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Merz EC, Myers B, Hansen M, Simon KR, Strack J, Noble KG. Socioeconomic Disparities in Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis Regulation and Prefrontal Cortical Structure. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 4:83-96. [PMID: 38090738 PMCID: PMC10714216 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2023.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 10/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Socioeconomic disadvantage during childhood predicts an increased risk for mental health problems across the life span. Socioeconomic disadvantage shapes multiple aspects of children's proximal environments and increases exposure to chronic stressors. Drawing from multiple literatures, we propose that childhood socioeconomic disadvantage may lead to adaptive changes in the regulation of stress response systems including the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. These changes, in turn, affect the development of prefrontal cortical (PFC) circuitry responsible for top-down control over cognitive and emotional processes. Translational findings indicate that chronic stress reduces dendritic complexity and spine density in the medial PFC and anterior cingulate cortex, in part through altered HPA axis regulation. Socioeconomic disadvantage has frequently been associated with reduced gray matter in the dorsolateral and ventrolateral PFC and anterior cingulate cortex and lower fractional anisotropy in the superior longitudinal fasciculus, cingulum bundle, and uncinate fasciculus during middle childhood and adolescence. Evidence of socioeconomic disparities in hair cortisol concentrations in children has accumulated, although null findings have been reported. Coupled with links between cortisol levels and reduced gray matter in the PFC and anterior cingulate cortex, these results support mechanistic roles for the HPA axis and these PFC circuits. Future longitudinal studies should simultaneously consider multiple dimensions of proximal factors, including cognitive stimulation, while focusing on epigenetic processes and genetic moderators to elucidate how socioeconomic context may influence the HPA axis and PFC circuitry involved in cognitive and emotional control. These findings, which point to modifiable factors, can be harnessed to inform policy and more effective prevention strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Merz
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Brent Myers
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Melissa Hansen
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Katrina R. Simon
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Jordan Strack
- Department of Psychology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Kimberly G. Noble
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, New York
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2
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Henze GI, Konzok J, Kudielka BM, Wüst S, Nichols TE, Kreuzpointner L. Associations between cortisol stress responses and limbic volume and thickness in young adults: An exploratory study. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3962-3980. [PMID: 37806665 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16161] [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: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The investigation of the relationship between neural measures of limbic structures and hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis responses to acute stress exposure in healthy young adults has so far focused in particular on task-based and resting state functional connectivity studies. Thus, the present study examined the association between limbic volume and thickness measures and acute cortisol responses to the psychosocial stress paradigm ScanSTRESS. Using Permutation Analysis of Linear Models controlling for sex, age and total brain volume, the associations between (sex-specific) cortisol increases and human connectome project style anatomical variables of limbic structures (i.e. volume and thickness) were investigated in 66 healthy and young (18-33 years) subjects (35 men, 31 women taking oral contraceptives). In addition, exploratory (sex-specific) bivariate correlations between cortisol increases and structural measures were conducted. The present data provide interesting new insights into the involvement of striato-limbic structures in psychosocial stress processing, suggesting that acute cortisol stress responses are also associated with mere structural measures of the human brain. Thus, our preliminary findings suggest that not only situation- and context-dependent reactions of the limbic system (i.e. blood oxygenation level-dependent reactions) are related to acute (sex-specific) cortisol stress responses but also basal and somewhat more constant structural measures. Our study hereby paves the way for further analyses in this context and highlights the relevance of the topic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina-Isabelle Henze
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Research Division of Mind and Brain, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Julian Konzok
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | | | - Stefan Wüst
- Institute of Psychology, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany
| | - Thomas E Nichols
- Big Data Institute, Li Ka Shing Centre for Health Information and Discovery, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, FMRIB, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Yang W, Jin S, Duan W, Yu H, Ping L, Shen Z, Cheng Y, Xu X, Zhou C. The effects of childhood maltreatment on cortical thickness and gray matter volume: a coordinate-based meta-analysis. Psychol Med 2023; 53:1681-1699. [PMID: 36946124 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723000661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment has been suggested to have an adverse impact on neurodevelopment, including microstructural brain abnormalities. Existing neuroimaging findings remain inconsistent and heterogeneous. We aim to explore the most prominent and robust cortical thickness (CTh) and gray matter volume (GMV) alterations associated with childhood maltreatment. A systematic search on relevant studies was conducted through September 2022. The whole-brain coordinate-based meta-analysis (CBMA) on CTh and GMV studies were conducted using the seed-based d mapping (SDM) software. Meta-regression analysis was subsequently applied to investigate potential associations between clinical variables and structural changes. A total of 45 studies were eligible for inclusion, including 11 datasets on CTh and 39 datasets on GMV, consisting of 2550 participants exposed to childhood maltreatment and 3739 unexposed comparison subjects. Individuals with childhood maltreatment exhibited overlapped deficits in the median cingulate/paracingulate gyri simultaneously revealed by both CTh and GM studies. Regional cortical thinning in the right anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyri and the left middle frontal gyrus, as well as GMV reductions in the left supplementary motor area (SMA) was also identified. No greater regions were found for either CTh or GMV. In addition, several neural morphology changes were associated with the average age of the maltreated individuals. The median cingulate/paracingulate gyri morphology might serve as the most robust neuroimaging feature of childhood maltreatment. The effects of early-life trauma on the human brain predominantly involved in cognitive functions, socio-affective functioning and stress regulation. This current meta-analysis enhanced the understanding of neuropathological changes induced by childhood maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Shandong Daizhuang Hospital, Jining, China
