1
|
Zhao X, Wang Y, Wu X, Liu S. An MRI Study of Morphology, Asymmetry, and Sex Differences of Inferior Precentral Sulcus. Brain Topogr 2024:10.1007/s10548-024-01035-5. [PMID: 38374489 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-024-01035-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
Numerous studies utilizing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) have observed sex and interhemispheric disparities in sulcal morphology, which could potentially underpin certain functional disparities in the human brain. Most of the existing research examines the precentral sulcus comprehensively, with a rare focus on its subsections. To explore the morphology, asymmetry, and sex disparities within the inferior precentral sulcus (IPCS), we acquired 3.0T magnetic resonance images from 92 right-handed Chinese adolescents. Brainvisa was used to reconstruct the IPCS structure and calculate its mean depth (MD). Based on the morphological patterns of IPCS, it was categorized into five distinct types. Additionally, we analyzed four different types of spatial relationships between IPCS and inferior frontal sulcus (IFS). There was a statistically significant sex disparity in the MD of IPCS, primarily observed in the right hemisphere. Females exhibited significantly greater asymmetry in the MD of IPCS compared to males. No statistically significant sex or hemispheric variations were identified in sulcal patterns. Our findings expand the comprehension of inconsistencies in sulcal structure, while also delivering an anatomical foundation for the study of related regions' function.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xinran Zhao
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, Shandong, China
- Institute for Sectional Anatomy and Digital Human, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Department of Neurology, Tongji Medical College, Union Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, 430022, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Institute for Sectional Anatomy and Digital Human, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaokang Wu
- Department of Clinical Medicine, The Second Hospital, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250033, Shandong, China
- Institute for Sectional Anatomy and Digital Human, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China
| | - Shuwei Liu
- Institute for Sectional Anatomy and Digital Human, Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder, Shandong Key Laboratory of Digital Human and Clinical Anatomy, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
- Institute of Brain and Brain-Inspired Science, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, Shandong, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Fenske SJ, Liu J, Chen H, Diniz MA, Stephens RL, Cornea E, Gilmore JH, Gao W. Sex differences in brain-behavior relationships in the first two years of life. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.31.578147. [PMID: 38352542 PMCID: PMC10862872 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.31.578147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Background Evidence for sex differences in cognition in childhood is established, but less is known about the underlying neural mechanisms for these differences. Recent findings suggest the existence of brain-behavior relationship heterogeneities during infancy; however, it remains unclear whether sex underlies these heterogeneities during this critical period when sex-related behavioral differences arise. Methods A sample of 316 infants was included with resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans at neonate (3 weeks), 1, and 2 years of age. We used multiple linear regression to test interactions between sex and resting-state functional connectivity on behavioral scores of working memory, inhibitory self-control, intelligence, and anxiety collected at 4 years of age. Results We found six age-specific, intra-hemispheric connections showing significant and robust sex differences in functional connectivity-behavior relationships. All connections are either with the prefrontal cortex or the temporal pole, which has direct anatomical pathways to the prefrontal cortex. Sex differences in functional connectivity only emerge when associated with behavior, and not in functional connectivity alone. Furthermore, at neonate and 2 years of age, these age-specific connections displayed greater connectivity in males and lower connectivity in females in association with better behavioral scores. Conclusions Taken together, we critically capture robust and conserved brain mechanisms that are distinct to sex and are defined by their relationship to behavioral outcomes. Our results establish brain-behavior mechanisms as an important feature in the search for sex differences during development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonja J Fenske
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Janelle Liu
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Haitao Chen
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90025
| | - Marcio A Diniz
- The Biostatistics and Bioinformatics Research Center, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
| | - Rebecca L Stephens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599
| | - Emil Cornea
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599
| | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, 27599
| | - Wei Gao
- Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- Department of Biomedical Sciences and Imaging, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048
- David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90025
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Tyborowska A, Volman I, Niermann HCM, Dapprich AL, Smeekens S, Cillessen AHN, Toni I, Roelofs K. Developmental shift in testosterone influence on prefrontal emotion control. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13415. [PMID: 37341037 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2022] [Revised: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
A paradox of testosterone effects is seen in adolescents versus adults in social emotional approach-avoidance behavior. During adolescence, high testosterone levels are associated with increased anterior prefrontal (aPFC) involvement in emotion control, whereas during adulthood this neuro-endocrine relation is reversed. Rodent work shows that, during puberty, testosterone transitions from a neuro-developmental to a social-sexual activating hormone. In this study, we explored whether this functional transition is also present in human adolescents and young adults. Using a prospective longitudinal design, we investigated the role of testosterone on neural control of social emotional behavior during the transitions from middle to late adolescence and into young adulthood. Seventy-one individuals (tested at ages 14, 17, and 20 years) performed an fMRI-adapted approach-avoidance (AA) task involving automatic and controlled actions in response to social emotional stimuli. In line with predictions from animal models, the effect of testosterone on aPFC engagement decreased between middle and late adolescence, and shifted into an activational role by young adulthood-impeding neural control of emotions. This change in testosterone function was accompanied by increased testosterone-modulated amygdala reactivity. These findings qualify the testosterone-dependent maturation of the prefrontal-amygdala circuit supporting emotion control during the transition from middle adolescence into young adulthood.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Tyborowska
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Inge Volman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging (WIN), Centre for Functional MRI of the Brain (FMRIB), Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Radcliffe Hospital, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Hannah C M Niermann
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Anna L Dapprich
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Sanny Smeekens
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, Heerlen, Netherlands
- Pro Persona, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | | | - Ivan Toni
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Picci G, Ott LR, Penhale SH, Taylor BK, Johnson HJ, Willett MP, Okelberry HJ, Wang Y, Calhoun VD, Stephen JM, Wilson TW. Developmental changes in endogenous testosterone have sexually-dimorphic effects on spontaneous cortical dynamics. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:6043-6054. [PMID: 37811842 PMCID: PMC10619376 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26496] [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: 11/19/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The transition from childhood to adolescence is associated with an influx of sex hormones, which not only facilitates physical and behavioral changes, but also dramatic changes in neural circuitry. While previous work has shown that pubertal hormones modulate structural and functional brain development, few of these studies have focused on the impact that such hormones have on spontaneous cortical activity, and whether these effects are modulated by sex during this critical developmental window. Herein, we examined the effect of endogenous testosterone on spontaneous cortical activity in 71 typically-developing youth (ages 10-17 years; 32 male). Participants completed a resting-state magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recording, structural MRI, and provided a saliva sample for hormone analysis. MEG data were source-reconstructed and the power within five canonical frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma) was computed. The resulting power spectral density maps were analyzed via vertex-wise ANCOVAs to identify spatially specific effects of testosterone and sex by testosterone interactions, while covarying out age. We found robust sex differences in the modulatory effects of testosterone on spontaneous delta, beta, and gamma activity. These interactions were largely confined to frontal cortices and exhibited a stark switch in the directionality of the correlation from the low (delta) to high frequencies (beta/gamma). For example, in the delta band, greater testosterone related to lower relative power in prefrontal cortices in boys, while the reverse pattern was found for girls. These data suggest testosterone levels are uniquely related to the development of spontaneous cortical dynamics during adolescence, and such levels are associated with different developmental patterns in males and females within regions implicated in executive functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Picci
