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Ziminski D, Harmon-Darrow C, Westley-Henson K, Ross S. Exploring the Role of Fear, Civic Disengagement, and Economic Disenfranchisement Within Communities that Experience Gun Violence. Psychol Rep 2024:332941241269500. [PMID: 39096345 DOI: 10.1177/00332941241269500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/05/2024]
Abstract
A growing body of research has documented how gun violence can affect mental and physical health outcomes among adults. Likewise, the literature is also beginning to reveal negative psychological effects related to distress and hypervigilance and sociological implications around diminished community engagement and economic opportunity. However, there remains a need to fully explore the role of fear related to the experience of gun violence. Through a qualitative inquiry consisting of community resident focus groups and community leader interviews, this study examined how participants' perceptions of fear related to their exposures to and experiences of gun violence. The findings highlight the pervasive emotional experience of existing in a fearful, distressed, and/or anxious state within certain communities, and how civic disengagement, neighborhood disconnection, and economic disenfranchisement exist in communities that disproportionately experience violence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Devon Ziminski
- School of Social Work, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
- Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs, Rutgers University - Camden, Camden, NJ, USA
- New Jersey Gun Violence Research Center, School of Public Health, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, USA
| | | | - Kiersten Westley-Henson
- Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs, Rutgers University - Cadmen, Camden, NJ, USA
- Department of Prevention Science, Rutgers University - Camden, Camden, NJ, USA
| | - Samuel Ross
- Senator Walter Rand Institute for Public Affairs, Rutgers University - Camden, Camden, NJ, USA
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2
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Ruge J, Ehlers MR, Kastrinogiannis A, Klingelhöfer-Jens M, Koppold A, Abend R, Lonsdorf TB. How adverse childhood experiences get under the skin: A systematic review, integration and methodological discussion on threat and reward learning mechanisms. eLife 2024; 13:e92700. [PMID: 39012794 PMCID: PMC11251725 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92700] [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: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are a major risk factor for the development of multiple psychopathological conditions, but the mechanisms underlying this link are poorly understood. Associative learning encompasses key mechanisms through which individuals learn to link important environmental inputs to emotional and behavioral responses. ACEs may impact the normative maturation of associative learning processes, resulting in their enduring maladaptive expression manifesting in psychopathology. In this review, we lay out a systematic and methodological overview and integration of the available evidence of the proposed association between ACEs and threat and reward learning processes. We summarize results from a systematic literature search (following PRISMA guidelines) which yielded a total of 81 articles (threat: n=38, reward: n=43). Across the threat and reward learning fields, behaviorally, we observed a converging pattern of aberrant learning in individuals with a history of ACEs, independent of other sample characteristics, specific ACE types, and outcome measures. Specifically, blunted threat learning was reflected in reduced discrimination between threat and safety cues, primarily driven by diminished responding to conditioned threat cues. Furthermore, attenuated reward learning manifested in reduced accuracy and learning rate in tasks involving acquisition of reward contingencies. Importantly, this pattern emerged despite substantial heterogeneity in ACE assessment and operationalization across both fields. We conclude that blunted threat and reward learning may represent a mechanistic route by which ACEs may become physiologically and neurobiologically embedded and ultimately confer greater risk for psychopathology. In closing, we discuss potentially fruitful future directions for the research field, including methodological and ACE assessment considerations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Ruge
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute for Systems NeuroscienceHamburgGermany
| | | | - Alexandros Kastrinogiannis
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute for Systems NeuroscienceHamburgGermany
- Department of Neurology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain SciencesLeipzigGermany
| | - Maren Klingelhöfer-Jens
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute for Systems NeuroscienceHamburgGermany
- University of BielefeldBielefeldGermany
| | - Alina Koppold
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute for Systems NeuroscienceHamburgGermany
| | | | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Institute for Systems NeuroscienceHamburgGermany
- University of BielefeldBielefeldGermany
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3
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Graf S, Schechter DS. The Impact of Maternal Interpersonal Violent Trauma and Related Psychopathology on Child Outcomes and Intergenerational Transmission. Curr Psychiatry Rep 2024; 26:166-175. [PMID: 38427205 PMCID: PMC10978628 DOI: 10.1007/s11920-024-01491-7] [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: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW This review aims to outline some consequences that maternal history of trauma with and without related psychopathology, such as posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), can have on their children's development and functioning. It then addresses mechanisms through which intergenerational transmission of interpersonal violence (IPV) and related psychopathology may occur. RECENT FINDINGS Findings include the effects of maternal IPV experience and related psychopathology on child social-emotional and biologically-based outcomes. This includes increased developmental disturbances and child psychopathology, as well as physiological factors. Secondly, the review focuses on psychobiological mechanisms by which maternal experience of IPV and related psychopathology likely trigger intergenerational effects. Maternal IPV and related psychopathology can have a negative impact on several areas of their child's life including development, interactive behavior, psychopathology, and physiology. This transmission may partially be due to fetal and perinatal processes, genetic and epigenetic effects, and interactions with their parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannen Graf