| | - Shushu Jin
- Department of Psychology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Weiwei Duan
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Hao Yu
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
| | - Liangliang Ping
- Department of Psychiatry, Xiamen Xianyue Hospital, Xiamen, China
| | - Zonglin Shen
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Yuqi Cheng
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Xiufeng Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China
| | - Cong Zhou
- Department of Psychology, Affiliated Hospital of Jining Medical University, Jining, China
- School of Mental Health, Jining Medical University, Jining, China
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Tymofiyeva O, Hu R, Kidambi R, Nguyen C, Max JE, Yang TT. A meta-analysis of brain morphometric aberrations in adolescents who experienced childhood trauma. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:1022791. [PMID: 36561836 PMCID: PMC9764002 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1022791] [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: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Childhood trauma is known to have dramatic effects on the risks for developing psychiatric disorders and increased suicidality. We conducted a meta-analysis of whole brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) correlates of childhood trauma in adolescents exposed to childhood maltreatment (N = 379) and unexposed controls (N = 348). Methods Anisotropic effect size-signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) was utilized to synthesize the studies. Results We observed increased volume amongst adolescents with a history of childhood trauma in regions that are involved in motor functions and language production: left precentral gyrus, including part of the left inferior frontal gyrus, left fibers of the body of corpus callosum, and left postcentral gyrus. We observed decreased volume amongst adolescents with a history of childhood trauma in regions that are involved in language processing and/or sensory processing: bilateral cerebellum, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, left rostrum of corpus callosum, and bilateral supramarginal gyrus. Discussion We suggest that these morphometric differences may be reflective of impaired motor development and increased sensory sensitivity and hypervigilance in adolescents with experiences of childhood trauma. Our results differ from meta-analytical findings in adults with history of childhood trauma and may contribute to a better understanding of neural mechanisms of childhood trauma, prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes, and development of more effective and personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Tymofiyeva
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Olga Tymofiyeva,
| | - Rebecca Hu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Roma Kidambi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ca Nguyen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey E. Max
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States,Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Tony T. Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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Chaudhary S, Zhornitsky S, Roy A, Summers C, Ahles T, Li CR, Chao HH. The effects of androgen deprivation on working memory and quality of life in prostate cancer patients: The roles of hypothalamic connectivity. Cancer Med 2022; 11:3425-3436. [PMID: 35315585 PMCID: PMC9487881 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.4704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2021] [Revised: 03/08/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) has been associated with adverse effects on the brain. ADT alters testosterone levels via its action on the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis and may influence hypothalamic functions. Given the wide regional connectivity of the hypothalamus and its role in regulating cognition and behavior, we assessed the effects of ADT on hypothalamic resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) and their cognitive and clinical correlates. METHODS In a prospective observational study, 22 men with nonmetastatic prostate cancer receiving ADT and 28 patients not receiving ADT (controls), matched in age, years of education, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment score, participated in N-back task and quality of life (QoL) assessments and brain imaging at baseline and at 6 months. Imaging data were processed with published routines and the results of a group by time flexible factorial analysis were evaluated at a corrected threshold. RESULTS ADT and control groups did not differ in N-back performance or QoL across time points. Relative to controls, patients receiving ADT showed significantly higher hypothalamus-right mid-cingulate cortex (MCC) and precentral gyrus (PCG) rsFC during follow-up versus baseline. Further, the changes in MCC and PCG rsFC were correlated positively with the change in QoL score and 0-back correct response rate, respectively, in patients with undergoing ADT. CONCLUSION Six-month ADT affects hypothalamic functional connectivity with brain regions critical to cognitive motor and affective functions. Elevated hypothalamic MCC and PCG connectivity likely serve to functionally compensate for the effects of ADT and sustain attention and overall QoL. The longer-term effects of ADT remain to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shefali Chaudhary
- Department of PsychiatryYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Simon Zhornitsky
- Department of PsychiatryYale University School of MedicineNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Alicia Roy
- VA Connecticut Healthcare SystemWest HavenConnecticutUSA
| | | | - Tim Ahles
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral SciencesMemorial Sloan Kettering Cancer CenterNew YorkNew YorkUSA
| | - Chiang‐Shan R. Li
- Departments of Psychiatry and Neuroscience, Interdepartmental Neuroscience ProgramYale University School of Medicine, Wu Tsai Institute, Yale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Herta H. Chao
- VA Connecticut Healthcare SystemWest HavenConnecticutUSA
- Department of Medicine & Yale Comprehensive Cancer CenterYale University School of MedicineNew HavenCTUSA
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6
