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Cosío-Guirado R, Tapia-Medina MG, Kaya C, Peró-Cebollero M, Villuendas-González ER, Guàrdia-Olmos J. A comprehensive systematic review of fMRI studies on brain connectivity in healthy children and adolescents: Current insights and future directions. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 69:101438. [PMID: 39153422 PMCID: PMC11381617 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 08/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/13/2024] [Indexed: 08/19/2024] Open
Abstract
This systematic review considered evidence of children's and adolescents' typical brain connectivity development studied through resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). With aim of understanding the state of the art, what has been researched thus far and what remains unknown, this paper reviews 58 studies from 2013 to 2023. Considering the results, rs-fMRI stands out as an appropriate technique for studying language and attention within cognitive domains, and personality traits such as impulsivity and empathy. The most used analyses encompass seed-based, independent component analysis (ICA), the amplitude of the low frequency fluctuations (ALFF), and fractional ALFF (fALFF). The findings highlight key themes, including age-related changes in intrinsic connectivity, sex-specific patterns, and the relevance of the Default Mode Network (DMN). Overall, there is a need for longitudinal approaches to trace the typical developmental trajectory of neural networks from childhood through adolescence with fMRI at rest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel Cosío-Guirado
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Complex Systems, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Mérida Galilea Tapia-Medina
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Complex Systems, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ceren Kaya
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Izmir University of Economics, Izmir, Turkey
| | - Maribel Peró-Cebollero
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Complex Systems, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Joan Guàrdia-Olmos
- Department of Social Psychology and Quantitative Psychology, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Complex Systems, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain; Institute of Neuroscience, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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Aberizk K, Sefik E, Addington J, Anticevic A, Bearden CE, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, Keshavan M, Mathalon DH, Perkins DO, Stone WS, Tsuang MT, Woods SW, Walker EF. Hippocampal Connectivity with the Default Mode Network is Linked to Hippocampal Volume in the Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Syndrome and Healthy Individuals. Clin Psychol Sci 2023; 11:801-818. [PMID: 37981950 PMCID: PMC10656030 DOI: 10.1177/21677026221138819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Reduced hippocampal volume (HV) is an established brain morphological feature of psychiatric conditions. HV is associated with brain connectivity in humans and non-human animals and altered connectivity is associated with risk for psychiatric illness. Associations between HV and connectivity remain poorly characterized in humans, and especially in phases of psychiatric illness that precede disease onset. This study examined associations between HV and hippocampal functional connectivity (FC) during rest in 141 healthy controls and 248 individuals at-risk for psychosis. Significant inverse associations between HV and hippocampal FC with the inferior parietal lobe (IPL) and thalamus were observed. Select associations between hippocampal FC and HV were moderated by diagnostic group. Significant moderation results shifted from implicating the IPL to the temporal pole after excluding participants on antipsychotic medication. Considered together, this work implicates hippocampal FC with the temporoparietal junction, within a specialized subsystem of the default mode network, as sensitive to HV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Aberizk
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Esra Sefik
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jean Addington
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Alan Anticevic
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Carrie E. Bearden
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Daniel H. Mathalon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
- San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Diana O. Perkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - William S. Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ming T. Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Scott W. Woods
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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Rabin RA, Mackey S, Parvaz MA, Cousijn J, Li C, Pearlson G, Schmaal L, Sinha R, Stein E, Veltman D, Thompson PM, Conrod P, Garavan H, Alia‐Klein N, Goldstein RZ. Common and gender-specific associations with cocaine use on gray matter volume: Data from the ENIGMA addiction working group. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:543-554. [PMID: 32857473 PMCID: PMC8675419 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Gray matter volume (GMV) in frontal cortical and limbic regions is susceptible to cocaine-associated reductions in cocaine-dependent individuals (CD) and is negatively associated with duration of cocaine use. Gender differences in CD individuals have been reported clinically and in the context of neural responses to cue-induced craving and stress reactivity. The variability of GMV in select brain areas between men and women (e.g., limbic regions) underscores the importance of exploring interaction effects between gender and cocaine dependence on brain structure. Therefore, voxel-based morphometry data derived from the ENIGMA Addiction Consortium were used to investigate potential gender differences in GMV in CD individuals compared to matched controls (CTL). T1-weighted MRI scans and clinical data were pooled from seven sites yielding 420 gender- and age-matched participants: CD men (CDM, n = 140); CD women (CDW, n = 70); control men (CTLM, n = 140); and control women (CTLW, n = 70). Differences in GMV were assessed using a 2 × 2 ANCOVA, and voxelwise whole-brain linear regressions were conducted to explore relationships between GMV and duration of cocaine use. All analyses were corrected for age, total intracranial volume, and site. Diagnostic differences were predominantly found in frontal regions (CD < CTL). Interestingly, gender × diagnosis interactions in the left anterior insula and left lingual gyrus were also documented, driven by differences in women (CDW < CTLW). Further, lower right hippocampal GMV was associated with greater cocaine duration in CDM. Given the importance of the anterior insula to interoception and the hippocampus to learning contextual associations, results may point to gender-specific mechanisms in cocaine addiction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A. Rabin
- Department of PsychiatryIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Scott Mackey
- Departments of Psychiatry and PsychologyUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Muhammad A. Parvaz
- Department of PsychiatryIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Janna Cousijn
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Chiang‐shan Li
- Department of PsychiatryYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Godfrey Pearlson
- Department of PsychiatryYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Lianne Schmaal
- Orygen, The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Parkville, Australia and Centre for Youth Mental HealthThe University of MelbourneMelbourneAustralia
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of PsychiatryYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Elliot Stein
- Intramural Research Program—Neuroimaging Research BranchNational Institute on Drug AbuseBaltimoreMarylandUSA
| | - Dick Veltman
- Department of PsychiatryVU University Medical CenterAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Paul M. Thompson
- Imaging Genetics Center, Department of Neurology Keck School of MedicineUniversity of Southern CaliforniaMarina del ReyCaliforniaUSA
| | - Patricia Conrod
- Department of PsychiatryUniversité de Montreal, CHU Ste Justine HospitalMontrealQuebecCanada
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and PsychologyUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVermontUSA
| | - Nelly Alia‐Klein
- Department of PsychiatryIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Rita Z. Goldstein
- Department of PsychiatryIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
- Department of NeuroscienceIcahn School of Medicine at Mount SinaiNew YorkNew YorkUSA
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Jing W, Zhang T, Liu J, Huang X, Yu Q, Yu H, Zhang Q, Li H, Deng M, Zhu LQ, Du H, Lu Y. A circuit of COCH neurons encodes social-stress-induced anxiety via MTF1 activation of Cacna1h. Cell Rep 2021; 37:110177. [PMID: 34965426 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.110177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 08/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The hippocampus is a temporal lobe structure critical for cognition, such as learning, memory, and attention, as well as emotional responses. Hippocampal dysfunction can lead to persistent anxiety and/or depression. However, how millions of neurons in the hippocampus are molecularly and structurally organized to engage their divergent functions remains unknown. Here, we genetically target a subset of neurons expressing the coagulation factor c homolog (COCH) gene. COCH-expressing neurons or COCH neurons are topographically segregated in the distal region of the ventral CA3 hippocampus and express Mtf1 and Cacna1h. MTF1 activation of Cacna1h transcription in COCH neurons encodes the ability of COCH neurons to burst action potentials and cause social-stress-induced anxiety-like behaviors by synapsing directly with a subset of GABAergic inhibitory neurons in the lateral septum. Together, this study provides a molecular and circuitry-based framework for understanding how COCH neurons in the hippocampus are assembled to engage social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Jing
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Tongmei Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
| | - Jiaying Liu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Xian Huang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Quntao Yu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Hongyan Yu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Qingping Zhang
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Hao Li
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Manfei Deng
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Huiyun Du
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China
| | - Youming Lu
- Department of Physiology, School of Basic Medicine and Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Wuhan Center for Brain Science, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China; Department of Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicine, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
