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Associations between cortical thickness and anxious/depressive symptoms differ by the quality of early care. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:73-84. [PMID: 35045914 PMCID: PMC9023591 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579421000845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
A variety of childhood experiences can lead to anxious/depressed (A/D) symptoms. The aim of the present study was to explore the brain morphological (cortical thickness and surface area) correlates of A/D symptoms and the extent to which these phenotypes vary depending on the quality of the parenting context in which children develop. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were acquired on 45 children with Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement due to risk of not receiving adequate care (high-risk group) and 25 children without CPS involvement (low-risk group) (rangeage = 8.08-12.14; Mage = 10.05) to assess cortical thickness (CT) and cortical surface area (SA). A/D symptoms were measured using the Child Behavioral Checklist. The association between A/D symptoms and CT, but not SA, differed by risk status such that high-risk children showed decreasing CT as A/D scores increased, whereas low-risk children showed increasing CT as A/D scores increased. This interaction was specific to CT in prefrontal, frontal, temporal, and parietal cortical regions. The groups had marginally different A/D scores, in the direction of higher risk being associated with lower A/D scores. Results suggest that CT correlates of A/D symptoms are differentially shaped by the quality of early caregiving experiences and should be distinguished between high- and low-risk children.
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Fowler CH, Gaffrey MS. Reduced cortical surface area globally and in reward-related cortex is associated with elevated depressive symptoms in preschoolers. J Affect Disord 2022; 319:286-293. [PMID: 36162658 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.09.075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Elevated depressive symptoms in early childhood strongly predict depression onset in youth. Nevertheless, little is known about the neural correlates of these symptoms, information that is key for understanding the early development of depression. As a result, the present study conducted a novel investigation of the association between cortical structure and depressive symptoms in preschoolers. METHODS Forty-six preschool age children (Mage = 5.90, SD = 0.75), some (N = 15) at high risk for depression, participated in the study. Data included parent-report of child depressive symptoms and measures of child whole brain and regional cortical structure acquired via 3T MRI. RESULTS After adjustment for maternal depression, socio-economic status, child age, child sex, and intracranial volume, reduced total cortical surface area and reduced surface area of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex were associated with elevated depressive symptoms. Cortical thickness was not associated with depressive symptoms. LIMITATIONS The present data are cross-sectional, limiting any causal interpretations. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that reduced cortical surface area, rather than thickness, is a neural correlate of depressive symptoms in preschoolers. Findings highlight the importance of surface area in reward processing regions (i.e., lateral orbitofrontal cortex) in particular. The present results provide novel insight into early emerging associations between brain structure and features of depression in young children and underscore early childhood as an important developmental period for understanding depression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carina H Fowler
- Duke University, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America.
| | - Michael S Gaffrey
- Duke University, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Durham, NC 27708, United States of America
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Associations between digital media use and brain surface structural measures in preschool-aged children. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19095. [PMID: 36351968 PMCID: PMC9645312 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-20922-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limits on digital media use ("screen time"), citing cognitive-behavioral risks. Media use in early childhood is ubiquitous, though few imaging-based studies have been conducted to quantify impacts on brain development. Cortical morphology changes dynamically from infancy through adulthood and is associated with cognitive-behavioral abilities. The current study involved 52 children who completed MRI and cognitive testing at a single visit. The MRI protocol included a high-resolution T1-weighted anatomical scan. The child's parent completed the ScreenQ composite measure of media use. MRI measures included cortical thickness (CT) and sulcal depth (SD) across the cerebrum. ScreenQ was applied as a predictor of CT and SD first in whole-brain regression analyses and then for regions of interest (ROIs) identified in a prior study of screen time involving adolescents, controlling for sex, age and maternal education. Higher ScreenQ scores were correlated with lower CT in right-lateralized occipital, parietal, temporal and fusiform areas, and also lower SD in right-lateralized inferior temporal/fusiform areas, with substantially greater statistical significance in ROI-based analyses. These areas support primary visual and higher-order processing and align with prior findings in adolescents. While differences in visual areas likely reflect maturation, those in higher-order areas may suggest under-development, though further studies are needed.
