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Steinhoff A, Johnson-Ferguson L, Bechtiger L, Murray A, Hepp U, Ribeaud D, Eisner M, Shanahan L. Early Adolescent Predictors of Young Adults' Distress and Adaptive Coping During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Findings From a Longitudinal Cohort Study. THE JOURNAL OF EARLY ADOLESCENCE 2024; 44:1250-1280. [PMID: 39372429 PMCID: PMC10261967 DOI: 10.1177/02724316231181660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/08/2024]
Abstract
We examined early adolescent predictors of later distress and adaptive coping in early adulthood, using data from a prospective longitudinal cohort study (n = 786). In early adolescence (age 13), we assessed indicators of mental health (internalizing symptoms), stressor exposure (cumulative stressful life events), and family socialization (supportive parent-child interactions). In early adulthood (age 22), during the first COVID-19-related Swiss national lockdown, we assessed cumulative pandemic-related stressors, distress (poor well-being, hopelessness, and perceived disruptions to life) and adaptive coping. Early adolescent internalizing symptoms predicted lower well-being, more hopelessness, and perceived lifestyle disruptions in early adulthood, during the pandemic. Cumulative stressful life events during early adolescence moderated the association between cumulative pandemic-related stressors and perceived lifestyle disruptions. Supportive parent-child interactions fostered subsequent engagement in adaptive coping, which, in turn, predicted less hopelessness and better well-being. Findings reveal that early adolescent development is linked with distress and adaptive coping in later periods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annekatrin Steinhoff
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Lydia Johnson-Ferguson
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Experimental and Clinical Pharmacopsychology, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Laura Bechtiger
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Aja Murray
- Department of Psychology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Urs Hepp
- Meilen Institute Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Denis Ribeaud
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Eisner
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lilly Shanahan
- Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Vaidya N, Marquand AF, Nees F, Siehl S, Schumann G. The impact of psychosocial adversity on brain and behaviour: an overview of existing knowledge and directions for future research. Mol Psychiatry 2024; 29:3245-3267. [PMID: 38658773 PMCID: PMC11449794 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02556-y] [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: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Environmental experiences play a critical role in shaping the structure and function of the brain. Its plasticity in response to different external stimuli has been the focus of research efforts for decades. In this review, we explore the effects of adversity on brain's structure and function and its implications for brain development, adaptation, and the emergence of mental health disorders. We are focusing on adverse events that emerge from the immediate surroundings of an individual, i.e., microenvironment. They include childhood maltreatment, peer victimisation, social isolation, affective loss, domestic conflict, and poverty. We also take into consideration exposure to environmental toxins. Converging evidence suggests that different types of adversity may share common underlying mechanisms while also exhibiting unique pathways. However, they are often studied in isolation, limiting our understanding of their combined effects and the interconnected nature of their impact. The integration of large, deep-phenotyping datasets and collaborative efforts can provide sufficient power to analyse high dimensional environmental profiles and advance the systematic mapping of neuronal mechanisms. This review provides a background for future research, highlighting the importance of understanding the cumulative impact of various adversities, through data-driven approaches and integrative multimodal analysis techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilakshi Vaidya
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
| | - Andre F Marquand
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Frauke Nees
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Sebastian Siehl
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-Inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
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3
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Cavicchioli M, Scalabrini A, Vai B, Palumbo I, Benedetti F, Galli F, Maffei C. Antecedents and risk factors for borderline personality disorder: Etiopathogenic models based on a multi-level meta-analysis. J Affect Disord 2024; 367:442-452. [PMID: 39243819 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.08.236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2024] [Revised: 07/22/2024] [Accepted: 08/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empirically-based developmental psychopathology approach identified three domains involved in the emergence of borderline personality disorder (BPD): i) underlying liabilities to develop psychopathology (i.e., early patterns of internalizing and externalizing manifestations); ii) invalidating relational experiences (e.g., childhood traumatic experiences, maladaptive parenting, problematic peer relationships); iii) regulatory mechanisms of emotions and behaviors. Nevertheless, no studies have quantitatively summarized empirical findings concerning how and to what extent these domains might be temporally associated to the emergence of BPD features from adolescence to adulthood. METHODS The current multi-level meta-analysis included 106 studies (N = 86,871 participants) assessing the role of previously mentioned antecedents and risk factors for BPD. RESULTS The analysis showed moderate effect sizes capturing temporal associations between early internalizing/externalizing psychopathological manifestations, different invalidating relational experiences, emotion/behavior regulation processes with later BPD features. The effect sizes of these domains were not statistically different from each other. CONCLUSION This evidence supports a transactional developmental model of BPD. Consistently, the emergence of BPD could be viewed in the light of dynamic interplays between an underlying liability to psychopathology and invalidating relational experiences across different stages of development, which are progressively reinforced through increasing alterations of emotion and behavior regulation mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Cavicchioli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology SAPIENZA University of Rome, Italy; Faculty of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, Milan, Italy.
| | - Andrea Scalabrini
- Department of Human and Social Science, University of Bergamo, Italy Mental Health, Bergamo, Italy
| | - Benedetta Vai
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | | | - Francesco Benedetti
- Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Unit, Division of Neuroscience, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy; University Vita-Salute San Raffaele, Milan, Italy
| | - Federica Galli
- Department of Dynamic and Clinical Psychology, and Health Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Psychology SAPIENZA University of Rome, Italy
| | - Cesare Maffei
- Faculty of Psychology, Sigmund Freud University, Ripa di Porta Ticinese 77, Milan, Italy
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Lyons-Ruth K, Chasson M, Khoury J, Ahtam B. Reconsidering the nature of threat in infancy: Integrating animal and human studies on neurobiological effects of infant stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 163:105746. [PMID: 38838878 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2024.105746] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 05/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Early life stress has been associated with elevated risk for later psychopathology. One mechanism that may contribute to such long-term risk is alterations in amygdala development, a brain region critical to stress responsivity. Yet effects of stress on the amygdala during human infancy, a period of particularly rapid brain development, remain largely unstudied. In order to model how early stressors may affect infant amygdala development, several discrepancies across the existing literatures on early life stress among rodents and early threat versus deprivation among older human children and adults need to be reconciled. We briefly review the key findings of each of these literatures. We then consider them in light of emerging findings from studies of human infants regarding relations among maternal caregiving, infant cortisol response, and infant amygdala volume. Finally, we advance a developmental salience model of how early threat may impact the rapidly developing infant brain, a model with the potential to integrate across these divergent literatures. Future work to assess the value of this model is also proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karlen Lyons-Ruth
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02468, USA.
| | - Miriam Chasson
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02468, USA.
| | - Jennifer Khoury
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 1493 Cambridge St, Cambridge, MA 02468, USA.
| | - Banu Ahtam
- Fetal-Neonatal Neuroimaging & Developmental Science Center, Division of Newborn Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
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Lewis LR, Lopez RA, Hunt RH, Hodel AS, Gunnar MR, Thomas KM. Impacts of early deprivation on behavioral and neural measures of executive function in early adolescence. Brain Cogn 2024; 179:106183. [PMID: 38850899 PMCID: PMC11237403 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106183] [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: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/26/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Children reared in institutional settings experience early deprivation that has lasting implications for multiple aspects of neurocognitive functioning, including executive function (EF). Changes in brain development are thought to contribute to these persistent EF challenges, but little research has used fMRI to investigate EF-related brain activity in children with a history of early deprivation. This study examined behavioral and neural data from a response conflict task in 12-14-year-olds who spent varying lengths of time in institutional care prior to adoption (N = 84; age at adoption - mean: 15.85 months, median: 12 months, range: 4-60 months). In initial analyses, earlier- and later-adopted (EA, LA) youth were compared to a group of children raised in their biological families (non-adopted, NA). NA youth performed significantly more accurately than LA youth, with EA youth falling in between. Imaging data suggested that previously institutionalized (PI) youth activated additional frontoparietal regions, including dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, as compared to NA youth. In addition, EA youth uniquely activated medial prefrontal regions, and LA uniquely activated parietal regions during this task. A separate analysis in a larger group of PI youth examined whether behavioral or brain measures of EF varied with the duration of deprivation experienced. Duration of deprivation was negatively associated with activation of default mode network (DMN) regions. Overall, results suggest that there are lasting effects of deprivation on EF, but that those who are removed from institutional care earlier may be able to recruit additional neural resources as a compensatory mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lydia R Lewis
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Raquel A Lopez
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ruskin H Hunt
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Amanda S Hodel
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Megan R Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Kathleen M Thomas
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Rd., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Foster JC, Hodges HR, Beloborodova A, Cohodes EM, Phillips MQ, Anderson E, Fagbenro B, Gee DG. Integrating developmental neuroscience with community-engaged approaches to address mental health outcomes for housing-insecure youth: Implications for research, practice, and policy. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 68:101399. [PMID: 38875770 PMCID: PMC11225708 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101399] [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: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/16/2024] Open
Abstract
One in three children in the United States is exposed to insecure housing conditions, including unaffordable, inconsistent, and unsafe housing. These exposures have detrimental impacts on youth mental health. Delineating the neurobehavioral pathways linking exposure to housing insecurity with children's mental health has the potential to inform interventions and policy. However, in approaching this work, carefully considering the lived experiences of youth and families is essential to translating scientific discovery to improve health outcomes in an equitable and representative way. In the current paper, we provide an introduction to the range of stressful experiences that children may face when exposed to insecure housing conditions. Next, we highlight findings from the early-life stress literature regarding the potential neurobehavioral consequences of insecure housing, focusing on how unpredictability is associated with the neural circuitry supporting cognitive and emotional development. We then delineate how community-engaged research (CEnR) approaches have been leveraged to understand the effects of housing insecurity on mental health, and we propose future research directions that integrate developmental neuroscience research and CEnR approaches to maximize the impact of this work. We conclude by outlining practice and policy recommendations that aim to improve the mental health of children exposed to insecure housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan C Foster
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, United States.
| | - H R Hodges
- University of Minnesota, Institute of Child Development, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Anna Beloborodova
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Emily M Cohodes
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, United States
| | | | | | | | - Dylan G Gee
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, New Haven, CT, United States.
