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Rajkumar RP. Revisiting a hypothesis: the neurovascular unit as a link between major depression and neurodegenerative disorders. Front Cell Neurosci 2024; 18:1455606. [PMID: 39157756 PMCID: PMC11327082 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2024.1455606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/23/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ravi Philip Rajkumar
- Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education, Pondicherry, India
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2
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Yeo D, Lee S, Choi H, Park MH, Park B. Emotional abuse mediated by negative automatic thoughts impacts functional connectivity during adolescence. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 30:100623. [PMID: 38572483 PMCID: PMC10987907 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100623] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Emotional abuse during childhood and adolescence is thought to be associated with the brain; however, the neural mechanism underlying the cognitive process remains unknown. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the mediating effect of negative automatic thoughts on the relationship between emotional abuse and resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) during adolescence. Method Our community sample included 54 adolescents aged 13-17 years in the statistical analysis. Resting-state functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed, while emotional abuse and negative automatic thoughts were assessed using self-reported scales. A mediation analysis was used to assess the contributions of early traumatic events and negative automatic thoughts to resting functional connectivity. Result Higher negative automatic thoughts were associated with lower connectivity in the context of greater emotional abuse (i.e., suppression effect). Thus, the relationships between emotional abuse and connectivity in the precuneus (pCun)-medial prefrontal cortex, parahippocampal cortex-extrastriate cortex, and temporal cortex-temporal pole were decreased by negative automatic thoughts. In contrast, functional connections in the pCun-pCun, pCun-precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex, and nucleus accumbens-somatomotor areas were strongly mediated when emotionally abused adolescents reported a high tendency for negative automatic thoughts. Conclusion Negative automatic thoughts strengthened the relationship between emotional abuse and rsFC. These findings highlight the underlying cognitive processing of the traumatic event-neural system, supporting the use of cognitive therapy for post-traumatic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dageon Yeo
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Seulgi Lee
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School of Ajou University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Haemi Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Hyeon Park
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Eunpyeong St. Mary's Hospital, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Bumhee Park
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Office of Biostatistics, Medical Research Collaborating Center, Ajou Research Institute for Innovative Medicine, Ajou University Medical Center, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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3
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Geiger LT, Balouek JA, Farrelly LA, Chen AS, Tang M, Bennett SN, Nestler EJ, Garcia BA, Maze I, Peña CJ. Early-life stress alters chromatin modifications in VTA to prime stress sensitivity. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.14.584631. [PMID: 38559030 PMCID: PMC10980038 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.14.584631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Early-life stress increases sensitivity to subsequent stress, which has been observed among humans, other animals, at the level of cellular activity, and at the level of gene expression. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying such long-lasting sensitivity are poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that persistent changes in transcription and transcriptional potential were maintained at the level of the epigenome, through changes in chromatin. We used a combination of bottom-up mass spectrometry, viral-mediated epigenome-editing, behavioral quantification, and RNA-sequencing in a mouse model of early-life stress, focusing on the ventral tegmental area (VTA), a brain region critically implicated in motivation, reward learning, stress response, and mood and drug disorders. We find that early-life stress in mice alters histone dynamics in VTA and that a majority of these modifications are associated with an open chromatin state that would predict active, primed, or poised gene expression, including enriched histone-3 lysine-4 methylation and the H3K4 monomethylase Setd7. Mimicking ELS through over-expression of Setd7 and enrichment of H3K4me1 in VTA recapitulates ELS-induced behavioral and transcriptional hypersensitivity to future stress. These findings enrich our understanding of the epigenetic mechanisms linking early-life environmental experiences to long-term alterations in stress reactivity within the brain's reward circuitry, with implications for understanding and potentially treating mood and anxiety disorders in humans.
