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Koning SM, Kessler CL, Canli T, Duman EA, Adam EK, Zinbarg R, Craske MG, Stephens JE, Vrshek-Schallhorn S. Early-life adversity severity, timing, and context type are associated with SLC6A4 methylation in emerging adults: Results from a prospective cohort study. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 170:107181. [PMID: 39298801 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2024.107181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Revised: 09/06/2024] [Accepted: 09/06/2024] [Indexed: 09/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Epigenetic modifications, including DNA methylation (DNAm), can play a role in the biological embedding of early-life adversity (ELA) through serotonergic mechanisms. The current study examines methylation of the CpG island in the promoter region of the stress-responsive serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) and is the first to jointly assess how it is influenced by ELA severity, timing, and type-specifically, deprivation and threat. METHODS We use data from 627 Youth Emotion Project study participants, recruited from two US high schools. Using adjusted linear regressions, we analyze DNA collected in early adulthood from 410 participants and ELA based on interviewer-rated responses from concurrent Childhood Trauma Interviews, adjusting for survey-measured covariates. RESULTS ELA robustly predicted mean CpG island SLC6A4 DNAm percent across 71 CpG sites. Each additional major-severity ELA event was associated with a 0.121-percentage-point increase (p<0.001), equating to a 0.177 standard deviation (sd) higher DNAm level (95 % CI: 0.080, 0.274) with each 1-sd higher adversity score. When modeled separately, both childhood and adolescent ELA predicted SLC6A4 DNAm. When modeled jointly, adolescent ELA was most strongly predictive, and child adversity remained significantly associated with DNAm through indirect associations via adolescent adversity. Additionally, the ELA-SLC6A4 DNAm association may vary by adversity type. Across separate models for childhood and adolescent exposures, deprivation coefficients are positive and statistically significant. Meanwhile, threat coefficients are positive and not significantly significant but do not statistically differ from deprivation coefficients. In models including all ELA dimensions, one major adolescent deprivation event is associated with a 0.222-percentage-point increased SLC6A4 DNAm (p<0.05), or a 1-sd higher deprivation score with a 0.157-sd increased DNAm. CONCLUSION Results further implicate epigenetic modification on serotonergic neurotransmission via DNAm in the downstream sequelae of ELA-particularly adolescent deprivation-and support preventive interventions in adolescence to mitigate biological embedding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M Koning
- University of Nevada, Reno, School of Public Health, 1664 N. Virginia Street, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
| | | | | | - Elif A Duman
- Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Acibadem University, Istanbul, Turkey; Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, Acibadem University, Istanbul, Turkey
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Andersen E, Klusmann H, Eisenlohr-Moul T, Baresich K, Girdler S. Life stress influences the relationship between sex hormone fluctuation and affective symptoms in peripubertal female adolescents. Dev Psychopathol 2024; 36:821-833. [PMID: 36876646 PMCID: PMC10480354 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942300010x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
Female adolescents have a greatly increased risk of depression starting at puberty, which continues throughout the reproductive lifespan. Sex hormone fluctuation has been highlighted as a key proximal precipitating factor in the development of mood disorders tied to reproductive events; however, hormone-induced affective state change is poorly understood in the pubertal transition. The present study investigated the impact of recent stressful life events on the relationship between sex hormone change and affective symptoms in peripubertal female participants. Thirty-five peripubertal participants (ages 11-14, premenarchal, or within 1 year of menarche) completed an assessment of stressful life events, and provided weekly salivary hormone collections [estrone, testosterone, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA)] and mood assessments for 8 weeks. Linear mixed models tested whether stressful life events provided a context in which within-person changes in hormones predicted weekly affective symptoms. Results indicated that exposure to stressful life events proximal to the pubertal transition influenced the directional effects of hormone change on affective symptoms. Specifically, greater affective symptoms were associated with increases in hormones in a high stress context and decreases in hormones in a low stress context. These findings provide support for stress-related hormone sensitivity as a diathesis for precipitating affective symptoms in the presence of pronounced peripubertal hormone flux.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Andersen
- University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry. CB #7167, Chapel Hill, NC 27617
| | - Hannah Klusmann
- University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry. CB #7167, Chapel Hill, NC 27617
- Freie Universität Berlin, Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Department of Education and Psychology. Schwendenerstraße 27, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Tory Eisenlohr-Moul
- University of Illinois at Chicago, Department of Psychiatry, MC 913, Chicago, IL 60612
| | - Kayla Baresich
- University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry. CB #7167, Chapel Hill, NC 27617
| | - Susan Girdler
- University of North Carolina, Department of Psychiatry. CB #7167, Chapel Hill, NC 27617
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Gotlib IH, Buthmann JL, Uy JP. The growing interdisciplinarity of developmental psychopathology: Implications for science and training. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38516854 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The field of developmental psychopathology has grown exponentially over the past decades, and has become increasingly multifaceted. The initial focus on understanding abnormal child psychology has broadened to the study of the origins of psychopathology, with the goals of preventing and alleviating disorder and promoting healthy development. In this paper, we discuss how technological advances and global events have expanded the questions that researchers in developmental psychopathology can address. We do so by describing a longitudinal study that we have been conducting for the past dozen years. We originally planned to examine the effects of early adversity on trajectories of brain development, endocrine function, and depressive symptoms across puberty; it has since become an interdisciplinary study encompassing diverse domains like inflammation, sleep, biological aging, the environment, and child functioning post-pandemic, that we believe will advance our understanding of neurobehavioral development. This increase in the breadth in our study emerged from an expansion of the field; we encourage researchers to embrace these dynamic changes. In this context, we discuss challenges, opportunities, and institutional changes related to the growing interdisciplinarity of the field with respect to training the next generation of investigators to mitigate the burden of mental illness in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Jessica P Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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4
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Shirtcliff EA, Hanson JL, Ruttle PL, Smith B, Pollak SD. Cortisol's diurnal rhythm indexes the neurobiological impact of child adversity in adolescence. Biol Psychol 2024; 187:108766. [PMID: 38428723 PMCID: PMC11031307 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2022] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Adverse early life experiences, such as child maltreatment, shapes hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) activity. The impact of social context is often probed through laboratory stress reactivity, yet child maltreatment is a severe form of chronic stress that recalibrates even stable or relatively inflexible stress systems such as cortisol's diurnal rhythm. This study was designed to determine how different social contexts, which place divergent demands on children, shape cortisol's diurnal rhythm. Participants include 120 adolescents (9-14 years), including 42 youth with substantiated child physical abuse. Up to 32 saliva samples were obtained in the laboratory, on days youth stayed home, and on school days. A 3-level hierarchical linear model examined cortisol within each day and extracted the diurnal rhythm at level 1; across days at level 2; and between-individual differences in cortisol and its rhythm at level 3. While cortisol's diurnal rhythm was flattened when youth were in the novel laboratory context, the impact of maltreatment was observed within the home context such that maltreated children had persistently flattened diurnal rhythms. The effect of maltreatment overlapped with current chronic interpersonal family stress. Results are consistent with the idea that maltreatment exerts a robust, detrimental impact on the HPA axis and are interpreted in the context of less flexibility and rhythmicity. The HPA axis adapts by encoding signifiers of relevant harsh or unpredictable environments, and the extreme stress of physical abuse in the family setting may be one of these environments which calibrates the developing child's stress responsive system, even throughout a developmental stage in which the family takes on diminishing importance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Shirtcliff
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 415 Lewis Integrative Sciences Building, Eugene, OR 97401, USA.
