Intrinsic brain abnormalities in young healthy adults with childhood trauma: A resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study of regional homogeneity and functional connectivity

Early Adversity Affects Cerebellar Structure and Function-A Systematic Review of Human and Animal Studies

Recent research has highlighted cerebellar involvement in cognition and several psychiatric conditions such as mood and anxiety disorders and schizophrenia. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autism spectrum disorder have been linked to reduced cerebellar volume as well. Cerebellar alterations are frequently present after early adversity in humans and animals, but a systematic integration of results is lacking. To this end, a systematic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCO databases using the keywords "early adversity OR early life stress" AND "cerebellum OR cerebellar." A total of 45 publications met the inclusion criteria: 25 studies investigated human subjects and 20 reported results from animal models. Findings in healthy subjects show bilateral volume reduction and decreased functional connectivity within the cerebellum and between the cerebellum and frontal regions after adversity throughout life, especially when adversity was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. In clinical populations, adults demonstrate increased cerebellar volume and functional connectivity after adversity, whereas pediatric patients show reduced cerebellar volume. Animal findings reveal cerebellar alterations without necessarily co-occurring pathological behavior, highlighting alterations in stress hormone receptor levels, cell density, and neuroinflammation markers. Cerebellar alterations after early adversity are robust findings across human and animal studies and occur independent of clinical symptoms.

Altered regional brain activity moderating the relationship between childhood trauma and depression severity

OBJECTIVE

Childhood trauma (CT) is a major environmental risk factor for an adverse course and treatment outcome of major depressive disorder (MDD). Evidence suggests that an altered regional brain activity may play a crucial role in the relationship between CT and MDD. This study aimed to clarify the relationship between CT, regional brain activity, and depression severity.

METHODS

In this study, 96 patients with MDD and 82 healthy controls (HCs) participated. Regional brain activity was measured using the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF) and regional homogeneity (ReHo). These measures were compared between the MDD and HC groups, and the values of different brain regions were extracted as moderators.

RESULTS

Increased fALFF and ReHo values were observed in the left middle temporal gyrus in the MDD group compared with the HC group (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the fALFF and ReHo values moderated the positive correlation between the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) score, 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD-17) total score, and retardation factor score in the MDD group (all, p < 0.05). Finally, as the fALFF and ReHo values increased, the positive correlations between CTQ, HAMD-17 total, and retardation dimension scores became stronger.

CONCLUSION

Our study highlighted the crucial role of altered brain function in connecting childhood maltreatment with depressive symptoms. Our findings indicate that an altered regional brain activity could explain the potential neurobiological mechanisms of MDD symptoms, offering the opportunity to function as a powerful diagnostic biomarker.

Altered functional brain networks in coronary heart disease: independent component analysis and graph theoretical analysis

Coronary heart disease (CHD) confers a high risk of cognitive and mental impairments in patients. This study aimed to explore the association of CHD with functional connectivity and topological properties of brain networks. A total of 27 patients with CHD and 44 healthy controls (HCs) participated in this study and underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scan. Intra- and internetwork functional connectivity alterations were explored using independent component analysis in CHD patients. Furthermore, graph theoretical analysis was adopted to assess abnormalities in small-world properties and network efficiency metrics of brain networks. Compared to HCs, CHD patients exhibited increased functional connectivity between the posterior default mode network and posterior visual network, as well as decreased functional connectivity between the left frontoparietal network and auditory network. In terms of graph theoretical analysis, small-world network topology was identified in both CHD patients and HCs. Furthermore, the nodal local efficiency of the left putamen was significantly decreased in CHD patients compared to HCs. This study revealed alterations in brain functional connectivity and topological properties in CHD patients, shedding light on the potential neurological mechanism underlying cognitive and mental impairments in these patients and suggesting unexplored connections between CHD and higher order cognitive processing.

Culture shapes spontaneous brain dynamics - Shared versus idiosyncratic neural features among Chinese versus Canadian subjects

Environmental factors, such as culture, are known to shape individual variation in brain activity including spontaneous activity, but less is known about their population-level effects. Eastern and Western cultures differ strongly in their cultural norms about relationships between individuals. For example, the collectivism, interdependence and tightness of Eastern cultures relative to the individualism, independence and looseness of Western cultures, promote interpersonal connectedness and coordination. Do such cultural contexts therefore influence the group-level variability of their cultural members' spontaneous brain activity? Using novel methods adapted from studies of inter-subject neural synchrony, we compare the group-level variability of resting state EEG dynamics in Chinese and Canadian samples. We observe that Chinese subjects show significantly higher inter-subject correlation and lower inter-subject distance in their EEG power spectra than Canadian subjects, as well as lower variability in theta power and alpha peak frequency. We demonstrate, for the first time, different relationships among subjects' resting state brain dynamics in Chinese and Canadian samples. These results point to more idiosyncratic neural dynamics among Canadian participants, compared with more shared neural features in Chinese participants.

Abnormal spontaneous activity of regions related to mood regulation mediates the effect of childhood emotional neglect on major depressive disorder

This study investigated the mediating factors between childhood emotional neglect (EN) and major depressive disorder (MDD) and whether combining multi-indicator could help diagnose MDD. Regional homogeneity (ReHo) and clinical features were compared between 33 MDD patients and 36 healthy controls (HC). Mediation analysis was employed to explore whether social support or ReHo mediates the association between EN and MDD. The linear discriminant analysis model was constructed with EN, social support, and ReHo, and applied to distinguish MDD from HC in both primary and replication cohorts. We found that MDD patients experienced severer EN and poorer social support, and exhibited lower ReHo in the left middle occipital gyrus and bilateral postcentral gyrus, and higher ReHo in the right cerebellum crus1. EN could affect MDD directly and indirectly through ReHo in these discrepant brain regions and social support. Combining ReHo values of these four distinct brain regions, EN, and objective support could classify MDD patients from HC, and the 10-fold cross-validation accuracy within-study replication and in the independent cohort was 83.78 % ± 1.49 % and 82.72 % ± 2.22 %, respectively. These findings suggested that childhood EN, social support, and emotional-related regions' ReHo were associated with risks of MDD, providing new insights into the pathological mechanisms underlying MDD.