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4
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Bennett SN, Chang AB, Rogers FD, Jones P, Peña CJ. Thyroid hormones mediate the impact of early-life stress on ventral tegmental area gene expression and behavior. Horm Behav 2024; 159:105472. [PMID: 38141539 PMCID: PMC10922504 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105472] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
Proper thyroid function is essential to the developing brain, including dopamine neuron differentiation, growth, and maintenance. Stress across the lifespan impacts thyroid hormone signaling and anxiety disorders and depression have been associated with thyroid dysfunction (both hypo- and hyper-active). However, less is known about how stress during postnatal development impacts thyroid function and related brain development. Our previous work in mice demonstrated that early-life stress (ELS) transiently impinged on expression of a transcription factor in dopamine neurons, Otx2, shown to be regulated by thyroid hormones. We hypothesized that thyroid hormone signaling may link experience of ELS with transcriptional dysregulation within the dopaminergic midbrain, and ultimately behavior. Here, we find that ELS transiently increases thyroid-stimulating hormone levels (inversely related to thyroid signaling) in both male and female mice at P21, an effect which recovers by adolescence. We next tested whether transient treatment of ELS mice with synthetic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine, LT4) could ameliorate the impact of ELS on sensitivity to future stress, and on expression of genes related to dopamine neuron development and maintenance, thyroid signaling, and plasticity within the ventral tegmental area. Among male mice, but not females, juvenile LT4 treatment prevented hypersensitivity to adult stress. We also found that rescuing developmental deficits in thyroid hormone signaling after ELS restored levels of some genes altered directly by ELS, and prevented alterations in expression of other genes sensitive to the second hit of adult stress. These findings suggest that thyroid signaling mediates the deleterious impact of ELS on VTA development, and that temporary treatment of hypothyroidism after ELS may be sufficient to prevent future stress hypersensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Austin B Chang
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, USA
| | - Forrest D Rogers
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, USA; Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, USA
| | - Parker Jones
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, USA
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5
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Parise LF, Joseph Burnett C, Russo SJ. Early life stress and altered social behaviors: A perspective across species. Neurosci Res 2023:S0168-0102(23)00200-6. [PMID: 37992997 PMCID: PMC11102940 DOI: 10.1016/j.neures.2023.11.005] [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: 11/13/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
Childhood and adolescent affiliations guide how individuals engage in social relationships throughout their lifetime and adverse experiences can promote biological alterations that facilitate behavioral maladaptation. Indeed, childhood victims of abuse are more likely to be diagnosed with conduct or mood disorders which are both characterized by altered social engagement. A key domain particularly deserving of attention is aggressive behavior, a hallmark of many disorders characterized by deficits in reward processing. Animal models have been integral in identifying both the short- and long-term consequences of stress exposure and suggest that whether it is disruption to parental care or social isolation, chronic exposure to early life stress increases corticosterone, changes the expression of neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, and facilitates structural alterations to the hypothalamus, hippocampus, and amygdala, influencing how these brain regions communicate with other reward-related substrates. Herein, we describe how adverse early life experiences influence social behavioral outcomes across a wide range of species and highlight the long-term biological mechanisms that are most relevant to maladaptive aggressive behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyonna F Parise
- Icahn School of Medicine, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, New York, NY, USA.
| | - C Joseph Burnett
- Icahn School of Medicine, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Scott J Russo
- Icahn School of Medicine, Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain Institute, New York, NY, USA.
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6
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Simpson-Kent IL, Gataviņš MM, Tooley UA, Boroshok AL, McDermott CL, Park AT, Delgado Reyes L, Bathelt J, Tisdall MD, Mackey AP. Multilayer network associations between the exposome and childhood brain development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.23.563611. [PMID: 37961103 PMCID: PMC10634748 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.23.563611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Growing up in a high poverty neighborhood is associated with elevated risk for academic challenges and health problems. Here, we take a data-driven approach to exploring how measures of children's environments relate to the development of their brain structure and function in a community sample of children between the ages of 4 and 10 years. We constructed exposomes including measures of family socioeconomic status, children's exposure to adversity, and geocoded measures of neighborhood socioeconomic status, crime, and environmental toxins. We connected the exposome to two structural measures (cortical thickness and surface area, n = 170) and two functional measures (participation coefficient and clustering coefficient, n = 130). We found dense connections within exposome and brain layers and sparse connections between exposome and brain layers. Lower family income was associated with thinner visual cortex, consistent with the theory that accelerated development is detectable in early-developing regions. Greater neighborhood incidence of high blood lead levels was associated with greater segregation of the default mode network, consistent with evidence that toxins are deposited into the brain along the midline. Our study demonstrates the utility of multilayer network analysis to bridge environmental and neural explanatory levels to better understand the complexity of child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan L. Simpson-Kent
