Adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment exhibit atypical EEG coherence and psychiatric impairment: Linking early adversity, the brain, and psychopathology

Temporal-Posterior Alpha Power in Resting-State Electroencephalography as a Potential Marker of Complex Childhood Trauma in Institutionalized Adolescents

The present study explored whether, given the association of temporal alpha with fear circuitry (learning and conditioning), exposure to complex childhood trauma (CCT) is reflected in the temporal-posterior alpha power in resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) in complex trauma-exposed adolescents in a sample of 25 adolescents and similar controls aged 12-17 years. Both trauma and psychopathology were screened or assessed, and resting-state EEG was recorded following a preregistered protocol for data collection. Temporal-posterior alpha power, corresponding to the T5 and T6 electrode locations (international 10-20 system), was extracted from resting-state EEG in both eyes-open and eyes-closed conditions. We found that in the eyes-open condition, temporal-posterior alpha was significantly lower in adolescents exposed to CCT relative to healthy controls, suggesting that childhood trauma exposure may have a measurable impact on alpha oscillatory patterns. Our study highlights the importance of considering potential neural markers, such as temporal-posterior alpha power, to understanding the long-term consequences of CCT exposure in developmental samples, with possible important clinical implications in guiding neuroregulation interventions.

Childhood trauma and violent behavior in adolescents are differentially related to cognitive-emotional deficits

Introduction

Converging neurobiological and epidemiological evidence indicates that exposure to traumatic events in the early stages of development, that is, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), negatively affects the likelihood of being involved in violent behavior later in life. These problems are hypothesized to be mediated by the disruption of executive functions, in particular, the ability to inhibit inappropriate actions. Here we aimed to distinguish the contribution of inhibition in non-emotional and emotional situations (i.e., emotion regulation) and assessed the modulating influence of stress, testing Nairobi county high school students in a two-experiment study.

Methods

In Experiment 1, neutral and emotional inhibition, working memory, and fluid intelligence were measured alongside questionnaires about ACE and violent behavior. Experiment 2 replicated these relations in an independent sample and assessed whether they would be aggravated after acute experimentally induced stress.

Results

Experiment 1 results showed that ACE was positively related to both non-emotional and emotional inhibition; in contrast, violent behavior was only associated with deficient emotional inhibition. Experiment 2 findings showed that stress did not significantly affect the relation of ACE to non-emotional inhibition and emotion regulation; however, it increased deficits of violent participants in their ability to down-regulate emotions.

Discussion

Together, results suggest that deficits in emotion regulation, especially under stressful conditions, are more critical than impairments in non-emotional inhibition in predicting violent behavior in victims of childhood trauma. These findings open perspectives toward more targeted research and interventions.

Frontal EEG asymmetry moderates the relation between borderline personality disorder features and feelings of social rejection in adolescents

Although associations among borderline personality disorder (BPD), social rejection, and frontal EEG alpha asymmetry scores (FAA, a neural correlate of emotion regulation and approach-withdrawal motivations) have been explored in different studies, relatively little work has examined these relations during adolescence in the same study. We examined whether FAA moderated the relation between BPD features and rejection sensitivity following a validated social exclusion paradigm, Cyberball. A mixed, clinical-community sample of 64 adolescents (females = 62.5%; Mage = 14.45 years; SD = 1.6; range = 11-17 years) completed psychodiagnostic interviews and a self-report measure of BPD (Time 1). Approximately two weeks later (Time 2), participants completed a resting EEG recording followed by Cyberball. FAA moderated the relation between BPD features and overall feelings of rejection following Cyberball: individuals with greater relative left FAA had the highest and lowest feelings of social rejection depending on whether they had high and low BPD feature scores, respectively. Results remained after controlling for age, sex, gender, depression, and BPD diagnosis. These results suggest that FAA may moderate the relation between BPD features and social rejection, and that left frontal brain activity at rest may be differentially associated with those feelings in BPD. Findings are discussed in terms of the link between left frontal brain activity in the regulation and dysregulation of social approach behaviors, characteristic of BPD.