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Lauren R. Ott
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Samantha H. Penhale
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Brittany K. Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Hallie J. Johnson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Madelyn P. Willett
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Hannah J. Okelberry
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
| | - Yu‐Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTulane UniversityNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyEmory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | | | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Center for Pediatric Brain Health, Boys Town National Research HospitalBoys TownNebraskaUSA
- Department of Pharmacology & NeuroscienceCreighton UniversityOmahaNebraskaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Transgender Youth Executive Functioning: Relationships with Anxiety Symptoms, Autism Spectrum Disorder, and Gender-Affirming Medical Treatment Status. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2022; 53:1252-1265. [PMID: 34146208 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-021-01195-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Executive function (EF) underlies broad health and adaptive outcomes. For transgender youth, navigating gender discernment and gender affirmation demand EF. Yet, factors associated with transgender youth EF are unknown. We investigate hypothesized predictors of EF: over-represented conditions among transgender youth (anxiety and depression symptoms, autism spectrum disorder [ASD]) and gender-affirming care. One-hundred twenty-four transgender 11-21-year-olds participated. Parents/caregivers completed EF and mental health report measures. ASD diagnostics and gender-affirming medication histories were collected. 21 % of non-autistic and 69 % of autistic transgender youth had clinically elevated EF problems. Membership in the gender-affirming hormone treatment group was associated with better EF. ASD, anxiety symptoms, and membership in the long-duration pubertal suppression group were associated with poorer EF. Given the importance of EF skills for multiple outcomes, and the unique and additional EF demands specific to transgender youths' experiences, EF skill monitoring-and when appropriate, supports-should be considered for transgender youth.
Collapse
|
6
|
Taddei M, Bulgheroni S, Riva D, Erbetta A. Task‐related functional neuroimaging contribution to sex/gender differences in cognition and emotion during development. J Neurosci Res 2022; 101:575-603. [PMID: 36354127 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.25143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has shown that sex/gender (s/g) influences on cognitive functions and related brain anatomy, functional responses, and connectivity are less clear than previously assumed, and most studies investigated adult population. In this mini-review, we summarize research progress in the study of s/g differences in the human brain function as investigated by neuroimaging methods adopting a developmental perspective. In particular, we review original studies published from 2000 to 2021 investigating s/g differences in task-related brain functional activation and connectivity in healthy children and adolescents. We summarize results about studies in the domains of language, visuospatial ability, social cognition, and executive functions. Overall, a clear relation between cognition and brain activation or connectivity pattern is far from being established and the few coherent results should be considered exploratory, despite in some cases, brain function seems to present specific patterns in comparison with what reported in adults. Moreover, future studies should address methodological limitations, such as fragmentation of tasks, lack of control for confounding variables, and lack of longitudinal designs to study developmental trajectories.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Matilde Taddei
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Sara Bulgheroni
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Daria Riva
- Department of Pediatric Neuroscience Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| | - Alessandra Erbetta
- Department of Neuroradiology Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta Milan Italy
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Fung MH, Rahman RL, Taylor BK, Frenzel MR, Eastman JA, Wang Y, Calhoun VD, Stephen JM, Wilson TW. The impact of pubertal DHEA on the development of visuospatial oscillatory dynamics. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:5154-5166. [PMID: 35778797 PMCID: PMC9812248 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 05/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The adolescent brain undergoes tremendous structural and functional changes throughout puberty. Previous research has demonstrated that pubertal hormones can modulate sexually dimorphic changes in cortical development, as well as age-related maturation of the neural activity underlying cognitive processes. However, the precise impact of pubertal hormones on these functional changes in the developing human brain remains poorly understood. In the current study, we quantified the neural oscillatory activity serving visuospatial processing using magnetoencephalography, and utilized measures of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) as an index of development during the transition from childhood to adolescence (i.e., puberty). Within a sample of typically developing youth (ages 9-15), a novel association between pubertal DHEA and theta oscillatory activity indicated that less mature children exhibited stronger neural responses in higher-order prefrontal cortices during the visuospatial task. Theta coherence between bilateral prefrontal regions also increased with increasing DHEA, such that network-level theta activity became more distributed with more maturity. Additionally, significant DHEA-by-sex interactions in the gamma range were centered on cortical regions relevant for attention processing. These findings suggest that pubertal DHEA may modulate the development of neural oscillatory activity serving visuospatial processing and attention functions during the pubertal period.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Madison H. Fung
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA,Institute of Child DevelopmentUniversity of Minnesota‐Twin CitiesMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Raeef L. Rahman
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Brittany K. Taylor
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Michaela R. Frenzel
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Jacob A. Eastman
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| | - Yu‐Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical EngineeringTulane UniversityNew OrleansLouisianaUSA
| | - Vince D. Calhoun
- Tri‐institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory UniversityAtlantaGeorgiaUSA
| | | | - Tony W. Wilson
- Institute for Human NeuroscienceBoys Town National Research HospitalOmahaNebraskaUSA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Emotional salience but not valence impacts anterior cingulate cortex conflict processing. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:1250-1263. [PMID: 35879595 PMCID: PMC9622519 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-022-01025-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Stimuli that evoke emotions are salient, draw attentional resources, and facilitate situationally appropriate behavior in complex or conflicting environments. However, negative and positive emotions may motivate different response strategies. For example, a threatening stimulus might evoke avoidant behavior, whereas a positive stimulus may prompt approaching behavior. Therefore, emotional stimuli might either elicit differential behavioral responses when a conflict arises or simply mark salience. The present study used functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate valence-specific emotion effects on attentional control in conflict processing by employing an adapted flanker task with neutral, negative, and positive stimuli. Slower responses were observed for incongruent than congruent trials. Neural activity in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex was associated with conflict processing regardless of emotional stimulus quality. These findings confirm that both negative and positive emotional stimuli mark salience in both low (congruent) and high (incongruent) conflict scenarios. Regardless of the conflict level, emotional stimuli deployed greater attentional resources in goal directed behavior.