- Institute of Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mārtiņš M. Gataviņš
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ursula A. Tooley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Austin L. Boroshok
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Anne T. Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Joe Bathelt
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - M. Dylan Tisdall
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Allyson P. Mackey
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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7
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Bennett SN, Chang AB, Rogers FD, Jones P, Peña CJ. Thyroid hormones mediate the impact of early-life stress on ventral tegmental area gene expression and behavior. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.08.25.554785. [PMID: 37662236 PMCID: PMC10473690 DOI: 10.1101/2023.08.25.554785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Proper thyroid function is essential to the developing brain, including dopamine neuron differentiation, growth, and maintenance. Stress across the lifespan impacts thyroid hormone signaling and anxiety disorders and depression have been associated with thyroid dysfunction (both hypo- and hyper-active). However, less is known about how stress during postnatal development impacts thyroid function and related brain development. Our previous work in mice demonstrated that early-life stress (ELS) transiently impinged on expression of a transcription factor in dopamine neurons shown to be regulated by thyroid hormones. We hypothesized that thyroid hormone signaling may link experience of ELS with transcriptional dysregulation within the dopaminergic midbrain, and ultimately behavior. Here, we find that ELS transiently increases thyroid-stimulating hormone levels (inversely related to thyroid signaling) in both male and female mice at P21, an effect which recovers by adolescence. We next tested whether transient treatment of ELS mice with synthetic thyroid hormone (levothyroxine, LT4) could ameliorate the impact of ELS on sensitivity to future stress, and on expression of genes related to dopamine neuron development and maintenance, thyroid signaling, and plasticity within the ventral tegmental area. Among male mice, but not females, juvenile LT4 treatment prevented hypersensitivity to adult stress. We also found that rescuing developmental deficits in thyroid hormone signaling after ELS restored levels of some genes altered directly by ELS, and prevented alterations in expression of other genes sensitive to the second hit of adult stress. These findings suggest that thyroid signaling mediates the deleterious impact of ELS on VTA development, and that temporary treatment of hypothyroidism after ELS may be sufficient to prevent future stress hypersensitivity.
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8
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Boroshok AL, McDermott CL, Fotiadis P, Park AT, Tooley UA, Gataviņš MM, Tisdall MD, Bassett DS, Mackey AP. Individual differences in T1w/T2w ratio development during childhood. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 62:101270. [PMID: 37348147 PMCID: PMC10439503 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101270] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Myelination is a key developmental process that promotes rapid and efficient information transfer. Myelin also stabilizes existing brain networks and thus may constrain neuroplasticity, defined here as the brain's potential to change in response to experiences rather than the canonical definition as the process of change. Characterizing individual differences in neuroplasticity may shed light on mechanisms by which early experiences shape learning, brain and body development, and response to interventions. The T1-weighted/T2-weighted (T1w/T2w) MRI signal ratio is a proxy measure of cortical microstructure and thus neuroplasticity. Here, in pre-registered analyses, we investigated individual differences in T1w/T2w ratios in children (ages 4-10, n = 157). T1w/T2w ratios were positively associated with age within early-developing sensorimotor and attention regions. We also tested whether socioeconomic status, cognition (crystallized knowledge or fluid reasoning), and biological age (as measured with molar eruption) were related to T1w/T2w signal but found no significant effects. Associations among T1w/T2w ratios, early experiences, and cognition may emerge later in adolescence and may not be strong enough to detect in moderate sample sizes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Austin L Boroshok
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
| | | | - Panagiotis Fotiadis
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Anne T Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ursula A Tooley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, USA; Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Mārtiņš M Gataviņš
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - M Dylan Tisdall
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Dani S Bassett
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Bioengineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Physics & Astronomy, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM, USA
| | - Allyson P Mackey
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA; Department of Neuroscience, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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9
