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Ma Y, Kochunov P, Kvarta MD, LeGates T, Adhikari BM, Chiappelli J, van der Vaart A, Goldwaser EL, Bruce H, Hatch KS, Gao S, Chen S, Summerfelt A, Nichols TE, Hong LE. Reciprocal relationships between stress and depressive symptoms: the essential role of the nucleus accumbens. Psychol Med 2024; 54:1045-1056. [PMID: 37750294 PMCID: PMC11078439 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723002866] [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] [Indexed: 09/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress and depression have a reciprocal relationship, but the neural underpinnings of this reciprocity are unclear. We investigated neuroimaging phenotypes that facilitate the reciprocity between stress and depressive symptoms. METHODS In total, 22 195 participants (52.0% females) from the population-based UK Biobank study completed two visits (initial visit: 2006-2010, age = 55.0 ± 7.5 [40-70] years; second visit: 2014-2019; age = 62.7 ± 7.5 [44-80] years). Structural equation modeling was used to examine the longitudinal relationship between self-report stressful life events (SLEs) and depressive symptoms. Cross-sectional data were used to examine the overlap between neuroimaging correlates of SLEs and depressive symptoms on the second visit among 138 multimodal imaging phenotypes. RESULTS Longitudinal data were consistent with significant bidirectional causal relationship between SLEs and depressive symptoms. In cross-sectional analyses, SLEs were significantly associated with lower bilateral nucleus accumbal volume and lower fractional anisotropy of the forceps major. Depressive symptoms were significantly associated with extensive white matter hyperintensities, thinner cortex, lower subcortical volume, and white matter microstructural deficits, mainly in corticostriatal-limbic structures. Lower bilateral nucleus accumbal volume were the only imaging phenotypes with overlapping effects of depressive symptoms and SLEs (B = -0.032 to -0.023, p = 0.006-0.034). Depressive symptoms and SLEs significantly partially mediated the effects of each other on left and right nucleus accumbens volume (proportion of effects mediated = 12.7-14.3%, p < 0.001-p = 0.008). For the left nucleus accumbens, post-hoc seed-based analysis showed lower resting-state functional connectivity with the left orbitofrontal cortex (cluster size = 83 voxels, p = 5.4 × 10-5) in participants with high v. no SLEs. CONCLUSIONS The nucleus accumbens may play a key role in the reciprocity between stress and depressive symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yizhou Ma
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Peter Kochunov
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Mark D. Kvarta
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tara LeGates
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bhim M. Adhikari
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Joshua Chiappelli
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Andrew van der Vaart
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Eric L. Goldwaser
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College/New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Heather Bruce
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kathryn S. Hatch
- School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Si Gao
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Shuo Chen
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Ann Summerfelt
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Thomas E. Nichols
- Department of Statistics, Big Data Science Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - L. Elliot Hong
- Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
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Wu Y, De Asis-Cruz J, Limperopoulos C. Brain structural and functional outcomes in the offspring of women experiencing psychological distress during pregnancy. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0. [PMID: 38418579 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02449-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2023] [Revised: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/01/2024]
Abstract
In-utero exposure to maternal psychological distress is increasingly linked with disrupted fetal and neonatal brain development and long-term neurobehavioral dysfunction in children and adults. Elevated maternal psychological distress is associated with changes in fetal brain structure and function, including reduced hippocampal and cerebellar volumes, increased cerebral cortical gyrification and sulcal depth, decreased brain metabolites (e.g., choline and creatine levels), and disrupted functional connectivity. After birth, reduced cerebral and cerebellar gray matter volumes, increased cerebral cortical gyrification, altered amygdala and hippocampal volumes, and disturbed brain microstructure and functional connectivity have been reported in the offspring months or even years after exposure to maternal distress during pregnancy. Additionally, adverse child neurodevelopment outcomes such as cognitive, language, learning, memory, social-emotional problems, and neuropsychiatric dysfunction are being increasingly reported after prenatal exposure to maternal distress. The mechanisms by which prenatal maternal psychological distress influences early brain development include but are not limited to impaired placental function, disrupted fetal epigenetic regulation, altered microbiome and inflammation, dysregulated hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis, altered distribution of the fetal cardiac output to the brain, and disrupted maternal sleep and appetite. This review will appraise the available literature on the brain structural and functional outcomes and neurodevelopmental outcomes in the offspring of pregnant women experiencing elevated psychological distress. In addition, it will also provide an overview of the mechanistic underpinnings of brain development changes in stress response and discuss current treatments for elevated maternal psychological distress, including pharmacotherapy (e.g., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) and non-pharmacotherapy (e.g., cognitive-behavior therapy). Finally, it will end with a consideration of future directions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Wu
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA
| | | | - Catherine Limperopoulos
- Developing Brain Institute, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Radiology, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, 20010, USA.
