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Lim L, Talozzi L, Howells H. Atypical brain structural connectivity and social cognition in childhood maltreatment and peer victimisation. BMC Psychiatry 2024; 24:287. [PMID: 38627646 PMCID: PMC11022413 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-024-05759-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with neurobiological aberrations and atypical social cognition. Few studies have examined the neural effects of another common early-life interpersonal stressor, namely peer victimisation (PV). This study examines the associations between tract aberrations and childhood interpersonal stress from caregivers (CM) and peers (PV), and explores how the observed tract alterations are in turn related to affective theory of mind (ToM). METHODS Data from 107 age-and gender-matched youths (34 CM [age = 19.9 ± 1.68; 36%male], 35 PV [age = 19.9 ± 1.65; 43%male], 38 comparison subjects [age = 20.0 ± 1.66; 42%male] were analysed using tractography and whole-brain tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). RESULTS At the whole-brain level using TBSS, the CM group had higher fractional anisotropy (FA) than the PV and comparison groups in a cluster of predominantly limbic and corpus callosal pathways. Segmented tractography indicated the CM group had higher FA in right uncinate fasciculus compared to both groups. They also had smaller right anterior thalamic radiation (ATR) tract volume than the comparison group and higher left ATR FA than the PV group, with these metrics associated with higher emotional abuse and enhanced affective ToM within the CM group, respectively. The PV group had lower inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus FA than the other two groups, which was related to lower affective ToM within the PV group. CONCLUSION Findings suggest that exposure to early-life stress from caregivers and peers are differentially associated with alterations of neural pathways connecting the frontal, temporal and occipital cortices involved in cognitive and affective control, with possible links to their atypical social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Lim
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King's College London, London, UK.
| | - Lia Talozzi
- Neurology and Neurological Sciences, Stanford University, California, USA
| | - Henrietta Howells
- Laboratory of Motor Control, Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, University of Milan and Humanitas Research Hospital, Milan, Italy
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Lurie LA, Rosen ML, Weissman DG, Machlin L, Lengua L, Sheridan MA, McLaughlin KA. Cognitive stimulation as a mechanism linking socioeconomic status and neural function supporting working memory: a longitudinal fMRI study. Cereb Cortex 2024; 34:bhad545. [PMID: 38236725 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhad545] [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: 12/06/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Childhood experiences of low socioeconomic status are associated with alterations in neural function in the frontoparietal network and ventral visual stream, which may drive differences in working memory. However, the specific features of low socioeconomic status environments that contribute to these disparities remain poorly understood. Here, we examined experiences of cognitive deprivation (i.e. decreased variety and complexity of experience), as opposed to experiences of threat (i.e. violence exposure), as a potential mechanism through which family income contributes to alterations in neural activation during working memory. As part of a longitudinal study, 148 youth between aged 10 and 13 years completed a visuospatial working memory fMRI task. Early childhood low income, chronicity of low income in early childhood, and current income-to-needs were associated with task-related activation in the ventral visual stream and frontoparietal network. The association of family income with decreased activation in the lateral occipital cortex and intraparietal sulcus during working memory was mediated by experiences of cognitive deprivation. Surprisingly, however, family income and deprivation were not significantly related to working memory performance, and only deprivation was associated with academic achievement in this sample. Taken together, these findings suggest that early life low income and associated cognitive deprivation are important factors in neural function supporting working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucy A Lurie
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, 235 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
| | - Maya L Rosen
- Program in Neuroscience, Smith College, 44 College Lane, Northampton, MA 01073, United States
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - David G Weissman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - Laura Machlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
| | - Lilliana Lengua
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 3921 W. Stevens Way, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, 235 E. Cameron Avenue, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
| | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, United States
- The Ballmer Institute for Children's Behavioral Health, University of Oregon, 2800 NE Liberty Street, Portland, OR 97211, United States
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Sacu S, Aggensteiner PM, Monninger M, Kaiser A, Brandeis D, Banaschewski T, Holz NE. Lifespan adversities affect neural correlates of behavioral inhibition in adults. Front Psychiatry 2024; 15:1298695. [PMID: 38317765 PMCID: PMC10840329 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1298695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Growing evidence suggests that adverse experiences have long-term effects on executive functioning and underlying neural circuits. Previous work has identified functional abnormalities during inhibitory control in frontal brain regions in individuals exposed to adversities. However, these findings were mostly limited to specific adversity types such as maltreatment and prenatal substance abuse. Methods We used data from a longitudinal birth cohort study (n = 121, 70 females) to investigate the association between adversities and brain responses during inhibitory control. At the age of 33 years, all participants completed a stop-signal task during fMRI and an Adult Self-Report scale. We collected seven prenatal and postnatal adversity measures across development and performed a principal component analysis to capture common variations across those adversities, which resulted in a three-factor solution. Multiple regression analysis was performed to identify links between adversities and brain responses during inhibitory control using the identified adversity factors to show the common effect and single adversity measures to show the specific contribution of each adversity. To find neural correlates of current psychopathology during inhibitory control, we performed additional regression analyses using Adult Self-Report subscales. Results The first adversity factor reflecting prenatal maternal smoking and postnatal psychosocial adversities was related to higher activation during inhibitory control in bilateral inferior frontal gyri, insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and middle temporal gyri. Similar results were found for the specific contribution of the adversities linked to the first adversity factor. In contrast, we did not identify any significant association between brain responses during inhibitory control and the second adversity factor reflecting prenatal maternal stress and obstetric risk or the third adversity factor reflecting lower maternal sensitivity. Higher current depressive symptoms were associated with higher activation in the bilateral insula and anterior cingulate cortex during inhibitory control. Conclusion Our findings extended previous work and showed that early adverse experiences have a long-term effect on the neural circuitry of inhibitory control in adulthood. Furthermore, the overlap between neural correlates of adversity and depressive symptomatology suggests that adverse experiences might increase vulnerability via neural alterations, which needs to be investigated by future longitudinal research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seda Sacu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Pascal-M. Aggensteiner
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Maximilian Monninger
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Anna Kaiser
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Daniel Brandeis
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital of Psychiatry Zurich, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Nathalie E. Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany
- Donders Center for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
- Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center Nijmegen, Nijmegen, Netherlands
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Hoffmann F, Heim C. [Emotional Abuse in Childhood and Adolescence: Biological Embedding and Clinical Implications]. Prax Kinderpsychol Kinderpsychiatr 2024; 73:4-27. [PMID: 38275227 DOI: 10.13109/prkk.2024.73.1.4] [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] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Emotional abuse, defined as degrading, manipulative, or neglectful behaviors by caregivers, represents a common adverse experience for children and adolescents, often co-occurring with other maltreatment types. Exposure to emotional abuse significantly affects mental health across the lifespan and is particularly associated with elevated depression risk.This review examinesmechanisms, by which emotional abuse influences brain development and the neuroendocrine stress response system and discusses the roles of genetic vulnerability and epigenetic processes in contributing to an elevated mental health risk. Emotional abuse has similar effects on brain networks responsible for emotion processing and regulation as other maltreatment types.Moreover, it uniquely affects networks related to self-relevant information and socio-cognitive processes. Furthermore, emotional abuse is associated with an impaired recovery of the neuroendocrine response to acute stress. Similar to other maltreatment types, emotional abuse is associated with epigenetic changes in genes regulating the neuroendocrine stress response system that are implicated in increased mental health risk.These findings suggest that emotional abuse has equally detrimental effects on children'smental health as physical or sexual abuse, warranting broader societal awareness and enhanced early detection efforts. Early interventions should prioritize emotion regulation, social cognition, self-esteemenhancement, and relationship- oriented approaches for victims of emotional abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferdinand Hoffmann
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Gliedkörperschaft der Freien Universität Berlin und der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Medizinische Psychologie Deutschland
| | - Christine Heim
- Institut für Medizinische Psychologie Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin Luisenstr. 57 10117 Berlin Deutschland
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Cheng C, Yang Y. Food stimuli decrease activation in regions of the prefrontal cortex related to executive function: an fNIRS study. Eat Weight Disord 2023; 28:96. [PMID: 37982958 PMCID: PMC10661783 DOI: 10.1007/s40519-023-01623-7] [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: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE Overweight/obese individuals show impairments in executive functions such as inhibitory control. However, the neural mechanisms underlying these disturbances-and specifically, whether or not they involve altered activation of the specific prefrontal cortex regions-are not yet fully understood. METHODS The motivational dimensional model of affect suggests that high approach-motivated positive affect (e.g., desire) may impair executive function. In the present study, we investigated individual differences in neural responses to videos of food stimuli, and examined brain activity during a cognitive task in an approach-motivated positive state using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). In Experiment 1, in 16 healthy young adults, we tested whether prefrontal cortex activation differed during a food video clip versus a neutral video clip. Then, after viewing each video clip, we tested for differences in executive function performance and prefrontal cortex activation during a Stroop task. Experiment 2 was the same, except that we compared 20 overweight/obese with 20 healthy young adults, and it incorporated only the food video clip. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS The results of both experiments indicated that food stimuli decrease activation in regions of the prefrontal cortex related to executive function. This study also suggests that overweight/obese might consciously suppress their responses to a desired stimulus, yet here it seems that effect was less pronounced than in healthy controls. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level II, Cohort Studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Cheng
- Institute for Brain Sciences Research, Tennis College, Wuhan Sports University, Wuhan, 430079, China
- Graduate institute of athletics and coaching Science, National Taiwan Sport university, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Yong Yang
- Department of NeuroCognition/Imaging, School of Physical Education and Sport, Chaohu University, No. 1 Bantang Road, Chaohu City, Hefei City, 238000, Anhui Province, China.
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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: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [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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Mark CA, Poltavski DV. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy is a sensitive marker of neurophysiological deficits on executive function tasks in young adults with a history of child abuse. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2023:1-14. [PMID: 36803059 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2023.2179399] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has shown the utility of imaging measures of neural activity in identifying deficits in cognitive functioning in individuals with a history of child abuse. The purpose of the present study was to measure differences that may exist between individuals who reported physical, emotional, or sexual abuse as children (n = 37) vs. those who did not (n = 47) using Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) during the completion of cognitive tasks of executive function. The results showed a significantly higher rate and number of errors of commission on the Conners CPT test in the child abuse group compared to the control group. The analyses also showed a statistically significant decrease in oxyhemoglobin (oxy-Hb) concentration in the left rostral prefrontal cortex in the child abuse group compared to the no-abuse group during the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). A similar, albeit non-significant, trend toward decreased oxy-Hb concentration was observed in the child abuse group in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) on the OSPAN and Connors CPT. The results suggest that the latter group may show subtle neurological deficits that persist into adulthood that may not manifest on traditional measures of cognitive function. These findings have implications for the development of remediation and treatment strategies in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher A Mark
- Department of Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
| | - Dmitri V Poltavski
- Department of Psychology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
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Chen J, Wang DM, Fan F, Fu F, Wei D, Tang S, Tian Y, Du Y, Zhu R, Li Y, Wang L, Zhang XY. Prevalence, demographics, and cognitive dysfunction among methamphetamine-dependent individuals with childhood maltreatment. J Psychiatr Res 2022; 153:182-188. [PMID: 35820226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that dependent individuals (DIs) have higher rates of childhood maltreatment and poorer cognitive performance compared with healthy controls. However, little attention has been paid to the cognitive dysfunction of DIs with childhood maltreatment. The purpose of this study was to explore the cognitive deficits of maltreated methamphetamine-dependent individuals (METH-DIs) using a cross-sectional and case-control design. In addition, we aimed to examine the prevalence of childhood maltreatment and the demographic and clinical characteristics of Chinese male METH-DIs. 330 METH-DIs and 143 healthy controls were recruited and completed a detailed questionnaire on demographic and drug-related variables. Childhood abuse data were collected from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF). Cognitive function was assessed by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used to assess the clinical state of the METH-DIs. 166 of 326 (50.9%) METH-DIs had experienced at least one type of childhood maltreatment. Maltreated METH-DIs were more likely to have a lower level of education (t324 = 5.81, p < 0.001), a higher level of depression(t324 = -2.68, p < 0.01), and a younger onset age of drug use (t324 = 3.58, p < 0.01) than METH-DIs who had no experience of childhood maltreatment. Maltreated METH-DIs also performed worse on the RBANS attention score than METH-DIs who did not experience maltreatment (F1,324 = 15.41, p < 0.001, partial η2 = 0.05). Our findings revealed that some demographic and clinical variables were associated with maltreatment among METH-DIs. Moreover, attention dysfunction was found in maltreated METH-DIs, which conforms to the theory of latent vulnerability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajing Chen