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Smucny J, Vlasova RM, Lesh TA, Rowland DJ, Wang G, Chaudhari AJ, Chen S, Iosif AM, Hogrefe CE, Bennett JL, Shumann CM, Van de Water JA, Maddock RJ, Styner MA, Geschwind DH, McAllister AK, Bauman MD, Carter CS. Increased Striatal Presynaptic Dopamine in a Nonhuman Primate Model of Maternal Immune Activation: A Longitudinal Neurodevelopmental Positron Emission Tomography Study With Implications for Schizophrenia. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2023; 8:505-513. [PMID: 36805246 PMCID: PMC10164700 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2022.10.012] [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] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 10/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epidemiological studies suggest that maternal immune activation (MIA) is a significant risk factor for future neurodevelopmental disorders, including schizophrenia (SZ), in offspring. Consistent with findings in SZ research and work in rodent systems, preliminary cross-sectional findings in nonhuman primates suggest that MIA is associated with dopaminergic hyperfunction in young adult offspring. METHODS In this unique prospective longitudinal study, we used [18F]fluoro-l-m-tyrosine positron emission tomography to examine the developmental time course of striatal presynaptic dopamine synthesis in male rhesus monkeys born to dams (n = 13) injected with a modified form of the inflammatory viral mimic, polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid [poly(I:C)], in the late first trimester. Striatal (caudate, putamen, and nucleus accumbens) dopamine from these animals was compared with that of control offspring born to dams that received saline (n = 10) or no injection (n = 4). Dopamine was measured at 15, 26, 38, and 48 months of age. Prior work with this cohort found decreased prefrontal gray matter volume in MIA offspring versus controls between 6 and 45 months of age. Based on theories of the etiology and development of SZ-related pathology, we hypothesized that there would be a delayed (relative to the gray matter decrease) increase in striatal fluoro-l-m-tyrosine signal in the MIA group versus controls. RESULTS [18F]fluoro-l-m-tyrosine signal showed developmental increases in both groups in the caudate and putamen. Group comparisons revealed significantly greater caudate dopaminergic signal in the MIA group at 26 months. CONCLUSIONS These findings are highly relevant to the known pathophysiology of SZ and highlight the translational relevance of the MIA model in understanding mechanisms by which MIA during pregnancy increases risk for later illness in offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Smucny
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, California.
| | - Roza M Vlasova
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Tyler A Lesh
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, California; Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Douglas J Rowland
- Center for Genomic and Molecular Imaging, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Guobao Wang
- Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Abhijit J Chaudhari
- Center for Genomic and Molecular Imaging, University of California, Davis, California; Department of Radiology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Shuai Chen
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Ana-Maria Iosif
- Division of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Casey E Hogrefe
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Jeffrey L Bennett
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Cynthia M Shumann
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Judy A Van de Water
- Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Clinical Immunology, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Richard J Maddock
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Martin A Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina; Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Daniel H Geschwind
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Melissa D Bauman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, California; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Cameron S Carter
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, Davis, California; Center for Neuroscience, University of California, Davis, California.
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Chang YH, Yang MH, Yao ZF, Tsai MC, Hsieh S. The Mediating Role of Brain Structural Imaging Markers in Connecting Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychological Resilience. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:children10020365. [PMID: 36832494 PMCID: PMC9955761 DOI: 10.3390/children10020365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
The impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on brain structure has been noticed. Resilience has been considered a protective characteristic from being mentally ill; however, the link between ACEs, psychological resilience, and brain imaging remains untested. A total of 108 participants (mean age 22.92 ± 2.43 years) completed the ACEs questionnaire and the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), with five subscales: personal strength (RSA_ps), family cohesion (RSA_fc), social resources (RSA_sr), social competence (RSA_sc), and future structured style (RSA_fss), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to acquire imaging data, and the fusion-independent component analysis was employed to determine multimodal imaging components. The results showed a significantly negative association between ACE subscales and RSA_total score (ps < 0.05). The parallel mediation model showed significant indirect mediation of mean gray matter volumes in the regions of the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus between childhood maltreatment and RSA_sr and RSA_sc. (ps < 0.05). This study highlighted the ACEs effect on gray matter volumes in the regions of the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus leading to decreased psychological resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Hsuan Chang
- Institute of Gerontology, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Behavioral Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Genomics and Bioinformatics, College of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Heng Yang
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
| | - Zai-Fu Yao
- College of Education, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City, 30013, Taiwan
- Research Center for Education and Mind Sciences, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City 30013, Taiwan
- Basic Psychology Group, Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City 30013, Taiwan
- Department of Kinesiology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu City 30013, Taiwan
| | - Meng-Che Tsai
- Department of Pediatrics, National Cheng Kung University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Humanities and Social Medicine, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (M.-C.T.); (S.H.)
| | - Shulan Hsieh
- Department of Psychology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Institute of Allied Health Sciences, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Department of Public Health, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 70101, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (M.-C.T.); (S.H.)