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7
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Demaestri C, Pisciotta M, Altunkeser N, Berry G, Hyland H, Breton J, Darling A, Williams B, Bath KG. Central amygdala CRF+ neurons promote heightened threat reactivity following early life adversity in mice. Nat Commun 2024; 15:5522. [PMID: 38951506 PMCID: PMC11217353 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49828-3] [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: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Failure to appropriately predict and titrate reactivity to threat is a core feature of fear and anxiety-related disorders and is common following early life adversity (ELA). A population of neurons in the lateral central amygdala (CeAL) expressing corticotropin releasing factor (CRF) have been proposed to be key in processing threat of different intensities to mediate active fear expression. Here, we use in vivo fiber photometry to show that ELA results in sex-specific changes in the activity of CeAL CRF+ neurons, yielding divergent mechanisms underlying the augmented startle in ELA mice, a translationally relevant behavior indicative of heightened threat reactivity and hypervigilance. Further, chemogenic inhibition of CeAL CRF+ neurons selectively diminishes startle and produces a long-lasting suppression of threat reactivity. These findings identify a mechanism for sex-differences in susceptibility for anxiety following ELA and have broad implications for understanding the neural circuitry that encodes and gates the behavioral expression of fear.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Demaestri
- Doctoral Program in Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, USA
| | - Margaux Pisciotta
- Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, Barnard College of Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Naira Altunkeser
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Georgia Berry
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Hannah Hyland
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jocelyn Breton
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anna Darling
- Department of Neuroscience, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Brenna Williams
- Doctoral Program in Cellular and Molecular Physiology & Biophysics, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Division of Developmental Neuroscience, Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
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8
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Miller JG, Gluckman PD, Fortier MV, Chong YS, Meaney MJ, Tan AP, Gotlib IH. Faster pace of hippocampal growth mediates the association between perinatal adversity and childhood depression. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 67:101392. [PMID: 38761439 PMCID: PMC11127214 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101392] [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: 01/20/2024] [Revised: 05/09/2024] [Accepted: 05/11/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity has been posited to influence the pace of structural neurodevelopment. Most research, however, has relied on cross-sectional data, which do not reveal whether the pace of neurodevelopmental change is accelerated or slowed following early exposures. In a birth cohort study that included neuroimaging data obtained at 4.5, 6, and 7.5 years of age (N = 784), we examined associations among a cumulative measure of perinatal adversity relative to resources, nonlinear trajectories of hippocampal and amygdala volume, and children's subsequent depressive symptoms at 8.5 years of age. Greater adversity was associated with reduced bilateral hippocampal body volume in early childhood, but also to faster growth in the right hippocampal body across childhood. Further, the association between adversity and childhood depressive symptoms was mediated by faster hippocampal body growth. These findings suggest that perinatal adversity is biologically embedded in hippocampal structure development, including an accelerated pace of change in the right hippocampal body that is implicated in children's psychopathology risk. In addition, our findings suggest that reduced hippocampal volume is not inconsistent with accelerated hippocampal change; these aspects of structural development may typically co-occur, as smaller regional volumes in early childhood were associated with faster growth across childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, CT, USA.
| | - Peter D Gluckman
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Marielle V Fortier
- Department of Diagnostic & Interventional Imaging, KK Women's and Children's Hospital, Singapore
| | - Yap Seng Chong
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A⁎STAR Research Entities, Singapore; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Michael J Meaney
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A⁎STAR Research Entities, Singapore; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Canada; Brain - Body Initiative, A⁎STAR Research Entities, Singapore
| | - Ai Peng Tan
- Translational Neuroscience Program, Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, A⁎STAR Research Entities, Singapore; Department of Diagnostic Radiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore; Brain - Body Initiative, A⁎STAR Research Entities, Singapore; Department of Diagnostic Imaging, National University Health System, Singapore
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, CA, USA
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Dussault M, Thompson RB. Fundamental Themes in Social-Emotional Learning: A Theoretical Framework for Inclusivity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2024; 21:506. [PMID: 38673417 PMCID: PMC11050119 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21040506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Revised: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Social-emotional learning (SEL) is a rapidly growing field of research that has garnered significant attention in recent years. Each facet of SEL research in fields such as education, mental health, and developmental research has used specific methodologies and terms in their narrow research focus. In education specifically, where the most SEL research has been produced, many frameworks have implementation requirements. The lack of a framework focused on overarching themes without implementation requirements prevents the fields from coming together to compile and compare research and progress to create parent-, adult-, or mental health-specific SEL programs. This paper provides a conceptual analysis of SEL, aimed at clarifying the concept and deconstructing its various facets. This framework is needed to acknowledge the many different terms and skills for the same principle while also narrowing down definitions for clarity. The resulting framework can be used as a basis for future research, practice, and policy discussions in the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mickayla Dussault
- Psychology Department, University of Southern Maine, Portland, ME 04103, USA;
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Myllyaho T, Siira V, Wahlberg KE, Hakko H, Taka-Eilola T, Läksy K, Tikkanen V, Roisko R, Niemelä M, Räsänen S. Associations of Duration of Preadoption Out-of-home Care, Genetic Risk for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders and Adoptive Family Functioning with Later Psychiatric Disorders of Adoptees. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2024; 55:350-360. [PMID: 35962879 PMCID: PMC10891258 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-022-01411-x] [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] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The objective was to examine the impacts of duration of preadoption out-of-home care and adoptive family functioning on later psychiatric morbidity of adoptees with high (HR) and low (LR) genetic risk for schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The study uses nationwide data from the Finnish Adoptive Family Study of Schizophrenia. The study population in this substudy consisted of 43 h adoptees and 128 LR adoptees. Of these adoptees, 90 had spent 0-6 months and 81 over 6 months in preadoption out-of-home care. The family functioning of adoptive families was assessed based on Global Family Ratings and psychiatric disorders on DSM-III-R criteria. The results showed that among the adoptees with over 6 months in preadoption out-of-home care, the likelihood for psychiatric disorders was significantly increased in HR adoptees compared to LR adoptees. In adoptees with 6 months or less in preadoption out-of-home care, an increased likelihood for psychiatric disorders was found among those living in adoptive families with dysfunctional processes. These findings indicate that especially for HR children, a well-functioning early caregiving environment is crucial in terms of subsequent mental wellbeing. The results emphasize that when adoption is necessary, early placement and well-functioning adoptive family environment are beneficial to children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toni Myllyaho
- Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Virva Siira
- Faculty of Education, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 2000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Karl-Erik Wahlberg
- Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Helinä Hakko
- Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 26, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Tiina Taka-Eilola
- Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Basic Health Care District of Kallio, Oulu, Finland
| | - Kristian Läksy
- Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Ville Tikkanen
- Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Riikka Roisko
- Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 26, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Mika Niemelä
- Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 26, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, Center for Life Course Health Research, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Sami Räsänen
- Department of Psychiatry, Oulu University Hospital, P.O. Box 26, 90014, Oulu, Finland
- Faculty of Medicine, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, Psychiatry, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
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11
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Tromp DPM, Fox AS, Riedel MK, Oler JA, Zhou X, Roseboom PH, Alexander AL, Kalin NH. Early life adversity in primates: Behavioral, endocrine, and neural effects. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2024; 162:106953. [PMID: 38232531 PMCID: PMC11179711 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106953] [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: 08/01/2023] [Revised: 12/29/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Evidence suggests that early life adversity is associated with maladaptive behaviors and is commonly an antecedent of stress-related psychopathology. This is particularly relevant to rearing in primate species as infant primates depend on prolonged, nurturant rearing by caregivers for normal development. To further understand the consequences of early life rearing adversity, and the relation among alterations in behavior, physiology and brain function, we assessed young monkeys that had experienced maternal separation followed by peer rearing with behavioral, endocrine and multimodal neuroimaging measures. METHODS 50 young rhesus monkeys were studied, half of which were rejected by their mothers and peer reared, and the other half were reared by their mothers. Assessments were performed at approximately 1.8 years of age and included: threat related behavioral and cortisol responses, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measurements of oxytocin and corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH), and multimodal neuroimaging measures (anatomical scans, resting functional connectivity, diffusion tensor imaging, and threat-related regional glucose metabolism). RESULTS The results demonstrated alterations across behavioral, endocrine, and neuroimaging measures in young monkeys that were reared without their mothers. At a behavioral level in response to a potential threat, peer reared animals engaged in significantly less freezing behavior (p = 0.022) along with increased self-directed behaviors (p < 0.012). Levels of oxytocin in the CSF, but not plasma, were significantly reduced in the peer reared animals (p = 0.019). No differences in plasma cortisol or CSF CRH were observed. Diffusion tensor imaging revealed significantly decreased white matter density across the brain. Exploratory correlational and permutation analyses suggest that the impact of peer rearing on behavior, endocrine and brain structural alterations are mediated by separate parallel mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS Taken together, these results demonstrate in NHPs the importance of maternal rearing on the development of brain, behavior and hormonal systems that are linked to social functioning and adaptive responses. The findings suggest that the effects of maternal deprivation are mediated via multiple independent pathways which may account for the heterogeneity in behavioral and biological alterations observed in individuals that have experienced this early life adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Do P M Tromp
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew S Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA; California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
| | - Marissa K Riedel
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Jonathan A Oler
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Xiaojue Zhou
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Patrick H Roseboom
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Andrew L Alexander
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Ned H Kalin
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; Neuroscience Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA; HealthEmotion Research Institute, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, USA.