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dong Mei Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| | - Fusheng Fan
- Xin Hua Drug Rehabilitation Center, Sichuan, China
| | - Fabing Fu
- Xin Hua Drug Rehabilitation Center, Sichuan, China
| | - Dejun Wei
- Xin Hua Drug Rehabilitation Center, Sichuan, China
| | | | - Yang Tian
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxuan Du
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rongrong Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yuqing Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiang-Yang Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China; Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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Lim L, Khor CC. Examining the common and specific grey matter abnormalities in childhood maltreatment and peer victimisation. BJPsych Open 2022; 8:e132. [PMID: 35817782 PMCID: PMC9301772 DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2022.531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early-life interpersonal stress, particularly childhood maltreatment, is associated with neurobiological abnormalities. However, few studies have investigated the neural effects of peer victimisation. AIMS This study examines common and specific associations between childhood maltreatment, peer victimisation and brain structural alterations in youths. METHOD Grey matter volume (GMV) and cortical thickness data were collected from 105 age- and gender-matched youths (age range: 17-21 years). Region-of-interest and whole-brain analyses were conducted. RESULTS For the region-of-interest analyses, the childhood maltreatment group had smaller GMV than controls in left inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral anterior insula, postcentral and lingual regions, which were associated with greater emotional abuse, along with smaller insular GMV than the peer victimisation group, who had smaller left lingual and postcentral GMV than controls. At the whole-brain level, both childhood maltreatment and peer victimisation groups had smaller GMV than controls in a cluster comprising left post/precentral, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, superior parietal and supramarginal gyri. The peer victimisation group alone had increased cortical thickness in a cluster comprising left superior frontal, anterior cingulate and medial orbitofrontal gyri, which was related to greater cyberbullying. CONCLUSIONS Early-life interpersonal stress is associated with common structural alterations of the inferior frontal-limbic, sensory and lingual regions involved in cognitive control, emotion and sensory processing. The findings of childhood-maltreatment-related reduced anterior insular GMV and peer-victimisation-related increased cortical thickness in the left medial prefrontal-anterior cingulate cluster underscore the distinctive negative effects of childhood maltreatment and peer victimisation, and suggest that peer victimisation, particularly cyberbullying, could be as detrimental as childhood maltreatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Lim
- Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore; and Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Chiea Chuen Khor
- The Genome Institute of Singapore, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore
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Zhang J, Zhao T, Zhang J, Zhang Z, Li H, Cheng B, Pang Y, Wu H, Wang J. Prediction of childhood maltreatment and subtypes with personalized functional connectome of large-scale brain networks. Hum Brain Mapp 2022; 43:4710-4721. [PMID: 35735128 PMCID: PMC9491288 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment (CM) has a long impact on physical and mental health of children. However, the neural underpinnings of CM are still unclear. In this study, we aimed to establish the associations between functional connectome of large‐scale brain networks and influences of CM evaluated through Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) at the individual level based on resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 215 adults. A novel individual functional mapping approach was employed to identify subject‐specific functional networks and functional network connectivities (FNCs). A connectome‐based predictive modeling (CPM) was used to estimate CM total and subscale scores using individual FNCs. The CPM established with FNCs can well predict CM total scores and subscale scores including emotion abuse, emotion neglect, physical abuse, physical neglect, and sexual abuse. These FNCs primarily involve default mode network, fronto‐parietal network, visual network, limbic network, motor network, dorsal and ventral attention networks, and different networks have distinct contributions to predicting CM and subtypes. Moreover, we found that CM showed age and sex effects on individual functional connections. Taken together, the present findings revealed that different types of CM are associated with different atypical neural networks which provide new clues to understand the neurobiological consequences of childhood adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiang Zhang
- College of Electrical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengduChina
- Med‐X Center for InformaticsSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Tianyu Zhao
- College of Electrical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Jingyue Zhang
- College of Electrical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Zhiwei Zhang
- College of Electrical EngineeringSichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Hongming Li
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPennsylvaniaUSA
| | - Bochao Cheng
- Department of RadiologyWest China Second University Hospital of Sichuan UniversityChengduChina
| | - Yajing Pang
- School of Electrical EngineeringZhengzhou UniversityZhengzhouChina
| | - Huawang Wu
- The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University (Guangzhou Huiai Hospital)GuangzhouChina
| | - Jiaojian Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational MedicineKunming University of Science and TechnologyKunmingChina
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical ResearchKunmingYunnanChina
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11
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Crum KI, Flanagan JC, Vaughan B, Aloi J, Moran-Santa Maria MM, Back SE, Brady KT, Joseph JE. Oxytocin, PTSD, and sexual abuse are associated with attention network intrinsic functional connectivity. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging 2021; 316:111345. [PMID: 34371478 PMCID: PMC8478844 DOI: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is linked to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in adulthood. Neural attention network function contributes to resilience against PTSD following maltreatment; oxytocin administration alters functional connectivity differentially among resilient to PTSD groups. The present study examined intrinsic connectivity between ventral and dorsal neural attention networks (VAN and DAN) to clarify the nature of dysfunction versus resilience in the context of maltreatment-related PTSD, and to explore differential dysfunction related to varied aspects of maltreatment. Oxytocin administration was examined as a factor in these relationships. Resting-state functional connectivity data were collected from 39 adults with maltreatment histories, with and without PTSD, who were randomly assigned to receive oxytocin or placebo. We found that PTSD and sexual abuse (SA) were associated with reduced VAN-DAN connectivity. There were no significant effects with regard to physical abuse. Oxytocin was associated with greater VAN-DAN connectivity strength. These preliminary findings suggest dysfunction within attentional systems in PTSD, as well as following SA. Further, oxytocin may help ameliorate attentional neurocircuitry dysfunction in individuals with PTSD and those with maltreatment histories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen I Crum
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1002 Wishard Blvd, Suite 4110, Indianapolis, 46202, IN, USA.