| | - Jamie L Hanson
- University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychology, 3420 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Paula L Ruttle
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 415 Lewis Integrative Sciences Building, Eugene, OR 97401, USA
| | - Brandon Smith
- Center for Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, 415 Lewis Integrative Sciences Building, Eugene, OR 97401, USA
| | - Seth D Pollak
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, 1500 Highland Ave, Madison, WI 53705-2280, USA
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5
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Yuan JP, Coury SM, Ho TC, Gotlib IH. Early life stress moderates the relation between systemic inflammation and neural activation to reward in adolescents both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Neuropsychopharmacology 2024; 49:532-540. [PMID: 37673968 PMCID: PMC10789786 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-023-01708-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023]
Abstract
Elevated levels of systemic inflammation are associated with altered reward-related brain function in ventral striatal areas of the brain like the nucleus accumbens (NAcc). In adolescents, cross-sectional research indicates that exposure to early life stress (ELS) can moderate the relation between inflammation and neural activation, which may contribute to atypical reward function; however, no studies have tested whether this moderation by ELS of neuroimmune associations persists over time. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional analysis and the first exploratory longitudinal analysis testing whether cumulative severity of ELS moderates the association of systemic inflammation with reward-related processing in the NAcc in adolescents (n = 104; 58F/46M; M[SD] age = 16.00[1.45] years; range = 13.07-19.86 years). For the cross-sectional analysis, we modeled a statistical interaction between ELS and levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) predicting NAcc activation during the anticipation and outcome phases of a monetary reward task. We found that higher CRP was associated with blunted NAcc activation during the outcome of reward in youth who experienced higher levels of ELS (β = -0.31; p = 0.006). For the longitudinal analysis, we modeled an interaction between ELS and change in CRP predicting change in NAcc activation across 2 years. This analysis similarly showed that increasing CRP over time was associated with decreasing NAcc during reward outcomes in youth who experienced higher levels of ELS (β = -0.47; p = 0.022). Both findings support contemporary theoretical frameworks involving associations among inflammation, reward-related brain function, and ELS exposure, and suggest that experiencing ELS can have significant and enduring effects on neuroimmune function and adolescent neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Saché M Coury
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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Filetti C, Kane-Grade F, Gunnar M. The Development of Stress Reactivity and Regulation in Children and Adolescents. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:395-419. [PMID: 37559538 PMCID: PMC10845082 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230808120504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Adversity experienced in early life can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. One pathway in which these effects occur is through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a key physiological stress-mediating system. In this review, we discuss the theoretical perspectives that guide stress reactivity and regulation research, the anatomy and physiology of the axis, developmental changes in the axis and its regulation, brain systems regulating stress, the role of genetic and epigenetics variation in axis development, sensitive periods in stress system calibration, the social regulation of stress (i.e., social buffering), and emerging research areas in the study of stress physiology and development. Understanding the development of stress reactivity and regulation is crucial for uncovering how early adverse experiences influence mental and physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Filetti
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Finola Kane-Grade
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Megan Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
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Howland MA. Recalibration of the stress response system over adult development: Is there a perinatal recalibration period? Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:2315-2337. [PMID: 37641984 PMCID: PMC10901284 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
During early life-sensitive periods (i.e., fetal, infancy), the developing stress response system adaptively calibrates to match environmental conditions, whether harsh or supportive. Recent evidence suggests that puberty is another window when the stress system is open to recalibration if environmental conditions have shifted significantly. Whether additional periods of recalibration exist in adulthood remains to be established. The present paper draws parallels between childhood (re)calibration periods and the perinatal period to hypothesize that this phase may be an additional window of stress recalibration in adult life. Specifically, the perinatal period (defined here to include pregnancy, lactation, and early parenthood) is also a developmental switch point characterized by heightened neural plasticity and marked changes in stress system function. After discussing these similarities, lines of empirical evidence needed to substantiate the perinatal stress recalibration hypothesis are proposed, and existing research support is reviewed. Complexities and challenges related to delineating the boundaries of perinatal stress recalibration and empirically testing this hypothesis are discussed, as well as possibilities for future multidisciplinary research. In the theme of this special issue, perinatal stress recalibration may be a mechanism of multilevel, multisystem risk, and resilience, both intra-individually and intergenerationally, with implications for optimizing interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariann A Howland
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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8
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Buthmann JL, LeMoult J, Miller JG, Berens A, Gotlib IH. Biological sensitivity to adolescent-parent discrepancies in perceived parental warmth. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100211. [PMID: 37808874 PMCID: PMC10550797 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Parenting behaviors are formative to the psychological development of young people; however, parent and adolescent perceptions of parenting are only moderately correlated with each other. Whereas discrepant perceptions may represent a normative process of deindividuation from caregivers in some adolescents, in others a discrepancy might predict psychological maladjustment. The biological sensitivity to context model provides a framework from which individual differences in development can be estimated in adolescents whose perceptions of parenting diverge from those of their parents. Methods At baseline we obtained diurnal cortisol samples from US adolescents (M = 13.37 years of age, SD = 1.06) as well as parents' and adolescents' ratings of parental warmth; we obtained adolescent-reported symptoms of psychopathology at baseline and again at follow-up two years later (N = 108, 57.5% female). We estimated waking cortisol, cortisol awakening response, and daytime cortisol slopes using piecewise regression models. Results Lower adolescent than parent ratings of parental warmth predicted increased externalizing symptoms at follow-up. Higher waking cortisol and steeper cortisol awakening response and daytime slopes predicted increased internalizing symptoms at follow-up. Further, discrepant ratings of parental warmth interacted with cortisol awakening response and daytime slopes such that greater discrepancies predicted greater increases in externalizing symptoms in adolescents with steeper cortisol slopes. Conclusions These findings indicate that steeper changes in cortisol production throughout the day index a greater sensitivity to perceived parental warmth. Lower adolescent than parent ratings of parental warmth may represent dysfunction in the parental relationship rather than a normative process of deindividuation in adolescents with steeper diurnal cortisol slopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L. Buthmann
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Joelle LeMoult
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Cancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Jonas G. Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Road, Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
| | - Anne Berens
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University, 300 N Pasteur Drive, Palo Alto, CA, 94304, USA
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mall, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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9
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Jopling E, Rnic K, Jameson T, Tracy A, LeMoult J. Discordance Indices of Stress Sensitivity and Trajectories of Internalizing Symptoms in Adolescence. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1521-1533. [PMID: 37329401 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01095-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Psychiatric illness in adolescence is associated with long-term impairments, making it critical to identify predictors of adolescent psychiatric distress. Individual differences in stress sensitivity could be associated with longitudinal trajectories of internalizing symptoms. Historically, researchers have operationalized stress sensitivity by assessing either objective or subjective responses to stress. However, we posit that the relative discordance between subjective and objective responses to stress is a critical metric of stress sensitivity. We examined whether two discordance-based indices of stress sensitivity were related to one another and to trajectories of internalizing psychopathology among a sample of 101 adolescent youths (Mage = 12.80 at baseline; 55% males) across two successive stressors: the high school transition and the COVID-19 pandemic. Using latent growth curve modeling, we found that greater discordance between subjective (i.e., affective) and objective (i.e., cortisol) responses to a social-evaluative stressor was associated with higher internalizing symptoms at baseline and an accelerated symptom growth trajectory across the first year of the pandemic. In contrast, early life stress sensitivity was not associated with internalizing symptoms. Findings suggest that the discordance between objective and subjective experiences of social-evaluative stress predicts a pernicious growth trajectory of internalizing symptoms during adolescence. This work advances current methodologies, contributes to theoretical models of internalizing psychopathology, and with replication could have implications for policy and practice by identifying a key vulnerability factor that increases adolescents' psychiatric distress over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen Jopling
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 2136 West Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T1Z4, Canada.
| | | | | | - Alison Tracy
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
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10
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Shaw ZA, Handley ED, Warmingham JM, Starr LR. Patterns of life stress and the development of ruminative brooding in adolescence: A person-centered approach. Dev Psychopathol 2023:1-13. [PMID: 37589100 PMCID: PMC10873479 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Research links life stressors, including acute, chronic, and early life stress, to the development of ruminative brooding. However, singular forms of life stress rarely occur in isolation, as adolescents typically encounter stressors that vary on important dimensions (e.g., types, timings, quantities) across development. The current study employs latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify natural clusters of life stress that, over time, may be differently associated with ruminative brooding. Evaluations of episodic, chronic, and early life stress were conducted with community-recruited mid-adolescents (N = 241, Mage = 15.90 years, 53% female) and their parents using the UCLA Life Stress Interview and lifetime adversity portions of the Youth Life Stress Interview. Analyses identified four distinct patterns: low stress, high peer stress, moderate home / family stress, and multifaceted / high school stress. Adolescents in the high peer stress and moderate home / family stress profiles were at highest risk for developing a brooding style over time. Despite high overall levels of stress, teens in the multifaceted / high school stress profile were at not at elevated risk for developing a brooding style. Findings demonstrate the utility of person-centered approaches to identify patterns of stress exposure that heighten risk for brooding over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zoey A Shaw
- Department of Psychiatry, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Jennifer M Warmingham
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University, Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Lisa R Starr
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
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11
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Kirshenbaum JS, Coury SM, Colich NL, Manber R, Gotlib IH. Objective and subjective sleep health in adolescence: Associations with puberty and affect. J Sleep Res 2023; 32:e13805. [PMID: 36514260 PMCID: PMC10175082 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2022] [Revised: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Sleep health tends to worsen during adolescence, partially due to pubertal-related changes that, in combination with social and psychological factors, can lead to long-lasting impairments in sleep health and affective functioning. Discrepant findings between subjective and objective measures of sleep in relation to affect have been reported in studies of adults; however, few investigations have assessed both subjective and objective sleep quality in a single sample, and fewer have examined this in the context of pubertal development. We aimed to (1) characterise pubertal associations with subjective sleep satisfaction, objective sleep efficiency, and objective and subjective sleep duration in adolescents; (2) examine the longitudinal association between daily affect and sleep metrics; and (3) test whether pubertal stage moderated this association. Eighty-nine participants (64% female, ages 13-20) completed an ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and actigraphy protocol. Independent of age, advanced pubertal stage was associated with lower subjective sleep satisfaction but not with objective sleep indices. Subjective sleep satisfaction was associated with within-person trajectories of negative affect, but not with positive affect. Pubertal stage and sleep satisfaction did not interact to predict within-day negative or positive affect. These findings are consistent with previous reports showing that objective and subjective sleep health are associated differently with puberty, and that subjective sleep health is associated with daily affect. Pubertal stage may be a more important indicator of subjective sleep quality in adolescence than is chronological age, most likely due to hormonal changes and psychological adjustment to the physical changes associated with the pubertal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn S Kirshenbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, New York, USA
| | - Saché M Coury
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Natalie L Colich
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Rachel Manber
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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12
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Slavich GM, Roos LG, Mengelkoch S, Webb CA, Shattuck EC, Moriarity DP, Alley JC. Social Safety Theory: Conceptual foundation, underlying mechanisms, and future directions. Health Psychol Rev 2023; 17:5-59. [PMID: 36718584 PMCID: PMC10161928 DOI: 10.1080/17437199.2023.2171900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Classic theories of stress and health are largely based on assumptions regarding how different psychosocial stressors influence biological processes that, in turn, affect human health and behavior. Although theoretically rich, this work has yielded little consensus and led to numerous conceptual, measurement, and reproducibility issues. Social Safety Theory aims to address these issues by using the primary goal and regulatory logic of the human brain and immune system as the basis for specifying the social-environmental situations to which these systems should respond most strongly to maximize reproductive success and survival. This analysis gave rise to the integrated, multi-level formulation described herein, which transforms thinking about stress biology and provides a biologically based, evolutionary account for how and why experiences of social safety and social threat are strongly related to health, well-being, aging, and longevity. In doing so, the theory advances a testable framework for investigating the biopsychosocial roots of health disparities as well as how health-relevant biopsychosocial processes crystalize over time and how perceptions of the social environment interact with childhood microbial environment, birth cohort, culture, air pollution, genetics, sleep, diet, personality, and self-harm to affect health. The theory also highlights several interventions for reducing social threat and promoting resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- George M Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Lydia G Roos