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12
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Marazziti D, Fantasia S, Palermo S, Arone A, Massa L, Gambini M, Carmassi C. Main Biological Models of Resilience. CLINICAL NEUROPSYCHIATRY 2024; 21:115-134. [PMID: 38807984 PMCID: PMC11129343 DOI: 10.36131/cnfioritieditore20240201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
Objective Resilience is a complex process of adaptation to new conditions that would permit a positive outcome after adversities, traumas or other sources of stress. However, despite the growing interest in this topic, there is no universally accepted definition and no comprehensive bio-behavioural model. This systematic review aims to provide an overview of the main biological models that have been theorized to date, with a focus on new alternative theories to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development and strengthening of resilience, with potential implications for the prevention of some psychopathological disorders. Method This review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines and includes 185 studies published in English in PubMed and Embase up to December 2023. Results Most studies use the stress-related model, which conceptualizes resilience as the absence of symptoms after the stressful event and mainly deal with the differences between stress-prone and resilient phenotypes in animals exposed to stress. However, the results of this search seem to suggest that resilience might be an independent construct with biological bases rooted in the stress system and the social brain, and widely sculptured by individual and environmental factors, especially early life events and affiliation. Conclusions This work contributes to ongoing efforts to understand the intricate mechanisms of resilience, while highlighting the potential of improving social relationships since our birth to promote coping strategies towards stress and traumas, and even a peaceful world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatella Marazziti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
- Saint Camillus International University of Health and Medical Sciences, Rome, Italy
| | - Sara Fantasia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Stefania Palermo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Alessandro Arone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Lucia Massa
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Matteo Gambini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - Claudia Carmassi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Psychiatry, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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13
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Buthmann JL, Uy JP, Miller JG, Yuan JP, Coury SM, Ho TC, Gotlib IH. Neighborhood disadvantage and parenting predict longitudinal clustering of uncinate fasciculus microstructural integrity and clinical symptomatology in adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101368. [PMID: 38547783 PMCID: PMC11056613 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101368] [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: 12/13/2023] [Revised: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Parenting behaviors and neighborhood environment influence the development of adolescents' brains and behaviors. Simultaneous trajectories of brain and behavior, however, are understudied, especially in these environmental contexts. In this four-wave study spanning 9-18 years of age (N=224 at baseline, N=138 at final assessment) we used longitudinal k-means clustering to identify clusters of participants with distinct trajectories of uncinate fasciculus (UF) fractional anisotropy (FA) and anxiety symptoms; we examined behavioral outcomes and identified environmental factors that predicted cluster membership. We identified three clusters of participants: 1) high UF FA and low symptoms ("low-risk"); 2) low UF FA and high symptoms ("high-risk"); and 3) low UF FA and low symptoms ("resilient"). Adolescents in disadvantaged neighborhoods were more likely to be in the resilient than high-risk cluster if they also experienced maternal warmth. Thus, neighborhood disadvantage may confer neural risk for psychopathology that can be buffered by maternal warmth, highlighting the importance of considering multiple environmental influences in understanding emotional and neural development in youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Buthmann
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - J P Uy
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - J G Miller
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, 406 Babbidge Rd, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - J P Yuan
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - S M Coury
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - I H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA, USA
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14
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Campbell KA. Childhood trauma: a major risk factor in the military recruitment of young people. BMJ Mil Health 2024; 170:95-96. [PMID: 35649690 DOI: 10.1136/bmjmilitary-2022-002149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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15
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Næss JØ, Hirnstein M, Kusztrits I, Larøi F. An online survey on clinical and healthy individuals with auditory verbal hallucinations: Abuse did not lead to more negative voice content. Schizophr Res 2024; 265:39-45. [PMID: 36435717 DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2022.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Despite the clinical and theoretical importance of the negative content in auditory verbal hallucinations (AVHs), little research has been conducted on the topic. A handful of studies suggest that trauma or adverse life events contribute to negative content. The findings are somewhat inconsistent, however, possibly due to methodological limitations. Moreover, only trauma occurring in childhood has been investigated so far. In the present study, we studied the effect of abuse, experienced in either child- or adulthood, and clinical status on negative content of AVHs in four groups of participants that were assessed as part of a large, previously published online survey: Individuals with a psychotic disorder and AVHs (total n = 33), who had experienced abuse (n = 21) or not (n = 12) as well as a group of healthy individuals with AVHs (total n = 53), who had experienced abuse (n = 31) or not (n = 22). We hypothesized that having experienced abuse was associated with a higher degree of negative content. The clinical group collectively reported significantly higher degrees of negative AVHs content compared to the healthy group, but there was no effect of abuse on the degree of negative AVHs content. The presence of AVHs was more common amongst individuals who reported a history of abuse compared to individuals with no history of abuse, both in clinical and healthy participants with AVHs. This implies that at group level, being subjected to traumatic events increases an individual's vulnerability to experiencing AVHs. However, it does not necessarily account for negative content in AVHs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Øverbø Næss
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Marco Hirnstein
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway; NORMENT - Norwegian Centre of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Isabella Kusztrits
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Norway; NORMENT - Norwegian Centre of Excellence for Mental Disorders Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway
| | - Frank Larøi
- Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway; Psychology and Neuroscience of Cognition Research Unit, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
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16
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Oliveira PS. The impact of out-of-home care on brain development: a brief review of the neuroscientific evidence informing our understanding of children's attachment outcomes. Front Behav Neurosci 2024; 18:1332898. [PMID: 38586563 PMCID: PMC10995925 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2024.1332898] [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: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Researchers interested in the effects of early experiences of caregiving adversity have employed neuroscientific methods to illuminate whether and how such environmental input impacts on brain development, and whether and how such impacts underpin poor socioemotional outcomes in this population. Evidence is compelling in documenting negative effects on the individual's neurodevelopment following exposure to adverse or disadvantaged environments such as institutionalization or maltreatment. Neuroimaging research focused specifically on attachment-relevant processing of socioemotional stimuli and attachment outcomes among children looked-after is scarcer, but largely consistent. This review begins by summarizing the key general brain structural and functional alterations associated with caregiving deprivation. Then, neuroscientific evidence that is more directly relevant for understanding these children's attachment outcomes, both by employing social stimuli and by correlating children's neural markers with their attachment profiles, is reviewed. Brief interpretations of findings are suggested, and key limitations and gaps in the literature identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paula S. Oliveira
- Anna Freud, and Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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17
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Breton JM, Cort Z, Demaestri C, Critz M, Nevins S, Downend K, Ofray D, Romeo RD, Bath KG. Early life adversity reduces affiliative behavior with a stressed cagemate and leads to sex-specific alterations in corticosterone responses in adult mice. Horm Behav 2024; 158:105464. [PMID: 38070354 PMCID: PMC10872397 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105464] [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: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing early life adversity (ELA) alters stress physiology and increases the risk for developing psychiatric disorders. The social environment can influence dynamics of stress responding and buffer and/or transfer stress across individuals. Yet, the impact of ELA on sensitivity to the stress of others and social behavior following stress is unknown. Here, to test the impact of ELA on social and physiological responses to stress, circulating blood corticosterone (CORT) and social behaviors were assessed in adult male and female mice reared under limited bedding and nesting (LBN) or control conditions. To induce stress, one cagemate of a pair-housed cage underwent a footshock paradigm and was then returned to their unshocked partner. CORT was measured in both groups of mice 20 or 90 min after stress exposure, and social behaviors were recorded and analyzed. ELA rearing influenced the CORT response to stress in a sex-specific manner. In males, both control and ELA-reared mice exhibited similar stress transfer to unshocked cagemates and similar CORT dynamics. In contrast, ELA females showed a heightened stress transfer to unshocked cagemates, and sustained elevation of CORT relative to controls, indicating enhanced stress contagion and a failure to terminate the stress response. Behaviorally, ELA females displayed decreased allogrooming and increased investigative behaviors, while ELA males showed reduced huddling. Together, these findings demonstrate that ELA influenced HPA axis dynamics, social stress contagion and social behavior. Further research is needed to unravel the underlying mechanisms and long-term consequences of ELA on stress systems and their impact on behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn M Breton
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Zoey Cort
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Camila Demaestri
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madalyn Critz
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Samuel Nevins
- Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kendall Downend
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayshalis Ofray
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York, NY, 10032, USA
| | - Russell D Romeo
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA; New York State Psychiatric Institute, Division of Developmental Neuroscience, New York, NY, 10032, USA.
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18
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Burrows CA, Lasch C, Gross J, Girault JB, Rutsohn J, Wolff JJ, Swanson MR, Lee CM, Dager SR, Cornea E, Stephens R, Styner M, John TS, Pandey J, Deva M, Botteron KN, Estes AM, Hazlett HC, Pruett JR, Schultz RT, Zwaigenbaum L, Gilmore JH, Shen MD, Piven J, Elison JT. Associations between early trajectories of amygdala development and later school-age anxiety in two longitudinal samples. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 65:101333. [PMID: 38154378 PMCID: PMC10792190 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101333] [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: 06/13/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Amygdala function is implicated in the pathogenesis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and anxiety. We investigated associations between early trajectories of amygdala growth and anxiety and ASD outcomes at school age in two longitudinal studies: high- and low-familial likelihood for ASD, Infant Brain Imaging Study (IBIS, n = 257) and typically developing (TD) community sample, Early Brain Development Study (EBDS, n = 158). Infants underwent MRI scanning at up to 3 timepoints from neonate to 24 months. Anxiety was assessed at 6-12 years. Linear multilevel modeling tested whether amygdala volume growth was associated with anxiety symptoms at school age. In the IBIS sample, children with higher anxiety showed accelerated amygdala growth from 6 to 24 months. ASD diagnosis and ASD familial likelihood were not significant predictors. In the EBDS sample, amygdala growth from birth to 24 months was associated with anxiety. More anxious children had smaller amygdala volume and slower rates of amygdala growth. We explore reasons for the contrasting results between high-familial likelihood for ASD and TD samples, grounding results in the broader literature of variable associations between early amygdala volume and later anxiety. Results have the potential to identify mechanisms linking early amygdala growth to later anxiety in certain groups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolyn Lasch
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Julia Gross
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jessica B Girault
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Joshua Rutsohn
- Department of Biostatistics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jason J Wolff
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Meghan R Swanson
- School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University of Texas at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Chimei M Lee
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Stephen R Dager
- Deptartment of Radiology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Emil Cornea
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Rebecca Stephens
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Tanya St John
- University of Washington Autism Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Juhi Pandey
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Meera Deva
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Kelly N Botteron
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Annette M Estes
- University of Washington Autism Center, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA; Deptartment of Speech and Hearing Science, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Heather C Hazlett
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - John R Pruett
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Robert T Schultz
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - John H Gilmore
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Mark D Shen
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Joseph Piven
- Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities and Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jed T Elison
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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19
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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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20
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Filetti C, Kane-Grade F, Gunnar M. The Development of Stress Reactivity and Regulation in Children and Adolescents. Curr Neuropharmacol 2024; 22:395-419. [PMID: 37559538 PMCID: PMC10845082 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x21666230808120504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Adversity experienced in early life can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health. One pathway in which these effects occur is through the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, a key physiological stress-mediating system. In this review, we discuss the theoretical perspectives that guide stress reactivity and regulation research, the anatomy and physiology of the axis, developmental changes in the axis and its regulation, brain systems regulating stress, the role of genetic and epigenetics variation in axis development, sensitive periods in stress system calibration, the social regulation of stress (i.e., social buffering), and emerging research areas in the study of stress physiology and development. Understanding the development of stress reactivity and regulation is crucial for uncovering how early adverse experiences influence mental and physical health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clarissa Filetti
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Finola Kane-Grade
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
| | - Megan Gunnar
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA
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Yadav RSP, Ansari F, Bera N, Kent C, Agrawal P. Lessons from lonely flies: Molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying social isolation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2024; 156:105504. [PMID: 38061597 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105504] [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: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023]
Abstract
Animals respond to changes in the environment which affect their internal state by adapting their behaviors. Social isolation is a form of passive environmental stressor that alters behaviors across animal kingdom, including humans, rodents, and fruit flies. Social isolation is known to increase violence, disrupt sleep and increase depression leading to poor mental and physical health. Recent evidences from several model organisms suggest that social isolation leads to remodeling of the transcriptional and epigenetic landscape which alters behavioral outcomes. In this review, we explore how manipulating social experience of fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster can shed light on molecular and neuronal mechanisms underlying isolation driven behaviors. We discuss the recent advances made using the powerful genetic toolkit and behavioral assays in Drosophila to uncover role of neuromodulators, sensory modalities, pheromones, neuronal circuits and molecular mechanisms in mediating social isolation. The insights gained from these studies could be crucial for developing effective therapeutic interventions in future.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Sai Prathap Yadav
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Faizah Ansari
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Neha Bera
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Clement Kent
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, ON M3J 1P3, Canada
| | - Pavan Agrawal
- Centre for Molecular Neurosciences, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Karnataka 576104, India.