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Feola B, Dougherty LR, Riggins T, Bolger DJ. Prefrontal cortical thickness mediates the association between cortisol reactivity and executive function in childhood. Neuropsychologia 2020; 148:107636. [PMID: 33045229 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2020.107636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2020] [Revised: 07/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
The impact of stress hormones, such as cortisol, on the brain is proposed to contribute to differences in executive function of school-age children from impoverished backgrounds. However, the association between cortisol reactivity, prefrontal cortex, and executive function is relatively unexplored in young children. The current longitudinal study examined whether 63 children's early preschool-age (3-5 years, Time 1) and concurrent school-age (5-9 years, Time 2) salivary cortisol reactivity were associated with executive function and prefrontal cortical thickness at school-age. Two measures of cortisol reactivity were calculated: area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg; total cortisol release) and with respect to increase (AUCi; total change in cortisol). Results demonstrated that Time 2 total cortisol release was negatively associated with executive function, Time 1 total cortisol release positively related to right middle frontal cortical thickness, and Time 2 total cortisol change was negatively associated with right inferior frontal cortical thickness. Moreover, greater right middle frontal cortical thickness mediated the association between greater Time 1 total cortisol release and lower executive function. This study provides support for an early adversity framework in which individual differences in executive function in childhood are directly related to the variations of cortisol-release and the effects on the prefrontal cortex thickness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brandee Feola
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, USA; Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, USA; Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, USA.
| | - Lea R Dougherty
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, USA
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, USA; Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, USA
| | - Donald J Bolger
- Department of Neuroscience and Cognitive Sciences, University of Maryland, USA; Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, USA
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7
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Zhang H, Yao Z, Lin L, Sun X, Shi X, Zhang L. Early life stress predicts cortisol response to psychosocial stress in healthy young adults. Psych J 2019; 8:353-362. [PMID: 30932372 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 01/24/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to stress during early life has a lifetime impact on physical and psychological functions. Our study investigated the long-term effects of early life stress (ELS; measured retrospectively) on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system functions under psychosocial stress among healthy adults. Fifty healthy volunteers (33 male, 17 female, mean age 22.6 ± 1.8 years) underwent a standardized psychosocial stress protocol (the Trier Social Stress Test), with the collection of salivary cortisol, heart rates, and positive and negative affect. The results showed increases in cortisol, heart rate, and negative affect after the stress inducement. More importantly, a significant negative correlation was found between the severity of ELS and the increase of cortisol to the stress. The severity of stress in one's early life predicted his/her cortisol reactivity to the stress in adulthood. Neither the heart rate reactivity nor the affective reactivity shows significant association with ELS. The blunted cortisol reactivity reflects the alteration of the HPA axis, which may confer the risk for certain stress-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huihui Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Zhuxi Yao
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Affective and Social Cognitive Sciences, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Li Lin
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaofang Sun
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Industrial Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Shi
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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8
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Thomas JC, Magel C, Tomfohr-Madsen L, Madigan S, Letourneau N, Campbell TS, Giesbrecht GF. Adverse childhood experiences and HPA axis function in pregnant women. Horm Behav 2018; 102:10-22. [PMID: 29630895 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2017] [Revised: 03/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenna C Thomas
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Chantelle Magel
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Sheri Madigan
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Nicole Letourneau
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Faculty of Nursing, & Cumming School of Medicine (Pediatrics, Psychiatry & Community Health Sciences), University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Tavis S Campbell
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Gerald F Giesbrecht
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada; Department of Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada.
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9
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Lackner CL, Santesso DL, Dywan J, O'Leary DD, Wade TJ, Segalowitz SJ. Adverse childhood experiences are associated with self-regulation and the magnitude of the error-related negativity difference. Biol Psychol 2018; 132:244-251. [PMID: 29309827 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Trauma and stress, like that which occurs as a result of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), can change brain structure and function, especially in medial prefrontal and hippocampal areas, and can impact self-regulatory skill. The error-related negativity (ERN) is a medial frontal negative event-related potential (ERP) component that is more negative when a participant makes an erroneous versus correct response. We investigated the association of ACEs to adolescents' ERN and self-regulation. Forty-three 12-15 year olds performed a flanker task while EEG data were recorded. We found an interaction between trial type (correct vs incorrect) and group (low, medium and high trauma groups) on the ERN. The high-trauma group showed a larger Error-Correct difference than the low- and medium-trauma groups. This appeared as trend correlations between overall trauma exposure as a continuous variable and ERN-related variables. Trauma exposure was associated with reduced self-regulatory capacity, and accounting for self-regulation decreased the associations between trauma and the ERN, suggestive of a protective effect for self-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Lackner
- Psychology Department, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Jack and Nora Walker Centre for Lifespan Development Research, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada d Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada.
