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Kalisch R, Russo SJ, Müller MB. Neurobiology and systems biology of stress resilience. Physiol Rev 2024; 104:1205-1263. [PMID: 38483288 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00042.2023] [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: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Stress resilience is the phenomenon that some people maintain their mental health despite exposure to adversity or show only temporary impairments followed by quick recovery. Resilience research attempts to unravel the factors and mechanisms that make resilience possible and to harness its insights for the development of preventative interventions in individuals at risk for acquiring stress-related dysfunctions. Biological resilience research has been lagging behind the psychological and social sciences but has seen a massive surge in recent years. At the same time, progress in this field has been hampered by methodological challenges related to finding suitable operationalizations and study designs, replicating findings, and modeling resilience in animals. We embed a review of behavioral, neuroimaging, neurobiological, and systems biological findings in adults in a critical methods discussion. We find preliminary evidence that hippocampus-based pattern separation and prefrontal-based cognitive control functions protect against the development of pathological fears in the aftermath of singular, event-type stressors [as found in fear-related disorders, including simpler forms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)] by facilitating the perception of safety. Reward system-based pursuit and savoring of positive reinforcers appear to protect against the development of more generalized dysfunctions of the anxious-depressive spectrum resulting from more severe or longer-lasting stressors (as in depression, generalized or comorbid anxiety, or severe PTSD). Links between preserved functioning of these neural systems under stress and neuroplasticity, immunoregulation, gut microbiome composition, and integrity of the gut barrier and the blood-brain barrier are beginning to emerge. On this basis, avenues for biological interventions are pointed out.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffael Kalisch
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Neuroimaging Center (NIC), Focus Program Translational Neuroscience (FTN), Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
| | - Scott J Russo
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience, Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
- Brain and Body Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, United States
| | - Marianne B Müller
- Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research (LIR), Mainz, Germany
- Translational Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany
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Rosenbaum D, Int-Veen I, Laicher H, Woloszyn L, Wiegand A, Ladegast S, Eßer U, Kroczek A, Sippel D, Menkor S, Lawyer G, Albasini F, Frischholz C, Mössner R, Nieratschker V, Leehr EJ, Rubel J, Fallgatter AJ, Ehlis AC. Neural correlates of stress-reactive rumination in depression - The role of childhood trauma and social anxiety. Neurobiol Stress 2024; 31:100640. [PMID: 38800538 PMCID: PMC11127161 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2024.100640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Recent work showed an association of prefrontal dysfunctions in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and social stress induced rumination. However, up to date it is unclear which etiological features of MDD might cause prefrontal dysfunctions. In the study at hand, we aimed to replicate recent findings, that showed prefrontal activation alterations during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and subsequently increased stress-reactive rumination in MDD compared to healthy controls. Moreover, we aimed to explore the role of adverse childhood experiences and other clinical variables in this relationship. N = 55 patients currently suffering from MDD and n = 42 healthy controls (HC) underwent the TSST, while cortical activity in areas of the Cognitive Control Network (CCN) was measured via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The TSST successfully induced a stress reaction (physiologically, as well as indicated by subjective stress ratings) and state rumination in all subjects with moderate to large effect sizes. In comparison to HC, MDD patients showed elevated levels of state rumination with large effect sizes, as well as a typical pattern of reduced cortical oxygenation during stress in the CCN with moderate effect sizes. Self-reported emotional abuse and social anxiety were moderately positively associated with increased stress-reactive rumination. Within the MDD sample, emotional abuse was negatively and social anxiety positively associated with cortical oxygenation within the CCN with moderate to large effect sizes. In conclusion, our results replicate previous findings on MDD-associated prefrontal hypoactivity during stress and extends the research toward specific subtypes of depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Rosenbaum
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Isabell Int-Veen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Hendrik Laicher
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Leonie Woloszyn
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ariane Wiegand
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Sandra Ladegast
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Ute Eßer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Agnes Kroczek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Sippel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Sebastian Menkor
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | | | - Francesco Albasini
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- Central Institute of Mental Health (CIMH), Mannheim, Germany
- Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christian Frischholz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Rainald Mössner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Nieratschker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany
| | | | - Julian Rubel
- Psychotherapy Research Lab, Psychology and Sport Sciences, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Andreas J. Fallgatter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany
| | - Ann-Christine Ehlis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), University Hospital of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Germany
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Cruz-Ochoa NA, Motta-Teixeira LC, Cruz-Ochoa PF, Lopez-Paredes S, Ochoa-Amaya JE, Takada SH, Xavier GF, Nogueira MI. Post-weaning social isolation modifies neonatal anoxia-induced changes in energy metabolism and growth of rats. Int J Dev Neurosci 2024; 84:293-304. [PMID: 38530155 DOI: 10.1002/jdn.10327] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Neonatal oxygen deficiency in rats may disturb growth and long-term metabolic homeostasis. In order to facilitate metabolic evaluation, the subjects are usually housed individually. However, social isolation associated with individually housed conditions alters animal behavior, which may influence the experimental results. This study investigated the effects of social isolation on neonatal anoxia-induced changes in growth and energy metabolism. Male and female Wistar rats were exposed, on postnatal day 2 (P2), to either 25-min of anoxia or control treatment. From P27 onward, part of the subjects of each group was isolated in standard cages, and the remaining subjects were housed in groups. At P34 or P95, the subjects were fasted for 18 h, refeed for 1 h, and then perfused 30 min later. Glycemia, leptin, insulin, and morphology of the pancreas were evaluated at both ages. For subjects perfused at P95, body weight and food intake were recorded up to P90, and the brain was collected for Fos and NeuN immunohistochemistry. Results showed that male rats exposed to neonatal anoxia and social isolation exhibited increased body weight gain despite the lack of changes in food intake. In addition, social isolation (1) decreased post-fasting weight loss and post-fasting food intake and (2) increased glycemia, insulin, and leptin levels of male and female rats exposed to anoxia and control treatments, both at P35 and P95. Furthermore, although at P35, anoxia increased insulin levels of males, it decreased the area of the β-positive cells in the pancreas of females. At P95, anoxia increased post-prandial weight loss of males, post-fasting food intake, insulin, and leptin, and decreased Fos expression in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of males and females. Hyperphagia was associated with possible resistance to leptin and insulin, suspected by the high circulating levels of these hormones and poor neuronal activation of ARC. This study demonstrated that continuous social isolation from weaning modifies, in a differentiated way, the long-term energy metabolism and growth of male and female Wistar rats exposed to neonatal anoxia or even control treatments. Therefore, social isolation should be considered as a factor that negatively influences experimental results and the outcomes of the neonatal injury. These results should also be taken into account in clinical procedures, since the used model simulates the preterm babies' conditions and some therapeutic approaches require isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Andrea Cruz-Ochoa
- Neurosciences Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lívia Clemente Motta-Teixeira
- Neurobiology Laboratory, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Pablo Felipe Cruz-Ochoa
- Laboratory of Wildlife Comparative Pathology, School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Santiago Lopez-Paredes
- Research Group of Pathology of Domestic and Wild Animals. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de los Llanos, Villavicencio, Colombia
| | - Julieta Esperanza Ochoa-Amaya
- Research Group of Pathology of Domestic and Wild Animals. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias y Recursos Naturales, Universidad de los Llanos, Villavicencio, Colombia
| | - Silvia Honda Takada
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics. Center for Mathematics, Computing and Cognition, Federal University of ABC, São Bernardo do Campo, São Paolo, Brazil
| | - Gilberto Fernando Xavier
- Department of Physiology, Institute of Biosciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Inês Nogueira
- Neurosciences Laboratory, Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Cichocki AC, Zinbarg RE, Craske MG, Chat IKY, Young KS, Bookheimer SY, Nusslock R. Transdiagnostic symptom of depression and anxiety associated with reduced gray matter volume in prefrontal cortex. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2024; 339:111791. [PMID: 38359709 PMCID: PMC10938645 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2024.111791] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 10/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Dimensional models of psychopathology may provide insight into mechanisms underlying comorbid depression and anxiety and improve specificity and sensitivity of neuroanatomical findings. The present study is the first to examine neural structure alterations using the empirically derived Tri-level Model. Depression and anxiety symptoms of 269 young adults were assessed using the Tri-level Model dimensions: General Distress (transdiagnostic depression and anxiety symptoms), Anhedonia-Apprehension (relatively specific depression symptoms), and Fears (specific anxiety symptoms). Using structural MRI, gray matter volumes were extracted for emotion generation (amygdala, nucleus accumbens) and regulation (orbitofrontal, ventrolateral, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex) regions, often implicated in depression and anxiety. Each Tri-level symptom was regressed onto each region of interest, separately, adjusting for relevant covariates. General Distress was significantly associated with smaller gray matter volumes in bilateral orbitofrontal cortex and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex, independent of Anhedonia-Apprehension and Fears symptom dimensions. These results suggests that prefrontal alterations are associated with transdiagnostic dysphoric mood common across depression and anxiety, rather than unique symptoms of these disorders. Additionally, no regions of interest were associated with Anhedonia-Apprehension or Fears, highlighting the importance of studying transdiagnostic features of depression and anxiety. This has implications for understanding mechanisms of and interventions for depression and anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Cichocki
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, United States.