Collapse
|
9
|
Ho TC, Gifuni AJ, Gotlib IH. Psychobiological risk factors for suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescence: a consideration of the role of puberty. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:606-623. [PMID: 34117365 PMCID: PMC8960417 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01171-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/11/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents. While clinicians and researchers have begun to recognize the importance of considering multidimensional factors in understanding risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) during this developmental period, the role of puberty has been largely ignored. In this review, we contend that the hormonal events that occur during puberty have significant effects on the organization and development of brain systems implicated in the regulation of social stressors, including amygdala, hippocampus, striatum, medial prefrontal cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. Guided by previous experimental work in adults, we also propose that the influence of pubertal hormones and social stressors on neural systems related to risk for STBs is especially critical to consider in adolescents with a neurobiological sensitivity to hormonal changes. Furthermore, facets of the pubertal transition, such as pubertal timing, warrant deeper investigation and may help us gain a more comprehensive understanding of sex differences in the neurobiological and psychosocial mechanisms underlying adolescent STBs. Ultimately, advancing our understanding of the pubertal processes that contribute to suicide risk will improve early detection and facilitate the development of more effective, sex-specific, psychiatric interventions for adolescents.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C. Ho
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.266102.10000 0001 2297 6811Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA USA
| | - Anthony J. Gifuni
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Psychiatry Department and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC Canada
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- grid.168010.e0000000419368956Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Mothers’ Perspectives on Resistance and Defiance in Middle Childhood: Promoting Autonomy and Social Skill. SOCIAL SCIENCES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/socsci10120469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study explored mothers’ perceptions of their children’s resistance to their requests and defiance of parental authority during middle childhood and early adolescence. We were interested in parental perceptions of change in resistance, their interpretations of the meaning of resistance, and parental responses to these behaviors. Forty Canadian mothers of children 9–13 years of age participated for one week in a study focused on parents’ experiences of children’s resistance and opposition. Procedures consisted of a qualitative analysis of mothers’ reports from a five-day event diary and a 1 h semi-structured interview. Mothers reported developmental changes in the quantity and quality of children’s resistance to parental requests and expectations. Most mothers reported increasing displays of defiance and direct and indirect expressions of attitude but also noted changes in the skill with which children expressed resistance. Mothers interpreted children’s resistance as annoying but normal expressions of children’s developing autonomy. Mothers supported children’s right to expression of agency through resistance but attempted to channel children’s resistance toward socially competent expressions of assertiveness. The findings have implications for a relational perspective on autonomy-supportive parenting and parents’ goals for children’s developing social competence in the 21st century.
Collapse
|
11
|
Galván A. Adolescent Brain Development and Contextual Influences: A Decade in Review. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2021; 31:843-869. [PMID: 34820955 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a developmental period characterized by substantial psychological, biological, and neurobiological changes. This review discusses the past decade of research on the adolescent brain, as based on the overarching framework that development is a dynamic process both within the individual and between the individual and external inputs. As such, this review focuses on research showing that the development of the brain is influenced by multiple ongoing and dynamic elements. It highlights the implications this body of work on behavioral development and offers areas of opportunity for future research in the coming decade.
Collapse
|
12
|
Chen D, Strang JF, Kolbuck VD, Rosenthal SM, Wallen K, Waber DP, Steinberg L, Sisk CL, Ross J, Paus T, Mueller SC, McCarthy MM, Micevych PE, Martin CL, Kreukels BPC, Kenworthy L, Herting MM, Herlitz A, Haraldsen IRJH, Dahl R, Crone EA, Chelune GJ, Burke SM, Berenbaum SA, Beltz AM, Bakker J, Eliot L, Vilain E, Wallace GL, Nelson EE, Garofalo R. Consensus Parameter: Research Methodologies to Evaluate Neurodevelopmental Effects of Pubertal Suppression in Transgender Youth. Transgend Health 2020; 5:246-257. [PMID: 33376803 PMCID: PMC7759272 DOI: 10.1089/trgh.2020.0006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose: Pubertal suppression is standard of care for early pubertal transgender youth to prevent the development of undesired and distressing secondary sex characteristics incongruent with gender identity. Preliminary evidence suggests pubertal suppression improves mental health functioning. Given the widespread changes in brain and cognition that occur during puberty, a critical question is whether this treatment impacts neurodevelopment. Methods: A Delphi consensus procedure engaged 24 international experts in neurodevelopment, gender development, puberty/adolescence, neuroendocrinology, and statistics/psychometrics to identify priority research methodologies to address the empirical question: is pubertal suppression treatment associated with real-world neurocognitive sequelae? Recommended study approaches reaching 80% consensus were included in the consensus parameter. Results: The Delphi procedure identified 160 initial expert recommendations, 44 of which ultimately achieved consensus. Consensus study design elements include the following: a minimum of three measurement time points, pubertal staging at baseline, statistical modeling of sex in analyses, use of analytic approaches that account for heterogeneity, and use of multiple comparison groups to minimize the limitations of any one group. Consensus study comparison groups include untreated transgender youth matched on pubertal stage, cisgender (i.e., gender congruent) youth matched on pubertal stage, and an independent sample from a large-scale youth development database. The consensus domains for assessment includes: mental health, executive function/cognitive control, and social awareness/functioning. Conclusion: An international interdisciplinary team of experts achieved consensus around primary methods and domains for assessing neurodevelopmental effects (i.e., benefits and/or difficulties) of pubertal suppression treatment in transgender youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Diane Chen
- Potocsnak Family Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Pritzker Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - John F Strang
