimmune dysregulation is a dynamic joint vulnerability for depression, particularly during adolescence. We have three goals for the present paper. First, we extend neuroimmune network models of mental and physical health to generate a developmental framework of risk for the onset of depression during adolescence. Second, we examine how a neuroimmune network perspective can help explain the high rates of comorbidity between depression and other psychiatric disorders across development, and multimorbidity between depression and stress-related medical illnesses. Finally, we consider how identifying neuroimmune pathways to depression can facilitate a 'next generation' of behavioral and biological interventions that target neuroimmune signaling to treat, and ideally prevent, depression in youth and adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
| | - Lauren B. Alloy
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA. USA
| | - Gene H. Brody
- Center for Family Research, University of Georgia, Athens GA, USA
| | - Gregory E. Miller
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston IL, USA
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Zhao H, Rong B, Gao G, Zhou M, Huang J, Tu N, Bu L, Xiao L, Wang G. Alterations in the white matter structure of major depressive disorder patients and their link to childhood trauma. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1364786. [PMID: 38510805 PMCID: PMC10951898 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1364786] [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: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is significantly influenced by childhood trauma (CT), affecting brain anatomy and functionality. Despite the unique disease trajectory in MDD patients with CT, the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain unclear. Our objective is to investigate CT's impact on the white matter structure of the brain in patients with MDD. Methods This research employed tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) to detect variations between groups in Fractional Anisotropy (FA) throughout the whole brain in 71 medication-free MDD patients and 97 HCs. Participants filled out the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and assessments for depression and anxiety symptoms. The relationship between FA and CTQ scores was explored with partial correlation analysis, adjusting for factors such as age, gender, educational background, and length of illness. Results Compared to HCs, the MDD group showed decreased FA values in the right posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC), the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF), and bilateral superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF). Simple effects analysis revealed that compared to HC-CT, the MDD-CT group demonstrated decreased FA values in right PLIC, IFOF, and bilateral SLF. The MDD-nCT group showed decreased FA values in right PLIC and IFOF compared to HC-nCT. The total scores and subscale scores of CTQ were negatively correlated with the FA in the right SLF. Conclusion The right SLF may potentially be influenced by CT during the brain development of individuals with MDD. These results enhance our knowledge of the role of the SLF in the pathophysiology of MDD and the neurobiological mechanisms by which CT influences MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haomian Zhao
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Bei Rong
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Guoqing Gao
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Mingzhe Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Junhua Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ning Tu
- PET-CT/MR Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Lihong Bu
- PET-CT/MR Center, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ling Xiao
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Gaohua Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Institute of Neuropsychiatry, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
- Taikang Center for Life and Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei, China
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Samson JA, Newkirk TR, Teicher MH. Practitioner Review: Neurobiological consequences of childhood maltreatment - clinical and therapeutic implications for practitioners. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2024; 65:369-380. [PMID: 37609790 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13883] [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] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood maltreatment is one of the most important preventable risk factors for a wide variety of psychiatric disorders. Further, when psychiatric disorders emerge in maltreated individuals they typically do so at younger ages, with greater severity, more psychiatric comorbid conditions, and poorer response to established treatments, resulting in a more pernicious course with an increased risk for suicide. Practitioners treating children, adolescents, and young adults with psychiatric disorders will likely encounter the highest prevalence of clients with early-onset maltreatment-associated psychiatric disorders. These may be some of their most challenging cases. METHOD In this report, we explore key validated alterations in brain structure, function, and connectivity associated with exposure to childhood maltreatment as potential mechanisms behind their patients' clinical presentations. RESULTS We then summarize key behavioral presentations likely associated with neurobiological alterations and propose a toolkit of established trauma and skills-based strategies that may help diminish symptoms and foster recovery. We also discuss how some of these alterations may serve as latent vulnerability factors for the possible development of future psychopathology. CONCLUSIONS Research on the neurobiological consequences of childhood adversity provides a vastly enriched biopsychosocial understanding of the developmental origins of health and pathology that will hopefully lead to fundamental advances in clinical psychology and psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline A Samson
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Thatcher R Newkirk
- Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Martin H Teicher
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
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Pollmann A, Sasso R, Bates K, Fuhrmann D. Making Connections: Neurodevelopmental Changes in Brain Connectivity After Adverse Experiences in Early Adolescence. J Neurosci 2024; 44:e0991232023. [PMID: 38124022 PMCID: PMC10883609 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0991-23.2023] [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: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences have been linked to detrimental mental health outcomes in adulthood. This study investigates a potential neurodevelopmental pathway between adversity and mental health outcomes: brain connectivity. We used data from the prospective, longitudinal Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (N ≍ 12.000, participants aged 9-13 years, male and female) and assessed structural brain connectivity using fractional anisotropy (FA) of white matter tracts. The adverse experiences modeled included family conflict and traumatic experiences. K-means clustering and latent basis growth models were used to determine subgroups based on total levels and trajectories of brain connectivity. Multinomial regression was used to determine associations between cluster membership and adverse experiences. The results showed that higher family conflict was associated with higher FA levels across brain tracts (e.g., t (3) = -3.81, β = -0.09, p bonf = 0.003) and within the corpus callosum (CC), fornix, and anterior thalamic radiations (ATR). A decreasing FA trajectory across two brain imaging timepoints was linked to lower socioeconomic status and neighborhood safety. Socioeconomic status was related to FA across brain tracts (e.g., t (3) = 3.44, β = 0.10, p bonf = 0.01), the CC and the ATR. Neighborhood safety was associated with FA in the Fornix and ATR (e.g., t (1) = 3.48, β = 0.09, p bonf = 0.01). There is a complex and multifaceted relationship between adverse experiences and brain development, where adverse experiences during early adolescence are related to brain connectivity. These findings underscore the importance of studying adverse experiences beyond early childhood to understand lifespan developmental outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayla Pollmann
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Remo Sasso
- School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Kathryn Bates
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
| | - Delia Fuhrmann
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London SE5 8AF, United Kingdom
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Characteristics of white matter structural connectivity in healthy adults with childhood maltreatment. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2023; 14:2179278. [PMID: 37052100 PMCID: PMC9970228 DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2179278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a common psychological stressor associated with multiple mental disorders. While CM is associated with vulnerability to depression and anxiety, little is known about the specific mechanism underlying this relationship.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the white matter (WM) of healthy adults with CM and their relationships with depression and anxiety to provide biological evidence for the development of mental disorders in subjects with childhood trauma.Methods: The CM group included 40 healthy adults with CM. The non-CM group included 40 healthy adults without CM. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were collected, and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were applied to the whole brain to assess WM differences between the two groups; post-hoc fibre tractography was used to characterise the developmental differences; and mediation analysis was used to assess the relationships among the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) results, DTI indices, and depression and anxiety scores.Results: Relative to the non-CM group, the CM group revealed significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right posterior corona radiata (PCR-R), right anterior corona radiata (ACR-R), left super corona radiata (SCR-L), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and right posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC-R). Additionally, shorter fibre bundles passed through the PCR-R, ACR-R, and ATR in the CM group compared with the non-CM group. Besides, the length of the ACR-R mediated the relationship between CM and trait anxiety.Conclusions: The alteration of white matter microstructure associated with childhood trauma in healthy adults may reflect biomarkers of childhood trauma. Besides, an alteration of WM microstructure in healthy adults with CM mediates the association between CM and trait anxiety, which may represent the vulnerability to developing mental disorders after childhood trauma experiences.