| | - Richard E Zinbarg
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, United States; The Family Institute at Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Michelle G Craske
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Iris K-Y Chat
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, United States
| | - Katherine S Young
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Susan Y Bookheimer
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Robin Nusslock
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Swift Hall, 2029 Sheridan Road, Evanston IL 60208, United States
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Cen YS, Li W, Xia LX. Resting-state neural correlates of individual differences in ignored experience and its deleterious effect. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad433. [PMID: 37991321 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad433] [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: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Uncovering the neural mechanisms of ostracism experience (including its subclasses of excluded and ignored experiences) is important. However, the resting-state functional brain substrates responsible for individual differences in ostracism experience and its negative effects remain largely undefined. This study explored these issues in a sample of 198 Chinese college students by assessing the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations and functional connectivity. The findings indicated a positive correlation between ignored experience and the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations in the right superior frontal gyrus and the functional connectivity between the right superior frontal gyrus and left cerebellum posterior lobe. Additionally, a negative correlation was found between ignored experience and the functional connectivity between the right superior frontal gyrus and the bilateral insula as well as the bilateral inferior parietal lobule. Moreover, the mediation analysis demonstrated that the effects of the functional connectivities of right superior frontal gyrus-left cerebellum posterior lobe and right superior frontal gyrus-right inferior parietal lobule on revenge intention were mediated by ignored experience. Our study offers novel insights into the neural correlates of both individual variations in ignored experience and its typical deleterious effect. These results could deepen our understanding of individual differences in negative experiences and inspire the development of targeted interventions for social stress from the perspective of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shan Cen
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Wei Li
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China
| | - Ling-Xiang Xia
- Research Center of Psychology and Social Development, Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Southwest University), Ministry of Education, Chongqing 400715, China
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6
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Wang Y, Zhang J, Li Y, Qi S, Zhang F, Ball LJ, Duan H. Preventing prefrontal dysfunction by tDCS modulates stress-induced creativity impairment in women: an fNIRS study. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:10528-10545. [PMID: 37585735 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is a major external factor threatening creative activity. The study explored whether left-lateralized activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex manipulated through transcranial direct current stimulation could alleviate stress-induced impairment in creativity. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy was used to explore the underlying neural mechanisms. Ninety female participants were randomly assigned to three groups that received stress induction with sham stimulation, stress induction with true stimulation (anode over the left and cathode over the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), and control manipulation with sham stimulation, respectively. Participants underwent the stress or control task after the transcranial direct current stimulation manipulation, and then completed the Alternative Uses Task to measure creativity. Behavioral results showed that transcranial direct current stimulation reduced stress responses in heart rate and anxiety. The functional near-infrared spectroscopy results revealed that transcranial direct current stimulation alleviated dysfunction of the prefrontal cortex under stress, as evidenced by higher activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and frontopolar cortex, as well as stronger inter-hemispheric and intra-hemispheric functional connectivity within the prefrontal cortex. Further analysis demonstrated that the cortical regulatory effect prevented creativity impairment induced by stress. The findings validated the hemispheric asymmetry hypothesis regarding stress and highlighted the potential for brain stimulation to alleviate stress-related mental disorders and enhance creativity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yifan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 041000, China
| | - Jiaqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 041000, China
| | - Yadan Li
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 041000, China
| | - Senqing Qi
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 041000, China
| | - Fengqing Zhang
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Linden J Ball
- School of Psychology & Computer Science, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE, UK
| | - Haijun Duan
- Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Ministry of Education, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an 041000, China
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Stevens JS, van Rooij SJ, Stenson AF, Ely TD, Powers A, Clifford A, Kim YJ, Hinrichs R, Tottenham N, Jovanovic T. Amygdala responses to threat in violence-exposed children depend on trauma context and maternal caregiving. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1159-1170. [PMID: 34689856 PMCID: PMC9069569 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) has been linked with increased arousal responses to threat, including increased amygdala reactivity. Effects of ELA on brain function are well recognized, and emerging evidence suggests that caregivers may influence how environmental stressors impact children's brain function. We investigated the hypothesis that positive interaction between mother and child can buffer against ELA effects on children's neural responses to threat, and related symptoms. N = 53 mother-child pairs (children ages 8-14 years) were recruited from an urban population at high risk for violence exposure. Maternal caregiving was measured using the Parenting Questionnaire and in a cooperation challenge task. Children viewed fearful and neutral face stimuli during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Children who experienced greater violence at home showed amygdala sensitization, whereas children experiencing more school and community violence showed amygdala habituation. Sensitization was in turn linked with externalizing symptoms. However, maternal warmth was associated with a normalization of amygdala sensitization in children, and fewer externalizing behaviors prospectively up to 1 year later. Findings suggested that the effects of violence exposure on threat-related neural circuitry depend on trauma context (inside or outside the home) and that primary caregivers can increase resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S. Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Sanne J.H. van Rooij
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Anais F. Stenson
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Timothy D. Ely
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Abigail Powers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Aimee Clifford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Ye Ji Kim
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA
| | - Rebecca Hinrichs
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
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Rimular K, Berzenski SR. Elements of Control Differentiate Associations Between Childhood Emotional Abuse and Anxiety Symptoms. JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA 2023; 16:135-143. [PMID: 36776632 PMCID: PMC9908806 DOI: 10.1007/s40653-022-00485-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Among adolescents experiencing childhood maltreatment, there exists wide variability regarding the development and maintenance of anxious symptoms. Existing research has identified the protective role of effortful control against childhood anxiety (Raines et al. in Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 2021). The current study aimed to uncover how distinct elements of effortful control differentially diminish or intensify anxiety symptoms arising from a perceived lack of control following childhood emotional abuse (CEA). 467 college student participants provided reports of their experience with childhood emotional abuse, locus of control, anxiety symptoms, and effortful control via in-person surveys. We explored three categories of effortful control: inhibitory control (the capacity to suppress inappropriate behavior), attentional control (the capacity to focus or shift attention), and activational control (the capacity to perform an action despite a strong tendency to avoid). Consistent with our hypotheses, results revealed that CEA predicted increased anxiety symptoms. External LOC significantly mediated the relationship between CEA and anxiety. When effortful control was broken down into its component elements, higher inhibitory control acted as a protective factor for locus of control driven anxiety, whereas higher levels of activational control acted as a risk factor. Attentional control was not a significant moderator. These findings stress the importance of identifying risk and protective factors that contribute to resilience, and may aid in the development of interventions targeted to specific aspects of effortful control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristen Rimular
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330 USA
| | - Sara R. Berzenski
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge, CA 91330 USA
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Gard AM, Hein TC, Mitchell C, Brooks-Gunn J, McLanahan SS, Monk CS, Hyde LW. Prospective longitudinal associations between harsh parenting and corticolimbic function during adolescence. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:981-996. [PMID: 33487207 PMCID: PMC8310533 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579420001583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Childhood adversity is thought to undermine youth socioemotional development via altered neural function within regions that support emotion processing. These effects are hypothesized to be developmentally specific, with adversity in early childhood sculpting subcortical structures (e.g., amygdala) and adversity during adolescence impacting later-developing structures (e.g., prefrontal cortex; PFC). However, little work has tested these theories directly in humans. Using prospectively collected longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) (N = 4,144) and neuroimaging data from a subsample of families recruited in adolescence (N = 162), the current study investigated the trajectory of harsh parenting across childhood (i.e., ages 3 to 9) and how initial levels versus changes in harsh parenting across childhood were associated with corticolimbic activation and connectivity during socioemotional processing. Harsh parenting in early childhood (indexed by the intercept term from a linear growth curve model) was associated with less amygdala, but not PFC, reactivity to angry facial expressions. In contrast, change in harsh parenting across childhood (indexed by the slope term) was associated with less PFC, but not amygdala, activation to angry faces. Increases in, but not initial levels of, harsh parenting were also associated with stronger positive amygdala-PFC connectivity during angry face processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna M. Gard
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tyler C. Hein
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Serious Mental Illness Treatment Resource Evaluation Center, Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Department of Veterans Affairs, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
- Teachers College and the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Columbia Population Research Center, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Sarah S. McLanahan
- Department of Sociology and Public Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Center for Research on Child Wellbeing, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
- Office of Population Research, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Christopher S. Monk
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Luke W. Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Lippard ETC, Nemeroff CB. Going beyond risk factor: Childhood maltreatment and associated modifiable targets to improve life-long outcomes in mood disorders. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2022; 215:173361. [PMID: 35219755 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173361] [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: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment increases risk for mood disorders and is associated with earlier onset-and more pernicious disease course following onset-of mood disorders. While the majority of studies to date have been cross-sectional, longitudinal studies are emerging and support the devastating role(s) childhood maltreatment has on development of, and illness course in, mood disorders. This manuscript extends prior reviews to emphasize more recent work, highlighting longitudinal data, and discusses treatment studies that provide clues to mechanisms that mediate disease risk, course, relapse, and treatment response. Evidence suggesting systemic inflammation, alterations in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) neural systems, genetic and other familial factors as mechanisms that mediate risk and onset of, and illness course in, mood disorders following childhood maltreatment is discussed. Risky behaviors following maltreatment, e.g., substance use and unhealthy lifestyles, may further exacerbate alterations in the HPA axis, CRF neural systems, and systematic inflammation to contribute to a more pernicious disease course. More research on sex differences and the impact of maltreatment in vulnerable populations is needed. Future research needs to be aimed at leveraging knowledge on modifiable targets, going beyond childhood maltreatment as a risk factor, to inform prevention and treatment strategies and foster trauma-informed care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T C Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Mulva Clinic for Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Charles B Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA; Mulva Clinic for Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
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11
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Collins NJ, Zimmerman CW, Phillips NLH, Fern S, Doherty TS, Roth TL. Developmental administration of valproic acid alters DNA methylation and maternal behavior. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22231. [PMID: 35312054 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to adversity in early development has powerful and potentially lasting consequences on behavior. Previous work in our laboratory using female Long-Evans rats has demonstrated that exposure to early-life maltreatment manifests into alterations in dam behavior, including a perpetuation of the maltreatment phenotype. These observed behavioral changes coincide with changes in epigenetic activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Further, treating dams with a chromatin modifying agent (Zebularine) normalizes methylation and maltreatment phenotypes, suggesting a link between epigenetic programming and phenotypic outcomes. Here, we sought to investigate if administration of a chromatin modifying agent concurrent with the experience of maltreatment normalizes epigenetic activity associated with maltreatment and alters behavioral trajectories. Administration of valproic acid (VPA) transiently lowered levels of global DNA methylation in the PFC, regardless of exposure to nurturing care or maltreatment. When VPA-exposed animals reached adulthood, they engaged in more adverse behaviors toward their offspring. These data provide further evidence linking epigenetic changes in the developing brain with effects on behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Collins
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Catherine W Zimmerman
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Natalia L H Phillips
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Samantha Fern
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Tiffany S Doherty
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
| | - Tania L Roth
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware, USA
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12
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Sun S, Sheridan M, Tyrka A, Donofry SD, Erickson K, Loucks E. Addressing the biological embedding of early life adversities (ELA) among adults through mindfulness: Proposed mechanisms and review of converging evidence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 134:104526. [PMID: 34998833 PMCID: PMC8844271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversities (ELA) are prevalent and have a profound and adverse impact across the lifespan, including on age-related health outcomes, yet interventions to remediate its adverse impact are scarce. This paper presents evidence for mindfulness training to reduce the elevated mental and physical health risks linked to ELA among adults by targeting biological mechanisms of ELA leading to these adverse health outcomes. We first provide a brief overview of ELA, its adverse health impacts, and mechanisms that might be responsible. Next, we review converging evidence that demonstrates that mindfulness training influences key biological pathways involved in ELA-linked negative health consequences, including (a) brain networks involved in self-regulation, (b) immunity and inflammation, (c) telomere biology, and (d) epigenetic modifications. Further, we review preliminary evidence from mindfulness-based trials that focused on populations impacted by ELA. We discuss limitations of this review and provide recommendations for future research. If effective, a mindfulness-based approach could be an important public health strategy for remediating the adverse mental and physical health consequences of ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shufang Sun
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, United States; Mindfulness Center at Brown University, United States.
