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Soldini A, Vogelmann U, Aust S, Goerigk S, Plewnia C, Fallgatter A, Normann C, Frase L, Zwanzger P, Kammer T, Schönfeldt-Lecuona C, Vural G, Bajbouj M, Padberg F, Burkhardt G. Neurocognitive function as outcome and predictor for prefrontal transcranial direct current stimulation in major depressive disorder: an analysis from the DepressionDC trial. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-024-01759-2. [PMID: 38407625 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-024-01759-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) of the prefrontal cortex might beneficially influence neurocognitive dysfunctions associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). However, previous studies of neurocognitive effects of tDCS have been inconclusive. In the current study, we analyzed longitudinal, neurocognitive data from 101 participants of a randomized controlled multicenter trial (DepressionDC), investigating the efficacy of bifrontal tDCS (2 mA, 30 min/d, for 6 weeks) in patients with MDD and insufficient response to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI). We assessed whether active tDCS compared to sham tDCS elicited beneficial effects across the domains of memory span, working memory, selective attention, sustained attention, executive process, and processing speed, assessed with a validated, digital test battery. Additionally, we explored whether baseline cognitive performance, as a proxy of fronto-parietal-network functioning, predicts the antidepressant effects of active tDCS versus sham tDCS. We found no statistically significant group differences in the change of neurocognitive performance between active and sham tDCS. Furthermore, baseline cognitive performance did not predict the clinical response to tDCS. Our findings indicate no advantage in neurocognition due to active tDCS in MDD. Additional research is required to systematically investigate the effects of tDCS protocols on neurocognitive performance in patients with MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aldo Soldini
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany.
- International Max Planck Research School for Translational Psychiatry, Munich, Germany.
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany.
| | - Ulrike Vogelmann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Sabine Aust
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Stephan Goerigk
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
- Charlotte Fresenius Hochschule, Munich, Germany
| | - Christian Plewnia
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Fallgatter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Tübingen Center for Mental Health, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Claus Normann
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany
- Center for Basics in Neuromodulation, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Lukas Frase
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Freiburg, Breisgau, Germany
- Center for Basics in Neuromodulation, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Peter Zwanzger
- Clinical Center for Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatic Medicine, Geriatrics and Neurology, Kbo-Inn-Salzach-Klinikum, Gabersee, Germany
| | - Thomas Kammer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy III, University of Ulm, Ulm, Germany
| | | | - Gizem Vural
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Malek Bajbouj
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Frank Padberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Gerrit Burkhardt
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, LMU University Hospital, Munich, Germany
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Pulli EP, Nolvi S, Eskola E, Nordenswan E, Holmberg E, Copeland A, Kumpulainen V, Silver E, Merisaari H, Saunavaara J, Parkkola R, Lähdesmäki T, Saukko E, Kataja E, Korja R, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Tuulari JJ. Structural brain correlates of non-verbal cognitive ability in 5-year-old children: Findings from the FinnBrain birth cohort study. Hum Brain Mapp 2023; 44:5582-5601. [PMID: 37606608 PMCID: PMC10619410 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26463] [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: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-verbal cognitive ability predicts multiple important life outcomes, for example, school and job performance. It has been associated with parieto-frontal cortical anatomy in prior studies in adult and adolescent populations, while young children have received relatively little attention. We explored the associations between cortical anatomy and non-verbal cognitive ability in 165 5-year-old participants (mean scan age 5.40 years, SD 0.13; 90 males) from the FinnBrain Birth Cohort study. T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance images were processed using FreeSurfer. Non-verbal cognitive ability was measured using the Performance Intelligence Quotient (PIQ) estimated from the Block Design and Matrix Reasoning subtests from the Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-III). In vertex-wise general linear models, PIQ scores associated positively with volumes in the left caudal middle frontal and right pericalcarine regions, as well as surface area in left the caudal middle frontal, left inferior temporal, and right lingual regions. There were no associations between PIQ and cortical thickness. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to examine structural correlates of non-verbal cognitive ability in a large sample of typically developing 5-year-olds. The findings are generally in line with prior findings from older age groups, with the important addition of the positive association between volume / surface area in the right medial occipital region and non-verbal cognitive ability. This finding adds to the literature by discovering a new brain region that should be considered in future studies exploring the role of cortical structure for cognitive development in young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmo P. Pulli
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Saara Nolvi
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, Department of Psychology and Speech‐Language PathologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Eeva Eskola
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Elisabeth Nordenswan
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Eeva Holmberg
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Anni Copeland
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Venla Kumpulainen
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Eero Silver
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Harri Merisaari
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Jani Saunavaara
- Department of Medical PhysicsTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Riitta Parkkola