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Summer Mengelkoch
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Christian A Webb
- McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Eric C Shattuck
- Institute for Health Disparities Research and Department of Public Health, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Daniel P Moriarity
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jenna C Alley
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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13
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Berens A, LeMoult J, Kircanski K, Gotlib IH. ADHD symptoms and diurnal cortisol in adolescents: The importance of comorbidities. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 148:105990. [PMID: 36462296 PMCID: PMC10193285 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105990] [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: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Altered regulation of diurnal cortisol has been associated with both dimensional symptoms and clinical diagnoses of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Indeed, a recent meta-analysis suggests that lower diurnal cortisol output may be a biomarker of attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); importantly, however, the influence of psychiatric comorbidities on this association has not been characterized. Approximately two-thirds of children with ADHD have at least one co-occurring neuropsychiatric condition, and altered HPA-axis function has been implicated in many of these conditions. Using dimensional measures of psychopathology, we examined whether comorbid symptoms influence the association of ADHD symptoms with daily cortisol output. METHODS 138 adolescents (ages 11-15 years) completed measures of symptoms of psychopathology and provided saliva samples over two days. We analyzed whether ADHD symptoms were related to morning, afternoon, and evening cortisol, the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and cumulative daily cortisol (area under the curve with respect to ground [AUCg]) while accounting for symptoms of three psychiatric disorders that are commonly comorbid with ADHD: conduct disorder (CD), anxiety, and depression. In sensitivity analyses, we included symptoms of oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) in place of CD symptoms. FINDINGS After controlling for symptoms of CD, anxiety, and depression, ADHD symptoms were associated significantly with higher cumulative diurnal cortisol (AUCg), morning cortisol, and afternoon cortisol. Symptoms of CD, anxiety and depression were not associated significantly with any cortisol metrics; however, in sensitivity analyses, ODD symptoms were associated with lower AUCg and morning cortisol. DISCUSSION Our findings highlight the distinct influence of ADHD and externalizing symptoms on cortisol output. Further work is needed to examine the specificity of altered HPA-axis activity as a biomarker of ADHD and to elucidate whether symptoms of ADHD differ in their association with diurnal cortisol as a function of their severity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Berens
- Department of Pediatrics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Joelle LeMoult
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Katharina Kircanski
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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14
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Helleman A, Rubin RT, Gardner W, Lourie A, Taylor AN, Cochran J, Dorn LD, Susman E, Barrowman N, Bijelić V, Leininger L, Pajer K. Circadian cortisol secretion in adolescent girls with conduct disorder. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 148:105972. [PMID: 36462295 PMCID: PMC10038075 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105972] [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: 04/13/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Severe antisocial behavior in girls, best exemplified by conduct disorder (CD), is a serious clinical and public health problem. Treatment is difficult, particularly in girls with comorbid internalizing disorders. Identifying biological correlates may help to develop new treatments or diagnostic, prognostic, or treatment response biomarkers. Based on our earlier work and research from others occurring primarily in boys with severe antisocial behavior, it is possible that abnormalities in the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis circadian cortisol cycle may be associated with female CD. Additionally, research suggests that the presence of comorbid internalizing disorders may be related to differences in cortisol secretion, compared to subjects who only have CD. Our study aimed: 1) to compare the circadian cortisol cycle in 98 girls with CD, 15-16 years of age to 47 girls without any psychiatric disorder (ND) and 2) to compare the cycle in girls with CD and comorbid internalizing disorders (CD + INT) to those without such comorbidity (CD Only). Salivary cortisol was collected over 24 h during weekdays at scheduled times, with protocol adherence measures in place. Unstructured covariance pattern modeling, controlling for effects of age, social class, IQ, and awakening time was used to analyze cortisol data. CD was associated with overall lower cortisol secretion (p = 0.03), but this difference was due to a lower volume of cortisol secreted 30 min after awakening (area under the curve with respect to ground, p = 0.01). Circadian cortisol secretion was no different in the CD+INT group compared to the CD Only group (p = 0.52). Our findings need to be replicated using current consensus guidelines for the assessment of the CAR. We also suggest two new avenues of research in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert T Rubin
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - William Gardner
- CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Department of Pediatrics, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Andrea Lourie
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Department of Pediatrics, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Anna N Taylor
- David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Department of Neurobiology, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Justinn Cochran
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Department of Pediatrics, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Lorah D Dorn
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Division of Adolescent Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Elizabeth Susman
- College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Vid Bijelić
- CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lisa Leininger
- The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Department of Pediatrics, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Kathleen Pajer
- CHEO Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, The Ohio State University, Department of Pediatrics, Columbus, OH, USA.
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15
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Marques-Feixa L, Palma-Gudiel H, Romero S, Moya-Higueras J, Rapado-Castro M, Castro-Quintas Á, Zorrilla I, José Muñoz M, Ramírez M, Mayoral M, Mas A, José Lobato M, Blasco-Fontecilla H, Fañanás L. Childhood maltreatment disrupts HPA-axis activity under basal and stress conditions in a dose-response relationship in children and adolescents. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1060-1073. [PMID: 34269169 PMCID: PMC9976019 DOI: 10.1017/s003329172100249x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2020] [Revised: 03/31/2021] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study investigates the impact of childhood maltreatment (CM) on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis functioning and on anxiety perception. Moreover, the influence of CM severity and frequency was also explored. METHODS In total, 187 participants aged 7-17 were assessed for CM history using validated questionnaires and ad hoc interviews to be classified according to the criteria of the Tool for Assessing the Severity of Situations in which Children are Vulnerable (TASSCV). Psychopathology was ascertained using the K-SADS-PL5. To assess HPA-axis functioning, salivary cortisol samples were collected throughout a normal day and during an acute psychosocial stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test for children (TSST-C). Subjective anxiety was evaluated using STAI/-C. RESULTS Youth with a CM history had higher overall diurnal cortisol levels (p = 0.001), blunted cortisol response to acute psychosocial stress (p = 0.002) and greater perceived anxiety (p = 0.003), than those without CM. Specifically, participants exposed to moderate/severe or often/frequent CM showed the greater diurnal cortisol output (pseverity = 0.002; pfrequency = 0.003), and blunted cortisol response during the TSST-C (pseverity = 0.006; pfrequency = 0.008). Meanwhile, youth with low CM severity/frequency exhibited a similar cortisol response to those without CM. However, perceived anxiety was higher in those exposed to CM (p < 0.001), regardless of its severity/frequency. CONCLUSIONS Disturbances in HPA-axis functioning are already evident early after CM exposure, while psychological and physiological responses to an acute stressor are dissociated in youth exposed to CM. The dose-response relationship described in this paper highlights the need to comprehensively evaluate CM so that vulnerable children can be identified and assigned to proper interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laia Marques-Feixa
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Biomedicine Institute of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Helena Palma-Gudiel
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Biomedicine Institute of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Soledad Romero
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 2017SGR88, Barcelona, Spain
- Institut d'Investigacions Biomediques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jorge Moya-Higueras
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education, Psychology and Social Work, University of Lleida, Spain
| | - Marta Rapado-Castro
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne & Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Águeda Castro-Quintas
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Biomedicine Institute of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
| | - Iñaki Zorrilla
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Hospital Santiago Apostol, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - María José Muñoz
- Hospital Benito Menni, Adolescent Crisis Unit, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Spain
| | - Maite Ramírez
- Galdakao Mental Health Services, Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Galdakao, Spain
| | - María Mayoral
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, School of Medicine, Universidad Complutense, IiSGM, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ariadna Mas
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology, Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, 2017SGR88, Barcelona, Spain
| | - María José Lobato
- Department of Psychiatry, Puerta de Hierro University Hospital-Majadahonda, Autonoma University, ITA Mental Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hilario Blasco-Fontecilla
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Puerta de Hierro University Hospital-Majadahonda, Autonoma University, ITA Mental Health, Madrid, Spain
| | - Lourdes Fañanás
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Biomedicine Institute of the University of Barcelona (IBUB), Barcelona, Spain
- Network Centre for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBER of Mental Health, CIBERSAM), Spain
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16
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Yuan JP, Ho TC, Coury SM, Chahal R, Colich NL, Gotlib IH. Early life stress, systemic inflammation, and neural correlates of implicit emotion regulation in adolescents. Brain Behav Immun 2022; 105:169-179. [PMID: 35842188 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2022.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Revised: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 07/09/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Exposure to early life stress (ELS) increases the risk for developing psychopathology; however, the mechanisms underlying this association are not clear. In this study we examined systemic inflammation as a pathway that may link exposure to stress to altered neural correlates of implicit emotion regulation in adolescents with varying levels of exposure to ELS (n = 83; 52 females, 31 males; 15.63 ± 1.10 years). We measured ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) activation and functional connectivity (FC) between the bilateral amygdala and the vlPFC as adolescents completed an affect labeling task in the scanner and assessed concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) using a dried blood spot protocol. We found that CRP levels were negatively associated with vlPFC activation during implicit regulation of negatively-valenced stimuli, and that cumulative severity of ELS exposure moderated this neuroimmune association. Severity of ELS also significantly moderated the association between CRP levels and FC between the bilateral amygdala and l-vlPFC during implicit emotion regulation: in adolescents who had been exposed to more severe ELS, higher CRP was associated with more negative frontoamygdala FC during implicit regulation of negatively-valenced stimuli. Thus, ELS may disrupt the normative association between the immune system and the neural processes that underlie socioemotional functioning potentially increasing adolescents' risk for maladaptive outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin P Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, United States.
| | - Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, United States; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, United States
| | - Saché M Coury
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, United States
| | - Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, United States
| | - Natalie L Colich
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, United States; Department of Psychology, Harvard University, United States
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, United States
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17
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Jahns CC, Poulain T, Vogel M, Kiess W. Association between hair cortisol concentration and behavioral difficulties in children and adolescents. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 142:105795. [PMID: 35537293 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 05/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to assess associations between behavioral difficulties and an objectively measurable indicator for long-term stress (hair cortisol) in children and adolescents. We expected increased hair cortisol levels in participants with more externalizing (conduct problems, hyperactivity/inattention) or internalizing (peer relationship problems, emotional problems) behavioral difficulties. Behavioral difficulties were assessed using the parent version of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). Hair cortisol concentration (HCC), measured via liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS3), was used as stress marker. A 1 cm strand of hair was cut off from the occipital or parietal cranium closest to the scalp. The study sample comprised 1321 children and adolescents aged between 3 and 17 years participating in the LIFE Child cohort study (Leipzig, Germany). To assess associations, we applied multiple linear regression analyses. Only a few associations met expectations, others contradicted our hypotheses. No association reached statistical significance. The present findings may suggest that behavioral difficulties gathered by SDQ are not associated with stress measured through HCC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cora Charlotte Jahns
- 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.
| | - Mandy Vogel
- LIFE Leipzig Research Center for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Strasse 27, 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.
