[Early-life stress and vulnerability for disease in later life]

Early life stress and body-mass-index modulate brain connectivity in alcohol use disorder

Early life stress (ELS) significantly increases susceptibility to alcohol use disorder (AUD) by affecting the interplay between the executive and the salience networks (SNs). The link between AUD and higher body-mass index (BMI) is known, but we lack understanding of how BMI impacts the relationship between ELS and brain connectivity in individuals with AUD. To bridge this gap, we investigated the main and interaction effects of ELS and BMI on brain connectivity in individuals with AUD compared to non-AUD participants (n = 77 sex-matched individuals per group). All participants underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, revealing intriguing positive functional connectivity between SN seeds and brain regions involved in somatosensory processing, motor coordination and executive control. Examining the relationship of brain connectivity with ELS and BMI, we observed positive associations with the correlations of SN seeds, right anterior insula (RAIns) and supramarginal gyrus (SMG) with clusters in motor [occipital cortex, supplementary motor cortex]; anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) with clusters in frontal, or executive, control regions (middle frontal gyrus; MFG, precentral gyrus) that reportedly are involved in processing of emotionally salient stimuli (all |β | > 0.001, |p | < 0.05). Interestingly, a negative association of the interaction effect of ELS events and BMI measures with the functional connectivity of SN seeds ACC with decision-making (MFG, precentral gyrus), RAIns and RSMG with visuo-motor control regions (occipital cortex and supplementary motor cortex) (all |β | = -0.001, |p | < 0.05). These findings emphasize the moderating effect of BMI on ELS-associated SN seed brain connectivity in AUD. Understanding the neural mechanisms linking BMI, ELS and AUD can guide targeted interventions for this population.

[Culture of remembrance based on trauma therapy. From trauma to commemoration culture using the example of NS-euthanasia in Carinthia/Austria]

BACKGROUND

Crimes against humanity took place in many institutions as well as psychiatric departments during the Nazi dictatorship.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this review paper is to present a special kind of dealing with crimes in psychiatric institutions on a local and regional level.

METHODS

Analogous to the psychiatric-psychotherapeutic approach with traumatized individuals, the procedure "secure-describe and work through-reconnect" is suggested for the collective within the frame of remembrance work and commemorative culture.

RESULTS

As an example of a collective memorial process, the handling of the topic of the crime of Nazi euthanasia in Carinthia/Austria is presented.

Early life stress induces anxiety-like behavior during adulthood through dysregulation of neuronal plasticity in the basolateral amygdala

AIMS

Early life stress (ELS) increases the risk of psychiatric diseases such as anxiety disorders and depression in later life. Hyperactivation of the basolateral amygdala (BLA) neurons plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of stress-related diseases. However, the functional roles of BLA neurons in ELS-induced anxiety disorders are not completely understood.

MAIN METHODS

Mice were subjected to maternal separation (MS) during postnatal days 3 to 21 to mimic ELS. Anxiety-like behavior was tested by open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and novelty suppressed feeding (NSF). Then, c-fos expression, a proxy for neuronal activity, was evaluated by immunofluorescence. Finally, synaptic transmission and intrinsic excitability were measured by whole-cell patch-clamp recordings.

KEY FINDINGS

MS significantly increased anxiety-like behavior in adulthood, as indicated by less time spent in the center area of the OFT, less time spent in and fewer entries to the open arms of the EPM, and increased latency to feed in NSF. Mechanistically, MS increased the expression of c-fos in BLA. MS enhanced the excitatory, but not inhibitory, synaptic transmission onto BLA projection neurons (PNs), which was caused by enhanced presynaptic glutamate release. Moreover, MS also markedly increased the intrinsic neuronal excitability of BLA PNs, probably due to the reduced medium afterhyperpolarization (mAHP) in BLA PNs.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our results suggest that the changes of neuronal activity and synaptic transmission in the BLA PNs may play a crucial role in ELS-induced anxiety-like behavior, and these findings provide new insights into the pathological mechanisms of stress-related anxiety disorders.

Estimates of COVID-19 Risk Factors among Social Strata and Predictors for a Vulnerability to the Infection

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has emerged as a potentially severe disease, especially for individuals presenting with certain underlying medical conditions. We analyzed the rates of comorbidities and symptoms to reveal the potential severity of the pandemic in Volos, one of the most air-polluted cities in Greece. Environmental and health-related predictors for SARS-CoV-2 infection were investigated. A web-based questionnaire was disseminated through social media in the first half of March 2021 during a five-month strict lockdown. Sociodemographic data, preexisting medical conditions, frequency of clinical symptoms, and COVID-19 information were recorded. The study population consisted of 2000 responders. Four-fifths of the participants reported comorbidities that could increase vulnerability to severe COVID-19. Respiratory symptoms were reported from the unemployed and from retirees, and cold-related symptoms were reported in the education sector and in undergraduates. Women and younger generations shaped social vulnerability to respiratory infections similar to the elderly. SARS-CoV-2 infection was reported in 3.7% of the study population. Common headache (OR 2; CI 1189-3013; p = 0.007) and prior pneumonia (OR 1.9; CI 1024-2898; p = 0.04) were significant predictors for susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. The importance of monitoring society through community-based questionnaires is highlighted, for predicting and preventing future widespread transmission of infectious diseases.

