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Jáni M, Mikeš O, Marecek R, Brazdil M, Mareckova K. Prenatal exposure to air pollution and maternal depression: Combined effects on brain aging and mental health in young adulthood. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 2024; 134:111062. [PMID: 38906411 DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2024.111062] [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: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Both maternal depression problems during pregnancy and prenatal exposure to air pollution have been associated with changes in the brain as well as worse mood and anxiety in the offspring in adulthood. However, it is not clear whether these effects are independent or whether and how they might interact and impact the brain age and mental health of the young adult offspring. METHODS A total of 202 mother-child dyads from a prenatal birth cohort were assessed for maternal depression during pregnancy through self-report questionnaires administered in the early 90s, exposure to air pollutants (Sulfur dioxide [SO2], nitrogen oxides [NOx], and suspended particle matter [SPM]) during each trimester based on maternal address and air quality data, mental health of the young adult offspring (28-30 years of age; 52% men, all of European ancestry) using self-report questionnaires for depression (Beck Depression Inventory), mood dysregulation (Profile of Mood States), anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory), and psychotic symptoms (Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire), and brain age, estimated from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and previously published neuroanatomical age prediction model using cortical thickness maps. The brain age gap estimate (BrainAGE) was computed by subtracting structural brain age from chronological age. Trajectories of exposure to air pollution during pregnancy were assessed using Growth Mixture Modeling. The interactions of prenatal depression and prenatal exposure to air pollutants on adult mental health and BrainAGE were assessed using hierarchical linear regression. RESULTS We revealed two distinct trajectories of exposure to air pollution during pregnancy: "early exposure," characterized by high exposure during the first trimester, followed by a steady decrease, and "late exposure," characterized by low exposure during the first trimester, followed by a steady increase in the exposure during the subsequent trimesters. Maternal depression during the first half of pregnancy interacted with NOX exposure trajectory, predicting mood dysregulation and schizotypal symptoms in young adults. In addition, maternal depression during the second half of pregnancy interacted with both NOx and SO2 exposure trajectories, respectively, and predicted BrainAGE in young adults. In those with early exposure to NOx, maternal depression during pregnancy was associated with worse mental health and accelerated brain aging in young adulthood. In contrast, in those with early exposure to SO2, maternal depression during pregnancy was associated with slower brain aging in young adulthood. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide the first evidence of the combined effects of prenatal exposure to air pollution and maternal depression on mental health outcomes and brain age in young adult offspring. Moreover, they point out the importance of the timing and trajectory of the exposure during prenatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Jáni
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Ondřej Mikeš
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radek Marecek
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Milan Brazdil
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic; Department of Neurology, St. Anne's University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Klara Mareckova
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic.
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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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Chen X, Chen R, Zhang L, Li Y. Positive Development Patterns in Left-Behind Adolescents: Do Resilience and Making Sense of Adversity Have Beneficial Effects? Psychol Res Behav Manag 2024; 17:2121-2133. [PMID: 38807935 PMCID: PMC11131951 DOI: 10.2147/prbm.s454385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Despite increased attention to the positive development of left-behind adolescents, research findings remain inconclusive. Utilizing latent profile analysis, we identified various positive development profiles among the left-behind adolescents and explored the association between resilience and positive development profiles, alongside the mediating role of making sense of adversity. Methods A multi-stage cluster sampling procedure was employed, randomly selecting four provinces-Zhejiang, Guangdong, Henan, and Jiangxi-from the central and coastal regions. The sample comprised 718 left-behind adolescents recruited from primary and junior high schools across grades 4, 5, 7, and 8. Three scales were utilized, and analyses included latent profile analysis and mediation analysis. Results Three latent subgroups of positive development among left-behind adolescents were identified: low, moderate, and high. Those with higher resilience and positive perceptions of adversity tended to belong to the high group rather than the low (β = -0.45, p < 0.001; β = -0.09, p < 0.001) or moderate group (β = -0.23, p < 0.001; β = -0.04, p < 0.05). Left-behind adolescents with higher negative perceptions of adversity tended to belong to the high group rather than the moderate group (β = -0.07, p < 0.01). Mediation analysis revealed that resilience facilitated the development of positive appraisals of adversity, subsequently increasing the likelihood of being categorized into the high (95% CI of -0.09 to -0.03) or moderate group (95% CI of -0.05 to -0.01) rather than the low group. Conclusion These findings hold significant implications for intervention formulation. Educators should focus on strengthening resilience and fostering positive perceptions of adversity among the low group. For the moderate group, maintaining moderate negative perceptions of adversity may stimulate the intrinsic potential for positive development more effectively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Chen
- Institute of Psychology & Behavior, Henan University, Kaifeng, People’s Republic of China
| | - Ru Chen
- School of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- College of Education Science, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yanhua Li
- School of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China
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Petrullo L, Delaney D, Boutin S, Lane JE, McAdam AG, Dantzer B. A future food boom rescues the negative effects of early-life adversity on adult lifespan in a small mammal. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20232681. [PMID: 38654643 PMCID: PMC11040256 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.2681] [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: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Early-life adversity, even when transient, can have lasting effects on individual phenotypes and reduce lifespan across species. If these effects can be mitigated by a high-quality later-life environment, then differences in future resources may explain variable resilience to early-life adversity. Using data from over 1000 wild North American red squirrels, we tested the hypothesis that the costs of early-life adversity for adult lifespan could be offset by later-life food abundance. We identified six adversities that reduced juvenile survival in the first year of life, though only one-birth date-had continued independent effects on adult lifespan. We then built a weighted early-life adversity (wELA) index integrating the sum of adversities and their effect sizes. Greater weighted early-life adversity predicted shorter adult lifespans in males and females, but a naturally occurring food boom in the second year of life ameliorated this effect. Experimental food supplementation did not replicate this pattern, despite increasing lifespan, indicating that the buffering effect of a future food boom may hinge on more than an increase in available calories. Our results suggest a non-deterministic role of early-life conditions for later-life phenotype, highlighting the importance of evaluating the consequences of early-life adversity in the context of an animal's entire life course.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Petrullo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, 857192, AZ, USA
| | - David Delaney
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, 803023, CO, USA
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, 500114, IA, USA
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, T6G 2R35, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jeffrey E. Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, S7N 5A26, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Andrew G. McAdam
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Iowa State University, Ames, 500114, IA, USA
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 481097, MI, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 481097, MI, USA
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Raffington L. Utilizing epigenetics to study the shared nature of development and biological aging across the lifespan. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:24. [PMID: 38509146 PMCID: PMC10954727 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00239-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Recently, biological aging has been quantified in DNA-methylation samples of older adults and applied as so-called "methylation profile scores" (MPSs) in separate target samples, including samples of children. This nascent research indicates that (1) biological aging can be quantified early in the life course, decades before the onset of aging-related disease, (2) is affected by common environmental predictors of childhood development, and (3) shows overlap with "developmental processes" (e.g., puberty). Because the MPSs were computed using algorithms developed in adults, these studies indicate a molecular link between childhood environments, development, and adult biological aging. Yet, if MPSs can be used to connect development and aging, previous research has only traveled one way, deriving MPSs developed in adults and applying them to samples of children. Researchers have not yet quantified epigenetic measures that reflect the pace of child development, and tested whether resulting MPSs are associated with physical and psychological aging. In this perspective I posit that combining measures of biological aging with new quantifications of child development has the power to address fundamental questions about life span: How are development and experience in childhood related to biological aging in adulthood? And what is aging?
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel Raffington
- Max Planck Research Group Biosocial-Biology, Social Disparities, and Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Lentzeallee 94, 14195, Berlin, Germany.