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18
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Kirshenbaum JS, Chahal R, Ho TC, King LS, Gifuni AJ, Mastrovito D, Coury SM, Weisenburger RL, Gotlib IH. Correlates and predictors of the severity of suicidal ideation in adolescence: an examination of brain connectomics and psychosocial characteristics. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2022; 63:701-714. [PMID: 34448494 PMCID: PMC8882198 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Suicidal ideation (SI) typically emerges during adolescence but is challenging to predict. Given the potentially lethal consequences of SI, it is important to identify neurobiological and psychosocial variables explaining the severity of SI in adolescents. METHODS In 106 participants (59 female) recruited from the community, we assessed psychosocial characteristics and obtained resting-state fMRI data in early adolescence (baseline: aged 9-13 years). Across 250 brain regions, we assessed local graph theory-based properties of interconnectedness: local efficiency, eigenvector centrality, nodal degree, within-module z-score, and participation coefficient. Four years later (follow-up: ages 13-19 years), participants self-reported their SI severity. We used least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regressions to identify a linear combination of psychosocial and brain-based variables that best explain the severity of SI symptoms at follow-up. Nested-cross-validation yielded model performance statistics for all LASSO models. RESULTS A combination of psychosocial and brain-based variables explained subsequent severity of SI (R2 = .55); the strongest was internalizing and externalizing symptom severity at follow-up. Follow-up LASSO regressions of psychosocial-only and brain-based-only variables indicated that psychosocial-only variables explained 55% of the variance in SI severity; in contrast, brain-based-only variables performed worse than the null model. CONCLUSIONS A linear combination of baseline and follow-up psychosocial variables best explained the severity of SI. Follow-up analyses indicated that graph theory resting-state metrics did not increase the prediction of the severity of SI in adolescents. Attending to internalizing and externalizing symptoms is important in early adolescence; resting-state connectivity properties other than local graph theory metrics might yield a stronger prediction of the severity of SI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn S. Kirshenbaum
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany C. Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Lucy S. King
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Anthony J. Gifuni
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA,Psychiatry Department and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Dana Mastrovito
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Saché M. Coury
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
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19
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Miller JG, Dennis EL, Heft-Neal S, Jo B, Gotlib IH. Fine Particulate Air Pollution, Early Life Stress, and Their Interactive Effects on Adolescent Structural Brain Development: A Longitudinal Tensor-Based Morphometry Study. Cereb Cortex 2022; 32:2156-2169. [PMID: 34607342 PMCID: PMC9113318 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhab346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 08/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Air pollution is a major environmental threat to public health; we know little, however, about its effects on adolescent brain development. Exposure to air pollution co-occurs, and may interact, with social factors that also affect brain development, such as early life stress (ELS). Here, we show that severity of ELS and fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) are associated with volumetric changes in distinct brain regions, but also uncover regions in which ELS moderates the effects of PM2.5. We interviewed adolescents about ELS events, used satellite-derived estimates of ambient PM2.5 concentrations, and conducted longitudinal tensor-based morphometry to assess regional changes in brain volume over an approximately 2-year period (N = 115, ages 9-13 years at Time 1). For adolescents who had experienced less severe ELS, PM2.5 was associated with volumetric changes across several gray and white matter regions. Fewer effects of PM2.5 were observed for adolescents who had experienced more severe ELS, although occasionally they were in the opposite direction. This pattern of results suggests that for many brain regions, moderate to severe ELS largely constrains the effects of PM2.5 on structural development. Further theory and research is needed on the joint effects of ELS and air pollution on the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Emily L Dennis
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, USA
| | - Sam Heft-Neal
- Center for Food Security and the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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20
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Colich NL, McLaughlin KA. Accelerated pubertal development as a mechanism linking trauma exposure with depression and anxiety in adolescence. Curr Opin Psychol 2022; 46:101338. [PMID: 35430517 PMCID: PMC9378424 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2022.101338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 02/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to early-life adversity (ELA) is associated with elevated risk for depression and anxiety disorders in adolescence. Identifying mechanisms through which ELA contributes to the emergence of depression and anxiety is necessary to design preventive interventions. One potential mechanism linking exposure to ELA with psychopathology is accelerated pubertal development. Exposure to trauma-specifically interpersonal violence-is associated with earlier pubertal timing, which in turn predicts adolescent-onset depression and anxiety disorders. We review the recent literature on adversity and accelerated pubertal development, exploring specific associations between trauma and accelerated pubertal development as a mechanism linking adversity with depression and anxiety disorders in adolescence. Finally, we suggest future directions for research exploring mechanisms linking ELA with accelerated pubertal development as well as pubertal timing and psychopathology in adolescence.
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21
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Mathur A, Li JC, Lipitz SR, Graham-Engeland JE. Emotion Regulation as a Pathway Connecting Early Life Adversity and Inflammation in Adulthood: a Conceptual Framework. ADVERSITY AND RESILIENCE SCIENCE 2022; 3:1-19. [PMID: 35224511 PMCID: PMC8863511 DOI: 10.1007/s42844-022-00051-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Chronic inflammation is implicated in a variety of diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease and cancer). Much evidence suggests that early life adversity (ELA), such as maltreatment or neglect, can increase risk for inflammation in adulthood. ELA may program proinflammatory activity via its effects on brain areas involved in emotion regulation. Of multiple emotion regulation strategies, some are considered maladaptive (e.g., expressive suppression), while others are generally adaptive (e.g., cognitive reappraisal). We propose a conceptual framework for how emotion regulation tendencies may affect vulnerability or resilience to inflammation in adults who experienced adversity in childhood and/or adolescence. In support of this framework, we summarize evidence for the relationships between emotion dysregulation and higher inflammation (i.e., vulnerability), as well as between cognitive reappraisal and lower inflammation (i.e., resilience), in healthy adults with a history of ELA. Plausible neurobiological, physiological, psychosocial, and ELA-specific factors, as well as interventions, contributing to these associations are discussed. Strengths and limitations of the extant research, in addition to ideas for future directions, are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ambika Mathur
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
| | - Jacinda C. Li
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
| | - Sarah R. Lipitz
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA USA
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22
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Taylor-Cavelier SJ, Micol VJ, Roberts AG, Geiss EG, Lopez-Duran N. DHEA Moderates the Impact of Childhood Trauma on the HPA Axis in Adolescence. Neuropsychobiology 2022; 80:299-312. [PMID: 33472214 DOI: 10.1159/000511629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Trauma can lead to long-term downregulation of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis. However, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) has neuroprotective effects that may reduce the need for downregulation of the axis in response to stress. Furthermore, high DHEA/cortisol ratios are often conceptualized as better markers of DHEA's availability than DHEA alone, as ratios account for the coupling of DHEA and cortisol in response to stress. OBJECTIVES In this study, we explored if DHEA and DHEA/cortisol ratios moderated the association between childhood maltreatment and the HPA axis stress response. METHODS The sample consisted of 101 adolescents (ages 12-16) who completed the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). Cortisol was modeled using saliva samples at 8 time points throughout the TSST. Cortisol and DHEA ratios were examined at baseline and 35 min after stress initiation. RESULTS Childhood maltreatment was associated with less steep cortisol activation slope and peak cortisol levels, but DHEA and DHEA/cortisol ratios moderated this effect. At high levels of DHEA, the impact of childhood maltreatment on cortisol peak levels was no longer significant. In contrast, high DHEA/cortisol ratios were associated with an intensification of the impact of childhood maltreatment on peak levels. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that DHEA can limit the blunting of the HPA axis in response to childhood maltreatment. However, this protective effect was not reflected in high DHEA/cortisol ratios as predicted. Therefore, high DHEA and high DHEA/cortisol ratios may reflect different, and potentially opposite, processes.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Valerie J Micol
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Andrea G Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Elisa G Geiss
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Nestor Lopez-Duran
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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23
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Miller JG, Chahal R, Gotlib IH. Early Life Stress and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence: Implications for Risk and Adaptation. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 54:313-339. [PMID: 35290658 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
An alarming high proportion of youth experience at least one kind of stressor in childhood and/or adolescence. Exposure to early life stress is associated with increased risk for psychopathology, accelerated biological aging, and poor physical health; however, it is important to recognize that not all youth who experience such stress go on to develop difficulties. In fact, resilience, or positive adaptation in the face of adversity, is relatively common. Individual differences in vulnerability or resilience to the effects of early stress may be represented in the brain as specific patterns, profiles, or signatures of neural activation, structure, and connectivity (i.e., neurophenotypes). Whereas neurophenotypes of risk that reflect the deleterious effects of early stress on the developing brain are likely to exacerbate negative outcomes in youth, neurophenotypes of resilience may reduce the risk of experiencing these negative outcomes and instead promote positive functioning. In this chapter we describe our perspective concerning the neurobiological mechanisms and moderators of risk and resilience in adolescence following early life stress and integrate our own work into this framework. We present findings suggesting that exposure to stress in childhood and adolescence is associated with functional and structural alterations in neurobiological systems that are important for social-affective processing and for cognitive control. While some of these neurobiological alterations increase risk for psychopathology, they may also help to limit adolescents' sensitivity to subsequent negative experiences. We also discuss person-centered strategies that we believe can advance our understanding of risk and resilience to early stress in adolescents. Finally, we describe ways in which the field can broaden its focus to include a consideration of other types of environmental factors, such as environmental pollutants, in affecting both risk and resilience to stress-related health difficulties in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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24
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Calibration and recalibration of stress response systems across development: Implications for mental and physical health. ADVANCES IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND BEHAVIOR 2022; 63:35-69. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.acdb.2022.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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25
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Perry NB, Donzella B, Gunnar MR. Pubertal stress recalibration and later social and emotional adjustment among adolescents: The role of early life stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 135:105578. [PMID: 34741981 PMCID: PMC8751423 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The current study investigated whether recalibration of the hypothalamic-pituitary -adrenocortical (HPA) axis stress response in youth who had previously experienced early life stress (ELS) would predict socioemotional adjustment in a follow-up assessment approximately 2-4 years later when youth were 12- to 21-years old. The sample consisted of previously institutionalized (PI) (N = 96) youth and a comparison non-adopted (NA) group (N = 117). Youth were 16 years old on average at the time of the follow-up assessment. Parent and youth-reported measures were used to assess youth's internalizing symptoms and emotion regulation. Parent-reported measures were used to assess youth's externalizing symptoms. We tested whether showing cortisol increases (vs. not) across the peripubertal period was associated with later social and emotional adjustment differently for PI and NA youth. Significant interactions emerged showing that for PI youth only, increases in cortisol reactivity across the peripubertal period was associated with poorer subsequent socioemotional functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole B. Perry
- Human Development and Family Sciences, The University of Texas at Austin
| | - Bonny Donzella
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, United States.