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Marusak HA, Evanski J, Desai S, Rabinak CA. Impact of Childhood Trauma Exposure, Genetic Variation in Endocannabinoid Signaling, and Anxiety on Frontolimbic Pathways in Children. Cannabis Cannabinoid Res 2023; 8:1079-1089. [PMID: 35944262 PMCID: PMC10714120 DOI: 10.1089/can.2022.0144] [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] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: The endocannabinoid (eCB) system plays a key role in modulating brain development, including myelination processes. Recent studies link a common variant (C385A, rs324420) in the fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) gene to higher circulating eCB levels, lower anxiety, and altered frontolimbic development. Frontolimbic pathways, which demonstrate a protracted maturational course across childhood and adolescence, are associated with anxiety, and are vulnerable to environmental stressors such as trauma exposure. Here, we examined the impact of trauma exposure, FAAH genotype, and anxiety on frontolimbic white matter microstructure in children. Materials and Methods: We leveraged baseline data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study (n=9969; mean±standard deviation age=9.92±0.62 years; 47.1% female). Saliva samples were used for genotyping, and caregivers reported on their child's anxiety symptoms and trauma exposure. Fractional anisotropy (FA), a nonspecific measure of white matter integrity, was estimated for frontolimbic tracts. Results: Thirty-six percent of youth experienced one or more potentially traumatic events according to DSM-5 Criterion A (64% controls), and 45% were FAAH A-allele carriers (55% noncarriers). Relative to controls, trauma-exposed youth demonstrated higher anxiety and higher FA of the left uncinate. The FAAH A-allele (vs. CC) was associated with lower FA in the left fornix and left parahippocampal cingulum, and there was an indirect effect of FAAH genotype on anxiety through FA of the left fornix. Moreover, genotype moderated the association between FA of the left cingulum and anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings demonstrate distinct effects of trauma exposure and the FAAH C385A variant on frontolimbic pathways and subsequent anxiety risk in preadolescent children. This line of work may provide important insights into neurodevelopmental mechanisms leading to anxiety risk, and potential targets for intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary A. Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Translational Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Julia Evanski
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Shreya Desai
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Christine A. Rabinak
- Translational Neuroscience Graduate Program, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pharmacy Practice and Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
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Winter A, Gruber M, Thiel K, Flinkenflügel K, Meinert S, Goltermann J, Winter NR, Borgers T, Stein F, Jansen A, Brosch K, Wroblewski A, Thomas-Odenthal F, Usemann P, Straube B, Alexander N, Jamalabadi H, Nenadić I, Bonnekoh LM, Dohm K, Leehr EJ, Opel N, Grotegerd D, Hahn T, van den Heuvel MP, Kircher T, Repple J, Dannlowski U. Shared and distinct structural brain networks related to childhood maltreatment and social support: connectome-based predictive modeling. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:4613-4621. [PMID: 37714950 PMCID: PMC10914611 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02252-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) has been associated with changes in structural brain connectivity even in the absence of mental illness. Social support, an important protective factor in the presence of childhood maltreatment, has been positively linked to white matter integrity. However, the shared effects of current social support and CM and their association with structural connectivity remain to be investigated. They might shed new light on the neurobiological basis of the protective mechanism of social support. Using connectome-based predictive modeling (CPM), we analyzed structural connectomes of N = 904 healthy adults derived from diffusion-weighted imaging. CPM predicts phenotypes from structural connectivity through a cross-validation scheme. Distinct and shared networks of white matter tracts predicting childhood trauma questionnaire scores and the social support questionnaire were identified. Additional analyses were applied to assess the stability of the results. CM and social support were predicted significantly from structural connectome data (all rs ≥ 0.119, all ps ≤ 0.016). Edges predicting CM and social support were inversely correlated, i.e., positively correlated with CM and negatively with social support, and vice versa, with a focus on frontal and temporal regions including the insula and superior temporal lobe. CPM reveals the predictive value of the structural connectome for CM and current social support. Both constructs are inversely associated with connectivity strength in several brain tracts. While this underlines the interconnectedness of these experiences, it suggests social support acts as a protective factor following adverse childhood experiences, compensating for brain network alterations. Future longitudinal studies should focus on putative moderating mechanisms buffering these adverse experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Marius Gruber
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Katharina Thiel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Kira Flinkenflügel
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Institute for Translational Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Janik Goltermann
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils R Winter
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tiana Borgers
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
- Core-Facility Brainimaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Brosch
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Adrian Wroblewski
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Florian Thomas-Odenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Paula Usemann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Benjamin Straube
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Nina Alexander
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Hamidreza Jamalabadi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Linda M Bonnekoh
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J Leehr
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils Opel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Jena, Jena, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tim Hahn
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Martijn P van den Heuvel
- Connectome Lab, Department of Complex Trait Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Center for Mind, Brain and Behavior (CMBB), University of Marburg and Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Jonathan Repple
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
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Xie M, Cai J, Liu Y, Wei W, Zhao Z, Dai M, Wu Y, Huang Y, Tang Y, Xiao L, Zhang G, Li C, Guo W, Ma X, Deng W, Du X, Wang Q, Li T. Association between childhood trauma and white matter deficits in first-episode schizophrenia. Psychiatry Res 2023; 323:115111. [PMID: 36924585 DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 01/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma (ChT) and white matter (WM) deficits in first-episode schizophrenia (FES). METHODS A total of 103 individuals with FES and 206 healthy control individuals (HCs) were enrolled and assessed based on ChT Questionnaire (CTQ) and Positive and Negative Symptoms Scale (PANSS). Diffusion tensor imaging was acquired on a Signa 3.0 T scanner. Map of fractional anisotropy (FA) was analyzed using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses were used to examine associations of sociodemographic characteristics, total CTQ scores, and WM deficits. RESULTS Compared with the HCs group, the FES group showed significantly lower FA in several WM bundles (left anterior thalamic radiation, left inferior frontal-occipital fasciculus, left cingulum, forceps major, and forceps minor), and the mean FA value in these WM bundles was inversely related to the total CTQ score. In addition, a higher CTQ score may increase the risk of schizophrenia, while higher FA values may decrease the risk of schizophrenia. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that individuals with FES evince widespread cerebral WM abnormalities and that these abnormalities were associated with ChT. These results provide clues about the neural basis and potential biomarkers of schizophrenia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Xie
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jia Cai
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yunjia Liu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Wei
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhengyang Zhao
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Minhan Dai
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yulu Wu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yunqi Huang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Yiguo Tang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Liling Xiao
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Guangya Zhang
- Suzhou Psychiatry Hospital, Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chuanwei Li
- Suzhou Psychiatry Hospital, Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu, China
| | - Wanjun Guo
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiaohong Ma
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Wei Deng
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiangdong Du
- Suzhou Psychiatry Hospital, Affiliated Guangji Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215137, Jiangsu, China
| | - Qiang Wang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Tao Li
- Affiliated Mental Health Centre & Hangzhou Seventh People's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou 310013, Zhejiang, China.