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Norbom LB, Rokicki J, Eilertsen EM, Wiker T, Hanson J, Dahl A, Alnæs D, Fernández‐Cabello S, Beck D, Agartz I, Andreassen OA, Westlye LT, Tamnes CK. Parental education and income are linked to offspring cortical brain structure and psychopathology at 9-11 years. JCPP ADVANCES 2024; 4:e12220. [PMID: 38486948 PMCID: PMC10933599 DOI: 10.1002/jcv2.12220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background A child's socioeconomic environment can shape central aspects of their life, including vulnerability to mental disorders. Negative environmental influences in youth may interfere with the extensive and dynamic brain development occurring at this time. Indeed, there are numerous yet diverging reports of associations between parental socioeconomic status (SES) and child cortical brain morphometry. Most of these studies have used single metric- or unimodal analyses of standard cortical morphometry that downplay the probable scenario where numerous biological pathways in sum account for SES-related cortical differences in youth. Methods To comprehensively capture such variability, using data from 9758 children aged 8.9-11.1 years from the ABCD Study®, we employed linked independent component analysis (LICA) and fused vertex-wise cortical thickness, surface area, curvature and grey-/white-matter contrast (GWC). LICA revealed 70 uni- and multimodal components. We then assessed the linear relationships between parental education, parental income and each of the cortical components, controlling for age, sex, genetic ancestry, and family relatedness. We also assessed whether cortical structure moderated the negative relationships between parental SES and child general psychopathology. Results Parental education and income were both associated with larger surface area and higher GWC globally, in addition to local increases in surface area and to a lesser extent bidirectional GWC and cortical thickness patterns. The negative relation between parental income and child psychopathology were attenuated in children with a multimodal pattern of larger frontal- and smaller occipital surface area, and lower medial occipital thickness and GWC. Conclusion Structural brain MRI is sensitive to SES diversity in childhood, with GWC emerging as a particularly relevant marker together with surface area. In low-income families, having a more developed cortex across MRI metrics, appears beneficial for mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linn B. Norbom
- PROMENTA Research CenterDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENTInstitute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Jaroslav Rokicki
- NORMENTInstitute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Centre of Research and Education in Forensic PsychiatryOslo University HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Espen M. Eilertsen
- PROMENTA Research CenterDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Thea Wiker
- PROMENTA Research CenterDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENTInstitute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of Psychiatric ResearchDiakonhjemmet HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Jamie Hanson
- Learning Research and Development Center University of PittsburghPennsylvaniaPittsburghUSA
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of PittsburghPennsylvaniaPittsburghUSA
| | - Andreas Dahl
- NORMENTInstitute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Dag Alnæs
- NORMENTInstitute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of PsychologyPedagogy and LawKristiania University CollegeOsloNorway
| | | | - Dani Beck
- PROMENTA Research CenterDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENTInstitute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of Psychiatric ResearchDiakonhjemmet HospitalOsloNorway
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- NORMENTInstitute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of Psychiatric ResearchDiakonhjemmet HospitalOsloNorway
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental DisordersUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Centre for Psychiatry ResearchDepartment of Clinical NeuroscienceKarolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care ServicesStockholmSweden
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental DisordersUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENTDivision of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Lars T. Westlye
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental DisordersUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENTDivision of Mental Health and AddictionOslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
| | - Christian K. Tamnes
- PROMENTA Research CenterDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- NORMENTInstitute of Clinical MedicineUniversity of OsloOsloNorway
- Department of Psychiatric ResearchDiakonhjemmet HospitalOsloNorway
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Chen E, Jiang T, Chen MA, Miller GE. Reflections on resilience. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-8. [PMID: 38389301 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Resilience research has long sought to understand how factors at the child, family, school, community, and societal levels shape adaptation in the face of adversities such as poverty and war. In this article we reflect on three themes that may prove to be useful for future resilience research. First is the idea that mental and physical health can sometimes diverge, even in response to the same social process. A better understanding of explanations for this divergence will have both theoretical and public health implications when it comes to efforts to promote resilience. Second is that more recent models of stress suggest that stress can accelerate aging. Thus, we suggest that research on resilience may need to also consider how resilience strategies may need to be developed in an accelerated fashion to be effective. Third, we suggest that if psychological resilience interventions can be conducted in conjunction with efforts to enact system-level changes targeted at adversities, this may synergize the impact that any single intervention can have, creating a more coordinated and effective set of approaches for promoting resilience in young people who confront adversity in life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Chen
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Michelle A Chen
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
| | - Gregory E Miller
- Department of Psychology and Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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Hawes DJ, Allen JL. A Developmental Psychopathology Perspective on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs): Introduction to the Special Issue. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:1715-1723. [PMID: 37421507 PMCID: PMC10661772 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01100-w] [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] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/10/2023]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), including child maltreatment and other adversities in the home context and beyond (e.g., witnessing domestic violence; parental mental illness; parental separation; living in a disadvantaged neighborhood) are prevalent in the population and often covary together. Research based on the construct of ACEs has transformed the field of adult mental health, yet child and adolescent mental health has often been overlooked in this work. This special issue of Research on Child and Adolescent Psychopathology focuses on the developmental science of ACEs and child psychopathology. The research presented here draws on the extensive evidence base that now exists regarding the co-occurrence of common childhood adversities, while informing the integration of theory and research on ACEs with that of developmental psychopathology at large. This Introduction provides an overview of ACEs and child mental health from a developmental psychopathology perspective, with an emphasis on key concepts and recent progress spanning the prenatal period through to adolescence and intergenerational pathways. Models of ACEs that emphasize the multi-dimensional nature of adversity and the importance of developmental timing to risk and protective pathways, have played a driving role in this progress. Methodological innovations in this work are highlighted, along with implications for prevention and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Hawes
- School of Psychology, University of Sydney, Camperdown NSW, 2006, Australia.
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Vijayakumar N, Whittle S, Silk TJ. Corticolimbic connectivity mediates the relationship between pubertal timing and mental health problems. Psychol Med 2023; 53:7655-7665. [PMID: 37264939 PMCID: PMC10755248 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723001472] [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: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Undergoing puberty ahead of peers ('earlier pubertal timing') is an important risk factor for mental health problems during early adolescence. The current study examined pathways between pubertal timing and mental health via connectivity of neural systems implicated in emotional reactivity and regulation (specifically corticolimbic connections) in 9- to 14-year-olds. METHOD Research questions were examined in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, a large population representative sample in the United States. Linear mixed models examined associations between pubertal timing and resting-state corticolimbic connectivity. Significant connections were examined as potential mediators of the relationship between pubertal timing and mental health (withdrawn depressed and rule-breaking) problems. Exploratory analyses interrogated whether the family environment moderated neural risk patterns in those undergoing puberty earlier than their peers. RESULTS Earlier pubertal timing was related to decreased connectivity between limbic structures (bilateral amygdala and right hippocampus) and the cingulo-opercular network, left amygdala and somatomotor (mouth) network, as well as between the left hippocampus and ventral attention network and visual network. Corticolimbic connections also mediated the relationship between earlier pubertal timing and increased withdrawn depressed problems (but not rule-breaking problems). Finally, parental acceptance buffered against connectivity patterns that were implicated in withdrawn depressed problems in those undergoing puberty earlier than their peers. CONCLUSION Findings highlight the role of decreased corticolimbic connectivity in mediating pathways between earlier pubertal timing and withdrawn depressed problems, and we present preliminary evidence that the family environment may buffer against these neural risk patterns during early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Vijayakumar
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Department of Psychiatry, Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Timothy J. Silk
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Victoria, Australia
- Developmental Imaging, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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Hamlat EJ, Neilands TB, Laraia B, Zhang J, Lu AT, Lin J, Horvath S, Epel ES. Early life adversity predicts an accelerated cellular aging phenotype through early timing of puberty. Psychol Med 2023; 53:7720-7728. [PMID: 37325994 PMCID: PMC11131158 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723001629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The current study examined if early adversity was associated with accelerated biological aging, and if effects were mediated by the timing of puberty. METHODS In early mid-life, 187 Black and 198 White (Mage = 39.4, s.d.age = 1.2) women reported on early abuse and age at first menstruation (menarche). Women provided saliva and blood to assess epigenetic aging, telomere length, and C-reactive protein. Using structural equation modeling, we created a latent variable of biological aging using epigenetic aging, telomere length, and C-reactive protein as indicators, and a latent variable of early abuse using indicators of abuse/threat events before age 13, physical abuse, and sexual abuse. We estimated the indirect effects of early abuse and of race on accelerated aging through age at menarche. Race was used as a proxy for adversity in the form of systemic racism. RESULTS There was an indirect effect of early adversity on accelerated aging through age at menarche (b = 0.19, 95% CI 0.03-0.44), in that women who experienced more adversity were younger at menarche, which was associated with greater accelerated aging. There was also an indirect effect of race on accelerated aging through age at menarche (b = 0.25, 95% CI 0.04-0.52), in that Black women were younger at menarche, which led to greater accelerated aging. CONCLUSIONS Early abuse and being Black in the USA may both induce a phenotype of accelerated aging. Early adversity may begin to accelerate aging during childhood, in the form of early pubertal timing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elissa J. Hamlat
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Torsten B. Neilands
- Division of Prevention Science | Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Barbara Laraia
- School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Joshua Zhang
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Ake T. Lu
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jue Lin
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Steve Horvath
- Department of Human Genetics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Department of Biostatistics, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Altos Labs, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Elissa S. Epel
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Etzel L, Garrett-Petters P, Shalev I. Early origins of health and disease risk: The case for investigating adverse exposures and biological aging in utero, across childhood, and into adolescence. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVES 2023; 17:149-156. [PMID: 38706692 PMCID: PMC11068077 DOI: 10.1111/cdep.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
In this article, we suggest that aging and development are two sides of the same coin, and that developing a comprehensive understanding of health and disease risk requires examining age-related processes occurring throughout the earliest years of life. Compared to other periods in life, during this early period of acute vulnerability, when children's biological and regulatory systems are developing, biological aging occurs most rapidly. We review theory and empirical research suggesting that processes of development and aging are intricately linked, and that early adversity may program biological parameters for accelerated aging and disease risk early in life, even though clinical signs of age-related disease onset may not be evident until many years later. Following from this, we make the case for widespread incorporation of biological aging constructs into child development research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Etzel
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Idan Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Krantz MF, Frederiksen H, Hjorthøj C, Søndergaard A, Brandt JM, Rohd SB, Veddum L, Steffensen NL, Knudsen CB, Andreasen AK, Hemager N, Burton BK, Gregersen M, Greve AN, Ohland J, Bliksted V, Mors O, Thorup AA, Juul A, Nordentoft M. Pubertal timing, sex hormone levels, and associations between early life adversity and accelerated development amongst 11-year-old children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and controls: The Danish high risk and Resilience study via 11. COMPREHENSIVE PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY 2023; 16:100204. [PMID: 37664528 PMCID: PMC10470414 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpnec.2023.100204] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Children of parents with severe mental illness have several known risk factors for altered pubertal timing. Pubertal timing is important for children's physical and emotional development. We aimed to examine pubertal timing and associations between pubertal timing, early life adversity and child problem behavior including psychiatric diagnoses among children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder and controls. Methods Self-reported Tanner stage (mean age 11.9, range 10.87-12.67), sex hormone levels, home environment, placement out of home, and problem behavior including psychiatric diagnoses of children at familial high-risk (FHR) of schizophrenia (FHR-SZ), bipolar disorder (FHR-BP) and population-based controls (PBC) were assessed. Results A total of 465 children participated in the study (Tanner assessment N = 417, sex hormones N = 293). Assessed with self-reported Tanner, no difference in pubertal timing was found between groups (p = 0.09). Hormone levels did not differ between groups except for inhibin B (mean (SD) = 55.86 (29.13) pg/mL for FHR-SZ girls vs 84.98 (47.98) pg/mL) for PBC girls (p < 0.001)) and for follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) (mean (SD) = 5.82 (1.45) U/L for FHR-BP girls vs 4.54 (1.68) U/L for PBC girls (p < 0.001)). FHR children who were placed out of home (17 children, 3.8% of participants) had higher Tanner stages than those living at home (p < 0.001). Timing was not associated with level of problem behavior or psychiatric diagnoses. Conclusions FHR children did not differ from controls in pubertal timing. Early life adversity assessed as placement out of home may be associated with accelerated pubertal timing among children of parents with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mette Falkenberg Krantz