| | - Julianne C Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Brandon Vaughan
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Joseph Aloi
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, 1002 Wishard Blvd, Suite 4110, Indianapolis, 46202, IN, USA; Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Omaha, NE, USA; MD/PhD Scholars Program, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE, USA
| | | | - Sudie E Back
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA; Ralph H. Johnson Veteran's Affairs Medical Center, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kathleen T Brady
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jane E Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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12
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Examination of the association between exposure to childhood maltreatment and brain structure in young adults: a machine learning analysis. Neuropsychopharmacology 2021; 46:1888-1894. [PMID: 33637836 PMCID: PMC8429761 DOI: 10.1038/s41386-021-00987-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to maltreatment during childhood is associated with structural changes throughout the brain. However, the structural differences that are most strongly associated with maltreatment remain unclear given the limited number of whole-brain studies. The present study used machine learning to identify if and how brain structure distinguished young adults with and without a history of maltreatment. Young adults (ages 18-21, n = 384) completed an assessment of childhood trauma exposure and a structural MRI as part of the IMAGEN study. Elastic net regularized regression was used to identify the structural features that identified those with a history of maltreatment. A generalizable model that included 7 cortical thicknesses, 15 surface areas, and 5 subcortical volumes was identified (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve = 0.71, p < 0.001). Those with a maltreatment history had reduced surface areas and cortical thicknesses primarily in fronto-temporal regions. This group also had larger cortical thicknesses in occipital regions and surface areas in frontal regions. The results suggest childhood maltreatment is associated with multiple measures of structure throughout the brain. The use of a large sample without exposure to adulthood trauma provides further evidence for the unique contribution of childhood trauma to brain structure. The identified regions overlapped with regions associated with psychopathology in adults with maltreatment histories, which offers insights as to how these disorders manifest.
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13
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Wichers RH, Findon JL, Jelsma A, Giampietro V, Stoencheva V, Robertson DM, Murphy CM, Blainey S, McAlonan G, Ecker C, Rubia K, Murphy DGM, Daly EM. Modulation of atypical brain activation during executive functioning in autism: a pharmacological MRI study of tianeptine. Mol Autism 2021; 12:14. [PMID: 33608048 PMCID: PMC7893772 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-021-00422-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with deficits in executive functioning (EF), and these have been suggested to contribute to core as well as co-occurring psychiatric symptoms. The biological basis of these deficits is unknown but may include the serotonergic system, which is involved both in regulating EF in neurotypical populations and in the pathophysiology of ASD. We previously demonstrated that reducing serotonin by acute tryptophan depletion (ATD) shifts differences in brain function during performance of EF tasks towards control levels. However, ATD cannot be easily used in the clinic, and we therefore need to adopt alternative approaches to challenge the serotonin system. Hence, we investigated the role of the serotonergic modulator tianeptine on EF networks in ASD. Method We conducted a pharmacological magnetic resonance imaging study, using a randomized double-blind crossover design, to compare the effect of an acute dosage of 12.5 mg tianeptine and placebo on brain activation during two EF tasks (of response inhibition and sustained attention) in 38 adult males: 19 with ASD and 19 matched controls. Results Under placebo, compared to controls, individuals with ASD had atypical brain activation in response inhibition regions including the inferior frontal cortex, premotor regions and cerebellum. During sustained attention, individuals with ASD had decreased brain activation in the right middle temporal cortex, right cuneus and left precuneus. Most of the case–control differences in brain function observed under placebo conditions were abolished by tianeptine administration. Also, within ASD individuals, brain functional differences were shifted significantly towards control levels during response inhibition in the inferior frontal and premotor cortices. Limitations We conducted a pilot study using a single dose of tianeptine, and therefore, we cannot comment on long-term outcome. Conclusions Our findings provide the first evidence that tianeptine can shift atypical brain activation during EF in adults with ASD towards control levels. Future studies should investigate whether this shift in the biology of ASD is maintained after prolonged treatment with tianeptine and whether it improves clinical symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert H Wichers
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK. .,Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK.