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Meta-analysis of the effectiveness of the Trier Social Stress Test in eliciting physiological stress responses in children and adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 116:104582. [PMID: 32305745 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) is known to reliably induce physiological stress responses in adult samples. Less is known about its effectiveness to elicit these responses in youth samples. We performed a meta-analysis of stress responses to the TSST in youth participants. Fifty-seven studies were included representing 5026 youth participants. Results indicated that the TSST was effective at eliciting stress responses for salivary cortisol (sCort; effect size [ES] = 0.47, p = 0.006), heart rate (HR; ES = 0.89, p < 0.001), pre-ejection period (PEP; ES = -0.37, p < 0.001), heart rate variability (HRV; ES = -0.33, p = 0.028), and systolic blood pressure (ES = 1.17, p < 0.001), as well as negative affect (ES = 0.57, p = 0.004) and subjective anxiety (ES = 0.80, p = 0.004) in youth samples. Cardiac output (ES = 0.15, p = 0.164), respiratory sinus arrhythmia (ES = -0.10, p = 0.064), and diastolic blood pressure (ES = 2.36, p = 0.072) did not reach statistical significance. Overall, effect sizes for the TSST varied based on the physiological marker used. In addition, several physiological markers demonstrated variance in reactivity by youth age (sCort, HR, HRV, and PEP), gender (sCort), type of sample (i.e., clinical versus community sample; sCort and HR), duration of TSST (sCort, HR, HRV, negative affect, and subjective anxiety), number of judges present in TSST (HR and subjective anxiety), gender of judges (sCort), and time of day the marker was assessed (morning versus afternoon/evening; sCort). Overall, the findings provide support for the validity of the TSST as a psychosocial stressor for inducing physiological and psychological stress responses in children and adolescents, but also highlight that some markers may capture the stress response more effectively than others.
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Blankenship SL, Botdorf M, Riggins T, Dougherty LR. Lasting effects of stress physiology on the brain: Cortisol reactivity during preschool predicts hippocampal functional connectivity at school age. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 40:100736. [PMID: 31770714 PMCID: PMC6974891 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolonged exposure to glucocorticoid stress hormones, such as cortisol in humans, has been associated with structural and functional changes in the hippocampus. The majority of research demonstrating these associations in humans has been conducted in adult, clinical, or severely maltreated populations, with little research investigating these effects in young or more typically developing populations. The present study sought to address this gap by investigating longitudinal associations between preschool (3−5 years) and concurrent (5–9 years) cortisol reactivity to a laboratory stressor and hippocampal functional connectivity during a passive viewing fMRI scan. Results showed that, after controlling for concurrent cortisol reactivity, greater total cortisol release in response to a stressor during preschool predicted increased anterior and posterior hippocampal connectivity with the precuneus and cingulate gyrus at school-age. These findings are consistent with literature from adult and non-human investigations and suggest lasting impacts of early stress physiology on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Blankenship
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Morgan Botdorf
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Lea R Dougherty
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA; Neuroscience and Cognitive Science Program, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA.
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Hillerer KM, Slattery DA, Pletzer B. Neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in stress-related disorders: Effects of neuroactive steroids on the hippocampus. Front Neuroendocrinol 2019; 55:100796. [PMID: 31580837 PMCID: PMC7115954 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2019.100796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2018] [Revised: 09/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Men and women differ in their vulnerability to a variety of stress-related illnesses, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms are not well understood. This is likely due to a comparative dearth of neurobiological studies that assess male and female rodents at the same time, while human neuroimaging studies often don't model sex as a variable of interest. These sex differences are often attributed to the actions of sex hormones, i.e. estrogens, progestogens and androgens. In this review, we summarize the results on sex hormone actions in the hippocampus and seek to bridge the gap between animal models and findings in humans. However, while effects of sex hormones on the hippocampus are largely consistent in animals and humans, methodological differences challenge the comparability of animal and human studies on stress effects. We summarise our current understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie sex-related differences in behavior and discuss implications for stress-related illnesses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina M Hillerer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Salzburger Landeskrankenhaus (SALK), Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), Clinical Research Center Salzburg (CRCS), Salzburg, Austria.