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10
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Kang W, Kang Y, Kim A, Kim H, Han KM, Ham BJ. Gray and white matter abnormalities in major depressive disorder patients and its associations with childhood adversity. J Affect Disord 2023; 330:16-23. [PMID: 36871915 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.02.145] [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: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Early life stress of childhood adversity (CA) may result in major depressive disorder (MDD) by sensitizing individuals to proximal stressors in life events. The neurobiological changes that underlie adult depression may result from the absence of proper care and supervision of caregivers. We aimed to find both gray and white matter abnormalities in MDD patients, who reported the experiences of CA. METHODS The present study examined cortical alterations in 54 patients with MDD and 167 healthy controls (HCs) using voxel-based morphology and fractional anisotropy (FA) tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). Both patients and HCs were administered the self-questionnaire clinical scale (the Korean translation of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire CTQK). Pearson's correlation analysis was performed to find the associations between FA and CTQK. RESULTS The MDD group showed a significant decrease in gray matter (GM) in the left rectus at both the cluster and peak levels after family-wise error correction. The TBSS results showed significantly reduced FA in widespread regions, including the corpus callosum (CC), superior corona radiata, cingulate gyrus, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. The CA was negatively correlated with the FA in CC and crossing pontine tract. CONCLUSION Our findings demonstrated GM atrophy and white matter (WM) connectivity changes in patients with MDD. The major findings of the widespread FA reduction in WM provided the evidence of brain alterations in MDD. We further propose that the WM would be vulnerable to emotional, physical, and sexual abuse in early childhood during the brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wooyoung Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Youbin Kang
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Aram Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Hyeyoung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Man Han
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Byung-Joo Ham
- Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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11
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Lippard ETC, Nemeroff CB. Going beyond risk factor: Childhood maltreatment and associated modifiable targets to improve life-long outcomes in mood disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 215:173361. [PMID: 35219755 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment increases risk for mood disorders and is associated with earlier onset-and more pernicious disease course following onset-of mood disorders. While the majority of studies to date have been cross-sectional, longitudinal studies are emerging and support the devastating role(s) childhood maltreatment has on development of, and illness course in, mood disorders. This manuscript extends prior reviews to emphasize more recent work, highlighting longitudinal data, and discusses treatment studies that provide clues to mechanisms that mediate disease risk, course, relapse, and treatment response. Evidence suggesting systemic inflammation, alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neural systems, genetic and other familial factors as mechanisms that mediate risk and onset of, and illness course in, mood disorders following childhood maltreatment is discussed. Risky behaviors following maltreatment, e.g., substance use and unhealthy lifestyles, may further exacerbate alterations in the HPA axis, CRF neural systems, and systematic inflammation to contribute to a more pernicious disease course. More research on sex differences and the impact of maltreatment in vulnerable populations is needed. Future research needs to be aimed at leveraging knowledge on modifiable targets, going beyond childhood maltreatment as a risk factor, to inform prevention and treatment strategies and foster trauma-informed care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T C Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Mulva Clinic for Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Charles B Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Mulva Clinic for Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
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12
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Banihashemi L, Peng CW, Rangarajan A, Karim HT, Wallace ML, Sibbach BM, Singh J, Stinley MM, Germain A, Aizenstein HJ. Childhood Threat Is Associated With Lower Resting-State Connectivity Within a Central Visceral Network. Front Psychol 2022; 13:805049. [PMID: 35310241 PMCID: PMC8927539 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.805049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity is associated with altered or dysregulated stress reactivity; these altered patterns of physiological functioning persist into adulthood. Evidence from both preclinical animal models and human neuroimaging studies indicates that early life experience differentially influences stressor-evoked activity within central visceral neural circuits proximally involved in the control of stress responses, including the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC), paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and amygdala. However, the relationship between childhood adversity and the resting-state connectivity of this central visceral network remains unclear. To this end, we examined relationships between childhood threat and childhood socioeconomic deprivation, the resting-state connectivity between our regions of interest (ROIs), and affective symptom severity and diagnoses. We recruited a transdiagnostic sample of young adult males and females (n = 100; mean age = 27.28, SD = 3.99; 59 females) with a full distribution of maltreatment history and symptom severity across multiple affective disorders. Resting-state data were acquired using a 7.2-min functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sequence; noted ROIs were applied as masks to determine ROI-to-ROI connectivity. Threat was determined by measures of childhood traumatic events and abuse. Socioeconomic deprivation (SED) was determined by a measure of childhood socioeconomic status (parental education level). Covarying for age, race and sex, greater childhood threat was significantly associated with lower BNST-PVN, amygdala-sgACC and PVN-sgACC connectivity. No significant relationships were found between SED and resting-state connectivity. BNST-PVN connectivity was associated with the number of lifetime affective diagnoses. Exposure to threat during early development may entrain altered patterns of resting-state connectivity between these stress-related ROIs in ways that contribute to dysregulated neural and physiological responses to stress and subsequent affective psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Banihashemi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Layla Banihashemi,
| | - Christine W. Peng
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Anusha Rangarajan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Helmet T. Karim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Meredith L. Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Brandon M. Sibbach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jaspreet Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Mark M. Stinley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Anne Germain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Howard J. Aizenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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13
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Teicher MH, Gordon JB, Nemeroff CB. Recognizing the importance of childhood maltreatment as a critical factor in psychiatric diagnoses, treatment, research, prevention, and education. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1331-1338. [PMID: 34737457 PMCID: PMC8567985 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01367-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is the most important preventable risk factor for psychiatric disorders. Maltreated individuals typically develop psychiatric disorders at an earlier age, have a more pernicious course, more comorbidities, greater symptom severity, and respond less favorably to treatments than non-maltreated individuals with the same primary DSM-5 diagnosis. Furthermore, maltreated individuals have alterations in stress-susceptible brain regions, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal response, and inflammatory marker levels not discernible in their non-maltreated counterparts. Hence, maltreated and non-maltreated individuals with the same primary DSM-5 diagnoses appear to be clinically and neurobiologically distinct. The failure to embody this distinction in DSM-5 has interfered with our ability to discover novel treatments, to recommend currently available treatments most likely to be efficacious, and has been a largely unrecognized confound that has thwarted our ability to identify the biological basis for major psychiatric disorders. Incorporating this distinction into DSM will help transform this sign and symptom-based classification system to a more etiologically informed nosology. We discuss several diagnostic alternatives and recommend the inclusion of a Developmental Trauma Disorder diagnosis for severely dysregulated individuals, of all ages, with numerous comorbidities, who experienced interpersonal victimization and disruptions in attachment, such as emotional maltreatment or neglect. For less severely affected maltreated individuals, we suggest using conventional diagnostic categories, such as major depression, but with an essential modifier indicating a history of childhood maltreatment, or early life stress, to delineate the ecophenotypic variant. Implementing this strategy should improve our ability to effectively diagnose and treat individuals with psychiatric disorders and to accelerate discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin H Teicher
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Jeoffry B Gordon
- Citizens Review Panel-Critical Incidents, Office of Child Abuse Prevention, California Department of Social Services, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Charles B Nemeroff
- Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1873, USA.
- Mulva Clinic for the Neurosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1873, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, 78712-1873, USA.