Recognizing the importance of childhood maltreatment as a critical factor in psychiatric diagnoses, treatment, research, prevention, and education

Childhood maltreatment is the most important preventable risk factor for psychiatric disorders. Maltreated individuals typically develop psychiatric disorders at an earlier age, have a more pernicious course, more comorbidities, greater symptom severity, and respond less favorably to treatments than non-maltreated individuals with the same primary DSM-5 diagnosis. Furthermore, maltreated individuals have alterations in stress-susceptible brain regions, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal response, and inflammatory marker levels not discernible in their non-maltreated counterparts. Hence, maltreated and non-maltreated individuals with the same primary DSM-5 diagnoses appear to be clinically and neurobiologically distinct. The failure to embody this distinction in DSM-5 has interfered with our ability to discover novel treatments, to recommend currently available treatments most likely to be efficacious, and has been a largely unrecognized confound that has thwarted our ability to identify the biological basis for major psychiatric disorders. Incorporating this distinction into DSM will help transform this sign and symptom-based classification system to a more etiologically informed nosology. We discuss several diagnostic alternatives and recommend the inclusion of a Developmental Trauma Disorder diagnosis for severely dysregulated individuals, of all ages, with numerous comorbidities, who experienced interpersonal victimization and disruptions in attachment, such as emotional maltreatment or neglect. For less severely affected maltreated individuals, we suggest using conventional diagnostic categories, such as major depression, but with an essential modifier indicating a history of childhood maltreatment, or early life stress, to delineate the ecophenotypic variant. Implementing this strategy should improve our ability to effectively diagnose and treat individuals with psychiatric disorders and to accelerate discovery.

Investigating Changes in Reward-Related Neural Correlates After PEERS Intervention in Adolescents With ASD: Preliminary Evidence of a "Precision Medicine" Approach

Background: The Social Motivation Hypothesis proposes that individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience social interactions as less rewarding than their neurotypical (TD) peers, which may lead to reduced social initiation. Existing studies of the brain's reward system in individuals with ASD report varied findings for anticipation of and response to social rewards. Given discrepant findings, the anticipation of and response to social rewards should be further evaluated, particularly in the context of intervention outcome. We hypothesized that individual characteristics may help predict neural changes from pre- to post-intervention. Methods: Thirteen adolescents with ASD received the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS) intervention for 16 weeks; reward-related EEG was collected before and after intervention. Fourteen TD adolescents were tested at two timepoints but did not receive intervention. Event-related potentials were calculated to measure anticipation of (stimulus-preceding negativity; SPN) and response to (reward-related positivity; RewP) social and non-social rewards. Additionally, measures of social responsiveness, social skills, and intervention-engagement were collected. Group differences were analyzed as well as individual differences using prediction models. Result: Parent-reported social responsiveness and social skills improved in adolescents with ASD after participation in PEERS. ASD adolescents displayed marginally decreased anticipation of social rewards at post-intervention compared to pre-intervention. Regression models demonstrated that older adolescents and those with lower parent-reported social motivation prior to participation in PEERS displayed marginally increased social reward anticipation (more robust SPN) from pre- to post-intervention. Participants who displayed more parent-reported social motivation before intervention and were more actively engaged in the PEERS intervention evidenced increased social reward processing (more robust RewP) from pre- to post-intervention. Conclusion: Findings suggest that there may be differences in saliency between wanting/anticipating social rewards vs. liking/responding to social rewards in individuals with ASD. Our findings support the hypothesis that identification of individual differences may predict which adolescents are poised to benefit the most from particular interventions. As such, reported findings set the stage for the advancement of "precision medicine." This investigation is a critical step forward in our ability to understand and predict individual response to interventions in individuals with ASD.

Early life adversity predicts brain-gut alterations associated with increased stress and mood

Alterations in the brain-gut system have been implicated in various disease states, but little is known about how early-life adversity (ELA) impacts development and adult health as mediated by brain-gut interactions. We hypothesize that ELA disrupts components of the brain-gut system, thereby increasing susceptibility to disordered mood. In a sample of 128 healthy adult participants, a history of ELA and current stress, depression, and anxiety were assessed using validated questionnaires. Fecal metabolites were measured using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry-based untargeted metabolomic profiling. Functional brain connectivity was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging. Sparse partial least squares-discriminant analysis, controlling for sex, body mass index, age, and diet was used to predict brain-gut alterations as a function of ELA. ELA was correlated with four gut-regulated metabolites within the glutamate pathway (5-oxoproline, malate, urate, and glutamate gamma methyl ester) and alterations in functional brain connectivity within primarily sensorimotor, salience, and central executive networks. Integrated analyses revealed significant associations between these metabolites, functional brain connectivity, and scores for perceived stress, anxiety, and depression. This study reveals a novel association between a history of ELA, alterations in the brain-gut axis, and increased vulnerability to negative mood and stress. Results from the study raise the hypothesis that select gut-regulated metabolites may contribute to the adverse effects of critical period stress on neural development via pathways related to glutamatergic excitotoxicity and oxidative stress.