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Zonca V. Preventive strategies for adolescent depression: What are we missing? A focus on biomarkers. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 18:100385. [PMID: 34825234 PMCID: PMC8604665 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent depression is an important global issue with several unmet needs that still must be addressed and, to date, there are only few effective preventive strategies to reduce the burden of this disorder worldwide. In this mini-review, the evidence and potential ways to improve an early detection will be discussed as well as prompt interventions by focusing on a better understanding of the risks underlying the developing of adolescent depression from both a sociodemographic and a biological perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Zonca
- King's College London, Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London, UK.,Biological Psychiatry Lab, IRCCS Istituto Centro San Giovanni di Dio, Brescia, Italy
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Rnic K, Jopling E, Tracy A, LeMoult J. Emotion Regulation and Diurnal Cortisol: A Longitudinal Study of Early Adolescents. Biol Psychol 2021; 167:108212. [PMID: 34699918 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Revised: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Aberrant patterns of diurnal cortisol, a marker of stress reactivity, predict adverse physical and mental health among adolescents. However, the mechanisms underlying aberrant diurnal cortisol production are poorly understood. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate, for the first time, whether the core emotion regulation (ER) strategies of rumination (brooding, reflection), reappraisal, and suppression were prospectively associated with individual differences in diurnal cortisol during the COVID-19 pandemic, a period of significant stress. A community sample of 48 early adolescents (Mage=13.45; 60% males) was recruited from British Columbia, Canada. Participants completed ER measures before the pandemic, and diurnal cortisol was assessed by collecting eight saliva samples over two days during the first COVID-19-related lockdown in the region. As expected, brooding predicted elevated waking cortisol and a blunted cortisol awakening response (CAR), whereas reflection predicted lower waking cortisol and suppression predicted a steeper CAR. Unexpectedly, reappraisal was not associated with diurnal cortisol production. Results indicate that ER strategies may represent a mechanism underlying individual differences in biological markers of wellbeing during stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katerina Rnic
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Canada.
| | - Ellen Jopling
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Alison Tracy
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Canada
| | - Joelle LeMoult
- Department of Psychology, The University of British Columbia, Canada
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Ho TC, King LS. Mechanisms of neuroplasticity linking early adversity to depression: developmental considerations. Transl Psychiatry 2021; 11:517. [PMID: 34628465 PMCID: PMC8501358 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-021-01639-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Early exposure to psychosocial adversity is among the most potent predictors of depression. Because depression commonly emerges prior to adulthood, we must consider the fundamental principles of developmental neuroscience when examining how experiences of childhood adversity, including abuse and neglect, can lead to depression. Considering that both the environment and the brain are highly dynamic across the period spanning gestation through adolescence, the purpose of this review is to discuss and integrate stress-based models of depression that center developmental processes. We offer a general framework for understanding how psychosocial adversity in early life disrupts or calibrates the biobehavioral systems implicated in depression. Specifically, we propose that the sources and nature of the environmental input shaping the brain, and the mechanisms of neuroplasticity involved, change across development. We contend that the effects of adversity largely depend on the developmental stage of the organism. First, we summarize leading neurobiological models that focus on the effects of adversity on risk for mental disorders, including depression. In particular, we highlight models of allostatic load, acceleration maturation, dimensions of adversity, and sensitive or critical periods. Second, we expound on and review evidence for the formulation that distinct mechanisms of neuroplasticity are implicated depending on the timing of adverse experiences, and that inherent within certain windows of development are constraints on the sources and nature of these experiences. Finally, we consider other important facets of adverse experiences (e.g., environmental unpredictability, perceptions of one's experiences) before discussing promising research directions for the future of the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
| | - Lucy S King
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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29
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Stenson AF, Michopoulos V, Stevens JS, Powers A, Jovanovic T. Sex-Specific Associations Between Trauma Exposure, Pubertal Timing, and Anxiety in Black Children. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:636199. [PMID: 34239425 PMCID: PMC8258149 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.636199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research has linked early life stress (ELS), such as trauma exposure, with early puberty. Early puberty has also been identified as a risk factor for poor mental health outcomes. However, these two paths have primarily been examined independently. In addition, more studies have examined these associations in girls than boys, and findings for boys remain mixed. We hypothesized that early puberty (relative to peers) would be positively associated with both prior trauma exposure and concurrent anxiety symptoms. We anticipated that these associations might differ by sex. We tested these hypotheses within a cross-sectional sample of 133 8- to 13-year-old Black girls and boys with trauma exposure. The association between trauma and accelerated pubertal timing was sex-specific: it was positive for girls and negative for boys. We stratified subsequent analyses by sex. Regression analyses indicated that early puberty relative to peers predicted more anxiety symptoms for girls but not boys, after accounting for trauma exposure. A statistical mediation analysis indicated that, for girls, the positive association between trauma exposure and anxiety was partially mediated by pubertal timing. These results indicate that trauma exposure may have sex-specific effects on pubertal timing and anxiety risk in Black children. We also found that, for girls, trauma may increase risk for adverse outcomes by prompting earlier puberty, which is linked to higher anxiety. These findings are consistent with cascading effects of trauma across development, and highlight the need for further study of sex-specific mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anaïs F. Stenson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
| | - Vasiliki Michopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jennifer S. Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Abigail Powers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, United States
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Reid BM, DePasquale CE, Donzella B, Leneman KB, Taylor H, Gunnar MR. Pubertal transition with current life stress and support alters longitudinal diurnal cortisol patterns in adolescents exposed to early life adversity. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22146. [PMID: 34053063 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Current and early life stress (ELS) are associated with diurnal cortisol patterns, which themselves are associated with mental and physical health. The pubertal recalibration hypothesis suggests that the social environment can impact dysregulated cortisol patterns for previously ELS-exposed youth as they transition through puberty. This study examined longitudinal change in cortisol awakening response (CAR) and diurnal slope (DS) across puberty as a function of ELS in infancy, current stress, and social support (N = 290, 7-17 years). The CAR and DS were examined thrice annually with an accelerated longitudinal design with nurse-assessed puberty to assess associations between diurnal cortisol and pubertal recalibration with ELS and the current social environment. Exposure to ELS was associated with less steep DS but not changes in CAR, and no evidence of pubertal calibration was found. The DS became less steep for youth in later pubertal stages and as youth progressed through puberty. The CAR was steeper for youth in later pubertal stages. Across the cohort, current life stress and support were associated with changes in the DS and the CAR through the pubertal transition. The pubertal stage and the peripubertal and pubertal social environment may have important implications for adrenocortical functioning with or without exposure to ELS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brie M Reid
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Carrie E DePasquale
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Bonny Donzella
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Keira B Leneman
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Heather Taylor
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
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31
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Torres-Berrío A, Morgunova A, Giroux M, Cuesta S, Nestler EJ, Flores C. miR-218 in Adolescence Predicts and Mediates Vulnerability to Stress. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:911-919. [PMID: 33384174 PMCID: PMC8052258 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.10.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescence is a period of increased vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, including depression. Discovering novel biomarkers to identify individuals who are at high risk is very much needed. Our previous work shows that the microRNA miR-218 mediates susceptibility to stress and depression in adulthood by targeting the netrin-1 guidance cue receptor gene Dcc in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). METHODS Here, we investigated whether miR-218 regulates Dcc expression in adolescence and could serve as an early predictor of lifetime stress vulnerability in male mice. RESULTS miR-218 expression in the mPFC increases from early adolescence to adulthood and correlates negatively with Dcc levels. In blood, postnatal miR-218 expression parallels changes occurring in the mPFC. Notably, circulating miR-218 levels in adolescence associate with vulnerability to social defeat stress in adulthood, with high levels associated with social avoidance severity. Indeed, downregulation of miR-218 in the mPFC in adolescence promotes resilience to stress in adulthood. CONCLUSIONS miR-218 expression in adolescence may serve both as a marker of risk and as a target for early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélica Torres-Berrío
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Alice Morgunova
- Integrated Program in Neuroscience, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Michel Giroux
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Santiago Cuesta
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Eric J Nestler
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York; Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York
| | - Cecilia Flores
- Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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The NIMH Intramural Longitudinal Study of the Endocrine and Neurobiological Events Accompanying Puberty: Protocol and rationale for methods and measures. Neuroimage 2021; 234:117970. [PMID: 33771694 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.117970] [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: 11/23/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/10/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Delineating the relationship between human neurodevelopment and the maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis during puberty is critical for investigating the increase in vulnerability to neuropsychiatric disorders that is well documented during this period. Preclinical research demonstrates a clear association between gonadal production of sex steroids and neurodevelopment; however, identifying similar associations in humans has been complicated by confounding variables (such as age) and the coactivation of two additional endocrine systems (the adrenal androgenic system and the somatotropic growth axis) and requires further elucidation. In this paper, we present the design of, and preliminary observations from, the ongoing NIMH Intramural Longitudinal Study of the Endocrine and Neurobiological Events Accompanying Puberty. The aim of this study is to directly examine how the increase in sex steroid hormone production following activation of the HPG-axis (i.e., gonadarche) impacts neurodevelopment, and, additionally, to determine how gonadal development and maturation is associated with longitudinal changes in brain structure and function in boys and girls. To disentangle the effects of sex steroids from those of age and other endocrine events on brain development, our study design includes 1) selection criteria that establish a well-characterized baseline cohort of healthy 8-year-old children prior to the onset of puberty (e.g., prior to puberty-related sex steroid hormone production); 2) temporally dense longitudinal, repeated-measures sampling of typically developing children at 8-10 month intervals over a 10-year period between the ages of eight and 18; 3) contemporaneous collection of endocrine and other measures of gonadal, adrenal, and growth axis function at each timepoint; and 4) collection of multimodal neuroimaging measures at these same timepoints, including brain structure (gray and white matter volume, cortical thickness and area, white matter integrity, myelination) and function (reward processing, emotional processing, inhibition/impulsivity, working memory, resting-state network connectivity, regional cerebral blood flow). This report of our ongoing longitudinal study 1) provides a comprehensive review of the endocrine events of puberty; 2) details our overall study design; 3) presents our selection criteria for study entry (e.g., well-characterized prepubertal baseline) along with the endocrinological considerations and guiding principles that underlie these criteria; 4) describes our longitudinal outcome measures and how they specifically relate to investigating the effects of gonadal development on brain development; and 5) documents patterns of fMRI activation and resting-state networks from an early, representative subsample of our cohort of prepubertal 8-year-old children.