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Manczak EM, Watamura SE. Introduction to the SEED Science special issue. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22312. [DOI: 10.1002/dev.22312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erika M. Manczak
- Department of Psychology University of Denver Denver Colorado USA
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Liu Y, Zhu L, Cai K, Dong X, Xiong X, Liu Z, Chen A. Relationship between Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Executive Function in Young Adults: Mediating Effects of Gray Matter Volume. Brain Sci 2022; 12:1441. [PMID: 36358366 PMCID: PMC9688695 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12111441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2022] [Revised: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/22/2022] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
We evaluated the association between cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) and executive function (EF) in young adults and the mediating effects of GMV on this relationship. This study involved 217 college students. An incremental load exercise program was used to evaluate VO2max. EF was estimated by the Flanker task, the 2-back task, and the more-odd shifting task, while structural magnetic resonance and region-based morphometry (RBM) were used to analyze GMV. The high CRF group had a shorter updating reaction time (RT) (p ≤ 0.05). CRF was positively correlated with the right orbital part of the middle frontal gyrus (ORBmid.R) GMV (p ≤ 0.05). ORBmid.R GMV was negatively correlated with updating RT (p ≤ 0.05). Model 4 in SPSS was used to assess the mediating effects of ORBmid.R GMV between CRF and updating RT. ORBmid.R GMV was established to have a partially mediating role between CRF and updating RT, which accounted for 19.6% of the total effect value. These findings indicate that the negative correlation between CRF and EF was significant, and ORBmid.R GMV played a mediating role in the relationship between CRF and EF, providing new evidence toward comprehensively revealing that CRF promotes EF performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexin Liu
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Institute of Sports, Exercise and Brain, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
| | - Lina Zhu
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Institute of Sports, Exercise and Brain, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
| | - Kelong Cai
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Institute of Sports, Exercise and Brain, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
| | - Xiaoxiao Dong
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Institute of Sports, Exercise and Brain, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
| | - Xuan Xiong
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Institute of Sports, Exercise and Brain, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
| | - Zhimei Liu
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Institute of Sports, Exercise and Brain, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
| | - Aiguo Chen
- College of Physical Education, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
- Institute of Sports, Exercise and Brain, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
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Nilaweera D, Freak-Poli R, Gurvich C, Ritchie K, Chaudieu I, Ancelin ML, Ryan J. The association between adverse childhood events and later-life cognitive function and dementia risk. J Affect Disord 2022; 304:128-132. [PMID: 35219735 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.02.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2021] [Revised: 01/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Considerable work exists in the literature to describe the negative impacts of early-life stress exposures on health in adulthood. This study investigated whether the accumulation of adverse childhood events is associated with later-life cognitive function and incident dementia. METHODS Participants were 1562 community-dwelling older adults, who were enrolled in the ESPRIT cohort in France. Adverse childhood events were measured using a modified version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Cognition was measured using tests of global cognition, visual memory, verbal fluency, psychomotor speed and executive function. Fourteen-year incident dementia was diagnosed using DSM-IV criteria. RESULTS In comparison to participants with two or less adverse childhood events, increased risk of poor psychomotor speed at baseline was observed in individuals with multiple adverse childhood events (3-4 events OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.00-1.93); ≥5 events (OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.07-2.17), particularly in women but not in men. Worse verbal fluency was also observed in individuals who experienced between three and four adverse childhood events (OR: 1.34, 95% CI: 1.00-1.78). Amongst the individual factors investigated, early-life abuse/maltreatment (OR: 1.47, 95% CI: 1.02-2.14) and poverty/financial difficulties (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.12-2.08) was associated with worse psychomotor speed. No associations were observed with incident dementia. LIMITATIONS Participants most at risk (those with baseline dementia) were excluded. CONCLUSION Multiple adverse childhood events are associated with worse psychomotor speed, and verbal fluency in later-life, however further research is needed to determine the mechanisms underlying this association and whether it results from unmeasured confounding, including social disadvantage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dinuli Nilaweera
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rosanne Freak-Poli
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Caroline Gurvich
- Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Karen Ritchie
- INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France; Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | | | | | - Joanne Ryan
- School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; INM, Univ Montpellier, INSERM, Montpellier, France.