Brain, interrupted: alpha/delta EEG ratio in survivors of pre- and post-natal adversity

RESULTS

Young adults born at extremely low birth weight (prenatal adversity; N = 64, M_age = 23.14 years, SD_age = 1.26 years) had a lower alpha/delta ratio score compared to normal birth weight controls (N = 76, M_age = 23.60 years, SD_age = 1.09 years), while youth exposed to child maltreatment (postnatal adversity; N = 39, M_age = 16.18 years, SD_age = 1.15) had a higher alpha/delta ratio compared to controls (N = 23, M_age = 16.00 years, SD_age = 1.50 years).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that being exposed to pre- and post-natal adversity may have different long-term consequences on brain development. We speculate that these differences might be associated with some of the different functional outcomes known to characterize each type of adverse experience.

Meta-analysis: Exposure to Early Life Stress and Risk for Depression in Childhood and Adolescence

OBJECTIVE

Early life stress (ELS) is associated with increased risk for the development of major depressive disorder (MDD) in adulthood; however, the degree to which ELS is associated with an early onset of MDD (ie, during childhood or adolescence) is not known. In this meta-analysis, we estimated the associations between ELS and the risk for onset of MDD before age 18 years. In addition, we examined the associations between eight specific forms of ELS (ie, sexual abuse, physical abuse, poverty, physical illness/injury, death of a family member, domestic violence, natural disaster, and emotional abuse) and risk for youth-onset MDD.

METHOD

We conducted a systematic search in scientific databases for studies that assessed both ELS and the presence or absence of MDD before age 18 years. We identified 62 journal articles with a total of 44,066 unique participants. We assessed study quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. When heterogeneous effect sizes were detected, we tested whether demographic and/or methodological factors moderated the association between ELS and MDD.

RESULTS

Using a random-effects meta-analysis, we found that individuals who experienced ELS were more likely to develop MDD before the age of 18 years than were individuals without a history of ELS (odds ratio = 2.50; 95% confidence interval 2.08, 3.00). Separate meta-analyses revealed a range of associations with MDD: whereas some types of ELS (eg, poverty) were not associated with MDD, other types (eg, emotional abuse) were associated more strongly with MDD than was ELS considered more broadly.

CONCLUSION

These findings provide important evidence that the adverse effect of ELS on MDD risk manifests early in development, prior to adulthood, and varies by type of ELS.

Trajectories of Resting Heart Period and Shyness in Adolescent Females Exposed to Child Maltreatment

Relatively little is known about the psychophysiological processes underlying the development of socioemotional vulnerabilities that are common among adolescents exposed to child maltreatment. Using a prospective, longitudinal design, we investigated whether trajectories of resting heart period (HP; a physiological correlate of stress vulnerability) across three visits (separated by 6 months) was associated with shyness (a type of socioemotional vulnerability) in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment (N = 55; M_age = 14.07 years). Adolescents' resting HP across visits was best characterized by two latent trajectories: a stable high class (25.5%) and a stable low class (74.5%). The stable low HP trajectory was associated with higher shyness at Time 1 (T1), and HP trajectory moderated the association between T1 and Time 3 (T3) shyness. Females in the stable low HP trajectory demonstrated stability of shyness from T1 to T3, whereas T1 and T3 shyness were unrelated for females in the stable high HP trajectory. We also found that shyness at T1 and T3 was associated with greater levels of anxiety at T3. These findings illustrate heterogeneity in the developmental patterns of resting autonomic activity in adolescent females exposed to child maltreatment; such differences may influence the continuity of some traits linked with socioemotional vulnerability such as shyness.

