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Davis EP, Leonard BT, Jirsaraie RJ, Keator DB, Small SL, Sandman CA, Risbrough VB, Stern HS, Glynn LM, Yassa MA, Baram TZ, Rasmussen JM. Sex-Specific Effects of Early Life Unpredictability on Hippocampal and Amygdala Responses to Novelty in Adolescents. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.09.20.614130. [PMID: 39345394 PMCID: PMC11429980 DOI: 10.1101/2024.09.20.614130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/01/2024]
Abstract
Background Unpredictable childhood experiences are an understudied form of early life adversity that impacts neurodevelopment in a sex-specific manner. The neurobiological processes by which exposure to early-life unpredictability impacts development and vulnerability to psychopathology remain poorly understood. The present study investigates the sex-specific consequences of early-life unpredictability on the limbic network, focusing on the hippocampus and the amygdala. Methods Participants included 150 youth (54% female). Early life unpredictability was assessed using the Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood (QUIC). Participants engaged in a task-fMRI scan between the ages of 8 and 17 (223 total observations) measuring BOLD responses to novel and familiar scenes. Results Exposure to early-life unpredictability associated with BOLD contrast (novel vs. familiar) in a sex-specific manner. For males, but not females, higher QUIC scores were associated with lower BOLD activation in response to novel vs. familiar stimuli in the hippocampal head and amygdala. Secondary psychophysiological interaction (PPI) analyses revealed complementary sex-specific associations between QUIC and condition-specific functional connectivity between the right and left amygdala, as well as between the right amygdala and hippocampus bilaterally. Conclusion Exposure to unpredictability in early life has persistent implications for the functional operations of limbic circuits. Importantly, consistent with emerging experimental animal and human studies, the consequences of early life unpredictability differ for males and females. Further, impacts of early-life unpredictability were independent of other risk factors including lower household income and negative life events, indicating distinct consequences of early-life unpredictability over and above more commonly studied types of early life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Colorado 80208
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Bianca T. Leonard
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Robert J. Jirsaraie
- Division of Computational and Data Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - David B. Keator
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
- Change Your Brain Change Your Life Foundation, Costa Mesa, California, Amen Clinics, Costa Mesa, CA, USA
| | - Steven L. Small
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Texas 75080
| | - Curt A. Sandman
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Victoria B Risbrough
- Centre of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California
| | - Hal S. Stern
- Department of Statistics, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Laura M. Glynn
- Department of Psychology, Chapman University, California 92866
| | - Michael A. Yassa
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Tallie Z. Baram
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
- Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
| | - Jerod M. Rasmussen
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California, Irvine, California 92697
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Oshri A, Howard CJ, Zhang L, Reck A, Cui Z, Liu S, Duprey E, Evans AI, Azarmehr R, Geier CF. Strengthening through adversity: The hormesis model in developmental psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-17. [PMID: 38532735 PMCID: PMC11427596 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000427] [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: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Employing a developmental psychopathology framework, we tested the utility of the hormesis model in examining the strengthening of children and youth through limited levels of adversity in relation to internalizing and externalizing outcomes within a brain-by-development context. METHODS Analyzing data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (N = 11,878), we formed latent factors of threat, deprivation, and unpredictability. We examined linear and nonlinear associations between adversity dimensions and youth psychopathology symptoms and how change of resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) in the default mode network (DMN) from Time 1 to Time 5 moderates these associations. RESULTS A cubic association was found between threat and youth internalizing problems; low-to-moderate family conflict levels reduced these problems. Deprivation also displayed a cubic relation with youth externalizing problems, with moderate deprivation levels associated with fewer problems. Unpredictability linearly increased both problem types. Change in DMN rsFC significantly moderated the cubic link between threat levels and internalizing problems, with declining DMN rsFC levels from Time 1 to Time 5 facilitating hormesis. Hormetic effects peaked earlier, emphasizing the importance of sensitive periods and developmental timing of outcomes related to earlier experiences. CONCLUSIONS Strengthening through limited environmental adversity is crucial for developing human resilience. Understanding this process requires considering both linear and nonlinear adversity-psychopathology associations. Testing individual differences by brain and developmental context will inform preventive intervention programming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Assaf Oshri
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Cullin J Howard
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Linhao Zhang
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ava Reck
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Zehua Cui
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Sihong Liu
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Erinn Duprey
- Department of Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Avary I Evans
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Rabeeh Azarmehr
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Charles F Geier
- Department of Human Development and Family Science, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
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