| | - Margaret Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Audrey Tyrka
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Alpert Medical School
| | | | - Kirk Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Eric Loucks
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health,Mindfulness Center at Brown University
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13
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Adverse childhood events and substance use history or recent opioid use among women with chronic pelvic pain. JOURNAL OF ENDOMETRIOSIS AND PELVIC PAIN DISORDERS 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/22840265211072975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Introduction: We aimed describe the association of adverse childhood events (ACEs) with a history of substance use disorder and recent opioid use among women with chronic pelvic pain (CPP). Methods: This cohort study investigated two data sets of women presenting to subspecialty gynecologic and pelvic floor disorder clinics where questionnaires querying substance use disorder, opioid use in the last 3 months, and ACEs (BRFSS-ACE questionnaire) were obtained. We compared the recent opioid use, morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) per dose, pills used per month, and minimum MMEs reported per month between women with high (⩾4) or low (<4) reported ACEs. Results: Patients completing the BRFSS-ACE ( n = 113) were older, more likely to be Hispanic/Latina, had higher levels of education, a higher prevalence of pain syndromes, and a greater degree of bother from pelvic floor disorders than those not completing the BRFSS-ACE. Women reporting a high number of (⩾4) ACEs ( n = 56) were younger, less likely to identify as Hispanic, had higher co-occurrence of fibromyalgia and IBS, and a higher prevalence of a history of substance use disorder (18% vs 2%, p < 0.01) than women with low (<4) ACEs ( n = 57). High ACEs were not significantly associated with recent opioid use (43% vs 39%, p = 0.83), opioid pills used per month, MMEs per dose, or the minimum MMEs used per month. Conclusion: Women with CPP reporting higher numbers of ACEs are more likely to report a history of substance use disorder but were not more likely to have used opioids in the last 3 months.
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14
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Waters RC, Worth HM, Vasquez B, Gould E. Inhibition of adult neurogenesis reduces avoidance behavior in male, but not female, mice subjected to early life adversity. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 17:100436. [PMID: 35146080 PMCID: PMC8819473 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) increases the risk of developing neuropsychiatric illnesses such as anxiety disorders. However, the mechanisms connecting these negative early life experiences to illness later in life remain unclear. In rodents, plasticity mechanisms, specifically adult neurogenesis in the ventral hippocampus, have been shown to be altered by ELA and important for buffering against detrimental stress-induced outcomes. The current study sought to explore whether adult neurogenesis contributes to ELA-induced changes in avoidance behavior. Using the GFAP-TK transgenic model, which allows for the inhibition of adult neurogenesis, and CD1 littermate controls, we subjected mice to an ELA paradigm of maternal separation and early weaning (MSEW) or control rearing. We found that mice with intact adult neurogenesis showed no behavioral changes in response to MSEW. After reducing adult neurogenesis, however, male mice previously subjected to MSEW had an unexpected decrease in avoidance behavior. This finding was not observed in female mice, suggesting that a sex difference exists in the role of adult-born neurons in buffering against ELA-induced changes in behavior. Taken together with the existing literature on ELA and avoidance behavior, this work suggests that strain differences exist in susceptibility to ELA and that adult-born neurons may play a role in regulating adaptive behavior.
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15
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Liu Y, Peng H, Wu J, Duan H. The Relationship Between Childhood Emotional Abuse and Processing of Emotional Facial Expressions in Healthy Young Men: Event-Related Potential and Behavioral Evidence. Front Psychol 2021; 12:686529. [PMID: 34566765 PMCID: PMC8459010 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.686529] [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: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment present with a deficiency in emotional processing in later life. Most studies have focused mainly on childhood physical or sexual abuse; however, childhood emotional abuse, a core issue underlying different forms of childhood maltreatment, has received relatively little attention. The current study explored whether childhood emotional abuse is related to the impaired processing of emotional facial expressions in healthy young men. Methods: The emotional facial processing was investigated in a classical gender discrimination task while the event-related potentials (ERPs) data were collected. Childhood emotional abuse was assessed by a Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) among 60 healthy young men. The relationship between the score of emotional abuse and the behavioral and the ERP index of emotional facial expression (angry, disgust, and happy) were explored. Results: Participants with a higher score of childhood emotional abuse responded faster on the behavioral level and had a smaller P2 amplitude on the neural level when processing disgust faces compared to neutral faces. Discussion: Individuals with a higher level of childhood emotional abuse may quickly identify negative faces with less cognitive resources consumed, suggesting altered processing of emotional facial expressions in young men with a higher level of childhood emotional abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yutong Liu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Huini Peng
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jianhui Wu
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Hongxia Duan
- Center for Brain Disorder and Cognitive Science, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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16
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Smyth HL, MacKinnon DP. Statistical Evaluation of Person-Oriented Mediation Using Configural Frequency Analysis. Integr Psychol Behav Sci 2021; 55:593-636. [PMID: 32189195 PMCID: PMC8018179 DOI: 10.1007/s12124-020-09519-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Mediation analysis helps explain how and why two variables are related, providing information for investigating causal processes useful for theoretical and applied research (MacKinnon 2008). Inference from mediation analysis typically applies to the population, but researchers and clinicians are often interested in making inference to individual clients or small sub-populations of people. Person-oriented approaches focus on the differences between people, or latent groups of people, to ask how individuals differ across variables. A recently proposed method allows for the analysis of person differences as part of mediation. The method from configural frequency analysis, which we call configural frequency mediation, is based on log-linear modeling of contingency tables. The complexity of configural frequency mediation and its use of a causal steps mediation method, may contribute to the lack of application and study of this promising method since its introduction in the literature a decade ago (von Eye et al. 2009, 2010) In this paper we clarify the steps used for configural frequency mediation and report the results of a large statistical simulation study evaluating the method and comparing it to the variable-oriented traditional method using logistic regression analysis. Overall, configural frequency mediation analysis tended to have excessive type I error rates but we describe an alternative approach to configural mediation analysis based on a joint significance test that had adequate performance. We also clarify the decision rules that define configural mediation analysis and develop a test for configural frequency mediation using a joint significance mediation method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather L Smyth
- Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
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17
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Barnes GL, Garety PA, Emsley R, Jameel L, Hardy A. Is there an association between caregiver antipathy and psychosis? A systematic review. Psychol Psychother 2021; 94:798-821. [PMID: 33595172 DOI: 10.1111/papt.12328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Existing reviews of trauma and psychosis have identified associations between childhood emotional abuse (CEA) and psychosis. However, conceptual issues relating to assessment of CEA limit the conclusions that can be drawn from the literature. The aim of this review was to identify and evaluate studies reporting an association between childhood experiences of caregiver antipathy (i.e. criticism, hostility, coldness, or rejection from a parental figure experienced prior to age 17 years) and psychosis symptoms/diagnosis. METHODS Five databases were systematically searched for articles published until May 2020. Studies were evaluated against inclusion/exclusion criteria, and a narrative synthesis of findings was completed. Study quality was assessed by two independent raters. RESULTS Fourteen studies comprised of 1,848 participants met inclusion criteria. Twelve of these studies found significant associations between caregiver antipathy and psychosis, and two did not. There was evidence that adults with schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses report more severe caregiver antipathy in childhood than non-clinical controls and that caregiver antipathy severity is positively correlated with psychosis symptom severity. Most studies received weak or moderate quality ratings and all used cross-sectional or case-control designs which showed associations, rather than causal relationships, between childhood caregiver antipathy and later psychosis. CONCLUSIONS Future research would benefit from more rigorous and valid assessment of CEA, use of multivariate methods to account for possible patterns of co-occurrence, and longitudinal study designs to make more robust causal claims. The findings may have important implications for the delivery of psychological care for people with psychosis who report adverse caregiving experiences. PRACTITIONER POINTS People with schizophrenia-spectrum diagnoses may report more severe caregiver antipathy in childhood than non-clinical controls. Caregiver antipathy severity appears to be positively correlated with psychosis symptom severity in clinical and non-clinical populations. Clinicians should consider the possible impact of caregiver antipathy on psychosis symptoms, their content and distress maintenance. Clinicians should also recognise the potential impact of adverse caregiving experiences on therapeutic relationships, patterns of help-seeking and service engagement. Best practice in clinical services would be to adopt individual, formulation-based approaches within trauma-informed models of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgina L Barnes
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK.,South London & Maudsley NHS Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
| | - Philippa A Garety
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK.,South London & Maudsley NHS Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
| | - Richard Emsley
- Department of Biostatistics & Health Informatics, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Leila Jameel
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK.,South London & Maudsley NHS Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
| | - Amy Hardy
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, Kings College London, UK.,South London & Maudsley NHS Trust, Maudsley Hospital, London, UK
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18
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McDowell CP, Newman L, Monroe DC, O’Connor JD, Knight SP, Kenny RA, Herring MP. The Association Between Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Resting-State Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation Is Modified by Self-Reported Physical Activity: Results From The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2021; 76:1391-1397. [PMID: 33780537 PMCID: PMC8600010 DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glab090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals with anxiety disorders exhibit lower intrinsic functional connectivity between prefrontal cortical areas and subcortical regions. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is sensitive to the acute and chronic effects of physical activity (PA), while the anxiolytic effects of PA are well known. The current study examined the association of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and its interaction with PA, with resting-state, left PFC oxygenation. This cross-sectional study used data from participants (N = 2444) from The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, a nationally representative prospective study of community-living adults aged 50 and older in Ireland. The Composite International Diagnostic Interview Short-Form determined fulfillment of criteria for GAD. The short-form International Physical Activity Questionnaire determined adherence to the World Health Organization PA guidelines. Resting-state, left PFC oxygenation was continuously measured via a Portalite. Tissue saturation index (TSI) was calculated as the ratio of oxygenated hemoglobin to total tissue hemoglobin (expressed as a percentage) for the final minute of a 5-minute supine-rest period. Multivariable linear regression quantified associations of GAD with TSI in the total population and population stratified by PA status. Participants with GAD had lower TSI (b = -1.416, p = .008) compared to those without GAD. However, this association was modified by PA. Among participants who met the PA guidelines, TSI did not differ according to GAD status (b = -0.800, p = .398). For participants who did not meet the guidelines, TSI was significantly lower among those with GAD (b = -1.758, p = .004). These findings suggest that PA may help to protect brain health among older adults with GAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cillian P McDowell
