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Martinez M, Cai T, Yang B, Zhou Z, Shankman SA, Mittal VA, Haase CM, Qu Y. Depressive symptoms during the transition to adolescence: Left hippocampal volume as a marker of social context sensitivity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2321965121. [PMID: 39226358 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2321965121] [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: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The transition to adolescence is a critical period for mental health development. Socio-experiential environments play an important role in the emergence of depressive symptoms with some adolescents showing more sensitivity to social contexts than others. Drawing on recent developmental neuroscience advances, we examined whether hippocampal volume amplifies social context effects in the transition to adolescence. We analyzed 2-y longitudinal data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD®) study in a diverse sample of 11,832 youth (mean age: 9.914 y; range: 8.917 to 11.083 y; 47.8% girls) from 21 sites across the United States. Socio-experiential environments (i.e., family conflict, primary caregiver's depressive symptoms, parental warmth, peer victimization, and prosocial school environment), hippocampal volume, and a wide range of demographic characteristics were measured at baseline. Youth's symptoms of major depressive disorder were assessed at both baseline and 2 y later. Multilevel mixed-effects linear regression analyses showed that negative social environments (i.e., family conflict, primary caregiver's depressive symptoms, and peer victimization) and the absence of positive social environments (i.e., parental warmth and prosocial school environment) predicted greater increases in youth's depressive symptoms over 2 y. Importantly, left hippocampal volume amplified social context effects such that youth with larger left hippocampal volume experienced greater increases in depressive symptoms in more negative and less positive social environments. Consistent with brain-environment interaction models of mental health, these findings underscore the importance of families, peers, and schools in the development of depression during the transition to adolescence and show how neural structure amplifies social context sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matias Martinez
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Tianying Cai
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, Minneapolis, MN 55455
| | - Beiming Yang
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
| | - Zexi Zhou
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712
| | - Stewart A Shankman
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Vijay A Mittal
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
| | - Claudia M Haase
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Psychiatry, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60611
- Buffett Institute for Global Studies, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60201
| | - Yang Qu
- School of Education and Social Policy, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611
- Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208
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Aberizk K, Addington JM, Bearden CE, Cadenhead KS, Cannon TD, Cornblatt BA, Keshavan M, Mathalon DH, Perkins DO, Stone WS, Tsuang MT, Woods SW, Walker EF, Ku BS. Relations of Lifetime Perceived Stress and Basal Cortisol With Hippocampal Volume Among Healthy Adolescents and Those at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:401-411. [PMID: 38092185 PMCID: PMC11166888 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.11.027] [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: 06/29/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hippocampal volume (HV) is sensitive to environmental influences. Under normative conditions in humans, HV increases linearly into childhood and asymptotes in early adulthood. Studies of humans and nonhuman animals have provided evidence of inverse relationships between several measures of stress and HV. METHODS Using structural equation modeling, this study aimed to characterize the relationships of age, basal cortisol, biological sex, and lifetime perceived stress with bilateral HV in a sample of healthy adolescents and adolescents at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHR-P) (N = 571, 43% female; age range = 12-19.9 years). This sample included 469 individuals at CHR-P and 102 healthy comparison participants from the combined baseline cohorts of the second and third NAPLS (North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study). RESULTS A structural model that constrained the individual effects of basal cortisol and perceived stress to single path coefficients, and freely estimated the effects of age and biological sex in group models, optimized model fit and parsimony relative to other candidate models. Significant inverse relationships between basal cortisol and bilateral HV were observed in adolescents at CHR-P and healthy comparison participants. Significant sex differences in bilateral HV were also observed, with females demonstrating smaller HV than males in both groups. CONCLUSIONS Multigroup structural equation modeling revealed heterogeneity in the relationships of age and biological sex with basal cortisol, lifetime perceived stress, and bilateral HV in individuals at CHR-P and healthy comparison participants. Moreover, the findings support previous literature indicating that elevated basal cortisol is a nonspecific risk factor for reduced HV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Aberizk
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
| | - Jean M Addington
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Carrie E Bearden
- Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Departments of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, California
| | | | - Tyrone D Cannon
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Matcheri Keshavan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel H Mathalon
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, California
| | - Diana O Perkins
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - William S Stone
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | - Ming T Tsuang
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, California
| | - Scott W Woods
- Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Elaine F Walker
- Department of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Benson S Ku
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
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Breslin FJ, Kerr KL, Ratliff EL, Cohen ZP, Simmons WK, Morris AS, Croff JM. Early Life Adversity Predicts Reduced Hippocampal Volume in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. J Adolesc Health 2024; 75:275-280. [PMID: 38878049 PMCID: PMC11264191 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2024.04.003] [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: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/19/2024]
Abstract
PURPOSE Cross-sectional studies in adults have demonstrated associations between early life adversity (ELA) and reduced hippocampal volume, but the timing of these effects is not clear. The present study sought to examine whether ELA predicts changes in hippocampal volume over time in a large sample of early adolescents. METHODS The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study provides a large dataset of tabulated neuroimaging, youth-reported adverse experiences, and parent-reported financial adversity from a sample of children around the United States. Linear mixed effects modeling was used to determine the relationship between ELA and hippocampal volume change within youth (n = 7036) from ages 9-10 to 11-12 years. RESULTS Results of the models indicated that the number of early adverse events predicted bilateral hippocampal volume change (β = -0.02, t = -2.02, p < .05). Higher adversity was associated with lower hippocampal volume at Baseline (t = 5.55, p < .01) and at Year 2 (t = 6.14, p < .001). DISCUSSION These findings suggest that ELA may affect hippocampal development during early adolescence. Prevention and early intervention are needed to alter the course of this trajectory. Future work should examine associations between ELA, hippocampal development, and educational and socioemotional outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence J Breslin
- Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Department of Rural Health, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma.
| | - Kara L Kerr
- Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
| | - Erin L Ratliff
- Department of Psychology, University of Marlyand, College Park, Maryland
| | - Zsofia P Cohen
- Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
| | - W Kyle Simmons
- Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma
| | - Amanda S Morris
- Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Department of Psychology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma
| | - Julie M Croff
- Hardesty Center for Clinical Research and Neuroscience, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Department of Rural Health, Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences, Tulsa, Oklahoma
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4
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Buthmann JL, Miller JG, Uy JP, Coury SM, Jo B, Gotlib IH. Early life stress predicts trajectories of emotional problems and hippocampal volume in adolescence. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2024; 33:2331-2342. [PMID: 38135803 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02331-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to early life stress (ELS) has been consistently associated with adverse emotional and neural consequences in youth. The development of brain structures such as the hippocampus, which plays a significant role in stress and emotion regulation, may be particularly salient in the development of psychopathology. Prior work has documented smaller hippocampal volume (HCV) in relation to both ELS exposure and risk for psychopathology. We used longitudinal k-means clustering to identify simultaneous trajectories of HCV and emotional problems in 155 youth across three assessments conducted approximately two years apart (mean baseline age = 11.33 years, 57% female). We also examined depressive symptoms and resilience approximately two years after the third timepoint. We identified three clusters of participants: a cluster with high HCV and low emotional problems; a cluster with low HCV and high emotional problems; and a cluster with low HCV and low emotional problems. Importantly, severity of ELS was associated with greater likelihood of belonging to the low HCV/high symptom cluster than to the low HCV/low symptom cluster. Further, low HCV/high symptom participants had more depressive symptoms and lower resilience scores than did participants in the low HCV/low symptom, but not than in the high HCV/low symptom cluster. Our findings suggest that smaller HCV indexes biological sensitivity to stress. This adds to our understanding of the ways in which ELS can affect hippocampal and emotional development in young people and points to hippocampal volume as a marker of susceptibility to context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica L Buthmann
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA.
| | - Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jessica P Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Saché M Coury
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Booil Jo
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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5
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Gotlib IH, Buthmann JL, Uy JP. The growing interdisciplinarity of developmental psychopathology: Implications for science and training. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-11. [PMID: 38516854 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2024]
Abstract
The field of developmental psychopathology has grown exponentially over the past decades, and has become increasingly multifaceted. The initial focus on understanding abnormal child psychology has broadened to the study of the origins of psychopathology, with the goals of preventing and alleviating disorder and promoting healthy development. In this paper, we discuss how technological advances and global events have expanded the questions that researchers in developmental psychopathology can address. We do so by describing a longitudinal study that we have been conducting for the past dozen years. We originally planned to examine the effects of early adversity on trajectories of brain development, endocrine function, and depressive symptoms across puberty; it has since become an interdisciplinary study encompassing diverse domains like inflammation, sleep, biological aging, the environment, and child functioning post-pandemic, that we believe will advance our understanding of neurobehavioral development. This increase in the breadth in our study emerged from an expansion of the field; we encourage researchers to embrace these dynamic changes. In this context, we discuss challenges, opportunities, and institutional changes related to the growing interdisciplinarity of the field with respect to training the next generation of investigators to mitigate the burden of mental illness in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Jessica P Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
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6
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Burenkova OV, Naumova OY, Church JA, Juranek J, Fletcher JM, Grigorenko EL. Associations between telomere length, glucocorticoid receptor gene DNA methylation, volume of stress-related brain structures, and academic performance in middle-school-age children. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2024; 17:100223. [PMID: 38223236 PMCID: PMC10787263 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Background The biological embedding theory posits that early life experiences can lead to enduring physiological and molecular changes impacting various life outcomes, notably academic performance. Studying previously revealed and objective biomarkers of early life stress exposure, such as telomere length (TL), glucocorticoid receptor gene DNA methylation (DNAme), and the volume of brain structures involved in the regulation of HPA axis functioning (the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the medial prefrontal cortex), in relation to academic performance is crucial. This approach provides an objective measure that surpasses the limitations of self-reported early life adversity and reveals potential molecular and neurological targets for interventions to enhance academic outcomes. Methods The participants were 52 children of Mexican or Central American origin aged 11.6-15.6 years. DNA methylation levels and TL were analyzed in three cell sources: saliva, whole blood, and T cells derived from whole blood. Results Overall, the concordance across three systems of stress-related biomarkers (TL, DNAme, and the brain) was observed to some extent, although it was less pronounced than we expected; no consistency in different cell sources was revealed. Each of the academic domains that we studied was characterized by a unique and distinct complex of associations with biomarkers, both in terms of the type of biomarker, the directionality of the observed effects, and the cell source of biomarkers. Furthermore, there were biomarker-by-sex interaction effects in predicting academic performance measures. Conclusions Assessed in an understudied youth sample, these preliminary data present new essential evidence for a deepened understanding of the biological mechanisms behind associations between exposure to early life stress and academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V. Burenkova
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES), The University of Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Oksana Yu. Naumova
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES), The University of Houston, Texas, United States
- Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Jessica A. Church
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas, United States
| | - Jenifer Juranek
- Department of Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Texas, United States
| | - Jack M. Fletcher
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Elena L. Grigorenko
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics (TIMES), The University of Houston, Texas, United States
- Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sirius, Russian Federation
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7
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Varghese N, Buergin D, Boonmann C, Stadler C, Schmid M, Eckert A, Unternaehrer E. Interplay between stress, sleep, and BDNF in a high-risk sample of young adults. Sci Rep 2023; 13:20524. [PMID: 37993570 PMCID: PMC10665413 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-47726-0] [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: 07/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Children in institutional care have a high risk to experience childhood adversities (CAs), with consequences for physical and mental well-being. The long-term effects of CAs on the brain, including consequences for neuronal plasticity and sleep, are poorly understood. This study examined the interplay between stress (including CAs), sleep, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a prominent marker for neuronal plasticity. Participants (N = 131, mean age = 26.3±3.4 years, 40 females) with residential youth-care history completed questionnaires measuring CAs (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, CTQ), psychological well-being (World Health Organization-Five Well-Being Index, WHO-5), and sleep disturbances (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Inventory, PSQI). Hair cortisol and serum BDNF concentration were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. The analyses were conducted by using bootstrap regression models. There was no association of stress parameters or sleep with BDNF concentration. However, we found a significant association of CAs and well-being with sleep disturbances. Last, we found an association between CAs and BDNF in sleep-healthy but not sleep-disturbed participants. Our findings indicated a role of sleep disturbance in the association between stress and BDNF. Still, further studies are warranted using vulnerable groups at-risk to understand long-term effects on mental health and sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nimmy Varghese
- Research Cluster, Molecular & Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Neurobiology, University of Basel, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
- Neurobiology Lab for Brain Aging and Mental Health, Medical Faculty, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - David Buergin
- Child and Adolescent Research Department, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Cyril Boonmann
- Child and Adolescent Research Department, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
- LUMC-Curium - Department of Child of Adolescent Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Christina Stadler
- Child and Adolescent Research Department, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Schmid
- Child and Adolescent Research Department, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Anne Eckert
- Research Cluster, Molecular & Cognitive Neuroscience, Division of Neurobiology, University of Basel, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
- Neurobiology Lab for Brain Aging and Mental Health, Medical Faculty, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Eva Unternaehrer
- Child and Adolescent Research Department, University Psychiatric Clinics Basel (UPK), University of Basel, Wilhelm Klein-Strasse 27, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.
- Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
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8
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Kohn BH, Cui Z, Candelaria MA, Buckingham-Howes S, Black MM, Riggins T. Early emotional caregiving environment and associations with memory performance and hippocampal volume in adolescents with prenatal drug exposure. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 17:1238172. [PMID: 38074523 PMCID: PMC10699310 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2023.1238172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Early adversities, including prenatal drug exposure (PDE) and a negative postnatal emotional caregiving environment, impact children's long-term development. The protracted developmental course of memory and its underlying neural systems offer a valuable framework for understanding the longitudinal associations of pre- and postnatal factors on children with PDE. This study longitudinally examines memory and hippocampal development in 69 parent-child dyads to investigate how the early caregiving emotional environment affects children with PDE's neural and cognitive systems. Measures of physical health, drug exposure, caregiver stress, depression, and distress were collected between 0 and 24 months At age 14 years, adolescents completed multiple measures of episodic memory, and at ages 14 and 18 years, adolescents underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. Latent constructs of episodic memory and the caregiving environment were created using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Multiple regressions revealed a negative emotional caregiving environment during infancy was associated with poor memory performance and smaller left hippocampal volumes at 14 years. Better memory performance at 14 years predicted larger right hippocampal volume at 18 years. At 18 years, the association between the emotional caregiving environment and hippocampal volume was moderated by sex, such that a negative emotional caregiving environment was associated with larger left hippocampal volumes in males but not females. Findings suggest that the postnatal caregiving environment may modulate the effects of PDE across development, influencing neurocognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke H. Kohn
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Zehua Cui
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Margo A. Candelaria
- Institute for Innovation and Implementation, University of Maryland School of Social Work, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Maureen M. Black
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- RTI International, Research Triangle Part, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, United States
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9
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Minjoz S, Sinniger V, Hot P, Bonaz B, Pellissier S. The burden of early life stress in chronic inflammatory bowel diseases. J Health Psychol 2023; 28:1204-1216. [PMID: 37203800 DOI: 10.1177/13591053231173918] [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] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of early life stress (ELS) in a population with inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to estimate its burden on mental, physical, and digestive health. Ninety-three participants with IBD were asked to anonymously complete questionnaires (Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form, Early Life Event Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Ways of Coping Checklist, Gastro-Intestinal Quality of Life Index questionnaire, and ad hoc questions about symptoms). The prevalence of patients with IBD who were exposed to at least one childhood abuse was 53%. Mental health and quality of life were significantly poorer in patients with IBD who were exposed to early abuse than in those who were not. Patients exposed to ELS had also more digestive perturbations and fatigue. These results suggest that early abuse should be considered a component of IBD care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Séphora Minjoz
- Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Université Grenoble Alpes, LIP/PC2S, France
- Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Université Grenoble Alpes, LPNC, France
| | - Valérie Sinniger
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, France
| | - Pascal Hot
- Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Université Grenoble Alpes, LPNC, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, France
| | - Bruno Bonaz
- Université Grenoble Alpes, Inserm, U1216, CHU Grenoble Alpes, France
| | - Sonia Pellissier
- Université Savoie Mont Blanc, Université Grenoble Alpes, LIP/PC2S, France
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10
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Bakoyiannis I, Ducourneau EG, Parkes SL, Ferreira G. Pathway specific interventions reveal the multiple roles of ventral hippocampus projections in cognitive functions. Rev Neurosci 2023; 34:825-838. [PMID: 37192533 DOI: 10.1515/revneuro-2023-0009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Since the 1950s study of Scoville and Milner on the case H.M., the hippocampus has attracted neuroscientists' attention. The hippocampus has been traditionally divided into dorsal and ventral parts, each of which projects to different brain structures and mediates various functions. Despite a predominant interest in its dorsal part in animal models, especially regarding episodic-like and spatial cognition, recent data highlight the role of the ventral hippocampus (vHPC), as the main hippocampal output, in cognitive processes. Here, we review recent studies conducted in rodents that have used advanced in vivo functional techniques to specifically monitor and manipulate vHPC efferent pathways and delineate the roles of these specific projections in learning and memory processes. Results highlight that vHPC projections to basal amygdala are implicated in emotional memory, to nucleus accumbens in social memory and instrumental actions and to prefrontal cortex in all the above as well as in object-based memory. Some of these hippocampal projections also modulate feeding and anxiety-like behaviours providing further evidence that the "one pathway-one function" view is outdated and future directions are proposed to better understand the role of hippocampal pathways and shed further light on its connectivity and function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis Bakoyiannis
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, F-33077 Bordeaux, France
| | - Eva-Gunnel Ducourneau
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, F-33077 Bordeaux, France
| | - Shauna L Parkes
- University of Bordeaux, CNRS, INCIA, UMR 5287, F-33000 Bordeaux, France
| | - Guillaume Ferreira
- University of Bordeaux, INRAE, Bordeaux INP, NutriNeuro, UMR 1286, F-33077 Bordeaux, France
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11
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Canada KL, Homayouni R, Yu Q, Foster DJ, Ramesh S, Raz S, Daugherty AM, Ofen N. Household socioeconomic status relates to specific hippocampal subfield volumes across development. Hippocampus 2023; 33:1067-1072. [PMID: 37132590 PMCID: PMC10524471 DOI: 10.1002/hipo.23542] [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: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus is composed of cytoarchitecturally distinct subfields that support specific memory functions. Variations in total hippocampal volume across development have been linked to socioeconomic status (SES), a proxy for access to material resources, medical care, and quality education. High childhood household SES is associated with greater cognitive abilities in adulthood. Currently, it is not known whether household SES differentially impacts specific hippocampal subfield volumes. We assessed susceptibility of subfields to variations in household SES across development in a sample of 167 typically developing 5- to 25-year-old. Bilateral cornu ammonis (CA) 1-2, combined CA3-dentate gyrus (DG), and subiculum (Sub) volumes were measured by highly reliable manual segmentation of high-resolution T2-weighted images and adjusted for intracranial volume. A summary component score of SES measures (paternal education, maternal education, and income-to-needs ratio) was used to examine variability in volumes across ages. We did not identify age-related differences in any of the regional volumes, nor did age modify SES-related effects. Controlling for age, larger volumes of CA3-DG and CA1-2 were associated with lower SES, while Sub volume was not. Overall, these findings support the specific impact of SES on CA3-DG and CA1-2 and highlight the importance of considering environmental influences on hippocampal subfield development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Roya Homayouni
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Qijing Yu
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Da’ Jonae Foster
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Sruthi Ramesh
- Current address: NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Sarah Raz
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Ana M. Daugherty
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Noa Ofen
- Institute of Gerontology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Department of Psychology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- Merrill Palmer Skillman Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
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12
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Ojha A, Teresi GI, Slavich GM, Gotlib IH, Ho TC. Social threat, fronto-cingulate-limbic morphometry, and symptom course in depressed adolescents: a longitudinal investigation. Psychol Med 2023; 53:5203-5217. [PMID: 36117278 PMCID: PMC10024647 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722002239] [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: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychosocial stressors characterized by social threat, such as interpersonal loss and social rejection, are associated with depression in adolescents. Few studies, however, have examined whether social threat affects fronto-cingulate-limbic systems implicated in adolescent depression. METHODS We assessed lifetime stressor severity across several domains using the Stress and Adversity Inventory (STRAIN) in 57 depressed adolescents (16.15 ± 1.32 years, 34 females), and examined whether the severity of social threat and non-social threat stressors was associated with gray matter volumes (GMVs) in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), amygdala, hippocampus, and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). We also examined how lifetime social threat severity and GMVs in these regions related to depressive symptoms at baseline and over 9 months. RESULTS General stressor severity was related to greater depression severity at baseline and over 9 months. Moreover, greater severity of social threat (but not non-social threat) stressors was associated with smaller bilateral amygdala and NAcc GMVs, and smaller bilateral surface areas of caudal and rostral ACC (all pFDR ⩽ 0.048). However, neither social threat nor non-social threat stressor severity was related to hippocampal GMVs (all pFDR ⩾ 0.318). All fronto-cingulate-limbic structures that were associated with the severity of social threat were negatively associated with greater depression severity over 9 months (all pFDR ⩽ 0.014). Post-hoc analyses suggested that gray matter morphometry of bilateral amygdala, NAcc, and rostral and caudal ACC mediated the association between social threat and depression severity in adolescents over 9 months (all pFDR < 0.048). CONCLUSIONS Social threat specifically affects fronto-cingulate-limbic pathways that contribute to the maintenance of depression in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amar Ojha
- Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Neural Basis of Cognition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Giana I. Teresi
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - George M. Slavich
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Tiffany C. Ho
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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13
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Bigio B, Sagi Y, Barnhill O, Dobbin J, El Shahawy O, de Angelis P, Nasca C. Epigenetic embedding of childhood adversity: mitochondrial metabolism and neurobiology of stress-related CNS diseases. Front Mol Neurosci 2023; 16:1183184. [PMID: 37564785 PMCID: PMC10411541 DOI: 10.3389/fnmol.2023.1183184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This invited article ad memoriam of Bruce McEwen discusses emerging epigenetic mechanisms underlying the long and winding road from adverse childhood experiences to adult physiology and brain functions. The conceptual framework that we pursue suggest multidimensional biological pathways for the rapid regulation of neuroplasticity that utilize rapid non-genomic mechanisms of epigenetic programming of gene expression and modulation of metabolic function via mitochondrial metabolism. The current article also highlights how applying computational tools can foster the translation of basic neuroscience discoveries for the development of novel treatment models for mental illnesses, such as depression to slow the clinical manifestation of Alzheimer's disease. Citing an expression that many of us heard from Bruce, while "It is not possible to roll back the clock," deeper understanding of the biological pathways and mechanisms through which stress produces a lifelong vulnerability to altered mitochondrial metabolism can provide a path for compensatory neuroplasticity. The newest findings emerging from this mechanistic framework are among the latest topics we had the good fortune to discuss with Bruce the day before his sudden illness when walking to a restaurant in a surprisingly warm evening that preluded the snowstorm on December 18th, 2019. With this article, we wish to celebrate Bruce's untouched love for Neuroscience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Bigio