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22
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Zhu J, Anderson CM, Ohashi K, Khan A, Teicher MH. Potential sensitive period effects of maltreatment on amygdala, hippocampal and cortical response to threat. Mol Psychiatry 2023; 28:5128-5139. [PMID: 36869224 PMCID: PMC10475146 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-023-02002-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 02/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is a leading risk factor for psychopathology, though it is unclear why some develop risk averse disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and others risk-taking disorders including substance abuse. A critical question is whether the consequences of maltreatment depend on the number of different types of maltreatment experienced at any time during childhood or whether there are sensitive periods when exposure to particular types of maltreatment at specific ages exert maximal effects. Retrospective information on severity of exposure to ten types of maltreatment during each year of childhood was collected using the Maltreatment and Abuse Chronology of Exposure scale. Artificial Intelligence predictive analytics were used to delineate the most important type/time risk factors. BOLD activation fMRI response to threatening versus neutral facial images was assessed in key components of the threat detection system (i.e., amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate, inferior frontal gyrus and ventromedial and dorsomedial prefrontal cortices) in 202 healthy, unmedicated, participants (84 M/118 F, 23.2 ± 1.7 years old). Emotional maltreatment during teenage years was associated with hyperactive response to threat whereas early childhood exposure, primarily to witnessing violence and peer physical bullying, was associated with an opposite pattern of greater activation to neutral than fearful faces in all regions. These findings strongly suggest that corticolimbic regions have two different sensitive period windows of enhanced plasticity when maltreatment can exert opposite effects on function. Maltreatment needs to be viewed from a developmental perspective in order to fully comprehend its enduring neurobiological and clinical consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianjun Zhu
- Department of Psychology, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510000, China.
| | - Carl M Anderson
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Kyoko Ohashi
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Alaptagin Khan
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA
| | - Martin H Teicher
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, 02115, USA.
- Developmental Biopsychiatry Research Program, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, 02478, USA.
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23
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Reed A, Redmon-Greene J, Thompson H, Lusero I. Drug Use and Human Milk: Legal and Child Welfare Considerations. Matern Child Health J 2023; 27:2059-2063. [PMID: 37548911 DOI: 10.1007/s10995-023-03743-z] [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] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preventing new parents who use drugs from bonding with and bodyfeeding their babies undermines public health. Because U.S. culture treats substance use as a moral failing rather than a health concern, punitive responses to perinatal substance use continue to dominate. This is particularly true for families of color, who are more likely to be targeted by the family regulation system. These approaches fail to protect families, and cause their own, separate harm. This article will lay out existing evidence surrounding bodyfeeding. Then, it will debunk harmful mythologies about drug use and human milk, and compare the risks associated with using drugs while bodyfeeding to those inherent in family separation. Finally, it will make the case for harm-reduction approaches over criminal ones. OBJECTIVES The health risks associated with family separation are only rarely weighed against those associated with drug exposure through human milk. Our objective for this paper is to contribute new ways of framing the importance of keeping families together at birth, even when perinatal substance use is detected. METHODS This manuscript is not based upon clinical study or patient data, and exclusively references studies and research publications that have been approved by the appropriate ethics committee and which have therefore been performed in accordance with the ethical standards laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments. RESULTS Significant research data support the position that the risks associated with family separation are arguably greater than those associated with exposure to substance use in human milk. CONCLUSIONS FOR PRACTICE Harm reduction approaches should be favored over criminal approaches when perinatal substance use is detected or confirmed.
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Kawamoto M, Takagishi H, Ishihara T, Takagi S, Kanai R, Sugihara G, Takahashi H, Matsuda T. Hippocampal volume mediates the relationship of parental rejection in childhood with social cognition in healthy adults. Sci Rep 2023; 13:19167. [PMID: 37932349 PMCID: PMC10628272 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-46512-2] [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: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Childhood abuse reduces hippocampal and amygdala volumes and impairs social cognition, including the ability to recognize facial expressions. However, these associations have been studied primarily in individuals with a history of severe abuse and psychiatric symptoms; researchers have not determined whether these associations can also be observed in healthy adults. In the present study, we analyzed data from 400 healthy adults (208 men and 192 women) at Tamagawa University. Parental rejection reflecting childhood abuse was assessed using the short form of Egna Minnen Beträffande Uppfostran, while social cognition was assessed using the "Fake Smile Detection Task." Hippocampal and amygdala volumes were extracted from T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging data using FreeSurfer. We found that greater parental rejection resulted in smaller hippocampal and amygdala volumes and poorer performance in the Fake Smile Detection Task. Structural equation modeling analysis supported the model that hippocampal volume mediates maternal rejection effect on performance on the Fake Smile Detection Task, with involvement of the amygdala. These findings are in line with the structural and functional connectivity found between the hippocampus and amygdala and their joint involvement in social cognition. Therefore, parental rejection may affect hippocampal and amygdala volumes and social cognitive function even in symptom-free adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marino Kawamoto
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan
- Tamagawa University Brain Science Institute, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Toru Ishihara
- Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Shunsuke Takagi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Genichi Sugihara
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hidehiko Takahashi
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Graduate School, Tokyo, Japan
- Tamagawa University Brain Science Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Brain Integration Research, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
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Nasrullah N, Khorashad Sorouri B, Lundmark A, Seiger R, Savic I. Occupational stress is associated with sex and subregion specific modifications of the amygdala volumes. Stress 2023; 26:2247102. [PMID: 37771232 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2023.2247102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Despite the rapid increase in reports of exhaustion syndrome (ES) due to daily occupational stress, the mechanisms underlying ES are unknown. In the present study, we investigated whether occupational ES is associated with specific modifications of the subfields of the amygdala and hippocampus resembling those described in other chronic stress conditions. Special focus was paid to possible sex differences.Methods: As a follow up to our previous studies of occupational ES, we carried out MRI-based subfield segmentation of the hippocampus and amygdala volumes in 58 patients with occupational ES (22 males) and 65 age-matched controls (27 males) (age range 30-46 years).Results: There was a significant and bilateral enlargement of the lateral, basal and central nucleus of the amygdala in patients with ES (corrected for the total intracranial volume (ICV)). These differences were detected only in females. Higher values in the right central and right basal amygdala remained when the whole amygdala volume was used as reference, instead of the ICV. Notably, in female patients the volumes of these specific nuclei were positively correlated with the degree of perceived stress. No changes in the hippocampus subfields were detected in female or male patients.Conclusions: The findings underline that ES is a chronic stress condition, suggesting that not only extreme forms of stress, but also the everyday stress is associated with localized differences from controls in the amygdala. The absence of significant alterations among men with ES despite a similar degree of perceived stress supports the notion that women seem more susceptible to stress-related cerebral changes, and may explain the higher prevalence of ES among women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilab Nasrullah
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - B Khorashad Sorouri
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anton Lundmark
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Rene Seiger
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ivanka Savic
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institute and Neurology Clinic, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Neurology, David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Herzberg MP, Triplett R, McCarthy R, Kaplan S, Alexopoulos D, Meyer D, Arora J, Miller JP, Smyser TA, Herzog ED, England SK, Zhao P, Barch DM, Rogers CE, Warner BB, Smyser CD, Luby J. The Association Between Maternal Cortisol and Infant Amygdala Volume Is Moderated by Socioeconomic Status. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:837-846. [PMID: 37881545 PMCID: PMC10593881 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.03.002] [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: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 02/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background It has been well established that socioeconomic status is associated with mental and physical health as well as brain development, with emerging data suggesting that these relationships begin in utero. However, less is known about how prenatal socioeconomic environments interact with the gestational environment to affect neonatal brain volume. Methods Maternal cortisol output measured at each trimester of pregnancy and neonatal brain structure were assessed in 241 mother-infant dyads. We examined associations between the trajectory of maternal cortisol output across pregnancy and volumes of cortisol receptor-rich regions of the brain, including the amygdala, hippocampus, medial prefrontal cortex, and caudate. Given the known effects of poverty on infant brain structure, socioeconomic disadvantage was included as a moderating variable. Results Neonatal amygdala volume was predicted by an interaction between maternal cortisol output across pregnancy and socioeconomic disadvantage (standardized β = -0.31, p < .001), controlling for postmenstrual age at scan, infant sex, and total gray matter volume. Notably, amygdala volumes were positively associated with maternal cortisol for infants with maternal disadvantage scores 1 standard deviation below the mean (i.e., less disadvantage) (simple slope = 123.36, p < .01), while the association was negative in infants with maternal disadvantage 1 standard deviation above the mean (i.e., more disadvantage) (simple slope = -82.70, p = .02). Individuals with disadvantage scores at the mean showed no association, and there were no significant interactions in the other brain regions examined. Conclusions These data suggest that fetal development of the amygdala is differentially affected by maternal cortisol production at varying levels of socioeconomic advantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Max P. Herzberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Regina Triplett
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Ronald McCarthy
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sydney Kaplan
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | | | - Dominique Meyer
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jyoti Arora
- Department of Biostatistics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - J. Philip Miller
- Department of Biostatistics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Tara A. Smyser
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Erik D. Herzog
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sarah K. England
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Peinan Zhao
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Deanna M. Barch
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Cynthia E. Rogers
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Barbara B. Warner
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Christopher D. Smyser
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joan Luby
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, Missouri
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Debnath R, Troller-Renfree SV, Zeanah CH, Nelson CA, Fox NA. Effects of institutional rearing and foster care intervention on error monitoring and externalizing behaviors in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 63:101295. [PMID: 37690373 PMCID: PMC10507192 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101295] [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: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/04/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Children raised in institutions display deficits in error monitoring and increased psychopathology. Deficits in error monitoring might be a pathway for the emergence of psychopathology in previously institutionalized adolescents. Here we investigate the impact of early psychosocial deprivation and a foster care intervention on error monitoring and its association with internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems in adolescence A modified Flanker task assessed error monitoring in 16-year-old adolescents from the BEIP. The ERN and mid-frontal theta power were computed as indices of neural responses of error monitoring. Adolescents who experienced early institutional rearing and were subsequently placed into foster care showed comparable behavioral (RT, accuracy) and neural (ERN, theta power) measures of error monitoring to their never institutionalized peers; whereas adolescents who received care as usual showed both perturbed behavioral performance and neural responses. Longer duration of institutional care was associated with a reduction in mid-frontal theta power. The results further demonstrated a link between error monitoring as measured by ERN and mid-frontal theta and externalizing-ADHD behavioral problems in adolescents who continued receiving care as usual. The results highlight the long-term positive impact of early foster care placement and perturbations due to prolonged institutional care in neural responses of error monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjan Debnath
- Center for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Justus-Liebig University, Giessen, Germany.