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14
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Ohashi K, Anderson CM, Khan A, Rohan ML, Bolger EA, McGreenery CE, Teicher MH. Sex and sensitive period differences in potential effects of maltreatment on axial versus radial diffusivity in the corpus callosum. Neuropsychopharmacology 2022; 47:953-964. [PMID: 35022536 PMCID: PMC8882181 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-01260-7] [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: 08/28/2021] [Revised: 11/28/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Corpus callosum (CC) abnormalities have been observed in several psychiatric disorders. Maltreatment has also been associated with marked differences in CC anatomy and microstructure, though rarely controlled for in psychiatric neuroimaging studies. The aim of this study was to identify type and timing of maltreatment associated with alterations in CC microstructure and to ascertain if they differ by sex. T1 and diffusion-weighted MRIs were obtained from 345 (135 M/210 F) healthy 18-25-year-olds. The Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure scale provided retrospective data on exposure to ten types of maltreatment across each year of childhood. AI predictive analytics were used to identify the most significant type and time risk factors. The most striking maltreatment-associated alterations in males were in axial diffusivity and were most specifically associated with exposure to emotional abuse or neglect during segment-specific sensitive periods. In contrast, maltreatment was associated with marked alteration in radial diffusivity and fractional anisotropy in females and was most specifically associated with early physical neglect during one common sensitive period involving all segments except the splenium. Overall sex differences, controlling for maltreatment, brain size, and sociodemographic factors were limited to the genu with greater fractional anisotropy in males and radial diffusivity in females. These findings suggest that maltreatment may target myelinization in females and axonal development in males and that these sex differences need to be taken into account in studies seeking to delineate the contribution of CC abnormalities and interhemispheric communication to psychiatric disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoko Ohashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. .,Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
| | - Carl M. Anderson
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115 USA ,grid.240206.20000 0000 8795 072XDevelopmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Alaptagin Khan
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115 USA ,grid.240206.20000 0000 8795 072XDevelopmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Michael L. Rohan
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115 USA ,grid.240206.20000 0000 8795 072XMcLean Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Bolger
- grid.240206.20000 0000 8795 072XDevelopmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Cynthia E. McGreenery
- grid.240206.20000 0000 8795 072XDevelopmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
| | - Martin H. Teicher
- grid.38142.3c000000041936754XDepartment of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, 25 Shattuck St, Boston, MA 02115 USA ,grid.240206.20000 0000 8795 072XDevelopmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, 115 Mill Street, Belmont, MA 02478 USA
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15
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Fani N, Harnett NG, Bradley B, Mekawi Y, Powers A, Stevens JS, Ressler KJ, Carter SE. Racial Discrimination and White Matter Microstructure in Trauma-Exposed Black Women. Biol Psychiatry 2022; 91:254-261. [PMID: 34776124 PMCID: PMC8714668 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2021] [Revised: 07/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Experiences of racial discrimination are linked to a range of negative brain health outcomes, but little is known about how these experiences impact neural architecture, including white matter microstructure, which may partially mediate these outcomes. Our goal was to examine associations between racially discriminatory experiences and white matter structural integrity in a sample of Black American women. METHODS We recruited 116 Black American women as part of a long-standing study of trauma. Participants completed assessments of racial discrimination, trauma exposure, and posttraumatic stress disorder and underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity values were extracted from major white matter tracts throughout the brain. RESULTS Experiences of racial discrimination were associated with significantly lower fractional anisotropy in multiple white matter tracts, including the corpus callosum, cingulum, and superior longitudinal fasciculus (ps < .004), even after accounting for variance associated with trauma, posttraumatic stress disorder, and demographic- and scanner-related factors. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that experiences of racial discrimination are independently related to decrements in white matter microarchitecture throughout the brain. In individuals who have experienced other types of adversity, racial discrimination clearly has additive and distinctive deleterious effects on white matter structure. Our findings suggest a pathway through which racial discrimination can contribute to brain health disparities in Black Americans; the deleterious contributions of racial discrimination on the microstructure of major white matter pathways may increase vulnerability for the development of neurodegenerative disorders as well as the development of mental health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Fani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Nathaniel G Harnett
- Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bekh Bradley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, Georgia
| | - Yara Mekawi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Abigail Powers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jennifer S Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia; Division of Depression and Anxiety, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts; Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sierra E Carter
- Department of Psychology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia
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16
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Hare MM, Dick AS, Graziano PA. Adverse childhood experiences predict neurite density differences in young children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22234. [PMID: 35050509 PMCID: PMC8827844 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) put millions of children at risk for later health problems. As childhood represents a critical developmental period, it is important to understand how ACEs impact brain development in young children. In addition, children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely than typically developing (TD) peers to experience ACEs. Therefore, the current study examined the impact of ACEs on early brain development, using a cumulative risk approach, in a large sample of children with and without ADHD. We examined 198 young children (Mage = 5.45, 82.3% Hispanic/Latino; 52.5% ADHD) across measures of brain volume, cortical thickness, neurite density index (NDI), and orientation dispersion index (ODI). For the NDI measure, there was a significant interaction between group and cumulative risk (ß = .18, p = .048), such that for children with ADHD, but not TD children, greater cumulate risk was associated with increased NDI in corpus callosum. No other interactions were detected. Additionally, when examining across groups, greater cumulative risk was associated with reduced ODI and volume in the cerebellum, although these findings did not survive a correction for multiple comparisons. Our results highlight the role early cumulative ACEs play in brain development across TD and children with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M. Hare
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Anthony Steven Dick
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Paulo A. Graziano
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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17
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BDNF Genetic Variant and Its Genotypic Fluctuation in Major Depressive Disorder. Behav Neurol 2021; 2021:7117613. [PMID: 34760029 PMCID: PMC8575598 DOI: 10.1155/2021/7117613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Major depressive disorder (MDD) still has an unknown etiology and mechanisms. Many studies have been conducted seeking to associate and understand the connection of different genetic variants to this disease. Researchers have extensively studied the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) Val66Met genetic variant in MDD; yet, their findings remain inconsistent. This systematic review sought to verify the GG (Val/Val) genotype frequency fluctuation in different populations with MDD. For this, we searched in different databases and, after applying the eligibility criteria, selected 17 articles. Most studies demonstrate the higher frequency of the ancestral (wild) GG (Val/Val) genotype, although associations of the polymorphic A (Met) allele, changes in BDNF protein serum levels, or both were also found in MDD, whether related to the disease's development or other factors. Nevertheless, despite these findings, disagreements between several studies are seen. For this reason, further BDNF Val66Met genetic variant studies should not only bridge the gap in the knowledge of this polymorphism's role in MDD's different facets but also analyze the genotypic and phenotypic heterogeneity in different populations to help provide a better quality of life for patients.