| | - David A Slattery
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University, Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Belinda Pletzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria; Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria
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Multi-level Analysis of the Functioning of the Neurobiological Threat System in Adolescents: Implications for Suicide and Nonsuicidal Self-Injury. Curr Behav Neurosci Rep 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s40473-017-0117-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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Amygdala responses to salient social cues vary with oxytocin receptor genotype in youth. Neuropsychologia 2015; 79:1-9. [PMID: 26477647 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2015] [Revised: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 10/08/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder are linked to altered limbic morphology, dysregulated neuroendocrine function, and heightened amygdala responses to salient social cues. Oxytocin appears to be a potent modulator of amygdala reactivity and neuroendocrine responses to psychosocial stress. Given these stress regulatory effects, there is increasing interest in understanding the role of oxytocin in vulnerability to stress-related clinical disorders. The present study examines the impact of a common functional variant within the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene (rs2254298) on structure and function of the amygdala in a high-risk sample of urban, low-income, minority youth with a high incidence of early life stress (ELS). Compared to G/G homozygotes, youth carrying the OXTR A-allele showed increased amygdala volume, reduced behavioral performance, and heightened amygdala response during two functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) tasks that involved viewing socially-relevant face stimuli. Higher amygdala response was related to ELS in A-allele carriers but not G/G homozygotes. These findings underscore a series of relations among a common oxytocin system gene variant, ELS exposure, and structure and function of the amygdala in early life. Heightened amygdala response to salient social cues in OXTR A-allele carriers may elevate risk for emotional psychopathology by increasing amygdala involvement in disambiguating environmental cues, particularly for individuals with ELS.
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Marusak HA, Etkin A, Thomason ME. Disrupted insula-based neural circuit organization and conflict interference in trauma-exposed youth. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2015. [PMID: 26199869 PMCID: PMC4477108 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2015.04.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Childhood trauma exposure is a potent risk factor for psychopathology. Emerging research suggests that aberrant saliency processing underlies the link between early trauma exposure and later cognitive and socioemotional deficits that are hallmark of several psychiatric disorders. Here, we examine brain and behavioral responses during a face categorization conflict task, and relate these to intrinsic connectivity of the salience network (SN). The results demonstrate a unique pattern of SN dysfunction in youth exposed to trauma (n = 14) relative to comparison youth (n = 19) matched on age, sex, IQ, and sociodemographic risk. We find that trauma-exposed youth are more susceptible to conflict interference and this correlates with higher fronto-insular responses during conflict. Resting-state functional connectivity data collected in the same participants reveal increased connectivity of the insula to SN seed regions that is associated with diminished reward sensitivity, a critical risk/resilience trait following stress. In addition to altered intrinsic connectivity of the SN, we observed altered connectivity between the SN and default mode network (DMN) in trauma-exposed youth. These data uncover network-level disruptions in brain organization following one of the strongest predictors of illness, early life trauma, and demonstrate the relevance of observed neural effects for behavior and specific symptom dimensions. SN dysfunction may serve as a diathesis that contributes to illness and negative outcomes following childhood trauma. Youth exposed to trauma are more susceptible to interference during conflict. Higher conflict interference is related to increased right fronto-insular response. Trauma-exposed youth show higher salience network (SN) connectivity within the insula. SN dysfunction may contribute to cognitive and affective deficits following trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA ; Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Amit Etkin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA ; Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education and Clinical Center (MIRECC), Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Moriah E Thomason
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA ; Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
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11