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
| | - Hanne Frederiksen
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Carsten Hjorthøj
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- Department of Public Health, Section of Epidemiology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Anne Søndergaard
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Julie Marie Brandt
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Sinnika Birkehøj Rohd
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
| | - Lotte Veddum
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- The Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital - Psychiatry, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Services, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Nanna Lawaetz Steffensen
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- The Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital - Psychiatry, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Services, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Christina Bruun Knudsen
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- The Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital - Psychiatry, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Services, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Anna Krogh Andreasen
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- The Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital - Psychiatry, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Services, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Nicoline Hemager
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- Research Unit at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Birgitte Klee Burton
- Research Unit at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Maja Gregersen
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
| | - Aja Neergaard Greve
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- The Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital - Psychiatry, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Services, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Jessica Ohland
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
| | - Vibeke Bliksted
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- The Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital - Psychiatry, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Services, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Ole Mors
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- The Psychosis Research Unit, Aarhus University Hospital - Psychiatry, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Services, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - Anne A.E. Thorup
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Research Unit at Child and Adolescent Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Capital Region of Denmark, Denmark
| | - Anders Juul
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital - Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- International Center for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital – Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Merete Nordentoft
- CORE- Copenhagen Research Center for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- iPSYCH -The Lundbeck Foundation Initiative for Integrative Psychiatric Research, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Simpson-Kent IL, Gataviņš MM, Tooley UA, Boroshok AL, McDermott CL, Park AT, Delgado Reyes L, Bathelt J, Tisdall MD, Mackey AP. Multilayer network associations between the exposome and childhood brain development. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.23.563611. [PMID: 37961103 PMCID: PMC10634748 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.23.563611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Growing up in a high poverty neighborhood is associated with elevated risk for academic challenges and health problems. Here, we take a data-driven approach to exploring how measures of children's environments relate to the development of their brain structure and function in a community sample of children between the ages of 4 and 10 years. We constructed exposomes including measures of family socioeconomic status, children's exposure to adversity, and geocoded measures of neighborhood socioeconomic status, crime, and environmental toxins. We connected the exposome to two structural measures (cortical thickness and surface area, n = 170) and two functional measures (participation coefficient and clustering coefficient, n = 130). We found dense connections within exposome and brain layers and sparse connections between exposome and brain layers. Lower family income was associated with thinner visual cortex, consistent with the theory that accelerated development is detectable in early-developing regions. Greater neighborhood incidence of high blood lead levels was associated with greater segregation of the default mode network, consistent with evidence that toxins are deposited into the brain along the midline. Our study demonstrates the utility of multilayer network analysis to bridge environmental and neural explanatory levels to better understand the complexity of child development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan L. Simpson-Kent
- Institute of Psychology, Developmental and Educational Psychology Unit, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mārtiņš M. Gataviņš
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Lifespan Brain Institute, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ursula A. Tooley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
- Department of Neurology, Washington University in St. Louis, USA
| | - Austin L. Boroshok
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Anne T. Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | - Joe Bathelt
- Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom
| | - M. Dylan Tisdall
- Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Allyson P. Mackey
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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14
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McDermott CL, Norton ES, Mackey AP. A systematic review of interventions to ameliorate the impact of adversity on brain development. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 153:105391. [PMID: 37708920 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105391] [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: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 06/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/10/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
Adversity, including abuse, neglect, and poverty, impacts child brain development. However, the developing brain is highly plastic, and some of the impacts of childhood adversity may be mitigated by psychosocial interventions. The purpose of this review is to synthesize literature on neural outcomes of childhood interventions among individuals exposed to adversity. A systematic literature search identified 36 reports of 13 interventions. Overall, these studies provide evidence for experience-dependent plasticity in the developing brain. We synthesize studies in light of three themes. First, there was mixed evidence for a benefit of a younger age at intervention. Second, interventions tended to accelerate functional brain development, but the impact of interventions on the pace of structural brain development was less clear. Third, individual differences in intervention response were difficult to predict, in part due to small samples. However, there was significant variability in intervention type and timing, neuroimaging outcomes, and follow-up timing. Together, the studies reviewed here hold promise for the role of psychosocial interventions in ameliorating the neurodevelopmental consequences of childhood adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassidy L McDermott
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States.
| | - Elizabeth S Norton
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Department of Medical Social Sciences, and Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, United States
| | - Allyson P Mackey
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States
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15
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McDermott CL, Lee J, Park AT, Tooley UA, Boroshok AL, Hilton K, Linn KA, Mupparapu M, Mackey AP. Developmental Correlates of Accelerated Molar Eruption in Early Childhood. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:847-854. [PMID: 37881542 PMCID: PMC10593886 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.02.006] [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: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 02/04/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Adversity has been linked to accelerated maturation. Molar eruption is a simple and scalable way to identify early maturation, but its developmental correlates remain unexplored. Thus, we examined whether accelerated maturation as indexed by molar eruption is associated with children's mental health or cognitive skills. Methods Molar eruption was evaluated from T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in 117 children (63 female; ages 4-7 years). Parents reported on child mental health with the Child Behavior Checklist. Children completed standardized assessments of fluid reasoning, working memory, processing speed, crystallized knowledge, and math performance. Relationships between molar eruption and developmental outcomes were examined using linear models, with age, gender, and stress risk as covariates. Results Earlier molar eruption was positively associated with children's externalizing symptoms (false discovery rate-corrected p [pFDR] = .027) but not internalizing symptoms, and the relationship with externalizing symptoms did not hold when controlling for stress risk. Earlier molar eruption was negatively associated with fluid reasoning (pFDR < .001), working memory (pFDR = .033), and crystallized knowledge (pFDR = .001). The association between molar eruption and both reasoning and crystallized knowledge held when controlling for stress risk. Molar eruption also partially mediated associations between stress risk and both reasoning (proportion mediated = 0.273, p = .004) and crystallized knowledge (proportion mediated = 0.126, p = .016). Conclusions Accelerated maturation, as reflected in early molar eruption, may have consequences for cognitive development, perhaps because it constrains brain plasticity. Knowing the pace of a child's maturation may provide insight into the impact of a child's stress history on their cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassidy L. McDermott
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Janet Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Anne T. Park
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ursula A. Tooley
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Austin L. Boroshok
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Katherine Hilton
- School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Kristin A. Linn
- Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Muralidhar Mupparapu
- School of Dental Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Allyson P. Mackey
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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16
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Patterson SK, Petersen RM, Brent LJN, Snyder-Mackler N, Lea AJ, Higham JP. Natural Animal Populations as Model Systems for Understanding Early Life Adversity Effects on Aging. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:681-692. [PMID: 37279895 PMCID: PMC10503476 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Adverse experiences in early life are associated with aging-related disease risk and mortality across many species. In humans, confounding factors, as well as the difficulty of directly measuring experiences and outcomes from birth till death, make it challenging to identify how early life adversity impacts aging and health. These challenges can be mitigated, in part, through the study of non-human animals, which are exposed to parallel forms of adversity and can age similarly to humans. Furthermore, studying the links between early life adversity and aging in natural populations of non-human animals provides an excellent opportunity to better understand the social and ecological pressures that shaped the evolution of early life sensitivities. Here, we highlight ongoing and future research directions that we believe will most effectively contribute to our understanding of the evolution of early life sensitivities and their repercussions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam K Patterson
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York City, 10003, USA
| | - Rachel M Petersen
- Department of Biological Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37232, USA
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, EX4 4QG, United Kingdom
| | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- School of Life Sciences, Center for Evolution and Medicine, and School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, 85281, USA
| | - Amanda J Lea
- Department of Biological Science, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, 37232, USA
- Child and Brain Development Program, Canadian Institute for Advanced Study, Toronto, M5G 1M1, Canada
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York City, 10003, USA
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17
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Rakesh D, Whittle S, Sheridan MA, McLaughlin KA. Childhood socioeconomic status and the pace of structural neurodevelopment: accelerated, delayed, or simply different? Trends Cogn Sci 2023; 27:833-851. [PMID: 37179140 PMCID: PMC10524122 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2023.03.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Socioeconomic status (SES) is associated with children's brain and behavioral development. Several theories propose that early experiences of adversity or low SES can alter the pace of neurodevelopment during childhood and adolescence. These theories make contrasting predictions about whether adverse experiences and low SES are associated with accelerated or delayed neurodevelopment. We contextualize these predictions within the context of normative development of cortical and subcortical structure and review existing evidence on SES and structural brain development to adjudicate between competing hypotheses. Although none of these theories are fully consistent with observed SES-related differences in brain development, existing evidence suggests that low SES is associated with brain structure trajectories more consistent with a delayed or simply different developmental pattern than an acceleration in neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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18
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Felton JW, Oddo LE, Cinader M, Maxwell T, Yi R, Chronis-Tuscano A. Parental future orientation and parenting outcomes: Development and validation of an adapted measure of parental decision making. PERSONALITY AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.paid.2023.112181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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19
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Richardson GB, Barbaro N, Nedelec JL, Liu H. Testing Environmental Effects on Age at Menarche and Sexual Debut within a Genetically Informative Twin Design. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2023:10.1007/s12110-023-09451-5. [PMID: 37300790 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-023-09451-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Life-history-derived models of female sexual development propose menarche timing as a key regulatory mechanism driving subsequent sexual behavior. The current research utilized a twin subsample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health; n = 514) to evaluate environmental effects on timings of menarche and sexual debut, as well as address potential confounding of these effects within a genetically informative design. Results show mixed support for each life history model and provide little evidence rearing environment is important in the etiology of individual differences in age at menarche. This research calls into question the underlying assumptions of life-history-derived models of sexual development and highlights the need for more behavior genetic research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
- George B Richardson
- School of Human Services, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210002, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA.