Functional reorganization of neural networks involved in emotion regulation following trauma therapy for complex trauma disorders

OBJECTIVES

We investigated whether patients with complex interpersonal trauma engage neural networks that are commonly activated during cognitive reappraisal and responding naturally to affect-laden images. In this naturalistic study, we examined whether trauma treatment not only reduces symptoms but also changes neural networks involved in emotional control.

METHODS

Before and after eight weeks of phase-oriented inpatient trauma treatment, patients (n = 28) with complex posttraumatic stress disorder (cPTSD) and complex dissociative disorders (CDD) performed a cognitive reappraisal task while electroencephalography (EEG) was registered. Patients were measured as a prototypical dissociative part that aims to fulfill daily life goals while avoiding traumatic memories and associated dissociative parts. Matched healthy controls (n = 38) were measured twice as well. We examined task-related functional connectivity and assessed self-reports of clinical symptoms and emotion regulation skills.

RESULTS

Prior to treatment and compared to controls, patients showed hypoconnectivity within neural networks involved in emotional downregulation while reappraising affect-eliciting pictures as well as viewing neutral and affect-eliciting pictures. Following treatment, connectivity became normalized in these networks comprising regions associated with cognitive control and memory. Additionally, patients showed a treatment-related reduction of negative but not of positive dissociative symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study demonstrating that trauma-focused treatment was associated with favorable changes in neural networks involved in emotional control. Emotional overregulation manifesting as negative dissociative symptoms was reduced but not emotional underregulation, manifesting as positive dissociative symptoms.

Cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma is associated with reduced cortical differentiation between threat and non-threat faces in posttraumatic stress disorder adults

OBJECTIVE

Posttraumatic stress disorder and childhood trauma frequently co-occur. Both are associated with abnormal neural responses to salient emotion stimuli. As childhood trauma is a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder, differentiating between their neurophysiological effects is necessary to elucidate the neural pathways by which childhood trauma exposure contributes to increased posttraumatic stress disorder risks.

METHODS

Face-specific N170 evoked response potentials for backward-masked (non-conscious) and conscious threat (fear, angry) and non-threat (happy) faces were measured in 77 adults (18-64 years old, 64% women, 78% right-handed) symptomatic for posttraumatic stress disorder. Differences in N170 peak amplitudes for fear-versus-happy and angry-versus-happy faces at bilateral temporo-occipital (T5, T6) sites were computed. The effect of cumulative exposure to childhood interpersonal trauma, other childhood trauma, adult trauma, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity on the N170 response was assessed using hierarchical multiple regression analyses.

RESULTS

T5 N170 peak amplitudes for non-conscious fear-versus-happy faces were inversely related to cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma after accounting for socio-demographic, clinical symptom and other trauma factors. Posttraumatic stress disorder Avoidance was positively associated with N170 peak amplitudes for non-conscious fear-versus-happy faces, primarily due to reduced N170 responsivity to happy faces.

CONCLUSION

Childhood interpersonal trauma exposure is associated with reduced discrimination between fear and happy faces, while avoidance symptom severity is associated with dampened responsivity to automatically processed happy faces in posttraumatic stress disorder adults. Results are discussed in terms of the likely contributions of impaired threat discrimination and deficient reward processing during neural processing of salient emotion stimuli, to increased risks of posttraumatic stress disorder onset and chronicity in childhood interpersonal trauma-exposed adults.

Differential executive functioning in young adulthood as a function of experienced child abuse

INTRODUCTION

Previous research has shown cognitive dysfunction in adults with a history of child abuse. The purpose of the present study was to measure differences that exist in executive functioning skills between individuals who have been abused as children versus those without the history of childhood abuse.

METHODS

The present study recruited 43 students from the University of North Dakota (33 women) between ages 18 and 23 years of age. The participants were administered several prescreening measures, including a measure of physical child abuse, emotional child abuse, and sexual child abuse. Based on responses to these measures, participants were grouped into a no-child-abuse group, a mild-child-abuse group, or a moderate-to-severe child abuse group. All participants were administered measures of executive functioning that included the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, the Operation Span Task, and the Connors Continuous Performance Task with a simultaneous recording of electroencephalographic activity using a wireless 9 channel EEG system.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant main effect of child abuse group (no child abuse vs. moderate-to-high child abuse) for the EEG-derived probability of cognitive workload during the OSPAN. Beta bandwidths for individuals in the drug abuse group, which served as a covariate, were also found to be significantly attenuated during the Connors CPT.