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11
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Park AT, Richardson H, Tooley UA, McDermott CL, Boroshok AL, Ke A, Leonard JA, Tisdall MD, Deater-Deckard K, Edgar JC, Mackey AP. Early stressful experiences are associated with reduced neural responses to naturalistic emotional and social content in children. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 57:101152. [PMID: 36137356 PMCID: PMC9493069 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Revised: 08/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
How do children's experiences relate to their naturalistic emotional and social processing? Because children can struggle with tasks in the scanner, we collected fMRI data while 4-to-11-year-olds watched a short film with positive and negative emotional events, and rich parent-child interactions (n = 70). We captured broad, normative stressful experiences by examining socioeconomic status (SES) and stressful life events, as well as children's more proximal experiences with their parents. For a sub-sample (n = 30), parenting behaviors were measured during a parent-child interaction, consisting of a picture book, a challenging puzzle, and free play with novel toys. We characterized positive parenting behaviors (e.g., warmth, praise) and negative parenting behaviors (e.g., harsh tone, physical control). We found that higher SES was related to greater activity in medial orbitofrontal cortex during parent-child interaction movie events. Negative parenting behaviors were associated with less activation of the ventral tegmental area and cerebellum during positive emotional events. In a region-of-interest analysis, we found that stressful life events and negative parenting behaviors were associated with less activation of the amygdala during positive emotional events. These exploratory results demonstrate the promise of using movie fMRI to study how early experiences may shape emotional, social, and motivational processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne T Park
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Hilary Richardson
- Department of Psychology, School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Ursula A Tooley
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, United States; Neuroscience Graduate Group, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Cassidy L McDermott
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Austin L Boroshok
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Adrian Ke
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Julia A Leonard
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, United States; Department of Psychology, Yale University, United States
| | - M Dylan Tisdall
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - Kirby Deater-Deckard
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, United States
| | | | - Allyson P Mackey
- Department of Psychology, School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania, United States.
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12
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Palamarchuk IS, Vaillancourt T. Integrative Brain Dynamics in Childhood Bullying Victimization: Cognitive and Emotional Convergence Associated With Stress Psychopathology. Front Integr Neurosci 2022; 16:782154. [PMID: 35573445 PMCID: PMC9097078 DOI: 10.3389/fnint.2022.782154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Bullying victimization is a form of psychological stress that is associated with poor outcomes in the areas of mental health and learning. Although the emotional maladjustment and memory impairment following interpersonal stress are well documented, the mechanisms of complex cerebral dysfunctions have neither been outlined nor studied in depth in the context of childhood bullying victimization. As a contribution to the cross-disciplinary field of developmental psychology and neuroscience, we review the neuropathophysiology of early life stress, as well as general psychological stress to synthesize the data and clarify the versatile dynamics within neuronal networks linked to bullying victimization. The stress-induced neuropsychological cascade and associated cerebral networks with a focus on cognitive and emotional convergence are described. The main findings are that stress-evoked neuroendocrine reactivity relates to neuromodulation and limbic dysregulation that hinder emotion processing and executive functioning such as semantic cognition, cognitive flexibility, and learning. Developmental aspects and interacting neural mechanisms linked to distressed cognitive and emotional processing are pinpointed and potential theory-of-mind nuances in targets of bullying are presented. The results show that childhood stress psychopathology is associated with a complex interplay where the major role belongs to, but is not limited to, the amygdala, fusiform gyrus, insula, striatum, and prefrontal cortex. This interplay contributes to the sensitivity toward facial expressions, poor cognitive reasoning, and distress that affect behavioral modulation and emotion regulation. We integrate the data on major brain dynamics in stress neuroactivity that can be associated with childhood psychopathology to help inform future studies that are focused on the treatment and prevention of psychiatric disorders and learning problems in bullied children and adolescents.