Early Life Stress and the Onset of Obesity: Proof of MicroRNAs' Involvement Through Modulation of Serotonin and Dopamine Systems' Homeostasis

Healthy persons hold a very complex system for controlling energy homeostasis. The system functions on the interconnected way between the nutritional, endocrine, neural, and epigenetic regulation, which includes the microRNAs (miRNAs). Currently, it is well accepted that experiences of early life stress (ELS) carry modification of the central control of feeding behavior, one of the factors controlling energy homeostasis. Recently, studies give us a clue on the modulation of eating behavior, which is one of the main factors associated with the development of obesity. This clue connected the neural control through the serotonin (5HT) and dopamine (DA) systems with the fine regulation of miRNAs. The first pieces of evidence highlight the presence of the miR-16 in the regulation of the serotonin transporter (SERT) as well as the receptors 1a (5HT1A) and 2a (5HT2A). On the other hand, miR-504 is related to the dopamine receptor D2 (DRD2). As our knowledge advance, we expected to discover other important pathways for the regulation of the energy homeostasis. As both neurotransmission systems and miRNAs seem to be sensible to ELS, the aim of this review is to bring new insight about the involvement of miRNAs with a central role in the control of eating behavior focusing on the influences of ELS and regulation of neurotransmission systems.

Childhood maltreatment, behavioral adjustment, and molecular markers of cellular aging in preschool-aged children: A cohort study

OBJECTIVE

Childhood maltreatment is a major risk factor for the development of behavioral problems and poor physical and mental health. Accelerated cellular aging, through reduced telomere length and mitochondrial dysfunction, may be a mechanism underlying these associations.

METHODS

Families with (n = 133) and without (n = 123) child welfare documentation of moderate-severe maltreatment in the past six months participated in this study. Children ranged in age from 3 to 5 years, were racially and ethnically diverse, and 91% qualified for public assistance. Structured record review and interviews were used to assess a history of maltreatment and other adversities. Telomere length and mitochondrial DNA copy number (mtDNAcn) were measured from saliva DNA using real-time PCR. Measures were repeated at a six-month follow-up assessment. Repeated measures general linear models were used to examine the effects of maltreatment and other adversities on telomere length and mtDNAcn over time.

RESULTS

Maltreatment and other adverse experiences were significant positive predictors of both telomere length and mtDNAcn over time. Internalizing and externalizing behavior problems were also both significantly associated with telomere length, but only internalizing symptoms were associated with mtDNAcn.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to show that mtDNAcn is altered in children with stress and trauma, and the findings are consistent with recent studies of adults. Surprisingly, children who experienced moderate-severe levels of maltreatment in the prior six months had longer telomeres, possibly reflecting compensatory changes in response to recent trauma. Telomere length and mtDNAcn were also associated with behavioral problems, suggesting that these measures of cellular aging may be causally implicated in the pathophysiology of stress-related conditions.

Activation of the kynurenine pathway and mitochondrial respiration to face allostatic load in a double-hit model of stress

Allostasis is the process by which the body's physiological systems adapt to environmental changes. Chronic stress increases the allostatic load to the body, producing wear and tear that could, over time, become pathological. In this study, young adult male Wistar Kyoto rats were exposed to an unpredictable chronic mild stress (uCMS) protocol to increase allostatic load. First, physiological systems which may be affected by extended uCMS exposure were assessed. Secondly, 5 weeks of uCMS were used to investigate early adaptations in the previously selected systems. Adverse experiences during developmentally sensitive periods like adolescence are known to severely alter the individual stress vulnerability with long-lasting effects. To elucidate how early life adversity impacts stress reactivity in adulthood, an additional group with juvenile single-housing (JSH) prior to uCMS was included in the second cohort. The aim of this work was to assess the impact of chronic stress with or without adversity during adolescence on two domains known to be impacted in numerous stress-related disorders: mitochondrial energy metabolism and the immune system. Both, uCMS and adolescence stress increased kynurenine and kynurenic acid in plasma, suggesting a protective, anti-oxidant response from the kynurenine pathway. Furthermore, uCMS resulted in a down-regulation of immediate early gene expression in the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, while only rats with the double-hit of adolescent stress and uCMS demonstrated increased mitochondrial activity in the hippocampus. These results suggest that early life adversity may impact on allostatic load by increasing energetic requirements in the brain.

Stress, psychiatric disorders, molecular targets, and more

Mental health is central to normal health outcomes. A widely accepted theory is that chronic persistent stress during adulthood as well as during early life triggers onset of neuropsychiatric ailments. However, questions related to how that occurs, and why are some individuals resistant to stress while others are not, remain unanswered. An integrated, multisystemic stress response involving neuroinflammatory, neuroendocrine, epigenetic and metabolic cascades have been suggested to have causative links. Several theories have been proposed over the years to conceptualize this link including the cytokine hypothesis, the endocrine hypothesis, the oxidative stress hypothesis and the oxido-neuroinflammation hypothesis. The data discussed in this review describes potential biochemical basis of the link between stress, and stress-induced neuronal, behavioral and emotional deficits, providing insights into potentially novel drug targets.