| | - Diane L Santesso
- Psychology Department, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Jack and Nora Walker Centre for Lifespan Development Research, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada d Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Jane Dywan
- Psychology Department, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Deborah D O'Leary
- Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Terrance J Wade
- Department of Health Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Jack and Nora Walker Centre for Lifespan Development Research, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada d Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
| | - Sidney J Segalowitz
- Psychology Department, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada; Jack and Nora Walker Centre for Lifespan Development Research, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada d Brock-Niagara Centre for Health and Well-Being, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, Brock University, St. Catharines, ON, L2S3A1, Canada
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10
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Quevedo K, Doty J, Roos L, Anker JJ. The cortisol awakening response and anterior cingulate cortex function in maltreated depressed versus non-maltreated depressed youth. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 86:87-95. [PMID: 28926761 PMCID: PMC5896765 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2017] [Revised: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/01/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Symptomatology of depression among children who have (vs. have not) experienced maltreatment is greater in severity, more resistant to conventional treatment, and associated with elevated risk for suicide. Recent evidence implicates perturbations in stress regulatory systems and heightened negative self-appraisals as factors that increase the severity of psychopathology experienced by depressed maltreated (vs. non-maltreated) youth. Likely explanatory mechanisms for these differences are disturbances in the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis (HPA) and persistent negative self-referential biases supported by prefrontal cortex function including the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). The cortisol awakening response (CAR) and dACC activity during a self-appraisal task were assessed in maltreated and non-maltreated depressed youth. Hierarchical linear models were employed to model the CAR. Maltreatment group, dACC activity during positive and negative self-appraisals as well as other key predictors, were included in the models. Post hoc analyses explored explanations for significant differences. Results indicated that maltreated depressed youth exhibited a higher CAR compared to non-maltreated youth. At low levels of dACC activity during processing of negative self-descriptors maltreated and non-maltreated depressed youth's CAR did not differ. However, at elevated levels of dACC activity during processing of negative self-descriptors maltreated depressed youth exhibited significantly higher CAR compared to non-maltreated depressed youth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina Quevedo
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MN, United States.
| | - Jennifer Doty
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Leslie Roos
- University of Oregon, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MN, United States
| | - Justin J Anker
- University of Minnesota, Department of Psychiatry, Minneapolis, MN, United States
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11
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Boggero IA, Hostinar CE, Haak EA, Murphy MLM, Segerstrom SC. Psychosocial functioning and the cortisol awakening response: Meta-analysis, P-curve analysis, and evaluation of the evidential value in existing studies. Biol Psychol 2017; 129:207-230. [PMID: 28870447 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.08.058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 08/29/2017] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Cortisol levels rise immediately after awakening and peak approximately 30-45min thereafter. Psychosocial functioning influences this cortisol awakening response (CAR), but there is considerable heterogeneity in the literature. The current study used p-curve and meta-analysis on 709 findings from 212 studies to test the evidential value and estimate effect sizes of four sets of findings: those associating worse psychosocial functioning with higher or lower cortisol increase relative to the waking period (CARi) and to the output of the waking period (AUCw). All four sets of findings demonstrated evidential value. Psychosocial predictors explained 1%-3.6% of variance in CARi and AUCw responses. Based on these effect sizes, cross-sectional studies assessing CAR would need a minimum sample size of 617-783 to detect true effects with 80% power. Depression was linked to higher AUCw and posttraumatic stress to lower AUCw, whereas inconclusive results were obtained for predictor-specific effects on CARi. Suggestions for future CAR research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian A Boggero
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 125 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506, United States.
| | - Camelia E Hostinar
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, 103 Young Hall, Davis, CA 95616, United States.
| | - Eric A Haak
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 125 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506, United States.
| | - Michael L M Murphy
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
| | - Suzanne C Segerstrom
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, 125 Kastle Hall, Lexington, KY 40506, United States.