- Division of Neuropsychology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Center for Neuroscience, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Neurology, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Victoria D Kolbuck
- Potocsnak Family Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Stephen M Rosenthal
- Division of Endocrinology, Benioff Children's Hospital, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Kim Wallen
- Department of Psychology, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Deborah P Waber
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Laurence Steinberg
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Cheryl L Sisk
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, USA
| | - Judith Ross
- Nemours duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, Delaware, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Tomas Paus
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sven C Mueller
- Department of Experimental Clinical and Health Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.,Department of Personality, Psychological Assessment and Treatment, University of Deusto, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Margaret M McCarthy
- Program in Neuroscience, Department of Pharmacology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Paul E Micevych
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Carol L Martin
- School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, USA
| | - Baudewijntje P C Kreukels
- Amsterdam UMC, Location VUmc, Department of Medical Psychology and Center of Expertise on Gender Dysphoria, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Lauren Kenworthy
- Division of Neuropsychology, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Center for Neuroscience, Children's Research Institute, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Neurology, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Agneta Herlitz
- Section of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | | | - Ronald Dahl
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Eveline A Crone
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Gordon J Chelune
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
| | - Sarah M Burke
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sheri A Berenbaum
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Adriene M Beltz
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Julie Bakker
- GIGA Neurosciences, Liège University, Liège, Belgium
| | - Lise Eliot
- Department of Neuroscience, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Eric Vilain
- Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children's National Medical Center, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA.,Epigenetics, Data, & Politics at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Gregory L Wallace
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Science, George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Eric E Nelson
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Robert Garofalo
- Potocsnak Family Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Campbell CE, Mezher AF, Eckel SP, Tyszka JM, Pauli WM, Nagel BJ, Herting MM. Restructuring of amygdala subregion apportion across adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 48:100883. [PMID: 33476872 PMCID: PMC7820032 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Total amygdala volumes develop in association with sex and puberty, and postmortem studies find neuronal numbers increase in a nuclei specific fashion across development. Thus, amygdala subregions and composition may evolve with age. Our goal was to examine if amygdala subregion absolute volumes and/or relative proportion varies as a function of age, sex, or puberty in a large sample of typically developing adolescents (N = 408, 43 % female, 10-17 years). Utilizing the in vivo CIT168 atlas, we quantified 9 subregions and implemented Generalized Additive Mixed Models to capture potential non-linear associations with age and pubertal status between sexes. Only males showed significant age associations with the basolateral ventral and paralaminar subdivision (BLVPL), central nucleus (CEN), and amygdala transition area (ATA). Again, only males showed relative differences in the proportion of the BLVPL, CEN, ATA, along with lateral (LA) and amygdalostriatal transition area (ASTA), with age. Using a best-fit modeling approach, age, and not puberty, was found to drive these associations. The results suggest that amygdala subregions show unique variations with age in males across adolescence. Future research is warranted to determine if our findings may contribute to sex differences in mental health that emerge across adolescence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claire E Campbell
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-2520, USA
| | - Adam F Mezher
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90089-2520, USA
| | - Sandrah P Eckel
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA
| | - J Michael Tyszka
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Wolfgang M Pauli
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Departments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, 97239-3098, USA
| | - Megan M Herting
- Department of Preventive Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 90033, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Adrenarcheal Timing Longitudinally Predicts Anxiety Symptoms via Amygdala Connectivity During Emotion Processing. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 59:739-748.e2. [PMID: 31055054 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.04.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine longitudinally whether adrenarcheal timing (adrenarcheal hormone levels independent of age) and tempo (change in hormone levels over time) were associated with amygdala functional connectivity and how this in turn related to anxiety symptoms in the transition from childhood to adolescence. METHOD Participants were 64 children (34 girls) who completed the Spence Children's Anxiety Scale and saliva collections to measure levels of testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate at two time points (mean age 9.5 years at time 1 [T1], 12.2 years at time 2 [T2]). Participants also viewed fearful and calm facial expressions while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging scanning at both time points. Amygdala functional connectivity was assessed with psychophysiological interaction analysis and modeled longitudinally with the Multivariate and Repeated Measures MATLAB toolbox. RESULTS Controlling for age, higher dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate at T1 was related to an increase in amygdala to inferior frontal gyrus connectivity over time (T1 to T2) in boys, but the opposite pattern was found in girls. Dehydroepiandrosterone at T1 showed a positive association with amygdala connectivity to several lateral prefrontal areas and the anterior cingulate across time. Higher dehydroepiandrosterone at T1 was indirectly related to more anxiety symptoms at T2, controlling for symptoms at T1, via more positive amygdala to inferior frontal gyrus connectivity. Changes in hormone levels did not relate to changes in amygdala connectivity (from T1 to T2). CONCLUSION The results suggest that amygdala to prefrontal cortex connectivity may be a mechanism through which early adrenarcheal timing predicts the development of anxiety symptoms during adrenarche.