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Delaney SW, Xerxa Y, Muetzel RL, White T, Haneuse S, Ressler KJ, Tiemeier H, Kubzansky LD. Long-term associations between early-life family functioning and preadolescent white matter microstructure. Psychol Med 2023; 53:4528-4538. [PMID: 35611817 PMCID: PMC10388303 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722001404] [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: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Causes of childhood behavior problems remain poorly understood. Enriched family environments and corresponding brain development may reduce the risk of their onset, but research investigating white matter neurodevelopmental pathways explaining associations between the family environment and behavior remains limited. We hypothesized that more positive prenatal and mid-childhood family functioning - a measure of a family's problem solving and supportive capacity - would be associated with two markers of preadolescent white matter neurodevelopment related to reduced behavior problems: higher global fractional anisotropy (FA) and lower global mean diffusivity (MD). METHODS Data are from 2727 families in the Generation R Study, the Netherlands. Mothers reported family functioning (McMaster Family Assessment Device, range 1-4, higher scores indicate healthier functioning) prenatally and in mid-childhood (mean age 6.1 years). In preadolescence (mean age 10.1), the study collected diffusion-weighted scans. We computed standardized global MD and FA values by averaging metrics from 27 white matter tracts, and we fit linear models adjusting for possible confounders to examine global and tract-specific outcomes. RESULTS Prenatal and mid-childhood family functioning scores were moderately correlated, r = 0.38. However, only prenatal family functioning - and not mid-childhood functioning - was associated with higher global FA and lower global MD in preadolescence in fully adjusted models: βglobal FA = 0.11 (95% CI 0.00, 0.21) and βglobal MD = -0.15 (95% CI -0.28, -0.03) per one-unit increase in functioning score. Sensitivity and tract-specific analyses supported these global findings. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest high-functioning prenatal or perinatal family environments may confer lasting white matter neurodevelopmental benefits into preadolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott W. Delaney
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
| | - Yllza Xerxa
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ryan L. Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Sebastien Haneuse
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
| | - Kerry J. Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA USA
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laura D. Kubzansky
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
- Lee Kum Sheung Center for Health and Happiness, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA USA
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Roth A, Meigen C, Hiemisch A, Kiess W, Poulain T. Associations between Stressful Life Events and Increased Physical and Psychological Health Risks in Adolescents: A Longitudinal Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1050. [PMID: 36673803 PMCID: PMC9858751 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20021050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Stressful life events (SLEs) are understood as risk factors for mental and physical health problems, particularly in the vulnerable period of adolescence. Using a longitudinal approach, this study investigated associations between SLE and several negative health outcomes in adolescents. Moderating effects of sociodemographic factors were considered. We analyzed the data of a healthy adolescent sample from the LIFE Child study in Leipzig, Germany (n = 2024, aged 10-18 years). SLEs were measured by a questionnaire, addressing SLEs in the family and the social environment domain. Health-related quality of life (HrQoL), behavioral difficulties and BMI were compared before and after an SLE had occurred. Moderator effects of socioeconomic status (SES), age, and sex were investigated using linear regression models. All considered health parameters had, on average, deteriorated after the occurrence of an SLE in the social environment. Differences in HrQoL before and after an SLE were significantly stronger in girls. Higher SES functioned as a slight protective factor against decreased well-being after an SLE. The findings suggest that SLEs function as risk factors for mental and physical health disadvantages in adolescents. Prevention programs should seek to support adolescents in all age and SES groups affected by SLEs, with a specific focus on girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Roth
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christof Meigen
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Hiemisch
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Women and Child Health, University Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wieland Kiess
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Women and Child Health, University Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Tanja Poulain
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Women and Child Health, University Hospital for Children and Adolescents and Center for Pediatric Research, Leipzig University, Liebigstrasse 20a, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Sicher AR, Duerr A, Starnes WD, Crowley NA. Adolescent Alcohol and Stress Exposure Rewires Key Cortical Neurocircuitry. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:896880. [PMID: 35655755 PMCID: PMC9152326 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.896880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human adolescence is a period of development characterized by wide ranging emotions and behavioral risk taking, including binge drinking (Konrad et al., 2013). These behavioral manifestations of adolescence are complemented by growth in the neuroarchitecture of the brain, including synaptic pruning (Spear, 2013) and increases in overall white matter volume (Perrin et al., 2008). During this period of profound physiological maturation, the adolescent brain has a unique vulnerability to negative perturbations. Alcohol consumption and stress exposure, both of which are heightened during adolescence, can individually and synergistically alter these neurodevelopmental trajectories in positive and negative ways (conferring both resiliency and susceptibility) and influence already changing neurotransmitter systems and circuits. Importantly, the literature is rapidly changing and evolving in our understanding of basal sex differences in the brain, as well as the interaction between biological sex and life experiences. The animal literature provides the distinctive opportunity to explore sex-specific stress- and alcohol- induced changes in neurocircuits on a relatively rapid time scale. In addition, animal models allow for the investigation of individual neurons and signaling molecules otherwise inaccessible in the human brain. Here, we review the human and rodent literature with a focus on cortical development, neurotransmitters, peptides, and steroids, to characterize the field’s current understanding of the interaction between adolescence, biological sex, and exposure to stress and alcohol.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery R. Sicher
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Arielle Duerr
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - William D. Starnes
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
| | - Nicole A. Crowley
- The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States
- *Correspondence: Nicole A. Crowley,
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Cuenod M, Steullet P, Cabungcal JH, Dwir D, Khadimallah I, Klauser P, Conus P, Do KQ. Caught in vicious circles: a perspective on dynamic feed-forward loops driving oxidative stress in schizophrenia. Mol Psychiatry 2022; 27:1886-1897. [PMID: 34759358 PMCID: PMC9126811 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-021-01374-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
A growing body of evidence has emerged demonstrating a pathological link between oxidative stress and schizophrenia. This evidence identifies oxidative stress as a convergence point or "central hub" for schizophrenia genetic and environmental risk factors. Here we review the existing experimental and translational research pinpointing the complex dynamics of oxidative stress mechanisms and their modulation in relation to schizophrenia pathophysiology. We focus on evidence supporting the crucial role of either redox dysregulation, N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor hypofunction, neuroinflammation or mitochondria bioenergetics dysfunction, initiating "vicious circles" centered on oxidative stress during neurodevelopment. These processes would amplify one another in positive feed-forward loops, leading to persistent impairments of the maturation and function of local parvalbumin-GABAergic neurons microcircuits and myelinated fibers of long-range macrocircuitry. This is at the basis of neural circuit synchronization impairments and cognitive, emotional, social and sensory deficits characteristic of schizophrenia. Potential therapeutic approaches that aim at breaking these different vicious circles represent promising strategies for timely and safe interventions. In order to improve early detection and increase the signal-to-noise ratio for adjunctive trials of antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and NMDAR modulator drugs, a reverse translation of validated circuitry approach is needed. The above presented processes allow to identify mechanism based biomarkers guiding stratification of homogenous patients groups and target engagement required for successful clinical trials, paving the way towards precision medicine in psychiatry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michel Cuenod
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Steullet
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jan-Harry Cabungcal
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Daniella Dwir
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Ines Khadimallah
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Paul Klauser
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Service of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Philippe Conus
- Service of General Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital, Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Kim Q Do
- Center for Psychiatric Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry, Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Prilly, Lausanne, Switzerland.