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Lu S, Pan F, Gao W, Wei Z, Wang D, Hu S, Huang M, Xu Y, Li L. Neural correlates of childhood trauma with executive function in young healthy adults. Oncotarget 2017; 8:79843-79853. [PMID: 29108366 PMCID: PMC5668099 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.20051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship among childhood trauma, executive impairments, and altered resting-state brain function in young healthy adults. Twenty four subjects with childhood trauma and 24 age- and gender-matched subjects without childhood trauma were recruited. Executive function was assessed by a series of validated test procedures. Localized brain activity was evaluated by fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuation (fALFF) method and compared between two groups. Areas with altered fALFF were further selected as seeds in subsequent functional connectivity analysis. Correlations of fALFF and connectivity values with severity of childhood trauma and executive dysfunction were analyzed as well. Subjects with childhood trauma exhibited impaired executive function as assessed by Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and Stroop Color Word Test. Traumatic individuals also showed increased fALFF in the right precuneus and decreased fALFF in the right superior temporal gyrus. Significant correlations of specific childhood trauma severity with executive dysfunction and fALFF value in the right precuneus were found in the whole sample. In addition, individuals with childhood trauma also exhibited diminished precuneus-based connectivity in default mode network with left ventromedial prefrontal cortex, left orbitofrontal cortex, and right cerebellum. Decreased default mode network connectivity was also associated with childhood trauma severity and executive dysfunction. The present findings suggest that childhood trauma is associated with executive deficits and aberrant default mode network functions even in healthy adults. Moreover, this study demonstrates that executive dysfunction is related to disrupted default mode network connectivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaojia Lu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fen Pan
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weijia Gao
- Department of Child Psychology, The Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhaoguo Wei
- Mental Health Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China.,Department of Psychiatry, Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Dandan Wang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Shaohua Hu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Manli Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yi Xu
- Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Key Laboratory of Mental Disorder's Management of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Lingjiang Li
- Mental Health Institute of The Second Xiangya Hospital, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
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Bernard K, Frost A, Bennett CB, Lindhiem O. Maltreatment and diurnal cortisol regulation: A meta-analysis. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2017; 78:57-67. [PMID: 28167370 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2017.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2016] [Revised: 01/03/2017] [Accepted: 01/05/2017] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment leads to a host of negative physical and mental health outcomes, with cortisol dysregulation implicated as a possible mechanism. Given inconsistencies across in the literature regarding the direction and magnitude of the association between maltreatment and diurnal cortisol regulation, the current meta-analysis of 27 studies aimed to examine the association between maltreatment and at least one of 3 indicators of diurnal cortisol regulation: wake-up cortisol levels, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and/or the diurnal cortisol slope. Effect sizes were calculated using Hedges' g formula and were pooled using a random effects model. For the association between maltreatment and wake-up cortisol level, the aggregate effect size was g=0.08, p=0.26. Notably, effect sizes between maltreatment and wake-up cortisol were significantly larger (Qbetween=5.18, p=0.02) for studies of agency-referred samples, g=0.24, p=0.006, than studies for which maltreatment status was based on self-report, g=0.00, p=0.97, with maltreatment associated with reduced wake-up cortisol levels. For the association between maltreatment and the CAR and diurnal cortisol slope, the aggregate effect sizes were non-significant and none of the moderator variables were significant. Although results did not indicate a large and robust association between maltreatment and various indicators of diurnal cortisol, studies with more rigorous designs (i.e., agency-referred samples) showed a small, significant association between maltreatment and blunted wake-up cortisol levels, suggesting a pattern of hypocortisolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin Bernard
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, United States.
| | - Allison Frost
- Department of Psychology, Stony Brook University, United States
| | | | - Oliver Lindhiem
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, United States
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14
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Frissen A, van Os J, Lieverse R, Habets P, Gronenschild E, Marcelis M. No Evidence of Association between Childhood Urban Environment and Cortical Thinning in Psychotic Disorder. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0166651. [PMID: 28045900 PMCID: PMC5207533 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0166651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The alterations in cortical morphology, such as cortical thinning, observed in psychotic disorder, may be the outcome of interacting genetic and environmental effects. It has been suggested that urban upbringing may represent a proxy environmental effect impacting cortical thickness (CT). Therefore, the current study examined whether the association between group as a proxy genetic variable (patients with psychotic disorder [high genetic risk], healthy siblings of patients [intermediate risk] and healthy control subjects [average risk]) and CT was conditional on different levels of the childhood urban environment and whether this was sex-dependent. Methods T1-weighted MRI scans were acquired from 89 patients with a psychotic disorder, 95 non-psychotic siblings of patients with psychotic disorder and 87 healthy control subjects. Freesurfer software was used to measure CT. Developmental urban exposure was classified as low, medium, and high, reflecting the population density and the number of moves between birth and the 15th birthday, using data from the Dutch Central Bureau of Statistics and the equivalent database in Belgium. Multilevel regression analyses were used to examine the association between group, sex, and urban upbringing (as well as their interactions) and cortical CT as the dependent variable. Results CT was significantly smaller in the patient group compared to the controls (B = -0.043, p <0.001), but not in the siblings compared to the controls (B = -0.013, p = 0.31). There was no main effect of developmental urbanicity on CT (B = 0.001, p = 0.91). Neither the three-way group × urbanicity × sex interaction (χ2 = 3.73, p = 0.16), nor the two-way group × urbanicity interaction was significant (χ2 = 0.51, p = 0.77). Conclusion The negative association between (familial risk for) psychotic disorder and CT was not moderated by developmental urbanicity, suggesting that reduced CT is not the outcome of familial sensitivity to the proxy environmental factor ‘urban upbringing’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleida Frissen
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Jim van Os
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- King’s College London, King’s Health Partners, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ritsaert Lieverse
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Petra Habets
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Ed Gronenschild
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Machteld Marcelis
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
- Institute for Mental Health Care Eindhoven (GGzE), Eindhoven, The Netherlands
- * E-mail:
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15