CONCLUSION

Individuals that have been abused as children must use significantly more mental effort to complete executive functioning tasks as compared to their non-abused counterparts. Increased neurological effort could be used to explain poor decision-making skills that are common within the population.

Oscillatory magnetic brain activity is related to dissociative symptoms and childhood adversities - A study in women with multiple trauma

BACKGROUND

Individuals with trauma-related disorders are complex and heterogeneous; part of this complexity derives from additional psychopathology like dissociation as well as environmental adversities such as traumatic stress, experienced throughout the lifespan. Understanding the neurophysiological abnormalities in Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) requires a simultaneous consideration of these factors.

METHODS

Resting state magnetoencephalography (MEG) recordings were obtained from 41 women with PTSD and comorbid depressive symptoms, and 16 healthy women. Oscillatory brain activity was extracted for five frequency bands and 11 source locations, and analyzed in relation to shutdown dissociation and adversity-related measures.

RESULTS

Dissociative symptoms were related to increased delta and lowered beta power. Adversity-related measures modulated theta and alpha oscillatory power (in particular childhood sexual abuse) and differed between patients and controls.

LIMITATIONS

Findings are based on women with comorbid depressive symptoms and therefore may not be applicable for men or groups with other clinical profiles. In respect to childhood adversities, we had no reliable source for the early infancy.

CONCLUSION

Trauma-related abnormalities in neural organization vary with both exposure to adversities as well as their potential to evoke ongoing shutdown responses.

Socio-emotionally significant experience and children's processing of irrelevant auditory stimuli

Theory and research indicate considerable influence of socio-emotionally significant experiences on children's functioning and adaptation. In the current study, we examined neurophysiological correlates of children's allocation of information processing resources to socio-emotionally significant events, specifically, simulated marital interactions. We presented 9- to 11-year-old children (n=24; 11 females) with 15 videos of interactions between two actors posing as a married couple. Task-irrelevant brief auditory probes were presented during the videos, and event-related potentials (ERPs) elicited to the auditory probes were measured. As hypothesized, exposure to higher levels of interparental conflict was associated with smaller P1, P2, and N2 ERPs to the probes. This finding is consistent with the idea that children who had been exposed to more interparental conflict attended more to the videos and diverted fewer cognitive resources to processing the probes, thereby producing smaller ERPs to the probes. In addition, smaller N2s were associated with more child behavior problems, suggesting that allocating fewer processing resources to the probes was associated with more problem behavior. Results are discussed in terms of implications of socio-emotionally significant experiences for children's processing of interpersonal interactions.

Altered Dynamic of EEG Oscillations in Fibromyalgia Patients at Rest

OBJECTIVE

Previous fMRI findings have shown that chronic pain patients display an altered activation and functional connectivity of the pain network. The aim of the present study was to analyze EEG dynamics in fibromyalgia patients (n = 20) and pain-free controls (n = 18) at rest.

METHODS

Spectral power density, source current density, and intra- and inter-hemispheric coherence were analyzed from 64 EEG channels during 5-minutes eyes-closed rest.

RESULTS

Results indicated that fibromyalgia patients displayed reduced power density of the delta EEG band (2-4 Hz) over right insula, right superior and middle temporal gyri as compared with pain-free controls. Fibromyalgia patients also exhibited greater power density than pain-free controls in two segments of the beta band (16-23 Hz and 23-30 Hz) over right middle frontal lobe and midcingulate gyrus. Pain duration in fibromyalgia patients was negatively correlated with delta power from right insula. Greater centro-parietal intra-hemispheric coherence was observed at the left hemisphere on theta (4-8 Hz), and beta-3 (23-30 Hz) frequency bands in fibromyalgia patients than in pain-free controls. Individual differences in depression, anxiety or negative affect did not account for these findings.

CONCLUSIONS

Fibromyalgia leads to an altered dynamic of the brain network involved in the processing of pain even at rest. Furthermore ,: our results provide further support for the feasibility of resting-state EEG analyses as a clinical biomarker for the characterization of chronic pain states.