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Fuligni AJ, Chiang JJ, Tottenham N. Sleep disturbance and the long-term impact of early adversity. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 126:304-313. [PMID: 33757816 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.03.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Sleep disturbance may be a central, yet underappreciated mechanism by which early adversity has a long-term impact upon mental and physical health. The fundamental regulatory processes shaped by early adversity - neural, neuroendocrine, and immune - are also central to sleep. Sleep problems, in turn, lead to a similar constellation of chronic health problems that have been linked to early adversity. We bring together work from the fields of early adversity and sleep in order to suggest a model by which sleep disturbance plays a critical role in the far-reaching impacts of early adversity on health. Future research should employ more longitudinal designs and pay particular attention to the impact of developmental periods such as adolescence and midlife when maturational and environmental factors conspire to create a unique time of sleep disturbance. We also suggesting that intervening to minimize sleep disturbance may be a promising means by which to test the model, as well as potentially blunt the long-term impact of early adversity on health.
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34
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Leong JK, Ho TC, Colich NL, Sisk L, Knutson B, Gotlib IH. White-matter tract connecting anterior insula to nucleus accumbens predicts greater future motivation in adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 47:100881. [PMID: 33373886 PMCID: PMC7776926 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The motivation to approach or avoid incentives can change during adolescence. Advances in neuroimaging allow researchers to characterize specific brain circuits that underlie these developmental changes. Whereas activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) can predict approach toward incentive gain, activity in anterior insula (AIns) is associated with avoidance of incentive loss. Recent research characterized the structural white-matter tract connecting the two brain regions, but the tract has neither been characterized in adolescence nor linked to functional activity during incentive anticipation. In this study, we collected diffusion MRI and characterized the tract connecting the AIns to the NAcc for the first time in early adolescents. We then measured NAcc functional activity during a monetary incentive delay task and found that structural coherence of the AIns-NAcc tract is correlated with decreased functional activity at the NAcc terminal of the tract during anticipation of no incentives. In adolescents who completed an assessment 2 years later, we found that AIns-NAcc tract coherence could predict greater future self-reported motivation, and that NAcc functional activity could statistically mediate this association. Together, the findings establish links from brain structure to function to future motivation and provide targets to study the reciprocal development of brain structure and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josiah K Leong
- University of Arkansas, Department of Psychological Science, Fayetteville, AR, United States; Indiana University, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Bloomington, IN, United States.
| | - Tiffany C Ho
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States; University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychology & Weill Institute for Neurosciences, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Natalie L Colich
- University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Lucinda Sisk
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Brian Knutson
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States; Stanford University, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States; Stanford University, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, Stanford, CA, United States
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VanTieghem M, Korom M, Flannery J, Choy T, Caldera C, Humphreys KL, Gabard-Durnam L, Goff B, Gee DG, Telzer EH, Shapiro M, Louie JY, Fareri DS, Bolger N, Tottenham N. Longitudinal changes in amygdala, hippocampus and cortisol development following early caregiving adversity. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100916. [PMID: 33517107 PMCID: PMC7848778 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although decades of research have shown associations between early caregiving adversity, stress physiology and limbic brain volume (e.g., amygdala, hippocampus), the developmental trajectories of these phenotypes are not well characterized. In the current study, we used an accelerated longitudinal design to assess the development of stress physiology, amygdala, and hippocampal volume following early institutional care. Previously Institutionalized (PI; N = 93) and comparison (COMP; N = 161) youth (ages 4–20 years old) completed 1–3 waves of data collection, each spaced approximately 2 years apart, for diurnal cortisol (N = 239) and structural MRI (N = 156). We observed a developmental shift in morning cortisol in the PI group, with blunted levels in childhood and heightened levels in late adolescence. PI history was associated with reduced hippocampal volume and reduced growth rate of the amygdala, resulting in smaller volumes by adolescence. Amygdala and hippocampal volumes were also prospectively associated with future morning cortisol in both groups. These results indicate that adversity-related physiological and neural phenotypes are not stationary during development but instead exhibit dynamic and interdependent changes from early childhood to early adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Korom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Jessica Flannery
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tricia Choy
- Graduate School of Education, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Christina Caldera
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kathryn L Humphreys
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Bonnie Goff
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eva H Telzer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Y Louie
- Child Mind Institute, San Francisco Bay Area, San Mateo, CA, USA
| | - Dominic S Fareri
- Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA
| | - Niall Bolger
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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36
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Associations between stress reactivity and behavior problems for previously institutionalized youth across puberty. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 32:1854-1863. [PMID: 33427186 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Megan Gunnar's pubertal stress recalibration hypothesis was supported in a recent study of previously institutionalized (PI) youth such that increases in pubertal stage were associated with increases in cortisol stress reactivity. This work provides evidence that puberty may open up a window of recalibration for PI youth, resulting in a shift from a blunted to a more typical cortisol stress response. Using the same sample (N = 132), the current study aimed to elucidate whether increases in cortisol are associated with increases in adaptive functioning or whether they further underlie potential links to developmental psychopathology. Specifically, we examined the bidirectional associations between cortisol stress reactivity and both internalizing and externalizing symptoms across three timepoints during the pubertal period. Youth reported on their own internalizing symptoms and parents reported on youths' externalizing symptoms. Cortisol reactivity was assessed during the Trier social stress test. Analyses revealed no associations between cortisol reactivity and externalizing symptoms across puberty for PI youth. However, longitudinal bidirectional associations did emerge for internalizing symptoms such that increases in cortisol reactivity predicted increases in internalizing symptoms and increases in internalizing symptoms predicted increases in cortisol reactivity. Findings suggest that recalibrating to more normative levels of cortisol reactivity may not always be associated with adaptive outcomes for PI youth.
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Sympathetic nervous system dominance during stress recovery mediates associations between stress sensitivity and social anxiety symptoms in female adolescents. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 32:1914-1925. [PMID: 33427188 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is commonly diagnosed during adolescence and is associated with psychological stress reactivity and heightened physiological arousal. No study, however, has systematically examined which aspects of autonomic nervous system function mediate likely links between stress sensitivity and social anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Here, we assessed 163 adolescents (90 females; 12.29 ± 1.39 years) with respect to life stress and social anxiety symptoms, and measured respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) and skin conductance levels (SCL) during a psychosocial stress paradigm. We operationalized stress sensitivity as the residual variance in subjective stress severity after accounting for objective severity and changes in autonomic regulation using standardized change scores in RSA and SCL. In females only, stress sensitivity and social anxiety symptoms were significantly correlated with each other (p < .001) and with autonomic regulation during both reactivity and recovery (all ps < 0.04). Further, sympathetic nervous system dominance during recovery specifically mediated associations between stress sensitivity and social anxiety symptoms (B = 1.06, 95% CI: 0.02-2.64). In contrast, in males, stress sensitivity, autonomic regulation during reactivity or recovery, and social anxiety symptoms were not significantly associated (all ps > 0.1). We interpret these results in the context of psychobiological models of SAD and discuss implications for interventions targeting autonomic processes.
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38
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Gotlib IH, Borchers LR, Chahal R, Gifuni AJ, Teresi GI, Ho TC. Early Life Stress Predicts Depressive Symptoms in Adolescents During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Mediating Role of Perceived Stress. Front Psychol 2021; 11:603748. [PMID: 33510680 PMCID: PMC7835338 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.603748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Exposure to early life stress (ELS) is alarmingly prevalent and has been linked to the high rates of depression documented in adolescence. Researchers have theorized that ELS may increase adolescents' vulnerability or reactivity to the effects of subsequent stressors, placing them at higher risk for developing symptoms of depression. METHODS We tested this formulation in a longitudinal study by assessing levels of stress and depression during the COVID-19 pandemic in a sample of adolescents from the San Francisco Bay Area (N = 109; 43 male; ages 13-20 years) who had been characterized 3-7 years earlier (M = 5.06, SD = 0.86 years) with respect to exposure to ELS and symptoms of depression. RESULTS As expected, severity of ELS predicted levels of depressive symptoms during the pandemic [r(107) = 0.26, p = 0.006], which were higher in females than in males [t(107) = -3.56, p < 0.001]. Importantly, the association between ELS and depression was mediated by adolescents' reported levels of stress, even after controlling for demographic variables. CONCLUSIONS These findings underscore the importance of monitoring the mental health of vulnerable children and adolescents during this pandemic and targeting perceived stress in high-risk youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Lauren R. Borchers
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Anthony J. Gifuni
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Giana I. Teresi
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Tiffany C. Ho
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Rethinking Concepts and Categories for Understanding the Neurodevelopmental Effects of Childhood Adversity. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 16:67-93. [PMID: 32668190 PMCID: PMC7809338 DOI: 10.1177/1745691620920725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 163] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Discovering the processes through which early adverse experiences affect children's nervous-system development, health, and behavior is critically important for developing effective interventions. However, advances in our understanding of these processes have been constrained by conceptualizations that rely on categories of adversity that are overlapping, have vague boundaries, and lack consistent biological evidence. Here, we discuss central problems in understanding the link between early-life adversity and children's brain development. We conclude by suggesting alternative formulations that hold promise for advancing knowledge about the neurobiological mechanisms through which adversity affects human development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E. Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
| | - Seth D. Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin–Madison
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Smith KE, Pollak SD. Early life stress and development: potential mechanisms for adverse outcomes. J Neurodev Disord 2020; 12:34. [PMID: 33327939 PMCID: PMC7745388 DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09337-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 158] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic and/or extreme stress in early life, often referred to as early adversity, childhood trauma, or early life stress, has been associated with a wide range of adverse effects on development. However, while early life stress has been linked to negative effects on a number of neural systems, the specific mechanisms through which early life stress influences development and individual differences in children's outcomes are still not well understood. MAIN TEXT The current paper reviews the existing literature on the neurobiological effects of early life stress and their ties to children's psychological and behavioral development. CONCLUSIONS Early life stress has persistent and pervasive effects on prefrontal-hypothalamic-amygdala and dopaminergic circuits that are at least partially mediated by alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function. However, to date, this research has primarily utilized methods of assessment that focus solely on children's event exposures. Incorporating assessment of factors that influence children's interpretation of stressors, along with stressful events, has the potential to provide further insight into the mechanisms contributing to individual differences in neurodevelopmental effects of early life stress. This can aid in further elucidating specific mechanisms through which these neurobiological changes influence development and contribute to risk for psychopathology and health disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA.