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Catale C, Lo Iacono L, Martini A, Heil C, Guatteo E, Mercuri NB, Viscomi MT, Palacios D, Carola V. Early Life Social Stress Causes Sex- and Region-Dependent Dopaminergic Changes that Are Prevented by Minocycline. Mol Neurobiol 2022; 59:3913-3932. [PMID: 35435618 PMCID: PMC9148283 DOI: 10.1007/s12035-022-02830-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is known to modify trajectories of brain dopaminergic development, but the mechanisms underlying have not been determined. ELS perturbs immune system and microglia reactivity, and inflammation and microglia influence dopaminergic transmission and development. Whether microglia mediate the effects of ELS on dopamine (DA) system development is still unknown. We explored the effects of repeated early social stress on development of the dopaminergic system in male and female mice through histological, electrophysiological, and transcriptomic analyses. Furthermore, we tested whether these effects could be mediated by ELS-induced altered microglia/immune activity through a pharmacological approach. We found that social stress in early life altered DA neurons morphology, reduced dopamine transporter (DAT) and tyrosine hydroxylase expression, and lowered DAT-mediated currents in the ventral tegmental area but not substantia nigra of male mice only. Notably, stress-induced DA alterations were prevented by minocycline, an inhibitor of microglia activation. Transcriptome analysis in the developing male ventral tegmental area revealed that ELS caused downregulation of dopaminergic transmission and alteration in hormonal and peptide signaling pathways. Results from this study offer new insight into the mechanisms of stress response and altered brain dopaminergic maturation after ELS, providing evidence of neuroimmune interaction, sex differences, and regional specificity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Catale
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Luisa Lo Iacono
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandro Martini
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Constantin Heil
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Epigenetics and Signal Transduction Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
| | - Ezia Guatteo
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Motor Science and Wellness, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Nicola Biagio Mercuri
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Experimental Neurology Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- Department of Systems Medicine, Università Degli Studi Di Roma Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Maria Teresa Viscomi
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Histology and Embryology, Università Cattolica Del S. Cuore, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Rome, Italy
| | - Daniela Palacios
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Epigenetics and Signal Transduction Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy
- IRCCS Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli, Rome, Italy
- Department of Life Science and Public Health, Section of Biology, Università Cattolica Del S. Cuore, Rome, Italy
| | - Valeria Carola
- Division of Experimental Neuroscience, Neurobiology of Behavior Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation, Rome, Italy.
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via degli Apuli 1, Rome, Italy.
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14
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Banihashemi L, Peng CW, Rangarajan A, Karim HT, Wallace ML, Sibbach BM, Singh J, Stinley MM, Germain A, Aizenstein HJ. Childhood Threat Is Associated With Lower Resting-State Connectivity Within a Central Visceral Network. Front Psychol 2022; 13:805049. [PMID: 35310241 PMCID: PMC8927539 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.805049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood adversity is associated with altered or dysregulated stress reactivity; these altered patterns of physiological functioning persist into adulthood. Evidence from both preclinical animal models and human neuroimaging studies indicates that early life experience differentially influences stressor-evoked activity within central visceral neural circuits proximally involved in the control of stress responses, including the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC), paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus (PVN), bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) and amygdala. However, the relationship between childhood adversity and the resting-state connectivity of this central visceral network remains unclear. To this end, we examined relationships between childhood threat and childhood socioeconomic deprivation, the resting-state connectivity between our regions of interest (ROIs), and affective symptom severity and diagnoses. We recruited a transdiagnostic sample of young adult males and females (n = 100; mean age = 27.28, SD = 3.99; 59 females) with a full distribution of maltreatment history and symptom severity across multiple affective disorders. Resting-state data were acquired using a 7.2-min functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) sequence; noted ROIs were applied as masks to determine ROI-to-ROI connectivity. Threat was determined by measures of childhood traumatic events and abuse. Socioeconomic deprivation (SED) was determined by a measure of childhood socioeconomic status (parental education level). Covarying for age, race and sex, greater childhood threat was significantly associated with lower BNST-PVN, amygdala-sgACC and PVN-sgACC connectivity. No significant relationships were found between SED and resting-state connectivity. BNST-PVN connectivity was associated with the number of lifetime affective diagnoses. Exposure to threat during early development may entrain altered patterns of resting-state connectivity between these stress-related ROIs in ways that contribute to dysregulated neural and physiological responses to stress and subsequent affective psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Layla Banihashemi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Layla Banihashemi,
| | - Christine W. Peng
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Anusha Rangarajan
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Helmet T. Karim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Bioengineering, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Meredith L. Wallace
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
- Department of Statistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Brandon M. Sibbach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Jaspreet Singh
