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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.
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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
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ter Harmsel JF, van Dongen JDM, Zijlmans J, van der Pol TM, Marhe R, Popma A. Neurobiological Responses towards Stimuli Depicting Aggressive Interactions in Delinquent Young Adults and Controls: No Relation to Reactive and Proactive Aggression. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12020124. [PMID: 35203888 PMCID: PMC8869761 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12020124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2021] [Revised: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Neurobiological measures underlying aggressive behavior have gained attention due to their potential to inform risk assessment and treatment interventions. Aberrations in responsivity of the autonomic nervous system and electrophysiological responses to arousal-inducing stimuli have been related to emotional dysregulation and aggressive behavior. However, studies have often been performed in community samples, using tasks that induce arousal but not specifically depict aggression. In this study, we examined differences in psychophysiological (i.e., heart rate, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, skin conductance level) and electrophysiological responses (i.e., P3, late positive potential, mu suppression) to aggressive versus neutral scenes in a sample of 118 delinquent young adults and 25 controls (all male, aged 18–27). With respect to group differences, we only found significant higher SCL reactivity during the task in the delinquent group compared to controls, but this was irrespective of condition (aggressive and neutral interactions). Within the delinquent group, we also examined associations between the neurobiological measures and reactive and proactive aggression. No significant associations were found. Therefore, although we found some indication of emotional dysregulation in these delinquent young adults, future studies should further elucidate the neurobiological mechanisms underlying emotional dysregulation in relation to different types of aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janna F. ter Harmsel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
- Forensic Mental Health Care, Inforsa, 1059 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (J.F.t.H.); (J.D.M.v.D.)
| | - Josanne D. M. van Dongen
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Correspondence: (J.F.t.H.); (J.D.M.v.D.)
| | - Josjan Zijlmans
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
| | - Thimo M. van der Pol
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
- Forensic Mental Health Care, Inforsa, 1059 GL Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Department of Research and Quality of Care, ARKIN Mental Health Institute, 1033 NN Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Reshmi Marhe
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
- Department of Psychology, Education & Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Arne Popma
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, The Netherlands; (J.Z.); (T.M.v.d.P.); (R.M.); (A.P.)
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