Neurobiological correlates of resilience during childhood and adolescence - A systematic review

Research examining the neurobiological mechanisms of resilience has grown rapidly over the past decade. However, there is vast heterogeneity in research study design, methods, and in how resilience is operationalized, making it difficult to gauge what we currently know about resilience biomarkers. This preregistered systematic review aimed to review and synthesize the extant literature to identify neurobiological correlates of resilience to adversity during childhood and adolescence. Literature searches on MEDLINE and PsycINFO yielded 3834 studies and a total of 49 studies were included in the final review. Findings were synthesized based on how resilience was conceptualized (e.g., absence of psychopathology, trait resilience), and where relevant, the type of outcome examined (e.g., internalizing symptoms, post-traumatic stress disorder). Our synthesis showed that findings were generally mixed. Nevertheless, some consistent findings suggest that resilience neural mechanisms may involve prefrontal and subcortical regions structure/activity, as well as connectivity between these regions. Given substantial heterogeneity in the definition and operationalization of resilience, more methodological consistency across studies is required for advancing knowledge in this field.

The influence of childhood emotional neglect experience on brain dynamic functional connectivity in young adults

Background: Childhood emotional neglect (CEN) confers a great risk for developing multiple psychiatric disorders; however, the neural basis for this association remains unknown. Using a dynamic functional connectivity approach, this study aimed to examine the effects of CEN experience on functional brain networks in young adults.Method: In total, 21 healthy young adults with CEN experience and 26 without childhood trauma experience were recruited. The childhood trauma experience was assessed using the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ), and eligible participants underwent resting-state functional MRI. Sliding windows and k-means clustering were used to identify temporal features of large-scale functional connectivity states (frequency, mean dwell time, and transition numbers).Result: Dynamic analysis revealed two separate connection states: state 1 was more frequent and characterized by extensive weak connections between the brain regions. State 2 was relatively infrequent and characterized by extensive strong connections between the brain regions. Compared to the control group, the CEN group had a longer mean dwell time in state 1 and significantly decreased transition numbers between states 1 and 2.Conclusion: The CEN experience affects the temporal properties of young adults' functional brain connectivity. Young adults with CEN experience tend to be stable in state 1 (extensive weak connections between the brain regions), reducing transitions between states, and reflecting impaired metastability or functional network flexibility.

Transdiagnostic indicators predict developmental changes in cognitive control resting-state networks

Over the past decade, transdiagnostic indicators in relation to neurobiological processes have provided extensive insight into youth's risk for psychopathology. During development, exposure to childhood trauma and dysregulation (i.e., so-called AAA symptomology: anxiety, aggression, and attention problems) puts individuals at a disproportionate risk for developing psychopathology and altered network-level neural functioning. Evidence for the latter has emerged from resting-state fMRI studies linking mental health symptoms and aberrations in functional networks (e.g., cognitive control (CCN), default mode networks (DMN)) in youth, although few of these investigations have used longitudinal designs. Herein, we leveraged a three-year longitudinal study to identify whether traumatic exposures and concomitant dysregulation trigger changes in the developmental trajectories of resting-state functional networks involved in cognitive control (N = 190; 91 females; time 1 Mage = 11.81). Findings from latent growth curve analyses revealed that greater trauma exposure predicted increasing connectivity between the CCN and DMN across time. Greater levels of dysregulation predicted reductions in within-network connectivity in the CCN. These findings presented in typically developing youth corroborate connectivity patterns reported in clinical populations, suggesting there is predictive utility in using transdiagnostic indicators to forecast alterations in resting-state networks implicated in psychopathology.

Intrinsic brain abnormalities in chronic rhinosinusitis associated with mood and cognitive function

Background

Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) poses a risk for developing emotional and cognitive disorders. However, the neural evidence for this association is largely unclear. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) analysis can demonstrate abnormal brain activity and functional connectivity and contribute to explaining the potential pathophysiology of CRS-related mood and cognitive alterations.

Methods

Chronic rhinosinusitis patients (CRS, n = 26) and gender- and age-matched healthy control subjects (HCs, n = 38) underwent resting-state functional MRI scanning. The amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations (ALFF) was calculated to observe the intrinsic brain activity. The brain region with altered ALFF was further selected as the seed for functional connectivity (FC) analysis. Correlation analysis was performed between the ALFF/FC and clinical parameters in CRS patients.

Results

Compared with HCs, CRS patients exhibited significantly increased ALFF in the left orbital superior frontal cortex and reduced connectivity in the right precuneus using the orbital superior frontal cortex as the seed region. The magnitude of the orbital superior frontal cortex increased with inflammation severity. In addition, ALFF values in the orbital superior frontal cortex were positively correlated with the hospital anxiety and depression scale (HADS) scores. The ROC curves of altered brain regions indicated great accuracy in distinguishing between CRS patients and HCs.

Conclusion

In this study, patients with CRS showed increased neural activity in the orbital superior frontal cortex, a critical region in emotional regulation, and this region also indicated hypoconnectivity to the precuneus with a central role in modulating cognition. This study provided preliminary insights into the potential neural mechanism related to mood and cognitive dysfunctions in CRS patients.