- Department of Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Mark M. Stinley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Anne Germain
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Howard J. Aizenstein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
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15
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Gugula A, Trenk A, Celary A, Cizio K, Tylko G, Blasiak A, Hess G. Early-life stress modifies the reactivity of neurons in the ventral tegmental area and lateral hypothalamus to acute stress in female rats. Neuroscience 2022; 490:49-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.02.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 01/29/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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16
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DeJoseph ML, Herzberg MP, Sifre RD, Berry D, Thomas KM. Measurement matters: An individual differences examination of family socioeconomic factors, latent dimensions of children's experiences, and resting state functional brain connectivity in the ABCD sample. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 53:101043. [PMID: 34915436 PMCID: PMC8683693 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.101043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 11/22/2021] [Accepted: 12/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The variation in experiences between high and low-socioeconomic status contexts are posited to play a crucial role in shaping the developing brain and may explain differences in child outcomes. Yet, examinations of SES and brain development have largely been limited to distal proxies of these experiences (e.g., income comparisons). The current study sought to disentangle the effects of multiple socioeconomic indices and dimensions of more proximal experiences on resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in a sample of 7834 youth (aged 9-10 years) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. We applied moderated nonlinear factor analysis (MNLFA) to establish measurement invariance among three latent environmental dimensions of experience (material/economic deprivation, caregiver social support, and psychosocial threat). Results revealed measurement biases as a function of child age, sex, racial group, family income, and parental education, which were statistically adjusted in the final MNLFA scores. Mixed-effects models demonstrated that socioeconomic indices and psychosocial threat differentially predicted variation in frontolimbic networks, and threat statistically moderated the association between income and connectivity between the dorsal and ventral attention networks. Findings illuminate the importance of reducing measurement biases to gain a more socioculturally-valid understanding of the complex and nuanced links between socioeconomic context, children's experiences, and neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Max P Herzberg
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, USA.
| | - Robin D Sifre
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA.
| | - Daniel Berry
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA.
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17
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Wendel KM, Short AK, Noarbe BP, Haddad E, Palma AM, Yassa MA, Baram TZ, Obenaus A. Early life adversity in male mice sculpts reward circuits. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100409. [PMID: 34746338 PMCID: PMC8554344 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/24/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) comprises a wide variety of negative experiences during early life and has been linked to cognitive impairments, reduced experiences of pleasure (anhedonia), and other long-term consequences implying that ELA impacts the reward circuitry. In this study, we focused on the projections from the dorsal raphe (DR) to the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and on to the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), an important pathway within the reward circuit. We hypothesized that ELA alters connectivity within the DR-VTA-NAcc pathway, associated with deficient reward seeking behaviors in adulthood. We used the limited bedding and nesting model to induce ELA in mice and measured reward-related behaviors in adulthood using the three-chamber social interaction and sucrose preference tests. High resolution ex vivo diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) was acquired and processed for regional DTI metrics, including tractography to assess circuit organization. We found brain-wide changes in radial diffusivity (RD) and altered connectivity of the reward circuit in the ELA group. DR-VTA-NAcc circuit tractography and axial diffusivity (AD) along this tract exhibited dispersed organization where AD was increased in the VTA segment. Behaviorally, ELA elicited a social anhedonia-like phenotype in adulthood with decreased direct social approach and time spent with peers in the three-chamber task, and no overt differences in sucrose preference. Our findings suggest that reward circuits, assessed using DTI, are altered following ELA and that these changes may reflect enduring reward deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara M. Wendel
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Annabel K. Short
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Brenda P. Noarbe
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Elizabeth Haddad
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Anton M. Palma
- Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Michael A. Yassa
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine School of Biological Sciences, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Andre Obenaus
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
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18
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Hanson JL, Williams AV, Bangasser DA, Peña CJ. Impact of Early Life Stress on Reward Circuit Function and Regulation. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:744690. [PMID: 34744836 PMCID: PMC8563782 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.744690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress - including experience of child maltreatment, neglect, separation from or loss of a parent, and other forms of adversity - increases lifetime risk of mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. A major component of this risk may be early life stress-induced alterations in motivation and reward processing, mediated by changes in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Here, we review evidence of the impact of early life stress on reward circuit structure and function from human and animal models, with a focus on the NAc. We then connect these results to emerging theoretical models about the indirect and direct impacts of early life stress on reward circuit development. Through this review and synthesis, we aim to highlight open research questions and suggest avenues of future study in service of basic science, as well as applied insights. Understanding how early life stress alters reward circuit development, function, and motivated behaviors is a critical first step toward developing the ability to predict, prevent, and treat stress-related psychopathology spanning mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie L. Hanson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Alexia V. Williams