| | - James L Findon
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Auke Jelsma
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Vladimira Stoencheva
- Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Dene M Robertson
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Clodagh M Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Sarah Blainey
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Grainne McAlonan
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Christine Ecker
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt am Main, Goethe-University, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Declan G M Murphy
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK.,Behavioural and Developmental Psychiatry Clinical Academic Group, South London and Maudsley NHS Trust, London, UK
| | - Eileen M Daly
- Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, The Sackler Centre for Translational Neurodevelopment, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, PO50 De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London, SE5 8AF, UK
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14
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Aberrant structural connectivity in childhood maltreatment: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:406-414. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.07.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 07/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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15
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Méndez Leal AS, Silvers JA. Neurobiological Markers of Resilience to Early-Life Adversity During Adolescence. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY: COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 6:238-247. [PMID: 33067165 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2020.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Early-life adversity (ELA) exposure (e.g., trauma, abuse, neglect, or institutional care) is a precursor to poor physical and mental health outcomes and is implicated in 30% of adult mental illness. In recent decades, ELA research has increasingly focused on characterizing factors that confer resilience to ELA and on identifying opportunities for intervention. In this review, we describe recent behavioral and neurobiological resilience work that suggests that adolescence (a period marked by heightened plasticity, development of key neurobiological circuitry, and sensitivity to the social environment) may be a particularly opportune moment for ELA intervention. We review intrapersonal factors associated with resilience that become increasingly important during adolescence (specifically, reward processing, affective learning, and self-regulation) and describe the contextual factors (family, peers, and broader social environment) that modulate them. In addition, we describe how the onset of puberty interacts with each of these factors, and we explore recent findings that point to possible "pubertal recalibration" of ELA exposure as an opportunity for intervention. We conclude by describing considerations and future directions for resilience research in adolescents, with a focus on understanding developmental trajectories using dimensional and holistic models of resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adriana S Méndez Leal
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
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16
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Vogel SC, Esterman M, DeGutis J, Wilmer JB, Ressler KJ, Germine LT. Childhood Adversity and Dimensional Variations in Adult Sustained Attention. Front Psychol 2020; 11:691. [PMID: 32362858 PMCID: PMC7180319 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objective Sustained attention is a transdiagnostic phenotype linked with most forms of psychopathology. We sought to understand factors that influence the development of sustained attention, by looking at the relationship between childhood adversity and adult sustained attention. Participants, Setting, and Methods Participants were 5,973 TestMyBrain.org visitors from English-speaking countries who completed a continuous performance task (gradCPT) of sustained attention and a childhood adversity questionnaire. We analyzed gradCPT performance using a signal detection approach. Results Discrimination ability (the main metric of performance on the gradCPT) was associated with total childhood adversity load, even when controlling for covariates related to age, gender, parental education, race, country of origin, and relative socioeconomic status (β = −0.079, b = −0.032). Conclusion Our results demonstrate that attention differences related to childhood adversity exposure can (1) be measured using brief, performance-based measures of sustained attention, (2) persist into adulthood, and (3) be detected at the population level. These results, paired with the well-documented associations between sustained attention and psychopathology, indicate that sustained attention may be an important mechanism for understanding early influences on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah C Vogel
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Michael Esterman
- National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States.,Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Joseph DeGutis
- Boston Attention and Learning Laboratory, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States
| | - Jeremy B Wilmer
- Department of Psychology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, United States
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States.,Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
| | - Laura T Germine
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Institute for Technology in Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States.,Division of Depression and Anxiety Disorders, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, United States
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17
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McLaughlin KA, Weissman D, Bitrán D. Childhood Adversity and Neural Development: A Systematic Review. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2019; 1:277-312. [PMID: 32455344 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-devpsych-121318-084950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 330] [Impact Index Per Article: 66.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
An extensive literature on childhood adversity and neurodevelopment has emerged over the past decade. We evaluate two conceptual models of adversity and neurodevelopment-the dimensional model of adversity and stress acceleration model-in a systematic review of 109 studies using MRI-based measures of neural structure and function in children and adolescents. Consistent with the dimensional model, children exposed to threat had reduced amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and hippocampal volume and heightened amygdala activation to threat in a majority of studies; these patterns were not observed consistently in children exposed to deprivation. In contrast, reduced volume and altered function in frontoparietal regions were observed consistently in children exposed to deprivation but not children exposed to threat. Evidence for accelerated development in amygdala-mPFC circuits was limited but emerged in other metrics of neurodevelopment. Progress in charting neurodevelopmental consequences of adversity requires larger samples, longitudinal designs, and more precise assessments of adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - David Weissman
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138, USA
| | - Debbie Bitrán
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15260, USA
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18
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Modulation of brain activation during executive functioning in autism with citalopram. Transl Psychiatry 2019; 9:286. [PMID: 31712584 PMCID: PMC6848075 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-019-0641-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are frequently prescribed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). However, there is limited evidence to support this practice. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the impact of SSRIs on brain function abnormalities in ASD. It has been suggested that some core symptoms in ASD are underpinned by deficits in executive functioning (EF). Hence, we investigated the role of the SSRI citalopram on EF networks in 19 right-handed adult males with ASD and 19 controls who did not differ in gender, age, IQ or handedness. We performed pharmacological functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare brain activity during two EF tasks (of response inhibition and sustained attention) after an acute dose of 20 mg citalopram or placebo using a randomised, double-blind, crossover design. Under placebo condition, individuals with ASD had abnormal brain activation in response inhibition regions, including inferior frontal, precentral and postcentral cortices and cerebellum. During sustained attention, individuals with ASD had abnormal brain activation in middle temporal cortex and (pre)cuneus. After citalopram administration, abnormal brain activation in inferior frontal cortex was 'normalised' and most of the other brain functional differences were 'abolished'. Also, within ASD, the degree of responsivity in inferior frontal and postcentral cortices to SSRI challenge was related to plasma serotonin levels. These findings suggest that citalopram can 'normalise' atypical brain activation during EF in ASD. Future trials should investigate whether this shift in the biology of ASD is maintained after prolonged citalopram treatment, and if peripheral measures of serotonin predict treatment response.