Early Adverse Experiences and the Developing Brain

Children exposed to various forms of adversity early in life are at increased risk for a broad range of developmental difficulties, affecting both cognitive and emotional adjustment. We review a growing body of evidence suggesting that exposure to adverse circumstances affects the developing brain in ways that increase risk for a myriad of problems. We focus on two forms of adversity, one in which children are exposed to childhood maltreatment in family environments, and another in which children are exposed to extreme psychosocial deprivation in contexts of institutional rearing. We discuss ways in which each of these experiences represent violations of species-expected caregiving conditions, thereby imposing challenges to the developing brain. We also review emerging data pointing to the effectiveness of early intervention in remediating neurodevelopmental consequences associated with maltreatment or institutional rearing. We conclude by discussing implications of this work for public health efforts and highlight important directions for the field.

Psychophysiological Reactivity in Child Sexual Abuse

Sexual abuse has physiological and emotional implications. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the neurobiological sequels of childhood sexual trauma by monitoring physiological variables among sexually abused girls and women compared to controls. We assessed posttrauma and traumatic life events of 35 females sexually abused in their childhood (age range 7-51 years) and 25 control females (age range 7-54 years). Electroencephalography, frontalis electromyography, electrodermal activity, and heart rate parameters were recorded while watching sets of pictures representing neutral and trauma-suggestive stimuli. A minority of participants met the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Abused females displayed significant elevations in heart rate, electromyography, and electroencephalography while viewing allusive stimuli and elevated heart rate while viewing neutral stimuli. The dysfunctional regulation of the physiological stress system associated with child sexual abuse may endanger the victims with various stress and anxiety disorders.

Measuring the plasticity of social approach: a randomized controlled trial of the effects of the PEERS intervention on EEG asymmetry in adolescents with autism spectrum disorders

This study examined whether the Program for the Education and Enrichment of Relational Skills (PEERS: Social skills for teenagers with developmental and autism spectrum disorders: The PEERS treatment manual, Routledge, New York, 2010a) affected neural function, via EEG asymmetry, in a randomized controlled trial of adolescents with Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and a group of typically developing adolescents. Adolescents with ASD in PEERS shifted from right-hemisphere gamma-band EEG asymmetry before PEERS to left-hemisphere EEG asymmetry after PEERS, versus a waitlist ASD group. Left-hemisphere EEG asymmetry was associated with more social contacts and knowledge, and fewer symptoms of autism. Adolescents with ASD in PEERS no longer differed from typically developing adolescents in left-dominant EEG asymmetry at post-test. These findings are discussed via the Modifier Model of Autism (Mundy et al. in Res Pract Persons Severe Disabl 32(2):124, 2007), with emphasis on remediating isolation/withdrawal in ASD.

Neurophysiological correlates of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing sessions: preliminary evidence for traumatic memories integration

We have investigated the potential role of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in enhancing the integration of traumatic memories by measuring EEG coherence, power spectra and autonomic variables before (pre-EMDR) and after (post-EMDR) EMDR sessions during the recall of patient's traumatic memory. Thirteen EMDR sessions of six patients with post-traumatic stress disorder were recorded. EEG analyses were conducted by means of the standardized Low Resolution Electric Tomography (sLORETA) software. Power spectra, EEG coherence and heart rate variability (HRV) were compared between pre- and post-EMDR sessions. After EMDR, we observed a significant increase of alpha power in the left inferior temporal gyrus (T = 3.879; P = 0.041) and an increased EEG coherence in beta band between C3 and T5 electrodes (T = 6.358; P < 0.001). Furthermore, a significant increase of HRV in the post-EMDR sessions was also observed (pre-EMDR: 6.38 ± 6.83; post-EMDR: 2.46 ± 2.95; U-Test = 45, P = 0.043). Finally, the values of lagged coherence were negatively associated with subjective units of disturbance (r(24) = -0.44, P < 0.05) and positively associated with parasympathetic activity (r(24) = 0.40, P < 0.05). Our results suggest that EMDR leads to an integration of dissociated aspects of traumatic memories and, consequently, a decrease of hyperarousal symptoms [Correction made here after initial publication].