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), SUPEA-Unité de recherche, Avenue d'Echallens 9, 1004, Lausanne, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Daniel S Schechter
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), SUPEA-Unité de recherche, Avenue d'Echallens 9, 1004, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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Russell JD, Heyn SA, Herringa RJ. Through a Developmental Lens: Emerging Insights to Understand and Treat Pediatric PTSD. Am J Psychiatry 2023; 180:636-644. [PMID: 37654114 PMCID: PMC10636806 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.20230523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/02/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Justin D Russell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
| | - Sara A Heyn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
| | - Ryan J Herringa
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison
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5
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Jovanovic T, Roberts A, Huels A. Intergenerational transmission of trauma: A biological perspective. J Trauma Stress 2023; 36:662-664. [PMID: 37218444 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
This commentary is based on an invited panel for the 2022 International Society of Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) annual meeting entitled "Perspective Discourses On…Intergenerational Transmission of Trauma: A Biological Perspective." This was a new format introduced by ISTSS to facilitate discussion around timely topics. This session included scholars from different backgrounds (e.g., epidemiology, neuroscience, environmental health) who shared their approaches to understanding the biological bases of the intergenerational transmission of trauma. Specifically, the panel presented information about putative direct and indirect mechanisms of transmission, including epigenetic and environmental factors, and pointed to behavioral and neurobiological outcomes in offspring. This commentary synthesizes some of the current knowledge gained by these different approaches and identifies key areas to advance in future work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Andrea Roberts
- Department of Environmental Health, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Anke Huels
- Department of Epidemiology and Gangarosa Department of Environmental Health, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Lewis MW, Webb CA, Kuhn M, Akman E, Jobson SA, Rosso IM. Predicting Fear Extinction in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1131. [PMID: 37626488 PMCID: PMC10452660 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13081131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear extinction is the basis of exposure therapies for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but half of patients do not improve. Predicting fear extinction in individuals with PTSD may inform personalized exposure therapy development. The participants were 125 trauma-exposed adults (96 female) with a range of PTSD symptoms. Electromyography, electrocardiogram, and skin conductance were recorded at baseline, during dark-enhanced startle, and during fear conditioning and extinction. Using a cross-validated, hold-out sample prediction approach, three penalized regressions and conventional ordinary least squares were trained to predict fear-potentiated startle during extinction using 50 predictor variables (5 clinical, 24 self-reported, and 21 physiological). The predictors, selected by penalized regression algorithms, were included in multivariable regression analyses, while univariate regressions assessed individual predictors. All the penalized regressions outperformed OLS in prediction accuracy and generalizability, as indexed by the lower mean squared error in the training and holdout subsamples. During early extinction, the consistent predictors across all the modeling approaches included dark-enhanced startle, the depersonalization and derealization subscale of the dissociative experiences scale, and the PTSD hyperarousal symptom score. These findings offer novel insights into the modeling approaches and patient characteristics that may reliably predict fear extinction in PTSD. Penalized regression shows promise for identifying symptom-related variables to enhance the predictive modeling accuracy in clinical research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael W. Lewis
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Christian A. Webb
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Manuel Kuhn
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Eylül Akman
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Sydney A. Jobson
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
| | - Isabelle M. Rosso