| | | | | | - Charles A Nelson
- Department of Pediatrics, Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Harvard Graduate School of Education, Cambridge, MA, USA
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Leal ASM, Alba LA, Cummings KK, Jung J, Waizman YH, Moreira JFG, Saragosa-Harris NM, Ninova E, Waterman JM, Langley AK, Tottenham N, Silvers JA, Green SA. Sensory processing challenges as a novel link between early caregiving experiences and mental health. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1968-1981. [PMID: 36523255 PMCID: PMC10734795 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000633] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Abstract
Early caregiving adversity (ECA) is associated with elevated psychological symptomatology. While neurobehavioral ECA research has focused on socioemotional and cognitive development, ECA may also increase risk for "low-level" sensory processing challenges. However, no prior work has compared how diverse ECA exposures differentially relate to sensory processing, or, critically, how this might influence psychological outcomes. We examined sensory processing challenges in 183 8-17-year-old youth with and without histories of institutional (orphanage) or foster caregiving, with a particular focus on sensory over-responsivity (SOR), a pattern of intensified responses to sensory stimuli that may negatively impact mental health. We further tested whether sensory processing challenges are linked to elevated internalizing and externalizing symptoms common in ECA-exposed youth. Relative to nonadopted comparison youth, both groups of ECA-exposed youth had elevated sensory processing challenges, including SOR, and also had heightened internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Additionally, we found significant indirect effects of ECA on internalizing and externalizing symptoms through both general sensory processing challenges and SOR, covarying for age and sex assigned at birth. These findings suggest multiple forms of ECA confer risk for sensory processing challenges that may contribute to mental health outcomes, and motivate continuing examination of these symptoms, with possible long-term implications for screening and treatment following ECA.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Laura A. Alba
- Graduate School of Education, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Kaitlin K. Cummings
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane & Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jiwon Jung
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane & Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yael H. Waizman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Emilia Ninova
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jill M. Waterman
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Audra K. Langley
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane & Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- UCLA Pritzker Center for Strengthening Children and Families, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Shulamite A. Green
- Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, Jane & Terry Semel Institute of Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Farmer AL, Lewis MH. Reduction of restricted repetitive behavior by environmental enrichment: Potential neurobiological mechanisms. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105291. [PMID: 37353046 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2023] [Revised: 06/04/2023] [Accepted: 06/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Restricted repetitive behaviors (RRB) are one of two diagnostic criteria for autism spectrum disorder and common in other neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders. The term restricted repetitive behavior refers to a wide variety of inflexible patterns of behavior including stereotypy, self-injury, restricted interests, insistence on sameness, and ritualistic and compulsive behavior. However, despite their prevalence in clinical populations, their underlying causes remain poorly understood hampering the development of effective treatments. Intriguingly, numerous animal studies have demonstrated that these behaviors are reduced by rearing in enriched environments (EE). Understanding the processes responsible for the attenuation of repetitive behaviors by EE should offer insights into potential therapeutic approaches, as well as shed light on the underlying neurobiology of repetitive behaviors. This review summarizes the current knowledge of the relationship between EE and RRB and discusses potential mechanisms for EE's attenuation of RRB based on the broader EE literature. Existing gaps in the literature and future directions are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna L Farmer
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
| | - Mark H Lewis
- Department of Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Department of Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
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Nweze T, Banaschewski T, Ajaelu C, Okoye C, Ezenwa M, Whelan R, Papadopoulos Orfanos D, Bokde AL, Desrivières S, Grigis A, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Brühl R, Martinot J, Martinot MP, Artiges E, Nees F, Paus T, Poustka L, Hohmann S, Millenet S, Fröhner JH, Smolka MN, Walter H, Schumann G, Hanson JL. Trajectories of cortical structures associated with stress across adolescence: a bivariate latent change score approach. J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:1159-1175. [PMID: 36990655 PMCID: PMC10952720 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13793] [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] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Stress exposure in childhood and adolescence has been linked to reductions in cortical structures and cognitive functioning. However, to date, most of these studies have been cross-sectional, limiting the ability to make long-term inferences, given that most cortical structures continue to develop through adolescence. METHODS Here, we used a subset of the IMAGEN population cohort sample (N = 502; assessment ages: 14, 19, and 22 years; mean age: 21.945 years; SD = 0.610) to understand longitudinally the long-term interrelations between stress, cortical development, and cognitive functioning. To these ends, we first used a latent change score model to examine four bivariate relations - assessing individual differences in change in the relations between adolescent stress exposure and volume, surface area, and cortical thickness of cortical structures, as well as cognitive outcomes. Second, we probed for indirect neurocognitive effects linking stress to cortical brain structures and cognitive functions using rich longitudinal mediation modeling. RESULTS Latent change score modeling showed that greater baseline adolescence stress at age 14 predicted a small reduction in the right anterior cingulate volume (Std. β = -.327, p = .042, 95% CI [-0.643, -0.012]) and right anterior cingulate surface area (Std. β = -.274, p = .038, 95% CI [-0.533, -0.015]) across ages 14-22. These effects were very modest in nature and became nonsignificant after correcting for multiple comparisons. Our longitudinal analyses found no evidence of indirect effects in the two neurocognitive pathways linking adolescent stress to brain and cognitive outcomes. CONCLUSION Findings shed light on the impact of stress on brain reductions, particularly in the prefrontal cortex that have consistently been implicated in the previous cross-sectional studies. However, the magnitude of effects observed in our study is smaller than that has been reported in past cross-sectional work. This suggests that the potential impact of stress during adolescence on brain structures may likely be more modest than previously noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tochukwu Nweze
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences UnitUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of NigeriaNsukkaNigeria
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Cyracius Ajaelu
- Department of PsychologyNnamdi Azikiwe UniversityAwkaNigeria
| | | | - Michael Ezenwa
- Department of PsychologyNnamdi Azikiwe UniversityAwkaNigeria
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of PsychologyGlobal Brain Health Institute, Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | | | - Arun L.W. Bokde
- Discipline of PsychiatrySchool of Medicine, Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College DublinDublinIreland
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- SGDP CentreInstitute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, SGDP Centre, King's College LondonLondonUK
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, CEAUniversité Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and PsychologyUniversity of VermontBurlingtonVTUSA
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging CentreSchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University ParkNottinghamUK
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCMCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Berlin Institute of HealthBerlinGermany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Physikalisch‐Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB)Braunschweig and BerlinGermany
| | - Jean‐Luc Martinot
- CNRS, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche MédicaleUniversité Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
- Centre Borelli, INSERM U1299 ‘Trajectoires Développementales et Psychiatrie’Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris‐SaclayGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Marie‐Laure Paillère Martinot
- CNRS, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche MédicaleUniversité Paris‐SaclayParisFrance
- Centre Borelli, INSERM U1299 ‘Trajectoires Développementales et Psychiatrie’Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris‐SaclayParisFrance
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pitié‐Salpétriere Hospital, AP‐HPSorbonne UniversitéParisFrance
| | - Eric Artiges
- CNRS, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche MédicaleUniversité Paris‐SaclayEtampesFrance
- Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris‐Saclay, Centre Borelli, INSERM U1299 ‘Trajectoires Développementales et Psychiatrie’EtampesFrance
- CH Bartélémy DurandEtampesFrance
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical SociologyUniversity Medical Center Schleswig Holstein, Kiel UniversityKielGermany
| | - Tomáš Paus
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte‐JustineUniversity of MontrealMontrealQCCanada
- Departments of Psychiatry and PsychologyUniversity of TorontoTorontoONCanada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and PsychotherapyUniversity Medical Centre GöttingenGöttingenGermany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Sabina Millenet
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty MannheimHeidelberg UniversityMannheimGermany
| | - Juliane H. Fröhner
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging CenterTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Michael N. Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuroimaging CenterTechnische Universität DresdenDresdenGermany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCMCharité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt‐Universität zu BerlinBerlinGermany
- Berlin Institute of HealthBerlinGermany
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and NeuroscienceCharité Universitätsmedizin BerlinBerlinGermany
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain‐inspired Intelligence (ISTBI)Fudan UniversityShanghaiChina
| | - Jamie L. Hanson
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
- Learning Research & Development CenterUniversity of PittsburghPittsburghPAUSA
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Stevens JS, van Rooij SJ, Stenson AF, Ely TD, Powers A, Clifford A, Kim YJ, Hinrichs R, Tottenham N, Jovanovic T. Amygdala responses to threat in violence-exposed children depend on trauma context and maternal caregiving. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:1159-1170. [PMID: 34689856 PMCID: PMC9069569 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) has been linked with increased arousal responses to threat, including increased amygdala reactivity. Effects of ELA on brain function are well recognized, and emerging evidence suggests that caregivers may influence how environmental stressors impact children's brain function. We investigated the hypothesis that positive interaction between mother and child can buffer against ELA effects on children's neural responses to threat, and related symptoms. N = 53 mother-child pairs (children ages 8-14 years) were recruited from an urban population at high risk for violence exposure. Maternal caregiving was measured using the Parenting Questionnaire and in a cooperation challenge task. Children viewed fearful and neutral face stimuli during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Children who experienced greater violence at home showed amygdala sensitization, whereas children experiencing more school and community violence showed amygdala habituation. Sensitization was in turn linked with externalizing symptoms. However, maternal warmth was associated with a normalization of amygdala sensitization in children, and fewer externalizing behaviors prospectively up to 1 year later. Findings suggested that the effects of violence exposure on threat-related neural circuitry depend on trauma context (inside or outside the home) and that primary caregivers can increase resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer S. Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Sanne J.H. van Rooij
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Anais F. Stenson
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
| | - Timothy D. Ely
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Abigail Powers
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Aimee Clifford
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Ye Ji Kim
- Department of Epidemiology, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, Atlanta, GA
| | - Rebecca Hinrichs
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, NY
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
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Breton JM, Cort Z, Demaestri C, Critz M, Nevins S, Downend K, Ofray D, Romeo RD, Bath KG. Early life adversity reduces affiliative behavior towards a distressed cagemate and leads to sex-specific alterations in corticosterone responses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.07.20.549876. [PMID: 37502995 PMCID: PMC10370200 DOI: 10.1101/2023.07.20.549876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Experiencing early life adversity (ELA) alters stress physiology and increases the risk for developing psychiatric disorders. The social environment can influence dynamics of stress responding and buffer and/or transfer stress across individuals. Yet, the impact of ELA on sensitivity to the stress of others and social behavior following stress is unknown. Here, to test the impact of ELA on social and physiological responses to stress, circulating blood corticosterone (CORT) and social behaviors were assessed in adult male and female mice reared under limited bedding and nesting (LBN) or control conditions. To induce stress, one cagemate of a pair-housed cage underwent a footshock paradigm and was then returned to their unshocked partner. CORT was measured in both mice 20 or 90 minutes after stress exposure, and social behaviors were recorded and analyzed. ELA rearing influenced the CORT response to stress in a sex-specific manner. In males, both control and ELA-reared mice exhibited similar stress transfer to unshocked cagemates and similar CORT dynamics. In contrast, ELA females showed a heightened stress transfer to unshocked cagemates, and sustained elevation of CORT relative to controls, indicating enhanced stress contagion and a failure to terminate the stress response. Behaviorally, ELA females displayed decreased allogrooming and increased investigative behaviors, while ELA males showed reduced huddling. Together, these findings demonstrate that ELA influenced HPA axis dynamics, social stress contagion and social behavior. Further research is needed to unravel the underlying mechanisms and long-term consequences of ELA on stress systems and their impact on behavioral outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn M Breton