Memories of attachment hamper EEG cortical connectivity in dissociative patients

In this study, we evaluated cortical connectivity modifications by electroencephalography (EEG) lagged coherence analysis, in subjects with dissociative disorders and in controls, after retrieval of attachment memories. We asked thirteen patients with dissociative disorders and thirteen age- and sex-matched healthy controls to retrieve personal attachment-related autobiographical memories through adult attachment interviews (AAI). EEG was recorded in the closed eyes resting state before and after the AAI. EEG lagged coherence before and after AAI was compared in all subjects. In the control group, memories of attachment promoted a widespread increase in EEG connectivity, in particular in the high-frequency EEG bands. Compared to controls, dissociative patients did not show an increase in EEG connectivity after the AAI. Conclusions: These results shed light on the neurophysiology of the disintegrative effect of retrieval of traumatic attachment memories in dissociative patients.

Rhythms, rhythmicity and aggression

The relationships between biological rhythms and human aggressive behavior are addressed and discussed in this article: First, circadian rhythms and aggression are considered. Studies of sleep/waking cycle disturbances in aggression are reported. Severe aggression is associated with profound changes in sleep architecture. Causal link is difficult to establish given that sleep disturbance and aggressive behavior could be the symptoms of the same disorder. Specific aggressive behavior developed during sleep is also described. In addition, hormonal circadian rhythm studies are reported. Thus, low cortisol levels, in particular low cortisol variability, are associated with aggressive behavior, suggesting an inhibitory role of cortisol. Testosterone has daily and seasonal fluctuations, but no link with aggression has been established. Neurophysiological underlying mechanisms are discussed in the last part of this article, with a focus on the relationship between brain rhythm and aggression. Increase of slow-wave EEG activities is observed in individuals with aggressive behavior. Epilepsy, as a disease of brain rhythm could be associated with aggressive behavior, in pre, post and inter ictal periodes. Incidence of aggression is not likely more prevalent in epileptic individuals compared to those with other neurological conditions. Ictal changes take the form of profound behavioral changes, including aggressive behavior which has been interpreted as the emergence of "archeical" or innate motor patterns. In this multidisciplinary approach, the main difficulty is the categorization of the differents types of aggression. Finally, taken together, these studies suggest that biological rhythms, especially circadian rhythms, could provide therapeutic benefits to human aggressive behavior. Biological rhythymicity seems to be a necessary permanent training offering interesting perspectives for the adaptation to changes in the field of aggression.

Alterations in neural processing and psychopathology in children raised in institutions

CONTEXT

Young children raised in institutional settings experience severe deprivation in social, emotional, and cognitive stimulation. Although this deprivation is likely to disrupt brain development in ways that increase the risk for psychopathology, neurodevelopmental mechanisms linking adverse early environments to psychopathology remain poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether abnormalities in the neural processing of facial and emotional stimuli are related to the high rates of psychopathology observed among institutionally reared children.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

Data were drawn from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a cohort of children raised in institutions in Romania and an age-matched sample of community control subjects. At entry to the study (mean age, 22 months), event-related potentials were used to measure neural processing in 2 tasks: familiar and unfamiliar faces (n=114) and facial displays of emotion (n=74).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Psychiatric symptoms were assessed using the Preschool Age Psychiatric Assessment among children aged 54 months.

RESULTS

As previously reported, institutionally reared children had elevated symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, depression, and disruptive behavior compared with control children, and peak amplitudes of the P100 and P700 in response to facial stimuli were blunted among institutionalized children compared with community children in both tasks. Current analyses reveal that children with reduced P100 and P700 amplitudes in response to facial stimuli exhibited higher levels of ADHD and anxiety symptoms. Peak amplitude of the P700 in response to facial stimuli significantly mediated the association between institutional rearing and ADHD symptoms at 54 months.

CONCLUSION

Exposure to institutional rearing disrupts the P700, conferring risk for the onset of psychopathology. The high levels of ADHD symptoms among children exposed to early life deprivation may be attributable, in part, to abnormal patterns of neurodevelopment generated by these adverse rearing environments.