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19
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Models of sustained attention. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 29:174-180. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 01/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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20
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Kowalczyk OS, Cubillo AI, Smith A, Barrett N, Giampietro V, Brammer M, Simmons A, Rubia K. Methylphenidate and atomoxetine normalise fronto-parietal underactivation during sustained attention in ADHD adolescents. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2019; 29:1102-1116. [PMID: 31358436 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2019.07.139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2018] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/15/2019] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Problems with sustained attention are a key clinical feature of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) which also manifests in poor performance and abnormal fronto-striato-parietal activation during sustained attention. Methylphenidate and atomoxetine improve attention functions and upregulate abnormal fronto-cortical activation during executive function tasks in ADHD patients. Despite this, no functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) study has compared the effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on the neurofunctional substrates of sustained attention in ADHD. This randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over study investigated the comparative normalisation effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on fMRI correlates and performance in 14 ADHD adolescents relative to 27 age-matched healthy controls during a parametric sustained attention/vigilance task with progressively increasing load of sustained attention. ADHD patients were scanned three times under a single clinical dose of either methylphenidate, atomoxetine, or placebo in pseudo-randomised order. Healthy controls were scanned once and compared to patients under each drug condition to test for potential drug-normalisation effects. Relative to controls, ADHD boys under placebo were impaired in performance and had underactivation in predominantly right-hemispheric fronto-parietal, and striato-thalamic regions. Both drugs normalised all underactivations, while only methylphenidate improved performance deficits. Within patients, methylphenidate had a drug-specific effect of upregulating left ventrolateral prefrontal/superior temporal activation relative to placebo and atomoxetine, while both drugs increased activation of right middle/superior temporal cortex, posterior cingulate, and precuneus relative to placebo. The study shows shared normalisation effects of methylphenidate and atomoxetine on fronto-striato-thalamo-parietal dysfunction in ADHD during sustained attention but a drug-specific upregulation effects of methylphenidate on ventral fronto-temporal regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia S Kowalczyk
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King´s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK.
| | - Ana I Cubillo
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King´s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK; Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, Zurich Center for Neuroeconomics, University of Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Anna Smith
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King´s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Nadia Barrett
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King´s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King´s College London, UK
| | - Michael Brammer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King´s College London, UK
| | - Andrew Simmons
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King´s College London, UK; Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; NIHR Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at South London and Maudsley NHS Trust and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College, London, UK
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King´s College London, De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK
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21
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Roos LE, Giuliano RJ, Beauchamp KG, Berkman ET, Knight EL, Fisher PA. Acute stress impairs children's sustained attention with increased vulnerability for children of mothers reporting higher parenting stress. Dev Psychobiol 2019; 62:532-543. [PMID: 31502680 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
Despite evidence that acute stress impairs attention in adults, there has been minimal research in children. Here, the effects of acute stress on Go/No-go performance were examined in young children (M age = 5.41 years). Given the critical role of the parent-child relationship to children's self-regulatory development, the extent to which parenting stress predicts children's cognitive vulnerability to acute stress and autonomic reactivity was also investigated. A between-groups design (n = 58 stress, n = 26 control) was used with oversampling of the stressor-exposed children to examine individual differences. The Parenting Stress Index and subscales were employed as a measure of parenting stress. Acute stress impaired children's sustained attention, but not inhibitory control. Higher parenting stress was associated with vulnerability to attentional impairment. Parenting distress was also positively associated with sympathetic reactivity to acute stress, but neither sympathetic nor parasympathetic reactivity was associated with attentional impairment. A conceptual model of pathways through which repetitive acute stress may contribute to self-regulatory difficulties is presented, including the potential buffering role of caregivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie E Roos
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Ryan J Giuliano
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | | | | | - Erik L Knight
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
| | - Philip A Fisher
- Department of Psychology, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
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22
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Lim L, Hart H, Howells H, Mehta MA, Simmons A, Mirza K, Rubia K. Altered white matter connectivity in young people exposed to childhood abuse: a tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) and tractography study. J Psychiatry Neurosci 2019; 44:E11-E20. [PMID: 30964614 PMCID: PMC6606424 DOI: 10.1503/jpn.170241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Childhood abuse is associated with structural brain abnormalities. Few studies have investigated white matter tract abnormalities in medication-naive, drug-free individuals who experienced childhood abuse. We examined the association between childhood abuse and abnormalities in white matter tracts in that population, controlling for psychiatric comorbidities. METHODS We collected diffusion tensor imaging data for age- and sex-matched youth with childhood abuse, psychiatric controls (matched for psychiatric diagnoses) and healthy controls. Tract-specific analysis was conducted using tractography. Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) was used to assess group differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) at the whole-brain level. RESULTS We included 20 youth who experienced childhood abuse, 18 psychiatric controls and 25 healthy controls in our analysis. Tractography analysis showed abuse-specific reduced tract volume in the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF) and inferior frontal-occipital fasciculus (IFoF) in the abuse group relative to both healthy and psychiatric controls. Furthermore, abnormalities in the left IFoF were associated with greater abuse severity. The TBSS analysis showed significantly reduced FA in a left-hemispheric cluster comprising the ILF, IFoF and corpus callosum splenium in the abuse group relative to healthy and psychiatric controls. LIMITATIONS It is unclear to what extent pubertal development, malnutrition and prenatal drug exposure may have influenced the findings. CONCLUSION Childhood abuse is associated with altered structure of neural pathways connecting the frontal, temporal and occipital cortices that are known to mediate affect and cognitive control. The abuse-specific deficits in the ILF and IFoF suggest that fibre tracts presumably involved in conveying and processing the adverse abusive experience are specifically compromised in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Lim
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Lim, Hart, Mirza, Rubia); the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College – Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore (Lim); the NatBrainLab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Howells); and the Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Mehta, Simmons)
| | - Heledd Hart
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Lim, Hart, Mirza, Rubia); the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College – Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore (Lim); the NatBrainLab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Howells); and the Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Mehta, Simmons)