- Center for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Research, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA 02478, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Grasser LR, Saad B, Bazzi C, Suhaiban HA, Mammo DF, Izar R, Rass NA, Winters SJ, Nashef R, Ali AA, Javanbakht A, Jovanovic T. The fear that remains: Associations between trauma, related psychopathology, and fear‐potentiated startle in youth resettled as refugees. Dev Psychobiol 2023; 65:e22385. [PMID: 37073587 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Fear-potentiated startle (FPS) can be used to measure fear and safety learning-behaviors affected by trauma that may map onto posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therefore, FPS could be a candidate biomarker of trauma-related psychopathology and a potential identifier of trauma-exposed youth in need of focused treatment. We enrolled n = 71 (35 females, Mage = 12.7 years) Syrian youth exposed to civilian war trauma. Eyeblink electromyogram (EMG) data from a differential conditioning FPS paradigm were obtained 2.5 years after resettlement. Youth provided self-report of trauma exposure (Harvard Trauma Questionnaire) and PTSD symptoms (UCLA PTSD Reaction Index). While FPS during conditioning was not associated with symptoms, associations with psychopathology emerged in fear extinction. Probable PTSD was associated with FPS in the last block of extinction, such that FPS to threat cue was significantly greater in the PTSD+ group compared to the PTSD- group at the end of extinction (F = 6.25, p = .015). As with adults, we observed a deficit in extinction learning but not fear conditioning in youth with PTSD. These results support the use of trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy based on the learning principles of extinction in youth with PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Ruvolo Grasser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Bassem Saad
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Celine Bazzi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Hiba Abu Suhaiban
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Dalia F Mammo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Ragda Izar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Noor Abou Rass
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Sterling J Winters
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Raya Nashef
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Ayat Abed Ali
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Arash Javanbakht
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan
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Koppold A, Kastrinogiannis A, Kuhn M, Lonsdorf TB. Watching with Argus eyes: Characterization of emotional and physiological responding in adults exposed to childhood maltreatment and/or recent adversity. Psychophysiology 2023:e14253. [PMID: 36727722 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14253] [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: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to adverse experiences is a well-established major risk factor for affective psychopathology. The vulnerability of deleterious sequelae is assumed in maladaptive processes of the defensive system, particularly in emotional processing. More specifically, childhood maltreatment has been suggested to be associated with the recruitment of specific and distinct defensive response profiles. To date, it remains unclear whether these are specific or generalizable to recent adversity in adulthood. This pre-registered study aimed to investigate the impact of exposure to childhood and recent adversity on emotional processing in 685 healthy adults with the "Affective Startle Modulation" Paradigm (ASM). First, we replicated higher trait anxiety and depression levels in individuals exposed to both types of adversity. Second, we observed increased general skin conductance reactivity in individuals exposed to recent adversity. Third, individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment showed reduced, while individuals exposed to recent adversity showed increased discrimination between pictures of negative and neutral valence, compared with non-exposed individuals in SCR. No association between exposure to adversity and fear potentiated startle was observed. Furthermore, explorative analyses revealed moderate dimensional and categorical agreement between two childhood maltreatment questionnaires and provide insight into potential adversity-type specific effects. Our results support experience-dependent plasticity in sympathetic nervous system reactivity and suggest distinct response profiles in affective modulation in individuals exposed to early versus recent adversity. We emphasize the need to further explore distinct adversity profiles to further our understanding on specific psychophysiological profiles and their potential implication for prevention and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alina Koppold
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
| | | | - Manuel Kuhn
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, Center for Depression, Anxiety and Stress Research, Harvard Medical School, McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Tina B Lonsdorf
- Institute for Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany
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Sullivan ADW, Brier ZMF, Legrand AC, van Stolk-Cooke K, Jovanovic T, Norrholm SD, Garavan H, Forehand R, Price M. The Enduring Importance of Parenting: Caregiving Quality and Fear-Potentiated Startle in Emerging Adults With a Child Maltreatment History. CHILD MALTREATMENT 2023; 28:97-106. [PMID: 34886701 PMCID: PMC9316457 DOI: 10.1177/10775595211060050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Background: The transition to adulthood is a period of increased risk for emergent psychopathology; emerging adults with a childhood maltreatment history are at risk for poor outcomes. Method: Using a multi-measure, transdisciplinary, cross-sectional design, this study tested whether participant-reported positive parenting, a potential resilience-promoting factor, moderated the association between clinician-rated PTSD symptom severity and a transdiagnostic maladjustment biomarker, fear-potentiated startle (FPS), in a sample of 66 emerging adults (Myears = 18.83, SD = 0.89) with a maltreatment history. We hypothesized that characteristics of effective parenting would moderate the relation between PTSD symptoms and FPS. Results: Results indicated that elevated PTSD, as measured by the CAPS, was associated with a more severe startle reaction. The magnitude of the increase in startle reactivity was moderated by parenting such that those with more positive parenting (Accepting [relative to rejecting]: b = -0.42, p < .001; Psychologically-controlling [relative to autonomy-promoting]: b = 2.96, p = .004) had significantly less reactivity across the task at higher levels of PTSD symptoms. Conclusions: Emerging adults with childhood maltreatment histories, high levels of PTSD symptoms, and who perceive present-day high-quality caregiver support may cope better with novel stressors relative to youth lacking that support, potentially translating to better psychological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zoe M. F. Brier