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18
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Eachus H, Choi MK, Ryu S. The Effects of Early Life Stress on the Brain and Behaviour: Insights From Zebrafish Models. Front Cell Dev Biol 2021; 9:657591. [PMID: 34368117 PMCID: PMC8335398 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2021.657591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The early life period represents a window of increased vulnerability to stress, during which exposure can lead to long-lasting effects on brain structure and function. This stress-induced developmental programming may contribute to the behavioural changes observed in mental illness. In recent decades, rodent studies have significantly advanced our understanding of how early life stress (ELS) affects brain development and behaviour. These studies reveal that ELS has long-term consequences on the brain such as impairment of adult hippocampal neurogenesis, altering learning and memory. Despite such advances, several key questions remain inadequately answered, including a comprehensive overview of brain regions and molecular pathways that are altered by ELS and how ELS-induced molecular changes ultimately lead to behavioural changes in adulthood. The zebrafish represents a novel ELS model, with the potential to contribute to answering some of these questions. The zebrafish offers some important advantages such as the ability to non-invasively modulate stress hormone levels in a whole animal and to visualise whole brain activity in freely behaving animals. This review discusses the current status of the zebrafish ELS field and its potential as a new ELS model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Eachus
- Living Systems Institute and College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Min-Kyeung Choi
- Living Systems Institute and College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
| | - Soojin Ryu
- Living Systems Institute and College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom.,Institute of Human Genetics, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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19
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Gheorghe DA, Li C, Gallacher J, Bauermeister S. Associations of perceived adverse lifetime experiences with brain structure in UK Biobank participants. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2021; 62:822-830. [PMID: 32645214 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adversity experiences (AEs) are major risk factors for psychiatric illness, and ample evidence suggests that adversity-related changes in brain structure enhance this vulnerability. To achieve greater understanding of the underlying biological pathways, increased convergence among findings is needed. Suggested future directions may benefit from the use of large population samples which may contribute to achieving this goal. We addressed mechanistic pathways by investigating the associations between multiple brain phenotypes and retrospectively reported AEs in early life (child adversity) and adulthood (partner abuse) in a large population sample, using a cross-sectional approach. METHODS The UK Biobank resource was used to access imaging-derived phenotypes (IDPs) from 6,751 participants (aged: M = 62.1, SD = 7.2, range = 45-80), together with selected reports of childhood AEs and adult partner abuse. Principal component analysis was used to reduce the dimensionality of the data prior to multivariate tests. RESULTS The data showed that participants who reported experiences of childhood emotional abuse ('felt hated by family member as a child') had smaller cerebellar and ventral striatum volumes. This result was also depicted in a random subset of participants; however, we note small effect sizes ( ηp2 < .01), suggestive of modest biological changes. CONCLUSIONS Using a large population cohort, this study demonstrates the value of big datasets in the study of adversity and using automatically preprocessed neuroimaging phenotypes. While retrospective and cross-sectional characteristics limit interpretation, this study demonstrates that self-perceived adversity reports, however nonspecific, may still expose neural consequences, identifiable with increased statistical power.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chenlu Li
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John Gallacher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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20
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Alyousefi‐van Dijk K, van der Knaap N, Buisman RS, Horstman LI, Lotz AM, Riem MME, Schuengel C, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans‐Kranenburg MJ. White matter integrity moderates the relation between experienced childhood maltreatment and fathers' behavioral response to infant crying. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1399-1414. [PMID: 33200821 PMCID: PMC8451806 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ability to provide appropriate responses to infant distress is vital to paternal care, but may be affected by fathers' experiences of childhood maltreatment. Detrimental effects of childhood maltreatment have been found in the adult brain's white matter fibers, accompanied with impaired emotional and cognitive functioning. In the current study (N = 121), we examined new and expectant fathers' childhood maltreatment experiences (i.e. emotional and physical abuse and neglect), current behavioral responses (i.e. handgrip force) to infant cry sounds, and white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging. First, more exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with more use of excessive handgrip force in response to infant crying by fathers. Second, the association between experienced childhood maltreatment and white matter integrity was not significant in whole-brain analyses. Lastly, we found that the association between maltreatment exposure and excessive handgrip force during infant crying was absent in fathers with high tract integrity in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus. These findings possibly point to insufficient behavioral inhibition or emotional dysregulation in fathers who experienced childhood maltreatment, but buffering for this effect in those with larger integrity in brain fibers connecting the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Alyousefi‐van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Noa van der Knaap
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Renate S.M. Buisman
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Lisa I. Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Anna M. Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Madelon M. E. Riem
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Behavioral Science InstituteRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Carlo Schuengel
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marian J. Bakermans‐Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
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21
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Fani N, Stenson AF, van Rooij SJH, La Barrie DL, Jovanovic T. White matter microstructure in trauma-exposed children: Associations with pubertal stage. Dev Sci 2021; 24:e13120. [PMID: 33983665 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Puberty represents a critical period in maturation during which major changes in neural architecture emerge; these changes are shaped, in part, by environmental experiences, including exposure to psychological trauma. However, little is known about how trauma exposure affects white matter microstructure across pubertal stages. This was the goal of the present cross-sectional study. Forty-one male and female African-American children between ages 8-13 were recruited as part of a study of developmental trauma and received assessments of trauma exposure, including violence, and pubertal development as well as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Significant interactions of pubertal stage and violent trauma exposure were observed in association with a marker of white matter integrity (mean diffusivity, MD) in the corpus callosum, cingulum bundle and uncinate fasciculus. Greater violent trauma exposure was associated with lower MD in the hippocampal cingulum and uncinate fasciculus in girls, but not boys. These data from a sample of trauma-exposed children may reflect a pattern of accelerated maturation in pathways that are critical for emotion regulation as well as attention and memory processes. It appears that fronto-limbic and callosal connections are particularly sensitive to the effects of violent trauma, revealing a potential pathway through which trauma creates vulnerability for later psychiatric and neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Negar Fani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - Sanne J H van Rooij
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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22
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Islam R, Kaffman A. White-Matter Repair as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Early Adversity. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:657693. [PMID: 33897364 PMCID: PMC8062784 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.657693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early adversity (EA) impairs myelin development in a manner that persists later in life across diverse mammalian species including humans, non-human primates, and rodents. These observations, coupled with the highly conserved nature of myelin development suggest that animal models can provide important insights into the molecular mechanisms by which EA impairs myelin development later in life and the impact of these changes on network connectivity, cognition, and behavior. However, this area of translational research has received relatively little attention and no comprehensive review is currently available to address these issues. This is particularly important given some recent mechanistic studies in rodents and the availability of new agents to increase myelination. The goals of this review are to highlight the need for additional pre-clinical work in this area and to provide specific examples that demonstrate the potential of this work to generate novel therapeutic interventions that are highly needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rafiad Islam
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Arie Kaffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States
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23
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Wang Y, Wang Q, Xie J, Zhu Y, Zhang D, Li G, Zhu X, Li Y. Mediation on the Association Between Stressful Life Events and Depression by Abnormal White Matter Microstructures. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2021; 7:162-170. [PMID: 33775928 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stressful life events (SLEs) are an important causal factor in depression; however, the mechanism by which SLEs cause depression remains unclear. Recent studies suggested that white matter (WM) microstructures might be a potential mediator between SLEs and depression. Hence, we aimed to investigate the concrete correspondence among them using mediation effect models. METHODS In participants (N = 194) with SLEs experience prospectively recruited from six residential communities, WM microstructures were detected with diffusion tensor imaging. The interrelationship among SLEs, WM microstructures, and depression was explored with multiple linear regression models and logistic regression models. Furthermore, the influence of WM microstructures on the association between SLEs and depression was tested with mediation effect models. RESULTS Successfully established mediation effect models showed the specific influence of fractional anisotropy of the corpus callosum and left uncinate fasciculus on the association between SLEs and depression onset (ab path = 0.032; ab path = 0.026, respectively) and between SLEs and depressive severity (ab path = 0.052; ab path = 0.067, respectively). In addition, significant total mediation effects on the association between SLEs and depression onset (ab path = 0.031) and severity (ab path = 0.075) through fractional anisotropy of the corpus callosum and left uncinate fasciculus were noted. CONCLUSIONS WM microstructure alterations impose a substantial mediation effect on the association between SLEs and depression, which suggest that changes in WM microstructure integrity might increase the risk of depression onset and unfavorable disease courses induced by the SLEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Wang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Clinical Psychology, Zhenjiang Mental Health Center, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Jie Xie
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yan Zhu
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Danwei Zhang
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Zhenjiang Mental Health Center, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Guohai Li
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Zhenjiang Mental Health Center, Zhenjiang, China.
| | - Xiaolan Zhu
- Department of Central Laboratory, the Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China
| | - Yuefeng Li
- Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, China; Department of Clinical Psychology, Zhenjiang Mental Health Center, Zhenjiang, China.