| | - Seth D Pollak
- Department of Psychology and Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 S Highland Blvd, Rm 399, Madison, WI, 53705, USA
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Humphreys KL, Sisk LM, Manczak EM, Lin J, Gotlib IH. Depressive Symptoms Predict Change in Telomere Length and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Across Adolescence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 59:1364-1370.e2. [PMID: 31628984 PMCID: PMC7160006 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several studies have found associations between a diagnosis or symptoms of major depressive disorder and markers of cellular aging and dysfunction. These investigations, however, are predominantly cross-sectional and focus on adults. In the present study, we used a prospective longitudinal design to test the cross-sectional association between depressive symptoms in adolescents and telomere length (TL) as well as mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-cn). METHOD A total of 121 adolescents (mean age = 11.38 years, SD = 1.03; 39% male adolescents and 61% female adolescents) were followed for approximately 2 years. At baseline and follow-up, participants provided saliva for DNA extraction, from which measures of TL and mtDNA-cn were obtained. Depressive symptoms were obtained via the Children's Depression Inventory. RESULTS There was no association between depressive symptoms and markers of cellular aging at baseline; however, depressive symptoms at baseline predicted higher rates of telomere erosion (β = -0.201, p = .016) and greater increases in mtDNA-cn (β = 0.190, p = .012) over the follow-up period. Markers of cellular aging at baseline did not predict subsequent changes in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, including the number of stressful life events did not alter these patterns of findings. CONCLUSION These results indicate that depressive symptoms precede changes in cellular aging and dysfunction, rather than the reverse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jue Lin
- University of California, San Francisco
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Chahal R, Delevich K, Kirshenbaum JS, Borchers LR, Ho TC, Gotlib IH. Sex differences in pubertal associations with fronto-accumbal white matter morphometry: Implications for understanding sensitivity to reward and punishment. Neuroimage 2020; 226:117598. [PMID: 33249215 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2020] [Revised: 11/04/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Researchers have reported sex-differentiated maturation of white matter (WM) during puberty. It is not clear, however, whether such distinctions contribute to documented sex differences in sensitivity to reward and punishment during adolescence. Given the role of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) in reward and punishment-related behaviors, we tested in a cross-sectional study whether males and females (N = 156, 89 females; ages 9-14 years) differ in the association between pubertal stage and fixel-based morphometry of WM fibers connecting the OFC and NAcc (i.e., the fronto-accumbal tract). Further, we examined whether males and females differ in associations between fronto-accumbal WM measures and self-reported sensitivity to reward and punishment. Pubertal stage was positively associated with fronto-accumbal fiber density and cross-section (FDC) in males, but not in females. Consistent with previous reports, males reported higher reward sensitivity than did females, although fronto-accumbal combined FDC was not related to reward sensitivity in either sex. Meanwhile, only males showed a negative association between fronto-accumbal tract FDC and sensitivity to punishment. Follow-up analyses revealed that fiber cross-section, but not density, was related to pubertal stage and punishment sensitivity in males, as well as to reward sensitivity in all participants. Our findings suggest there are sex differences in puberty-related maturation of the fronto-accumbal tract, and this tract is related to lower punishment sensitivity in adolescent males compared to females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
| | - Kristen Delevich
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Jaclyn S Kirshenbaum
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Lauren R Borchers
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Weil Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305, United States.
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Howland MA, Donzella B, Miller BS, Gunnar MR. Pubertal recalibration of cortisol-DHEA coupling in previously-institutionalized children. Horm Behav 2020; 125:104816. [PMID: 32649929 PMCID: PMC7543053 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
As a period of heightened plasticity, puberty may provide a window of opportunity for recalibration of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis to current conditions. Our group has recently documented evidence for pubertal recalibration of HPA axis reactivity among children internationally adopted as infants from institutions into supportive, well-resourced homes. As a first step at examining potential mechanisms by which puberty may facilitate recalibration of the HPA axis, the current study assessed whether previously-institutionalized (PI) children differed from non-adopted (NA) comparison children in levels of the adrenal steroid hormone dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and in its intra-individual covariation (coupling) with cortisol by adrenal pubertal stage. In an accelerated longitudinal design, 7- to 15-year-olds completed up to 3 annual assessments, which included nurse-conducted pubertal staging and the Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-M). Adrenal (pubic hair) rather than gonadal pubertal stage scores were used in the analysis. Paired salivary cortisol-DHEA samples were available at 60-80 min post-TSST-M. NA and PI children did not differ in DHEA levels, which were higher among children at more advanced pubertal stages (averaged across the sessions) for both groups. For NA children, post-stressor cortisol and DHEA were positively coupled across sessions at all average adrenal pubertal stages. For PI children who were, on average, at earlier adrenal pubertal stages, post-stressor cortisol and DHEA were not coupled, but PI children who were at later pubertal stages demonstrated positive cortisol-DHEA coupling similar to that of the NA children. We suggest that these findings provide insights into processes which may underlie pubertal recalibration of the HPA axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mariann A Howland
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, United States of America.
| | - Bonny Donzella
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, United States of America
| | - Bradley S Miller
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, United States of America
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, United States of America
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Yu T, Zhou W, Wu S, Liu Q, Li X. Evidence for disruption of diurnal salivary cortisol rhythm in childhood obesity: relationships with anthropometry, puberty and physical activity. BMC Pediatr 2020; 20:381. [PMID: 32782001 PMCID: PMC7422565 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-020-02274-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The aim of this study was to examine the characteristics of diurnal cortisol rhythm in childhood obesity and its relationships with anthropometry, pubertal stage and physical activity. Methods Thirty-five children with obesity (median age: 11.80[interquartile range 10.30, 13.30] and median BMI z-score: 3.21[interquartile range 2.69, 3.71]) and 22 children with normal weight (median age: 10.85[interquartile range 8.98, 12.13] and median BMI z-score: − 0.27[interquartile range − 0.88, 0.35]) were recruited. Saliva samples were collected at 08:00, 16:00 and 23:00 h. Cortisol concentrations at 3 time points, corresponding areas under the curve (AUCs) and diurnal cortisol slope (DCS) were compared between the two groups. Anthropometric measures and pubertal stage were evaluated, and behavioural information was obtained via questionnaires. Results Children with obesity displayed significantly lower cortisol08:00 (median [interquartile range]: 5.79[3.42,7.73] vs. 8.44[5.56,9.59] nmol/L, P = 0.030) and higher cortisol23:00 (median [interquartile range]: 1.10[0.48,1.46] vs. 0.40[0.21,0.61] nmol/L, P < 0.001) with a flatter DCS (median [interquartile range]: − 0.29[− 0.49, 0.14] vs. -0.52[− 0.63, 0.34] nmol/L/h, P = 0.006) than their normal weight counterparts. The AUC increased with pubertal development (AUC08:00–16:00:P = 0.008; AUC08:00–23:00: P = 0.005). Furthermore, cortisol08:00 was inversely associated with BMI z-score (β = − 0.247, P = 0.036) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) (β = − 0.295, P = 0.027). Cortisol23:00 was positively associated with BMI z-score (β = 0.490, P<0.001), WHtR (β = 0.485, P<0.001) and fat mass percentage (FM%) (β = 0.464, P<0.001). Absolute values of DCS were inversely associated with BMI z-score (β = − 0.350, P = 0.009), WHtR (β = − 0.384, P = 0.004) and FM% (β = − 0.322, P = 0.019). In multivariate analyses adjusted for pubertal stage and BMI z-score, Cortisol08:00, AUC08:00–16:00 and absolute values of DCS were inversely associated with the relative time spent in moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity (P < 0.05). AUC16:00–23:00 was positively associated with relative non-screen sedentary time and negatively associated with sleep (P < 0.05). Conclusions The disorder of diurnal salivary cortisol rhythm is associated with childhood obesity, which is also influenced by puberty development and physical activity. Thus, stabilizing circadian cortisol rhythms may be an important approach for childhood obesity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Yu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Su Wu
- Department of Endocrinology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Qianqi Liu
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xiaonan Li
- Department of Child Health Care, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China. .,Institute of Pediatric Research, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
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Colich NL, Rosen ML, Williams ES, McLaughlin KA. Biological aging in childhood and adolescence following experiences of threat and deprivation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychol Bull 2020; 146:721-764. [PMID: 32744840 DOI: 10.1037/bul0000270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 190] [Impact Index Per Article: 47.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Life history theory argues that exposure to early life adversity (ELA) accelerates development, although existing evidence for this varies. We present a meta-analysis and systematic review testing the hypothesis that ELA involving threat (e.g., violence exposure) will be associated with accelerated biological aging across multiple metrics, whereas exposure to deprivation (e.g., neglect, institutional rearing) and low-socioeconomic status (SES) will not. We meta-analyze 54 studies (n = 116,010) examining associations of ELA with pubertal timing and cellular aging (telomere length and DNA methylation age), systematically review 25 studies (n = 3,253) examining ELA and neural markers of accelerated development (cortical thickness and amygdala-prefrontal cortex functional connectivity) and evaluate whether associations of ELA with biological aging vary according to the nature of adversity experienced. ELA overall was associated with accelerated pubertal timing (d = -0.10) and cellular aging (d = -0.21), but these associations varied by adversity type. Moderator analysis revealed that ELA characterized by threat was associated with accelerated pubertal development (d = -0.26) and accelerated cellular aging (d = -0.43), but deprivation and SES were unrelated to accelerated development. Systematic review revealed associations between ELA and accelerated cortical thinning, with threat-related ELA consistently associated with thinning in ventromedial prefrontal cortex, and deprivation and SES associated with thinning in frontoparietal, default, and visual networks. There was no consistent association of ELA with amygdala-PFC connectivity. These findings suggest specificity in the types of early environmental experiences associated with accelerated biological aging and highlight the importance of evaluating how accelerated aging contributes to health disparities and whether this process can be mitigated through early intervention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).