The relationship between childhood emotional neglect experience and depressive symptoms and prefrontal resting functional connections in college students: The mediating role of reappraisal strategy

Childhood emotional neglect (CEN) has a relatively high incidence rate and substantially adverse effects. Many studies have found that CEN is closely related to emotion regulation and depression symptoms. Besides, the functional activity of the prefrontal lobe may also be related to them. However, the relationships between the above variables have not been thoroughly studied. This study recruited two groups of college students, namely, those with primary CEN (neglect group) and those without childhood trauma (control group), to explore the relationships among CEN, adulthood emotion regulation, depressive symptoms, and prefrontal resting functional connections. The methods used in this study included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). The results showed that compared with the control group, the neglect group utilized the reappraisal strategy less frequently and displayed more depressive symptoms. The prefrontal functional connections with other brain regions in the neglect group were more robust than those in the control group using less stringent multiple correction standards. Across the two groups, the functional connection strength between the right orbitofrontal gyrus and the right middle frontal gyrus significantly negatively correlated with the ERQ reappraisal score and positively correlated with the BDI-II total score; the ERQ reappraisal score wholly mediated the relationship between the functional connection strength and the BDI-II total score. It suggests that primary CEN may closely correlate with more depressive symptoms in adulthood. Furthermore, the more robust spontaneous activity of the prefrontal lobe may also be closely associated with more depressive symptoms by utilizing a reappraisal strategy less frequently.

The Mediating Role of Brain Structural Imaging Markers in Connecting Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychological Resilience

The impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on brain structure has been noticed. Resilience has been considered a protective characteristic from being mentally ill; however, the link between ACEs, psychological resilience, and brain imaging remains untested. A total of 108 participants (mean age 22.92 ± 2.43 years) completed the ACEs questionnaire and the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), with five subscales: personal strength (RSA_ps), family cohesion (RSA_fc), social resources (RSA_sr), social competence (RSA_sc), and future structured style (RSA_fss), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to acquire imaging data, and the fusion-independent component analysis was employed to determine multimodal imaging components. The results showed a significantly negative association between ACE subscales and RSA_total score (ps < 0.05). The parallel mediation model showed significant indirect mediation of mean gray matter volumes in the regions of the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus between childhood maltreatment and RSA_sr and RSA_sc. (ps < 0.05). This study highlighted the ACEs effect on gray matter volumes in the regions of the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus leading to decreased psychological resilience.

The influence of childhood emotional neglect on emotional face processing in young adults

Childhood emotional neglect (CEN) refers to a failure to meet the basic emotional needs of a child, which can seriously impact interpersonal communication and psychological health in young adults. Emotional face processing is critical in interpersonal communication; however, whether CEN affects this processing in young adults has not been investigated. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the effects of CEN on emotional face processing in young adults. Using the Child Trauma Questionnaire, an online survey was conducted with 5010 students from four universities in Tianjin, China. After online interviews and diagnosis by professional doctors, we obtained 20 participants with CEN (CEN group) and 20 without CEN (control group). None of the participants had any mental diseases. A 2 × 4 mixed design was used to investigate the differences in accuracy and response time when identifying the valence of the emotional faces. Compared to the control group, the CEN group identified the valence of all emotional faces more slowly, but there was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of accuracy. CEN caused delayed emotional face processing in young adults, which may be related to unresponsive, unavailable, and limited emotional interaction patterns between parents and their children.

The brain at rest: Exploratory Neurophysiological Findings Among Men With Histories of Childhood Sexual Abuse

Purpose

There is a lack of research on childhood sexual abuse (CSA) experienced by men, with even less research examining long term neurophysiological repercussions. This study explored the neurophysiology of the brain at rest to examine the influence of CSA on resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) into adulthood.

Methods

RSFC was examined with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) within the default mode, salience and limbic networks in men with CSA histories, with and without post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD; CSA + PTSD n = 7, CSA-PTSD n = 9), and men without a CSA history nor PTSD (n = 13).

Results

CSA + PTSD participants had increased functional connectivity (FC) in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) from the default mode network seed compared to participants with CSA-PTSD. Both CSA groups showed significantly less FC in the striatal-thalamic circuits of the salience network than the control group. Similarly, the robust FC between the bilateral amygdalae and the mPFC that was notable in control participants, was not exhibited in participants who experienced CSA with or without PTSD histories.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that intrinsic neurophysiological differences in limbic, salience and default mode network connectivity are apparent even during a resting state between the groups of participants. This is preliminary evidence of long-term neurophysiological effects of CSA in men with PTSD, and even in those without. Importantly, these findings can validate the lived experiences of males with CSA histories and guide researchers and clinicians to potential avenues to support their well-being.

The impact of childhood trauma on thalamic functional connectivity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder

BACKGROUND

Childhood trauma is a vulnerability factor for the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Empirical findings suggest that trauma-related alterations in brain networks, especially in thalamus-related regions, have been observed in OCD patients. However, the relationship between childhood trauma and thalamic connectivity in patients with OCD remains unclear. The present study aimed to examine the impact of childhood trauma on thalamic functional connectivity in OCD patients.

METHODS

Magnetic resonance imaging resting-state scans were acquired in 79 patients with OCD, including 22 patients with a high level of childhood trauma (OCD_HCT), 57 patients with a low level of childhood trauma (OCD_LCT) and 47 healthy controls. Seven thalamic subdivisions were chosen as regions of interest (ROIs) to examine the group difference in thalamic ROIs and whole-brain resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC).

RESULTS

We found significantly decreased caudate-thalamic rsFC in OCD patients as a whole group and also in OCD_LCT patients, compared with healthy controls. However, OCD_HCT patients exhibited increased thalamic rsFC with the prefrontal cortex when compared with both OCD_LCT patients and healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Taken together, OCD patients with high and low levels of childhood trauma exhibit different pathological alterations in thalamic rsFC, suggesting that childhood trauma may be a predisposing factor for some OCD patients.