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Liu J, Portnoy J, Raine A, Gladieux M, McGarry P, Chen A. Blood lead levels mediate the relationship between social adversity and child externalizing behavior. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2022; 204:112396. [PMID: 34801542 PMCID: PMC10117419 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.112396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 11/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/13/2021] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIMS The association between social adversity and externalizing behavioral problems in children is well-documented. What is much less researched are biological mechanisms that may mediate such relationships. This study examines the hypothesis that low blood lead mediates the relationship between social adversity and child externalizing behavior problems. METHODS In this cross-sectional study, participants were 131 children aged 11-12 years (mean = 11.90) from Philadelphia, US. A venous fasting blood sample was taken and analyzed for blood lead levels. A social adversity index was calculated based on 10 total indicators derived from a psychosocial interview of the parent and official neighborhood data, while child behavior outcomes (internalizing and externalizing behavior) were assessed using both parent-report and child self-report. RESULTS The mean blood lead level was 2.20 μg/dL. Both relatively higher blood lead levels and higher social adversity scores were associated with higher levels of parent-reported and child self-reported externalizing behaviors. Additionally, blood lead mediated the relationship between social adversity and child-reported externalizing behavior (Indirect effect: B = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.004, 0.09) and partially mediated the relationship between social adversity and parent-reported externalizing behavior (Indirect Effect: B = 0.03, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.07). CONCLUSION To our knowledge, this study is the first to suggest that blood lead levels play a mediating role in the relationship between externalizing behavior problems and social adversity. Findings have potentially important implications for public health and environmental regulation as well as understanding biological mechanisms that link social inequality with health outcomes, especially in youth from low-income, urban areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianghong Liu
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing 418 Curie Blvd., Claire M. Fagin Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Jill Portnoy
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, 113 Wilder Street, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
| | - Adrian Raine
- University of Pennsylvania, Departments of Criminology, Psychiatry, and Psychology, 3718 Locust Walk, McNeil Building, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Margaret Gladieux
- University of Pennsylvania, School of Nursing 418 Curie Blvd., Claire M. Fagin Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Presley McGarry
- University of Massachusetts Lowell, School of Criminology and Justice Studies, 113 Wilder Street, Lowell, MA, 01854, USA.
| | - Aimin Chen
- University of Pennsylvania, Department of Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, 423 Guardian Drive, Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
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Hare MM, Dick AS, Graziano PA. Adverse childhood experiences predict neurite density differences in young children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Dev Psychobiol 2022; 64:e22234. [PMID: 35050509 PMCID: PMC8827844 DOI: 10.1002/dev.22234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Revised: 11/09/2021] [Accepted: 11/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) put millions of children at risk for later health problems. As childhood represents a critical developmental period, it is important to understand how ACEs impact brain development in young children. In addition, children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely than typically developing (TD) peers to experience ACEs. Therefore, the current study examined the impact of ACEs on early brain development, using a cumulative risk approach, in a large sample of children with and without ADHD. We examined 198 young children (Mage = 5.45, 82.3% Hispanic/Latino; 52.5% ADHD) across measures of brain volume, cortical thickness, neurite density index (NDI), and orientation dispersion index (ODI). For the NDI measure, there was a significant interaction between group and cumulative risk (ß = .18, p = .048), such that for children with ADHD, but not TD children, greater cumulate risk was associated with increased NDI in corpus callosum. No other interactions were detected. Additionally, when examining across groups, greater cumulative risk was associated with reduced ODI and volume in the cerebellum, although these findings did not survive a correction for multiple comparisons. Our results highlight the role early cumulative ACEs play in brain development across TD and children with ADHD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M. Hare
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Anthony Steven Dick
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
| | - Paulo A. Graziano
- Center for Children and Families, Department of Psychology, Florida International University, Miami, FL 33199, USA
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Morelli NM, Liuzzi MT, Duong JB, Kryza-Lacombe M, Chad-Friedman E, Villodas MT, Dougherty LR, Wiggins JL. Reward-related neural correlates of early life stress in school-aged children. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 49:100963. [PMID: 34020397 PMCID: PMC8144345 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Early life stress likely contributes to dysfunction in neural reward processing systems. However, studies to date have focused almost exclusively on adolescents and adults, measured early life stress retrospectively, and have often failed to control for concurrent levels of stress. The current study examined the contribution of prospectively measured cumulative life stress in preschool-age children on reward-related neural activation and connectivity in school-age children. METHODS Children (N = 46) and caregivers reported children's exposure to early life stress between birth and preschool age (mean = 4.8 years, SD = 0.80). At follow-up (mean age = 7.52 years, SD = .78), participants performed a child-friendly monetary incentive delay task during functional magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS Children with higher levels of cumulative early life stress, controlling for concurrent stressful life events, exhibited aberrant patterns of neural activation and connectivity in reward- and emotion-related regions (e.g., prefrontal cortex, temporal pole, culmen), depending on the presence of a potential reward and whether or not the target was hit or missed. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest that stress exposure during early childhood may impact neural reward processing systems earlier in development than has previously been demonstrated. Understanding how early life stress relates to alterations in reward processing could guide earlier, more mechanistic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas M Morelli
- San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, United States.
| | - Michael T Liuzzi
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States.
| | - Jacqueline B Duong
- Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States.
| | - Maria Kryza-Lacombe
- San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, United States.
| | - Emma Chad-Friedman
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland College Park, Biology/Psychology Building, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, United States.
| | - Miguel T Villodas
- San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, United States; Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States.
| | - Lea R Dougherty
- Psychology Department, University of Maryland College Park, Biology/Psychology Building, 4094 Campus Drive, College Park, MD, 20742, United States.
| | - Jillian Lee Wiggins
- San Diego State University, University of California, San Diego Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, United States; Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, United States.
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