- Department of RadiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of RadiologyTurku University HospitalTurkuFinland
| | - Tuire Lähdesmäki
- Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent MedicineTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | | | - Eeva‐Leena Kataja
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Riikka Korja
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of PsychologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent MedicineTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of PsychiatryTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
| | - Jetro J. Tuulari
- FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical MedicineUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Centre for Population Health ResearchTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of PsychiatryTurku University Hospital and University of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Turku Collegium for Science, Medicine and TechnologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- Department of PsychiatryUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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Liu XF, Zhao SW, Cui JJ, Gu YW, Fan JW, Fu YF, Zhang YH, Yin H, Chen K, Cui LB. Differential expression of diacylglycerol kinase ζ is involved in inferior parietal lobule-related dysfunction in schizophrenia with cognitive impairments. BMC Psychiatry 2023; 23:526. [PMID: 37479996 PMCID: PMC10362743 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-023-04955-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment is the main factor in the poor prognosis of schizophrenia, but its mechanism remains unclear. The inferior parietal lobule (IPL) is related to various clinical symptoms and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. We aimed to explore the relationship between IPL-related functions and cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. METHODS 136 schizophrenia patients and 146 demographically matched healthy controls were enrolled for a cross-sectional study. High-spatial-resolution structural and resting-state functional images were acquired to demonstrate the alternations of brain structure and function. At the same time, the digit span and digit symbol coding tasks of the Chinese Wechsler Adult Intelligence Test Revised (WAIS-RC) were utilized in assessing the subjects' cognitive function. Patients were divided into cognitive impairment and normal cognitive groups according to their cognitive score and then compared whether there were differences between the three groups in fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF). In addition, we did a correlation analysis between cognitive function and the fALFF for the left IPL of patients and healthy controls. Based on the Allen Human Brain Atlas, we obtained genes expressed in the left IPL, which were then intersected with the transcriptome-wide association study results and differentially expressed genes in schizophrenia. RESULTS Grouping of patients by the backward digit span task and the digit symbol coding task showed differences in fALFF values between healthy controls and cognitive impairment patients (P < 0.05). We found a negative correlation between the backward digit span task score and fALFF of the left IPL in healthy controls (r = - 0.388, P = 0.003), which was not seen in patients (r = 0.203, P = 0.020). In addition, none of the other analyses were statistically significant (P > 0.017). In addition, we found that diacylglycerol kinase ζ (DGKζ) is differentially expressed in the left IPL and associated with schizophrenia. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates that the left IPL plays a vital role in cognitive impairment in schizophrenia. DGKζ may act as an essential regulator in the left IPL of schizophrenia patients with cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Fan Liu
- Department of Radiology, Xi'an People's Hospital, Xi'an, China
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Shu-Wan Zhao
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jin-Jin Cui
- Department of Radiology, The Second Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yue-Wen Gu
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing-Wen Fan
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yu-Fei Fu
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ya-Hong Zhang
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hong Yin
- Department of Radiology, Xi'an People's Hospital, Xi'an, China.
| | - Kun Chen
- Department of Human Anatomy and K. K. Leung Brain Research Centre, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinic Genetics, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Long-Biao Cui
- Schizophrenia Imaging Lab, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
- Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Clinic Genetics, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China.
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Distinct multivariate structural brain profiles are related to variations in short- and long-delay memory consolidation across children and young adults. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2022; 59:101192. [PMID: 36566622 PMCID: PMC9803921 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2022.101192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
From early to middle childhood, brain regions that underlie memory consolidation undergo profound maturational changes. However, there is little empirical investigation that directly relates age-related differences in brain structural measures to memory consolidation processes. The present study examined memory consolidation of intentionally studied object-location associations after one night of sleep (short delay) and after two weeks (long delay) in normally developing 5-to-7-year-old children (n = 50) and young adults (n = 39). Behavioural differences in memory retention rate were related to structural brain measures. Our results showed that children, in comparison to young adults, retained correctly learnt object-location associations less robustly over short and long delay. Moreover, using partial least squares correlation method, a unique multivariate profile comprised of specific neocortical (prefrontal, parietal, and occipital), cerebellar, and hippocampal head and subfield structures in the body was found to be associated with variation in short-delay memory retention. A different multivariate profile comprised of a reduced set of brain structures, mainly consisting of neocortical (prefrontal, parietal, and occipital), hippocampal head, and selective hippocampal subfield structures (CA1-2 and subiculum) was associated with variation in long-delay memory retention. Taken together, the results suggest that multivariate structural pattern of unique sets of brain regions are related to variations in short- and long-delay memory consolidation across children and young adults.