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Thomason ME, Marusak HA, Tocco MA, Vila AM, McGarragle O, Rosenberg DR. Altered amygdala connectivity in urban youth exposed to trauma. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2015; 10:1460-8. [PMID: 25836993 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsv030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life trauma exposure represents a potent risk factor for the development of mental illnesses such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder. Moreover, deleterious consequences of trauma are exacerbated in youth living in impoverished, urban environments. A priori probability maps were used to examine resting-state functional connectivity (FC) of the amygdala in 21 trauma-exposed, and 21 age- and sex-matched urban children and adolescents (youth) without histories of trauma. Intrinsic FC analyses focused on amygdala-medial prefrontal circuitry, a key emotion regulatory pathway in the brain. We discovered reduced negative amygdala-subgenual cingulate connectivity in trauma-exposed youth. Differences between groups were also identified in anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate to amygdala connectivity. Overall, results suggest a model in which urban-dwelling trauma-exposed youth lack negative prefrontal to amygdala connectivity that may be critical for regulation of emotional responses. Functional changes in amygdala circuitry might reflect the biological embedding of stress reactivity in early life and mediate enhanced vulnerability to stress-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moriah E Thomason
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Perinatology Research Branch, NICHD/NIH/DHHS, Bethesda, MD,
| | - Hilary A Marusak
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and
| | - Maria A Tocco
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI 48202, USA
| | - Angela M Vila
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University
| | - Olivia McGarragle
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and
| | - David R Rosenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, and
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12
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Marusak HA, Martin KR, Etkin A, Thomason ME. Childhood trauma exposure disrupts the automatic regulation of emotional processing. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:1250-8. [PMID: 25413183 PMCID: PMC4367470 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2014] [Revised: 11/12/2014] [Accepted: 11/17/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Early-life trauma is one of the strongest risk factors for later emotional psychopathology. Although research in adults highlights that childhood trauma predicts deficits in emotion regulation that persist decades later, it is unknown whether neural and behavioral changes that may precipitate illness are evident during formative, developmental years. This study examined whether automatic regulation of emotional conflict is perturbed in a high-risk urban sample of trauma-exposed children and adolescents. A total of 14 trauma-exposed and 16 age-, sex-, and IQ-matched comparison youth underwent functional MRI while performing an emotional conflict task that involved categorizing facial affect while ignoring an overlying emotion word. Engagement of the conflict regulation system was evaluated at neural and behavioral levels. Results showed that trauma-exposed youth failed to dampen dorsolateral prefrontal cortex activity and engage amygdala-pregenual cingulate inhibitory circuitry during the regulation of emotional conflict, and were less able to regulate emotional conflict. In addition, trauma-exposed youth showed greater conflict-related amygdala reactivity that was associated with diminished levels of trait reward sensitivity. These data point to a trauma-related deficit in automatic regulation of emotional processing, and increase in sensitivity to emotional conflict in neural systems implicated in threat detection. Aberrant amygdala response to emotional conflict was related to diminished reward sensitivity that is emerging as a critical stress-susceptibility trait that may contribute to the emergence of mental illness during adolescence. These results suggest that deficits in conflict regulation for emotional material may underlie heightened risk for psychopathology in individuals that endure early-life trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary A Marusak
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA,Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Kayla R Martin
- Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Amit Etkin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA,Sierra-Pacific Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center (MIRECC) Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Moriah E Thomason
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA,Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute for Child and Family Development, Wayne State University, 71 East Ferry Street, Detroit, MI 48009, USA, Tel: +1 313 664 2517, Fax: +1 313 664 2555, E-mail:
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Childhood poverty and stress reactivity are associated with aberrant functional connectivity in default mode network. Neuropsychopharmacology 2014; 39:2244-51. [PMID: 24675708 PMCID: PMC4104343 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2014.75] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2013] [Revised: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Convergent research suggests that childhood poverty is associated with perturbation in the stress response system. This might extend to aberrations in the connectivity of large-scale brain networks, which subserve key cognitive and emotional functions. Resting-state brain activity was measured in adults with a documented history of childhood poverty (n=26) and matched controls from middle-income families (n=26). Participants also underwent a standard laboratory social stress test and provided saliva samples for cortisol assay. Childhood poverty was associated with reduced default mode network (DMN) connectivity. This, in turn, was associated with higher cortisol levels in anticipation of social stress. These results suggest a possible brain basis for exaggerated stress sensitivity in low-income individuals. Alterations in DMN may be associated with less efficient cognitive processing or greater risk for development of stress-related psychopathology among individuals who experienced the adversity of chronic childhood poverty.
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