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Louise Newman
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Derek C Monroe
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Irvine, USA
- Department of Kinesiology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
| | - John D O’Connor
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Silvin P Knight
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
| | - Rose Anne Kenny
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Mercer’s Institute for Successful Ageing, St. James’s Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Matt P Herring
- The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing and School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland
- Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences and Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Ireland
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19
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Cohen ZP, Cosgrove KT, Akeman E, Coffey S, Teague K, Hays-Grudo J, Paulus MP, Aupperle RL, Kirlic N. The effect of a mindfulness-based stress intervention on neurobiological and symptom measures in adolescents with early life stress: a randomized feasibility study. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021; 21:123. [PMID: 33858395 PMCID: PMC8050904 DOI: 10.1186/s12906-021-03295-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early life stress (ELS) has been linked to poor mental and physical health outcomes in adolescence and adulthood. Mindfulness reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety and improves cognitive and social outcomes in both youth and adults. However, little is known whether mindfulness can mitigate against the adverse neurobiological and psychological effects of ELS. This study aimed to examine the feasibility of conducting a group mindfulness intervention in adolescents with ELS and provide preliminary indication of potential effects on stress-related biomarkers and mental health symptoms. METHODS Forty adolescents were randomized to receive either eight sessions of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction for Teens in group format (MBSR-T; n = 21) or Treatment as Usual Control group (CTRL; n = 17). Outcomes were assessed at baseline and follow-up and included measures associated with neurobiological functioning (immune and endocrine biomarkers) and self-reported mental health (depressive) symptoms. Linear mixed effects models were used to assess the effects of group and time on these outcome measures. RESULTS Sixteen of the 21 adolescents completed the intervention, attending an average of 6.5 sessions. The model examining cortisol responses to stress induction revealed medium effects trending toward significance (Cohen's d = .56) for anticipatory cortisol levels in the MBSR-T relative to CTRL groups. No significant effects were found in models examining C-reactive protein or interleukin 6 inflammatory markers. The model examining depressive symptoms revealed a medium effect for symptom reduction (Cohen's d = .69) in the MBSR-T relative to CTRL groups. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated feasibility of conducting a group-based MBSR-T intervention for adolescents with ELS. There was some evidence for efficacy on a symptom level with potential subtle changes on a biological level. Future larger studies are needed to determine the efficacy of group-based mindfulness interventions in this population. TRIAL REGISTRATION Identifier # NCT03633903 , registered 16/08/2018.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zsofia P Cohen
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 74136, USA
| | - Kelly T Cosgrove
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 74136, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Tulsa, 800 S Tucker Drive, Tulsa, OK, 74104, USA
| | - Elisabeth Akeman
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 74136, USA
| | - Sara Coffey
- Center for Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Tulsa, 1111 W 17th St, Tulsa, OK, 74107, USA
| | - Kent Teague
- Center for Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Tulsa, 1111 W 17th St, Tulsa, OK, 74107, USA
- Departments of Surgery and Psychiatry, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine, 4502 A 41st St, Tulsa, OK, 74135, USA
| | - Jennifer Hays-Grudo
- Center for Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University - Tulsa, 1111 W 17th St, Tulsa, OK, 74107, USA
| | - Martin P Paulus
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 74136, USA
| | - Robin L Aupperle
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 74136, USA
- Oxley College of Health Sciences, School of Community Medicine, University of Tulsa, 1215 S Boulder Ave W, Tulsa, OK, 74119, USA
| | - Namik Kirlic
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, 6655 S Yale Avenue, Tulsa, OK, 74136, USA.
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20
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Deal A, Cooper N, Kirse HA, Uneri A, Raab-Graham K, Weiner JL, Solberg Woods LC. Early life stress induces hyperactivity but not increased anxiety-like behavior or ethanol drinking in outbred heterogeneous stock rats. Alcohol 2021; 91:41-51. [PMID: 33321179 PMCID: PMC8767639 DOI: 10.1016/j.alcohol.2020.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Early life stress is known to impact vulnerability to psychopathological disorders in adulthood, including anxiety and alcohol use disorder (AUD), but the mechanisms underlying susceptibility to these outcomes are not fully understood. In the current study, we used adolescent social isolation (ASI) to determine whether Heterogeneous Stock (HS) rats, an outbred model used for genetic fine-mapping, could be used to study the genetics contributing to ASI-induced anxiety- and AUD-like behavior. We isolated (ASI) or group-housed (adolescent group-housed; AGH) 64 male HS rats at 4 weeks of age. After 5 weeks in these housing conditions, multiple anxiety and coping/despair-like behaviors were measured. All rats were then individually housed and assessed for voluntary ethanol self-administration. At euthanasia, synaptoneurosomes were isolated from a subset of brains to examine the expression of two proteins associated with alcohol drinking-related behaviors, GluA1 and SK2, in the dorsal (dHC) and ventral hippocampus (vHC). We found that ASI increased hyperactivity in the open field test relative to AGH, with no changes in other anxiety-like behaviors. Surprisingly, ASI rats demonstrated decreased immobility and increased climbing in the forced swim test relative to AGH. In contrast to prior studies by us and others, we found no difference in self-administration of 20% ethanol, with decreased ethanol self-administration in ASI relative to AGH rats at higher ethanol concentrations. Furthermore, while ASI in Long-Evans rats resulted in decreased SK2 expression in vHC synaptosomes, no differences were seen in vHC synaptosomes for SK2 or GluA1 in HS rats. These results demonstrate that HS rats are protected against many of the negative effects previously seen in response to ASI, namely anxiety-like behavior and increased ethanol self-administration. The current work suggests that a lack of change in SK2 and GluA1 expression levels in the vHC may play a role in conferring this protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Deal
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, United States.
| | - Nicholas Cooper
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, United States.
| | - Haley Ann Kirse
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, United States.
| | - Ayse Uneri
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, United States.
| | - Kimberly Raab-Graham
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, United States.
| | - Jeffrey L Weiner
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, United States.
| | - Leah C Solberg Woods
- Department of Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Blvd., Winston-Salem, NC, 27157, United States.
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21
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Lopatina OL, Panina YA, Malinovskaya NA, Salmina AB. Early life stress and brain plasticity: from molecular alterations to aberrant memory and behavior. Rev Neurosci 2020; 32:131-142. [PMID: 33550784 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2020-0077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is one of the most critical factors that could modify brain plasticity, memory and learning abilities, behavioral reactions, and emotional response in adulthood leading to development of different mental disorders. Prenatal and early postnatal periods appear to be the most sensitive periods of brain development in mammals, thereby action of various factors at these stages of brain development might result in neurodegeneration, memory impairment, and mood disorders at later periods of life. Deciphering the processes underlying aberrant neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, and cerebral angiogenesis as well as deeper understanding the effects of ELS on brain development will provide novel approaches to prevent or to cure psychiatric and neurological deficits caused by stressful conditions at the earliest stages of ontogenesis. Neuropeptide oxytocin serves as an amnesic, anti-stress, pro-angiogenic, and neurogenesis-controlling molecule contributing to dramatic changes in brain plasticity in ELS. In the current review, we summarize recent data on molecular mechanisms of ELS-driven changes in brain plasticity with the particular focus on oxytocin-mediated effects on neurogenesis and angiogenesis, memory establishment, and forgetting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga L Lopatina
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Biophysics, Siberian Federal University, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Yulia A Panina
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Natalia A Malinovskaya
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
| | - Alla B Salmina
- Research Institute of Molecular Medicine and Pathobiochemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia.,Department of Biochemistry, Medical, Pharmaceutical and Toxicological Chemistry, Krasnoyarsk State Medical University named after Prof. V.F. Voino-Yasenetsky, Krasnoyarsk, Russia
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22
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Sicorello M, Thome J, Herzog J, Schmahl C. Differential Effects of Early Adversity and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder on Amygdala Reactivity: The Role of Developmental Timing. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:1044-1051. [PMID: 33359153 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.10.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with altered processing of threat-related stimuli. Neurobiological models implicate right amygdala hyperreactivity in these alterations, but this potential biomarker also has been observed in individuals exposed to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) (i.e., abuse and neglect) without psychopathology. Separation of the differential contributions of PTSD and ACEs to amygdala reactivity might benefit from incorporating the developmental timing of the events. METHODS We conducted comprehensive retrospective interviews assessing ACEs for each life year between the ages of 1 and 17 years in a sample of 60 women exposed to trauma (including 34 participants with PTSD and 26 healthy participants). Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to extract amygdala reactivity to threatening versus neutral scenes. Amygdala reactivity was predicted from PTSD diagnosis, total ACE severity, and ACE severity by life year using random forest regression. RESULTS PTSD and ACEs significantly predicted reactivity in the right amygdala (R2 = 7%) but did not explain variance in the left amygdala. ACEs during both a prepubertal (ages 3 and 4) and a postpubertal (ages 16 and 17) period emerged as particularly predictive, while total ACE severity did not contribute to prediction. Follow-up analyses revealed a positive relationship between amygdala activity and PTSD and a negative relationship between amygdala activity and ACEs during predictive life years. CONCLUSIONS The opposing effects of PTSD and ACEs caution against simplistic etiological and diagnostic interpretations of amygdala function. The identification of potentially sensitive periods for the effects of ACEs on amygdala reactivity to threat may help to uncover interactions between traumatization and development of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maurizio Sicorello
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany.