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zoey Cort
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Camila Demaestri
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Madalyn Critz
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Samuel Nevins
- Brown University, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kendall Downend
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Dayshalis Ofray
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
| | - Russell D Romeo
- Barnard College of Columbia University, Department of Neuroscience and Behavior, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kevin G Bath
- Columbia University, Department of Psychiatry, New York, NY, USA
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33
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Bhutta ZA, Bhavnani S, Betancourt TS, Tomlinson M, Patel V. Adverse childhood experiences and lifelong health. Nat Med 2023; 29:1639-1648. [PMID: 37464047 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-023-02426-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023]
Abstract
With the advent of the sustainable development goals, the field of global child health has shifted its focus from reducing mortality to improving health, nutrition and development outcomes - often measured as human capital. A growing knowledge of the biology of development and neuroscience has highlighted the importance of adverse environmental exposures, collectively termed adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on health outcomes. ACEs are associated with short-term, medium-term and long-term negative consequences for health and development and their effects may be multiplicative, especially during critical periods of sensitivity and developmental plasticity. Some of these effects are compounded by emerging global threats such as climate change, conflict and population displacement. In this Review, we discuss the key mechanisms linking ACEs to health outcomes and consider promising strategies to prevent and mitigate their effects, highlighting evidence from programs in low-income and middle-income countries. Finally, we emphasize the need for early recognition of ACEs and delivery of packages of interventions spanning key sectors such as health, education, women's empowerment and social protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zulfiqar A Bhutta
- Centre for Global Child Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
- Institute for Global Health & Development, The Aga Khan University, South Central Asia, East Africa, United Kingdom, and Karachi, Pakistan.
| | | | | | - Mark Tomlinson
- Institute for Life Course Health Research, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- School of Nursing and Midwifery, Queens University, Belfast, UK
| | - Vikram Patel
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Ferreira de Sá N, Camarini R, Suchecki D. One day away from mum has lifelong consequences on brain and behaviour. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00276-2. [PMID: 37352967 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.06.013] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
This chapter presents a brief overview of attachment theory and discusses the importance of the neonatal period in shaping an individual's physiological and behavioural responses to stress later in life, with a focus on the role of the parent-infant relationship, particularly in rodents. In rodents, the role of maternal behaviours goes far beyond nutrition, thermoregulation and excretion, acting as hidden regulators of the pup's physiology and development. In this review, we will discuss the inhibitory role of specific maternal behaviours on the ACTH and corticosterone (CORT) stress response. The interest of our group to explore the long-term consequences of maternal deprivation for 24 h (DEP) at different ages (3 days and 11 days) in rats was sparked by its opposite effects on ACTH and CORT levels. In early adulthood, DEP3 animals (males and females alike) show greater negative impact on affective behaviours and stress related parameters than DEP11, indicating that the latter is more resilient in tests of anxiety-like behaviour. These findings create an opportunity to explore the neurobiological underpinnings of vulnerability and resilience to stress-related disorders. The chapter also provides a brief historical overview and highlights the relevance of attachment theory, and how DEP helps to understand the effects of childhood parental loss as a risk factor for depression, schizophrenia, and PTSD in both childhood and adulthood. Furthermore, we present the concept of environmental enrichment (EE), its effects on stress responses and related behavioural changes and its benefits for rats previously subjected to DEP, along with the clinical implications of DEP and EE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália Ferreira de Sá
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo
| | - Rosana Camarini
- Department of Pharmacology - Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo
| | - Deborah Suchecki
- Department of Psychobiology - Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo.
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35
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McMath AL, Aguilar-Lopez M, Cannavale CN, Khan NA, Donovan SM. A systematic review on the impact of gastrointestinal microbiota composition and function on cognition in healthy infants and children. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1171970. [PMID: 37389363 PMCID: PMC10306408 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1171970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence from animal models or children with neurodevelopmental disorders has implicated the gut microbiome (GM) in neurocognitive development. However, even subclinical impairement of cognition can have negative consequences, as cognition serves as the foundation for skills necessary to succeed in school, vocation and socially. The present study aims to identify gut microbiome characteristics or changes in gut microbiome characteristics that consistently associate with cognitive outcomes in healthy, neurotypical infants and children. Of the 1,520 articles identified in the search, 23 were included in qualitative synthesis after applying exclusion criteria. Most studies were cross-sectional and focused on behavior or motor and language skills. Bifidobacterium, Bacteroides, Clostridia, Prevotella, and Roseburia were related to these aspects of cognition across several studies. While these results support the role of GM in cognitive development, higher quality studies focused on more complex cognition are needed to understand the extent to which the GM contributes to cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arden L. McMath
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Miriam Aguilar-Lopez
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
- Texas Children’s Microbiome Center, Department of Pathology, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Corinne N. Cannavale
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
| | - Naiman A. Khan
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Neuroscience Program, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
- Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
| | - Sharon M. Donovan
- Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
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36
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Smith R, Versluis A, Chuning AE, Allen JJ, Weihs KL, Brosschot JF, Verkuil B, Allam A, Lane RD. Early adversity and emotional awareness: A partial confirmation and extension of their relationship. JOURNAL OF FAMILY TRAUMA, CHILD CUSTODY & CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2023; 21:320-340. [PMID: 39148864 PMCID: PMC11323048 DOI: 10.1080/26904586.2023.2216695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/17/2024]
Abstract
Early adversity has been consistently linked to mental health outcomes, but the underlying pathways remain unclear. One previous study found an association between early adversity and trait emotional awareness (EA), which has itself been linked to health outcomes, but links to mental health were not explicitly examined. The aim of the current study was to test the hypothesis that the association between early adversity and health can be partially accounted for by differences in EA within a large student sample (n = 196). Participants completed measures of early adversity, EA, and current emotional functioning (i.e., depression, anxiety, somatization, positive/negative affect). Bayesian analyses found the most evidence for models with an interaction between sex and early adversity in predicting emotional functioning - revealing the expected negative relationship between early adversity and EA in females, but a positive relationship in males. Early adversity, but not EA, was associated with depression, anxiety, and implicit negative affect. Only explicit positive affect was associated with both early adversity and EA, and EA partially mediated the negative association between early adversity and positive affect. These results provide limited support for EA as a mediating pathway for the effects of early adversity on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Karen L. Weihs
- University of Arizona
- University of Arizona Cancer Center
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37
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Kahhalé I, Barry KR, Hanson JL. Positive parenting moderates associations between childhood stress and corticolimbic structure. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad145. [PMID: 37325028 PMCID: PMC10263262 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Childhood stress has a deleterious impact on youth behavior and brain development. Resilience factors such as positive parenting (e.g. expressions of warmth and support) may buffer youth against the negative impacts of stress. We sought to determine whether positive parenting buffers against the negative impact of childhood stress on youth behavior and brain structure and to investigate differences between youth-reported parenting and caregiver-reported parenting. Cross-sectional behavioral and neuroimaging data were analyzed from 482 youth (39% female and 61% male, ages 10-17) who participated in an ongoing research initiative, the Healthy Brain Network (HBN). Regression models found that youth-reported positive parenting buffered against the association between childhood stress and youth behavioral problems (β = -0.10, P = 0.04) such that increased childhood stress was associated with increased youth behavior problems only for youth who did not experience high levels of positive parenting. We also found that youth-reported positive parenting buffered against the association between childhood stress and decreased hippocampal volumes (β = 0.07, P = 0.02) such that youth who experienced high levels of childhood stress and who reported increased levels of positive parenting did not exhibit smaller hippocampal volumes. Our work identifies positive parenting as a resilience factor buffering youth against the deleterious impact of stressful childhood experiences on problem behaviors and brain development. These findings underscore the importance of centering youth perspectives of stress and parenting practices to better understand neurobiology, mechanisms of resilience, and psychological well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella Kahhalé
- Learning, Research, and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Kelly R Barry
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, USA
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38
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Hardi FA, Goetschius LG, Tillem S, McLoyd V, Brooks-Gunn J, Boone M, Lopez-Duran N, Mitchell C, Hyde LW, Monk CS. Early childhood household instability, adolescent structural neural network architecture, and young adulthood depression: A 21-year longitudinal study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 61:101253. [PMID: 37182338 PMCID: PMC10200816 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101253] [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: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Unstable and unpredictable environments are linked to risk for psychopathology, but the underlying neural mechanisms that explain how instability relate to subsequent mental health concerns remain unclear. In particular, few studies have focused on the association between instability and white matter structures despite white matter playing a crucial role for neural development. In a longitudinal sample recruited from a population-based study (N = 237), household instability (residential moves, changes in household composition, caregiver transitions in the first 5 years) was examined in association with adolescent structural network organization (network integration, segregation, and robustness of white matter connectomes; Mage = 15.87) and young adulthood anxiety and depression (six years later). Results indicate that greater instability related to greater global network efficiency, and this association remained after accounting for other types of adversity (e.g., harsh parenting, neglect, food insecurity). Moreover, instability predicted increased depressive symptoms via increased network efficiency even after controlling for previous levels of symptoms. Exploratory analyses showed that structural connectivity involving the left fronto-lateral and temporal regions were most strongly related to instability. Findings suggest that structural network efficiency relating to household instability may be a neural mechanism of risk for later depression and highlight the ways in which instability modulates neural development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicia A Hardi
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Leigh G Goetschius
- The Hilltop Institute, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Scott Tillem
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Vonnie McLoyd
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America; College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Montana Boone
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Nestor Lopez-Duran
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America
| | - Colter Mitchell
- Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States of America; Population Studies Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States of America
| | - Luke W Hyde
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States of America
| | - Christopher S Monk
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Survey Research Center of the Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, United States of America; Neuroscience Graduate Program, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States of America.