Clinical MRI morphological analysis of functional seizures compared to seizure-naïve and psychiatric controls

PURPOSE

Functional seizures (FS), also known as psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES), are physical manifestations of acute or chronic psychological distress. Functional and structural neuroimaging have identified objective signs of this disorder. We evaluated whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) morphometry differed between patients with FS and clinically relevant comparison populations.

METHODS

Quality-screened clinical-grade MRIs were acquired from 666 patients from 2006 to 2020. Morphometric features were quantified with FreeSurfer v6. Mixed-effects linear regression compared the volume, thickness, and surface area within 201 regions-of-interest for 90 patients with FS, compared to seizure-naïve patients with depression (n = 243), anxiety (n = 68), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD, n = 41), respectively, and to other seizure-naïve controls with similar quality MRIs, accounting for the influence of multiple confounds including depression and anxiety based on chart review. These comparison populations were obtained through review of clinical records plus research studies obtained on similar scanners.

RESULTS

After Bonferroni-Holm correction, patients with FS compared with seizure-naïve controls exhibited thinner bilateral superior temporal cortex (left 0.053 mm, p = 0.014; right 0.071 mm, p = 0.00006), thicker left lateral occipital cortex (0.052 mm, p = 0.0035), and greater left cerebellar white-matter volume (1085 mm³, p = 0.0065). These findings were not accounted for by lower MRI quality in patients with FS.

CONCLUSIONS

These results reinforce prior indications of structural neuroimaging correlates of FS and, in particular, distinguish brain morphology in FS from that in depression, anxiety, and OCD. Future work may entail comparisons with other psychiatric disorders including bipolar and schizophrenia, as well as exploration of brain structural heterogeneity within FS.

Stress-related hippocampus activation mediates the association between polyvictimization and trait anxiety in adolescents

Early life stress exposures are associated with adverse health outcomes and heightened anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Stress-sensitive brain regions like the hippocampus and amygdala are particularly impacted by early life adversities and are also implicated in the development of anxiety disorders. However, to date, no studies have specifically examined the neural correlates of polyvictimization (exposure to multiple categories of victimization) or the contribution of stress-sensitive neural nodes to polyvictimization's impact on mental health. To elucidate these relationships, the current study analyzed associations between polyvictimization, hippocampal and amygdalar activation during an acute stress task and trait anxiety in a sample of 80 children and adolescents aged 9-16 years (33 female participants). Results showed that polyvictimization was associated with higher trait anxiety as well as greater stress-related right hippocampus activation, and this greater hippocampal activity predicted heightened trait anxiety. Robust mediation analyses revealed that stress-related right hippocampus activation partially mediated the relationship between polyvictimization and trait anxiety. Our results expand upon the existing polyvictimization literature by suggesting a possible neurobiological pathway through which polyvictimization is connected to the etiology of mental illness.

Childhood trauma is associated with social anhedonia and brain gray matter volume differences in healthy subjects

The present study tested the effects of childhood trauma (CT) on trait social anhedonia (SA) and on gray matter volume (GMV) and explored the possible relationships among CT, SA and brain GMV. Forty-three healthy individuals with experience of moderate-to-severe CT and sixty-eight individuals with no or low CT participated in the present study. Trait SA was evaluated using the Revised Social Anhedonia Scale. GMV was measured using voxel-based morphometry. Participants with moderate-to-severe CT had elevated trait SA, as well as brain volumetric differences in left inferior parietal lobule (IPL), left precuneus, right insula, left superior temporal gyrus, and left middle occipital gyrus extending into middle temporal gyrus relative to participants with no or low level of CT. CT was also found to be positively correlated with GMV in right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) and bilateral precuneus. Partial mediation effect of GMV in left IPL and right DLPFC on the relationship between CT and trait SA was significant. These findings suggest that CT may have effects on trait SA and on GMV of widespread brain regions. GMV differences in DLPFC and left IPL may mediate the effect of CT on trait SA, although this needs to be verified by future longitudinal studies.

Childhood trauma history is linked to abnormal brain metabolism of non-medicated adult patients with major depressive disorder

OBJECTIVES

Childhood trauma is a risk factor that may lead to persistent brain metabolic abnormalities, predisposing individuals to major depressive disorder (MDD). To better elucidate the pathogenesis of MDD, we investigated the neurometabolic changes in unmedicated MDD patients who had experienced childhood trauma (CT).

METHODS

In this study, 37 unmedicated MDD patients with CT, 35 unmedicated MDD patients without CT, and 30 healthy control participants underwent high-resolution proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) examination. Bilateral metabolic ratios of N-acetylaspartate (NAA)/creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho)/Cr in the prefrontal white matter (PWM), anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), putamen, and cerebellum were obtained.

RESULTS

MDD patients showed neurometabolic changes in the cortico-striato-cerebellar (CSC) circuit. Furthermore, MDD patients showed significantly lower NAA/Cr and higher Cho/Cr ratio in the bilateral ACC and putamen, and higher NAA/Cr and lower Cho/Cr ratio in the cerebellum. Childhood trauma reduced the Cho/Cr ratio in the left ACC, which played an important role in longer and more episodes of depression.

CONCLUSION

Early childhood trauma has a long-lasting impact on the metabolism of adult MDD patients, leading to abnormal choline metabolism of the left ACC. Abnormal biochemical metabolism in the CSC circuit may be an underlying pathophysiology of MDD.

LIMITATION

As this is a small cross-sectional study, the impact of childhood trauma on the different stages of depression has not been observed.