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Yotam Sagi
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
| | - Olivia Barnhill
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Josh Dobbin
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Omar El Shahawy
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
| | - Paolo de Angelis
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Carla Nasca
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Dementia Research, Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, NY, United States
- Harold and Margaret Milliken Hatch Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Neuroscience and Physiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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14
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Goltermann J, Winter NR, Meinert S, Sindermann L, Lemke H, Leehr EJ, Grotegerd D, Winter A, Thiel K, Waltemate L, Breuer F, Repple J, Gruber M, Richter M, Teckentrup V, Kroemer NB, Brosch K, Meller T, Pfarr JK, Ringwald KG, Stein F, Heindel W, Jansen A, Kircher T, Nenadić I, Dannlowski U, Opel N, Hahn T. Resting-state functional connectivity patterns associated with childhood maltreatment in a large bicentric cohort of adults with and without major depression. Psychol Med 2023; 53:4720-4731. [PMID: 35754405 PMCID: PMC10388325 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291722001623] [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: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood maltreatment (CM) represents a potent risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD), including poorer treatment response. Altered resting-state connectivity in the fronto-limbic system has been reported in maltreated individuals. However, previous results in smaller samples differ largely regarding localization and direction of effects. METHODS We included healthy and depressed samples [n = 624 participants with MDD; n = 701 healthy control (HC) participants] that underwent resting-state functional MRI measurements and provided retrospective self-reports of maltreatment using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. A-priori defined regions of interest [ROI; amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)] were used to calculate seed-to-voxel connectivities. RESULTS No significant associations between maltreatment and resting-state connectivity of any ROI were found across MDD and HC participants and no interaction effect with diagnosis became significant. Investigating MDD patients only yielded maltreatment-associated increased connectivity between the amygdala and dorsolateral frontal areas [pFDR < 0.001; η2partial = 0.050; 95%-CI (0.023-0.085)]. This effect was robust across various sensitivity analyses and was associated with concurrent and previous symptom severity. Particularly strong amygdala-frontal associations with maltreatment were observed in acutely depressed individuals [n = 264; pFDR < 0.001; η2partial = 0.091; 95%-CI (0.038-0.166)). Weaker evidence - not surviving correction for multiple ROI analyses - was found for altered supracallosal ACC connectivity in HC individuals associated with maltreatment. CONCLUSIONS The majority of previous resting-state connectivity correlates of CM could not be replicated in this large-scale study. The strongest evidence was found for clinically relevant maltreatment associations with altered adult amygdala-dorsolateral frontal connectivity in depression. Future studies should explore the relevance of this pathway for a maltreated subgroup of MDD patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janik Goltermann
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils Ralf Winter
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Susanne Meinert
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Münster, Germany
| | - Lisa Sindermann
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Hannah Lemke
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Elisabeth J. Leehr
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Dominik Grotegerd
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Alexandra Winter
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Katharina Thiel
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Lena Waltemate
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Fabian Breuer
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Jonathan Repple
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Marius Gruber
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Maike Richter
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Vanessa Teckentrup
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Nils B. Kroemer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Katharina Brosch
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tina Meller
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Frederike Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Walter Heindel
- University of Münster, Department of Clinical Radiology, Münster, Germany
| | - Andreas Jansen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Tilo Kircher
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Igor Nenadić
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
| | - Nils Opel
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
- University of Münster, Interdisciplinary Centre for Clinical Research (IZKF), Münster, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Jena University Hospital, Jena, Germany
| | - Tim Hahn
- University of Münster, Institute for Translational Psychiatry, Münster, Germany
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15
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van Drunen L, Toenders YJ, Wierenga LM, Crone EA. Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on structural brain development in early adolescence. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5600. [PMID: 37019914 PMCID: PMC10075168 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32754-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic caused a global health crisis with large behavioral effects and serious stress and social consequences. Particularly, teenagers suffered pandemic-related social restrictions including school closures. This study examined whether and how structural brain development was influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic and whether pandemic length was associated with accumulating or resilience effects of brain development. We investigated structural changes in social brain regions (medial prefrontal cortex: mPFC; temporoparietal junction: TPJ) as well as the stress-related hippocampus and amygdala, using a longitudinal design of 2 MRI waves. We selected two age-matched subgroups (9-13 years old), one was tested before (n = 114) and the other during (peri-pandemic group, n = 204) the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated that teenagers in the peri-pandemic group showed accelerated development in the mPFC and hippocampus compared to the before-pandemic group. Furthermore, TPJ growth showed immediate effects followed by possibly subsequent recovery effects that returned to a typical developmental pattern. No effects were observed for the amygdala. The findings of this region-of-interest study suggest that experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic measures had accelerating effects on hippocampus and mPFC development but the TPJ showed resilience to negative effects. Follow-up MRI assessments are needed to test acceleration and recovery effects over longer periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- L van Drunen
- Leiden Consortium of Individual Development (L-CID), 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - Y J Toenders
- Leiden Consortium of Individual Development (L-CID), 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Brain and Development Research Center, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
| | - L M Wierenga
- Leiden Consortium of Individual Development (L-CID), 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - E A Crone
- Leiden Consortium of Individual Development (L-CID), 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Social and Behavioral Sciences, Erasmus University Rotterdam, 3062 PA, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition (LIBC), 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
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16
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Ding X, Liang M, Song Q, Su W, Li N, Liu H, Wu Y, Guo X, Wang H, Zhang J, Qin Q, Sun L, Chen M, Sun Y. Development of psychological resilience and associations with emotional and behavioral health among preschool left-behind children. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2023; 58:467-476. [PMID: 35788881 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-022-02325-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This study aimed to explore the development of psychological resilience and its associations with emotional and behavioral health among preschool left-behind children (LBC). METHODS LBC in 26 preschools of Fuyang City, Hefei City, and Maanshan City of Anhui Province were included at baseline survey; and baseline children in the junior and middle classes of preschools as targeted samples were recruited for the 1-year follow-up. Multivariable linear regression models were performed to examine associations of psychological resilience with emotional and behavioral health. RESULTS In total, 1463 LBC were included at baseline and 568 of the 905 targeted LBC completed the 1-year follow-up. Change patterns of psychological resilience were identified as the stable-high pattern (19.0%), increasing pattern (18.3%), declining pattern (15.9%), and stable-low pattern (46.8%). The results showed that psychological resilience at baseline was positively associated with later dietary behavior habits and prosocial behaviors, and negatively associated with later problematic behaviors and sleep problems. In addition, children with the declining pattern had more problematic behaviors and sleep problems, and fewer prosocial behaviors at follow-up. Children with the increasing pattern and stable-high pattern had more prosocial behaviors, better dietary behavior habits, and fewer problematic behaviors and sleep problems at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS The majority of preschool LBC had lower psychological resilience and its level among some LBC changed during the follow-up. Higher psychological resilience was a protective factor for emotional and behavioral health. Timely assessing psychological resilience and then strengthening it are needed to promote the emotional and behavioral health of preschool LBC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiuxiu Ding
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Mingming Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Qiuxia Song
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Wanying Su
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Ning Li
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Haixia Liu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Yile Wu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Xianwei Guo
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Hao Wang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China
| | - Jian Zhang
- Department of Neonatology, Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital, Hefei, 230051, Anhui, China
| | - Qirong Qin
- Ma'anshan Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 243011, Ma'anshan, Anhui, China
| | - Liang Sun
- Fuyang Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fuyang, 236030, Anhui, China
| | - Mingchun Chen
- Changfeng Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Changfeng, 231100, Anhui, China
| | - Yehuan Sun
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, No. 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.
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17
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The times they are a-changin': a proposal on how brain flexibility goes beyond the obvious to include the concepts of "upward" and "downward" to neuroplasticity. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:977-992. [PMID: 36575306 PMCID: PMC10005965 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01931-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Since the brain was found to be somehow flexible, plastic, researchers worldwide have been trying to comprehend its fundamentals to better understand the brain itself, make predictions, disentangle the neurobiology of brain diseases, and finally propose up-to-date treatments. Neuroplasticity is simple as a concept, but extremely complex when it comes to its mechanisms. This review aims to bring to light an aspect about neuroplasticity that is often not given enough attention as it should, the fact that the brain's ability to change would include its ability to disconnect synapses. So, neuronal shrinkage, decrease in spine density or dendritic complexity should be included within the concept of neuroplasticity as part of its mechanisms, not as an impairment of it. To that end, we extensively describe a variety of studies involving topics such as neurodevelopment, aging, stress, memory and homeostatic plasticity to highlight how the weakening and disconnection of synapses organically permeate the brain in so many ways as a good practice of its intrinsic physiology. Therefore, we propose to break down neuroplasticity into two sub-concepts, "upward neuroplasticity" for changes related to synaptic construction and "downward neuroplasticity" for changes related to synaptic deconstruction. With these sub-concepts, neuroplasticity could be better understood from a bigger landscape as a vector in which both directions could be taken for the brain to flexibly adapt to certain demands. Such a paradigm shift would allow a better understanding of the concept of neuroplasticity to avoid any data interpretation bias, once it makes clear that there is no morality with regard to the organic and physiological changes that involve dynamic biological systems as seen in the brain.