| | - Janine Thome
- Department of Theoretical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Julia Herzog
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
| | - Christian Schmahl
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Germany
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23
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Prefrontal cortex hypoactivity distinguishes severe from mild-to-moderate social anxiety as revealed by a palm-sized near-infrared spectroscopy system. J Neural Transm (Vienna) 2020; 127:1305-1313. [PMID: 32638118 DOI: 10.1007/s00702-020-02228-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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24
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Fehlner P, Bilek E, Harneit A, Böhringer A, Moessnang C, Meyer-Lindenberg A, Tost H. Neural responses to social evaluative threat in the absence of negative investigator feedback and provoked performance failures. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:2092-2103. [PMID: 31958212 PMCID: PMC7268032 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2019] [Revised: 12/19/2019] [Accepted: 01/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging of social stress induction has considerably furthered our understanding of the neural risk architecture of stress‐related mental disorders. However, broad application of existing neuroimaging stress paradigms is challenging, among others due to the relatively high intensity of the employed stressors, which limits applications in patients and longitudinal study designs. Here, we introduce a less intense neuroimaging stress paradigm in which subjects anticipate, prepare, and give speeches under simulated social evaluation without harsh investigator feedback or provoked performance failures (IMaging Paradigm for Evaluative Social Stress, IMPRESS). We show that IMPRESS significantly increases perceived arousal as well as adrenergic (heart rate, pupil diameter, and blood pressure) and hormonal (cortisol) responses. Amygdala and perigenual anterior cingulate cortex (pACC), two key regions of the emotion and stress regulatory circuitry, are significantly engaged by IMPRESS. We further report associations of amygdala and pACC responses with measures of adrenergic arousal (heart rate, pupil diameter) and social environmental risk factors (adverse childhood experiences, urban living). Our data indicate that IMPRESS induces benchmark psychological and endocrinological responses to social evaluative stress, taps into core neural circuits related to stress processing and mental health risk, and is promising for application in mental illness and in longitudinal study designs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Phöbe Fehlner
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Edda Bilek
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anais Harneit
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Böhringer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Carolin Moessnang
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Heike Tost
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
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25
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Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies for Anxiety Disorders in Childhood and Adolescence. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2020; 1191:543-559. [PMID: 32002945 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-32-9705-0_27] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety is prevalent in childhood and adolescence. Youth with maladaptive responses to common situations and stressors are at risk of having anxiety disorders. Persistent anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders can be debilitating with long-term adverse outcomes in adulthood. Hence, decreasing the burden of anxiety disorders is an important public health priority. Development of anxiety disorders has a multifactorial etiology. There is a considerable complex interaction of genetics, temperament, parenting behavior, environmental triggers, and physiologic factors. Identification of these risk factors is key to early detection, prevention, and development of applicable management approaches. Despite several evidence-based treatments published, there are limited prevention strategies available. Effective implementation of prevention strategies is essential and can be achieved by either elimination or reduction of the negative risk factors or strengthening the protective factors on anxiety symptoms and anxiety disorders. This chapter reviews the common risk and protective factors and provides current literature on prevention strategies for pediatric and adolescent anxiety disorders.
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26
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Maier A, Heinen-Ludwig L, Güntürkün O, Hurlemann R, Scheele D. Childhood Maltreatment Alters the Neural Processing of Chemosensory Stress Signals. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:783. [PMID: 32848947 PMCID: PMC7425696 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that childhood maltreatment (CM) confers risk for psychopathology later in life by inducing hypervigilance to social threat cues such as fearful faces. However, it remains unclear whether the modulatory impact of CM extents to the olfactory domain of social communication in humans. To address this question, we examined whether CM modulates the neural processing of chemosensory threat signals in sweat and whether CM affects the stress-reducing effects of oxytocin (OXT) in this context. In a randomized, double-blind within-subject functional MRI study design, 58 healthy participants (30 females) received intranasal OXT (40 IU) or placebo (PLC) and completed a forced-choice emotion recognition task with faces of varying emotion intensities (neutral to fearful) while exposed to sweat stimuli and a non-social control odor. Axillary sweat samples were collected from 30 healthy male donors undergoing an acute psychosocial stressor (stress) and ergometer training (sport) as control in a pre-study. CM was assessed by the 25-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The final fMRI analysis included 50 healthy participants (26 females). Regression analysis showed a stress-specific association of CTQ scores with amygdala hyperreactivity, hippocampal deactivation, and increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and the hippocampus, medial orbitofrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) under PLC. Furthermore, we observed a positive association of CTQ scores and the dampening effects of OXT on stress-related amygdala responses. Our findings suggest that CM may induce hypervigilance to chemosensory threat cues in a healthy sample due to inefficient frontolimbic inhibition of amygdala activation. Future studies should investigate whether increased recruitment of the intralimbic amygdala-hippocampus complex reflects a compensatory mechanism that prevents the development of psychopathology in those who have experienced CM. Furthermore, the results reveal that the stress-specific effects of OXT in the olfactory domain are more pronounced in participants with increasing levels of CM exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayline Maier
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Luca Heinen-Ludwig
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Center Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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27
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Lippard ET, Nemeroff CB. The Devastating Clinical Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect: Increased Disease Vulnerability and Poor Treatment Response in Mood Disorders. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:20-36. [PMID: 31537091 PMCID: PMC6939135 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 205] [Impact Index Per Article: 51.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A large body of evidence has demonstrated that exposure to childhood maltreatment at any stage of development can have long-lasting consequences. It is associated with a marked increase in risk for psychiatric and medical disorders. This review summarizes the literature investigating the effects of childhood maltreatment on disease vulnerability for mood disorders, specifically summarizing cross-sectional and more recent longitudinal studies demonstrating that childhood maltreatment is more prevalent and is associated with increased risk for first mood episode, episode recurrence, greater comorbidities, and increased risk for suicidal ideation and attempts in individuals with mood disorders. It summarizes the persistent alterations associated with childhood maltreatment, including alterations in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and inflammatory cytokines, which may contribute to disease vulnerability and a more pernicious disease course. The authors discuss several candidate genes and environmental factors (for example, substance use) that may alter disease vulnerability and illness course and neurobiological associations that may mediate these relationships following childhood maltreatment. Studies provide insight into modifiable mechanisms and provide direction to improve both treatment and prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth T.C. Lippard
- Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA,Department of Psychology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Mulva Clinic for Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX
| | - Charles B. Nemeroff
- Department of Psychiatry, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA,Institute of Early Life Adversity Research, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA,Waggoner Center for Alcohol and Addiction Research, University of Texas, Austin, TX USA,Mulva Clinic for Neuroscience, Dell Medical School, University of Texas, Austin, TX
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28
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Moreno-López L, Ioannidis K, Askelund AD, Smith AJ, Schueler K, van Harmelen AL. The Resilient Emotional Brain: A Scoping Review of the Medial Prefrontal Cortex and Limbic Structure and Function in Resilient Adults With a History of Childhood Maltreatment. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2019; 5:392-402. [PMID: 32115373 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.12.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) is one of the strongest predictors of adult mental illness, although not all adults with CM develop psychopathology. Here, we describe the structure and function of the emotional brain regions that may contribute to resilient functioning after CM. We review studies that report medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus (limbic regions) structure, function, and/or connections in resilient adults (i.e., those reporting CM without psychopathology) versus vulnerable adults (i.e., those reporting CM with psychopathology) or healthy adults (those without CM and with no psychopathology). We find that resilient adults have larger hippocampal gray and white matter volume and greater connectivity between the central executive network and the limbic regions. In addition, resilient adults have improved ability to regulate emotions through medial prefrontal cortex-limbic downregulation, lower hippocampal activation to emotional faces, and increased amygdala habituation to stress. We highlight the need for longitudinal designs that examine resilient functioning across domains and consider gender, type, timing, and nature of CM assessments and further stressors to further improve our understanding of the role of the emotional brain in resilient functioning after CM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Moreno-López
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - Konstantinos Ioannidis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust, Fulbourn, United Kingdom
| | | | - Alicia J Smith
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Katja Schueler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom; Department of Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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29
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Cará VM, Esper NB, de Azeredo LA, Iochpe V, Dalfovo NP, Santos RC, Sanvicente-Vieira B, Grassi-Oliveira R, Franco AR, Buchweitz A. An fMRI study of inhibitory control and the effects of exposure to violence in Latin-American early adolescents: alterations in frontoparietal activation and performance. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2019; 14:1097-1107. [PMID: 31820809 PMCID: PMC7036087 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsz092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
We used functional magnetic resonance to investigate the effects of exposure to violence on early adolescent brain function in an inhibitory control task. We investigated the association among scores on self-reported exposure to violence, performance and brain activation. Thirty-seven early adolescents (ages 10-14) from a Latin-American urban region participated in the study. Results showed that recent and chronic exposure to violence was associated with less activation of a network of frontal regions, including the anterior cingulate gyrus and the superior frontal cortex; recent exposure to violence was also associated with less activation of the superior parietal lobe. Results also showed that less activation correlated with more prominent deterioration in the performance in the inhibitory control task (increased latency with time). The findings suggest that early adolescence exposure to violence is associated with differences in activation of a neural network commonly associated with executive function and control. The results underscore the urgency of addressing exposure to violence in adolescence, a period of high susceptibility to the environment, and are discussed in the light of the evidence of the effects of violence on adolescent brain function. Executive function training may be a candidate for targeted cognitive interventions aimed at mitigating these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Metsavaht Cará
- School of Medicine, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900.,BRAINS-Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
| | - Nathalia Bianchini Esper
- School of Medicine, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900.,BRAINS-Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
| | - Lucas Araújo de Azeredo
- School of Medicine, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900.,BRAINS-Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
| | - Victoria Iochpe
- School of Medicine, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
| | - Nicole Prigol Dalfovo
- Psychology, School of Health and Life Sciences, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
| | - Rhaná Carolina Santos
- Psychology, School of Health and Life Sciences, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
| | - Breno Sanvicente-Vieira
- Psychology, School of Health and Life Sciences, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- School of Medicine, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900.,BRAINS-Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900.,Psychology, School of Health and Life Sciences, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
