Prefrontal Cortical and Limbic Circuit Alterations in Psychopathology

The effect of prenatal maternal distress on offspring brain development: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

Prenatal maternal distress can negatively affect pregnancy outcomes, yet its impact on the offspring's brain structure and function remains unclear. This systematic review summarizes the available literature on the relationship between prenatal maternal distress and brain development in fetuses and infants up to 12 months of age.

METHODS

We searched Central, Embase, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and PSYNDEXplus for studies published between database inception and December 2023. Studies were included if prenatal maternal anxiety, stress, and/or depression was assessed, neuroimaging was used to examine the offspring, and the offspring's brain was imaged within the first year of life. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-II.

RESULTS

Out of the 1516 studies retrieved, 71 met our inclusion criteria. Although the studies varied greatly in their methodology, the results generally pointed to structural and functional aberrations in the limbic system, prefrontal cortex, and insula in fetuses and infants prenatally exposed to maternal distress.

CONCLUSIONS

The hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex have a high density of glucocorticoid receptors, which play a key role in adapting to stressors and maintaining stress-related homeostasis. We thus conclude that in utero exposure to maternal distress prompts these brain regions to adapt by undergoing structural and functional changes, with the consequence that these alterations increase the risk for developing a neuropsychiatric illness later on. Future research should investigate the effect of providing psychological support for pregnant women on the offspring's early brain development.

Structural and biochemical alterations in dendritic spines as key mechanisms for severe mental illnesses

Severe mental illnesses (SMI) collectively affect approximately 20% of the global population, as estimated by the World Health Organization (WHO). Despite having diverse etiologies, clinical symptoms, and pharmacotherapies, these diseases share a common pathophysiological characteristic: the misconnection of brain areas involved in reality perception, executive control, and cognition, including the corticolimbic system. Dendritic spines play a crucial role in excitatory neurotransmission within the central nervous system. These small structures exhibit remarkable plasticity, regulated by factors such as neurotransmitter tone, neurotrophic factors, and innate immunity-related molecules, and other mechanisms - all of which are associated with the pathophysiology of SMI. However, studying dendritic spine mechanisms in both healthy and pathological conditions in patients is fraught with technical limitations. This is where animal models related to these diseases become indispensable. They have played a pivotal role in elucidating the significance of dendritic spines in SMI. In this review, the information regarding the potential role of dendritic spines in SMI was summarized, drawing from clinical and animal model reports. Also, the implications of targeting dendritic spine-related molecules for SMI treatment were explored. Specifically, our focus is on major depressive disorder and the neurodevelopmental disorders schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorder. Abundant clinical and basic research has studied the functional and structural plasticity of dendritic spines in these diseases, along with potential pharmacological targets that modulate the dynamics of these structures. These targets may be associated with the clinical efficacy of the pharmacotherapy.

Bridging Neuroscience and Clinical Assessment in a Patient with Alcohol Use Disorder, Anxiety, and Trauma

This article presents a unique framework that combines insights from neuroscience with clinical assessment to evaluate individuals who have co-occurring alcohol use disorder, anxiety, and trauma. Through the use of a case study, the authors demonstrate the practical application of this framework and contextualize the relevant neurocircuitry associated with alcohol withdrawal, maladaptive fear and anxiety, and chronic stress. By integrating these perspectives, they provide a comprehensive approach for assessing and treating patients with complex psychiatric histories, particularly those presenting with anxiety symptoms, offering valuable insights for practitioners.

Stress and Right Prefrontal Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) Interactive Effects on Visual Working Memory and Learning

Stress impacts prefrontal cortex (PFC) activity and modulates working memory performance. In a recent study, stimulating the dorsolateral PFC (dlPFC) using transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) interacted with social stress in modulating participants' working memory. More specifically, stress disrupted the enhancing effects of dlPFC tDCS on working memory performance. The current study aimed to further explore these initial findings by randomizing healthy females to four experimental conditions (N = 130); stimulation (right dlPFC tDCS vs. sham) and stress manipulation (social stress vs. control). Participants performed cognitive tasks (i.e., visual working memory task and a visual declarative memory task) at baseline and post-stimulation. They also completed self-report measures of stress and anxiety. A significant stimulation × stress interaction was evident in the declarative memory (One-Card Learning, OCL) task, while working memory performance was unaffected. Though tDCS stimulation and stress did not interact to affect working memory, further research is warranted as these initial findings suggest that immediate visual-memory learning may be affected by these factors. The limited number of earlier studies, as well as the variability in their designs, provides additional impetus for studying the interactive effects of stress and tDCS on human visual learning.