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Moon CM, Yang JC, Jeong GW. Functional neuroanatomy associated with the interaction between emotion and cognition in explicit memory tasks in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. Acta Radiol 2017; 58:98-106. [PMID: 26924833 DOI: 10.1177/0284185116633915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/27/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The functional neuroanatomy for explicit memory in conjunction with the major anxiety symptoms in patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) has not yet been clearly identified. PURPOSE To investigate the brain activation patterns on the interaction between emotional and cognitive function during the explicit memory tasks, as well as its correlation with clinical characteristics in GAD. MATERIAL AND METHODS The participants comprised GAD patients and age-matched healthy controls. The fMR images were obtained while the participants performed an explicit memory task with neutral and anxiety-inducing words. RESULTS Patients showed significantly decreased functional activities in the putamen, head of the caudate nucleus, hippocampus, and middle cingulate gyrus during the memory tasks with the neutral and anxiety-inducing words, whereas the precentral gyrus and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex were significantly increased only in the memory tasks with the anxiety-inducing words. Also, the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal changes in the hippocampus were positively correlated with the recognition accuracy for both neutral and anxiety-inducing words. CONCLUSION This study identified the brain areas associated with the interaction between emotional regulation and cognitive function in the explicit memory tasks in patients with GAD. These findings would be helpful to understand the neural mechanism on the explicit memory-related cognitive deficits and emotional dysfunction with GAD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Man Moon
- Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Chul Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute of Clinical Medicine of Chonbuk National University-Biomedical Research Institute of Chonbuk National University Hospital, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwang-Woo Jeong
- Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
- Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam Natioanl University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
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Understanding heterogeneity in grey matter research of adults with childhood maltreatment—A meta-analysis and review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2016; 69:299-312. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2015] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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Brooks SJ, Naidoo V, Roos A, Fouché JP, Lochner C, Stein DJ. Early-life adversity and orbitofrontal and cerebellar volumes in adults with obsessive-compulsive disorder: voxel-based morphometry study. Br J Psychiatry 2016; 208:34-41. [PMID: 26338992 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.114.162610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2014] [Accepted: 01/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early-life adversity is a risk for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), but the impact at the neural level is less clear. AIMS To investigate the association between brain volumes and early-life adversity in individuals with a diagnosis of OCD only. METHOD The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-28) was used to assess early-life adversity in 21 participants with OCD and 25 matched healthy controls. The relationship between global and regional brain volume and early-life adversity was measured using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). All data were corrected for multiple comparisons using family-wise error (FWE) at P<0.05. RESULTS In the OCD group, correlations with total CTQ scores were positively associated with a larger right orbitofrontal cortex volume. Physical neglect was higher in the OCD group than in controls and was positively associated with larger right cerebellum volume in the OCD group only. CONCLUSIONS Larger brain volumes may reflect underlying developmental neuropathology in adults with OCD who also have experience of childhood trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha J Brooks
- Samantha J. Brooks, PhD, Vanesh Naidoo, BSc(Hons), Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Annerine Roos, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Jean-Paul Fouché, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Christine Lochner, MA, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Dan J. Stein, PhD, DPhil, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa and Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Vanesh Naidoo
- Samantha J. Brooks, PhD, Vanesh Naidoo, BSc(Hons), Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Annerine Roos, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Jean-Paul Fouché, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Christine Lochner, MA, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Dan J. Stein, PhD, DPhil, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa and Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Annerine Roos
- Samantha J. Brooks, PhD, Vanesh Naidoo, BSc(Hons), Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Annerine Roos, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Jean-Paul Fouché, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Christine Lochner, MA, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Dan J. Stein, PhD, DPhil, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa and Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Jean-Paul Fouché
- Samantha J. Brooks, PhD, Vanesh Naidoo, BSc(Hons), Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Annerine Roos, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Jean-Paul Fouché, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Christine Lochner, MA, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Dan J. Stein, PhD, DPhil, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa and Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christine Lochner
- Samantha J. Brooks, PhD, Vanesh Naidoo, BSc(Hons), Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Annerine Roos, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Jean-Paul Fouché, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Christine Lochner, MA, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Dan J. Stein, PhD, DPhil, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa and Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Dan J Stein
- Samantha J. Brooks, PhD, Vanesh Naidoo, BSc(Hons), Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Annerine Roos, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Jean-Paul Fouché, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa; Christine Lochner, MA, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa; Dan J. Stein, PhD, DPhil, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health, University of Cape Town, Observatory, Cape Town, South Africa and Department of Psychiatry, MRC Unit on Anxiety & Stress Disorders, Stellenbosch University, Tygerberg, Cape Town, South Africa
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Moon CM, Yang JC, Jeong GW. Explicit verbal memory impairments associated with brain functional deficits and morphological alterations in patients with generalized anxiety disorder. J Affect Disord 2015; 186:328-36. [PMID: 26277269 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.07.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Revised: 07/29/2015] [Accepted: 07/30/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is associated with brain function and morphological alterations. This study investigated explicit verbal memory impairment in patients with GAD in terms of brain functional deficits in combination with morphologic changes. METHODS Seventeen patients with GAD and 17 healthy controls matched for age, sex, and education level underwent high-resolution T1-weighted MRI and fMR imaging at 3 T during explicit verbal memory tasks with emotionally neutral and anxiety-inducing words. RESULTS In response to the neutral words, the patients showed significantly lower activities in the regions of the hippocampus (Hip), middle cingulate gyrus (MCG), putamen (Pu) and head of the caudate nucleus (HCd) compared with healthy controls. In response to the anxiety-inducing words, the patients showed significantly higher activities in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex and precentral gyrus. However, they showed lower activities in the Hip, MCG, Pu and HCd. In addition, patients with GAD showed a significant reduction in gray matter volumes, especially in the regions of the Hip, midbrain, thalamus, insula and superior temporal gyrus, compared with healthy controls. LIMITATIONS This study examined a small sample sizes in each of the groups, and there was no consideration of a medication effect on brain activity and volume changes. CONCLUSIONS This study provides evidence for the association between brain functional deficits and morphometric alterations in an explicit verbal memory task for patients with GAD. This finding is helpful for understanding explicit verbal memory impairment in connection with GAD symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chung-Man Moon
- Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jong-Chul Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju, Republic of Korea
| | - Gwang-Woo Jeong
- Research Institute for Medical Imaging, Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju, Republic of Korea; Department of Radiology, Chonnam National University Hospital, Chonnam Natioanl University Medical School, Gwangju, Republic of Korea.