| | - Alexandre Rosa Franco
- Nathan S Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Orangeburg, NY, USA, 10962
| | - Augusto Buchweitz
- School of Medicine, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900.,BRAINS-Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900.,Psychology, School of Health and Life Sciences, PUCRS-Pontifícia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil, 90619-900
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30
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Bonapersona V, Damsteegt R, Adams ML, van Weert LTCM, Meijer OC, Joëls M, Sarabdjitsingh RA. Sex-Dependent Modulation of Acute Stress Reactivity After Early Life Stress in Mice: Relevance of Mineralocorticoid Receptor Expression. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:181. [PMID: 31440147 PMCID: PMC6693524 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress (ELS) is considered a major risk factor for developing psychopathology. Increasing evidence points towards sex-dependent dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis as a contributing mechanism. Additionally, clinical studies suggest that the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) may further confer genetic vulnerability/resilience on a background of ELS. The link between ELS, sex and the HPA axis and how this interacts with MR genotype is understudied, yet important to understand vulnerability/resilience to stress. We used the early life-limited nesting and bedding model to test the effect of ELS on HPA properties in adult female and male mice carrying a forebrain-specific heterozygous knockout for MR. Basal HPA axis activity was measured by circadian peak and nadir corticosterone levels, in addition to body weight and weight of stress-sensitive tissues. HPA axis reactivity was assessed by mapping corticosterone levels after 10 min immobilization. Additionally, we measured the effects of ELS on steroid receptor [MR and glucocorticoid receptor (GR)] levels in the dorsal hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) with western blot. Finally, behavioral reactivity towards a novel environment was measured as a proxy for anxiety-like behavior. Results show that HPA axis activity under rest conditions was not affected by ELS. HPA axis reactivity after immobilization was decreased by ELS in females and increased, at trend-level in males. This effect in females was further exacerbated by low expression of the MR. We also observed a sex*ELS interaction regarding MR and GR expression in the dorsal hippocampus, with a significant upregulation of MR in males only. The sex-dependent interaction with ELS was not reflected in the behavioral response to novel environment and time spent in a sheltered compartment. We did find increased locomotor activity in all groups after a history of ELS, which attenuated after 4 h in males but not females regardless of condition. Our findings support that ELS alters HPA axis functioning sex-dependently. Genetic predisposition to low MR function may render females more susceptible to the harmful effect of ELS whereas in males low MR function promotes resilience. We propose that this model may be a useful tool to investigate the underlying mechanisms of sex-dependent and genetic vulnerability/resilience to stress-related psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Bonapersona
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Ruth Damsteegt
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Mirjam L Adams
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
| | - Lisa T C M van Weert
- Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Onno C Meijer
- Department of Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Division of Endocrinology, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marian Joëls
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands.,University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Ratna Angela Sarabdjitsingh
- Department of Translational Neuroscience, UMC Utrecht Brain Center, Utrecht University, Utrecht, Netherlands
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31
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Fonzo GA. Childhood Maltreatment and Amygdala Threat Reactivity in Young Adults-Timing Is Everything. JAMA Psychiatry 2019; 76:781-782. [PMID: 31241757 DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2019.0432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory A Fonzo
- Dell Medical School, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin
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32
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Wang W, Zhornitsky S, Li CSP, Le TM, Joormann J, Li CSR. Social anxiety, posterior insula activation, and autonomic response during self-initiated action in a Cyberball game. J Affect Disord 2019; 255:158-167. [PMID: 31153052 PMCID: PMC6591038 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.05.046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2019] [Revised: 05/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/27/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An earlier study characterized the neural correlates of self-initiated actions in a Cyberball game in healthy individuals. It remains unclear how social anxiety may influence these neural processes. METHODS We examined regional activations to self-initiated actions in 25 adults with low and 25 with high social anxiety (LA and HA, respectively). Skin conductance was recorded concurrently with fMRI. We followed published routines in the analyses of imaging and skin conductance data. RESULTS We hypothesized that HA as compared to LA individuals would demonstrate increased cortical limbic activations during self-initiated actions (tossing or T > receiving or R trials, to control for motor activities) in social exclusion (EX) vs. fair game (FG) scenario. At a corrected threshold, HA as compared with LA group showed increases in bilateral posterior insula activation during T vs. R trials in EX as compared to FG. Further, HA as compared to LA showed higher skin conductance response to tossing trials during EX as compared to FG. LIMITATIONS With a limited sample size, we did not examine potential sex effects. Further, we cannot rule out the effects of depression on the findings. CONCLUSIONS Together, the results suggest that individuals with more severe social anxiety engaged the somatosensory insula to a greater extent and exhibited higher physiological arousal when initiating ball toss during social exclusion in the Cyberball game. Posterior insula response to self-initiated action may represent a biomarker of social anxiety. It remains to be investigated whether interventions to decrease physiological arousal may alleviate social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wuyi Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Clara S-P Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Phillips Academy, Andover, MA 01810, United States
| | - Thang M Le
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States
| | - Jutta Joormann
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, United States
| | - Chiang-Shan R Li
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06519, United States; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, United States; Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, United States.
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33
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Velikonja T, Velthorst E, McClure MM, Rutter S, Calabrese WR, Rosell D, Koenigsberg HW, Goodman M, New AS, Hazlett EA, Perez-Rodriguez MM. Severe childhood trauma and clinical and neurocognitive features in schizotypal personality disorder. Acta Psychiatr Scand 2019; 140:50-64. [PMID: 30951190 DOI: 10.1111/acps.13032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Literature suggests that childhood trauma increases vulnerability for schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, including schizotypal personality disorder (SPD). Yet, it remains unexplored whether childhood trauma predicts symptom load and the level of neurocognitive functioning in SPD. METHOD We included 225 individuals with SPD and 127 healthy controls. Childhood trauma was evaluated using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, and schizotypal traits were assessed using the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire. Standard neurocognitive assessments covered six cognitive domains. RESULTS All types of reported childhood trauma were significantly associated with SPD, in a linear fashion. Severe sexual abuse showed the greatest magnitude of association with higher cognitive-perceptual load (e.g., ideas of reference, odd belief or magical thinking); severe emotional neglect was associated with interpersonal scores (e.g., excessive social anxiety, constricted affect) within the SPD group. SPD individuals who reported severe trauma showed worse cognitive functioning (i.e., working memory, verbal/visual learning and memory, as well as verbal fluency). CONCLUSIONS Particular severe childhood trauma types were associated with higher cognitive-perceptual and interpersonal symptoms in SPD, along with worse cognitive functioning. These findings highlight the need for clinicians to enquire about childhood trauma in SPD patients, since unaddressed early adverse experiences may carry long-term negative consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- T Velikonja
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Seaver Center of Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - E Velthorst
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Seaver Center of Research and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - M M McClure
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,Fairfield University, Fairfield, CT, USA
| | - S Rutter
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,James J. Peters VA Medical Center, The Bronx, NY, USA
| | - W R Calabrese
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - D Rosell
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA
| | - H W Koenigsberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,James J. Peters VA Medical Center, The Bronx, NY, USA
| | - M Goodman
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,James J. Peters VA Medical Center, The Bronx, NY, USA
| | - A S New
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,James J. Peters VA Medical Center, The Bronx, NY, USA
| | - E A Hazlett
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,James J. Peters VA Medical Center, The Bronx, NY, USA
| | - M M Perez-Rodriguez
- Department of Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai, NY, USA.,James J. Peters VA Medical Center, The Bronx, NY, USA.,CIBERSAM, Madrid, Spain
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34
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Madonna D, Delvecchio G, Soares JC, Brambilla P. Structural and functional neuroimaging studies in generalized anxiety disorder: a systematic review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 41:336-362. [PMID: 31116259 PMCID: PMC6804309 DOI: 10.1590/1516-4446-2018-0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Accepted: 08/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Brain imaging studies carried out in patients suffering from generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) have contributed to better characterize the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying this disorder. The present study reviews the available functional and structural brain imaging evidence on GAD, and suggests further strategies for investigations in this field. METHODS A systematic literature review was performed in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar, aiming to identify original research evaluating GAD patients with the use of structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging as well as diffusion tensor imaging. RESULTS The available studies have shown impairments in ventrolateral and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate, posterior parietal regions, and amygdala in both pediatric and adult GAD patients, mostly in the right hemisphere. However, the literature is often tentative, given that most studies have employed small samples and included patients with comorbidities or in current use of various medications. Finally, different methodological aspects, such as the type of imaging equipment used, also complicate the generalizability of the findings. CONCLUSIONS Longitudinal neuroimaging studies with larger samples of both juvenile and adult GAD patients, as well as at risk individuals and unaffected relatives, should be carried out in order to shed light on the specific biological signature of GAD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Domenico Madonna
- Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Universitá di Milano, Milano, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Salute Mentale, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Dipartimento di Fisiopatologia Medico-Chirurgica e dei Trapianti, Universitá di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Dipartimento di Neuroscienze e Salute Mentale, Fondazione Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS) Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milano, Italy.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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35
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Rao R, Androulakis IP. The physiological significance of the circadian dynamics of the HPA axis: Interplay between circadian rhythms, allostasis and stress resilience. Horm Behav 2019; 110:77-89. [PMID: 30862458 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Revised: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Circadian time-keeping mechanisms preserve homeostasis by synchronizing internal physiology with predictable variations in the environment and temporally organize the activation of physiological signaling mechanisms to promote survival and optimize the allocation of energetic resources. In this paper, we highlight the importance of the robust circadian dynamics of allostatic mediators, with a focus on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, for the optimal regulation of host physiology and in enabling organisms to adequately respond and adapt to physiological stressors. We review studies showing how the chronic disruption of circadian rhythms can result in the accumulation of allostatic load, which impacts the appropriate functioning of physiological systems and diminishes the resilience of internal systems to adequately respond to subsequent stressors. A careful consideration of circadian rhythm dynamics leads to a more comprehensive characterization of individual variability in allostatic load and stress resilience. Finally, we suggest that the restoration of circadian rhythms after pathological disruption can enable the re-engagement of allostatic mechanisms and re-establish stress resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rohit Rao
- Chemical & Biochemical Engineering Department, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America
| | - Ioannis P Androulakis
- Chemical & Biochemical Engineering Department, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America; Biomedical Engineering Department, Rutgers University, Piscataway, NJ, United States of America; Department of Surgery, Rutgers - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States of America.