| | - Henrietta Howells
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Lim, Hart, Mirza, Rubia); the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College – Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore (Lim); the NatBrainLab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Howells); and the Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Mehta, Simmons)
| | - Mitul A. Mehta
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Lim, Hart, Mirza, Rubia); the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College – Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore (Lim); the NatBrainLab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Howells); and the Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Mehta, Simmons)
| | - Andrew Simmons
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Lim, Hart, Mirza, Rubia); the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College – Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore (Lim); the NatBrainLab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Howells); and the Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Mehta, Simmons)
| | - Kah Mirza
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Lim, Hart, Mirza, Rubia); the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College – Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore (Lim); the NatBrainLab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Howells); and the Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Mehta, Simmons)
| | - Katya Rubia
- From the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Lim, Hart, Mirza, Rubia); the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Imperial College – Nanyang Technological University Singapore, Singapore (Lim); the NatBrainLab, Department of Forensic and Neurodevelopmental Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Howells); and the Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK (Mehta, Simmons)
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Blair KS, Aloi J, Crum K, Meffert H, White SF, Taylor BK, Leiker EK, Thornton LC, Tyler PM, Shah N, Johnson K, Abdel-Rahim H, Lukoff J, Dobbertin M, Pope K, Pollak S, Blair RJ. Association of Different Types of Childhood Maltreatment With Emotional Responding and Response Control Among Youths. JAMA Netw Open 2019; 2:e194604. [PMID: 31125109 PMCID: PMC6632148 DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2019.4604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Importance Childhood maltreatment is associated with serious developmental consequences that may be different depending on the form of maltreatment. However, relatively little research has investigated this issue despite implications for understanding the development of psychiatric disorders after maltreatment. Objective To determine the association of childhood maltreatment and potential differential associations of childhood abuse or neglect with neural responsiveness within regions of the brain implicated in emotional responding and response control. Design, Setting, and Participants In this cross-sectional study, participants aged 10 to 18 years with varying levels of prior maltreatment as indexed by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) were recruited from a residential care facility and the surrounding community. Blood oxygen level-dependent response data were analyzed via 2 analyses of covariance that examined 2 (sex) × 3 (task condition [view, congruent, incongruent]) × 3 (valence [negative, neutral, positive]) with Blom-transformed covariates: (1) total CTQ score; and (2) abuse and neglect subscores. Data were collected from April 1, 2016, to June 30, 2018. Data analyses occurred from June 10, 2018, to October 31, 2018. Main Outcomes and Measures Blood oxygenation level-dependent signals in response to an Affective Stroop task were measured via functional magnetic resonance imaging. Results The sample included 116 youths (mean [SD] age, 15.0 [2.2] years; 70 [60.3%] male). Fifteen participants reported no prior maltreatment. The remaining 101 participants (87.1%) reported at least some prior maltreatment, and 55 (54.5%) reported significant maltreatment, ie, total CTQ scores were greater than the validated CTQ score threshold of 40. There were significant total CTQ score × task condition associations within the bilateral postcentral gyrus, left precentral gyrus, midcingulate cortex, middle temporal gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus (left postcentral gyrus: F = 11.73; partial η2 = 0.14; right postcentral and precentral gyrus: F = 9.81; partial η2 = 0.10; midcingulate cortex: F = 12.76; partial η2 = 0.12; middle temporal gyrus: F = 13.24; partial η2 = 0.10; superior temporal gyrus: F = 10.33; partial η2 = 0.11). In all examined regions of the brain, increased maltreatment was associated with decreased differential responsiveness to incongruent task trials compared with view trials (left postcentral gyrus: r = -0.34; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.51; right postcentral and precentral gyrus: r = -0.31; 95% CI, -0.14 to -0.49; midcingulate cortex: r = -0.36; 95% CI, -0.18 to -0.53; middle temporal gyrus: r = -0.35; 95% CI, -0.17 to -0.52; superior temporal gyrus: r = -0.37; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.55). These interactions were particularly associated with level of abuse rather than neglect. A second analysis of covariance revealed significant abuse × task condition (but not neglect × task) interactions within the midcingulate cortex (F = 13.96; partial η2 = 0.11), right postcentral gyrus and inferior parietal lobule (F = 15.21; partial η2 = 0.12), left postcentral and precentral gyri (F = 11.16; partial η2 = 0.12), and rostromedial frontal cortex (F = 10.36; partial η2 = 0.08)). In all examined regions of the brain, increased abuse was associated with decreased differential responsiveness to incongruent task trials compared with view trials (midcingulate cortex: partial r = -0.33; P < .001; right postcentral gyrus and inferior parietal lobule: partial r = -0.41; P < .001; left postcentral and precentral gyri: partial r = -0.40; P < .001; and rostromedial frontal cortex: partial r = -0.40; P < .001). Conclusions and Relevance These data document associations of different forms of childhood maltreatment with atypical neural response. This suggests that forms of maltreatment may differentially influence the development of psychiatric pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karina S. Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Joseph Aloi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha
| | - Kathleen Crum
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston
| | | | - Stuart F. White
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Brittany K. Taylor
- Department of Neurological Sciences, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha
| | - Emily K. Leiker
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Laura C. Thornton
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Patrick M. Tyler
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Niraj Shah
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Kimberly Johnson
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Heba Abdel-Rahim
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Jennie Lukoff
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Matthew Dobbertin
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
| | - Kayla Pope
- Department of Psychiatry, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska
| | - Seth Pollak
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison
| | - R. James Blair
- Center for Neurobehavioral Research, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska
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Extrinsic and default mode networks in psychiatric conditions: Relationship to excitatory-inhibitory transmitter balance and early trauma. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 99:90-100. [PMID: 30769024 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/07/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Over the last three decades there has been an accumulation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies reporting that aberrant functional networks may underlie cognitive deficits and other symptoms across a range of psychiatric diagnoses. The use of pharmacological MRI and 1H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (1H-MRS) has allowed researchers to investigate how changes in network dynamics are related to perturbed excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in individuals with psychiatric conditions. More recently, changes in functional network dynamics and excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) neurotransmission have been linked to early childhood trauma, a major antecedents for psychiatric illness in adulthood. Here we review studies investigating whether perturbed network dynamics seen across psychiatric conditions are related to changes in E/I neurotransmission, and whether such changes could be linked to childhood trauma. Whilst there is currently a paucity of studies relating early traumatic experiences to altered E/I balance and network function, the research discussed here lead towards a plausible mechanistic hypothesis, linking early traumatic experiences to cognitive dysfunction and symptoms mediated by E/I neurotransmitter imbalances.