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Neural Correlates of the Cortisol Awakening Response in Humans. Neuropsychopharmacology 2015; 40:2278-85. [PMID: 25781268 PMCID: PMC4613622 DOI: 10.1038/npp.2015.77] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2014] [Revised: 02/27/2015] [Accepted: 03/06/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The cortisol rise after awakening (cortisol awakening response, CAR) is a core biomarker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation related to psychosocial stress and stress-related psychiatric disorders. However, the neural regulation of the CAR has not been examined in humans. Here, we studied neural regulation related to the CAR in a sample of 25 healthy human participants using an established psychosocial stress paradigm together with multimodal functional and structural (voxel-based morphometry) magnetic resonance imaging. Across subjects, a smaller CAR was associated with reduced grey matter volume and increased stress-related brain activity in the perigenual ACC, a region which inhibits HPA axis activity during stress that is implicated in risk mechanisms and pathophysiology of stress-related mental diseases. Moreover, functional connectivity between the perigenual ACC and the hypothalamus, the primary controller of HPA axis activity, was associated with the CAR. Our findings provide support for a role of the perigenual ACC in regulating the CAR in humans and may aid future research on the pathophysiology of stress-related illnesses, such as depression, and environmental risk for illnesses such as schizophrenia.
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Falquez R, Lang S, Dinu-Biringer R, Nees F, Arens E, Kotchoubey B, Berger M, Barnow S. On the relationship between negative affective priming and prefrontal cognitive control mechanisms. Cogn Emot 2015; 30:225-44. [DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2014.994476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Contoreggi C. Corticotropin releasing hormone and imaging, rethinking the stress axis. Nucl Med Biol 2014; 42:323-39. [PMID: 25573209 DOI: 10.1016/j.nucmedbio.2014.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 11/07/2014] [Accepted: 11/19/2014] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The stress system provides integration of both neurochemical and somatic physiologic functions within organisms as an adaptive mechanism to changing environmental conditions throughout evolution. In mammals and primates the complexity and sophistication of these systems have surpassed other species in triaging neurochemical and physiologic signaling to maximize chances of survival. Corticotropin releasing hormone (CRH) and its related peptides and receptors have been identified over the last three decades and are fundamental molecular initiators of the stress response. They are crucial in the top down regulatory cascade over a myriad of neurochemical, neuroendocrine and sympathetic nervous system events. From neuroscience, we've seen that stress activation impacts behavior, endocrine and somatic physiology and influences neurochemical events that one can capture in real time with current imaging technologies. To delineate these effects one can demonstrate how the CRH neuronal networks infiltrate critical cognitive, emotive and autonomic regions of the central nervous system (CNS) with somatic effects. Abundant preclinical and clinical studies show inter-regulatory actions of CRH with multiple neurotransmitters/peptides. Stress, both acute and chronic has epigenetic effects which magnify genetic susceptibilities to alter neurochemistry; stress system activation can add critical variables in design and interpretation of basic and clinical neuroscience and related research. This review will attempt to provide an overview of the spectrum of known functions and speculative actions of CRH and stress responses in light of imaging technology and its interpretation. Metabolic and neuroreceptor positron emission/single photon tomography (PET/SPECT), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), anatomic MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (pMRS) are technologies that can delineate basic mechanisms of neurophysiology and pharmacology. Stress modulates the myriad of neurochemical and networks within and controlled through the central and peripheral nervous system and the effects of stress activation on imaging will be highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlo Contoreggi
- Intramural Research Program (IRP), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Baltimore, MD, 21224.