| | - Nicole Barbaro
- Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 654 Pioneer Drive, Rochester, MI, 48309, USA
| | - Joseph L Nedelec
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210389, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
| | - Hexuan Liu
- School of Criminal Justice, University of Cincinnati, PO Box 210389, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, USA
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20
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Peckham H. Introducing the Neuroplastic Narrative: a non-pathologizing biological foundation for trauma-informed and adverse childhood experience aware approaches. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1103718. [PMID: 37283710 PMCID: PMC10239852 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1103718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Most people accessing mental health services have adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and/or histories of complex trauma. In recognition of this, there are calls to move away from medical model approaches and move toward trauma-informed approaches which privilege the impact of life experience over underlying pathology in the etiology of emotional and psychological suffering. Trauma-informed approaches lack a biological narrative linking trauma and adversity to later suffering. In its absence, this suffering is diagnosed and treated as a mental illness. This study articulates the Neuroplastic Narrative, a neuroecological theory that fills this gap, conceptualizing emotional and psychological suffering as the cost of surviving and adapting to the impinging environments of trauma and adversity. The Neuroplastic Narrative privileges lived experience and recognizes that our experiences become embedded in our biology through evolved mechanisms that ultimately act to preserve survival in the service of reproduction. Neuroplasticity refers to the capacity of neural systems to adapt and change. Our many evolved neuroplastic mechanisms including epigenetics, neurogenesis, synaptic plasticity, and white matter plasticity allow us to learn from, and adapt to, past experiences. This learning and adaption in turn allows us to better anticipate and physiologically prepare for future experiences that (nature assumes) are likely to occur, based on past experiences. However, neuroplastic mechanisms cannot discriminate between experiences; they function to embed experience regardless of the quality of that experience, generating vicious or virtuous cycles of psychobiological anticipation, to help us survive or thrive in futures that resemble our privileged or traumatic pasts. The etiology of suffering that arises from this process is not a pathology (a healthy brain is a brain that can adapt to experience) but is the evolutionary cost of surviving traumatizing environments. Misidentifying this suffering as a pathology and responding with diagnosis and medication is not trauma-informed and may cause iatrogenic harm, in part through perpetuating stigma and exacerbating the shame which attends complex trauma and ACEs. As an alternative, this study introduces the Neuroplastic Narrative, which is situated within an evolutionary framework. The Neuroplastic Narrative complements both Life History and Attachment Theory and provides a non-pathologizing, biological foundation for trauma-informed and Adverse Childhood Experience aware approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haley Peckham
- Centre for Mental Health Nursing, School of Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Carlton, VIC, Australia
- Department of Psychology, University of Exeter, Exeter, United Kingdom
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21
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Thomas JL, Colich NL, McLaughlin KA, Sumner JA. Dimensions of Early Adversity and Sexual Behavior in a US Population-Based Adolescent Sample. J Adolesc Health 2023; 72:560-567. [PMID: 36529620 PMCID: PMC11107430 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.10.028] [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: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Early life adversity (ELA) is associated with sexual risk, but ELA dimensions-and potential mechanisms-have been less examined. We evaluated associations between threat and deprivation-two key ELA dimensions-and sexual behaviors in adolescents. Secondary analyses investigated age at menarche as a mechanism linking ELA with sexual outcomes in girls. We predicted associations between threat and sexual behaviors, with younger age at menarche as a pathway. METHODS Data were from the National Comorbidity Survey, Adolescent Supplement. Adolescents and caregivers reported on youths' ELA experiences, which were categorized as threat- or deprivation-related. Adolescents reported if they engaged in sex (N = 9,937) and on specific sexual risk indicators, including age at first sex, number of past-year sexual partners, and condom use consistency ("always" vs. "not always" used). Girls reported age at menarche. RESULTS Threat (odds ratio [OR] = 1.76 [95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62-1.92]) and deprivation (OR = 1.51 [95% CI, 1.24-1.83]) were each linked with engagement in sex, ps<.05. Threat-related experiences were associated with multiple sexual risk markers, even when accounting for deprivation: earlier age at first sex (b = -0.20 [95% CI, -0.27 to 0.13]), greater number of partners (b = 0.17 [95% CI, 0.10-0.25]), and inconsistent condom use (OR = 0.72 [95% CI, 0.64-0.80]), ps <.001. Deprivation was not associated with sexual risk when adjusting for threat. We observed no significant indirect effects through age at menarche. DISCUSSION Although threat and deprivation were related to engagement in sexual activity, threat-related experiences were uniquely associated with sexual risk. Screening for threat-related ELA may identify adolescents at-risk for poor sexual health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan L Thomas
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California.
| | - Natalie L Colich
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
| | | | - Jennifer A Sumner
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, California
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22
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Jahnke S, Schmidt AF, Hoyer J. Pedohebephilia and Perceived Non-coercive Childhood Sexual Experiences: Two Non-matched Case-Control Studies. SEXUAL ABUSE : A JOURNAL OF RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2023; 35:340-374. [PMID: 35549946 PMCID: PMC10041574 DOI: 10.1177/10790632221098341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Research on the link between childhood sexual abuse experiences (CSAE) and pedohebephilia is limited by its focus on events that the respondents rate as abusive. We asked 199 German-speaking (Study 1) and 632 English-speaking (Study 2) men with and without self-reported pedohebephilia to complete the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and scales to assess perceived non-coercive childhood sexual experiences with adults (PNCSE-A), and peers (PNCSE-P, only Study 2). A substantial number of participants with PNCSE-A disagreed with all items of the CTQ Sexual Abuse subscale (e.g., 35% and 26% of pedohebephilic men in Studies 1 and 2, 38% of teleiophilic men in Study 2). While pedohebephilic men reported more CSAE than teleiophilic men, the effects for PNCSE-A did not consistently point in the expected direction. In Study 2, conviction status for sexual offenses among pedohebephilic men was linked to higher rates of CSAE, PNCSE-A, PNCSE-P, physical neglect, and physical abuse. Pedohebephilic men in Study 2 also reported more PNCSE-P than teleiophilic men. Our results highlight the importance of assessing different (positive or neutral) perceptions of CSAE. Better controlled designs (e.g., matched case-control studies) are needed to substantiate whether and how perceived non-coercive childhood sexual experiences relate to pedohebephilia and sexual offending.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Jahnke
- Department of Health Promotion and Development, University of Bergen, Norway
| | - Alexander F. Schmidt
- Institute of Psychology, Social & Legal Psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, Germany
| | - Jürgen Hoyer
- Institute for Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Technische Universitä Dresden, Germany
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Ford A, Kovacs-Balint ZA, Wang A, Feczko E, Earl E, Miranda-Domínguez Ó, Li L, Styner M, Fair D, Jones W, Bachevalier J, Sánchez MM. Functional maturation in visual pathways predicts attention to the eyes in infant rhesus macaques: Effects of social status. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101213. [PMID: 36774827 PMCID: PMC9925610 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Differences in looking at the eyes of others are one of the earliest behavioral markers for social difficulties in neurodevelopmental disabilities, including autism. However, it is unknown how early visuo-social experiences relate to the maturation of infant brain networks that process visual social stimuli. We investigated functional connectivity (FC) within the ventral visual object pathway as a contributing neural system. Densely sampled, longitudinal eye-tracking and resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) data were collected from infant rhesus macaques, an important model of human social development, from birth through 6 months of age. Mean trajectories were fit for both datasets and individual trajectories from subjects with both eye-tracking and rs-fMRI data were used to test for brain-behavior relationships. Exploratory findings showed infants with greater increases in FC between left V1 to V3 visual areas have an earlier increase in eye-looking before 2 months. This relationship was moderated by social status such that infants with low social status had a stronger association between left V1 to V3 connectivity and eye-looking than high status infants. Results indicated that maturation of the visual object pathway may provide an important neural substrate supporting adaptive transitions in social visual attention during infancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiden Ford
- Neuroscience Program, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; Marcus Autism Center, USA.
| | | | - Arick Wang
- Emory Natl. Primate Res. Ctr., Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA, USA; Dept of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Eric Feczko
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Eric Earl
- Data Science and Sharing Team, National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Óscar Miranda-Domínguez
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Longchuan Li
- Marcus Autism Center, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, GA, USA; Dept. of Pediatrics, Emory University, Sch. of Med., Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Martin Styner
- Dept. of Psychiatry, Univ. of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Damien Fair
- Dept. of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Masonic Institute of the Developing Brain, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA; Center for Magnetic Resonance Research and Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Warren Jones
- Marcus Autism Center, USA; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, GA, USA; Dept. of Pediatrics, Emory University, Sch. of Med., Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jocelyne Bachevalier
- Emory Natl. Primate Res. Ctr., Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA, USA; Dept of Psychology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Mar M Sánchez
- Emory Natl. Primate Res. Ctr., Emory Univ., Atlanta, GA, USA; Dept. Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory Univ., Sch. of Med., Atlanta, GA, USA
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24
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Vijayakumar N, Whittle S. A systematic review into the role of pubertal timing and the social environment in adolescent mental health problems. Clin Psychol Rev 2023; 102:102282. [PMID: 37094393 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2023.102282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 02/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Nandita Vijayakumar
- Deakin University, Centre for Social and Early Emotional Development, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Geelong, Australia; Centre for Adolescent Health, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia.