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39
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McHale-Matthews AC, DeCampo DM, Love T, Cameron JL, Fudge JL. Immature neurons in the primate amygdala: Changes with early development and disrupted early environment. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 61:101248. [PMID: 37120994 PMCID: PMC10173404 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101248] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In human and nonhuman primates, the amygdala paralaminar nucleus (PL) contains immature neurons. To explore the PL's potential for cellular growth during development, we compared PL neurons in (1) infant and adolescent macaques (control, maternally-reared), and in (2) infant macaques that experienced separation from their mother in the first month of life compared to control maternally-reared infants. In maternally-reared animals, the adolescent PL had fewer immature neurons, more mature neurons, and larger immature soma volumes compared to infant PL. There were also fewer total neurons (immature plus mature) in adolescent versus infant PL, suggesting that some neurons move out of the PL by adolescence. Maternal separation did not change mean immature or mature neuron counts in infant PL. However, across all infant animals, immature neuron soma volume was strongly correlated with mature neuron counts. TBR1 mRNA, a transcript required for glutamatergic neuron maturation, is significantly reduced in the maternally-separated infant PL (DeCampo et al., 2017), and was also positively correlated with mature neuron counts in infant PL. We conclude that immature neurons gradually mature by adolescence, and that the stress of maternal separation may shift this trajectory, as revealed by correlations between TBR1 mRNA and mature neuron numbers across animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra C McHale-Matthews
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Neuroscience, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | | | - Tanzy Love
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biostatistics, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Judy L Cameron
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
| | - Julie L Fudge
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Neuroscience, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Psychiatry, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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40
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Doom JR, Young ES, Farrell AK, Roisman GI, Simpson JA. Behavioral, cognitive, and socioemotional pathways from early childhood adversity to BMI: Evidence from two prospective, longitudinal studies. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:749-765. [PMID: 35545317 PMCID: PMC9652481 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Childhood adversity is associated with higher adult weight, but few investigations prospectively test mechanisms accounting for this association. Using two socioeconomically high-risk prospective longitudinal investigations, the Minnesota Longitudinal Study of Risk and Adaptation (MLSRA; N = 267; 45.3% female) and the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS; n = 2,587; 48.5% female), pathways between childhood adversity and later body mass index (BMI) were tested using impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, and overeating as mediators. Childhood adversity from 0 to 5 years included four types of adversities: greater unpredictability, threat/abuse, deprivation/neglect, and low socioeconomic status. Parents reported on child impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, and overeating. Height and weight were self-reported and measured at 32 and 37 years in MLSRA and at 15 years in FFCWS. FFCWS results indicated that threat, deprivation, and low socioeconomic status predicted greater impulsivity and emotion dysregulation at 5 years, which in turn predicted greater overeating at 9 years and higher BMI z-score at 15 years. Early unpredictability in FFCWS predicted higher BMI through greater impulsivity but not emotion dysregulation at age 5. MLSRA regression results replicated the threat/abuse → emotion dysregulation → overeating → higher BMI pathway. These findings suggest that different dimensions of early adversity may follow both similar and unique pathways to predict BMI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenalee R. Doom
- Department of Psychology, University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA
| | - Ethan S. Young
- Department of Psychology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | | | - Glenn I. Roisman
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Jeffry A. Simpson
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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41
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Donnici C, Long X, Reynolds J, Giesbrecht GF, Dewey D, Letourneau N, Huo Y, Landman B, Lebel C. Prenatal depressive symptoms and childhood development of brain limbic and default mode network structure. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:2380-2394. [PMID: 36691973 PMCID: PMC10028635 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26216] [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: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Prenatal depressive symptoms are linked to negative child behavioral and cognitive outcomes and predict later psychopathology in adolescent children. Prior work links prenatal depressive symptoms to child brain structure in regions like the amygdala; however, the relationship between symptoms and the development of brain structure over time remains unclear. We measured maternal depressive symptoms during pregnancy and acquired longitudinal T1-weighted and diffusion imaging data in children (n = 111; 60 females) between 2.6 and 8 years of age. Controlling for postnatal symptoms, we used linear mixed effects models to test relationships between prenatal depressive symptoms and age-related changes in (i) amygdala and hippocampal volume and (ii) structural properties of the limbic and default-mode networks using graph theory. Higher prenatal depressive symptoms in the second trimester were associated with more curvilinear trajectories of left amygdala volume changes. Higher prenatal depressive symptoms in the third trimester were associated with slower age-related changes in limbic global efficiency and average node degree across childhood. Our work provides evidence that moderate symptoms of prenatal depression in a low sociodemographic risk sample are associated with structural brain development in regions and networks implicated in emotion processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Donnici
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Xiangyu Long
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jess Reynolds
- Telethon Kids Institute, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nicole Letourneau
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yuankai Huo
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Bennett Landman
- Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Catherine Lebel
- Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Radiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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42
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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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43
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Rexrode L, Tennin M, Babu J, Young C, Bollavarapu R, Lawson LA, Valeri J, Pantazopoulos H, Gisabella B. Regulation of dendritic spines in the amygdala following sleep deprivation. FRONTIERS IN SLEEP 2023; 2:1145203. [PMID: 37928499 PMCID: PMC10624159 DOI: 10.3389/frsle.2023.1145203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
The amygdala is a hub of emotional circuits involved in the regulation of cognitive and emotional behaviors and its critically involved in emotional reactivity, stress regulation, and fear memory. Growing evidence suggests that the amygdala plays a key role in the consolidation of emotional memories during sleep. Neuroimaging studies demonstrated that the amygdala is selectively and highly activated during rapid eye movement sleep (REM) and sleep deprivation induces emotional instability and dysregulation of the emotional learning process. Regulation of dendritic spines during sleep represents a morphological correlate of memory consolidation. Several studies indicate that dendritic spines are remodeled during sleep, with evidence for broad synaptic downscaling and selective synaptic upscaling in several cortical areas and the hippocampus. Currently, there is a lack of information regarding the regulation of dendritic spines in the amygdala during sleep. In the present work, we investigated the effect of 5 h of sleep deprivation on dendritic spines in the mouse amygdala. Our data demonstrate that sleep deprivation results in differential dendritic spine changes depending on both the amygdala subregions and the morphological subtypes of dendritic spines. We observed decreased density of mushroom spines in the basolateral amygdala of sleep deprived mice, together with increased neck length and decreased surface area and volume. In contrast, we observed greater densities of stubby spines in sleep deprived mice in the central amygdala, indicating that downscaling selectively occurs in this spine type. Greater neck diameters for thin spines in the lateral and basolateral nuclei of sleep deprived mice, and decreases in surface area and volume for mushroom spines in the basolateral amygdala compared to increases in the cental amygdala provide further support for spine type-selective synaptic downscaling in these areas during sleep. Our findings suggest that sleep promotes synaptic upscaling of mushroom spines in the basolateral amygdala, and downscaling of selective spine types in the lateral and central amygdala. In addition, we observed decreased density of phosphorylated cofilin immunoreactive and growth hormone immunoreactive cells in the amygdala of sleep deprived mice, providing further support for upscaling of dendritic spines during sleep. Overall, our findings point to region-and spine type-specific changes in dendritic spines during sleep in the amygdala, which may contribute to consolidation of emotional memories during sleep.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay Rexrode
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Matthew Tennin
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Jobin Babu
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Caleb Young
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Ratna Bollavarapu
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Lamiorkor Ameley Lawson
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Jake Valeri
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Harry Pantazopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
| | - Barbara Gisabella
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
- Program in Neuroscience, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, United States
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Yang Y, Zhong Z, Wang B, Wang Y, Ding W. Activation of D1R signaling in the medial prefrontal cortex rescues maternal separation-induced behavioral deficits through restoration of excitatory neurotransmission. Behav Brain Res 2023; 441:114287. [PMID: 36627054 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2023.114287] [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: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Lack of maternal care and attention during infancy and childhood increases the likelihood of developing a range of neuropsychiatric disorders, such as social deficits, working memory impairment, and anxiety-like behaviors, in adulthood. However, the neuroregulatory signaling through which early-life stress causes behavioral and cognitive abnormalities in the offspring is largely unexplored. Here, we show that in mice, unpredictable maternal separation (MS) during the early postnatal period impairs neuronal development in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and results in long-lasting behavioral changes. Additionally, MS disrupts excitatory neurotransmission and inhibits the neuronal activity of pyramidal neurons in the mPFC. Differentially expressed gene (DEG) analysis of RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data of mPFC showed that dopamine D1 receptor (D1R) was significantly downregulated in MS animals. Finally, we show that pharmacological activation of D1R signaling specifically in the mPFC improves neuronal excitability and rescues behavioral and cognitive dysfunction of MS mice, whereas pharmacologically inhibiting of D1R in the mPFC mimics MS-induced behavioral abnormalities in control mice. Together, our results identify D1R signaling in the mPFC, at least in part, as a potential therapeutic target for the behavioral and cognitive abnormalities caused by deprivation of maternal care in early life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Youjun Yang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1166 Liutai Road, Chengdu 611137, PR China; State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine and Institute of Chinese Medical Sciences, University of Macau, 999078, Macao Special Administrative Region of China.