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18
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Hiscox LV, Fairchild G, Donald KA, Groenewold NA, Koen N, Roos A, Narr KL, Lawrence M, Hoffman N, Wedderburn CJ, Barnett W, Zar HJ, Stein DJ, Halligan SL. Antenatal maternal intimate partner violence exposure is associated with sex-specific alterations in brain structure among young infants: Evidence from a South African birth cohort. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101210. [PMID: 36764039 PMCID: PMC9929680 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101210] [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: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal psychological distress during pregnancy has been linked to adverse outcomes in children with evidence of sex-specific effects on brain development. Here, we investigated whether in utero exposure to intimate partner violence (IPV), a particularly severe maternal stressor, is associated with brain structure in young infants from a South African birth cohort. Exposure to IPV during pregnancy was measured in 143 mothers at 28-32 weeks' gestation and infants underwent structural and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (mean age 3 weeks). Subcortical volumetric estimates were compared between IPV-exposed (n = 63; 52% female) and unexposed infants (n = 80; 48% female), with white matter microstructure also examined in a subsample (IPV-exposed, n = 28, 54% female; unexposed infants, n = 42, 40% female). In confound adjusted analyses, maternal IPV exposure was associated with sexually dimorphic effects in brain volumes: IPV exposure predicted a larger caudate nucleus among males but not females, and smaller amygdala among females but not males. Diffusivity alterations within white matter tracts of interest were evident in males, but not females exposed to IPV. Results were robust to the removal of mother-infant pairs with pregnancy complications. Further research is required to understand how these early alterations are linked to the sex-bias in neuropsychiatric outcomes later observed in IPV-exposed children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy V Hiscox
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK.
| | | | - Kirsten A Donald
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; The Neuroscience institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nynke A Groenewold
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; The Neuroscience institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nastassja Koen
- The Neuroscience institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Annerine Roos
- The Neuroscience institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Katherine L Narr
- Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Marina Lawrence
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nadia Hoffman
- Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Catherine J Wedderburn
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; The Neuroscience institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Whitney Barnett
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, USA
| | - Heather J Zar
- Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital and University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; SA MRC Unit on Child & Adolescent Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dan J Stein
- The Neuroscience institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; SA MRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sarah L Halligan
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK; Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Department of Psychiatry, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
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19
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Ben-Zion Z, Korem N, Spiller TR, Duek O, Keynan JN, Admon R, Harpaz-Rotem I, Liberzon I, Shalev AY, Hendler T. Longitudinal volumetric evaluation of hippocampus and amygdala subregions in recent trauma survivors. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:657-667. [PMID: 36280750 PMCID: PMC9918676 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-022-01842-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The hippocampus and the amygdala play a central role in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) pathogenesis. While alternations in volumes of both regions have been consistently observed in individuals with PTSD, it remains unknown whether these reflect pre-trauma vulnerability traits or acquired post-trauma consequences of the disorder. Here, we conducted a longitudinal panel study of adult civilian trauma survivors admitted to a general hospital emergency department (ED). One hundred eligible participants (mean age = 32.97 ± 10.97, n = 56 females) completed both clinical interviews and structural MRI scans at 1-, 6-, and 14-months after ED admission (alias T1, T2, and T3). While all participants met PTSD diagnosis at T1, only n = 29 still met PTSD diagnosis at T3 (a "non-Remission" Group), while n = 71 did not (a "Remission" Group). Bayesian multilevel modeling analysis showed robust evidence for smaller right hippocampus volume (P+ of ~0.014) and moderate evidence for larger left amygdala volume (P+ of ~0.870) at T1 in the "non-Remission" group, compared to the "Remission" group. Subregion analysis further demonstrated robust evidence for smaller volume in the subiculum and right CA1 hippocampal subregions (P+ of ~0.021-0.046) in the "non-Remission" group. No time-dependent volumetric changes (T1 to T2 to T3) were observed across all participants or between groups. Results support the "vulnerability trait" hypothesis, suggesting that lower initial volumes of specific hippocampus subregions are associated with non-remitting PTSD. The stable volume of all hippocampal and amygdala subregions does not support the idea of consequential, progressive, stress-related atrophy during the first critical year following trauma exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziv Ben-Zion
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.
- Sagol Brain Institute Tel Aviv, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
| | - Nachshon Korem
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tobias R Spiller
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Psychosomatic Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Or Duek
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jackob Nimrod Keynan
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Roee Admon
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
- The Integrated Brain and Behavior Research Center (IBBRC), University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ilan Harpaz-Rotem
- Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD, Clinical Neuroscience Division, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Wu Tsai Institute, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Texas A&M, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Arieh Y Shalev
- Department of Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY, USA
| | - Talma Hendler
- Sagol Brain Institute Tel Aviv, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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20
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van Grieken A, Luo J, Horrevorts EMB, Mieloo CL, Kruizinga I, Bannink R, Raat H. The longitudinal association between potential stressful life events and the risk of psychosocial problems in 3-year-old children. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1100261. [PMID: 37026130 PMCID: PMC10070685 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1100261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Experiencing certain potentially stressful life events can impact psychosocial well-being among school-aged children and adolescents. This study aims to evaluate the association between life events occurring before age 2 and risk of psychosocial problems at 3 years of age. Methods All parents invited for the regular well-child visit when their child was 2 years of age by the preventive Youth Health Care in the Rotterdam-Rijnmond area, the Netherlands, were invited to participate in this study. In total 2,305 parents completed the baseline questionnaire at child age 2-years; 1,540 parents completed the questionnaire at child age 3-years. The baseline questionnaire included a life events assessment (12 items), and tension caused by the event (range 0-3). At child age 3-years the questionnaire included the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) to assess risk of psychosocial problems. Logistic regression models were applied. Results In the current study 48.5% of families experienced ≥1 life event before child age 2 years. Divorce and problems in the relationship between the parents received the highest perceived severity score [respectively 2.1 (SD = 0.8) and 2.0 (SD = 0.7)]. Children experiencing ≥1 event before the age of 2 years were at higher risk of psychosocial problems at 3 years of age, compared to children that had experienced no life event (1-2 events OR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.09; 2.06, and >2 events OR = 2.55, 95%CI 1.64; 4.00, respectively). When life events caused high perceived levels of tension, there was also an association with an increased risk of psychosocial problems at age 3-years (OR = 2.03, 95%CI 1.43; 2.88). Conclusions Approximately half of children in our study experienced a potential stressful life event before the age of 2 years. Results suggest an association between experiencing a life event and risk of psychosocial problems at child age 3-years. These findings emphasize the need for child health care professionals to pay attention to life events taking place in the life of young children in order to provide appropriate support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy van Grieken
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
- *Correspondence: Amy van Grieken
| | - Jie Luo
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | | | - Cathelijne L. Mieloo
- Department of Transforming Youth Care, The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The Hague, Netherlands
| | - Ingrid Kruizinga
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Rienke Bannink
- Center for Youth and Family Rijnmond, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Hein Raat
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, Netherlands
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21
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The role of DNA methylation in progression of neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases as well as the prospect of using DNA methylation inhibitors as therapeutic agents for such disorders. IBRO Neurosci Rep 2022; 14:28-37. [PMID: 36590248 PMCID: PMC9794904 DOI: 10.1016/j.ibneur.2022.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Genome-wide studies related to neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases have pointed to the role of epigenetic changes such as DNA methylation, histone modification, and noncoding RNAs. DNA methylation machinery controls the dynamic regulation of methylation patterns in discrete brain regions. Objective This review aims to describe the role of DNA methylation in inhibiting and progressing neurological and neurodegenerative disorders and therapeutic approaches. Methods A Systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library was conducted for all qualified studies from 2000 to 2022. Results For the current need of time, we have focused on the DNA methylation role in neurological and neurodegenerative diseases and the expression of genes involved in neurodegeneration such as Alzheimer's, Depression, and Rett Syndrome. Finally, it appears that the various epigenetic changes do not occur separately and that DNA methylation and histone modification changes occur side by side and affect each other. We focused on the role of modification of DNA methylation in several genes associated with depression (NR3C1, NR3C2, CRHR1, SLC6A4, BDNF, and FKBP5), Rett syndrome (MECP2), Alzheimer's, depression (APP, BACE1, BIN1 or ANK1) and Parkinson's disease (SNCA), as well as the co-occurring modifications to histones and expression of non-coding RNAs. Understanding these epigenetic changes and their interactions will lead to better treatment strategies. Conclusion This review captures the state of understanding of the epigenetics of neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. With new epigenetic mechanisms and targets undoubtedly on the horizon, pharmacological modulation and regulation of epigenetic processes in the brain holds great promise for therapy.
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22
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Schaefer JD, Cheng TW, Dunn EC. Sensitive periods in development and risk for psychiatric disorders and related endpoints: a systematic review of child maltreatment findings. Lancet Psychiatry 2022; 9:978-991. [PMID: 36403600 PMCID: PMC10443538 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(22)00362-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Revised: 09/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Variation in the mental health of people who have experienced childhood maltreatment is substantial. One hypothesis is that this variation is attributable, in part, to the timing of maltreatment-specifically, whether maltreatment occurs during sensitive periods in development when the brain is maximally sensitive to particular types of environmental input. To determine whether there is scientific consensus around when periods of peak sensitivity occur, we did a systematic review of human observational studies. Although 89 (75%) of the 118 unique cross-sectional or longitudinal cohort studies we identified reported timing effects, no consistent sensitive periods were identified for any of the most studied outcomes. Thus, observational research on childhood maltreatment has yet to converge on a single period (or set of periods) of increased vulnerability. We identified study characteristics that might contribute to these between-study differences and used observations from our Review to suggest a comprehensive set of recommendations for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Theresa W. Cheng
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Erin C. Dunn
- Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Genetics Unit, Center for Genomic Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
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23
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Wesarg C, Van den Akker AL, Oei NY, Wiers RW, Staaks J, Thayer JF, Williams DP, Hoeve M. Childhood adversity and vagal regulation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 143:104920. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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24
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Binter AC, Kusters MSW, van den Dries MA, Alonso L, Lubczyńska MJ, Hoek G, White T, Iñiguez C, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Air pollution, white matter microstructure, and brain volumes: Periods of susceptibility from pregnancy to preadolescence. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 313:120109. [PMID: 36155148 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2022.120109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2022] [Revised: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Air pollution exposure during early-life is associated with altered brain development, but the precise periods of susceptibility are unknown. We aimed to investigate whether there are periods of susceptibility of air pollution between conception and preadolescence in relation to white matter microstructure and brain volumes at 9-12 years old. We used data of 3515 children from the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort from Rotterdam, the Netherlands (2002-2006). We estimated daily levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2), and particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM2.5absorbance) at participants' homes during pregnancy and childhood using land-use regression models. Diffusion tensor and structural brain images were obtained when children were 9-12 years of age, and we calculated fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity, and several brain structure volumes. We performed distributed lag non-linear modeling adjusting for socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics. We observed specific periods of susceptibility to all air pollutants from conception to age 5 years in association with lower fractional anisotropy and higher mean diffusivity that survived correction for multiple testing (e.g., -0.85 fractional anisotropy (95%CI -1.43; -0.27) per 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 between conception and 4 years of age). We also observed certain periods of susceptibility to some air pollutants in relation to global brain and some subcortical brain volumes, but only the association between PM2.5 and putamen survived correction for multiple testing (172 mm3 (95%CI 57; 286) per 5 μg/m3 increase in PM2.5 between 4 months and 1.8 year of age). This study suggested that conception, pregnancy, infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood seem to be susceptible periods to air pollution exposure for the development of white matter microstructure and the putamen volume. Longitudinal studies with repeated brain outcome measurements are needed for understanding the trajectories and the long-term effects of exposure to air pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne-Claire Binter
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Michelle S W Kusters
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Michiel A van den Dries
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Lucia Alonso
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Małgorzata J Lubczyńska
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Carmen Iñiguez
- CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Statistics and Operational Research, Universitat de València, Spain; Epidemiology and Environmental Health Joint Research Unit, FISABIO-Universitat Jaume I-Universitat de València, València, Spain
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Universitat Pompeu Fabra (UPF), Barcelona, Spain; CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública (CIBERESP), Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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25
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Demers CH, Hankin BL, Hennessey EMP, Haase MH, Bagonis MM, Kim SH, Gilmore JH, Hoffman MC, Styner MA, Davis EP. Maternal adverse childhood experiences and infant subcortical brain volume. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 21:100487. [PMID: 36532374 PMCID: PMC9755027 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background A large body of research supports the deleterious effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on disease susceptibility and health for both the exposed individual and the next generation. It is likely that there is an intergenerational transmission of risk from mother to child; however, the mechanisms through which such risk is conferred remain unknown. The current study evaluated the association between maternal ACEs, neonatal brain development of the amygdala and hippocampus, and later infant negative emotionality at six months of age. Methods The sample included 85 mother-infant dyads (44 female infants) from a longitudinal study. Maternal ACEs were assessed with the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (ACE-Q) and neonatal hippocampal and amygdala volume was assessed using structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Infant negative emotionality was assessed at 6 months using the Infant Behavior Questionnaire (IBQ). Results Multivariate analyses demonstrated that maternal ACEs were associated with bilateral amygdala volume (F(2,78) = 3.697,p = .029). Specifically, higher maternal ACEs were associated with smaller left (β = -0.220, t(79) = -2.661, p = .009, R2 = 0.494, and right (β = -0.167, t(79) = -2.043, p = .044, R2 = 0.501) amygdala volume. No significant association between maternal ACEs and bilateral hippocampal volume (F(2,78) = 0.215,p = .0807) was found. Follow-up regression analyses demonstrated that both high maternal ACEs and smaller left amygdala volume were associated with higher infant negative emotionality at six months of age (β = .232, p = .040, R2 = 0.094, and β = -0.337, p = .022, R2 = 0.16, respectively) although statistically significant mediation of this effect was not observed (Indirect effect = 0.0187, 95% CI [-0.0016-0.0557]). Conclusions Maternal ACEs are associated with both newborn amygdala volume and subsequent infant negative emotionality. These findings linking maternal adverse childhood experiences and infant brain development and temperament provide evidence to support the intergenerational transmission of adversity from mother to child.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine H. Demers
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Corresponding author. University of Denver, Department of Psychology, 2155 South Race Street, Denver, CO, 80208-3500, USA.