| | - Sarah Whittle
- Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Victoria, Australia
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25
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Puhlmann LM, Derome M, Morosan L, Kilicel D, Vrtička P, Debbané M. Longitudinal associations between self-reported attachment dimensions and neurostructural development from adolescence to early adulthood. Attach Hum Dev 2023; 25:162-180. [PMID: 34730475 DOI: 10.1080/14616734.2021.1993628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The existing literature suggests that individual differences in attachment may be associated with differential trajectories of structural brain development. In addition to maturation during infancy and childhood, developmental trajectories are characteristic of adolescence, a period marked by increasingly complex interpersonal relationships and significant neurostructural and functional plasticity. It remains to be examined whether attachment prospectively relates to neurostructural developmental trajectories during adolescence. In this longitudinal study, we investigated whether self-reported attachment dimensions of anxiety (AX) and avoidance (AV) could predict elements of cortical thickness (CT) and subcortical volume (SV) trajectories in 95 typically developing adolescents (12-19 years old at study baseline). Self-reported scores of AX and AV were obtained at study baseline, and neurostructural development was assessed at baseline and three timepoints over the four following years. Self-reported AX and AV were associated with steeper CT decreases in prefrontal cortical and cortical midline structures as well as anterior temporal cortex, particularly in participants younger at study baseline. Regarding SV, preliminary differential associations were observed between developmental trajectories and attachment dimensions. Our study suggests that interindividual differences in attachment contribute to shaping neurodevelopmental trajectories for several cortical and subcortical structures during adolescence and young adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Mc Puhlmann
- Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz, Germany
| | - Mélodie Derome
- Developmental Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Larisa Morosan
- Developmental Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Deniz Kilicel
- Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pascal Vrtička
- Research Group "Social Stress and Family Health", Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Centre for Brain Science, Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
| | - Martin Debbané
- Developmental Clinical Psychology Research Unit, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Developmental Neuroimaging and Psychopathology Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.,Research Department of Clinical, Educational & Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
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26
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Laricchiuta D, Panuccio A, Picerni E, Biondo D, Genovesi B, Petrosini L. The body keeps the score: The neurobiological profile of traumatized adolescents. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 145:105033. [PMID: 36610696 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105033] [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: 08/07/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Trauma-related disorders are debilitating psychiatric conditions that affect people who have directly or indirectly witnessed adversities. Experiencing multiple types of traumas appears to be common during childhood, and even more so during adolescence. Dramatic brain/body transformations occurring during adolescence may provide a highly responsive substrate to external stimuli and lead to trauma-related vulnerability conditions, such as internalizing (anxiety, depression, anhedonia, withdrawal) and externalizing (aggression, delinquency, conduct disorders) problems. Analyzing relations among neuronal, endocrine, immune, and biochemical signatures of trauma and internalizing and externalizing behaviors, including the role of personality traits in shaping these conducts, this review highlights that the marked effects of traumatic experience on the brain/body involve changes at nearly every level of analysis, from brain structure, function and connectivity to endocrine and immune systems, from gene expression (including in the gut) to the development of personality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Laricchiuta
- Department of Philosophy, Social Sciences & Education, University of Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
| | - Anna Panuccio
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Psychology, University Sapienza of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Eleonora Picerni
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy; Department of Neuroscience Imaging and Clinical Sciences, University "G. d'Annunzio" of Chieti-Pescara, Chieti, Italy
| | | | | | - Laura Petrosini
- Laboratory of Experimental and Behavioral Neurophysiology, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
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Petrican R, Paine AL, Escott-Price V, Shelton KH. Overlapping brain correlates of superior cognition among children at genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease and/or major depressive disorder. Sci Rep 2023; 13:984. [PMID: 36653486 PMCID: PMC9849214 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28057-6] [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: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 01/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Early life adversity (ELA) tends to accelerate neurobiological ageing, which, in turn, is thought to heighten vulnerability to both major depressive disorder (MDD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The two conditions are putatively related, with MDD representing either a risk factor or early symptom of AD. Given the substantial environmental susceptibility of both disorders, timely identification of their neurocognitive markers could facilitate interventions to prevent clinical onset. To this end, we analysed multimodal data from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study (ages 9-10 years). To disentangle genetic from correlated genetic-environmental influences, while also probing gene-adversity interactions, we compared adoptees, a group generally exposed to substantial ELA, with children raised by their biological families via genetic risk scores (GRS) from genome-wide association studies. AD and MDD GRSs predicted overlapping and widespread neurodevelopmental alterations associated with superior fluid cognition. Specifically, among adoptees only, greater AD GRS were related to accelerated structural maturation (i.e., cortical thinning) and higher MDD GRS were linked to delayed functional neurodevelopment, as reflected in compensatory brain activation on an inhibitory control task. Our study identifies compensatory mechanisms linked to MDD risk and highlights the potential cognitive benefits of accelerated maturation linked to AD vulnerability in late childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raluca Petrican
- Institute of Population Health, Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Bedford Street South, Liverpool, L69 7ZA, UK.
| | - Amy L Paine
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
| | - Valentina Escott-Price
- Division of Neuroscience and Mental Health, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, UK
| | - Katherine H Shelton
- School of Psychology, Cardiff University, 70 Park Place, Cardiff, CF10 3AT, UK
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28
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Jáni M, Zacková L, Piler P, Andrýsková L, Brázdil M, Marečková K. Birth outcomes, puberty onset, and obesity as long-term predictors of biological aging in young adulthood. Front Nutr 2023; 9:1100237. [PMID: 36704790 PMCID: PMC9873383 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2022.1100237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Biological aging and particularly the deviations between biological and chronological age are better predictors of health than chronological age alone. However, the predictors of accelerated biological aging are not very well understood. The aim was to determine the role of birth outcomes, time of puberty onset, body mass index (BMI), and body fat in accelerated biological aging in the third decade of life. Methods We have conducted a second follow-up of the Czech part of the European Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ELSPAC-CZ) prenatal birth cohort in young adulthood (52% male; age 28-30; n = 262) to determine the role of birth outcomes, pubertal timing, BMI, and body fat on biological aging. Birth outcomes included birth weight, length, and gestational age at birth. Pubertal timing was determined by the presence of secondary sexual characteristics at the age of 11 and the age of first menarche in women. Biological age was estimated using the Klemera-Doubal Method (KDM), which applies 9-biomarker algorithm including forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), systolic blood pressure, glycated hemoglobin, total cholesterol, C-reactive protein, creatinine, urea nitrogen, albumin, and alkaline phosphatase. Accelerated/decelerated aging was determined as the difference between biological and chronological age (BioAGE). Results The deviations between biological and chronological age in young adulthood ranged from -2.84 to 4.39 years. Accelerated biological aging was predicted by higher BMI [in both early (R2 adj = 0.05) and late 20s (R2 adj = 0.22)], subcutaneous (R2 adj = 0.21) and visceral fat (R2 adj = 0.25), puberty onset (η p 2 = 0.07), birth length (R2 adj = 0.03), and the increase of BMI over the 5-year period between the two follow-ups in young adulthood (R2 adj = 0.09). Single hierarchical model revealed that shorter birth length, early puberty onset, and greater levels of visceral fat were the main predictors, together explaining 21% of variance in accelerated biological aging. Conclusion Our findings provide comprehensive support of the Life History Theory, suggesting that early life adversity might trigger accelerated aging, which leads to earlier onset of puberty but decreasing fitness in adulthood, reflected by more visceral fat and higher BMI. Our findings also suggest that reduction of BMI in young adulthood slows down biological aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Jáni
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia,Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University and University Hospital Brno, Brno, Czechia
| | - Lenka Zacková
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia,Department of Neurology, St. Anne’s University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Pavel Piler
- RECETOX, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | | | - Milan Brázdil
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia,Department of Neurology, St. Anne’s University Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
| | - Klára Marečková
- Brain and Mind Research, Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia,*Correspondence: Klára Mare čková,
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29
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Wang S, Zhao X, Yu Y, Tao F, Liu D, Sun Y. Prolonged Rather Than Early Childhood Parent-Child Separation Predicts Change in Molecular Markers of Cellular Aging: A Consideration of the Role of Adolescence. J Youth Adolesc 2023; 52:165-176. [PMID: 36149547 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-022-01681-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/09/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Early life adversity is a major risk factor for the onset of psychopathology, and cellular aging may be a mechanism underlying these associations. It is unknown whether and how the pattern (timing and duration) of parent-child separation is associated with accelerated cellular aging, particularly with respect to functional aging and replicative senescence, indexed by mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) elevation and telomere length (TL) attrition. This cohort study included 252 rural adolescents (mean age 11.62 years, SD: 1.56). Nearly one in five participants were persistently separated from both parents since birth. Compared with participants who never separated from their parents, adolescents with prolonged parent-child separation had higher acceleration both in functional aging and replicative senescence of cells. However, that was not the case in adolescents who experienced parent-child separation in early childhood but regained stable parental care during adolescence. These findings indicate that pubertal development reopens a window of opportunity for buffering the adverse biological effect based on significant improvements in the supportiveness of the caregiving environment relative to that in childhood. Translating such knowledge to inform intervention and prevention strategies for youths exposed to adversity is a critical goal for the field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shihong Wang
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Xudong Zhao
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Yue Yu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Fangbiao Tao
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.,Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China.,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui Province, China
| | - Deyun Liu
- Department of Pediatrics, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
| | - Ying Sun
- Department of Maternal, Child & Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, China. .,Key Laboratory of Population Health Across Life Cycle (Anhui Medical University), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, No 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, 230032, Anhui, China. .,Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Population Health & Aristogenics, Hefei, Anhui Province, China.