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Glucocorticoid treatment for non-cerebral diseases in children and adolescents is associated with differences in uncinate fasciculus microstructure. Pediatr Res 2022; 91:879-887. [PMID: 33790412 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-021-01394-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2020] [Revised: 01/11/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that fronto-limbic brain regions and connecting white matter fibre tracts in the left hemisphere are more sensitive to glucocorticoids than in the right hemisphere. It is unknown whether treatment with glucocorticoids in childhood is associated with microstructural differences of the uncinate fasciculus and cingulum bundle, which connect fronto-limbic brain regions. Here, we tested the hypothesis that prior glucocorticoid treatment would be associated with differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) of the left relative to right uncinate fasciculus and cingulum bundle. METHODS We performed diffusion-weighted imaging in 28 children and adolescents aged 7-16 years previously treated with glucocorticoids for nephrotic syndrome or rheumatic disease and 28 healthy controls. RESULTS Patients displayed significantly different asymmetry in the microstructure of uncinate fasciculus with higher left but similar right uncinate fasciculus FA and axial diffusivity compared to controls. No apparent differences were observed for the cingulum. Notably, higher cumulative glucocorticoid doses were significantly associated with higher uncinate fasciculus FA and axial diffusivity bilaterally. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that previous glucocorticoid treatment for non-cerebral diseases in children and adolescents is associated with long-term changes in the microstructure of the uncinate fasciculi, and that higher cumulative glucocorticoid doses have a proportional impact on the microstructure. IMPACT It is unknown if treatment with glucocorticoids in childhood have long-term effects on fronto-limbic white matter microstructure. The study examined if children and adolescents previously treated with glucocorticoids for nephrotic syndrome or rheumatic disorder differed in fronto-limbic white matter microstructure compared to healthy controls. The nephrotic and rheumatic patients had higher left but similar right uncinate fasciculus FA and axial diffusivity. Higher bilateral uncinate fasciculus FA and axial diffusivity was associated with higher cumulative glucocorticoid doses. We revealed new evidence suggesting that previous glucocorticoid treatment for non-cerebral diseases in children and adolescents is associated with long-term changes in uncinate fasciculi microstructure.
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8
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Aggarwal N, Williams LE, Tromp DPM, Pine DS, Kalin NH. A dynamic relation between whole-brain white matter microstructural integrity and anxiety symptoms in preadolescent females with pathological anxiety. Transl Psychiatry 2022; 12:57. [PMID: 35136030 PMCID: PMC8825837 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-022-01827-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Pathological anxiety typically emerges during preadolescence and has been linked to alterations in white matter (WM) pathways. Because myelination is critical for efficient neuronal communication, characterizing associations between WM microstructure and symptoms may provide insights into pathophysiological mechanisms associated with childhood pathological anxiety. This longitudinal study examined 182 girls enrolled between the ages of 9-11 that were treatment-naïve at study entry: healthy controls (n = 49), subthreshold-anxiety disorders (AD) (n = 82), or meeting DSM-5 criteria for generalized, social, and/or separation ADs (n = 51), as determined through structured clinical interview. Anxiety severity was assessed with the Clinical Global Impression Scale and Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Participants (n = 182) underwent clinical, behavioral, and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) assessments at study entry, and those with pathological anxiety (subthreshold-AD and AD, n = 133) were followed longitudinally for up to 3 additional years. Cross-sectional ANCOVAs (182 scans) examining control, subthreshold-AD, and AD participants found no significant relations between anxiety and DTI measurements. However, in longitudinal analyses of girls with pathological anxiety (343 scans), linear mixed-effects models demonstrated that increases in anxiety symptoms (SCARED scores) were associated with reductions in whole-brain fractional anisotropy, independent of age (Std. β (95% CI) = -0.06 (-0.09 to -0.03), F(1, 46.24) = 11.90, P = 0.001). Using a longitudinal approach, this study identified a dynamic, within-participant relation between whole-brain WM microstructural integrity and anxiety in girls with pathological anxiety. Given the importance of WM microstructure in modulating neural communication, this finding suggests the possibility that WM development could be a viable target in the treatment of anxiety-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nakul Aggarwal
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, WI, 53719, USA.
| | - Lisa E. Williams
- grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, WI 53719 USA
| | - Do P. M. Tromp
- grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, WI 53719 USA
| | - Daniel S. Pine
- grid.416868.50000 0004 0464 0574Section on Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD 20814 USA
| | - Ned H. Kalin
- grid.14003.360000 0001 2167 3675Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 6001 Research Park Boulevard, Madison, WI 53719 USA
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Inflammation, Anxiety, and Stress in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Biomedicines 2021; 9:biomedicines9101313. [PMID: 34680430 PMCID: PMC8533349 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines9101313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Revised: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent and serious neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by symptoms of inattention and/or hyperactivity/impulsivity. Chronic and childhood stress is involved in ADHD development, and ADHD is highly comorbid with anxiety. Similarly, inflammatory diseases and a pro-inflammatory state have been associated with ADHD. However, while several works have studied the relationship between peripheral inflammation and stress in affective disorders such as depression or bipolar disorder, fewer have explored this association in ADHD. In this narrative review we synthetize evidence showing an interplay between stress, anxiety, and immune dysregulation in ADHD, and we discuss the implications of a potential disrupted neuroendocrine stress response in ADHD. Moreover, we highlight confounding factors and limitations of existing studies on this topic and critically debate multidirectional hypotheses that either suggest inflammation, stress, or anxiety as a cause in ADHD pathophysiology or inflammation as a consequence of this disease. Untangling these relationships will have diagnostic, therapeutic and prognostic implications for ADHD patients.