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Ma Z, Bayley MT, Perrier L, Dhir P, Dépatie L, Comper P, Ruttan L, Lay C, Munce SEP. The association between adverse childhood experiences and adult traumatic brain injury/concussion: a scoping review. Disabil Rehabil 2018; 41:1360-1366. [DOI: 10.1080/09638288.2018.1424957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Zechen Ma
- Hull-Ellis Concussion Research Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Mark T. Bayley
- Hull-Ellis Concussion Research Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Laure Perrier
- Gerstein Science Information Centre, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Priya Dhir
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada
| | | | - Paul Comper
- Hull-Ellis Concussion Research Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Lesley Ruttan
- Hull-Ellis Concussion Research Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Canada
| | - Christine Lay
- Centre for Headache, Women’s College Hospital, Toronto, Canada
| | - Sarah E. P. Munce
- Hull-Ellis Concussion Research Centre, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto, Canada
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26
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Reduced functional connectivity of fronto-parietal sustained attention networks in severe childhood abuse. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0188744. [PMID: 29190830 PMCID: PMC5708742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2017] [Accepted: 11/13/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood maltreatment is associated with attention deficits. We examined the effect of childhood abuse and abuse-by-gene (5-HTTLPR, MAOA, FKBP5) interaction on functional brain connectivity during sustained attention in medication/drug-free adolescents. Functional connectivity was compared, using generalised psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data, between 21 age-and gender-matched adolescents exposed to severe childhood abuse and 27 healthy controls, while they performed a parametrically modulated vigilance task requiring target detection with a progressively increasing load of sustained attention. Behaviourally, participants exposed to childhood abuse had increased omission errors compared to healthy controls. During the most challenging attention condition abused participants relative to controls exhibited reduced connectivity, with a left-hemispheric bias, in typical fronto-parietal attention networks, including dorsolateral, rostromedial and inferior prefrontal and inferior parietal regions. Abuse-related connectivity abnormalities were exacerbated in individuals homozygous for the risky C-allele of the single nucleotide polymorphism rs3800373 of the FK506 Binding Protein 5 (FKBP5) gene. Findings suggest that childhood abuse is associated with decreased functional connectivity in fronto-parietal attention networks and that the FKBP5 genotype moderates neurobiological vulnerability to abuse. These findings represent a first step towards the delineation of abuse-related neurofunctional connectivity abnormalities, which hopefully will facilitate the development of specific treatment strategies for victims of childhood maltreatment.
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Norman LJ, Carlisi CO, Christakou A, Cubillo A, Murphy CM, Chantiluke K, Simmons A, Giampietro V, Brammer M, Mataix-Cols D, Rubia K. Shared and disorder-specific task-positive and default mode network dysfunctions during sustained attention in paediatric Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and obsessive/compulsive disorder. Neuroimage Clin 2017; 15:181-193. [PMID: 28529874 PMCID: PMC5429245 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2017.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2017] [Revised: 03/29/2017] [Accepted: 04/15/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Patients with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and obsessive/compulsive disorder (OCD) share problems with sustained attention, and are proposed to share deficits in switching between default mode and task positive networks. The aim of this study was to investigate shared and disorder-specific brain activation abnormalities during sustained attention in the two disorders. Twenty boys with ADHD, 20 boys with OCD and 20 age-matched healthy controls aged between 12 and 18 years completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) version of a parametrically modulated sustained attention task with a progressively increasing sustained attention load. Performance and brain activation were compared between groups. Only ADHD patients were impaired in performance. Group by sustained attention load interaction effects showed that OCD patients had disorder-specific middle anterior cingulate underactivation relative to controls and ADHD patients, while ADHD patients showed disorder-specific underactivation in left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex/dorsal inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). ADHD and OCD patients shared left insula/ventral IFG underactivation and increased activation in posterior default mode network relative to controls, but had disorder-specific overactivation in anterior default mode regions, in dorsal anterior cingulate for ADHD and in anterior ventromedial prefrontal cortex for OCD. In sum, ADHD and OCD patients showed mostly disorder-specific patterns of brain abnormalities in both task positive salience/ventral attention networks with lateral frontal deficits in ADHD and middle ACC deficits in OCD, as well as in their deactivation patterns in medial frontal DMN regions. The findings suggest that attention performance in the two disorders is underpinned by disorder-specific activation patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke J Norman
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK.
| | - Christina O Carlisi
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Anastasia Christakou
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, UK
| | - Ana Cubillo
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Clodagh M Murphy
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Kaylita Chantiluke
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Andrew Simmons
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK; National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) for Mental Health at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Vincent Giampietro
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - Michael Brammer
- Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
| | - David Mataix-Cols
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Katya Rubia
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, UK
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