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Sun W, Li B, Ma C. Muscimol-induced inactivation of the ventral prefrontal cortex impairs counting performance in rhesus monkeys. Sci Prog 2022; 105:368504221141660. [PMID: 36443989 PMCID: PMC10358485 DOI: 10.1177/00368504221141660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Numbers are one of the three basic concepts of human abstract thinking. When human beings count, they often point to things, one by one, and read numbers in a positive integer column. The prefrontal cortex plays a wide range of roles in executive functions, including active maintenance and achievement of goals, adaptive coding and exertion of general intelligence, and completion of time complexity events. Nonhuman animals do not use number names, such as "one, two, three," or numerals, such as "1, 2, 3" to "count" in the same way as humans do. Our previous study established an animal model of counting in monkeys. Here, we used this model to determine whether the prefrontal cortex participates in counting in monkeys. Two 5-year-old female rhesus monkeys (macaques), weighing 5.0 kg and 5.5 kg, were selected to train in a counting task, counting from 1 to 5. When their counting task performance stabilized, we performed surgery on the prefrontal cortex to implant drug delivery tubes. After allowing the monkeys' physical condition and counting performance to recover, we injected either muscimol or normal saline into their dorsal and ventral prefrontal cortex. Thereafter, we observed their counting task performance and analyzed the error types and reaction time during the counting task. The monkeys' performance in the counting task decreased significantly after muscimol injection into the ventral prefrontal cortex; however, it was not affected after saline injection into the ventral prefrontal cortex, or after muscimol or saline injection into the dorsal prefrontal cortex. The ventral prefrontal cortex of the monkey is necessary for counting performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weiming Sun
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Baoming Li
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Chaolin Ma
- School of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Center for Neuropsychiatric Disorders, Institute of Life Science, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Pulli EP, Silver E, Kumpulainen V, Copeland A, Merisaari H, Saunavaara J, Parkkola R, Lähdesmäki T, Saukko E, Nolvi S, Kataja EL, Korja R, Karlsson L, Karlsson H, Tuulari JJ. Feasibility of FreeSurfer Processing for T1-Weighted Brain Images of 5-Year-Olds: Semiautomated Protocol of FinnBrain Neuroimaging Lab. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:874062. [PMID: 35585923 PMCID: PMC9108497 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.874062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Pediatric neuroimaging is a quickly developing field that still faces important methodological challenges. Pediatric images usually have more motion artifact than adult images. The artifact can cause visible errors in brain segmentation, and one way to address it is to manually edit the segmented images. Variability in editing and quality control protocols may complicate comparisons between studies. In this article, we describe in detail the semiautomated segmentation and quality control protocol of structural brain images that was used in FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study and relies on the well-established FreeSurfer v6.0 and ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) consortium tools. The participants were typically developing 5-year-olds [n = 134, 5.34 (SD 0.06) years, 62 girls]. Following a dichotomous quality rating scale for inclusion and exclusion of images, we explored the quality on a region of interest level to exclude all regions with major segmentation errors. The effects of manual edits on cortical thickness values were relatively minor: less than 2% in all regions. Supplementary Material cover registration and additional edit options in FreeSurfer and comparison to the computational anatomy toolbox (CAT12). Overall, we conclude that despite minor imperfections FreeSurfer can be reliably used to segment cortical metrics from T1-weighted images of 5-year-old children with appropriate quality assessment in place. However, custom templates may be needed to optimize the results for the subcortical areas. Through visual assessment on a level of individual regions of interest, our semiautomated segmentation protocol is hopefully helpful for investigators working with similar data sets, and for ensuring high quality pediatric neuroimaging data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmo P. Pulli
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eero Silver
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Venla Kumpulainen
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Anni Copeland
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Harri Merisaari
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jani Saunavaara
- Department of Medical Physics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Riitta Parkkola
- Department of Radiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Radiology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Tuire Lähdesmäki
- Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Ekaterina Saukko
- Department of Radiology, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
| | - Saara Nolvi
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Eeva-Leena Kataja
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Riikka Korja
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Linnea Karlsson
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Hasse Karlsson
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Centre for Population Health Research, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jetro J. Tuulari