Collapse
|
15
|
Li J, Yang X, Zhou F, Liu C, Wei Z, Xin F, Daumann B, Daumann J, Kendrick KM, Becker B. Modafinil enhances cognitive, but not emotional conflict processing via enhanced inferior frontal gyrus activation and its communication with the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Neuropsychopharmacology 2020; 45:1026-1033. [PMID: 31995813 PMCID: PMC7162953 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-020-0625-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2019] [Revised: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive control regulates cognitive and emotional systems to facilitate goal-directed behavior in the context of task-irrelevant distractors. Cognitive control deficits contribute to residual functional impairments across psychiatric disorders and represent a promising novel treatment target. Translational evidence suggests that modafinil may enhance performance in executive functions; however, differential effects on regulatory control in cognitive and emotional domains have not been examined. The present pre-registered randomized-controlled pharmacological fMRI trial examined differential effects of modafinil (single-dose, 200 mg) on cognitive and emotional conflict processing. To further separate objective cognitive enhancing effects from subjective performance perception, a metacognitive paradigm was employed. Results indicated that modafinil specifically enhanced cognitive conflict performance and concomitantly increased activation in the inferior frontal gyrus and its functional communication with the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. Exploratory analysis further revealed modafinil-enhanced basolateral amygdala reactivity to cognitive conflict, with stronger reactivity being associated with higher cognitive conflict performance. Whereas modafinil enhanced cognitive performance in the metacognitive paradigm, confidence indices remained unaffected. Overall, the present results suggest that modafinil has the potential to enhance cognitive conflict processing while leaving emotional conflict processing unaffected. On the neural level modafinil enhanced the recruitment of a network engaged in general conflict and regulatory control processes, whereas effects on the amygdala may reflect improved arousal-mediated attention processes for conflicting information. The pattern of cognitive enhancing effects in the absence of effects on affective processing suggests a promising potential to enhance cognitive control in clinical populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jialin Li
- 0000 0004 0369 4060grid.54549.39The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Xi Yang
- 0000 0004 0369 4060grid.54549.39The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- 0000 0004 0369 4060grid.54549.39The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Congcong Liu
- 0000 0004 0369 4060grid.54549.39The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhenyu Wei
- 0000 0004 0369 4060grid.54549.39The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Fei Xin
- 0000 0004 0369 4060grid.54549.39The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | | | - Jörg Daumann
- 0000 0000 8580 3777grid.6190.eDepartment of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Keith M. Kendrick
- 0000 0004 0369 4060grid.54549.39The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China
| | - Benjamin Becker
- The Clinical Hospital of the Chengdu Brain Science Institute, MOE Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Liu T, Li D, Shangguan F, Shi J. The Relationships Among Testosterone, Cortisol, and Cognitive Control of Emotion as Underlying Mechanisms of Emotional Intelligence of 10- to 11-Year-Old Children. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:273. [PMID: 31920581 PMCID: PMC6928062 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00273] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional intelligence is an important factor contributing to social adaptation. The current study investigated how salivary testosterone (T) and cortisol (C) levels, cognitive control of emotional conflict processing were associated with children's emotional intelligence (EI). Thirty-four 10- to 11-year-old children were enrolled and instructed to complete questionnaires on emotional intelligence as well as empirical tasks of emotional flanker and Stroop with event-related potential (ERP) recordings. Saliva collection took place on another day without ERP tasks. Results showed that lower T and C levels were associated with higher accuracy in emotional conflict tasks, as well as better emotional intelligence (managing self emotions). In the Stroop task, higher T/C ratios were associated with greater congruency effects of N2 latencies, and lower cortisol levels correlated with stronger slow potential activities (SP). For girls, the correlation between cortisol and emotional utilization was mediated by the SP amplitudes on fearful conflicts in the flanker task (95% CI: -8.64, -0.54, p < 0.050). In conclusion, the current study found the relationship between cortisol and an emotional intelligence ability, emotional utilization, might be mediated by brain activities during emotional conflict resolution processing (SP responses) in preadolescent girls. Future studies could further investigate testosterone-cortisol interaction and its relation with cognitive control of emotion as underlying mechanisms of emotional intelligence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tongran Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Danfeng Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Fangfang Shangguan
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiannong Shi
- CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Xie X, Liu P, Chen T, Wang Y, Liu X, Ye P, Xiang W, Yan Z. Influence of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis reactivation and corresponding surging sex hormones on the amplitude of low-frequency oscillations in early pubertal girls: A resting state fMRI study. J Affect Disord 2019; 256:288-294. [PMID: 31200166 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.05.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2018] [Revised: 04/11/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There has been a myriad of neuroimaging studies that have suggested that pubertal stages and sex steroid fluctuations contribute to pubertal brain maturation. Investigations on the influence of hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis reactivation and the correlated elevated sex hormones on brain maturation have not unraveled these interactions to date. Here, we aimed to explore the impact of the reactivated HPG axis on spontaneous brain activity changes, by analyzing the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) in developing girls aged 8-11 years old. METHODS The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) stimulation test was used to determine the HPG axis status and categorize subjects into two groups (HPG+ or HPG- group). Intelligence quotient (IQ) and the parent-rated Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) were used to evaluate cognitive and behavioral performance. Two-sample t-tests were used to compare intergroup differences, the relations between brain areas' activities, age and hormonal levels were conducted by Pearson or Spearman correlation analyses. RESULTS Compared with the HPG- group, the HPG+ group showed decreased ALFF values in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) but increased ALFF values in the right superior frontal gyrus (SFG). In addition, in the HPG+ group, prolactin (PRL) levels were positively correlated with ALFF values in the right SFG, and there was significant negative correlation between ALFF values in the left STG and CBCL activities scores. LIMITATIONS Due to the cross-sectional design of the present study, further study is needed to determine the relationships between age, reawakening of the HPG axis and related sex hormones and spontaneous brain activity change. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggested that the reactivated HPG axis and elevated PRL level could affect changes in brain activity and this effect may be the neuroendocrine basis of mood, cognition, and social behavior changes in early pubertal girls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoling Xie
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Peining Liu
- Department of Child Healthcare, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Yu Wang
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Xiaozheng Liu
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Peipei Ye
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Wei Xiang
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China
| | - Zhihan Yan
- Department of Radiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027, China.
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Puberty and functional brain development in humans: Convergence in findings? Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 39:100690. [PMID: 31450015 PMCID: PMC6969369 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 07/28/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Although there is a long history of studying the influence of pubertal hormones on brain function/structure in animals, this research in human adolescents is young but burgeoning. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of findings from neuroimaging studies investigating the relation between pubertal and functional brain development in humans. We quantified the findings from this literature in which statistics required for standard meta-analyses are often not provided (i.e., effect size in fMRI studies). To do so, we assessed convergence in findings within content domains (reward, facial emotion, social information, cognitive processing) in terms of the locus and directionality (i.e., positive/negative) of effects. Face processing is the only domain with convergence in the locus of effects in the amygdala. Social information processing is the only domain with convergence of positive effects; however, these effects are not consistently present in any brain region. There is no convergence of effects in either the reward or cognitive processing domains. This limited convergence in findings across domains is not the result of null findings or even due to the variety of experimental paradigms researchers employ. Instead, there are critical theoretical, methodological, and analytical issues that must be addressed in order to move the field forward.