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Alyousefi‐van Dijk K, van der Knaap N, Buisman RS, Horstman LI, Lotz AM, Riem MME, Schuengel C, van IJzendoorn MH, Bakermans‐Kranenburg MJ. White matter integrity moderates the relation between experienced childhood maltreatment and fathers' behavioral response to infant crying. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:1399-1414. [PMID: 33200821 PMCID: PMC8451806 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Revised: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The ability to provide appropriate responses to infant distress is vital to paternal care, but may be affected by fathers' experiences of childhood maltreatment. Detrimental effects of childhood maltreatment have been found in the adult brain's white matter fibers, accompanied with impaired emotional and cognitive functioning. In the current study (N = 121), we examined new and expectant fathers' childhood maltreatment experiences (i.e. emotional and physical abuse and neglect), current behavioral responses (i.e. handgrip force) to infant cry sounds, and white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging. First, more exposure to childhood maltreatment was associated with more use of excessive handgrip force in response to infant crying by fathers. Second, the association between experienced childhood maltreatment and white matter integrity was not significant in whole-brain analyses. Lastly, we found that the association between maltreatment exposure and excessive handgrip force during infant crying was absent in fathers with high tract integrity in the bilateral uncinate fasciculus. These findings possibly point to insufficient behavioral inhibition or emotional dysregulation in fathers who experienced childhood maltreatment, but buffering for this effect in those with larger integrity in brain fibers connecting the amygdala and prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Alyousefi‐van Dijk
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Noa van der Knaap
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Renate S.M. Buisman
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Lisa I. Horstman
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Anna M. Lotz
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Madelon M. E. Riem
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Behavioral Science InstituteRadboud UniversityNijmegenThe Netherlands
| | - Carlo Schuengel
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marinus H. van IJzendoorn
- Department of Psychology, Education, and Child StudiesErasmus University RotterdamRotterdamThe Netherlands
| | - Marian J. Bakermans‐Kranenburg
- Clinical Child & Family StudiesFaculty of Behavioral and Movement SciencesVrije UniversiteitAmsterdamThe Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and CognitionLeiden University Medical CenterLeidenThe Netherlands
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Liao Z, Patel Y, Khairullah A, Parker N, Paus T. Pubertal Testosterone and the Structure of the Cerebral Cortex in Young Men. Cereb Cortex 2021; 31:2812-2821. [PMID: 33429422 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of brain maturation that may involve a second wave of organizational effects of sex steroids on the brain. Rodent studies suggest that, overall, organizational effects of gonadal steroid hormones decrease from the prenatal/perinatal period to adulthood. Here we used multimodal magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether 1) testosterone exposure during adolescence (9-17 years) correlates with the structure of cerebral cortex in young men (n = 216, 19 years of age); 2) this relationship is modulated by the timing of testosterone surge during puberty. Our results showed that pubertal testosterone correlates with structural properties of the cerebral cortex, as captured by principal component analysis of T1 and T2 relaxation times, myelin water fraction, magnetization transfer ratio, fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity. Many of the correlations between pubertal testosterone and the cortical structure were stronger in individuals with earlier (vs. later) testosterone surge. We also demonstrated that the strength of the relationship between pubertal testosterone and cortical structure across the cerebral cortex varies as a function of inter-regional profiles of gene expression specific to dendrites, axonal cytoskeleton, and myelin. This finding suggests that the cellular substrate underlying the relationships between pubertal testosterone and cerebral cortex involves both dendritic arbor and axon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhijie Liao
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G3, Canada
| | - Yash Patel
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G3, Canada
| | - Ammar Khairullah
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G3, Canada
| | - Nadine Parker
- Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G3, Canada
| | - Tomas Paus
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G3, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S3G3, Canada
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12
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Pubertal Testosterone and Brain Response to Faces in Young Adulthood: An Interplay between Organizational and Activational Effects in Young Men. J Neurosci 2021; 41:2990-2999. [PMID: 33589514 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0190-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 01/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
According to the organizational-activational hypothesis, the organizational effects of testosterone during (prenatal) brain development moderate the activational effects of adult testosterone on behavior. Accumulating evidence supports the notion that adolescence is another period during which sex hormones organize the nervous system. Here we investigate how pubertal sex hormones moderate the activational effects of adult sex hormones on social cognition in humans. To do so, we recruited a sample of young men (n = 507; age, ∼19 years) from a longitudinal birth cohort and investigated whether testosterone exposure during adolescence (from 9 to 17 years of age) moderates the relation between current testosterone and brain response to faces in young adulthood, as assessed with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Our results showed that the cumulative exposure to testosterone during adolescence moderated the relation between adult testosterone and both the mean fMRI response and functional connectivity (i.e., node strength). Specifically, in participants with low exposure to testosterone during puberty, we observed a positive relationship between current testosterone and the brain response to faces; this was not the case for participants with medium and high pubertal testosterone. Furthermore, we observed a stronger relationship between the brain response and current testosterone in parts of the angry-face network associated with (vs without) motion in the eye region of an observed (angry) face. We speculate that pubertal testosterone modulates the relationship between current testosterone and brain response to social cues carried by the eyes and signaling a potential threat.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Accumulating evidence supports the organizational effects of pubertal testosterone, but the body of literature examining these effects on social cognition in humans is in its infancy. With a sample of young men from a longitudinal birth cohort, we showed that the cumulative exposure to testosterone during adolescence moderated the relation between adult testosterone and both the mean BOLD signal change and functional connectivity. Specifically, we observed a positive relationship between adult testosterone and the brain response to faces in participants with low exposure to testosterone during puberty, but not in participants with medium and high pubertal testosterone. Results of further analysis suggest that sensitivity to cues carried by the eyes might underlie the relationship between testosterone and brain response to faces, especially in the context of a potential threat.