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36
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Buchweitz A, de Azeredo LA, Sanvicente-Vieira B, Metsavaht Cará V, Bianchini Esper N, Soder RB, da Costa JC, Portuguez MW, Franco AR, Grassi-Oliveira R. Violence and Latin-American preadolescents: A study of social brain function and cortisol levels. Dev Sci 2019; 22:e12799. [PMID: 30648778 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 01/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The present study investigated exposure to violence and its association with brain function and hair cortisol concentrations in Latin-American preadolescents. Self-reported victimization scores (JVQ-R2), brain imaging (fMRI) indices for a social cognition task (the 'eyes test'), and hair cortisol concentrations were investigated, for the first time, in this population. The eyes test is based on two conditions: attributing mental state or sex to pictures of pairs of eyes (Baron-Cohen, Wheelwright, Hill, Raste, & Plumb, 2001). The results showed an association among higher victimization scores and (a) less activation of posterior temporoparietal right-hemisphere areas, in the mental state condition only (including right temporal sulcus and fusiform gyrus); (b) higher functional connectivity indices for the Amygdala and Right Fusiform Gyrus (RFFG) pair of brain regions, also in the mental state condition only; (c) higher hair cortisol concentrations. The results suggest more exposure to violence is associated with significant differences in brain function and connectivity. A putative mechanism of less activation in posterior right-hemisphere regions and of synchronized Amygdala: RFFG time series was identified in the mental state condition only. The results also suggest measurable effects of exposure to violence in hair cortisol concentrations, which contribute to the reliability of self-reported scores by young adolescents. The findings are discussed in light of the effects of exposure to violence on brain function and on social-cognitive development in the adolescent brain. A video abstract of this article can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHcXq7Y9PBk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Augusto Buchweitz
- PUCRS, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program of Psychology, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Lucas Araújo de Azeredo
- PUCRS, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Breno Sanvicente-Vieira
- PUCRS, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program of Psychology, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Valentina Metsavaht Cará
- PUCRS, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Nathália Bianchini Esper
- PUCRS, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Jaderson Costa da Costa
- PUCRS, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Alexandre Rosa Franco
- PUCRS, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY.,Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY
| | - Rodrigo Grassi-Oliveira
- PUCRS, Brain Institute of Rio Grande do Sul (BraIns), Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Medicine, Graduate Program of Medicine, Neurosciences, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,PUCRS, School of Health Sciences, Graduate Program of Psychology, Porto Alegre, Brazil
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Molent C, Maggioni E, Cecchetto F, Garzitto M, Piccin S, Bonivento C, Maieron M, D'Agostini S, Balestrieri M, Perna G, Altamura AC, Brambilla P. Reduced cortical thickness and increased gyrification in generalized anxiety disorder: a 3 T MRI study. Psychol Med 2018; 48:2001-2010. [PMID: 29239286 DOI: 10.1017/s003329171700352x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the study of the neuroanatomical correlates of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is gaining increasing interest, up to now the cortical anatomy of GAD patients has been poorly investigated and still no data on cortical gyrification are available. The aim of the present study is to quantitatively examine the cortical morphology in patients with GAD compared with healthy controls (HC) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study analyzing the gyrification patterns in GAD. METHODS A total of 31 GAD patients and 31 HC underwent 3 T structural MRI. For each subject, cortical surface area (CSA), cortical thickness (CT), gray matter volume (GMV), and local gyrification index (LGI) were estimated in 19 regions of interest using the Freesurfer software. These parameters were then compared between the two groups using General Linear Model designs. RESULTS Compared with HC, GAD patients showed: (1) reduced CT in right caudal middle frontal gyrus (p < 0.05, Bonferroni corrected), (2) hyper-gyrification in right fusiform, inferior temporal, superior parietal and supramarginal gyri and in left supramarginal and superior frontal gyri (p < 0.05, Bonferroni corrected). No significant alterations in CSA and GMV were observed. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the hypothesis of a neuroanatomical basis for GAD, highlighting a possible key role of the right hemisphere. The alterations of CT and gyrification in GAD suggest a neurodevelopmental origin of the disorder. Further studies on GAD are needed to understand the evolution of the cerebral morphology with age and during the clinical course of the illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Molent
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine (DAME),University of Udine,Udine,Italy
| | - Eleonora Maggioni
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health,IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico,University of Milan,Milan,Italy
| | - Filippo Cecchetto
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine (DAME),University of Udine,Udine,Italy
| | - Marco Garzitto
- Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea',Polo FVG, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone,Italy
| | - Sara Piccin
- Scientific Institute IRCCS 'Eugenio Medea',Polo FVG, San Vito al Tagliamento, Pordenone,Italy
| | - Carolina Bonivento
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine (DAME),University of Udine,Udine,Italy
| | - Marta Maieron
- Department of Physics,Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria 'S.Maria della Misericordia',Udine,Italy
| | - Serena D'Agostini
- Department of Neuroradiology,Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria 'S.Maria della Misericordia',Udine,Italy
| | - Matteo Balestrieri
- Unit of Psychiatry, Department of Medicine (DAME),University of Udine,Udine,Italy
| | - Giampaolo Perna
- Department of Clinical Neurosciences,Villa San Benedetto Menni, Hermanas Hospitalarias,FoRiPsi, Albese con Cassano, Como,Italy
| | - A Carlo Altamura
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health,IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico,University of Milan,Milan,Italy
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health,IRCCS Fondazione Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico,University of Milan,Milan,Italy
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38
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Håkansson U, Watten R, Söderström K, Skårderud F, Øie MG. Adverse and adaptive childhood experiences are associated with parental reflective functioning in mothers with substance use disorder. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2018; 81:259-273. [PMID: 29775870 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2018] [Revised: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/07/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mothers with a substance use disorder (SUD) are at risk for maladaptive parenting practices, and have heightened likelihood of having experienced childhood adversity themselves. In addition, parental reflective functioning (PRF), a capacity underlying sensitive caregiving, is often low in mothers with SUD. This study examines the relationship between PRF and aversive (emotional, physical, sexual abuse and neglect) and adaptive (safety and competence) experiences, in different developmental phases (early childhood, latency, and adolescence) in mothers with a SUD. A sample of 43 mothers with small children were interviewed with the Parental Developmental Interview to assess PRF, and they completed the Traumatic Antecedents Questionnaire regarding aversive and adaptive experiences. In addition, we used the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist-10 to control for mental health status and a battery of neuropsychological tests to control for executive functions. Results indicated that adaptive experiences in early childhood were positively related to PRF, and that experience of emotional abuse was negatively related to PRF. When separating the group of mothers in two sub-groups based on PRF level, results showed that mothers with negative to low PRF had significantly more experiences of adversities in early childhood and latency, and significantly less adaptive experiences in early childhood, latency and adolescence, compared to mothers with moderate to high PRF. In addition, mothers with adequate to high PRF reported experiencing significantly more types of adaptive experiences, and significantly less adversities compared to mothers with negative to low PRF. Results are discussed in relation to developmental trauma, resilience, epistemic trust and mistrust.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ulrika Håkansson
- Innland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway.
| | - Reidulf Watten
- Innland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Kerstin Söderström
- Innland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Lillehammer, Norway; Division Mental Health Care, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway
| | - Finn Skårderud
- Norwegian School of Sport Science, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Merete Glenne Øie
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Research Division, Innlandet Hospital Trust, Lillehammer, Norway
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39
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Müller LE, Bertsch K, Bülau K, Herpertz SC, Buchheim A. Emotional neglect in childhood shapes social dysfunctioning in adults by influencing the oxytocin and the attachment system: Results from a population-based study. Int J Psychophysiol 2018; 136:73-80. [PMID: 29859994 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2018.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/30/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Early life maltreatment (ELM) is the major single risk factor for impairments in social functioning and mental health in adulthood. One of the most prevalent and most rapidly increasing forms of ELM is emotional neglect. According to bio-behavioral synchrony assumptions, the oxytocin and attachment systems play an important mediating role in the interplay between emotional neglect and social dysfunctioning. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether fear and avoidance of social functioning, two important and highly prevalent facets of social dysfunctioning in adulthood, are shaped by emotional neglect, plasma oxytocin levels and attachment representations. We assessed emotional neglect as well as other forms of ELM with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, current attachment representations with the Adult Attachment Projective Picture System, and fear and avoidance of social situations with the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale in a population-based sample of N = 121 men and women. Furthermore, 4.9 ml blood samples were drawn from each participant to assess peripheral plasma oxytocin levels. Applying a sequential mediation model, results revealed that emotional neglect was associated with lower plasma oxytocin levels which in turn were associated with insecure attachment representations which were related to elevated fear and avoidance of social situations (a1d21b2: F3,117 = 20.84, P < .001). Plasma oxytocin and current attachment representations hence fully and sequentially mediate the effects of emotional neglect on social fear and avoidance, two important facets of adult social dysfunctioning, confirming bio-behavioral synchrony assumptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura E Müller
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstr. 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany.
| | - Katja Bertsch
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstr. 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Konstatin Bülau
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstr. 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sabine C Herpertz
- Department of General Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University of Heidelberg, Voßstr. 2, 69115 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Anna Buchheim
- Institute of Psychology, University of Innsbruck, Innrain 52f, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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40
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Gallo EAG, Munhoz TN, Loret de Mola C, Murray J. Gender differences in the effects of childhood maltreatment on adult depression and anxiety: A systematic review and meta-analysis. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2018; 79:107-114. [PMID: 29428878 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 126] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Revised: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Child maltreatment has well-documented long-term, adverse effects on mental health, but it is not clear whether there are gender differences in these effects. We conducted a systematic review to investigate whether there are gender differences in the effects of maltreatment on adult depression and anxiety. Medline, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and Lilacs were searched for relevant studies published up to May 2016. Eligible studies included population-based studies (with a cohort, case-control or cross-sectional design) which assessed maltreatment during childhood or adolescence (≤18 years) and its association with major depression or generalized anxiety disorder (DSM/ICD diagnostic criteria) in adulthood (>18 years) separately for females and males. Meta-analysis was performed to estimate the association between each exposure and outcome using fixed and random effects models. Pooled odds ratios (OR) were estimated separately for women and men and compared. Five studies of physical and sexual abuse were included in the meta-analyses. These provided twenty-two effects sizes estimates (11 for men, 11 for women) for associations between physical/sexual abuse and depression/anxiety. Exposure to each kind of abuse increased the odds of depression/anxiety. Associations were larger for women than for men, however, these gender differences were not statistically significant. Physical and sexual abuse in childhood/adolescence are risk factors for depression/anxiety in adulthood and the effect could be larger for women; however, currently there is insufficient evidence to definitively identify gender differences in the effects of maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Alejandra Giraldo Gallo
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro, 1160, 3° Piso, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
| | - Tiago Neuenfeld Munhoz
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro, 1160, 3° Piso, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
| | - Christian Loret de Mola
- Graduate School of Nursing, Universidade Federal de Pelotas RS - Brazil, Rua Gomes Carneiro, 01 - Centro Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
| | - Joseph Murray
- Postgraduate Program in Epidemiology, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Rua Marechal Deodoro, 1160, 3° Piso, Pelotas, RS, Brazil.
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41
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Watt MJ, Weber MA, Davies SR, Forster GL. Impact of juvenile chronic stress on adult cortico-accumbal function: Implications for cognition and addiction. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2017; 79. [PMID: 28642080 PMCID: PMC5610933 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2017.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to stress during childhood is associated with increased risk for neuropsychiatric illness, substance use disorders and other behavioral problems in adulthood. However, it is not clear how chronic childhood stress can lead to emergence of such a wide range of symptoms and disorders in later life. One possible explanation lies in stress-induced disruption to the development of specific brain regions associated with executive function and reward processing, deficits in which are common to the disorders promoted by childhood stress. Evidence of aberrations in prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens function following repeated exposure of juvenile (pre- and adolescent) organisms to a variety of different stressors would account not only for the similarity in symptoms across the wide range of childhood stress-associated mental illnesses, but also their persistence into adulthood in the absence of further stress. Therefore, the goal of this review is to evaluate the current knowledge regarding disruption to executive function and reward processing in adult animals or humans exposed to chronic stress over the juvenile period, and the underlying neurobiology, with particular emphasis on the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens. First, the role of these brain regions in mediating executive function and reward processing is highlighted. Second, the neurobehavioral development of these systems is discussed to illustrate how juvenile stress may exert long-lasting effects on prefrontal cortex-accumbal activity and related behavioral functions. Finally, a critical review of current animal and human findings is presented, which strongly supports the supposition that exposure to chronic stress (particularly social aggression and isolation in animal studies) in the juvenile period produces impairments in executive function in adulthood, especially in working memory and inhibitory control. Chronic juvenile stress also results in aberrations to reward processing and seeking, with increased sensitivity to drugs of abuse particularly noted in animal models, which is in line with greater incidence of substance use disorders seen in clinical studies. These consequences are potentially mediated by monoamine and glutamatergic dysfunction in the prefrontal cortex and nucleus accumbens, providing translatable therapeutic targets. However, the predominant use of male subjects and social-based stressors in preclinical studies points to a clear need for determining how both sex differences and stressor heterogeneity may differentially contribute to stress-induced changes to substrates mediating executive function and reward processing, before the impact of chronic juvenile stress in promoting adult psychopathology can be fully understood.