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24
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Vanes LD, Dolan RJ. Transdiagnostic neuroimaging markers of psychiatric risk: A narrative review. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2021; 30:102634. [PMID: 33780864 PMCID: PMC8022867 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2021.102634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
We review the literature on neural correlates of a general psychopathology factor General psychopathology relates to structural and functional neurodevelopment Disrupted network connectivity maturation may underlie psychiatric vulnerability
Several decades of neuroimaging research in psychiatry have shed light on structural and functional neural abnormalities associated with individual psychiatric disorders. However, there is increasing evidence for substantial overlap in the patterns of neural dysfunction seen across disorders, suggesting that risk for psychiatric illness may be shared across diagnostic boundaries. Gaining insights on the existence of shared neural mechanisms which may transdiagnostically underlie psychopathology is important for psychiatric research in order to tease apart the unique and common aspects of different disorders, but also clinically, so as to help identify individuals early on who may be biologically vulnerable to psychiatric disorder in general. In this narrative review, we first evaluate recent studies investigating the functional and structural neural correlates of a general psychopathology factor, which is thought to reflect the shared variance across common mental health symptoms and therefore index psychiatric vulnerability. We then link insights from this research to existing meta-analytic evidence for shared patterns of neural dysfunction across categorical psychiatric disorders. We conclude by providing an integrative account of vulnerability to mental illness, whereby delayed or disrupted maturation of large-scale networks (particularly default-mode, executive, and sensorimotor networks), and more generally between-network connectivity, results in a compromised ability to integrate and switch between internally and externally focused tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy D Vanes
- Centre for the Developing Brain, Department of Perinatal Imaging and Health, King's College London, United Kingdom.
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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25
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Cunha PJ, Duran FLS, de Oliveira PA, Chaim-Avancini TM, Milioni ALV, Ometto M, Squarzoni P, Santos PP, Caetano SC, Busatto GF, Scivoletto S. Callosal abnormalities, altered cortisol levels, and neurocognitive deficits associated with early maltreatment among adolescents: A voxel-based diffusion-tensor imaging study. Brain Behav 2021; 11:e02009. [PMID: 33452751 PMCID: PMC7994704 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 11/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Neuroimaging studies have shown callosal abnormalities among maltreated subjects, but little is known about the functional and neurobiological correlates of these supposed developmental alterations. The aim of this study was to investigate childhood maltreatment (CM), neurocognitive functioning, cortisol levels, and corpus callosum (CC) integrity among adolescents. METHODS One hundred and seven subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with voxel-based diffusion-tensor imaging (DTI) and the Crossed Finger Localization Test (CFLT). Psychopathology was investigated with the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS-PL); CM was detailed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and salivary cortisol levels were measured by immunoassay. RESULTS Higher levels of CM were associated with current lower CFLT scores, mainly in the CROSSED condition, involving interhemispheric communication of sensorimotor information (p < .05) and with reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the splenium of the CC (p < .01). Deficits in the CFLT were also associated with higher cortisol levels (p < .05). CONCLUSION The association among CM, neuropsychological abnormalities, callosal microstructure alterations, and cortisol levels suggests an altered pattern of brain interhemispheric connectivity among maltreated adolescents. Further studies are needed to investigate the extent to which these sensorimotor deficits and abnormal cortisol levels may be possible mediators of negative neurodevelopmental trajectories and adult psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Jannuzzi Cunha
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fabio L S Duran
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paula Approbato de Oliveira
- Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Tiffany M Chaim-Avancini
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ana Luiza V Milioni
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariella Ometto
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Paula Squarzoni
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pedro P Santos
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sheila C Caetano
- Departamento de Psiquiatria, Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Geraldo F Busatto
- Laboratory of Psychiatric Neuroimaging (LIM-21), Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandra Scivoletto
- Departamento e Instituto de Psiquiatria, Hospital das Clinicas HCFMUSP, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil
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26
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Betz LT, Penzel N, Kambeitz-Ilankovic L, Rosen M, Chisholm K, Stainton A, Haidl TK, Wenzel J, Bertolino A, Borgwardt S, Brambilla P, Lencer R, Meisenzahl E, Ruhrmann S, Salokangas RKR, Schultze-Lutter F, Wood SJ, Upthegrove R, Koutsouleris N, Kambeitz J. General psychopathology links burden of recent life events and psychotic symptoms in a network approach. NPJ SCHIZOPHRENIA 2020; 6:40. [PMID: 33319805 PMCID: PMC7738498 DOI: 10.1038/s41537-020-00129-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Recent life events have been implicated in the onset and progression of psychosis. However, psychological processes that account for the association are yet to be fully understood. Using a network approach, we aimed to identify pathways linking recent life events and symptoms observed in psychosis. Based on previous literature, we hypothesized that general symptoms would mediate between recent life events and psychotic symptoms. We analyzed baseline data of patients at clinical high risk for psychosis and with recent-onset psychosis (n = 547) from the Personalised Prognostic Tools for Early Psychosis Management (PRONIA) study. In a network analysis, we modeled links between the burden of recent life events and all individual symptoms of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale before and after controlling for childhood trauma. To investigate the longitudinal associations between burden of recent life events and symptoms, we analyzed multiwave panel data from seven timepoints up to month 18. Corroborating our hypothesis, burden of recent life events was connected to positive and negative symptoms through general psychopathology, specifically depression, guilt feelings, anxiety and tension, even after controlling for childhood trauma. Longitudinal modeling indicated that on average, burden of recent life events preceded general psychopathology in the individual. In line with the theory of an affective pathway to psychosis, recent life events may lead to psychotic symptoms via heightened emotional distress. Life events may be one driving force of unspecific, general psychopathology described as characteristic of early phases of the psychosis spectrum, offering promising avenues for interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda T Betz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
| | - Nora Penzel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Lana Kambeitz-Ilankovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
| | - Marlene Rosen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Katharine Chisholm
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Psychology, Aston University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Alexandra Stainton
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Orygen, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Theresa K Haidl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Julian Wenzel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Alessandro Bertolino
- Department of Neurological and Psychiatric Sciences, University of Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Stefan Borgwardt
- Department of Psychiatry (UPK), University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Rebekka Lencer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
- Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Behavioral and Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Eva Meisenzahl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Stephan Ruhrmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | | | - Frauke Schultze-Lutter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, Heinrich-Heine University, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Psychology and Mental Health, Faculty of Psychology, Airlangga University, Surabaya, Indonesia
| | - Stephen J Wood
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Orygen, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Rachel Upthegrove
- Institute for Mental Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Nikolaos Koutsouleris
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig-Maximilian-University, Munich, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Joseph Kambeitz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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27