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13
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Rodriguez-Ayllon M, Esteban-Cornejo I, Verdejo-Román J, Muetzel RL, Migueles JH, Mora-Gonzalez J, Solis-Urra P, Erickson KI, Hillman CH, Catena A, Tiemeier H, Ortega FB. Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and White Matter Microstructure in Children with Overweight or Obesity. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2020; 52:1218-1226. [PMID: 31876665 DOI: 10.1249/mss.0000000000002233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to investigate the associations of objectively measured and self-reported physical activity (PA) and sedentary behavior with white matter microstructure in children with overweight or obesity. METHODS In a sample of 103 participants (age, 10.02 ± 1.15 yr; 42 girls) from the ActiveBrains project, we assessed PA and sedentary behavior using accelerometers (GT3X+; ActiGraph, Pensacola, FL), and the Youth Activity Profile-Spain questionnaire. Objectively measured PA and sedentary behavior were classified into different intensities following the hip- and wrist-based cutoff points for the Euclidean Norm Minus One metric by Hildebrand et al., wrist-based cutoff points for counts metric by Chandler et al., and hip-based cutoff points for counts metric for Romanzini et al. and Evenson et al. Magnetic resonance imaging of white matter microstructure, fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) were derived from diffusion tensor imaging. Linear regression models were used to examine the associations of objectively measured and self-reported PA and sedentary behavior with global and tract-specific FA and MD. RESULTS Self-reported total PA was positively associated with global FA (β = 0.236, P = 0.038), whereas watching television was negatively associated with global FA (β = -0.270, P = 0.014). In regard to the objective measures, using single regression models, light PA (β = 0.273, P = 0.016), moderate-to-vigorous PA (β = 0.257, P = 0.035), and total PA (β = 0.294, P = 0.013) were positively associated with global FA only when Hildebrand-Euclidean Norm Minus One hip cut points were used for analyses. Lastly, no association was found between PA and sedentary behavior and FA and MD within individual tracts. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that PA and watching television are related to white matter microstructure in children with overweight or obesity. However, longitudinal large-scale studies are needed to confirm and expand these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Rodriguez-Ayllon
- PROFITH Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute, Department of Physical and Sports Education, University of Granada, Granada, SPAIN
| | - Irene Esteban-Cornejo
- PROFITH Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute, Department of Physical and Sports Education, University of Granada, Granada, SPAIN
| | | | | | - Jairo H Migueles
- PROFITH Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute, Department of Physical and Sports Education, University of Granada, Granada, SPAIN
| | - Jose Mora-Gonzalez
- PROFITH Research Group, Sport and Health University Research Institute, Department of Physical and Sports Education, University of Granada, Granada, SPAIN
| | | | - Kirk I Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
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14
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Sharp TH, McBride NS, Howell AE, Evans CJ, Jones DK, Perry G, Dimitriadis SI, Lancaster TM, Zuccolo L, Relton C, Matthews SM, Breeze T, David AS, Drakesmith M, Linden DEJ, Paus T, Walton E. Population neuroimaging: generation of a comprehensive data resource within the ALSPAC pregnancy and birth cohort. Wellcome Open Res 2020; 5:203. [PMID: 33043145 PMCID: PMC7531050 DOI: 10.12688/wellcomeopenres.16060.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Neuroimaging offers a valuable insight into human brain development by allowing in vivo assessment of structure, connectivity and function. Multimodal neuroimaging data have been obtained as part of three sub-studies within the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a prospective multigenerational pregnancy and birth cohort based in the United Kingdom. Brain imaging data were acquired when offspring were between 18 and 24 years of age, and included acquisition of structural, functional and magnetization transfer magnetic resonance, diffusion tensor, and magnetoencephalography imaging. This resource provides a unique opportunity to combine neuroimaging data with extensive phenotypic and genotypic measures from participants, their mothers, and fathers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamsin H Sharp
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Nancy S McBride
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Amy E Howell
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - C John Evans
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Derek K Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Gavin Perry
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Stavros I Dimitriadis
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Thomas M Lancaster
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Luisa Zuccolo
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Caroline Relton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Sarah M Matthews
- ALSPAC, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Thomas Breeze
- ALSPAC, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK
| | - Anthony S David
- Institute of Mental Health, University College London Medical School, London, W1T 7NF, UK
| | - Mark Drakesmith
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - David E J Linden
- MRC Centre for Neuropsychiatric Genetics and Genomics, Division of Psychological Medicine and Clinical Neurosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Tomas Paus
- Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital and Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Ontario, M4G 1R8, Canada
| | - Esther Walton
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 2BN, UK.,Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK
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15
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Franke K, Van den Bergh BRH, de Rooij SR, Kroegel N, Nathanielsz PW, Rakers F, Roseboom TJ, Witte OW, Schwab M. Effects of maternal stress and nutrient restriction during gestation on offspring neuroanatomy in humans. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 117:5-25. [PMID: 32001273 PMCID: PMC8207653 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive and mental health are major determinants of quality of life, allowing integration into society at all ages. Human epidemiological and animal studies indicate that in addition to genetic factors and lifestyle, prenatal environmental influences may program neuropsychiatric disorders in later life. While several human studies have examined the effects of prenatal stress and nutrient restriction on brain function and mental health in later life, potentially mediating effects of prenatal stress and nutrient restriction on offspring neuroanatomy in humans have been studied only in recent years. Based on neuroimaging and anatomical data, we comprehensively review the studies in this emerging field. We relate prenatal environmental influences to neuroanatomical abnormalities in the offspring, measured in utero and throughout life. We also assess the relationship between neuroanatomical abnormalities and cognitive and mental disorders. Timing- and gender-specific effects are considered, if reported. Our review provides evidence for adverse effects of an unfavorable prenatal environment on structural brain development that may contribute to the risk for cognitive, behavioral and mental health problems throughout life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katja Franke
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany.