Neuroimaging of child abuse: a critical review

Childhood maltreatment is a stressor that can lead to the development of behavior problems and affect brain structure and function. This review summarizes the current evidence for the effects of childhood maltreatment on behavior, cognition and the brain in adults and children. Neuropsychological studies suggest an association between child abuse and deficits in IQ, memory, working memory, attention, response inhibition and emotion discrimination. Structural neuroimaging studies provide evidence for deficits in brain volume, gray and white matter of several regions, most prominently the dorsolateral and ventromedial prefrontal cortex but also hippocampus, amygdala, and corpus callosum (CC). Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) studies show evidence for deficits in structural interregional connectivity between these areas, suggesting neural network abnormalities. Functional imaging studies support this evidence by reporting atypical activation in the same brain regions during response inhibition, working memory, and emotion processing. There are, however, several limitations of the abuse research literature which are discussed, most prominently the lack of control for co-morbid psychiatric disorders, which make it difficult to disentangle which of the above effects are due to maltreatment, the associated psychiatric conditions or a combination or interaction between both. Overall, the better controlled studies that show a direct correlation between childhood abuse and brain measures suggest that the most prominent deficits associated with early childhood abuse are in the function and structure of lateral and ventromedial fronto-limbic brain areas and networks that mediate behavioral and affect control. Future, large scale multimodal neuroimaging studies in medication-naïve subjects, however, are needed that control for psychiatric co-morbidities in order to elucidate the structural and functional brain sequelae that are associated with early environmental adversity, independently of secondary co-morbid conditions.

Violence Exposure and the Development of School-Related Functioning: Mental Health, Neurocognition, and Learning

The relation between history of violence exposure and the development of academic and mental health problems is explored. Violence exposed children have an increased risk of developing school-related problems including: mental health problems, learning disabilities, language impairments, and other neurocognitive problems. These problems interact to create a complex web of deficits and disabilities where intervention access points are difficult to assess. Often mental health problems and academic problems develop in parallel. Timing of violence exposure and the developmental stage of the child during exposure complicate our understanding of the underlying mechanism. A model is presented that explores pathways linking violence exposure to aspects of school-related functioning, both academically and behaviorally. Early life stress, in the form of violence exposure, is related to neurocognitive deficits, including executive functioning and problems in self-regulation. Deficits in self-regulation at the level of behavior, and cognitive control and executive functioning, at the level of brain processing, are related to both academic and mental health problems, suggesting a possible psychological mechanism. Biological mechanisms are also included in the model to illustrate the contribution of the stress response, neuroendocrine system response, and neuroanatomical structural and functional impairments associated with violence exposure.

Synergistic roles for G-protein γ3 and γ7 subtypes in seizure susceptibility as revealed in double knock-out mice

The functions of different G-protein αβγ subunit combinations are traditionally ascribed to their various α components. However, the discovery of similarly diverse γ subtypes raises the possibility that they may also contribute to specificity. To test this possibility, we used a gene targeting approach to determine whether the closely related γ(3) and γ(7) subunits can perform functionally interchangeable roles in mice. In contrast to single knock-out mice that show normal survival, Gng3(-/-)Gng7(-/-) double knock-out mice display a progressive seizure disorder that dramatically reduces their median life span to only 75 days. Biochemical analyses reveal that the severe phenotype is not due to redundant roles for the two γ subunits in the same signaling pathway but rather is attributed to their unique actions in different signaling pathways. The results suggest that the γ(3) subunit is a component of a G(i/o) protein that is required for γ-aminobutyric acid, type B, receptor-regulated neuronal excitability, whereas the γ(7) subunit is a component of a G(olf) protein that is responsible for A(2A) adenosine or D(1) dopamine receptor-induced neuro-protective response. The development of this mouse model offers a novel experimental framework for exploring how signaling pathways integrate to produce normal brain function and how their combined dysfunction leads to spontaneous seizures and premature death. The results underscore the critical role of the γ subunit in this process.

The relation of violence exposure and ethnicity to intelligence and verbal-performance discrepancies in incarcerated male adolescents

Incarcerated populations have an estimated incidence of intellectual disabilities (IDs) far higher than national norms, ranging as high as 10%. In the present study, the relation between ID and violence exposure in 115 incarcerated adolescents was examined. Interpersonal violence exposure (IPV-E) predicted an average decrease in full scale IQ of 4.5 points, explaining approximately 5% of the difference in IQ. Child maltreatment increased the odds of having a verbal disability by three folds and explained 17% of the variance in verbal disability. Hierarchical regression was used to examine the relative contribution of ethnicity, poverty, and violence exposure to intellectual functioning. The literature on racial bias in incarceration and the implications for the present study are discussed.