| | - Benjamin L. Hankin
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Maria M. Bagonis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- PrimeNeuro, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sun Hyung Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - John H. Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - M. Camille Hoffman
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Martin A. Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elysia Poggi Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA
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26
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Karcher NR, Klaunig MJ, Elsayed NM, Taylor RL, Jay SY, Schiffman J. Understanding Associations Between Race/Ethnicity, Experiences of Discrimination, and Psychotic-like Experiences in Middle Childhood. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2022; 61:1262-1272. [PMID: 35378237 PMCID: PMC9525459 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2022.03.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 01/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The present study aimed to examine factors that may account for race/ethnicity differences in psychotic-like experiences (PLEs) in a middle childhood sample, including evidence for experiences of discrimination as a psychosocial mediator of these differences. METHOD In a sample of 9- to 10-year-olds (N = 10,839) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, we compared PLEs across racial/ethnic groups. We also examined whether experiences of discrimination indirectly linked racial/ethnic identity and PLEs and whether social support moderated this indirect association. RESULTS Differences between racial/ethnic groups were found in the endorsement of PLEs, such that Black and Hispanic participants endorsed higher levels of PLEs compared with Asian, multiracial/multiethnic, and White participants. These differences were accounted for in part by experiences of discrimination, an indirect effect that was in turn attenuated by increased social support. CONCLUSION This is the first study to suggest that the experience of discrimination may indirectly link the association between racial/ethnic differences and endorsement of PLEs using the Prodromal Questionnaire-Brief Child Version and additionally that social support may act as a moderator of this mediation. Results provide evidence that social inequities such as racial discrimination may contribute to increases in PLEs. These findings shed further light on the links between structural racism and mental health inequities for people in minoritized groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mallory J Klaunig
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County; University of California, Irvine
| | | | | | | | - Jason Schiffman
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County; University of California, Irvine
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27
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Banica I, Sandre A, Shields GS, Slavich GM, Weinberg A. Associations between lifetime stress exposure and the error-related negativity (ERN) differ based on stressor characteristics and exposure timing in young adults. COGNITIVE, AFFECTIVE & BEHAVIORAL NEUROSCIENCE 2022; 22:672-689. [PMID: 33821458 PMCID: PMC8490486 DOI: 10.3758/s13415-021-00883-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Life stress increases risk for multiple forms of psychopathology, in part by altering neural processes involved in performance monitoring. However, the ways in which these stress-cognition effects are influenced by the specific timing and types of life stressors experienced remains poorly understood. To address this gap, we examined how different social-psychological characteristics and developmental timing of stressors are related to the error-related negativity (ERN), a negative-going deflection in the event-related potential (ERP) waveform that is observed from 0 to 100 ms following error commission. A sample of 203 emerging adults performed an ERN-eliciting arrow flanker task and completed an interview-based measure of lifetime stress exposure. Adjusting for stress severity during other developmental periods, there was a small-to-medium effect of stress on performance monitoring, such that more severe total stress exposure, as well as more severe social-evaluative stress in particular, experienced during early adolescence significantly predicted an enhanced ERN. These results suggest that early adolescence may be a sensitive developmental period during which stress exposure may result in lasting adaptations to neural networks implicated in performance monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iulia Banica
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Aislinn Sandre
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1G1, Canada
| | - Grant S Shields
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, USA
| | - George M Slavich
- Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology and Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna Weinberg
- Department of Psychology, McGill University, 2001 McGill College Avenue, Montréal, Québec, H3A 1G1, Canada.
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28
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Coughlin C, Ben-Asher E, Roome HE, Varga NL, Moreau MM, Schneider LL, Preston AR. Interpersonal Family Dynamics Relate to Hippocampal CA Subfield Structure. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:872101. [PMID: 35784846 PMCID: PMC9247275 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.872101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Social environments that are extremely enriched or adverse can influence hippocampal volume. Though most individuals experience social environments that fall somewhere in between these extremes, substantially less is known about the influence of normative variation in social environments on hippocampal structure. Here, we examined whether hippocampal volume tracks normative variation in interpersonal family dynamics in 7- to 12-year-olds and adults recruited from the general population. We focused on interpersonal family dynamics as a prominent feature of one's social world. Given evidence that CA1 and CA2 play a key role in tracking social information, we related individual hippocampal subfield volumes to interpersonal family dynamics. More positive perceptions of interpersonal family dynamics were associated with greater CA1 and CA2/3 volume regardless of age and controlling for socioeconomic status. These data suggest that CA subfields are sensitive to normative variation in social environments and identify interpersonal family dynamics as an impactful environmental feature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Coughlin
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Eliya Ben-Asher
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Hannah E. Roome
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Nicole L. Varga
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Michelle M. Moreau
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Lauren L. Schneider
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
| | - Alison R. Preston
- Center for Learning and Memory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
- Department of Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States
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29
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Picci G, Taylor BK, Killanin AD, Eastman JA, Frenzel MR, Wang YP, Stephen JM, Calhoun VD, Wilson TW. Left amygdala structure mediates longitudinal associations between exposure to threat and long-term psychiatric symptomatology in youth. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4091-4102. [PMID: 35583310 PMCID: PMC9374891 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Traumatic experiences during childhood can have profound effects on stress sensitive brain structures (e.g., amygdala and hippocampus) and the emergence of psychiatric symptoms. Recent theoretical and empirical work has delineated dimensions of trauma (i.e., threat and deprivation) as having distinct neural and behavioral effects, although there are few longitudinal examinations. A sample of 243 children and adolescents were followed for three time points, with each assessment approximately 1 year apart (ages 9–15 years at Time 1; 120 males). Participants or their caregiver reported on youths' threat exposure, perceived stress (Time 1), underwent a T1‐weighted structural high‐resolution MRI scan (Time 2), and documented their subsequent psychiatric symptoms later in development (Time 3). The primary findings indicate that left amygdala volume, in particular, mediated the longitudinal association between threat exposure and subsequent internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Greater threat exposure related to reduced left amygdala volume, which in turn differentially predicted internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Decreased bilateral hippocampal volume was related to subsequently elevated internalizing symptoms. These findings suggest that the left amygdala is highly threat‐sensitive and that stress‐related alterations may partially explain elevated psychopathology in stress‐exposed adolescents. Uncovering potential subclinical and/or preclinical predictive biomarkers is essential to understanding the emergence, progression, and eventual targeted treatment of psychopathology following trauma exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia Picci
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska, USA
| | - Brittany K Taylor
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska, USA.,Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Abraham D Killanin
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska, USA.,College of Medicine, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Jacob A Eastman
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska, USA
| | - Michaela R Frenzel
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska, USA
| | - Yu-Ping Wang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | | | - Vince D Calhoun
- Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Tri-Institutional Center for Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Tony W Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska, USA.,Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
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30
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Early life circadian rhythm disruption in mice alters brain and behavior in adulthood. Sci Rep 2022; 12:7366. [PMID: 35513413 PMCID: PMC9072337 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11335-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Healthy sleep supports robust development of the brain and behavior. Modern society presents a host of challenges that can impair and disrupt critical circadian rhythms that reinforce optimal physiological functioning, including the proper timing and consolidation of sleep. While the acute effects of inadequate sleep and disrupted circadian rhythms are being defined, the adverse developmental consequences of disrupted sleep and circadian rhythms are understudied. Here, we exposed mice to disrupting light–dark cycles from birth until weaning and demonstrate that such exposure has adverse impacts on brain and behavior as adults. Mice that experience early-life circadian disruption exhibit more anxiety-like behavior in the elevated plus maze, poorer spatial memory in the Morris Water Maze, and impaired working memory in a delayed match-to-sample task. Additionally, neuron morphology in the amygdala, hippocampus and prefrontal cortex is adversely impacted. Pyramidal cells in these areas had smaller dendritic fields, and pyramidal cells in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus also exhibited diminished branching orders. Disrupted mice were also hyperactive as adults, but otherwise exhibited no alteration in adult circadian locomotor rhythms. These results highlight that circadian disruption early in life may have long lasting and far-reaching consequences for the development of behavior and the brain.