| | - Bea R H Van den Bergh
- Research Group on Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; Department for Welfare, Public Health and Family, Flemish Government, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Susanne R de Rooij
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Nasim Kroegel
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany; acatech - National Academy of Science and Engineering, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter W Nathanielsz
- Texas Pregnancy & Life Course Health Research Center, Southwest National Primate Research Center, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States; Dept. of Animal Science, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, United States
| | - Florian Rakers
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Tessa J Roseboom
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Amsterdam University Medical Centres, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Otto W Witte
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Matthias Schwab
- Department of Neurology, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
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16
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Nagy SA, Vranesics A, Varga Z, Csabai D, Bruszt N, Bali ZK, Perlaki G, Hernádi I, Berente Z, Miseta A, Dóczi T, Czéh B. Stress-Induced Microstructural Alterations Correlate With the Cognitive Performance of Rats: A Longitudinal in vivo Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:474. [PMID: 32581670 PMCID: PMC7283577 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Stress-induced cellular changes in limbic brain structures contribute to the development of various psychopathologies. In vivo detection of these microstructural changes may help us to develop objective biomarkers for psychiatric disorders. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an advanced neuroimaging technique that enables the non-invasive examination of white matter integrity and provides insights into the microstructure of pathways connecting brain areas. Objective: Our aim was to examine the temporal dynamics of stress-induced structural changes with repeated in vivo DTI scans and correlate them with behavioral alterations. Methods: Out of 32 young adult male rats, 16 were exposed to daily immobilization stress for 3 weeks. Four DTI measurements were done: one before the stress exposure (baseline), two scans during the stress (acute and chronic phases), and a last one 2 weeks after the end of the stress protocol (recovery). We used a 4.7T small-animal MRI system and examined 18 gray and white matter structures calculating the following parameters: fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD). T2-weighted images were used for volumetry. Cognitive performance and anxiety levels of the animals were assessed in the Morris water maze, novel object recognition, open field, and elevated plus maze tests. Results: Reduced FA and increased MD and RD values were found in the corpus callosum and external capsule of stressed rats. Stress increased RD in the anterior commissure and reduced MD and RD in the amygdala. We observed time-dependent changes in several DTI parameters as the rats matured, but we found no evidence of stress-induced volumetric alterations in the brains. Stressed rats displayed cognitive impairments and we found numerous correlations between the cognitive performance of the animals and between various DTI metrics of the inferior colliculus, corpus callosum, anterior commissure, and amygdala. Conclusions: Our data provide further support to the translational value of DTI studies and suggest that chronic stress exposure results in similar white matter microstructural alterations that have been documented in stress-related psychiatric disorders. These DTI findings imply microstructural abnormalities in the brain, which may underlie the cognitive deficits that are often present in stress-related mental disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Szilvia Anett Nagy
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,MTA-PTE, Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Anett Vranesics
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Research Group for Experimental Diagnostic Imaging, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Varga
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Dávid Csabai
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Nóra Bruszt
- Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zsolt Kristóf Bali
- Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Grastyán Translational Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Gábor Perlaki
- MTA-PTE, Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, Hungary
| | - István Hernádi
- Translational Neuroscience Research Group, Centre for Neuroscience, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Physiology, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Grastyán Translational Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Experimental Zoology and Neurobiology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Zoltán Berente
- Research Group for Experimental Diagnostic Imaging, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Attila Miseta
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Tamás Dóczi
- MTA-PTE, Clinical Neuroscience MR Research Group, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Neurosurgery, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Pécs Diagnostic Centre, Pécs, Hungary
| | - Boldizsár Czéh
- Neurobiology of Stress Research Group, Szentágothai Research Centre, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.,Department of Laboratory Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary
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17
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Ziegler G, Moutoussis M, Hauser TU, Fearon P, Bullmore ET, Goodyer IM, Fonagy P, Jones PB, Lindenberger U, Dolan RJ. Childhood socio-economic disadvantage predicts reduced myelin growth across adolescence and young adulthood. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:3392-3402. [PMID: 32432383 PMCID: PMC7375075 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Socio-economic disadvantage increases exposure to life stressors. Animal research suggests early life stressors impact later neurodevelopment, including myelin developmental growth. To determine how early life disadvantage may affect myelin growth in adolescence and young adulthood, we analysed data from an accelerated longitudinal neuroimaging study measuring magnetisation transfer (MT), a myelin-sensitive marker, in 288 participants (149 female) between 14 and 25 years of age at baseline. We found that early life economic disadvantage before age 12, measured by a neighbourhood poverty index, was associated with slower myelin growth. This association was observed for magnetization transfer in cortical, subcortical and core white matter regions, and also in key subcortical nuclei. Participant IQ at baseline, alcohol use, body mass index, parental occupation and self-reported parenting quality did not account for these effects, but parental education did so partially. Specifically, positive parenting moderated the effect of socio-economic disadvantage in a protective manner. Thus, early socioeconomic disadvantage appears to alter myelin growth across adolescence. This finding has potential translational implications, including clarifying whether reducing socio-economic disadvantage during childhood, and increasing parental education and positive parenting, promote normal trajectories of brain development in economically disadvantaged contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Ziegler
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.,Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK.,Institute of Cognitive Neurology and Dementia Research, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.,DZNE Magdeburg, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Michael Moutoussis
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.,Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Tobias U Hauser
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.,Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
| | - Pasco Fearon
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Edward T Bullmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Research and Development Department, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK.,Medical Research Council/Wellcome Trust Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ian M Goodyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Research and Development Department, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter Fonagy
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter B Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Research and Development Department, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough National Health Service Foundation Trust, Cambridge, UK
| | - Ulman Lindenberger
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.,Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.,Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Raymond J Dolan
- Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, UK.,Max Planck University College London Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany.,Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, UK
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18