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42
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Schiele MA, Domschke K. Epigenetics at the crossroads between genes, environment and resilience in anxiety disorders. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2017; 17:e12423. [DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2017] [Revised: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. A. Schiele
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
| | - K. Domschke
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy; Medical Center - University of Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg; Freiburg Germany
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43
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Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences can deleteriously affect future physical and mental health, increasing risk for many illnesses, including psychiatric problems, sleep disorders, and, according to the present hypothesis, idiopathic nightmares. Much like post-traumatic nightmares, which are triggered by trauma and lead to recurrent emotional dreaming about the trauma, idiopathic nightmares are hypothesized to originate in early adverse experiences that lead in later life to the expression of early memories and emotions in dream content. Accordingly, the objectives of this paper are to (1) review existing literature on sleep, dreaming and nightmares in relation to early adverse experiences, drawing upon both empirical studies of dreaming and nightmares and books and chapters by recognized nightmare experts and (2) propose a new approach to explaining nightmares that is based upon the Stress Acceleration Hypothesis of mental illness. The latter stipulates that susceptibility to mental illness is increased by adversity occurring during a developmentally sensitive window for emotional maturation—the infantile amnesia period—that ends around age 3½. Early adversity accelerates the neural and behavioral maturation of emotional systems governing the expression, learning, and extinction of fear memories and may afford short-term adaptive value. But it also engenders long-term dysfunctional consequences including an increased risk for nightmares. Two mechanisms are proposed: (1) disruption of infantile amnesia allows normally forgotten early childhood memories to influence later emotions, cognitions and behavior, including the common expression of threats in nightmares; (2) alterations of normal emotion regulation processes of both waking and sleep lead to increased fear sensitivity and less effective fear extinction. These changes influence an affect network previously hypothesized to regulate fear extinction during REM sleep, disruption of which leads to nightmares. This network consists of a fear circuit that includes amygdala, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex and whose substantial overlap with the stress acceleration findings allows the latter to be incorporated into a wider, more developmentally coherent framework.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tore Nielsen
- Dream and Nightmare Laboratory, Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, CIUSSS-NÎM - Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
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44
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Abstract
Anxiety disorders constitute the largest group of mental disorders in most western societies and are a leading cause of disability. The essential features of anxiety disorders are excessive and enduring fear, anxiety or avoidance of perceived threats, and can also include panic attacks. Although the neurobiology of individual anxiety disorders is largely unknown, some generalizations have been identified for most disorders, such as alterations in the limbic system, dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and genetic factors. In addition, general risk factors for anxiety disorders include female sex and a family history of anxiety, although disorder-specific risk factors have also been identified. The diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorders varies for the individual disorders, but are generally similar across the two most common classification systems: the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10). Despite their public health significance, the vast majority of anxiety disorders remain undetected and untreated by health care systems, even in economically advanced countries. If untreated, these disorders are usually chronic with waxing and waning symptoms. Impairments associated with anxiety disorders range from limitations in role functioning to severe disabilities, such as the patient being unable to leave their home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle G Craske
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
| | - Murray B Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Thalia C Eley
- King's College London, MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, London, UK
| | - Mohammed R Milad
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charleston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Andrew Holmes
- Laboratory of Behavioral and Genomic Neuroscience, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Ronald M Rapee
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Emotional Health, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hans-Ulrich Wittchen
- Institute of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Faculty of Science, Technische Universitaet Dresden, Dresden, Germany
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45
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Abstract
Although rates of child maltreatment are declining, more than 600,000 children in the United States are substantiated victims of abuse or neglect. The focus of this review is on the relationship between maltreatment and mental health problems in childhood and adulthood. Children and adults who are exposed to abuse or neglect in childhood are at risk for a range of poor mental health outcomes, including internalizing and externalizing psychopathology, posttraumatic stress disorder, psychotic symptoms, and personality disorders. I review three potential mechanisms by which maltreatment may increase risk for various forms of psychopathology, (a) hypervigilance to threat, (b) deficits in emotion recognition and understanding, and (c) low responsivity to reward. I also review genetic and psychosocial factors that moderate the relationship between maltreatment and risk for psychopathology. Finally, I discuss methodological limitations of the literature on maltreatment, with an emphasis on the challenges associated with establishing a causal role for maltreatment (and moderators or mediators of maltreatment) in the development of mental health problems and the reliance of many studies on retrospective self-reports.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara R Jaffee
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104;
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46
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Krugers HJ, Arp JM, Xiong H, Kanatsou S, Lesuis SL, Korosi A, Joels M, Lucassen PJ. Early life adversity: Lasting consequences for emotional learning. Neurobiol Stress 2017; 6:14-21. [PMID: 28229105 PMCID: PMC5314442 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2016.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2016] [Revised: 11/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/23/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The early postnatal period is a highly sensitive time period for the developing brain, both in humans and rodents. During this time window, exposure to adverse experiences can lastingly impact cognitive and emotional development. In this review, we briefly discuss human and rodent studies investigating how exposure to adverse early life conditions - mainly related to quality of parental care - affects brain activity, brain structure, cognition and emotional responses later in life. We discuss the evidence that early life adversity hampers later hippocampal and prefrontal cortex functions, while increasing amygdala activity, and the sensitivity to stressors and emotional behavior later in life. Exposure to early life stress may thus on the one hand promote behavioral adaptation to potentially threatening conditions later in life -at the cost of contextual memory formation in less threatening situations- but may on the other hand also increase the sensitivity to develop stress-related and anxiety disorders in vulnerable individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Harm J. Krugers
- SILS-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - J. Marit Arp
- SILS-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Hui Xiong
- SILS-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Sofia Kanatsou
- SILS-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Sylvie L. Lesuis
- SILS-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aniko Korosi
- SILS-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Marian Joels
- Dept. Translational Neuroscience, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands
- University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Paul J. Lucassen
- SILS-Center for Neuroscience, University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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47
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Goddard AW. The Neurobiology of Panic: A Chronic Stress Disorder. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2017; 1:2470547017736038. [PMID: 32440580 PMCID: PMC7219873 DOI: 10.1177/2470547017736038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2017] [Revised: 09/05/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Panic disorder is an often chronic and impairing human anxiety syndrome, which frequently results in serious psychiatric and medical comorbidities. Although, to date, there have been many advances in the diagnosis and treatment of panic disorder, its pathophysiology still remains to be elucidated. In this review, recent evidence for a neurobiological basis of panic disorder is reviewed with particular attention to risk factors such as genetic vulnerability, chronic stress, and temperament. In addition, neuroimaging data are reviewed which provides support for the concept of panic disorder as a fear network disorder. The potential impact of the National Institute of Mental Health Research Domain Criteria constructs of acute and chronic threats responses and their implications for the neurobiology of panic disorder are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew W. Goddard
- UCSF Fresno Medical Education and
Research Program, University of California, San Francisco, USA
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48
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Leiner M, De la Vega I, Johansson B. Fear of Massive Deportations in the United States: Social Implications on Deprived Pediatric Communities. Front Pediatr 2017; 5:177. [PMID: 28871276 PMCID: PMC5567057 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2017.00177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Leiner
- Pediatrics, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, United States
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49
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Scheinost D, Sinha R, Cross SN, Kwon SH, Sze G, Constable RT, Ment LR. Does prenatal stress alter the developing connectome? Pediatr Res 2017; 81:214-226. [PMID: 27673421 PMCID: PMC5313513 DOI: 10.1038/pr.2016.197] [Citation(s) in RCA: 97] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Human neurodevelopment requires the organization of neural elements into complex structural and functional networks called the connectome. Emerging data suggest that prenatal exposure to maternal stress plays a role in the wiring, or miswiring, of the developing connectome. Stress-related symptoms are common in women during pregnancy and are risk factors for neurobehavioral disorders ranging from autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and addiction, to major depression and schizophrenia. This review focuses on structural and functional connectivity imaging to assess the impact of changes in women's stress-based physiology on the dynamic development of the human connectome in the fetal brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin Scheinost
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Rajita Sinha
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Child Study, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Sarah N. Cross
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Soo Hyun Kwon
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Gordon Sze
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - R. Todd Constable
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neurosurgery, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Laura R. Ment
- Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,Department of Neurology, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut,()
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50
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Rougemont-Bücking A, Grazioli VS, Daeppen JB, Gmel G, Studer J. Family-Related Stress versus External Stressors: Differential Impacts on Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use in Young Men. Eur Addict Res 2017; 23:284-297. [PMID: 29275419 DOI: 10.1159/000485031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 11/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Intense stress increases substance use (SU). However, little is known about the extent to which distinctive forms of stress should be weighted with regard to their effects on SU. This study aimed to determine whether family-related stress factors (FSF) influenced SU in a different way than external stress factors (ESF). Data was drawn from a Swiss cohort study on SU risk factors (C-SURF), involving 5,308 young adult men. Twelve month use of alcohol and of illicit substances was assessed. FSF and ESF for the time period preceding SU were measured. FSF and ESF were both significantly associated with SU. FSF had a greater impact on the use of most substances than did ESF. The FSF with the strongest association with SU was lack of parental monitoring. Regarding ESF, the cumulative number of stressful external events had a higher impact on SU than previous physical or sexual assault by a stranger. In contrast, physical or sexual assault by a family member was not found to be associated with subsequent SU. These findings have important implications for SU prevention programmes focusing on male teenagers, as it is difficult to screen and intervene in subtle forms of maltreatment in families.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Veronique S Grazioli
- Alcohol Treatment Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jean-Bernard Daeppen
- Alcohol Treatment Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Gerhard Gmel
- Alcohol Treatment Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Addiction Suisse, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Frenchay Campus, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph Studer
- Alcohol Treatment Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois CHUV, Lausanne, Switzerland
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