The subjectivity of self and its ontology: From the world–brain relation to the point of view in the world

The search for the subjective nature of our self is intensely debated in philosophy and neuroscience. However, despite all progress, the subjectivity of self and how it fits into the seemingly objective world remains elusive. Drawing on recent empirical data, we show how the self is shaped by the brain’s scale-free activity, that is, long-range temporal correlation (LRTC) and the world’s ecological context. We assume that the scale-free LRTC of the world–brain relation provides the ontological basis for the point of view as the foundation of subjectivity within the world. We conclude that the temporal, that is, scale-free based point of view through the world–brain relation provides the ontologically necessary a posteriori condition for the subjectivity of self on a deeper neuro-ecological level. This extends phenomenological concepts like subjectivity and world beyond both Heidegger’s fundamental ontology and Sartre’s phenomenological ontology: it complements their subjectivity-based ontologies with a truly world-based ontology.

Enduring effect of abuse: Childhood maltreatment links to altered theory of mind network among adults

Childhood maltreatment (CM) confers a great risk of maladaptive development outcomes later in life, however, the neurobiological mechanism underlying this vulnerability is still unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the long-term consequences of CM on neural connectivity while controlling for psychiatric conditions, medication, and, substance abuse. A sample including adults with (n = 40) and without CM (n = 50) completed Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), personality questionnaires, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scan were recruited for the current study. The whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) was evaluated using an unbiased, data-driven, multivariate pattern analysis method. Relative to controls, adults with CM suffered a higher level of temperament and impulsivity and showed decreased FC between the insula and superior temporal gyrus (STG) and between inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and middle frontal gyrus, STG, and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), while increased FC between IPL and cuneus and superior frontal gyrus (SFG) regions. The FCs of IPL with dACC and SFG were correlated with the anxious and cyclothymic temperament and attentional impulsivity. Moreover, these FCs partially mediated the relationship between CM and attentional impulsivity. Our results suggest that CM has a significant effect on the modulation of FC within theory of mind (ToM) network even decades later in adulthood, and inform a new framework to account for how CM results in the development of impulsivity. The novel findings reveal the neurobiological consequences of CM and provide new clues to the prevention and intervention strategy to reduce the risk of the development of psychopathology.

Sex-specific associations between traumatic experiences and resting-state functional connectivity in the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort

Background

Traumatic experiences during childhood or adolescence are a significant risk factor for multiple psychiatric disorders and adversely affect multiple cognitive functions. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging has been used to investigate the effects of traumatic experiences on functional connectivity, but the impact of sex differences has not been well documented. This study investigated sex-specific associations between resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and traumatic experiences in typically developing youth.

Methods

The sample comprised 1395 participants, aged 8-21 years, from the Philadelphia Neurodevelopmental Cohort. Traumatic experiences were assessed based on the structured psychiatric evaluation. Sex, the number of traumatic events, and their interaction were regressed onto voxel-wise intrinsic connectivity distribution parameter values derived from resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Brain regions that passed cluster correction were used as seeds to define resting-state networks.

Results

After quality control, the final sample had 914 participants with mean (SD) age 14.6 (3.3) years; 529 (57.8%) females; 437 (47.8%) experienced at least one kind of traumatic event. Four discrete anatomical clusters showed decreased functional connectivity as the number of traumatic events increased. The resting-state networks defined by using these four clusters as seeds corresponded with the somatomotor network. Sex-specific associations were identified in another three clusters for which males showed increased connectivity, and females showed decreased connectivity as the number of traumatic events increased. The resting-state networks defined by the three sex-specific clusters corresponded with the default mode network (DMN).

Conclusions

In youth without psychiatric diagnoses, traumatic experiences are associated with an alteration of rsFC in brain regions corresponding with the somatomotor network. Associations differ in direction between males and females in brain regions corresponding with the DMN, suggesting sex-specific responses to early exposure to trauma.

Functional imaging correlates of childhood trauma: A qualitative review of past research and emerging trends

Childhood trauma exposure is common and is associated with poor clinical outcomes in adolescence along with mental health and sociodemographic challenges in adulthood. While many strategies exist to investigate the biological imprint of childhood trauma exposure, functional neuroimaging is a robust and growing technology for non-invasive studies of brain activity following traumatic experience and the relationship of childhood trauma exposure with psychopathology, cognition, and behavior. In this review, we discuss three popular approaches for discerning functional neural correlates to early life trauma, including regional activation, bivariate functional connectivity, and network-based connectivity. The breadth of research in each method is discussed, followed by important limitations and considerations for future research. We close by considering emerging trends in functional neuroimaging research of childhood trauma, including the use of complex decision-making tasks to mimic clinically-relevant behaviors, data-driven techniques such as multivariate pattern analysis and whole-brain network topology, and the applications of real-time neurofeedback for treatment of trauma-related mental disorders. We aim for this review to provide a framework for understanding the relationship between atypical neural functioning and adverse outcomes following childhood trauma exposure, with a focus on improving consistency in research methods and translatability of research findings for clinical settings.

Early life maltreatment affects intrinsic neural function in mothers

Early life maltreatment (ELM) has an impact on brain functions involved in parenting and is associated with impaired maternal sensitivity. Here, we investigated the influence of ELM on intrinsic neural function and its associations with maternal sensitivity in mothers without a current episode of a mental disorder. Twenty-seven mothers with ELM and 29 mothers without ELM were examined using resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, followed by Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations, regional homogeneity and seed-based functional connectivity analyses. Videotaped interactions between mothers and their school-aged children were conducted to assess maternal sensitivity based on the Emotional Availability Scales. Regional and functional connectivity measures were used to investigate associations between intrinsic activity and emotional availability. Mothers with ELM showed reduced maternal sensitivity and lower intrinsic neural activity in the right superior frontal gyrus, the left precuneus, the left middle occipital gyrus, and the parietal cortex (left angular and right supramarginal gyrus) compared to mothers without ELM (p < .001, whole-brain). Amplitude of Low Frequency Fluctuations in the superior frontal gyrus was positively associated with maternal sensitivity across all participants (p = .002). The data suggest a behavioral and neural signature of ELM even in currently mentally healthy mothers. In particular, effects of ELM were found in distinct brain regions involved in social cognition and executive control. These ELM-related alterations may be associated with maternal behavior.