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White JD, Arefin TM, Pugliese A, Lee CH, Gassen J, Zhang J, Kaffman A. Early life stress causes sex-specific changes in adult fronto-limbic connectivity that differentially drive learning. eLife 2020; 9:58301. [PMID: 33259286 PMCID: PMC7725504 DOI: 10.7554/elife.58301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It is currently unclear whether early life stress (ELS) affects males and females differently. However, a growing body of work has shown that sex moderates responses to stress and injury, with important insights into sex-specific mechanisms provided by work in rodents. Unfortunately, most of the ELS studies in rodents were conducted only in males, a bias that is particularly notable in translational work that has used human imaging. Here we examine the effects of unpredictable postnatal stress (UPS), a mouse model of complex ELS, using high resolution diffusion magnetic resonance imaging. We show that UPS induces several neuroanatomical alterations that were seen in both sexes and resemble those reported in humans. In contrast, exposure to UPS induced fronto-limbic hyper-connectivity in males, but either no change or hypoconnectivity in females. Moderated-mediation analysis found that these sex-specific changes are likely to alter contextual freezing behavior in males but not in females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordon D White
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Tanzil M Arefin
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Alexa Pugliese
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
| | - Choong H Lee
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Jeff Gassen
- Department of Psychology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, United States
| | - Jiangyang Zhang
- Bernard and Irene Schwartz Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York, United States
| | - Arie Kaffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, United States
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28
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Aberrant structural connectivity in childhood maltreatment: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:406-414. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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29
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Fuchshuber J, Unterrainer HF, Hiebler-Ragger M, Koschutnig K, Papousek I, Weiss EM, Fink A. Pinpointing Neural Correlates of Attachment in Poly-Drug Use: A Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:596. [PMID: 32595448 PMCID: PMC7300178 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
An increasing amount of evidence indicates the significance of attachment in the etiology of poly-drug use disorder (PUD). The aim of this study was to investigate associations between PUD and adult attachment in particular, with a focus on white matter (WM) fiber tract integrity. For this purpose, we selected several regions-of-interest based on previous findings which were examined for their role in PUD and estimated whole-brain associations between adult attachment and WM integrity. A total sample of 144 right-handed males were investigated (Age: M = 27; SD = 4.66). This included a group of patients diagnosed with PUD (n = 70) and a group of healthy controls (HC; n = 74). The Adult Attachment Scales (AAS) was applied to assess attachment attitudes in participants. Diffusion Tensor Imaging was used to investigate differences in WM integrity. The findings suggest substantially less attachment security in PUD patients compared to HC. Furthermore, PUD patients exhibited reduced integrity in WM fiber tracts, most pronounced in the bilateral corticospinal tract, the fronto-occipital fasciculus, and the right inferior longitudinal fasciculus. However, these results were not controlled for comorbid depressiveness. With regard to associations between adult attachment and WM integrity, the results for PUD patients indicate a negative relationship between "Comfort with Closeness" and the structural integrity of a cluster comprising parts of the right anterior thalamic radiation, the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and the uncinate fasciculus. Despite being limited by the cross-sectional design of this study, the results emphasize the significance of attachment in PUD etiology, both at a behavioral and a neurological level. Largely in line with previous research, the findings revealed tentative links between adult attachment and WM fiber tracts related to cognitive and affective functions in PUD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Fuchshuber
- Center for Integrative Addiction Research (CIAR), Grüner Kreis Society, Vienna, Austria
- University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - H. F. Unterrainer
- Center for Integrative Addiction Research (CIAR), Grüner Kreis Society, Vienna, Austria
- University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Religious Studies, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - M. Hiebler-Ragger
- Center for Integrative Addiction Research (CIAR), Grüner Kreis Society, Vienna, Austria
- University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapeutic Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - K. Koschutnig
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - I. Papousek
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - E. M. Weiss
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - A. Fink
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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30
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Lippard ET, Nemeroff CB. The Devastating Clinical Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect: Increased Disease Vulnerability and Poor Treatment Response in Mood Disorders. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:20-36. [PMID: 31537091 PMCID: PMC6939135 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A large body of evidence has demonstrated that exposure to childhood maltreatment at any stage of development can have long-lasting consequences. It is associated with a marked increase in risk for psychiatric and medical disorders. This review summarizes the literature investigating the effects of childhood maltreatment on disease vulnerability for mood disorders, specifically summarizing cross-sectional and more recent longitudinal studies demonstrating that childhood maltreatment is more prevalent and is associated with increased risk for first mood episode, episode recurrence, greater comorbidities, and increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts in individuals with mood disorders. It summarizes the persistent alterations associated with childhood maltreatment, including alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and inflammatory cytokines, which may contribute to disease vulnerability and a more pernicious disease course. The authors discuss several candidate genes and environmental factors (for example, substance use) that may alter disease vulnerability and illness course and neurobiological associations that may mediate these relationships following childhood maltreatment. Studies provide insight into modifiable mechanisms and provide direction to improve both treatment and prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T.C. Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Mulva Clinic for Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX
| | - Charles B. Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA,Mulva Clinic for Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX
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31
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Meinert S, Repple J, Nenadic I, Krug A, Jansen A, Grotegerd D, Förster K, Enneking V, Dohm K, Schmitt S, Stein F, Brosch K, Meller T, Redlich R, Böhnlein J, Sindermann L, Goltermann J, Leehr EJ, Opel N, Aldermann L, Reuter A, Schubotz RI, Hahn T, Kircher T, Dannlowski U. Reduced fractional anisotropy in depressed patients due to childhood maltreatment rather than diagnosis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2019; 44:2065-2072. [PMID: 31382267 PMCID: PMC6897978 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-019-0472-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) associated with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) overlaps anatomically with effects of childhood maltreatment experiences. The aim of this study was, therefore, to replicate the negative effect of childhood maltreatment on white matter fiber structure and to demonstrate, that alterations in MDD might be partially attributed to the higher occurrence of childhood maltreatment in MDD. Two independent cohorts (total N = 1 256) were investigated in a diffusion tensor imaging study: The Münster Neuroimaging Cohort (MNC, N = 186 MDD, N = 210 healthy controls, HC) as discovery sample and the Marburg-Münster Affective Disorders Cohort Study (MACS, N = 397 MDD, N = 462 HC) as replication sample. The effects of diagnosis (HC vs. MDD) and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) scores on FA were analyzed. A main effect of diagnosis with higher FA in MDD patients compared with HC was found in the MNC (pFWE = 0.021), but not in the MACS (pFWE = 0.52) before correcting for CTQ. A significant negative correlation of FA with CTQ emerged in both cohorts (MNC: pFWE = 0.006, MACS: pFWE = 0.012) in several tracts previously described in the literature. No CTQ × diagnosis interaction could be detected. Any main effect of diagnosis was abolished after correcting for CTQ (MNC: pFWE = 0.562, MACS: pFWE = 0.115). No differences in FA between MDD and HC could be found after correcting for childhood maltreatment, suggesting that previously reported group differences might be attributed partially to higher levels of maltreatment experiences in MDD rather than diagnosis itself. Furthermore, a well-established finding of reduced FA following childhood maltreatment experiences was replicated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanne Meinert
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Jonathan Repple
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadic
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Axel Krug
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany ,0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Core-Unit Brain Imaging, Faculty of Medicine, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Förster
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Verena Enneking