Collapse
|
19
|
Vijayakumar N, Pfeifer JH, Flournoy JC, Hernandez LM, Dapretto M. Affective reactivity during adolescence: Associations with age, puberty and testosterone. Cortex 2019; 117:336-350. [PMID: 31200127 PMCID: PMC7057923 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2019.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2018] [Revised: 01/25/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of heightened social engagement that is accompanied by normative changes in neural reactivity to affective stimuli. It is also a period of concurrent endocrine and physical changes associated with puberty. A growing body of research suggests that hormonal shifts during adolescence impact brain development, but minimal research in humans has examined the relationship between intra-individual changes in puberty and brain function. The current study examines linear and nonlinear changes in affective reactivity in a longitudinal sample of 82 adolescents who underwent three fMRI sessions between the ages of 9 and 18 years. Changes in response to affective facial stimuli were related to age, pubertal stage, and testosterone levels. Using multilevel modeling, we highlight extensive nonlinear development of socio-emotional responsivity across the brain. Results include mid-pubertal peaks in amygdala and hippocampus response to fearful expressions, as well as sex differences in regions subserving social and self-evaluative processes. However, testosterone levels exhibited inverse patterns of association with neural response compared to pubertal stage in females (e.g., U-shaped relationship with the amygdala and hippocampus). Findings highlight potentially unique roles of age, pubertal stage and testosterone on socio-emotional development during adolescence, as well as sex differences in these associations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Vijayakumar
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA; School of Psychology, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | | | - John C Flournoy
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Leanna M Hernandez
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Mirella Dapretto
- Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Parent-Adolescent Conflict across Adolescence: Trajectories of Informant Discrepancies and Associations with Personality Types. J Youth Adolesc 2019; 49:119-135. [PMID: 31254242 PMCID: PMC6987059 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-019-01054-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Parent–adolescent conflict can be intense, yet parents and adolescents do not always agree on the intensity of conflict. Conflict intensity tends to change during adolescence and is thought to be an indicator of how the parent–adolescent relationship transforms. However, parents and adolescents might differently perceive change in conflict intensity, resulting in changing discrepancies in conflict intensity throughout adolescence. Also, personality characteristics of parents and adolescents might affect the extent to which there are discrepancies in perceptions of conflict intensity. This multi-informant longitudinal study investigated a) the trajectories of parent–adolescent conflict intensity, b) the trajectories of informant discrepancies, and c) the prediction of these trajectories by parental and adolescent personality. Dutch adolescents (N = 497, 43.1% female, Mage = 13.03 at T1), their mothers, and their fathers reported on parent–adolescent conflict intensity and personality for six years. Latent Growth Curve Modeling and Latent Congruence Modeling revealed curvilinear changes in conflict intensity, as well as in discrepancies thereof. Two cycles of discrepancies emerged. First, in early-to-middle-adolescence discrepancies in perceptions of parents and adolescents increased, reflecting that adolescents’ perceived conflict intensity increased. Second, in middle-to-late-adolescence, father–adolescent discrepancies increased further, reflecting that fathers’ perceptions of conflict decreased. Resilient adolescents, mothers, and fathers reported lower levels of conflict intensity than Undercontrollers and Overcontrollers, but personality was not associated with the rate of change in conflict intensity. Finally, undercontrolling fathers and overcontrolling adolescents showed higher father–adolescent discrepancies. This study showed that parents and adolescents differentially perceive conflict intensity and that in the adolescent–father relationship, the extent of the differences depends on adolescent and father personality.
Collapse
|
21
|
Effects of age, sex, and puberty on neural efficiency of cognitive and motor control in adolescents. Brain Imaging Behav 2019; 14:1089-1107. [PMID: 30903550 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-019-00075-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Critical changes in adolescence involve brain cognitive maturation of inhibitory control processes that are essential for a myriad of adult functions. Cognitive control advances into adulthood as there is more flexible integration of component processes, including inhibitory control of conflicting information, overwriting inappropriate response tendencies, and amplifying relevant responses for accurate execution. Using a modified Stroop task with fMRI, we investigated the effects of age, sex, and puberty on brain functional correlates of cognitive and motor control in 87 boys and 91 girls across the adolescent age range. Results revealed dissociable brain systems for cognitive and motor control processes, whereby adolescents flexibly adapted neural responses to control demands. Specifically, when response repetitions facilitated planning-based action selection, frontoparietal-insular regions associated with cognitive control operations were less activated, whereas cortical-pallidal-cerebellar motor regions associated with motor skill acquisition, were more activated. Attenuated middle cingulate cortex activation occurred with older adolescent age for both motor control and cognitive control with automaticity from repetition learning. Sexual dimorphism for control operations occurred in extrastriate cortices involved in visuo-attentional selection: While boys enhanced extrastriate selection processes for motor control, girls activated these regions more for cognitive control. These sex differences were attenuated with more advanced pubertal stage. Together, our findings show that brain cognitive and motor control processes are segregated, demand-specific, more efficient in older adolescents, and differ between sexes relative to pubertal development. Our findings advance our understanding of how distributed brain activity and the neurodevelopment of automaticity enhances cognitive and motor control ability in adolescence.