Single-nucleus transcriptome profiling of prefrontal cortex induced by chronic methamphetamine treatment

Background

Methamphetamine (METH) addiction causes a huge burden on society. The prefrontal cortex (PFC), associated with emotion and cognitive behaviours, is also involved in addiction neurocircuitry. Although bulk RNA sequencing has shown METH-induced gene alterations in the mouse PFC, the impact on different cell types remains unknown.

Aims

To clarify the effects of METH treatment on different cell types of the PFC and the potential pathways involved in METH-related disorders.

Methods

We performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) to examine the transcriptomes of 20 465 nuclei isolated from the PFC of chronic METH-treated and control mice. Main cell types and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified and confirmed by RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization(FISH).

Results

Six main cell types were identified depending on the single-cell nucleus sequencing; of particular interest were the mature oligodendrocytes in the PFC. The DEGs of mature oligodendrocytes were enriched in the myelin sheath, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) metabolic process, mitochondrial function and components, and so on. The messenger RNA levels of Aldoc and Atp5l (FISH) and the protein level of the mitochondrial membrane pore subunit TOM40 (immunofluorescence) decreased in the mature oligodendrocytes. Fast blue staining and transmission electron microscopy image indicated myelin damage, and the myelin thickness decreased in METH brains.

Conclusions

snRNA-seq reveals altered transcriptomes of different cell types in mouse PFC induced by chronic METH treatment, underscoring potential relationships with psychiatric disorders.

Brain transcriptome-wide association study implicates novel risk genes underlying schizophrenia risk

BACKGROUND

To identify risk genes whose expression are regulated by the reported risk variants and to explore the potential regulatory mechanism in schizophrenia (SCZ).

METHODS

We systematically integrated three independent brain expression quantitative traits (eQTLs) (CommonMind, GTEx, and BrainSeq Phase 2, a total of 1039 individuals) and GWAS data (56 418 cases and 78 818 controls), with the use of transcriptome-wide association study (TWAS). Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging was utilized to quantify the integrity of white matter bundles and determine whether polygenic risk of novel genes linked to brain structure was present in patients with first-episode antipsychotic SCZ.

RESULTS

TWAS showed that eight risk genes (CORO7, DDAH2, DDHD2, ELAC2, GLT8D1, PCDHA8, THOC7, and TYW5) reached transcriptome-wide significance (TWS) level. These findings were confirmed by an independent integrative approach (i.e. Sherlock). We further conducted conditional analyses and identified the potential risk genes that driven the TWAS association signal in each locus. Gene expression analysis showed that several TWS genes (including CORO7, DDAH2, DDHD2, ELAC2, GLT8D1, THOC7 and TYW5) were dysregulated in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of SCZ cases compared with controls. TWS genes were mainly expressed on the surface of glutamatergic neurons, GABAergic neurons, and microglia. Finally, SCZ cases had a substantially greater TWS genes-based polygenic risk (PRS) compared to controls, and we showed that fractional anisotropy of the cingulum-hippocampus mediates the influence of TWS genes PRS on SCZ.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings identified novel SCZ risk genes and highlighted the importance of the TWS genes in frontal-limbic dysfunctions in SCZ, indicating possible therapeutic targets.

Interconnections between Emotion Recognition, Self-Processes and Psychological Well-Being in Adolescents

Background: Adolescence is a critical developmental period for mentalization and emotion regulation skills. Studies show that during this time, adolescents may experience greater vulnerability to challenges of mental and emotional well-being. Studies also show that self-skills, such as mentalization, self-compassion, and self-control are independently associated with feelings of global self-worth or psychological well-being. To date, no known studies have explored interconnected relations among these self-skills, despite significant overlaps in the social-biological development of these skills. Aims: To investigate interconnected relations among psychological well-being, mentalization, self-compassion and self-control. Gender differences in these relations are explored. Method: As part of a larger, longitudinal study of adolescent well-being, this cross-sectional study drew on a variety of self-report measures, investigating relations among adolescents’ self-reports of psychological well-being, emotion recognition, self-control, and self-compassion. Participants consisted of 88 girls and 57 boys, mean age 13.38. Results: Main results showed associations among emotion recognition, self-control and self-compassion and feelings of global self-worth. Specifically, results showed that understanding negative emotions in others relates to lower levels of self-compassion and feelings of self-worth. Further, adolescents who report low levels of self-control reported uncompassionate self-responding and lower levels of self-worth. Gender differences and implications for further research and adolescent social-emotional interventions are discussed.