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30
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Street ME, Ponzi D, Renati R, Petraroli M, D’Alvano T, Lattanzi C, Ferrari V, Rollo D, Stagi S. Precocious puberty under stressful conditions: new understanding and insights from the lessons learnt from international adoptions and the COVID-19 pandemic. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1149417. [PMID: 37201098 PMCID: PMC10187034 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1149417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Neuro-biological variations in the timing of sexual maturation within a species are part of an evolved strategy that depend on internal and external environmental conditions. An increased incidence of central precocious puberty (CPP) has been described in both adopted and "covid-19 pandemic" children. Until recently, it was hypothesised that the triggers for CPP in internationally adopted children were likely to be better nutrition, greater environmental stability, and improved psychological wellbeing. However, following data collected during and after the coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, other possibilities must be considered. In a society with high levels of child wellbeing, the threat to life presented by an unknown and potentially serious disease and the stressful environment created by lockdowns and other public health measures could trigger earlier pubertal maturation as an evolutionary response to favour early reproduction. The main driver for increased rates of precocious and rapidly progressive puberty during the pandemic could have been the environment of "fear and stress" in schools and households. In many children, CPP may have been triggered by the psychological effects of living without normal social contact, using PPE, being near adults concerned about financial and other issues and the fear of getting ill. The features and time of progression of CPP in children during the pandemic are similar to those observed in adopted children. This review considers the mechanisms regulating puberty with a focus on neurobiological and evolutionary mechanisms, and analyses precocious puberty both during the pandemic and in internationally adopted children searching for common yet unconsidered factors in an attempt to identify the factors which may have acted as triggers. In particular, we focus on stress as a potential factor in the early activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis and its correlation with rapid sexual maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Elisabeth Street
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Unit of Paediatrics, P. Barilla Children’s Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
- *Correspondence: Maria Elisabeth Street,
| | - Davide Ponzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Roberta Renati
- Department of Pedagogy, Psychology and Philosophy, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Maddalena Petraroli
- Unit of Paediatrics, P. Barilla Children’s Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Tiziana D’Alvano
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Unit of Paediatrics, P. Barilla Children’s Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Claudia Lattanzi
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
- Unit of Paediatrics, P. Barilla Children’s Hospital, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Vittorio Ferrari
- Health Sciences Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Dolores Rollo
- Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
| | - Stefano Stagi
- Health Sciences Department, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Azienda Ospedaliero Univesitaria Meyer IRCCS, Florence, Italy
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31
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Mediating effect of pubertal stages on the family environment and neurodevelopment: An open-data replication and multiverse analysis of an ABCD Study ®. NEUROIMAGE. REPORTS 2022; 2:100133. [PMID: 36561641 PMCID: PMC9770593 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Increasing evidence demonstrates that environmental factors meaningfully impact the development of the brain (Hyde et al., 2020; McEwen and Akil, 2020). Recent work from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® suggests that puberty may indirectly account for some association between the family environment and brain structure and function (Thijssen et al., 2020). However, a limited number of large studies have evaluated what, how, and why environmental factors impact neurodevelopment. When these topics are investigated, there is typically inconsistent operationalization of variables between studies which may be measuring different aspects of the environment and thus different associations in the analytic models. Multiverse analyses (Steegen et al., 2016) are an efficacious technique for investigating the effect of different operationalizations of the same construct on underlying interpretations. While one of the assets of Thijssen et al. (2020) was its large sample from the ABCD data, the authors used an early release that contained 38% of the full ABCD sample. Then, the analyses used several 'researcher degrees of freedom' (Gelman and Loken, 2014) to operationalize key independent, mediating and dependent variables, including but not limited to, the use of a latent factor of preadolescents' environment comprised of different subfactors, such as parental monitoring and child-reported family conflict. While latent factors can improve reliability of constructs, the nuances of each subfactor and measure that comprise the environment may be lost, making the latent factors difficult to interpret in the context of individual differences. This study extends the work of Thijssen et al. (2020) by evaluating the extent to which the analytic choices in their study affected their conclusions. In Aim 1, using the same variables and models, we replicate findings from the original study using the full sample in Release 3.0. Then, in Aim 2, using a multiverse analysis we extend findings by considering nine alternative operationalizations of family environment, three of puberty, and five of brain measures (total of 135 models) to evaluate the impact on conclusions from Aim 1. In these results, 90% of the directions of effects and 60% of the p-values (e.g. p > .05 and p < .05) across effects were comparable between the two studies. However, raters agreed that only 60% of the effects had replicated. Across the multiverse analyses, there was a degree of variability in beta estimates across the environmental variables, and lack of consensus between parent reported and child reported pubertal development for the indirect effects. This study demonstrates the challenge in defining which effects replicate, the nuance across environmental variables in the ABCD data, and the lack of consensus across parent and child reported puberty scales in youth.
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Bolhuis E, Belsky J, Frankenhuis WE, Shalev I, Hastings WJ, Tollenaar MS, O’Donnell KJ, McGill MG, Pokhvisneva I, Lin DT, MacIsaac JL, Kobor MS, de Weerth C, Beijers R. Attachment insecurity and the biological embedding of reproductive strategies: Investigating the role of cellular aging. Biol Psychol 2022; 175:108446. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 10/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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33
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Fuhrmann D, Madsen KS, Johansen LB, Baaré WFC, Kievit RA. The midpoint of cortical thinning between late childhood and early adulthood differs between individuals and brain regions: Evidence from longitudinal modelling in a 12-wave neuroimaging sample. Neuroimage 2022; 261:119507. [PMID: 35882270 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Charting human brain maturation between childhood and adulthood is a fundamental prerequisite for understanding the rapid biological and psychological changes during human development. Two barriers have precluded the quantification of maturational trajectories: demands on data and demands on estimation. Using high-temporal resolution neuroimaging data of up to 12-waves in the HUBU cohort (N = 90, aged 7-21 years) we investigate changes in apparent cortical thickness across childhood and adolescence. Fitting a four-parameter logistic nonlinear random effects mixed model, we quantified the characteristic, s-shaped, trajectory of cortical thinning in adolescence. This approach yields biologically meaningful parameters, including the midpoint of cortical thinning (MCT), which corresponds to the age at which the cortex shows most rapid thinning - in our sample occurring, on average, at 14 years of age. These results show that, given suitable data and models, cortical maturation can be quantified with precision for each individual and brain region.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Fuhrmann
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
| | - K S Madsen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Kettegaard Allé 30, DK-2650, Hvidovre, Denmark; Radiography, Department of Technology, University College Copenhagen, Sigurdsgade 26, DK-2200, Copenhagen N., Denmark
| | - L B Johansen
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Kettegaard Allé 30, DK-2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - W F C Baaré
- Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Centre for Functional and Diagnostic Imaging and Research, Copenhagen University Hospital - Amager and Hvidovre, Kettegaard Allé 30, DK-2650, Hvidovre, Denmark
| | - R A Kievit
- Cognitive Neuroscience Department, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behavior, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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34
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Norbom LB, Hanson J, van der Meer D, Ferschmann L, Røysamb E, von Soest T, Andreassen OA, Agartz I, Westlye LT, Tamnes CK. Parental socioeconomic status is linked to cortical microstructure and language abilities in children and adolescents. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 56:101132. [PMID: 35816931 PMCID: PMC9284438 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Gradients in parental socioeconomic status (SES) are closely linked to important life outcomes in children and adolescents, such as cognitive abilities, school achievement, and mental health. Parental SES may also influence brain development, with several magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies reporting associations with youth brain morphometry. However, MRI signal intensity metrics have not been assessed, but could offer a microstructural correlate, thereby increasing our understanding of SES influences on neurobiology. We computed a parental SES score from family income, parental education and parental occupation, and assessed relations with cortical microstructure as measured by T1w/T2w ratio (n = 504, age = 3-21 years). We found negative age-stabile relations between parental SES and T1w/T2w ratio, indicating that youths from lower SES families have higher ratio in widespread frontal, temporal, medial parietal and occipital regions, possibly indicating a more developed cortex. Effect sizes were small, but larger than for conventional morphometric properties i.e. cortical surface area and thickness, which were not significantly associated with parental SES. Youths from lower SES families had poorer language related abilities, but microstructural differences did not mediate these relations. T1w/T2w ratio appears to be a sensitive imaging marker for further exploring the association between parental SES and child brain development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linn B. Norbom
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway,NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway,Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway,Correspondence to: P.O. box 1094 Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway.