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31
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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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32
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Fitter MH, Stern JA, Straske MD, Allard T, Cassidy J, Riggins T. Mothers’ Attachment Representations and Children’s Brain Structure. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:740195. [PMID: 35370579 PMCID: PMC8967255 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.740195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ample research demonstrates that parents’ experience-based mental representations of attachment—cognitive models of close relationships—relate to their children’s social-emotional development. However, no research to date has examined how parents’ attachment representations relate to another crucial domain of children’s development: brain development. The present study is the first to integrate the separate literatures on attachment and developmental social cognitive neuroscience to examine the link between mothers’ attachment representations and 3- to 8-year-old children’s brain structure. We hypothesized that mothers’ attachment representations would relate to individual differences in children’s brain structures involved in stress regulation—specifically, amygdala and hippocampal volumes—in part via mothers’ responses to children’s distress. We assessed 52 mothers’ attachment representations (secure base script knowledge on the Attachment Script Assessment and self-reported attachment avoidance and anxiety on the Experiences in Close Relationships scale) and children’s brain structure. Mothers’ secure base script knowledge was significantly related to children’s smaller left amygdala volume but was unrelated to hippocampal volume; we found no indirect links via maternal responses to children’s distress. Exploratory analyses showed associations between mothers’ attachment representations and white matter and thalamus volumes. Together, these preliminary results suggest that mothers’ attachment representations may be linked to the development of children’s neural circuitry related to stress regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan H. Fitter
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Megan H. Fitter,
| | - Jessica A. Stern
- BabyLab, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Martha D. Straske
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Tamara Allard
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Jude Cassidy
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
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Miller JG, Buthmann JL, Gotlib IH. Hippocampal volume indexes neurobiological sensitivity to the effect of pollution burden on telomere length in adolescents. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2022; 2022:155-172. [PMID: 35738556 PMCID: PMC9492639 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20471] [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: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Exposure to environmental pollutants has been associated with cellular aging in children and adolescents. Individuals may vary, however, in their sensitivity or vulnerability to the effects of environmental pollutants. Larger hippocampal volume has emerged as a potential index of increased sensitivity to social contexts. In exploratory analyses (N = 214), we extend work in this area by providing evidence that larger hippocampal volume in early adolescence reflects increased sensitivity to the effect of neighborhood pollution burden on telomere length (standardized β = -0.40, 95% CI[-0.65, -0.15]). In contrast, smaller hippocampal volume appears to buffer this association (standardized β = 0.02). In youth with larger hippocampal volume, pollution burden was indirectly associated with shorter telomere length approximately 2 years later through shorter telomere length at baseline (indirect standardized β = -0.25, 95% CI[-0.40, 0.10]). For these youth, living in high or low pollution-burdened neighborhoods may predispose them to develop shorter or longer telomeres, respectively, later in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Jessica L Buthmann
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
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34
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Walasek N, Frankenhuis WE, Panchanathan K. Sensitive periods, but not critical periods, evolve in a fluctuating environment: a model of incremental development. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212623. [PMID: 35168396 PMCID: PMC8848242 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensitive periods, during which the impact of experience on phenotype is larger than in other periods, exist in all classes of organisms, yet little is known about their evolution. Recent mathematical modelling has explored the conditions in which natural selection favours sensitive periods. These models have assumed that the environment is stable across ontogeny or that organisms can develop phenotypes instantaneously at any age. Neither assumption generally holds. Here, we present a model in which organisms gradually tailor their phenotypes to an environment that fluctuates across ontogeny, while receiving cost-free, imperfect cues to the current environmental state. We vary the rate of environmental change, the reliability of cues and the duration of adulthood relative to ontogeny. We use stochastic dynamic programming to compute optimal policies. From these policies, we simulate levels of plasticity across ontogeny and obtain mature phenotypes. Our results show that sensitive periods can occur at the onset, midway through and even towards the end of ontogeny. In contrast with models assuming stable environments, organisms always retain residual plasticity late in ontogeny. We conclude that critical periods, after which plasticity is zero, are unlikely to be favoured in environments that fluctuate across ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Walasek
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Willem E Frankenhuis
- Behavioral Science Institute, Radboud University, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, 3584 CS Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law, 79100 Freiburg, Germany
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35
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Guxens M, Lubczynska MJ, Perez-Crespo L, Muetzel RL, El Marroun H, Basagana X, Hoek G, Tiemeier H. Associations of Air Pollution on the Brain in Children: A Brain Imaging Study. Res Rep Health Eff Inst 2022; 2022:1-61. [PMID: 36106707 PMCID: PMC9476146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Epidemiological studies are highlighting the negative effects of the exposure to air pollution on children's neurodevelopment. However, most studies assessed children's neurodevelopment using neuropsychological tests or questionnaires. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to precisely measure global and region-specific brain development would provide details of brain morphology and connectivity. This would help us understand the observed cognitive and behavioral changes related to air pollution exposure. Moreover, most studies assessed only a few air pollutants. This project investigates whether air pollution exposure to many pollutants during pregnancy and childhood is associated with the morphology and connectivity of the brain in school-age children and pre-adolescents. Methods We used data from the Generation R Study, a population-based birth cohort set up in Rotterdam, the Netherlands in 2002-2006 (n = 9,610). We used land-use regression (LUR) models to estimate the levels of 14 air pollutants at participant's homes during pregnancy and childhood: nitrogen oxides (NOx), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter ≤10 μm (PM10) or ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), PM between 10 μm and 2.5 μm (PMCOARSE), absorbance of the PM2.5 fraction - a measure of soot (PM2.5absorbance), the composition of PM2.5 such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organic carbon (OC), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), silicon (Si), zinc (Zn), and the oxidative potential of PM2.5 evaluated using two acellular methods: dithiothreitol (OPDTT) and electron spin resonance (OPESR). We performed MRI measurements of structural morphology (i.e., brain volumes, cortical thickness, and cortical surface area) using T1-weighted images in 6- to 10-year-old school-age children and 9- to 12-year-old pre-adolescents, structural connectivity (i.e., white matter microstructure) using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in pre-adolescents, and functional connectivity (i.e., connectivity score between brain areas) using resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) in pre-adolescents. We assessed cognitive function using the Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment test (NEPSY-II) in school-age children. For each outcome, we ran regression analysis adjusted for several socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics. We performed single-pollutant analyses followed by multipollutant analyses using the deletion/substitution/addition (DSA) approach. Results The project has air pollution and brain MRI data for 783 school-age children and 3,857 pre-adolescents. First, exposure to air pollution during pregnancy or childhood was not associated with global brain volumes (e.g., total brain, cortical gray matter, and cortical white matter) in school-age children or pre-adolescents. However, higher pregnancy or childhood exposure to several air pollutants was associated with a smaller corpus callosum and hippocampus, and a larger amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and cerebellum in pre-adolescents, but not in school-age children. Second, higher exposure to several air pollutants during pregnancy was associated with a thinner cortex in various regions of the brain in both school-age children and pre-adolescents. Higher exposure to air pollution during childhood was also associated with a thinner cortex in a single region in pre-adolescents. A thinner cortex in two regions mediated the association between higher exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and an impaired inhibitory control in school-age children. Third, higher exposure to air pollution during childhood was associated with smaller cortical surface areas in various regions of the brain except in a region where we observed a larger cortical surface area in pre-adolescents. In relation to brain structural connectivity, higher exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and childhood was associated with an alteration in white matter microstructure in pre-adolescents. In relation to brain functional connectivity, a higher exposure to air pollution, mainly during pregnancy and early childhood, was associated with a higher brain functional connectivity among several brain regions in pre-adolescents. Overall, we identified several air pollutants associated with brain structural morphology, structural connectivity, and functional connectivity, such as NOx, NO2, PM of various size fractions (i.e., PM10, PMCOARSE, and PM2.5), PM2.5absorbance, PAHs, OC, three elemental components of PM2.5 (i.e., Cu, Si, Zn), and the oxidative potential of PM2.5. Conclusions The results of this project suggest that exposure to air pollution during pregnancy and childhood play an adverse role in brain development. We observed this relationship even at levels of exposure that were below the European Union legislations. We acknowledge that identifying the independent effects of specific pollutants was particularly challenging. Most of our conclusions generally refer to traffic-related air pollutants. However, we did identify pollutants specifically originating from brake linings, tire wear, and tailpipe emissions from diesel combustion. The current direction toward innovative solutions for cleaner energy vehicles is a step in the right direction. However, our findings indicate that these measures might not be completely adequate to mitigate health problems attributable to traffic-related air pollution, as we also observed associations with markers of brake linings and tire wear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monica Guxens
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Malgorzata J Lubczynska
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laura Perez-Crespo
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Erasmus University, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Xavier Basagana
- Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), Barcelona, Spain
- Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
- Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Institute of Health Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
- Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts
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36
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Fang Y, Raat H, Windhorst DA, Fierloos IN, Jonkman H, Hosman CMH, Crone MR, Jansen W, van Grieken A. The Association between Stressful Life Events and Emotional and Behavioral Problems in Children 0-7 Years Old: The CIKEO Study. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:ijerph19031650. [PMID: 35162672 PMCID: PMC8835208 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19031650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Background: Stressful life events (SLEs) are recognized risk factors for emotional and behavioral problems, but the association is understudied among young children. Our aim was to examine the association between exposure to SLEs and emotional and behavioral problems in young children up to 7 years old. Methods: We analyzed baseline data from 959 children (mean age = 3.3 years; SD = 1.9; 47.5% girls) in the CIKEO study, a community-based longitudinal study in the Netherlands. Linear regression was used to assess the associations between the total as well as the individual exposure to SLEs experienced in the past 12 months, and emotional and behavioral problems assessed by CBCL 1.5-5. Interactions of SLEs and child age, sex, ethnic background, and socioeconomic status were explored. Results: Higher total exposure to SLEs, as indicated by the number of SLEs, was significantly associated with higher CBCL total, internalizing and externalizing problem scores (p for trend < 0.05). The results did not differ by child age, sex, ethnic background, or family SES. Six out of the 12 SLEs explored were independently associated with greater CBCL total/externalizing/internalizing scores (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Exposure to SLEs is associated with higher levels of emotional and behavioral problems in young children, and the impact of SLEs may vary depending on the types of events. Stressful life events might be a useful target for interventions to improve emotional and behavioral well-being among young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Fang
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (Y.F.); (D.A.W.); (I.N.F.); (W.J.); (A.v.G.)
| | - Hein Raat
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (Y.F.); (D.A.W.); (I.N.F.); (W.J.); (A.v.G.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Dafna A. Windhorst
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (Y.F.); (D.A.W.); (I.N.F.); (W.J.); (A.v.G.)
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525 GD Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- TNO Child Health, 2316 ZL Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Irene N. Fierloos
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (Y.F.); (D.A.W.); (I.N.F.); (W.J.); (A.v.G.)
| | - Harrie Jonkman
- Verwey-Jonker Institute, 3512 HG Utrecht, The Netherlands;
| | - Clemens M. H. Hosman
- Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, 6229 HA Maastricht, The Netherlands;
- Department of Clinical Psychology, Radboud University, 6525 XZ Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Hosman Prevention and Innovation Consultancy, 6562 DW Berg en Dal, The Netherlands
| | - Matty R. Crone
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, 2333 ZA Leiden, The Netherlands;
| | - Wilma Jansen
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (Y.F.); (D.A.W.); (I.N.F.); (W.J.); (A.v.G.)