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Debra A. Bangasser
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, United States
| | - Catherine J. Peña
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, United States
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19
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Lo Iacono L, Mancini C, Babicola L, Pietrosanto M, Di Segni M, D'Addario SL, Municchi D, Ielpo D, Pascucci T, Cabib S, Ferlazzo F, D'Amato FR, Andolina D, Helmer-Citterich M, Cifani C, Ventura R. Early life adversity affecting the attachment bond alters ventral tegmental area transcriptomic patterning and behavior almost exclusively in female mice. Neurobiol Stress 2021; 15:100406. [PMID: 34660854 PMCID: PMC8503667 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2021.100406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Revised: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life experiences that affect the attachment bond formation can alter developmental trajectories and result in pathological outcomes in a sex-related manner. However, the molecular basis of sex differences is quite unknown. The dopaminergic system originating from the ventral tegmental area has been proposed to be a key mediator of this process. Here we exploited a murine model of early adversity (Repeated Cross Fostering, RCF) to test how interfering with the attachment bond formation affects the VTA-related functions in a sex-specific manner. Through a comprehensive behavioral screening, within the NiH RDoC framework, and by next-generation RNA-Seq experiments, we analyzed the long-lasting effect of RCF on behavioral and transcriptional profiles related to the VTA, across two different inbred strains of mouse in both sexes. We found that RCF impacted to an extremely greater extent VTA-related behaviors in females than in males and this result mirrored the transcriptional alterations in the VTA that were almost exclusively observed in females. The sexual dimorphism was conserved across two different inbred strains in spite of their divergent long lasting consequences of RCF exposure. Our data suggest that to be female primes a sub-set of genes to respond to early environmental perturbations. This is, to the best of our knowledge, the first evidence of an almost exclusive effect of early life experiences on females, thus mirroring the extremely stronger impact of precocious aversive events reported in clinical studies in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa Lo Iacono
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | | | - Lucy Babicola
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Marco Pietrosanto
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Sebastian Luca D'Addario
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Diana Municchi
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Donald Ielpo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy.,Behavioral Neuroscience PhD Programme, Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Tiziana Pascucci
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Fabio Ferlazzo
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy
| | - Francesca R D'Amato
- Biochemistry and Cell Biology Institute, National Research Council, Via E Ramarini 32, 00015, Monterotondo Scalo, Roma, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
| | - Manuela Helmer-Citterich
- Centre for Molecular Bioinformatics, Department of Biology, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Carlo Cifani
- University of Camerino School of Pharmacy, Camerino, Italy
| | - Rossella Ventura
- Dept. of Psychology and Center "Daniel Bovet", Sapienza University, Rome, Italy.,IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Roma, Italy
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20
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Oswald LM, Dunn KE, Seminowicz DA, Storr CL. Early Life Stress and Risks for Opioid Misuse: Review of Data Supporting Neurobiological Underpinnings. J Pers Med 2021; 11:315. [PMID: 33921642 PMCID: PMC8072718 DOI: 10.3390/jpm11040315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2021] [Revised: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
A robust body of research has shown that traumatic experiences occurring during critical developmental periods of childhood when neuronal plasticity is high increase risks for a spectrum of physical and mental health problems in adulthood, including substance use disorders. However, until recently, relatively few studies had specifically examined the relationships between early life stress (ELS) and opioid use disorder (OUD). Associations with opioid use initiation, injection drug use, overdose, and poor treatment outcome have now been demonstrated. In rodents, ELS has also been shown to increase the euphoric and decrease antinociceptive effects of opioids, but little is known about these processes in humans or about the neurobiological mechanisms that may underlie these relationships. This review aims to establish a theoretical model that highlights the mechanisms by which ELS may alter opioid sensitivity, thereby contributing to future risks for OUD. Alterations induced by ELS in mesocorticolimbic brain circuits, and endogenous opioid and dopamine neurotransmitter systems are described. The limited but provocative evidence linking these alterations with opioid sensitivity and risks for OUD is presented. Overall, the findings suggest that better understanding of these mechanisms holds promise for reducing vulnerability, improving prevention strategies, and prescribing guidelines for high-risk individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn M. Oswald
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
| | - Kelly E. Dunn
- Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21230, USA;
| | - David A. Seminowicz
- Department of Neural and Pain Sciences, School of Dentistry, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
- Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Carla L. Storr
- Department of Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA;
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