Collapse
|
22
|
Goddings AL, Beltz A, Peper JS, Crone EA, Braams BR. Understanding the Role of Puberty in Structural and Functional Development of the Adolescent Brain. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2019; 29:32-53. [PMID: 30869842 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Over the past two decades, there has been a tremendous increase in our understanding of structural and functional brain development in adolescence. However, understanding the role of puberty in this process has received much less attention. This review examines this relationship by summarizing recent research studies where the role of puberty was investigated in relation to brain structure, connectivity, and task-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). The studies together suggest that puberty may contribute to adolescent neural reorganization and maturational advancement, and sex differences also emerge in puberty. The current body of work shows some mixed results regarding impact and exact direction of pubertal influence. We discuss several limitations of current studies and propose future directions on how to move the field forward.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jiska S Peper
- Leiden University
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Ernst M, Benson B, Artiges E, Gorka AX, Lemaitre H, Lago T, Miranda R, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Bromberg U, Brühl R, Büchel C, Cattrell A, Conrod P, Desrivières S, Fadai T, Flor H, Grigis A, Gallinat J, Garavan H, Gowland P, Grimmer Y, Heinz A, Kappel V, Nees F, Papadopoulos-Orfanos D, Penttilä J, Poustka L, Smolka MN, Stringaris A, Struve M, van Noort BM, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Grillon C, Martinot MLP, Martinot JL. Pubertal maturation and sex effects on the default-mode network connectivity implicated in mood dysregulation. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:103. [PMID: 30804326 PMCID: PMC6389927 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0433-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 01/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
This study examines the effects of puberty and sex on the intrinsic functional connectivity (iFC) of brain networks, with a focus on the default-mode network (DMN). Consistently implicated in depressive disorders, the DMN's function may interact with puberty and sex in the development of these disorders, whose onsets peak in adolescence, and which show strong sex disproportionality (females > males). The main question concerns how the DMN evolves with puberty as a function of sex. These effects are expected to involve within- and between-network iFC, particularly, the salience and the central-executive networks, consistent with the Triple-Network Model. Resting-state scans of an adolescent community sample (n = 304, male/female: 157/147; mean/std age: 14.6/0.41 years), from the IMAGEN database, were analyzed using the AFNI software suite and a data reduction strategy for the effects of puberty and sex. Three midline regions (medial prefrontal, pregenual anterior cingulate, and posterior cingulate), within the DMN and consistently implicated in mood disorders, were selected as seeds. Within- and between-network clusters of the DMN iFC changed with pubertal maturation differently in boys and girls (puberty-X-sex). Specifically, pubertal maturation predicted weaker iFC in girls and stronger iFC in boys. Finally, iFC was stronger in boys than girls independently of puberty. Brain-behavior associations indicated that lower connectivity of the anterior cingulate seed predicted higher internalizing symptoms at 2-year follow-up. In conclusion, weaker iFC of the anterior DMN may signal disconnections among circuits supporting mood regulation, conferring risk for internalizing disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Eric Artiges
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Faculté de médecine, University Paris-Saclay, DIGITEO Labs, Gif sur Yvette, France
- University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Center for Neuroimaging Research (CENIR), Brain & Spine Institute, Paris, France
- Psychiatry Department 91G16, Orsay Hospital, Paris, France
| | | | - Herve Lemaitre
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Faculté de médecine, University Paris-Saclay, DIGITEO Labs, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | | | - Ruben Miranda
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neurosciences, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Uli Bromberg
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, House W34, 3.OG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Abbestr. 2 - 12, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christian Büchel
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, House W34, 3.OG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Anna Cattrell
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of Psychological Medicine and Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, CHU Ste Justine Hospital, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Tahmine Fadai
- University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, House W34, 3.OG, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- Neurospin, Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique, CEA-Saclay Center, Saclay, France
| | - Juergen Gallinat
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, 05405, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Yvonne Grimmer
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Viola Kappel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131, Mannheim, Germany
| | | | - Jani Penttilä
- Department of Social and Health Care, Psychosocial Services Adolescent Outpatient Clinic, University of Tampere, Kauppakatu 14, Lahti, Finland
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging Center, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Argyris Stringaris
- NIMH/NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Maren Struve
- Department of Psychology, University College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Betteke M van Noort
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Campus CharitéMitte, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- Department of Psychology, University College, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Medical Research Council - Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | | | - Marie-Laure Paillère Martinot
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
- University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- AP-HP, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France
- Sorbonne Universités, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Research unit "Neuroimaging and Psychiatry", DIGITEO Labs, University Paris-Saclay, and University Paris Descartes, Gif sur Yvette, France
- INSERM, UMR 1000, Faculté de médecine, University Paris-Saclay, DIGITEO Labs, Gif sur Yvette, France
- University Paris Descartes, Paris, France
- Center for Neuroimaging Research (CENIR), Brain & Spine Institute, Paris, France
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Vijayakumar N, Op de Macks Z, Shirtcliff EA, Pfeifer JH. Puberty and the human brain: Insights into adolescent development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 92:417-436. [PMID: 29972766 PMCID: PMC6234123 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 193] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2018] [Revised: 06/03/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Alongside the exponential flourish of research on age-related trajectories of human brain development during childhood and adolescence in the past two decades, there has been an increase in the body of work examining the association between pubertal development and brain maturation. This review systematically examines empirical research on puberty-related structural and functional brain development in humans, with the aim of identifying convergent patterns of associations. We emphasize longitudinal studies, and discuss pervasive but oft-overlooked methodological issues that may be contributing to inconsistent findings and hindering progress (e.g., conflating distinct pubertal indices and different measurement instruments). We also briefly evaluate support for prominent models of adolescent neurodevelopment that hypothesize puberty-related changes in brain regions involved in affective and motivational processes. For the field to progress, replication studies are needed to help resolve current inconsistencies and gain a clearer understanding of pubertal associations with brain development in humans, knowledge that is crucial to make sense of the changes in psychosocial functioning, risk behavior, and mental health during adolescence.