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Alison C. Legrand
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | | | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Seth D. Norrholm
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Rex Forehand
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Matthew Price
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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Regalado J, Timmer A, Jawaid A. Crime and deviance during the COVID-19 pandemic. SOCIOLOGY COMPASS 2022; 16:e12974. [PMID: 35603319 PMCID: PMC9115358 DOI: 10.1111/soc4.12974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/11/2022] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the world and inevitably influenced people's behaviors including the likelihood of crime and deviance. Emerging empirical evidence suggests a decline in certain crimes (e.g., theft, robbery, and assault) but also proliferation of different violent behaviors and cybercriminal activity during the pandemic. To explain those trends, we draw on existent theories and elaborate on how crime and violence have been affected by the changes in people's daily routines and accumulated stressful conditions. However, as recent crime trends appear to be largely inconsistent and vary across social groups and contexts, we argue that social scientists need to pay particular attention to the differential experiences related to crime and violence during this global crisis. Specifically, because of the disproportionate experience of violence by vulnerable groups including minorities and women as well as the unique cross-national variations in deviance, more nuanced approaches to understanding causes of crime are warranted. We also discuss the limitations of present research and provide recommendations for the development of comparative and multi-disciplinary studies on criminal and deviant behaviors that are influenced by human crisis situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jullianne Regalado
- Department of Criminology and Justice StudiesCalifornia State UniversityNorthridgeCaliforniaUSA
| | - Anastasiia Timmer
- Department of Criminology and Justice StudiesCalifornia State UniversityNorthridgeCaliforniaUSA
| | - Ali Jawaid
- University of Texas Health Science CenterHoustonTexasUSA
- Laboratory of Translational Research in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (TREND) at the BRAINCITY: Center of Excellence for Neural Plasticity and Brain DisordersWarsawPoland
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Grasser LR, Jovanovic T. Safety learning during development: Implications for development of psychopathology. Behav Brain Res 2021; 408:113297. [PMID: 33862062 PMCID: PMC8102395 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2020] [Revised: 03/23/2021] [Accepted: 04/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Fear and safety learning are necessary adaptive behaviors that develop over the course of maturation. While there is a large body of literature regarding the neurobiology of fear and safety learning in adults, less is known regarding safety learning during development. Given developmental changes in the brain, there are corresponding changes in safety learning that are quantifiable; these may serve to predict risk and point to treatment targets for fear and anxiety-related disorders in children and adolescents. For healthy, typically developing youth, the main developmental variation observed is reduced discrimination between threat and safety cues in children compared to adolescents and adults, while lower expression of extinction learning is exhibited in adolescents compared to adults. Such distinctions may be related to faster maturation of the amygdala relative to the prefrontal cortex, as well as incompletely developed functional circuits between the two. Fear and anxiety-related disorders, childhood maltreatment, and behavioral problems are all associated with alterations in safety learning for youth, and this dysfunction may proceed into adulthood with corresponding abnormalities in brain structure and function-including amygdala hypertrophy and hyperreactivity. As impaired inhibition of fear to safety may reflect abnormalities in the developing brain and subsequent psychopathology, impaired safety learning may be considered as both a predictor of risk and a treatment target. Longitudinal neuroimaging studies over the course of development, and studies that query change with interventions are needed in order to improve outcomes for individuals and reduce long-term impact of developmental psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lana Ruvolo Grasser
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Dr, Tolan Park Suite 2C Room 273, Detroit, MI 48201 United States.
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, 3901 Chrysler Dr, Tolan Park Suite 2C, Detroit, MI 48201 United States.
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12
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Fendt M, Kreutzmann JC, Jovanovic T. Learning safety to reduce fear: Recent insights and potential implications. Behav Brain Res 2021; 411:113402. [PMID: 34089756 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Markus Fendt
- Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Judith C Kreutzmann
- Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Institute for Pharmacology and Toxicology, Leipziger Str. 44, D-39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Wayne State University, School of Medicine, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience, 245 Tolan Park Medical Building, 3901 Chrysler Service Drive, Detroit, MI, 48201, USA
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