| | - Jamie Hanson
- Learning Research and Development Center University of Pittsburgh, USA,Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, USA,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Dennis van der Meer
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway,School of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, the Netherlands,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Lia Ferschmann
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Espen Røysamb
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Tilmann von Soest
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Ole A. Andreassen
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway,NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Ingrid Agartz
- NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway,Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway,K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway,Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Stockholm Health Care Services, Stockholm Region, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lars T. Westlye
- K.G Jebsen Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders, University of Oslo, Norway,NORMENT, Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital & Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway,Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
| | - Christian K. Tamnes
- PROMENTA Research Center, Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Norway,NORMENT, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Norway,Department of Psychiatric Research, Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway,Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Norway
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35
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Gutiérrez F, Peri JM, Baillès E, Sureda B, Gárriz M, Vall G, Cavero M, Mallorquí A, Ruiz Rodríguez J. A Double-Track Pathway to Fast Strategy in Humans and Its Personality Correlates. Front Psychol 2022; 13:889730. [PMID: 35756215 PMCID: PMC9218359 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.889730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The fast-slow paradigm of life history (LH) focuses on how individuals grow, mate, and reproduce at different paces. This paradigm can contribute substantially to the field of personality and individual differences provided that it is more strictly based on evolutionary biology than it has been so far. Our study tested the existence of a fast-slow continuum underlying indicators of reproductive effort-offspring output, age at first reproduction, number and stability of sexual partners-in 1,043 outpatients with healthy to severely disordered personalities. Two axes emerged reflecting a double-track pathway to fast strategy, based on restricted and unrestricted sociosexual strategies. When rotated, the fast-slow and sociosexuality axes turned out to be independent. Contrary to expectations, neither somatic effort-investment in status, material resources, social capital, and maintenance/survival-was aligned with reproductive effort, nor a clear tradeoff between current and future reproduction was evident. Finally, we examined the association of LH axes with seven high-order personality pathology traits: negative emotionality, impulsivity, antagonism, persistence-compulsivity, subordination, and psychoticism. Persistent and disinhibited subjects appeared as fast-restricted and fast-unrestricted strategists, respectively, whereas asocial subjects were slow strategists. Associations of LH traits with each other and with personality are far more complex than usually assumed in evolutionary psychology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Gutiérrez
- Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institut d'Investigacións Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Josep M Peri
- Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Eva Baillès
- Department of Experimental and Health Sciences, Pompeu Fabra University, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bárbara Sureda
- Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Miguel Gárriz
- Institut de Neuropsiquiatria i Addiccions (INAD), Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Vall
- Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health, and Addiction, GSS-Hospital Santa Maria, Lleida, Spain.,Lleida Institute for Biomedical Research Dr. Pifarré Foundation, Lleida, Spain
| | - Myriam Cavero
- Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Aida Mallorquí
- Institute of Neuroscience, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - José Ruiz Rodríguez
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Personality, Evaluation and Psychological Treatment Section, Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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36
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Yang A, Zhu N, Lu HJ, Chang L. Environmental risks, life history strategy, and developmental psychology. Psych J 2022; 11:433-447. [DOI: 10.1002/pchj.561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anting Yang
- Department of Psychology University of Macau Macau China
| | - Nan Zhu
- Department of Psychology University of Macau Macau China
| | - Hui Jing Lu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences the Hong Kong Polytechnic University Kowloon Hong Kong
| | - Lei Chang
- Department of Psychology University of Macau Macau China
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Keogh TM, Howard S, Gallagher S, Ginty AT. Cluster analysis reveals distinct patterns of childhood adversity, behavioral disengagement, and depression that predict blunted heart rate reactivity to acute psychological stress. Ann Behav Med 2022; 57:61-73. [PMID: 35568985 PMCID: PMC9773378 DOI: 10.1093/abm/kaac019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is considerable evidence documenting associations between early life adversity, behavioral disengagement, and depression with blunted cardiovascular reactivity to acute psychological stress. However, while often examined as independent predictors, it is also likely that a combination of these factors uniquely relate to cardiovascular reactivity. PURPOSE The present study employed multivariate cluster analysis to examine if distinct combinations of these outcomes relate to cardiovascular stress reactivity. METHODS Participants (N = 467) were predominantly female (60.6%) with a mean age of 19.30 years (SD = 0.82). Measures of early life adversity, behavioral disengagement, and depression were completed; in addition, participants had their blood pressure and heart rate monitored throughout a standardized stress testing session. Cardiovascular reactivity was calculated as the difference between mean stress and mean baseline cardiovascular values. RESULTS Analyses revealed two clusters with distinct patterns of exposure to early life adversity, levels of behavioral disengagement and depression, uniquely related to cardiovascular reactivity. In unadjusted models, Cluster 1 that was characterized by greater exposure to early life adversity, higher levels of behavioral disengagement and depression, was associated with lower systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and heart rate (HR) reactivity. Cluster 2 was characterized by reactivity values similar to the sample means. In fully adjusted models, Cluster 1 predicted heart rate reactivity to stress. CONCLUSIONS The present study identifies a behavioral cluster that is characteristic of a blunted heart rate reactivity profile, significantly extending the research in this area.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Siobhán Howard
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Social Issues Research, Study of Anxiety, Stress and Health Laboratory, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland,Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Stephen Gallagher
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Social Issues Research, Study of Anxiety, Stress and Health Laboratory, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland,Health Research Institute, University of Limerick, Castletroy, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Annie T Ginty
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor University, Waco, TX, USA
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38
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Ellis BJ, Sheridan MA, Belsky J, McLaughlin KA. Why and how does early adversity influence development? Toward an integrated model of dimensions of environmental experience. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:447-471. [PMID: 35285791 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 38.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Two extant frameworks - the harshness-unpredictability model and the threat-deprivation model - attempt to explain which dimensions of adversity have distinct influences on development. These models address, respectively, why, based on a history of natural selection, development operates the way it does across a range of environmental contexts, and how the neural mechanisms that underlie plasticity and learning in response to environmental experiences influence brain development. Building on these frameworks, we advance an integrated model of dimensions of environmental experience, focusing on threat-based forms of harshness, deprivation-based forms of harshness, and environmental unpredictability. This integrated model makes clear that the why and the how of development are inextricable and, together, essential to understanding which dimensions of the environment matter. Core integrative concepts include the directedness of learning, multiple levels of developmental adaptation to the environment, and tradeoffs between adaptive and maladaptive developmental responses to adversity. The integrated model proposes that proximal and distal cues to threat-based and deprivation-based forms of harshness, as well as unpredictability in those cues, calibrate development to both immediate rearing environments and broader ecological contexts, current and future. We highlight actionable directions for research needed to investigate the integrated model and advance understanding of dimensions of environmental experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruce J Ellis
- Departments of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jay Belsky
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA, USA
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Testing the empirical integration of threat-deprivation and harshness-unpredictability dimensional models of adversity. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:513-526. [PMID: 35256038 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent dimensional models of adversity informed by a neurobiological deficit framework highlights threat and deprivation as core dimensions, whereas models informed by an evolutionary, adaptational and functional framework calls attention to harshness and unpredictability. This report seeks to evaluate an integrative model of threat, deprivation, and unpredictability, drawing on the Fragile Families Study. Confirmatory factor analysis of presumed multiple indicators of each construct reveals an adequate three-factor structure of adversity. Theory-based targeted predictions of the developmental sequelae of each dimension also received empirical support, with deprivation linked to health problems and cognitive ability; threat linked to aggression; and unpredictability to substance use and sexual risk-taking. These findings lend credibility to utility of the three-dimensional integrative framework of adversity. It could thus inform development of dimensional measures of risk assessment and exploration of multidimensional adversity profiles, sensitive to individual differences in lived experiences, supporting patient-centered, strength-based approaches to services.
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40
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Zhao X, Erickson M, Mohammed R, Kentner AC. Maternal immune activation accelerates puberty initiation and alters mechanical allodynia in male and female C57BL6/J mice. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22278. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 01/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Zhao
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Mary Erickson
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Ruqayah Mohammed
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston Massachusetts USA
| | - Amanda C. Kentner
- School of Arts & Sciences, Health Psychology Program Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Boston Massachusetts USA
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41
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Petrican R, Fornito A, Jones N. Psychological Resilience and Neurodegenerative Risk: A Connectomics-Transcriptomics Investigation in Healthy Adolescent and Middle-Aged Females. Neuroimage 2022; 255:119209. [PMID: 35429627 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119209] [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: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Adverse life events can inflict substantial long-term damage, which, paradoxically, has been posited to stem from initially adaptative responses to the challenges encountered in one's environment. Thus, identification of the mechanisms linking resilience against recent stressors to longer-term psychological vulnerability is key to understanding optimal functioning across multiple timescales. To address this issue, our study tested the relevance of neuro-reproductive maturation and senescence, respectively, to both resilience and longer-term risk for pathologies characterised by accelerated brain aging, specifically, Alzheimer's Disease (AD). Graph theoretical and partial least squares analyses were conducted on multimodal imaging, reported biological aging and recent adverse experience data from the Lifespan Human Connectome Project (HCP). Availability of reproductive maturation/senescence measures restricted our investigation to adolescent (N =178) and middle-aged (N=146) females. Psychological resilience was linked to age-specific brain senescence patterns suggestive of precocious functional development of somatomotor and control-relevant networks (adolescence) and earlier aging of default mode and salience/ventral attention systems (middle adulthood). Biological aging showed complementary associations with the neural patterns relevant to resilience in adolescence (positive relationship) versus middle-age (negative relationship). Transcriptomic and expression quantitative trait locus data analyses linked the neural aging patterns correlated with psychological resilience in middle adulthood to gene expression patterns suggestive of increased AD risk. Our results imply a partially antagonistic relationship between resilience against proximal stressors and longer-term psychological adjustment in later life. They thus underscore the importance of fine-tuning extant views on successful coping by considering the multiple timescales across which age-specific processes may unfold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raluca Petrican
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom.
| | - Alex Fornito
- The Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, School of Psychological Sciences, and Monash Biomedical Imaging, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Natalie Jones
- Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ, United Kingdom
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42
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Xu L, Zimmermann M, Forkey H, Griffin J, Wilds C, Morgan WS, Byatt N, McNeal CJ. How to Mitigate Risk of Premature Cardiovascular Disease Among Children and Adolescents with Mental Health Conditions. Curr Atheroscler Rep 2022; 24:253-264. [PMID: 35320835 PMCID: PMC8940585 DOI: 10.1007/s11883-022-00998-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Purpose of Review The goal of this article is to characterize the myriad of ways that children with mental health conditions can be at risk for premature cardiovascular disease (CVD) and various modalities to ameliorate this risk in childhood in order to improve the life course of these children. Review Findings Child and adolescent mental health conditions are a common yet underrecognized risk factor for premature CVD. The American Heart Association has recently included psychiatric conditions as a CVD risk factor (CVDRF) and the evidence linking childhood adversity to cardiometabolic disease. There are bidirectional and additive effects from the intrinsic emotional dysregulation and inflammatory changes from the mental health condition, the associations with risky health behaviors, and in some cases, metabolic side effects from pharmacotherapy. These pathways can be potentiated by toxic stress, a physiologic response to stressors from childhood adversity. Toxic stress is also associated with development of mental health conditions with epigenetic effects that can result in transgenerational inheritance of cardiometabolic risk. Exposure to toxic stress and mental health conditions in isolation sometimes compounded by pharmacotherapies used in treatment increase the risk of cardiometabolic diseases in childhood. The multiple pathways, which adversely influence cardiometabolic outcomes, encourage clinicians to consider strategies to mitigate these factors and justify the importance of early screening and treatment for CVDRFs. Summary Mental health, health behaviors, and environmental factors co-occur and intersect in complex pathways that can increase CVD risk over the lifespan. Early detection and response can mitigate the risks associated with premature development of CVD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lulu Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Martha Zimmermann
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Heather Forkey
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Jessica Griffin
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Caitlin Wilds
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
- Boston Child Study Center, Boston, MA, 02116, USA
| | - Wynne S Morgan
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Nancy Byatt
- Department of Psychiatry, UMass Chan Medical School, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA
| | - Catherine J McNeal
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, TX, 76508, USA.