Childhood trauma is linked to decreased temporal stability of functional brain networks in young adults

BACKGROUND

Both childhood trauma and disruptions in brain functional networks are implicated in the development of psychiatric disorders in early adulthood. However, the relationships between these two factors remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate whether and how childhood trauma would relate to changes of functional network dynamics in young adults.

METHODS

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 53 young healthy adults, whose childhood trauma histories were assessed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Network switching rate, a measure of stability of dynamic brain networks over time, was calculated at both global and local levels for each participant. Switching rates at both levels were compared between participants with and without childhood trauma, and further correlated with CTQ total score.

RESULTS

In the current sample, 19 (35.8%) participants reported a history of childhood trauma. At the global level, participants with childhood trauma showed significantly higher network switching rates than those without trauma (F = 10.021, p = 0.003). A significant positive correlation was found between network switching rates and CTQ scores in the entire sample (r = 0.378, p = 0.007). At the local level, these effects were mainly observed in the default-mode, fronto-parietal, cingulo-opercular, and occipital subnetworks.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides preliminary evidence for a possible long-term effect of childhood trauma on brain functional dynamism. These findings may have potential contributions to psychiatric disorders during adulthood.

Differential Alterations in Resting State Functional Connectivity Associated with Depressive Symptoms and Early Life Adversity

Depression and early life adversity (ELA) are associated with aberrant resting state functional connectivity (FC) of the default mode (DMN), salience (SN), and central executive networks (CEN). However, the specific and differential associations of depression and ELA with FC of these networks remain unclear. Applying a dimensional approach, here we analyzed associations of FC between major nodes of the DMN, SN, and CEN with severity of depressive symptoms and ELA defined as childhood abuse and neglect in a sample of 83 healthy and depressed subjects. Depressive symptoms were linked to increased FC within the SN and decreased FC of the SN with the DMN and CEN. Childhood abuse was associated with increased FC within the SN, whereas childhood neglect was associated with decreased FC within the SN and increased FC between the SN and the DMN. Our study thus provides evidence for differential associations of depressive symptoms and ELA with resting state FC and contributes to a clarification of previously contradictory findings. Specific FC abnormalities may underlie specific cognitive and emotional impairments. Future research should link specific clinical symptoms resulting from ELA to FC patterns thereby characterizing depression subtypes with specific neurobiological signatures.

Intrinsic brain network alterations in non-clinical adults with a history of childhood trauma

BACKGROUND

Childhood trauma is a major social public-health problem worldwide. Previous literature suggests childhood trauma is associated with the development of psychiatric disorders and maladaptive behaviours later in life, but little is known about the neural basis underlying these associations.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study was to investigate intrinsic brain network alterations in non-clinical adults with childhood trauma.

METHODS

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were collected from 65 non-clinical adults with moderate or severe childhood trauma (CT group), according to the international demarcation criteria of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), and 73 socio-demographically matched non-clinical controls without childhood trauma (no-CT group). Independent component analysis (ICA) was used to extract subnetworks of the default mode network (DMN), salience network (SN), and central executive network (CEN).

RESULTS

ICA revealed that the CT group had increased FC of the left medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) in the anterior DMN (aDMN), increased functional connectivity (FC) of the left anterior insula in the SN, and decreased FC of the inferior parietal gyrus of the right CEN (rCEN). Compared to the controls, the CT group had decreased inter-network FCs between the SN and posterior DMN (pDMN), as well as between the pDMN and rCEN.

CONCLUSIONS

Impaired FC within the three key brain networks, decreased inter-FC between SN and rCEN, and decreased inter-FC between pDMN and rCEN may reflect biomarkers of childhood trauma.

What's Love Got to do with it: Role of oxytocin in trauma, attachment and resilience

Oxytocin (OT) is a neurohypophysial hormone and neuropeptide produced by the hypothalamus and released by the pituitary gland. It has multiple physiological roles including stimulation of parturition and lactation, and promotion of pro-adaptive social behaviors necessary for mammalian survival. OT interacts with one receptor subtype: the OT receptor (OTR) which, upon stimulation, triggers different intracellular signal transduction cascades to mediate its physiological actions. Preclinical studies show that OT regulates social behaviors such as pair bonding, recognition and social interaction. It also coordinates the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the release of corticotrophin-releasing hormone. Further evidence suggests that OT plays an important role in regulating caloric intake and metabolism, and in maintaining electrolyte and cardiovascular homeostasis. OT is also involved in attenuating the neurophysiological and neurochemical effects of trauma on the brain and body by facilitating both physical attachment such as wound healing, and psychological/social attachment, thereby increasing resilience to subsequent traumatic events. Clinical trials have reported that intranasal administration of OT provides therapeutic benefits for patients diagnosed with traumatic stress-related diseases such as major depressive disorders and post-traumatic stress disorder. OT's therapeutic benefits may result from context-dependent interactions with key neural pathways (social, cognitive, and reward), neurotransmitters (dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and endogenous opioids), and biomarkers (adrenocorticotropic hormone, cortisol, and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate), that lead to a decrease in stress -associated behaviors, and facilitate post-traumatic growth, ultimately leading to increased resilience, through improved social cohesion and attachment. OT induced-augmentation of physical and cognitive resilience may play a significant role in both the prevention of, and improved clinical outcomes for, traumatic stress-related disorders following either acute or enduring traumatic experiences.

