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Saragosa-Harris NM, Guassi Moreira JF, Waizman Y, Sedykin A, Peris TS, Silvers JA. Early life adversity is associated with greater similarity in neural representations of ambiguous and threatening stimuli. Dev Psychopathol 2025; 37:802-814. [PMID: 38602091 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579424000683] [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: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Exposure to early life adversity (ELA) is hypothesized to sensitize threat-responsive neural circuitry. This may lead individuals to overestimate threat in the face of ambiguity, a cognitive-behavioral phenotype linked to poor mental health. The tendency to process ambiguity as threatening may stem from difficulty distinguishing between ambiguous and threatening stimuli. However, it is unknown how exposure to ELA relates to neural representations of ambiguous and threatening stimuli, or how processing of ambiguity following ELA relates to psychosocial functioning. The current fMRI study examined multivariate representations of threatening and ambiguous social cues in 41 emerging adults (aged 18 to 19 years). Using representational similarity analysis, we assessed neural representations of ambiguous and threatening images within affective neural circuitry and tested whether similarity in these representations varied by ELA exposure. Greater exposure to ELA was associated with greater similarity in neural representations of ambiguous and threatening images. Moreover, individual differences in processing ambiguity related to global functioning, an association that varied as a function of ELA. By evidencing reduced neural differentiation between ambiguous and threatening cues in ELA-exposed emerging adults and linking behavioral responses to ambiguity to psychosocial wellbeing, these findings have important implications for future intervention work in at-risk, ELA-exposed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - João F Guassi Moreira
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yael Waizman
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Anna Sedykin
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Tara S Peris
- Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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2
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Zuo Y, Formoli N, Libster A, Sun D, Turner A, Iemolo A, Telese F. Single-Nucleus Transcriptomics Identifies Neuroblast Migration Programs Sensitive to Reelin and Cannabis in the Adolescent Nucleus Accumbens. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2025:2025.04.03.646846. [PMID: 40236084 PMCID: PMC11996521 DOI: 10.1101/2025.04.03.646846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2025]
Abstract
The interplay between cannabis exposure during adolescence and genetic predisposition has been linked to increased vulnerability to psychiatric disorders. To investigate the molecular underpinnings of this interaction, we performed single-nucleus RNA sequencing of the nucleus accumbens (NAc) in a mouse model of Reln haploinsufficiency, a genetic risk factor for psychiatric disorders, following adolescent exposure to tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive component of cannabis. We identified a gene co-expression network influenced by both Reln genotype and THC, enriched in genes associated with human psychiatric disorders and predominantly expressed in a GABAergic neuroblast subpopulation. We showed that neuroblasts actively migrated in the adolescent NAc, but declined with age. Cell-to-cell communication analysis further revealed that these neuroblasts receive migratory cues from cholecystokinin interneurons, which express high levels of cannabinoid receptors. Together, these findings provide mechanistic insights into how adolescent THC exposure and genetic risk factors may impair GABAergic circuit maturation.
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Neelapaichit N, Phonyiam R, Witwaranukool P. Effectiveness of school-based programs for type 2 diabetes mellitus prevention for school children and adolescents: a systematic review protocol. JBI Evid Synth 2025:02174543-990000000-00415. [PMID: 39981918 DOI: 10.11124/jbies-24-00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2025]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The objective of this review will be to synthesize the effectiveness of school-based programs for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) prevention for school children and adolescents. INTRODUCTION Schools function as a fundamental platform for communicating health-related knowledge, such as information on preventing chronic diseases such as diabetes. However, the effectiveness of school-based programs for preventing T2DM in children and adolescents remains unclear. INCLUSION CRITERIA This review will consider both experimental and quasi-experimental study designs, including randomized controlled trials, cluster randomized controlled trials, non-randomized controlled trials, before and after studies, and interrupted time-series studies. School children and adolescents aged 6 to 18 years (in Grades 1 to 12) of any ethnicity will be considered. This review will consider studies on T2DM prevention and education programs in school settings. Comparators will include no treatment, standard care, or waitlist controls, with outcomes covering diabetes risk factors, knowledge, health literacy, insulin sensitivity, fasting blood glucose, and glycated hemoglobin. These parameters will be assessed using validated instruments. METHODS This review will follow the JBI methodology for systematic reviews of effectiveness. The databases to be searched will include MEDLINE, CINAHL, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus. Two independent reviewers will select studies, critically appraise them using the standard JBI critical appraisal instruments, and extract data. Studies will be pooled in a meta-analysis or presented narratively. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) approach will be used to grade the certainty of the evidence. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION NUMBER PROSPERO CRD42024499998.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nareemarn Neelapaichit
- Ramathibodi School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol University Ramathibodi School of Nursing: A JBI Affiliated Group, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Ratchanok Phonyiam
- Ramathibodi School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol University Ramathibodi School of Nursing: A JBI Affiliated Group, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Porawan Witwaranukool
- Ramathibodi School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Mahidol University Ramathibodi School of Nursing: A JBI Affiliated Group, the University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia
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4