- Turku Brain and Mind Center, Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Turku Collegium for Science, Medicine and Technology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Fitter MH, Stern JA, Straske MD, Allard T, Cassidy J, Riggins T. Mothers’ Attachment Representations and Children’s Brain Structure. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:740195. [PMID: 35370579 PMCID: PMC8967255 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.740195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Ample research demonstrates that parents’ experience-based mental representations of attachment—cognitive models of close relationships—relate to their children’s social-emotional development. However, no research to date has examined how parents’ attachment representations relate to another crucial domain of children’s development: brain development. The present study is the first to integrate the separate literatures on attachment and developmental social cognitive neuroscience to examine the link between mothers’ attachment representations and 3- to 8-year-old children’s brain structure. We hypothesized that mothers’ attachment representations would relate to individual differences in children’s brain structures involved in stress regulation—specifically, amygdala and hippocampal volumes—in part via mothers’ responses to children’s distress. We assessed 52 mothers’ attachment representations (secure base script knowledge on the Attachment Script Assessment and self-reported attachment avoidance and anxiety on the Experiences in Close Relationships scale) and children’s brain structure. Mothers’ secure base script knowledge was significantly related to children’s smaller left amygdala volume but was unrelated to hippocampal volume; we found no indirect links via maternal responses to children’s distress. Exploratory analyses showed associations between mothers’ attachment representations and white matter and thalamus volumes. Together, these preliminary results suggest that mothers’ attachment representations may be linked to the development of children’s neural circuitry related to stress regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan H. Fitter
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
- *Correspondence: Megan H. Fitter,
| | - Jessica A. Stern
- BabyLab, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, United States
| | - Martha D. Straske
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Tamara Allard
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Jude Cassidy
- Maryland Child and Family Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Neurocognitive Development Lab, University of Maryland, College Park, College Park, MD, United States
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8
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Chad-Friedman E, Botdorf M, Riggins T, Dougherty LR. Parental hostility predicts reduced cortical thickness in males. Dev Sci 2020; 24:e13052. [PMID: 33091205 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Although impacts of negative parenting on children's brain development are well-documented, little is known about how these associations may differ for males and females in childhood. We examined interactions between child sex and early and concurrent parental hostility on children's cortical thickness and surface area. Participants included 63 children (50.8% female) assessed during early childhood (Wave 1: M age = 4.23 years, SD = 0.84) and again three years later (Wave 2: M age = 7.19 years, SD = 0.89) using an observational parent-child interaction task. At Wave 2, children completed a structural MRI scan. Analyses focused on regions of interest. After correcting for multiple comparisons, Wave 1 parental hostility predicted males' reduced thickness in middle frontal and fusiform cortices, and Wave 2 parental hostility was concurrently associated with males' reduced thickness in the middle frontal cortex. Interactions between sex and parenting on children's surface area did not survive corrections for multiple comparisons. Our findings provide support for a male-specific neural vulnerability of hostile parenting across development. Results have important implications for uncovering neural pathways to sex-differences in psychopathology, learning, and cognitive disabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan Botdorf
- University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Tracy Riggins
- University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD, USA
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9
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Chad-Friedman E, Botdorf M, Riggins T, Dougherty LR. Early childhood cumulative risk is associated with decreased global brain measures, cortical thickness, and cognitive functioning in school-age children. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:192-205. [PMID: 32052418 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21956] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2019] [Revised: 12/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Children exposed to multiple risk factors early in life are increasingly more likely to suffer from a host of cognitive impairments across development. However, little work has identified the neurobiological mechanisms linking early cumulative risk and cognitive functioning. The current study examined the impact of cumulative risk assessed during early childhood on neural and cognitive outcomes measured 3 years later when children were school-aged. Participants included 63 children assessed during preschool (age: M = 4.23 years, SD = 0.84) and 3 years later (age: M = 7.19 years, SD = 0.89). Early cumulative risk was defined by the presence of low family income, a single parent household, low parental education, child exposure to parental depression, child exposure to high parental hostility, and high levels of stressful life events. Children's exposure to stressors in the past year, cognitive abilities, and brain structure were assessed at follow-up. Early cumulative risk was prospectively associated with reduced total gray matter volume, cortex volume, right superior parietal and inferior parietal thickness, and poorer attention shifting and memory. Right superior parietal thickness mediated associations between early risk and recall memory. Results highlight neural variations associated with early cumulative risk and suggest potential neural pathways from early risk to later childhood cognitive impairments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Morgan Botdorf
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Tracy Riggins
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
| | - Lea R Dougherty
- Department of Psychology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA
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