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Poletti S, Melloni E, Mazza E, Vai B, Benedetti F. Gender-specific differences in white matter microstructure in healthy adults exposed to mild stress. Stress 2020; 23:116-124. [PMID: 31452451 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2019.1657823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is a powerful moderator of brain plasticity and may affect several physiological functions such as the endocrine and the immune system. The impact of stress can be protective or detrimental according to several factors such as level of the stressor and age of occurrence. Also, the impact may differ in males and females. We aim to analyze the effect of mild levels of early and recent stress on white matter microstructure in healthy volunteers. MRI acquisition of diffusion tensor images with a 3.0 T scanner was performed on 130 healthy subjects (71 males and 59 females). Severity of early and recent stress was rated, respectively, on the Risky Families Questionnaire and on the Schedule of Recent Experiences; subjects were divided into low stress and mild stress groups. Mild early stress associated with lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the cingulate gyrus compared to low early stress. Females reported reduced FA compared to males in the low-stress group in the internal capsule, posterior corona radiata, posterior thalamic radiation, superior longitudinal fasciculus, and sagittal stratum whereas no difference was observed in the mild stress group. An additive effect of early and recent stress was observed in posterior corona radiata, retrolenticular part of the internal capsule, and superior longitudinal fasciculus. The impact of early stress on WM microstructure in healthy subjects is different in males and females. While males seem to be more sensitive to early stress, an additive effect of early and recent stress manifests itself in females.Layman summaryMild levels of early stress associate with lower white matter integrity measured by fractional anisotropy.Females and males show differences in white matter integrity when exposed to low levels of early stress with females showing lower white matter integrity compared to males.No difference in white matter integrity was observed for males and females exposed to mild levels of stress.Mild stress in females is associated with higher white matter integrity.Males seem to be more sensitive to early stress while females are more affected when early stress is followed by stress in adult life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Poletti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- C.E.R.M.A.C. (Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Elisa Melloni
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- C.E.R.M.A.C. (Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Elena Mazza
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- C.E.R.M.A.C. (Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Benedetta Vai
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- C.E.R.M.A.C. (Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Francesco Benedetti
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Scientific Institute Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
- C.E.R.M.A.C. (Centro di Eccellenza Risonanza Magnetica ad Alto Campo), University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
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19
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Xu Y, Fang Z, Wu C, Xu H, Kong J, Huang Q, Zhang H. The Long-Term Effects of Adolescent Social Defeat Stress on Oligodendrocyte Lineage Cells and Neuroinflammatory Mediators in Mice. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2020; 16:1321-1330. [PMID: 32547035 PMCID: PMC7250299 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s247497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Adverse childhood and adolescent experiences are associated with the emergences of psychopathology later in life and have negative consequences on white matter integrity. However, this adversity-induced white matter impairment remains not fully investigated. METHODS Adolescent Balb/c mice were subjected to intermittent social defeat stress once a day during postnatal days 25 to 40. Then, the subjects were allowed to recover for three weeks before sacrifice. At the end, oligodendrocyte (OL) lineage cells, cell proliferation, and microglia activation, as well as myelin basic protein (MBP) levels in frontal cortex and hippocampus were evaluated. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-6 in the brain regions were assessed. RESULTS MBP protein level in frontal cortex, but not in the hippocampus of defeated mice, decreased significantly compared to controls. The numeral densities of mature OLs, oligodendrocyte progenitor cells, and proliferating cells in medial prefrontal cortex were comparable between the defeated mice and controls. The defeated mice, however, showed significantly higher IL-1β level, although IL-6 level and numeral density of microglia in frontal cortex did not change relative to controls. CONCLUSION These results indicate that effects of intermittent social defeat stress on the white matter integrity and OL lineage cells in mouse brain are region- and developmental stage-specific. Upregulated IL-1β may contribute to this negative consequence though the underlying mechanism remains to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingjuan Xu
- Shantou University Mental Health Center, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Zeman Fang
- Shantou University Mental Health Center, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Cairu Wu
- Shantou University Mental Health Center, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Haiyun Xu
- Shantou University Mental Health Center, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China.,Affiliated Kangning Hospital, School of Psychiatry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiming Kong
- Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Qingjun Huang
- Shantou University Mental Health Center, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
| | - Handi Zhang
- Shantou University Mental Health Center, Shantou, Guangdong, People's Republic of China
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20
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Shaw GA, Dupree JL, Neigh GN. Adolescent maturation of the prefrontal cortex: Role of stress and sex in shaping adult risk for compromise. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 19:e12626. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2019] [Revised: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gladys A. Shaw
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyVirginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
| | - Jeffrey L. Dupree
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyVirginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
- Research ServiceHunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center Richmond Virginia
| | - Gretchen N. Neigh
- Department of Anatomy and NeurobiologyVirginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia
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21
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Stroustrup A, Bragg JB, Spear EA, Aguiar A, Zimmerman E, Isler JR, Busgang SA, Curtin PC, Gennings C, Andra SS, Arora M. Cohort profile: the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Hospital Exposures and Long-Term Health (NICU-HEALTH) cohort, a prospective preterm birth cohort in New York City. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e032758. [PMID: 31772104 PMCID: PMC6887035 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-032758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Hospital Exposures and Long-Term Health (NICU-HEALTH) longitudinal preterm birth cohort studies the impact of the NICU exposome on early-life development. NICU-HEALTH collects multiple biospecimens, complex observational and survey data and comprehensive multisystem outcome assessments to allow measurement of the impact of modifiable environmental exposures during the preterm period on neurodevelopmental, pulmonary and growth outcomes. PARTICIPANTS Moderately preterm infants without genetic or congenital anomalies and their mothers are recruited from an urban academic medical centre level IV NICU in New York City, New York, USA. Recruitment began in 2011 and continues through multiple enrolment phases to the present with goal enrolment of 400 infants. Follow-up includes daily data collection throughout the NICU stay and six follow-up visits in the first 2 years. Study retention is 77% to date, with the oldest patients turning age 8 in 2019. FINDINGS TO DATE NICU-HEALTH has already contributed significantly to our understanding of phthalate exposure in the NICU. Phase I produced the first evidence of the clinical impact of phthalate exposure in the NICU population. Further study identified specific sources of exposure to clinically relevant phthalate mixtures in the NICU. FUTURE PLANS Follow-up from age 3 to 12 is co-ordinated through integration with the Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) programme. The NICU-HEALTH cohort will generate a wealth of biomarker, clinical and outcome data from which future studies of the impact of early-life chemical and non-chemical environmental exposures can benefit. Findings from study of this cohort and other collaborating environmental health cohorts will likely translate into improvements in the hospital environment for infant development. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBERS This observational cohort is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01420029 and NCT01963065).