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Dohm
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Simon Schmitt
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Frederike Stein
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Katharina Brosch
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tina Meller
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Ronny Redlich
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Joscha Böhnlein
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Lisa Sindermann
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Janik Goltermann
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J. Leehr
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils Opel
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany ,0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research (IZKF), University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Leni Aldermann
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Andreas Reuter
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Ricarda I. Schubotz
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tim Hahn
- 0000 0001 2172 9288grid.5949.1Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- 0000 0004 1936 9756grid.10253.35Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
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Asmal L, Kilian S, du Plessis S, Scheffler F, Chiliza B, Fouche JP, Seedat S, Dazzan P, Emsley R. Childhood Trauma Associated White Matter Abnormalities in First-Episode Schizophrenia. Schizophr Bull 2019; 45:369-376. [PMID: 29860345 PMCID: PMC6403087 DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sby062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Schizophrenia is associated with brain connection irregularities within and between brain regions. Childhood trauma increases the risk of schizophrenia suggesting that the relationships between childhood trauma and brain connectivity requires further investigation. Here, we examine the relationship between childhood trauma (as measured by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire) and fractional anisotropy (FA) in 54 minimally treated first-episode schizophrenia (FES) patients and 51 community matched controls. Patients who experienced high levels of trauma had significantly lower FA in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF), and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) compared with controls who experienced high levels of childhood trauma. A history of childhood sexual abuse in patients was associated with lower FA in the IFOF, ILF, SLF, and forceps major compared with patients without a history of sexual abuse. However, patients who had experienced childhood emotional neglect had higher FA in the right SLF compared to patients with low levels of emotional neglect. Our findings highlight altered cortico-limbic circuitry in FES patients compared with controls and differential effects of childhood emotional neglect and sexual abuse on white matter in patients. Although stress-related white matter (WM) pathways appear to be involved in both schizophrenia and otherwise healthy controls previously exposed to childhood trauma, the pattern of disruption of WM integrity in FES patients appears to be distinct.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laila Asmal
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa,To whom correspondence should be addressed; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, 8001, South Africa; e-mail:
| | - Sanja Kilian
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Stefan du Plessis
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Frederika Scheffler
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Bonginkosi Chiliza
- Department of Psychiatry, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Jean-Paul Fouche
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paola Dazzan
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Robin Emsley
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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Westlund Schreiner M, Mueller BA, Klimes-Dougan B, Begnel ED, Fiecas M, Hill D, Lim KO, Cullen KR. White Matter Microstructure in Adolescents and Young Adults With Non-Suicidal Self-Injury. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:1019. [PMID: 32038337 PMCID: PMC6992587 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.01019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a growing public health concern that commonly begins in adolescence, and can persist into young adulthood. A promising approach for advancing our understanding of NSSI in youth is to examine white matter microstructure using diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI). METHOD The present study examined whole-brain group differences in structural connectivity (as measured by generalized fractional anisotropy [GFA]) between 28 female adolescents and young adults ages 13-21 years with NSSI and 22 age-matched healthy controls (HC). We also explored the association between clinical characteristics including NSSI severity and duration, impulsivity, emotion regulation and personality traits within the NSSI group and GFA of the uncinate fasciculus and cingulum. RESULTS Compared to the HC group, participants with NSSI had lower GFA in several white matter tracts, including the uncinate fasciculus, cingulum, bilateral superior and inferior longitudinal fasciculi, anterior thalamic radiation, callosal body, and corticospinal tract. When controlling for depressive symptoms, the NSSI group showed an association between NSSI duration (time since initiating NSSI behavior) and lower GFA in the left cingulum. Higher levels of attentional impulsivity were related to lower GFA in the left uncinate fasciculus within the NSSI group. CONCLUSIONS We found evidence suggesting widespread white matter microstructure deficits in adolescents and young adults with NSSI versus HC. We also report inverse associations between white matter integrity and clinical characteristics (duration of NSSI and attentional impulsivity). These white matter microstructural deficits may represent a possible neurobiologically-based vulnerability to developing maladaptive coping mechanisms, such as NSSI. Additionally, results suggest that this white matter disorganization may either worsen with prolonged engagement in NSSI or predict persistent NSSI; thereby highlighting the importance of early intervention targeting this behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Bryon A Mueller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Bonnie Klimes-Dougan
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Erin D Begnel
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota College of Liberal Arts, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Mark Fiecas
- Division of Biostatistics, University of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Dawson Hill
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Kelvin O Lim
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Kathryn R Cullen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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Gianfrancesco O, Bubb VJ, Quinn JP. Treating the "E" in "G × E": Trauma-Informed Approaches and Psychological Therapy Interventions in Psychosis. Front Psychiatry 2019; 10:9. [PMID: 30761022 PMCID: PMC6363686 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite advances in genetic research, causal variants affecting risk for schizophrenia remain poorly characterized, and the top 108 loci identified through genome-wide association studies (GWAS) explain only 3.4% of variance in risk profiles. Such work is defining the highly complex nature of this condition, with omnigenic models of schizophrenia suggesting that gene regulatory networks are sufficiently interconnected such that altered expression of any "peripheral" gene in a relevant cell type has the capacity to indirectly modulate the expression of "core" schizophrenia-associated genes. This wealth of associated genes with small effect sizes makes identifying new druggable targets difficult, and current pharmacological treatments for schizophrenia can involve serious side effects. However, the fact that the majority of schizophrenia genome-wide associated variants fall within non-coding DNA is suggestive of their potential to modulate gene regulation. This would be consistent with risks that can be mediated in a "gene × environment" (G × E) manner. Stress and trauma can alter the regulation of key brain-related pathways over the lifetime of an individual, including modulation of brain development, and neurochemistry in the adult. Recent studies demonstrate a significant overlap between psychotic symptoms and trauma, ranging from prior trauma contributing to psychosis, as well as trauma in response to the experience of psychosis itself or in response to treatment. Given the known effects of trauma on both CNS gene expression and severity of psychosis symptoms, it may be that pharmacological treatment alone risks leaving individuals with a highly stressful and unresolved environmental component that continues to act in a "G × E" manner, with the likelihood that this would negatively impact recovery and relapse risk. This review aims to cover the recent advances elucidating the complex genetic architecture of schizophrenia, as well as the long-term effects of early life trauma on brain function and future mental health risk. Further, the evidence demonstrating the role of ongoing responses to trauma or heightened stress sensitivity, and their impact on the course of illness and recovery, is presented. Finally, the need for trauma-informed approaches and psychological therapy-based interventions is discussed, and a brief overview of the evidence to determine their utility is presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olympia Gianfrancesco
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,MRC Human Genetics Unit, Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Vivien J Bubb
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - John P Quinn
- Department of Molecular and Clinical Pharmacology, Institute of Translational Medicine, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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