Altered resting-state functional connectivity in adolescents is associated with PTSD symptoms and trauma exposure

Alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) have been demonstrated in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, such reports have primarily focused on adult participants, whereas findings in adolescents with PTSD are mixed and not entirely consistent with the adult literature. Here, we examined rsFC in a non-treatment seeking adolescent sample with posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS; n = 59) relative to asymptomatic controls (n = 226). We also examined differences between trauma-exposed and non-exposed control subgroups (TEC n = 73 and Non-TEC n = 153) to examine alterations associated with more general trauma exposure. Finally, we compared the PTSS and TEC groups, to confirm that the reported alterations in PTSS were not driven by trauma exposure. Using a seed-based approach, we examined connectivity of default-mode (DMN) and salience (SN) networks, where alterations have been previously reported. Results suggest that PTSS are associated with less within-DMN connectivity and greater SN-DMN connectivity, as well as altered connectivity with attention regions. Trauma exposure is associated with greater within-SN connectivity. Additionally, we report findings from exploratory connectome-based analysis, which demonstrate a number of topological alterations within DMN in the PTSS group. Overall, our findings replicate prior reports of altered rsFC in PTSD and extend them to non-treatment seeking, trauma-exposed adolescents, who did or did not report PTSS. They specifically highlight SN-DMN desegregation, lower within-DMN and greater within-SN connectivity, as well as altered connectivity with attention regions, in trauma-exposed adolescents. Future research is required to confirm that adolescents with diagnosed PTSD have similar/exacerbated connectivity patterns.

Childhood Maltreatment Experience Influences Neural Response to Psychosocial Stress in Adults: An fMRI Study

Background

Childhood maltreatment is a strong risk factor for the development of depression in later life. However, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this vulnerability are not well understood. As depression has been associated with dysfunction of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and increased responsiveness to psychosocial stressors, we speculated that childhood maltreatment may lead to lasting alteration of the stress response system, thereby increasing the risk of depression. This study investigated the effects of childhood maltreatment on the stress response in healthy subjects while controlling for psychiatric condition.

Methods

Forty-eight healthy young adults (24 females) with childhood maltreatment experience and 48 healthy controls (33 females) without such experience were administered the Montreal Imaging Stress Task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. Childhood maltreatment experience was assessed using the 28-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Between-group differences in subjective stress levels, whole brain activations and cortisol levels were assessed.

Results

Relative to healthy control subjects, individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment exhibited higher subjective stress and cortisol levels. Neurofunctionally, participants with histories of childhood maltreatment displayed significantly increased activation in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), insula and precuneus, and decreased activation in ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) relative to healthy controls during the psychosocial stress task. Activations in dlPFC and insula correlated with CTQ scores in the childhood maltreatment group.

Conclusion

The results of this study show that childhood maltreatment induces lasting changes in brain function and HPA-axis responsiveness to stress. The observed abnormal activation in the dlPFC, insula and vmPFC and enhanced cortisol response are similar to those seen in individuals with depression. This dysfunction might serve as a diathesis that embeds latent vulnerability to psychiatric disorders, and this mechanism provides evidence supporting the stress sensitization model.

Traumatic imagery following glucocorticoid administration in earthquake-related post-traumatic stress disorder: A preliminary functional magnetic resonance imaging study

OBJECTIVE

Post-traumatic stress disorder involves excessive retrieval of traumatic memories. Glucocorticoids impair declarative memory retrieval. This preliminary study examined the effect of acute hydrocortisone administration on brain activation in individuals with earthquake-related post-traumatic stress disorder compared with earthquake-exposed healthy individuals, during retrieval of traumatic memories.

METHOD

Participants exposed to earthquakes with (n = 11) and without post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 11) underwent two functional magnetic resonance imaging scans, 1-week apart, in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, counter-balanced design. On one occasion, they received oral hydrocortisone (20 mg), and on the other, placebo, 1 hour before scanning. Symptom provocation involved script-driven imagery (traumatic and neutral scripts) and measures of self-reported anxiety.

RESULTS

Arterial spin labelling showed that both post-traumatic stress disorder and trauma-exposed controls had significantly reduced cerebral blood flow in response to retrieval of traumatic versus neutral memories in the right hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, calcarine sulcus, middle and superior temporal gyrus, posterior cingulate, Heschl's gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, angular gyrus, middle occipital gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, lingual gyrus and cuneus, and the left prefrontal cortex. Hydrocortisone resulted in non-significant trends of increasing subjective distress and reduced regional cerebral blood flow in the left inferior frontal gyrus, left anterior cingulate gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, cerebellum, postcentral gyrus and right frontal pole, during the trauma script.

CONCLUSION

Findings do not fit with some aspects of the accepted neurocircuitry model of post-traumatic stress disorder, i.e., failure of the medial prefrontal cortex to quieten hyperresponsive amygdala activity, and the potential therapeutic benefits of hydrocortisone. They do, however, provide further evidence that exposure to earthquake trauma, regardless of whether post-traumatic stress disorder eventuates, impacts brain activity and highlights the importance of inclusion of trauma-exposed comparisons in studies of post-traumatic stress disorder.