The mediating effect of brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels on childhood trauma and psychiatric symptoms in patients with first-episode schizophrenia

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have implicated childhood trauma and abnormal brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Here, we explored whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and psychopathological symptoms in patients with first-episode schizophrenia.

METHODS

Patients with first-episode schizophrenia (n = 192) and healthy controls (n = 136) were enrolled. Childhood traumatic experiences and psychopathology were assessed by Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to quantify brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels.

RESULTS

The patients with first-episode schizophrenia experienced more severe childhood trauma and had lower serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels than healthy controls. Emotional abuse and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total score showed positive correlation with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive, general psychopathological subscore and total score. Emotional neglect showed positive correlation with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale positive subscore. Physical neglect was positively associated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale negative subscore. Emotional neglect and Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total score were negatively correlated with serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. The serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels mediated the relationship between both Childhood Trauma Questionnaire total score and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score and negative symptoms in the patients. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels also mediated the relationship between emotional neglect and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score in the patients.

CONCLUSION

Childhood trauma might contribute to the clinical symptoms of schizophrenia by affecting brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels. Perhaps we can prevent schizophrenia by reducing childhood traumatic experiences.

Irrational Beliefs and Their Role in Specific and Non-Specific Eating Disorder Symptomatology and Cognitive Reappraisal in Eating Disorders

BACKGROUND

Research on which specific maladaptive cognitions characterize eating disorders (ED) is lacking. This study explores irrational beliefs (IBs) in ED patients and controls and the association between IBs and ED-specific and non-specific ED symptomatology and cognitive reappraisal.

METHODS

79 ED outpatients with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or other specified feeding or eating disorders and 95 controls completed the Attitudes and Beliefs Scale-2 (ABS-2) for IBs. ED outpatients also completed the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) for ED-specific (EDI-3-ED Risk) and non-specific (EDI-3-General Psychological Maladjustment) symptomatology; General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) for general psychopathology; Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ) for cognitive reappraisal.

RESULTS

Multivariate analysis of variance with post hoc comparisons showed that ED outpatients exhibit greater ABS-2-Awfulizing, ABS-2-Negative Global Evaluations, and ABS-2-Low Frustration Tolerance than controls. No differences emerged between ED diagnoses. According to stepwise linear regression analyses, body mass index (BMI) and ABS-2-Awfulizing predicted greater EDI-3-ED Risk, while ABS-2-Negative Global Evaluations and GHQ predicted greater EDI-3-General Psychological Maladjustment and lower ERQ-Cognitive Reappraisal.

CONCLUSION

Awfulizing and negative global evaluation contribute to better explaining ED-specific and non-specific ED symptoms and cognitive reappraisal. Therefore, including them, together with BMI and general psychopathology, when assessing ED patients and planning cognitive-behavioral treatment is warranted.

Functional role of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in the modulation of cognitive bias

Human cognition is often biased. It is a fundamental question in psychology how cognitive bias is modulated in the human brain. Automatic action tendency is a typical cognitive bias. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is a crucial area for processing various behavioral tasks. We investigated the functional role of DLPFC in the modulation of cognitive bias by testing the automatic action tendency during automatic and regulated behavioral tasks. Unilateral intermittent or continuous theta burst stimulation (excitatory iTBS or inhibitory cTBS) was used to manipulate the left or right DLPFC excitability and assess the changes in automatic action tendency during a manikin task. An approaching behavior with positive stimulus and avoiding behavior with negative stimulus were performed in an automatic task. An approaching behavior with negative stimulus and avoiding behavior with positive stimulus were performed in a regulated task. Reaction time was measured. We confirmed the automatic action tendency that reaction time for performing an automatic task was shorter than that for performing a regulated task. The automatic action tendency was enhanced after left DLPFC excitatory iTBS and was abolished after left DLPFC inhibitory cTBS stimulation. On the other hand, right DLPFC excitatory iTBS accelerated the avoiding behaviors and right DLPFC inhibitory cTBS accelerated approaching behaviors. The results suggest that left DLPFC modulates the automatic action tendency while the right DLPFC modulates the direction of behavioral tasks. We conclude that left DLPFC and right DLPFC are key nodes in modulating the cognitive bias while their functional roles are different.