- Department of Social Development, Municipality of Rotterdam, 3000 LP Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Amy van Grieken
- Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Centre, 3000 CA Rotterdam, The Netherlands; (Y.F.); (D.A.W.); (I.N.F.); (W.J.); (A.v.G.)
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Miller JG, Chahal R, Gotlib IH. Early Life Stress and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence: Implications for Risk and Adaptation. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2022; 54:313-339. [PMID: 35290658 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2022_302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
An alarming high proportion of youth experience at least one kind of stressor in childhood and/or adolescence. Exposure to early life stress is associated with increased risk for psychopathology, accelerated biological aging, and poor physical health; however, it is important to recognize that not all youth who experience such stress go on to develop difficulties. In fact, resilience, or positive adaptation in the face of adversity, is relatively common. Individual differences in vulnerability or resilience to the effects of early stress may be represented in the brain as specific patterns, profiles, or signatures of neural activation, structure, and connectivity (i.e., neurophenotypes). Whereas neurophenotypes of risk that reflect the deleterious effects of early stress on the developing brain are likely to exacerbate negative outcomes in youth, neurophenotypes of resilience may reduce the risk of experiencing these negative outcomes and instead promote positive functioning. In this chapter we describe our perspective concerning the neurobiological mechanisms and moderators of risk and resilience in adolescence following early life stress and integrate our own work into this framework. We present findings suggesting that exposure to stress in childhood and adolescence is associated with functional and structural alterations in neurobiological systems that are important for social-affective processing and for cognitive control. While some of these neurobiological alterations increase risk for psychopathology, they may also help to limit adolescents' sensitivity to subsequent negative experiences. We also discuss person-centered strategies that we believe can advance our understanding of risk and resilience to early stress in adolescents. Finally, we describe ways in which the field can broaden its focus to include a consideration of other types of environmental factors, such as environmental pollutants, in affecting both risk and resilience to stress-related health difficulties in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Rajpreet Chahal
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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38
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Gee DG. Early Adversity and Development: Parsing Heterogeneity and Identifying Pathways of Risk and Resilience. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:998-1013. [PMID: 34734741 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21090944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Adversity early in life is common and is a major risk factor for the onset of psychopathology. Delineating the neurodevelopmental pathways by which early adversity affects mental health is critical for early risk identification and targeted treatment approaches. A rapidly growing cross-species literature has facilitated advances in identifying the mechanisms linking adversity with psychopathology, specific dimensions of adversity and timing-related factors that differentially relate to outcomes, and protective factors that buffer against the effects of adversity. Yet, vast complexity and heterogeneity in early environments and neurodevelopmental trajectories contribute to the challenges of understanding risk and resilience in the context of early adversity. In this overview, the author highlights progress in four major areas-mechanisms, heterogeneity, developmental timing, and protective factors; synthesizes key challenges; and provides recommendations for future research that can facilitate progress in the field. Translation across species and ongoing refinement of conceptual models have strong potential to inform prevention and intervention strategies that can reduce the immense burden of psychopathology associated with early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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39
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Ramphal B, Pagliaccio D, Dworkin JD, Herbstman J, Noble KG, Margolis AE. Timing-specific associations between income-to-needs ratio and hippocampal and amygdala volumes in middle childhood: A preliminary study. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22153. [PMID: 34674248 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
It is well known that financial disadvantage is associated with alterations in brain development in regions critical to socioemotional well-being such as the hippocampus and the amygdala. Yet little is known about whether family income at different points in development is differentially associated with these structures. Furthermore, little is known about which environmental factors statistically mediate associations between income and subcortical structure. Using a longitudinal birth cohort and linear mixed-effects models, we identified associations between income-to-needs ratio (INR) at 6 timepoints throughout childhood and hippocampal and amygdala volumes at age 7-9 years (n = 41; 236 INR measurements; 41 brain measurements). Mediation analysis identified environmental sequelae of income that statistically accounted for INR-brain associations. Lower INR prior to age 4 was associated with smaller hippocampal volumes, whereas lower INR prior to age 2 was associated with smaller right amygdala volume. These associations were mediated by unmet basic needs (e.g., food, housing). These findings delineate the temporal specificity of associations between income and hippocampal and amygdala structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce Ramphal
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - David Pagliaccio
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jordan D Dworkin
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Julie Herbstman
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Kimberly G Noble
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Amy E Margolis
- New York State Psychiatric Institute and Department of Psychiatry, Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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40
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Long DA, Fink EL. Transitions from short to long-term outcomes in pediatric critical care: considerations for clinical practice. Transl Pediatr 2021; 10:2858-2874. [PMID: 34765507 PMCID: PMC8578758 DOI: 10.21037/tp-21-61] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Most children are surviving critical illness in highly resourced pediatric intensive care units (PICUs). However, in research studies, many of these children survive with multi-domain health sequelae that has the potential to affect development over many years, termed post-intensive care syndrome-pediatrics (PICS-p). Clinically, there are no recommendations for the assessment and follow-up of children with critical illness as exists for the premature neonatal and congenital heart disease populations. In research studies, primary and secondary outcomes are largely assessed at or prior to hospital discharge, disregarding post-hospital outcomes important to PICU stakeholders. Incorporating longer term outcomes into clinical and research programs, however, can no longer be overlooked. Barriers to outcomes assessments are varied and generalized vs. individualized, but some PICU centers are discovering how to overcome them and are providing this service to families-sometimes specific populations-in need. Research programs and funders are increasingly recognizing the value and need to assess long-term outcomes post-PICU. Finally, we should seek the strong backing of the PICU community and families to insist that long-term outcomes become our new clinical standard of care. PICUs should consider development of a multicenter, multinational collaborative to assess clinical outcomes and optimize care delivery and patient and family outcomes. The aim of this review is to present the potential considerations of implementing long-term clinical follow-up following pediatric critical illness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debbie A. Long
- School of Nursing, Centre for Healthcare Transformation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
- Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, Queensland Children’s Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ericka L. Fink
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Safar Center for Resuscitation Research, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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41
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Soares S, Rocha V, Kelly-Irving M, Stringhini S, Fraga S. Adverse Childhood Events and Health Biomarkers: A Systematic Review. Front Public Health 2021; 9:649825. [PMID: 34490175 PMCID: PMC8417002 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2021.649825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: This systematic review aimed to summarize evidence reporting epigenetic and/or neuro-immuno-endocrine embedding of adverse childhood events (ACEs) in children, with a particular focus on the short-term biological effect of those experiences. Methods: A search was conducted in PsycINFO®, PubMed®, Isi Web of Knowledge and Scopus, until July 2019, to identify papers reporting the short-term biological effects of exposure to ACEs. Results: The search identified 58 studies, that were included in the review. Regarding exposure, the type of ACE more frequently reported was sexual abuse (n = 26), followed by life stressors (n = 20) and physical abuse (n = 19). The majority (n = 17) of studies showed a positive association between ACEs and biomarkers of the immune system. Regarding DNA methylation 18 studies showed more methylation in participants exposed to ACEs. Two studies presented the effect of ACEs on telomere length and showed that exposure was associated with shorter telomere length. Conclusion: Overall the associations observed across studies followed the hypothesis that ACEs are associated with biological risk already at early ages. This is supporting evidence that ACEs appear to get “under the skin” and induce physiological changes and these alterations might be strongly associated with later development of disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Soares
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Vânia Rocha
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Michelle Kelly-Irving
- Faculty of Medicine Purpan, LEASP UMR 1027, Inserm-Université Toulouse III Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
| | - Silvia Stringhini
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Systems, Center for Primary Care and Public Health (Unisanté), University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Unit of Population Epidemiology, Division of Primary Care Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Primary Care and Emergency Medicine, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Sílvia Fraga
- EPIUnit - Instituto de Saúde Pública da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal.,Departamento de Ciências da Saúde Pública e Forenses e Educação Médica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
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42
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Lubczyńska MJ, Muetzel RL, El Marroun H, Hoek G, Kooter IM, Thomson EM, Hillegers M, Vernooij MW, White T, Tiemeier H, Guxens M. Air pollution exposure during pregnancy and childhood and brain morphology in preadolescents. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 198:110446. [PMID: 33221303 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2019] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies investigating the relationship between exposure to air pollution and brain development using magnetic resonance images are emerging. However, most studies have focused only on prenatal exposures, and have included a limited selection of pollutants. Here, we aim to expand the current knowledge by studying pregnancy and childhood exposure to a wide selection of pollutants, and brain morphology in preadolescents. METHODS We used data from 3133 preadolescents from a birth cohort from Rotterdam, the Netherlands (enrollment: 2002-2006). Concentrations of nitrogen oxides, coarse, fine, and ultrafine particles, and composition of fine particles were estimated for participant's home addresses in pregnancy and childhood, using land use regression models. Structural brain images were obtained at age 9-12 years. We assessed the relationships of air pollution exposure, with brain volumes, and surface-based morphometric data, adjusting for socioeconomic and life-style characteristics, using single as well as multi-pollutant approach. RESULTS No associations were observed between air pollution exposures and global volumes of total brain, and cortical and subcortical grey matter. However, we found associations between higher pregnancy and childhood air pollution exposures with smaller corpus callosum, smaller hippocampus, larger amygdala, smaller nucleus accumbens, and larger cerebellum (e.g. -69.2mm3 hippocampal volume [95%CI -129.1 to -9.3] per 1ng/m3 increase in pregnancy exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons). Higher pregnancy exposure to air pollution was associated with smaller cortical thickness while higher childhood exposure was associated with predominantly larger cortical surface area. CONCLUSION Higher pregnancy or childhood exposure to several air pollutants was associated with altered volume of several brain structures, as well as with cortical thickness and surface area. Associations showed some similarity to delayed maturation and effects of early-life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Małgorzata J Lubczyńska
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain
| | - Ryan L Muetzel
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; The Generation R Study Group, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Hanan El Marroun
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Pediatrics, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Gerard Hoek
- Institute for Risk Assessment Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Ingeborg M Kooter
- Department of Circular Economy & Environment, Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Errol M Thomson
- Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, Health Canada, Ottawa, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology & Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Manon Hillegers
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Meike W Vernooij
- Department of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tonya White
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Henning Tiemeier
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Social and Behavioral Science, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, USA
| | - Mònica Guxens
- ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain; Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Spain; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
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43
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Simon KR, Merz EC, He X, Desai PM, Meyer JS, Noble KG. Socioeconomic factors, stress, hair cortisol, and white matter microstructure in children. Dev Psychobiol 2021; 63:e22147. [PMID: 34105766 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Socioeconomic disadvantage has been linked to increased stress exposure in children and adults. Exposure to stress in childhood has been associated with deleterious effects on cognitive development and well-being throughout the lifespan. Further, exposure to stress has been associated with differences in brain development in children, both in cortical and subcortical gray matter. However, less is known about the associations among socioeconomic disadvantage, stress, and children's white matter development. In this study, we investigated whether socioeconomic disparities would be associated with differences in white matter microstructure in the cingulum bundle, as has been previously reported. We additionally investigated whether any such differences could be explained by differences in stress exposure and/or physiological stress levels. White matter tracts were measured via diffusion tensor imaging in 58 children aged 5-9 years. Results indicated that greater exposure to stressful life events was associated with higher child hair cortisol concentrations. Further, physiological stress, as indexed by hair cortisol concentrations, were associated with higher fractional anisotropy in the cingulum bundle. These results have implications for better understanding how perceived and physiological stress may alter neural development during childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina R Simon