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Miller JG, Ho TC, Humphreys KL, King LS, Foland-Ross LC, Colich NL, Ordaz SJ, Lin J, Gotlib IH. Early Life Stress, Frontoamygdala Connectivity, and Biological Aging in Adolescence: A Longitudinal Investigation. Cereb Cortex 2020; 30:4269-4280. [PMID: 32215605 PMCID: PMC7264647 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhaa057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) may accelerate frontoamygdala development related to socioemotional processing, serving as a potential source of resilience. Whether this circuit is associated with other proposed measures of accelerated development is unknown. In a sample of young adolescents, we examined the relations among ELS, frontoamygdala circuitry during viewing of emotional faces, cellular aging as measured by telomere shortening, and pubertal tempo. We found that greater cumulative severity of ELS was associated with stronger negative coupling between bilateral centromedial amygdala and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a pattern that may reflect more mature connectivity. More negative frontoamygdala coupling (for distinct amygdala subdivisions) was associated with slower telomere shortening and pubertal tempo over 2 years. These potentially protective associations of negative frontoamygdala connectivity were most pronounced in adolescents who had been exposed to higher ELS. Our findings provide support for the formulation that ELS accelerates maturation of frontoamygdala connectivity and provide novel evidence that this neural circuitry confers protection against accelerated biological aging, particularly for adolescents who have experienced higher ELS. Although negative frontoamygdala connectivity may be an adaptation to ELS, frontoamygdala connectivity, cellular aging, and pubertal tempo do not appear to be measures of the same developmental process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neuroscience, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Kathryn L Humphreys
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37203, USA
| | - Lucy S King
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Lara C Foland-Ross
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
| | - Natalie L Colich
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98105, USA
| | - Sarah J Ordaz
- Ordaz Psychological Health, Inc., Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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Wagner M, Kratzsch J, Vogel M, Peschel T, Gaudl A, Ceglarek U, Thiery J, Hiemisch A, Körner A, Kiess W. Hair Cortisol Concentration in Healthy Children and Adolescents Is Related to Puberty, Age, Gender, and Body Mass Index. Horm Res Paediatr 2020; 92:237-244. [PMID: 31851970 DOI: 10.1159/000504914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2019] [Accepted: 11/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) have been found to be related to various common childhood diseases, like otitis media, conjunctivitis, respiratory viral infections, and asthma. However, the confounding effects of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), pubertal stage (Tanner stages), socioeconomic status (SES) as well as of some hair maintenance procedures on HCC are still not well examined. METHODS A population-based cohort of 434 children aged between 5 and 18 years was examined for HCC between January 2012 and February 2015 in the context of the Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases (LIFE) Child study. Thereby, anthropometric data, gender, BMI, SES and pubertal status were assessed. HCC was measured by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. RESULTS In the total cohort, HCC levels ranged between 0.95 and 29.86 pg/mg. In prepuberty, boys showed significantly higher HCC than girls (6.54 vs. 3.73 pg/mg, p < 0.05). During puberty HCC values in both genders converged. Higher BMI was significantly associated with higher HCC in both genders. In girls, HCC did not differ depending on Tanner stages. In boys, HCC was significantly higher in Tanner stage 1 than in stages 2-5. CONCLUSION Measuring cortisol concentration in hair gives information about long-term release of cortisol. We have found that puberty, gender, and BMI had a profound effect on HCC. As a result, further research should take into account the potentially confounding role of puberty, gender and BMI and may use the results of our study as a reference at determining values of HCC in healthy children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maximiliane Wagner
- Department of Women & Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Centre for Paediatric Research, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, .,LIFE-Child-Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany,
| | - Jürgen Kratzsch
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mandy Vogel
- Department of Women & Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Centre for Paediatric Research, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,LIFE-Child-Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Thomas Peschel
- Department of Women & Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Centre for Paediatric Research, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,LIFE-Child-Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Alexander Gaudl
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Uta Ceglarek
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Joachim Thiery
- Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andreas Hiemisch
- Department of Women & Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Centre for Paediatric Research, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,LIFE-Child-Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Antje Körner
- Department of Women & Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Centre for Paediatric Research, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,LIFE-Child-Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Wieland Kiess
- Department of Women & Child Health, Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Centre for Paediatric Research, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.,LIFE-Child-Leipzig Research Centre for Civilization Diseases, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
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King LS, Graber MG, Colich NL, Gotlib IH. Associations of waking cortisol with DHEA and testosterone across the pubertal transition: Effects of threat-related early life stress. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2020; 115:104651. [PMID: 32199287 PMCID: PMC7183417 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 03/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Atypical regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a putative mechanism underlying the association between exposure to early life stress (ELS) and the subsequent development of mental and physical health difficulties. Recent research indicates that puberty is a period of HPA-axis plasticity during which the effects of exposure to ELS on cortisol regulation may change. In particular, increases in the sex hormones that drive pubertal maturation, including dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and testosterone, may be implicated in pubertal recalibration of cortisol regulation. In the current study, we examined the associations among levels of objectively-rated threat-related ELS and salivary waking cortisol, DHEA, and testosterone in a sample of 178 adolescents (55 % female) who were in early puberty at baseline (Tanner stages 1-3; mean Tanner stage[SD] = 1.93[0.64]; mean age[SD] = 11.42[1.04]) and were followed up approximately two years later (mean Tanner stage[SD] = 3.46[0.86]; mean age[SD] = 13.38[1.06]). Using multi-level modeling, we disaggregated the effects of between-individual levels and within-individual increases in pubertal stage and sex hormones on change in cortisol. Controlling for between-individual differences in average pubertal stage, the association between levels of cortisol and DHEA was more strongly positive among adolescents who evidenced greater within-individual increases in pubertal stage across time. Both higher average levels and greater within-individual increases in DHEA and testosterone were associated with increases in cortisol across time, indicating positive coupling of developmental changes in these hormones; however, coupling was attenuated in adolescents who were exposed to more severe threat-related ELS prior to puberty. These findings advance our understanding of the development of the HPA-axis and its association with childhood environmental risk during puberty.
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Ho TC, Colich NL, Sisk LM, Oskirko K, Jo B, Gotlib IH. Sex differences in the effects of gonadal hormones on white matter microstructure development in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 42:100773. [PMID: 32452463 PMCID: PMC7058897 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2019] [Revised: 01/27/2020] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by rapid brain development in white matter (WM) that is attributed in part to surges in gonadal hormones. To date, however, there have been few longitudinal investigations relating changes in gonadal hormones and WM development in adolescents. We acquired diffusion-weighted MRI to estimate mean fractional anisotropy (FA) from 10 WM tracts and salivary testosterone from 51 females and 29 males (ages 9-14 years) who were matched on pubertal stage and followed, on average, for 2 years. We tested whether interactions between sex and changes in testosterone levels significantly explained changes in FA. We found positive associations between changes in testosterone and changes in FA within the corpus callosum, cingulum cingulate, and corticospinal tract in females (all ps<0.05, corrected) and non-significant associations in males. We also collected salivary estradiol from females and found that increases in estradiol were associated with increases in FA in the left uncinate fasciculus (p = 0.04, uncorrected); however, this effect was no longer significant after accounting for changes in testosterone. Our findings indicate there are sex differences in how changes in testosterone relate to changes in WM microstructure of tracts that support impulse control and emotion regulation across the pubertal transition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiffany C Ho
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States; Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, United States; University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry & Weill Institute for Neurosciences, San Francisco, CA, United States.
| | - Natalie L Colich
- University of Washington, Department of Psychology, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Lucinda M Sisk
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States; Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Kira Oskirko
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Booil Jo
- Stanford University, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Stanford University, Department of Psychology, Stanford, CA, United States
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Herzberg MP, Gunnar MR. Early life stress and brain function: Activity and connectivity associated with processing emotion and reward. Neuroimage 2019; 209:116493. [PMID: 31884055 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.116493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 12/23/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Investigating the developmental sequelae of early life stress has provided researchers the opportunity to examine adaptive responses to extreme environments. A large body of work has established mechanisms by which the stressful experiences of childhood poverty, maltreatment, and institutional care can impact the brain and the distributed stress systems of the body. These mechanisms are reviewed briefly to lay the foundation upon which the current neuroimaging literature has been built. More recently, developmental cognitive neuroscientists have identified a number of the effects of early adversity, including differential behavior and brain function. Among the most consistent of these findings are differences in the processing of emotion and reward-related information. The neural correlates of emotion processing, particularly frontolimbic functional connectivity, have been well studied in early life stress samples with results indicating accelerated maturation following early adversity. Reward processing has received less attention, but here the evidence suggests a deficit in reward sensitivity. It is as yet unknown whether the accelerated maturation of emotion-regulation circuits comes at the cost of delayed development in other systems, most notably the reward system. This review addresses the early life stress neuroimaging literature that has investigated emotion and reward processing, identifying important next steps in the study of brain function following adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max P Herzberg
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA.
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, USA
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