| | - Zhanqiong Zhong
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1166 Liutai Road, Chengdu 611137, PR China
| | - Baojia Wang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1166 Liutai Road, Chengdu 611137, PR China
| | - Yili Wang
- Innovative Institute of Chinese Medicine and Pharmacy, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu 611137, PR China
| | - Weijun Ding
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 1166 Liutai Road, Chengdu 611137, PR China
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Halladay LR, Herron SM. Lasting impact of postnatal maternal separation on the developing BNST: Lifelong socioemotional consequences. Neuropharmacology 2023; 225:109404. [PMID: 36572178 PMCID: PMC9926961 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropharm.2022.109404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Nearly one percent of children in the US experience childhood neglect or abuse, which can incite lifelong emotional and behavioral disorders. Many studies investigating the neural underpinnings of maleffects inflicted by early life stress have largely focused on dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Newer veins of evidence suggest that exposure to early life stressors can interrupt neural development in extrahypothalamic areas as well, including the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST). One widely used approach in this area is rodent maternal separation (MS), which typically consists of separating pups from the dam for extended periods of time, over several days during the first weeks of postnatal life - a time when pups are highly dependent on maternal care for survival. MS has been shown to incite myriad lasting effects not limited to increased anxiety-like behavior, hyper-responsiveness to stressors, and social behavior deficits. The behavioral effects of MS are widespread and thus unlikely to be limited to hypothalamic mechanisms. Recent work has highlighted the BNST as a critical arbiter of some of the consequences of MS, especially socioemotional behavioral deficits. The BNST is a well-documented modulator of anxiety, reward, and social behavior by way of its connections with hypothalamic and extra-hypothalamic systems. Moreover, during the postnatal period when MS is typically administered, the BNST undergoes critical neural developmental events. This review highlights evidence that MS interferes with neural development to permanently alter BNST circuitry, which may account for a variety of behavioral deficits seen following early life stress. This article is part of the Special Issue on 'Fear, Anxiety and PTSD'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay R Halladay
- Department of Psychology, Santa Clara University, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara, CA, 95053, USA.
| | - Steven M Herron
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, 300 Pasteur Drive, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
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Godfrey JR, Howell BR, Mummert A, Shi Y, Styner M, Wilson ME, Sanchez M. Effects of social rank and pubertal delay on brain structure in female rhesus macaques. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 149:105987. [PMID: 36529113 PMCID: PMC9931669 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Adverse social experience during childhood and adolescence leads to developmental alterations in emotional and stress regulation and underlying neurocircuits. We examined the consequences of social subordination (low social rank) in juvenile female rhesus monkeys, as an ethologically valid model of chronic social stressor exposure, on brain structural and behavioral development through the pubertal transition. Adolescence is a developmental period of extensive brain remodeling and increased emotional and stress reactivity. Puberty-induced increases in gonadal hormones, particularly estradiol (E2), are likely involved due to its organizational effects on the brain and behavior. Thus, we also examined how experimentally delaying pubertal onset with Lupron (gonadotropin releasing hormone -GnRH- agonist used clinically to delay early puberty) interacted with social rank (dominant vs. subordinate) to affect brain and behavioral outcomes. Using a longitudinal experimental design, structural MRI (sMRI) scans were collected on socially housed juvenile female rhesus monkeys living in indoor-outdoor enclosures prior to the onset of puberty (18-25 months), defined as menarche or the initial occurrence of perineal swelling and coloration, and again at 29-36 months, when all control animals had reached puberty but none of the Lupron-treated had. We examined the effects of both social rank and pubertal delay on overall structural brain volume (i.e. intracranial, grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes), as well as on cortico-limbic regions involved in emotion and stress regulation: amygdala (AMYG), hippocampus (HC), and prefrontal cortex (PFC). Measures of stress physiology, social behavior, and emotional reactivity were collected to examine functional correlates of the brain structural effects. Apart from expected developmental effects, subordinates had bigger AMYG volumes than dominant animals, most notably in the right hemisphere, but pubertal delay with Lupron-treatment abolished those differences, suggesting a role of gonadal hormones potentiating the brain structural impact of social stress. Subordinates also had elevated baseline cortisol, indicating activation of stress systems. In general, Lupron-treated subjects had smaller AMYG and HC volume than controls, but larger total PFC (driven by bigger GM volumes), and different, region-specific, developmental patterns dependent on age and social rank. These findings highlight a region-specific effect of E2 on structural development during female adolescence, independent of those due to chronological age. Pubertal delay and AMYG volume, in turn, predicted differences in emotional reactivity and social behavior. These findings suggest that exposure to developmental increases in E2 modifies the consequences of adverse social experience on the volume of cortico-limbic regions involved in emotional and stress regulation during maturation. But, even more importantly, they indicate different brain structural effects of chronological age and pubertal developmental stage in females, which are very difficult to disentangle in human studies. These findings have additional relevance for young girls who experience prolonged pubertal delays or for those whose puberty is clinically arrested by pharmacological administration of Lupron.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jodi R Godfrey
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Brittany R Howell
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at Virginia Tech Carilion, 2 Riverside Circle, Roanoke, VA 24016, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Science, Virginia Tech, 366 Wallace Hall, 295 West Campus Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
| | - Amanda Mummert
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, 1557 Dickey Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Yundi Shi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, 352 Medical School Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Martin Styner
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, 352 Medical School Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Mark E Wilson
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Mar Sanchez
- Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 954 Gatewood Road, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA; Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, School of Medicine, Emory University, 12 Executive Park Drive NE #200, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA.
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Warhaftig G, Almeida D, Turecki G. Early life adversity across different cell- types in the brain. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 148:105113. [PMID: 36863603 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Revised: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA)- which includes physical, psychological, emotional, and sexual abuse is one of the most common predictors to diverse psychopathologies later in adulthood. As ELA has a lasting impact on the brain at a developmental stage, recent findings from the field highlighted the specific contributions of different cell types to ELA and their association with long lasting consequences. In this review we will gather recent findings describing morphological, transcriptional and epigenetic alterations within neurons, glia and perineuronal nets and their associated cellular subpopulation. The findings reviewed and summarized here highlight important mechanisms underlying ELA and point to therapeutic approaches for ELA and related psychopathologies later in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gal Warhaftig
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Daniel Almeida
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal QC H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Gustavo Turecki
- McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal QC H4H 1R3, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal QC H3A 1A1, Canada.
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Chinn LK, Momotenko DA, Sukmanova AA, Ovchinnikova IV, Golovanova IV, Grigorenko EL. Effects of childhood institutionalization on semantic processing and its neural correlates persist into adolescence and adulthood. Cortex 2023; 161:93-115. [PMID: 36921375 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2022.11.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Individuals raised in institutionalized care settings are more likely to demonstrate developmental deficits than those raised in biological families. One domain that is vulnerable to the impoverished environments characteristic of some institutionalized care facilities is language development. We used EEG to assess ERPs and source-localized event-related spectral perturbations (ERSPs) associated with semantic processing at different levels of picture-word conflict and low versus high word frequency. Additionally, we assessed behavioral language ability (a synonyms task) and IQ. Participants (N = 454) were adolescents and adults with a history of institutionalized care (N = 187) or raised in biological families (N = 267), both recruited from secondary educational settings to approximately match the groups on age and education. Results indicate that individuals with a history of institutionalization are less accurate at judging whether semantic information in a spoken word matches an image. Additionally, those with a history of institutionalization show reduced cognitive control of conflict and more reactive N400 ERPs and beta ERSPs when handling picture-word conflict, especially in the left hemisphere. Frontal theta is related to semantic and conflict processing; however, in this study it did not vary with institutionalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa K Chinn
- Department of Psychology & Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Darya A Momotenko
- Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia; Laboratory of Translational Sciences of Human Development, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Anastasia A Sukmanova
- Laboratory of Translational Sciences of Human Development, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia; Centre for Cognition and Decision Making, Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience, HSE University, Moscow, Russia
| | - Irina V Ovchinnikova
- Department of Psychology & Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States; Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia; Laboratory of Translational Sciences of Human Development, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Irina V Golovanova
- Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia; Laboratory of Translational Sciences of Human Development, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Elena L Grigorenko
- Department of Psychology & Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics, University of Houston, Houston, TX, United States; Center for Cognitive Sciences, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi, Russia; Laboratory of Translational Sciences of Human Development, Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia; Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States; Child Study Center and Haskins Laboratories, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States.
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49
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McHale-Matthews AC, DeCampo DM, Love T, Cameron JL, Fudge JL. Immature neurons in the primate amygdala: changes with early development and disrupted early environment. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.10.528076. [PMID: 36798176 PMCID: PMC9934690 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.10.528076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/14/2023]
Abstract
In human and nonhuman primates, the amygdala paralaminar nucleus (PL) contains immature neurons. To explore the PL’s potential for cellular growth during development, we compared PL cells in 1) infant and adolescent macaques (control, maternally-reared), and in 2) infant macaques that experienced separation from their mother in the first month of life. In maternally-reared animals, the adolescent PL had fewer immature neurons, more mature neurons, and larger immature soma volumes compared to infant PL. There were also fewer total neurons (immature plus mature) in adolescent versus infant PL, suggesting that some neurons move out of the PL by adolescence. Maternal separation did not change mean immature or mature neuron counts in infant PL. However, across all infant animals, immature neuron soma volume was strongly correlated with mature neuron counts. tbr-1 mRNA, a transcript required for glutamatergic neuron maturation, is significantly reduced in the maternally-separated infant PL (DeCampo et al, 2017), and was also positively correlated with mature neuron counts in infant PL. We conclude that immature neurons gradually mature by adolescence, and that the stress of maternal separation may shift this trajectory, as revealed by correlations between tbr1mRNA and mature neuron numbers across animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Tanzy Love
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Biostatistics, Rochester, NY 14642
| | - Judy L Cameron
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Julie L Fudge
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry Department of Neuroscience Rochester, NY 14642
- University of Rochester, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Department of Psychiatry Rochester, NY 14642
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Brain Volumes and Metacognitive Deficits in Knowledge of Self, Task and Strategies in Mathematics: A Preliminary Pilot One-Year Longitudinal Study in aMCI Patients Compared to Healthy Controls. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13040680. [PMID: 36832169 PMCID: PMC9955851 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13040680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Metacognitive knowledge has been little investigated in aMCI patients. The aim of this study is to examine whether there are specific deficits in knowledge of self, task and strategies in mathematical cognition, due its importance for everyday functioning, mainly due to its importance for financial capacity in old age. A total of 24 patients with a diagnosis of aMCI and one-to-one 24 matched individuals (similar age, education and gender) were examined at three time points in a year with a number of neuropsychological tests and a slightly modified version of the Metacognitive Knowledge in Mathematics Questionnaire (MKMQ). We analyzed longitudinal MRI data regarding various brain areas for the aMCI patients. Results indicated that the aMCI group differed in all MKMQ subscale scores at the three time points compared to healthy controls. Correlations were found only for metacognitive avoidance strategies and left and right amygdala volumes at baseline, while after twelve months correlations were found for avoidance and right and left parahippocampal volumes. These preliminary results highlight the role of specific brain regions that could be used as indices in clinical practice for the detection of metacognitive knowledge deficits that are found in aMCI.
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