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Emily C Merz
- Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Xiaofu He
- Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
| | - Pooja M Desai
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Jerrold S Meyer
- University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, Massachusetts, USA
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44
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Burenkova OV, Naumova OY, Grigorenko EL. Stress in the onset and aggravation of learning disabilities. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2021; 61. [PMID: 34219858 DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2021.100968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Despite substantial grounds for such research, the role of chronic exposure to stressors in the onset and aggravation of learning disabilities (LDs) is largely unexplored. In this review, we first consider the hormonal, (epi)genetic, and neurobiological mechanisms that might underlie the impact of adverse childhood experiences, a form of chronic stressors, on the onset of LDs. We then found that stress factors combined with feelings of inferiority, low self-esteem, and peer victimization could potentially further aggravate academic failures in children with LDs. Since effective evidence-based interventions for reducing chronic stress in children with LDs could improve their academic performance, consideration of the role of exposure to stressors in children with LDs has both theoretical and practical importance, especially when delivered in combination with academic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga V Burenkova
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
| | - Oksana Yu Naumova
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Human Genetics Laboratory, Vavilov Institute of General Genetics RAS, Moscow, Russian Federation
| | - Elena L Grigorenko
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America.,Department of Psychology, Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation.,Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, United States of America
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45
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Plamondon A, Racine N, McDonald S, Tough S, Madigan S. Disentangling adversity timing and type: Contrasting theories in the context of maternal prenatal physical and mental health using latent formative models. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 34:1-13. [PMID: 34016211 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Research on the effects of adversity has led to mounting interest in examining the differential impact of adversity as a function of its timing and type. The current study examines whether the effects of different types (i.e., physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) and timing (i.e., early, middle childhood, adolescence, or adulthood) of adversity on maternal mental and physical health outcomes in pregnancy, are best accounted for by a cumulative model or independent effects model. Women from a prospective pregnancy cohort (N =3,362) reported retrospectively on their experiences of adversity (i.e., physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) in early childhood (0-5 years], middle childhood (6-12 years], adolescence (13-18 years], and adulthood (19+ years]. Measures of overall health, stress, anxiety, and depression were gathered in pregnancy. Results showed that a cumulative formative latent model was selected as more parsimonious than a direct effects model. Results also supported a model where the strength of the effect of adversity did not vary across abuse timing or type. Thus, cumulative adversity resulted in greater physical and mental health difficulties. In conclusion, cumulative adversity is a more parsimonious predictor of maternal physical and mental health outcomes than adversity at any one specific adversity timing or subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Plamondon
- Department of Educational Fundamentals and Practices, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Nicole Racine
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Canada
| | - Sheila McDonald
- Departments of Paediatrics and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Suzanne Tough
- Departments of Paediatrics and Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Sheri Madigan
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Canada
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46
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Kaul D, Schwab SG, Mechawar N, Matosin N. How stress physically re-shapes the brain: Impact on brain cell shapes, numbers and connections in psychiatric disorders. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 124:193-215. [PMID: 33556389 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Severe stress is among the most robust risk factors for the development of psychiatric disorders. Imaging studies indicate that life stress is integral to shaping the human brain, especially regions involved in processing the stress response. Although this is likely underpinned by changes to the cytoarchitecture of cellular networks in the brain, we are yet to clearly understand how these define a role for stress in human psychopathology. In this review, we consolidate evidence of macro-structural morphometric changes and the cellular mechanisms that likely underlie them. Focusing on stress-sensitive regions of the brain, we illustrate how stress throughout life may lead to persistent remodelling of the both neurons and glia in cellular networks and how these may lead to psychopathology. We support that greater translation of cellular alterations to human cohorts will support parsing the psychological sequalae of severe stress and improve our understanding of how stress shapes the human brain. This will remain a critical step for improving treatment interventions and prevention outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Kaul
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Ave, Wollongong 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong 2522, Australia
| | - Sibylle G Schwab
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Ave, Wollongong 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong 2522, Australia
| | - Naguib Mechawar
- Douglas Mental Health University Institute, 6875 LaSalle blvd, Verdun, Qc, H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Natalie Matosin
- Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, Northfields Ave, Wollongong 2522, Australia; Molecular Horizons, School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong 2522, Australia; Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Kraepelinstrasse 2-10, 80804 Munich, Germany.
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47
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VanTieghem M, Korom M, Flannery J, Choy T, Caldera C, Humphreys KL, Gabard-Durnam L, Goff B, Gee DG, Telzer EH, Shapiro M, Louie JY, Fareri DS, Bolger N, Tottenham N. Longitudinal changes in amygdala, hippocampus and cortisol development following early caregiving adversity. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100916. [PMID: 33517107 PMCID: PMC7848778 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Although decades of research have shown associations between early caregiving adversity, stress physiology and limbic brain volume (e.g., amygdala, hippocampus), the developmental trajectories of these phenotypes are not well characterized. In the current study, we used an accelerated longitudinal design to assess the development of stress physiology, amygdala, and hippocampal volume following early institutional care. Previously Institutionalized (PI; N = 93) and comparison (COMP; N = 161) youth (ages 4–20 years old) completed 1–3 waves of data collection, each spaced approximately 2 years apart, for diurnal cortisol (N = 239) and structural MRI (N = 156). We observed a developmental shift in morning cortisol in the PI group, with blunted levels in childhood and heightened levels in late adolescence. PI history was associated with reduced hippocampal volume and reduced growth rate of the amygdala, resulting in smaller volumes by adolescence. Amygdala and hippocampal volumes were also prospectively associated with future morning cortisol in both groups. These results indicate that adversity-related physiological and neural phenotypes are not stationary during development but instead exhibit dynamic and interdependent changes from early childhood to early adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marta Korom
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Jessica Flannery
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tricia Choy
- Graduate School of Education, University of California Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Christina Caldera
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Kathryn L Humphreys
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Bonnie Goff
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eva H Telzer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Jennifer Y Louie
- Child Mind Institute, San Francisco Bay Area, San Mateo, CA, USA
| | - Dominic S Fareri
- Gordon F. Derner School of Psychology, Adelphi University, Garden City, NY, USA
| | - Niall Bolger
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
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48
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González-Acosta CA, Rojas-Cerón CA, Buriticá E. Functional Alterations and Cerebral Variations in Humans Exposed to Early Life Stress. Front Public Health 2021; 8:536188. [PMID: 33553081 PMCID: PMC7856302 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.536188] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 12/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life stress can be caused by acute or chronic exposure to childhood events, such as emotional, physical, sexual abuse, and neglect. Early stress is associated with subsequent alterations in physical and mental health, which can extend into adolescence, adulthood, and even old age. The effects of early stress exposure include alterations in cognitive, neuropsychological, and behavioral functions, and can even lead to the development of psychiatric disorders and changes in brain anatomy. The present manuscript provides a review of the main findings on these effects reported in the scientific literature in recent decades. Early life stress is associated with the presence of psychiatric disorders, mainly mood disorders such as depression and risk of suicide, as well as with the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder. At the neuropsychological level, the involvement of different mental processes such as executive functions, abstract reasoning, certain memory modalities, and poor school-skill performance has been reported. In addition, we identified reports of alterations of different subdomains of each of these processes. Regarding neuroanatomical effects, the involvement of cortical regions, subcortical nuclei, and the subcortical white matter has been documented. Among the telencephalic regions most affected and studied are the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, the amygdala, and the anterior cingulate cortex. Understanding the impact of early life stress on postnatal brain development is very important for the orientation of therapeutic intervention programs and could help in the formulation and implementation of preventive measures as well as in the reorientation of research targets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christian A Rojas-Cerón
- Centro de Estudios Cerebrales, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.,Departamento de Pediatría, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia.,Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital Universitario del Valle Evaristo García, Cali, Colombia
| | - Efraín Buriticá
- Centro de Estudios Cerebrales, Facultad de Salud, Universidad del Valle, Cali, Colombia
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49
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Humphreys KL, Sisk LM, Manczak EM, Lin J, Gotlib IH. Depressive Symptoms Predict Change in Telomere Length and Mitochondrial DNA Copy Number Across Adolescence. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2020; 59:1364-1370.e2. [PMID: 31628984 PMCID: PMC7160006 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaac.2019.09.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2019] [Revised: 09/10/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Several studies have found associations between a diagnosis or symptoms of major depressive disorder and markers of cellular aging and dysfunction. These investigations, however, are predominantly cross-sectional and focus on adults. In the present study, we used a prospective longitudinal design to test the cross-sectional association between depressive symptoms in adolescents and telomere length (TL) as well as mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNA-cn). METHOD A total of 121 adolescents (mean age = 11.38 years, SD = 1.03; 39% male adolescents and 61% female adolescents) were followed for approximately 2 years. At baseline and follow-up, participants provided saliva for DNA extraction, from which measures of TL and mtDNA-cn were obtained. Depressive symptoms were obtained via the Children's Depression Inventory. RESULTS There was no association between depressive symptoms and markers of cellular aging at baseline; however, depressive symptoms at baseline predicted higher rates of telomere erosion (β = -0.201, p = .016) and greater increases in mtDNA-cn (β = 0.190, p = .012) over the follow-up period. Markers of cellular aging at baseline did not predict subsequent changes in depressive symptoms. Furthermore, including the number of stressful life events did not alter these patterns of findings. CONCLUSION These results indicate that depressive symptoms precede changes in cellular aging and dysfunction, rather than the reverse.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Jue Lin
- University of California, San Francisco
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50
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Callaghan B. Nested sensitive periods: how plasticity across the microbiota-gut-brain axis interacts to affect the development of learning and memory. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2020; 36:55-62. [PMID: 32905497 PMCID: PMC7469930 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2020.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
There is a growing appreciation for the range of sensitive periods which occur across the brain. These sensitive periods give rise to sensory outcomes, as well as complex higher-order cognitive functions like learning and memory. More recently, an understanding that sensitive periods of development occur outside of the central nervous system (e.g., in the gastrointestinal microbiota) has emerged. Less well understood is how these peripheral sensitive periods may interact with those operating centrally to influence complex behavior. The goal of this paper is to put forward the view that sensitive periods of development occur across the entirety of the microbiota-gut-brain (MGB) axis, and that these nested sensitive periods may interact to influence learning and memory outcomes. Adopting this framework should promote a 'new wave' of thinking in the field which appreciates the complex central and peripheral forces acting on behavior, and uses that understanding to innovate therapies and interventions for disordered learning and memory systems.
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