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43
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Iimura S, Deno M, Kibe C, Endo T. Beyond the diathesis-stress paradigm: Effect of the environmental sensitivity × pubertal tempo interaction on depressive symptoms. New Dir Child Adolesc Dev 2022; 2022:123-143. [PMID: 35274434 DOI: 10.1002/cad.20456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Based on the Differential Susceptibility Theory, we examined whether the relationship between pubertal maturation and depressive symptoms can be moderated by individual differences in environmental sensitivity. The current article used the three-wave data collected from Japanese adolescents aged from 12 to 15 years (girls = 111, boys = 98). Consequently, a significant Sensitivity × Pubertal Development interaction was observed in 12- to 13-year-old boys, but not girls. Sensitive boys who experienced accelerated physical maturation reported decreased depressive symptoms, while those who experienced less maturation had increased depressive symptoms. The shape of the interaction supported both the Differential Susceptibility Theory and the Diathesis-Stress Model. Our findings suggest that sensitivity during early puberty among boys could be reconsidered as susceptibility rather than vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuhei Iimura
- The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.,Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Tokyo, Japan
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44
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Miller JG, López V, Buthmann JL, Garcia JM, Gotlib IH. A Social Gradient of Cortical Thickness in Adolescence: Relations With Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage, Family Socioeconomic Status, and Depressive Symptoms. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 2:253-262. [PMID: 36032055 PMCID: PMC9410503 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jonas G. Miller
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
- Address correspondence to Jonas G. Miller, Ph.D.
| | - Vanessa López
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | | | - Jordan M. Garcia
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
| | - Ian H. Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, California
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Early life adversity and age acceleration at mid-life and older ages indexed using the next-generation GrimAge and Pace of Aging epigenetic clocks. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2022; 137:105643. [PMID: 34999481 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2021.105643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This retrospective cross-sectional study was designed to explore whether the experience of childhood adversity was associated with epigenetic age acceleration in mid-life and older ages using the next generation GrimAge and Pace of Aging DNA methylation clocks. METHOD The study involved a sub-sample of 490 individuals aged 50-87 years of age participating in the Irish Longitudinal Study on Aging (TILDA); a large nationally representative prospective cohort study of aging in Ireland. Childhood adversity was ascertained via self-report using 5-items that were deemed to indicate potentially nefarious childhood exposures, including growing up poor, death of a parent, parental substance abuse in the family, childhood physical abuse, and childhood sexual abuse. RESULTS Only childhood poverty was associated with significant epigenetic age acceleration according to the GrimAge and Pace of Aging clocks, hastening biological aging by 2.04 years [CI= 1.07, 3.00; p < 0.001] and 1.16 years [CI= 0.11, 2.21; p = 0.030] respectively. Analysis of the dose-response pattern revealed each additional adversity was associated with 0.69 years of age acceleration [CI= 0.23, 1.15; p = 0.004] according to the GrimAge clock. Mediation analysis suggested that lifetime smoking explains a substantial portion (>50%) of the excess risk of age acceleration amongst those who experienced childhood poverty. CONCLUSIONS This study adds to the growing body of evidence which implicates early life adversity, particularly deprivation as a potential precipitant of earlier biological aging, and implicates smoking-related changes to DNA methylation processes as a candidate pathway and mechanism through which the social environment gets transduced at a biological level to hasten the aging process.
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46
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Lu J, Lu Q, Lu L. Differential Effects of Fundamental and Longitudinal Life History Trade-Offs on Delay Discounting: An Evolutionary Framework. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12030063. [PMID: 35323382 PMCID: PMC8945661 DOI: 10.3390/bs12030063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/10/2022] Open
Abstract
We synthesized life history theory and the antagonistic pleiotropy hypothesis to form an integrative framework for understanding delay discounting (DD). We distinguished between fundamental and longitudinal life history trade-offs to explain individual and age differences of DD. Fundamental life history trade-offs are characterized by life history strategies (LHS), describing how individuals adjust reproductive timing according to childhood environments, while longitudinal life history trade-offs characterize how individuals make trade-offs between early- vs. late-life reproduction as a function of age. Results of a life-span sample (242 Chinese participants) supported several theoretical predictions: (a) slower LHS predicted lower DD; (b) the relationship between chronological age and DD was U-shaped; (c) the effects of age and LHS were differential. Mechanisms underlying fundamental and longitudinal trade-offs were explored. Regarding fundamental trade-offs, LHS mediated the effects of childhood environment on DD. Regarding longitudinal trade-offs, the U-shaped relationship was more evident between physical age and DD: older adults who were in poorer physical health felt older and exhibited a higher DD. Neither the time perspective nor anticipatory time perception mediated the effect of life history trade-offs. We concluded that DD was a product of two distinct life history trade-offs, reflecting both the trait-like quality and age-related development.
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47
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Sun S, Sheridan M, Tyrka A, Donofry SD, Erickson K, Loucks E. Addressing the biological embedding of early life adversities (ELA) among adults through mindfulness: Proposed mechanisms and review of converging evidence. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 134:104526. [PMID: 34998833 PMCID: PMC8844271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Early life adversities (ELA) are prevalent and have a profound and adverse impact across the lifespan, including on age-related health outcomes, yet interventions to remediate its adverse impact are scarce. This paper presents evidence for mindfulness training to reduce the elevated mental and physical health risks linked to ELA among adults by targeting biological mechanisms of ELA leading to these adverse health outcomes. We first provide a brief overview of ELA, its adverse health impacts, and mechanisms that might be responsible. Next, we review converging evidence that demonstrates that mindfulness training influences key biological pathways involved in ELA-linked negative health consequences, including (a) brain networks involved in self-regulation, (b) immunity and inflammation, (c) telomere biology, and (d) epigenetic modifications. Further, we review preliminary evidence from mindfulness-based trials that focused on populations impacted by ELA. We discuss limitations of this review and provide recommendations for future research. If effective, a mindfulness-based approach could be an important public health strategy for remediating the adverse mental and physical health consequences of ELA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shufang Sun
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, United States; Mindfulness Center at Brown University, United States.
| | - Margaret Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC
| | - Audrey Tyrka
- Initiative on Stress, Trauma, and Resilience, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University Alpert Medical School
| | | | - Kirk Erickson
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,Center for Neuroscience, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA,Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition, Pittsburgh, PA
| | - Eric Loucks
- Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health,Mindfulness Center at Brown University
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48
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Ellwood-Lowe M, Irving C, Bunge S. Exploring neural correlates of behavioral and academic resilience among children in poverty. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 54:101090. [PMID: 35248821 PMCID: PMC8899231 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Children in poverty must contend with systems that do not meet their needs. We explored what, at a neural level, helps explain children’s resilience in these contexts. Lower coupling between lateral frontoparietal network (LFPN) and default mode network (DMN)—linked, respectively, to externally- and internally-directed thought—has previously been associated with better cognitive performance. However, we recently found the opposite pattern for children in poverty. Here, we probed ecologically-valid assessments of performance. In a pre-registered study, we investigated trajectories of network coupling over ages 9–13 and their relation to school grades and attention problems. We analyzed longitudinal data from ABCD Study (N = 8366 children at baseline; 1303 below poverty). The link between cognitive performance and grades was weaker for children in poverty, highlighting the importance of ecologically-valid measures. As predicted, higher LFPN-DMN connectivity was linked to worse grades and attentional problems for children living above poverty, while children below poverty showed opposite tendencies. This interaction between LFPN-DMN connectivity and poverty related to children’s grades two years later; however, it was attenuated when controlling for baseline grades and was not related to attention longitudinally. Together, these findings suggest network connectivity is differentially related to performance in real-world settings for children above and below poverty.
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Ip KI, Sisk LM, Horien C, Conley MI, Rapuano KM, Rosenberg MD, Greene AS, Scheinost D, Constable RT, Casey BJ, Baskin-Sommers A, Gee DG. Associations among Household and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantages, Resting-state Frontoamygdala Connectivity, and Internalizing Symptoms in Youth. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:1810-1841. [PMID: 35104356 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to socioeconomic disadvantages (SED) can have negative impacts on mental health, yet SED are a multifaceted construct and the precise processes by which SED confer deleterious effects are less clear. Using a large and diverse sample of preadolescents (ages 9-10 years at baseline, n = 4038, 49% female) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, we examined associations among SED at both household (i.e., income-needs and material hardship) and neighborhood (i.e., area deprivation and neighborhood unsafety) levels, frontoamygdala resting-state functional connectivity, and internalizing symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up. SED were positively associated with internalizing symptoms at baseline and indirectly predicted symptoms 1 year later through elevated symptoms at baseline. At the household level, youth in households characterized by higher disadvantage (i.e., lower income-to-needs ratio) exhibited more strongly negative frontoamygdala coupling, particularly between the bilateral amygdala and medial OFC (mOFC) regions within the frontoparietal network. Although more strongly positive amygdala-mOFC coupling was associated with higher levels of internalizing symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up, it did not mediate the association between income-to-needs ratio and internalizing symptoms. However, at the neighborhood level, amygdala-mOFC functional coupling moderated the effect of neighborhood deprivation on internalizing symptoms. Specifically, higher neighborhood deprivation was associated with higher internalizing symptoms for youth with more strongly positive connectivity, but not for youth with more strongly negative connectivity, suggesting a potential buffering effect. Findings highlight the importance of capturing multilevel socioecological contexts in which youth develop to identify youth who are most likely to benefit from early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka I Ip
- Yale University, New Haven, CT
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Perceptions of childhood unpredictability, delay discounting, risk-taking, and adult externalizing behaviors: A life-history approach. Dev Psychopathol 2022; 34:705-717. [PMID: 35039110 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421001607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Guided by principles from life-history theory, theories of adaptive calibration provide an overarching theoretical framework for understanding the developmental roots of impulsivity and externalizing psychopathology. The current research provides evidence for robust associations between perceptions of childhood unpredictability, delay discounting (Studies 1a and 1b), and adult externalizing traits and behaviors (Study 2). Both associations were observed while controlling for perceptions of the harshness of childhood environments, as well as a range of demographic characteristics. The association with externalizing traits and behavior was observed over and above current mood and depressive symptoms. Study 2 also replicated a previously documented association between changes in maternal employment, residence, and cohabitation during childhood and externalizing behavior and, furthermore, suggested that this association was mediated by perceptions of unpredictability. These studies provided no evidence for links between perceived childhood unpredictability and basic forms of risk-taking (Studies 1a and 1c). This research adds to a growing body of work leveraging principles from life-history theory to demonstrate links between childhood experiences, impulsivity, and potentially debilitating forms of mental illness. This work also highlights the value of assessing people's perceptions of their childhood environments.
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