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Affiliation(s)
- Annemarie Stroustrup
- Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
- Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Jennifer B Bragg
- Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Emily A Spear
- Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Andrea Aguiar
- Beckman Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, USA
| | - Emily Zimmerman
- Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph R Isler
- Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Stefanie A Busgang
- Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Paul C Curtin
- Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Chris Gennings
- Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Syam S Andra
- Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Manish Arora
- Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City, New York, USA
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22
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Hambrick EP, Brawner TW, Perry BD. Timing of Early-Life Stress and the Development of Brain-Related Capacities. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:183. [PMID: 31447660 PMCID: PMC6691036 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 07/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Early-life stress (ELS) poses risks for developmental and mental health problems throughout the lifespan. More research is needed regarding how specific ELS experiences influence specific aspects of neurodevelopment. We examined the association between ELS, defined as severe adversity (e.g., domestic violence, caregiver drug use) and severe relational poverty (e.g., caregiver neglect, lack of caregiver attunement), occurring during the first 2 months of life and a variety of brain-related, clinician-rated functions, including self-regulation and relational capacities. Interdisciplinary clinicians using the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT), an approach to clinical problem solving, reported on the timing and type of treatment-seeking children’s (N = 2,155; 8–10 years) stressful experiences during four developmental periods: Perinatal (0–2 months), Infancy (2–12 months), Early Childhood (13 months to 4 years), and Childhood (4–11 years). They also reported on children’s current functioning in 32 brain-related domains (e.g., sleep, arousal, impulsivity, empathy, concrete cognition). Non-negative matrix factorization (NMF) was conducted on the 32 brain-related domains to identify latent factors, yielding four factors comprising Sensory Integration, Self-Regulation, Relational, and Cognitive functioning. Regularized hierarchical models were then used to identify associations between ELS and each latent factor while controlling for stress occurring during subsequent developmental periods, and children’s current degree of relational health. ELS (stress occurring during the first 2 months of life), specifically a severe lack of positive relational experiences (e.g., caregiver neglect, lack of caregiver attunement), was associated with the Sensory Integration and Self-Regulation factors. The Relational factor was better explained by stress occurring during childhood, and the Cognitive factor by stress occurring during infancy and childhood. Implications for how the timing and type of stress experiences may influence brain-related outcomes that are observed in clinical settings are discussed. Future directions include longitudinal follow-ups and greater specification of environmental variables, such as types of interventions received and when they were received, that may interact with ELS experiences to influence brain-related outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin P Hambrick
- The ChildTrauma Academy, Houston, TX, United States.,Lab PANDA, Department of Psychology, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, United States
| | - Thomas W Brawner
- The ChildTrauma Academy, Houston, TX, United States.,Center for Research Methods and Data Analysis, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, United States
| | - Bruce D Perry
- The ChildTrauma Academy, Houston, TX, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States.,School of Allied Health, College of Science, Health and Engineering, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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23
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Lebel CA, McMorris CA, Kar P, Ritter C, Andre Q, Tortorelli C, Gibbard WB. Characterizing adverse prenatal and postnatal experiences in children. Birth Defects Res 2019; 111:848-858. [PMID: 30690931 DOI: 10.1002/bdr2.1464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2018] [Revised: 12/24/2018] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal and postnatal adversities, including prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE), prenatal exposure to other substances, toxic stress, lack of adequate resources, and postnatal abuse or neglect, often co-occur. These exposures can have cumulative effects, or interact with each other, leading to worse outcomes than single exposures. However, given their complexity and heterogeneity, exposures can be difficult to characterize. Clinical services and research often overlook additional exposures and attribute outcomes solely to one factor. METHODS We propose a framework for characterizing adverse prenatal and postnatal exposures and apply it to a cohort of 77 children. Our approach considers type, timing, and frequency to quantify PAE, other prenatal substance exposure, prenatal toxic stress, postnatal threat (harm or threat of harm), and postnatal deprivation (failure to meet basic needs) using a 4-point Likert-type scale. Postnatal deprivation and harm were separated into early (<24 months of age) and late (≥24 months) time periods, giving seven exposure variables. Exposures were ascertained via health records, child welfare records, interviews with birth parents, caregivers, and/or close family/friends. RESULTS Nearly all children had co-occurring prenatal exposures, and two-thirds had both prenatal and postnatal adversities. Children with high PAE were more likely to experience late postnatal adversities, and children with other prenatal substance exposure were more likely to have early postnatal deprivation. Postnatal adversities were more likely to co-occur. CONCLUSION This framework provides a comprehensive picture of a child's adverse exposures, which can inform assessment and intervention approaches and policy and will be useful for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine A Lebel
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carly A McMorris
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Preeti Kar
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Chantel Ritter
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Werklund School of Education, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Quinn Andre
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | | | - W Ben Gibbard
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.,Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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24
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Marečková K, Klasnja A, Andrýsková L, Brázdil M, Paus T. Developmental origins of depression-related white matter properties: Findings from a prenatal birth cohort. Hum Brain Mapp 2018; 40:1155-1163. [PMID: 30367731 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2018] [Accepted: 10/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Depression is the leading cause of years lost due to disability worldwide. Still, the mechanisms underlying its development are not well understood. This study aimed to evaluate white-matter properties associated with depressive symptomatology in young adulthood and their developmental origins. Diffusion tensor imaging and assessment of depressive symptomatology were conducted in 128 young adults (47% male, age 23-24) from a prenatal birth cohort (European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood). For a subset of these individuals, the database included information on prenatal stress (n = 93) and depressive symptoms during adolescence (assessed repeatedly at age 15 and 19). Depressive symptoms in young adulthood were associated with lower fractional anisotropy in the left and right cingulum and higher fractional anisotropy in the right corticospinal tract and superior longitudinal fasciculus. Further analyses revealed that prenatal stress and depressive symptomatology during adolescence were independent predictors of altered white-matter properties in the cingulum in young adulthood. We conclude that typically developing young adults with more depressive symptoms already exhibit tract-specific alterations in white-matter properties and that prenatal stress and depressive symptomatology during adolescence might contribute to their development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Klára Marečková
- Brain and Mind Research Programme, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University (CEITEC MU), Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Anja Klasnja
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lenka Andrýsková
- Research Centre for Toxic Compounds in the Environment (RECETOX), Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Brázdil
- Brain and Mind Research Programme, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University (CEITEC MU), Brno, Czech Republic.,Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, MU, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Tomáš Paus
- Rotman Research Institute, Baycrest, Toronto, Canada.,Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.,Child Mind Institute, New York
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