Collapse
|
25
|
Alarcón G, Pfeifer JH, Fair DA, Nagel BJ. Adolescent Gender Differences in Cognitive Control Performance and Functional Connectivity Between Default Mode and Fronto-Parietal Networks Within a Self-Referential Context. Front Behav Neurosci 2018; 12:73. [PMID: 29740292 PMCID: PMC5924772 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2018.00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Ineffective reduction of functional connectivity between the default mode network (DMN) and frontoparietal network (FPN) during cognitive control can interfere with performance in healthy individuals—a phenomenon present in psychiatric disorders, such as depression. Here, this mechanism is studied in healthy adolescents by examining gender differences in task-regressed functional connectivity using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a novel task designed to place the DMN—supporting self-referential processing (SRP)—and FPN—supporting cognitive control—into conflict. Compared to boys, girls showed stronger functional connectivity between DMN and FPN during cognitive control in an SRP context (n = 40; boys = 20), a context that also elicited more errors of omission in girls. The gender difference in errors of omission was mediated by higher self-reported co-rumination—the extensive and repetitive discussion of problems and focus on negative feelings with a same-gender peer—by girls, compared to boys. These findings indicate that placing internal and external attentional demands in conflict lead to persistent functional connectivity between FPN and DMN in girls, but not boys; however, deficits in performance during this context were explained by co-rumination, such that youth with higher co-rumination displayed the largest performance deficits. Previous research shows that co-rumination predicts depressive symptoms during adolescence; thus, gender differences in the mechanisms involved with transitioning from internal to external processing may be relevant for understanding heightened vulnerability for depression in adolescent girls.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Alarcón
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jennifer H Pfeifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States
| | - Damien A Fair
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Advanced Imaging Research Center, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| | - Bonnie J Nagel
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, United States
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Steele JS, Bush K, Stowe ZN, James GA, Smitherman S, Kilts CD, Cisler J. Implicit emotion regulation in adolescent girls: An exploratory investigation of Hidden Markov Modeling and its neural correlates. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192318. [PMID: 29489856 PMCID: PMC5830311 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2015] [Accepted: 01/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous data demonstrate that distracting emotional stimuli cause behavioral slowing (i.e. emotional conflict) and that behavior dynamically adapts to such distractors. However, the cognitive and neural mechanisms that mediate these behavioral findings are poorly understood. Several theoretical models have been developed that attempt to explain these phenomena, but these models have not been directly tested on human behavior nor compared. A potential tool to overcome this limitation is Hidden Markov Modeling (HMM), which is a computational approach to modeling indirectly observed systems. Here, we administered an emotional Stroop task to a sample of healthy adolescent girls (N = 24) during fMRI and used HMM to implement theoretical behavioral models. We then compared the model fits and tested for neural representations of the hidden states of the most supported model. We found that a modified variant of the model posited by Mathews et al. (1998) was most concordant with observed behavior and that brain activity was related to the model-based hidden states. Particularly, while the valences of the stimuli themselves were encoded primarily in the ventral visual cortex, the model-based detection of threatening targets was associated with increased activity in the bilateral anterior insula, while task effort (i.e. adaptation) was associated with reduction in the activity of these areas. These findings suggest that emotional target detection and adaptation are accomplished partly through increases and decreases, respectively, in the perceived immediate relevance of threatening cues and also demonstrate the efficacy of using HMM to apply theoretical models to human behavior.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- James S. Steele
- Brain Imaging Research Center, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Keith Bush
- Brain Imaging Research Center, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
- Department of Computer Science, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Zachary N. Stowe
- Women’s Mental Health Program, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - George A. James
- Brain Imaging Research Center, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Sonet Smitherman
- Brain Imaging Research Center, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Clint D. Kilts
- Brain Imaging Research Center, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| | - Josh Cisler
- Brain Imaging Research Center, Psychiatric Research Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Ladouceur CD, Schlund MW, Segreti AM. Positive reinforcement modulates fronto-limbic systems subserving emotional interference in adolescents. Behav Brain Res 2018; 338:109-117. [PMID: 29079512 PMCID: PMC6338073 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.10.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 10/05/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Fronto-limbic systems play an important role in supporting resistance to emotional distraction to promote goal-directed behavior. Despite evidence that alterations in the functioning of these systems are implicated in developmental trajectories of psychopathology, most studies have been conducted in adults. This study examined the functioning of fronto-limbic systems subserving emotional interference in adolescents and whether differential reinforcement of correct responding can modulate these neural systems in ways that could promote resistance to emotional distraction. Fourteen healthy adolescents (ages 9-15) completed an emotional delayed working memory task during fMRI with emotional distracters (none, neutral, negative) while positive reinforcement (i.e., monetary reward) was provided for correct responses under some conditions. Adolescents showed slightly reduced behavioral performance and greater activation in amygdala and prefrontal cortical regions (ventrolateral, ventromedial, dorsolateral) on correct trials with negative distracters compared to those with no or neutral distracters. Positive reinforcement yielded an overall improvement in accuracy and reaction times and counteracted the effects of negative distracters as evidenced by significant reductions in activation in key fronto-limbic regions. The present findings extend results on emotional interference from adults to adolescents and suggest that positive reinforcement could be used to potentially promote insulation from emotional distraction. A challenge for the future will be to build upon these findings for constructing reinforcement-based attention training programs that could be used to reduce emotional attention biases in anxious youth.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cecile D Ladouceur
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3811 O'Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
| | - Michael W Schlund
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3811 O'Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Anna-Maria Segreti
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, 3811 O'Hara St., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Herting MM, Sowell ER. Puberty and structural brain development in humans. Front Neuroendocrinol 2017; 44:122-137. [PMID: 28007528 PMCID: PMC5612369 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2016.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 170] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 12/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a transitional period of physical and behavioral development between childhood and adulthood. Puberty is a distinct period of sexual maturation that occurs during adolescence. Since the advent of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), human studies have largely examined neurodevelopment in the context of age. A breadth of animal findings suggest that sex hormones continue to influence the brain beyond the prenatal period, with both organizational and activational effects occurring during puberty. Given the animal evidence, human MRI research has also set out to determine how puberty may influence otherwise known patterns of age-related neurodevelopment. Here we review structural-based MRI studies and show that pubertal maturation is a key variable to consider in elucidating sex- and individual- based differences in patterns of human brain development. We also highlight the continuing challenges faced, as well as future considerations, for this vital avenue of research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Herting
- University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, Los Angeles, CA 90089, United States.
| | - Elizabeth R Sowell
- Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Research on Children, Youth, and Families, Los Angeles, CA 90027, United States
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Gur RE, Gur RC. Sex differences in brain and behavior in adolescence: Findings from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 70:159-170. [PMID: 27498084 PMCID: PMC5098398 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2016] [Revised: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Sex differences in brain and behavior were investigated across the lifespan. Parameters include neurobehavioral measures linkable to neuroanatomic and neurophysiologic indicators of brain structure and function. Sexual differentiation of behavior has been related to organizational factors during sensitive periods of development, with adolescence and puberty gaining increased attention. Adolescence is a critical developmental period where transition to adulthood is impacted by multiple factors that can enhance vulnerability to brain dysfunction. Here we highlight sex differences in neurobehavioral measures in adolescence that are linked to brain function. We summarize neuroimaging studies examining brain structure, connectivity and perfusion, underscoring the relationship to sex differences in behavioral measures and commenting on hormonal findings. We focus on relevant data from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort (PNC), a community-based sample of nearly 10,000 clinically and neurocognitively phenotyped youths age 8-21 of whom 1600 have received multimodal neuroimaging. These data indicate early and pervasive sexual differentiation in neurocognitive measures that is linkable to brain parameters. We conclude by describing possible clinical implications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel E Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA.
| | - Ruben C Gur
- Brain Behavior Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, USA
| |
Collapse
|