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22
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Inflammatory biomarker profiles of mental disorders and their relation to clinical, social and lifestyle factors. Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2014; 49:841-9. [PMID: 24789456 DOI: 10.1007/s00127-014-0887-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 106] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2014] [Accepted: 04/14/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
In the last few decades, mental health research has increasingly provided evidence supporting the role of inflammation in pathogenesis, course and treatment of mental disorders. With such a steep incline of research, resulting in a wealth of emerged findings, it has become difficult to follow developments within the field. The present review sets out to present the recent developments and to give an overview of the inflammatory profiles of depression, psychosis and bipolar disorder, as well as variations within these disorders. Moreover, mediating factors such as social environment and childhood experience are discussed, both in terms of their potential in elucidating the complex interface between the inflammation and other closely related biological systems, as well as the possibly confounding impact of various lifestyle factors. Whilst many issues in this fascinating area of research remain to be fully understood and elaborated, all current evidence suggests that inflammation plays a key role in mental disorders and may open up novel avenues for clinical treatment.
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The Interface of Stress and the HPA Axis in Behavioural Phenotypes of Mental Illness. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2014; 18:13-24. [PMID: 24652609 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2014_304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Abnormalities of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function are one of the most consistent biological findings across several mental disorders, but many of the mechanisms underlying this abnormality as well as the potential contribution to behavioural phenotypes remain only partially understood. Interestingly, evidence suggests a U-curve, with dysregulation of the HPA axis towards both hyper- or hypoactivity manifesting as a risk to mental wellbeing. This review will elaborate on both the clinical and molecular role of the neuroendocrine stress system in depressive, psychotic and post-traumatic stress disorders and present some of the most recent findings that have shed light on the complex interface between environmental stressors, molecular mechanisms and clinical presentation. Crucially, plasticity of the HPA axis confers both vulnerability to adverse events, particularly so in early developmental stages, as well as hope for the treatment of mental disorder, as evidenced by changes in HPA functioning associated with remission of symptoms.
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Na KS, Chang HS, Won E, Han KM, Choi S, Tae WS, Yoon HK, Kim YK, Joe SH, Jung IK, Lee MS, Ham BJ. Association between glucocorticoid receptor methylation and hippocampal subfields in major depressive disorder. PLoS One 2014; 9:e85425. [PMID: 24465557 PMCID: PMC3897456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0085425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2013] [Accepted: 11/26/2013] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background DNA methylation in the promoter region of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1) is closely associated with childhood adversity and suicide. However, few studies have examined NR3C1 methylation in relation to major depressive disorder (MDD) and hippocampal subfield volumes. We investigated the possible association between NR3C1 methylation and structural brain alterations in MDD in comparison with healthy controls. Methods We compared the degree of NR3C1 promoter methylation in the peripheral blood of non-psychotic outpatients with MDD and that of healthy controls. Correlations among NR3C1 promoter methylation, structural abnormalities in hippocampal subfield volumes and whole-brain cortical thickness, and clinical variables were also analyzed. Results In total, 117 participants (45 with MDD and 72 healthy controls) were recruited. Patients with MDD had significantly lower methylation than healthy controls at 2 CpG sites. In MDD, methylations had positive correlations with the bilateral cornu ammonis (CA) 2–3 and CA4-dentate gyrus (DG) subfields. However, in healthy controls, methylations had positive correlation with the subiculum and presubiculum. There were no differences in total and subfield volumes of the hippocampus between patients with MDD and healthy controls. Compared with healthy controls, patients with MDD had a significantly thinner cortex in the left rostromiddle frontal, right lateral orbitofrontal, and right pars triangularis areas. Conclusions Lower methylation in the NR3C1 promoter, which might have compensatory effects relating to CA2-3 and CA4-DG, is a distinct epigenetic characteristic in non-psychotic outpatients with MDD. Future studies with a longitudinal design and a comprehensive neurobiological approach are warranted in order to elucidate the effects of NR3C1 methylation.
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MESH Headings
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Aged
- CA2 Region, Hippocampal/metabolism
- CA2 Region, Hippocampal/physiopathology
- CA3 Region, Hippocampal/metabolism
- CA3 Region, Hippocampal/physiopathology
- Case-Control Studies
- DNA Methylation
- Dentate Gyrus/metabolism
- Dentate Gyrus/physiopathology
- Depressive Disorder, Major/genetics
- Depressive Disorder, Major/metabolism
- Depressive Disorder, Major/physiopathology
- Epigenesis, Genetic
- Female
- Humans
- Male
- Middle Aged
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/genetics
- Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyoung-Sae Na
- Department of Psychiatry, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hun Soo Chang
- Department of Medical Bioscience, Graduate school, Soonchunhyang University, Bucheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunsoo Won
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyu-Man Han
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sunyoung Choi
- Brain and Cognitive engineering, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Woo Suk Tae
- Neuroscience Research Institute, College of Medicine, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea
| | - Ho-Kyoung Yoon
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Ku Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sook-Haeng Joe
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - In-Kwa Jung
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Soo Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Byung-Joo Ham
- Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- * E-mail:
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