Women with early maltreatment experience show increased resting-state functional connectivity in the theory of mind (ToM) network

Background: Experience of childhood maltreatment significantly increases the risk for the development of psychopathology and is associated with impairments in socio-cognitive skills including theory-of-mind (ToM). In turn, neural alterations in ToM processing might then influence future interpersonal interaction and social-emotional understanding. Objective: To assess resting-state activity in the theory-of-mind network in traumatized and non-traumatized persons. Methods: Thirty-five women with a history of childhood maltreatment and 31 unaffected women completed a resting-state scan and a ToM localizer task. The peak coordinates from the localizer were used as the seed regions for the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses (temporo-parietal junction, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus and precuneus). Results: Child abuse was associated with increased RSFC between various ToM regions including the precuneus and the brainstem suggesting altered hierarchical processing in ToM regions. Number of types of abuse was driving the effect for the temporo-parietal junction and the brainstem, while the severity of abuse was linked to increased RSFC between the middle temporal gyrus and the frontal cortex. Post-hoc analyses of brainstem regions indicated the involvement of the serotonergic system (dorsal raphe). Conclusions: The data indicate a lasting impact of childhood maltreatment on the neural networks involved in social information processing that are integral to understanding others' emotional states. Indeed, such altered neural networks may account for some of the interpersonal difficulties victims of childhood maltreatment experience.

Cognitive control and network disruption in remitted depression: a correlate of childhood adversity

Individuals in a major depressive episode often display impairment in cognitive control, and this impairment exists outside of the acute phase of illness. Impairment in cognitive control also has been associated with exposure to childhood adversity (CA). The current study examined whether exposure to CA can explain variance in a component of cognitive control—inhibitory control—independent of diagnostic status in young adults with and without a history of depression. Healthy control individuals (n = 40) and individuals with remitted major depressive disorder (n = 53) completed a task measuring inhibitory control, reported level of CA and completed a scanning session to assess gray matter volume and resting state connectivity in regions associated with cognitive control. The results demonstrate that higher levels of CA were associated with poorer inhibitory control, reduced right middle frontal gyrus gray matter, decreased connectivity of salience and emotion networks and increased connectivity in cognitive control networks, even after controlling for diagnostic status, residual depression symptoms and current stressors. Together, the results suggest that inhibitory control impairment and intrinsic connectivity changes may be characterized as developmental sequelae of early stress exposure.

Brain resting-state connectivity in the development of secondary hyperalgesia in healthy men

Central sensitization is a condition in which there is an abnormal responsiveness to nociceptive stimuli. As such, the process may contribute to the development and maintenance of pain. Factors influencing the propensity for development of central sensitization have been a subject of intense debate and remain elusive. Injury-induced secondary hyperalgesia can be elicited by experimental pain models in humans, and is believed to be a result of central sensitization. Secondary hyperalgesia may thus reflect the individual level of central sensitization. The objective of this study was to investigate possible associations between increasing size of secondary hyperalgesia area and brain connectivity in known resting-state networks. We recruited 121 healthy participants (male, age 22, SD 3.35) who underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Prior to the scan session, areas of secondary hyperalgesia following brief thermal sensitization (3 min. 45 °C heat stimulation) were evaluated in all participants. 115 participants were included in the final analysis. We found a positive correlation (increasing connectivity) with increasing area of secondary hyperalgesia in the sensorimotor- and default mode networks. We also observed a negative correlation (decreasing connectivity) with increasing secondary hyperalgesia area in the sensorimotor-, fronto-parietal-, and default mode networks. Our findings indicate that increasing area of secondary hyperalgesia is associated with increasing and decreasing connectivity in multiple networks, suggesting that differences in the propensity for central sensitization, assessed as secondary hyperalgesia areas, may be expressed as differences in the resting-state central neuronal activity.

Altered resting-state connectivity within default mode network associated with late chronotype

Current evidence suggests late chronotype individuals have an increased risk of developing depression. However, the underlying neural mechanisms of this association are not fully understood. Forty-six healthy, right-handed individuals free of current or previous diagnosis of depression, family history of depression or sleep disorder underwent resting-state functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (rsFMRI). Using an Independent Component Analysis (ICA) approach, the Default Mode Network (DMN) was identified based on a well validated template. Linear effects of chronotype on DMN connectivity were tested for significance using non-parametric permutation tests (applying 5000 permutations). Sleep quality, age, gender, measures of mood and anxiety, time of scan and cortical grey matter volume were included as covariates in the regression model. A significant positive correlation between chronotype and functional connectivity within nodes of the DMN was observed, including; bilateral PCC and precuneus, such that later chronotype (participants with lower rMEQ scores) was associated with decreased connectivity within these regions. The current results appear consistent with altered DMN connectivity in depressed patients and weighted evidence towards reduced DMN connectivity in other at-risk populations which may, in part, explain the increased vulnerability for depression in late chronotype individuals. The effect may be driven by self-critical thoughts associated with late chronotype although future studies are needed to directly investigate this.

Neural correlates of childhood trauma with executive function in young healthy adults

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among childhood trauma, executive impairments, and altered resting-state brain function in young healthy adults. Twenty four subjects with childhood trauma and 24 age- and gender-matched subjects without childhood trauma were recruited. Executive function was assessed by a series of validated test procedures. Localized brain activity was evaluated by fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) method and compared between two groups. Areas with altered fALFF were further selected as seeds in subsequent functional connectivity analysis. Correlations of fALFF and connectivity values with severity of childhood trauma and executive dysfunction were analyzed as well. Subjects with childhood trauma exhibited impaired executive function as assessed by Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Stroop Color Word Test. Traumatic individuals also showed increased fALFF in the right precuneus and decreased fALFF in the right superior temporal gyrus. Significant correlations of specific childhood trauma severity with executive dysfunction and fALFF value in the right precuneus were found in the whole sample. In addition, individuals with childhood trauma also exhibited diminished precuneus-based connectivity in default mode network with left ventromedial prefrontal cortex, left orbitofrontal cortex, and right cerebellum. Decreased default mode network connectivity was also associated with childhood trauma severity and executive dysfunction. The present findings suggest that childhood trauma is associated with executive deficits and aberrant default mode network functions even in healthy adults. Moreover, this study demonstrates that executive dysfunction is related to disrupted default mode network connectivity.