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Li Q, Cao M, Stein DJ, Sahakian BJ, Jia T, Langley C, Gu Z, Hou W, Lu H, Cao L, Lin J, Shi R, Banaschewski T, Bokde ALW, Desrivières S, Flor H, Grigis A, Garavan H, Gowland P, Heinz A, Brühl R, Martinot JL, Artiges E, Nees F, Papadopoulos Orfanos D, Paus T, Poustka L, Hohmann S, Baeuchl C, Smolka MN, Vaidya N, Walter H, Whelan R, Schumann G, Feng J, Luo Q. Cognitive predictors of mental health trajectories are mediated by inferior frontal and occipital development during adolescence. Mol Psychiatry 2025:10.1038/s41380-025-02912-6. [PMID: 39893243 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-025-02912-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2024] [Revised: 12/17/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2025] [Indexed: 02/04/2025]
Abstract
Laboratory studies show brain maturation involves synaptic pruning and cognitive development. Human studies suggest links between early cognitive performance and later mental health, but inconsistencies remain. It is unclear if specific brain regions mediate this relationship, and the molecular underpinnings are not well understood. Here, our longitudinal analyses in both the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development and IMAGEN cohorts establish inverted U-shaped relationships between baseline executive function and subsequent symptom trajectories in the high-symptom individuals, whose externalizing (n = 963) or internalizing (n = 1762) symptoms exceed a clinical threshold at any point during the follow-up period, but not in the control group (n = 4291). Volumetric changes in the left lateral occipital cortex (LOC) mediated the relationship with externalizing symptoms (outwardly directed behaviors such as aggression), while changes in the right LOC and pars triangularis mediated the relationship with internalizing symptoms (inwardly directed emotional problems such as anxiety). Transcriptomic and genomic findings highlighted synaptic biology and particularly the gene ADCY1, which is implicated in synaptic pruning, as underlying both moderate executive function and its associated brain mediators. Notably, preadolescent cognitive performance predicts late-onset externalizing symptoms and remitting internalizing symptoms with high accuracies (area under the curve: 0.87 and 0.79). Our findings highlight the predictive value of cognitive performance for adolescent mental health trajectories, and indicate how this is mediated by specific brain regions, and underpinned by particular molecular pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyang Li
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Miao Cao
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Dan J Stein
- SAMRC Unit on Risk & Resilience in Mental Disorders, Department of Psychiatry and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Barbara J Sahakian
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Tianye Jia
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
| | - Christelle Langley
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0SZ, UK
- Behavioural and Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Zixin Gu
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Wenjie Hou
- Research Institute of Intelligent Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Han Lu
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Luolong Cao
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Jinran Lin
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Contemporary Anthropology Fudan University, Shanghai, China
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, School of Life Sciences and Human Phenome Institute Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Runye Shi
- School of Data Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Tobias Banaschewski
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Arun L W Bokde
- Discipline of Psychiatry, School of Medicine and Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Sylvane Desrivières
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Herta Flor
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany
- Department of Psychology, School of Social Sciences, University of Mannheim, 68131, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Antoine Grigis
- NeuroSpin, CEA, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Hugh Garavan
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Vermont, 05405, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Penny Gowland
- Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK
| | - Andreas Heinz
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Rüdiger Brühl
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Braunschweig and Berlin, Germany
| | - Jean-Luc Martinot
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U A10 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie"; Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
| | - Eric Artiges
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale, INSERM U A10 "Trajectoires développementales en psychiatrie"; Université Paris-Saclay, Ecole Normale supérieure Paris-Saclay, CNRS, Centre Borelli, Gif-sur-Yvette; and Psychiatry Department, EPS Barthélémy Durand, Etampes, France
| | - Frauke Nees
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, Mannheim, Germany
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Medical Sociology, University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
| | | | - Tomáš Paus
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, University of Montreal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Departments of Psychiatry and Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Luise Poustka
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Center for Psychosocial Medicine, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Sarah Hohmann
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, Square J5, 68159, Mannheim, Germany
| | - Christian Baeuchl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Michael N Smolka
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Nilakshi Vaidya
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Henrik Walter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy CCM, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Whelan
- School of Psychology and Global Brain Health Institute, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Gunter Schumann
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Stratified Medicine (PONS), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Centre for Population Neuroscience and Precision Medicine (PONS), Institute for Science and Technology of Brain-inspired Intelligence (ISTBI), Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Jianfeng Feng
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China
- Department of Computer Science, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK
| | - Qiang Luo
- National Clinical Research Center for Aging and Medicine at Huashan Hospital, Institute of Science and Technology for Brain-Inspired Intelligence, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology and MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Institutes of Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
- Key Laboratory of Computational Neuroscience and Brain-Inspired Intelligence (Fudan University), Ministry of Education, Shanghai, China.
- Shanghai Research Center of Acupuncture & Meridian, Shanghai, 200433, China.
- Department of Developmental and Behavioural Pediatric & Child Primary Care, Brain and Behavioural Research Unit of Shanghai Institute for Pediatric Research and MOE-Shanghai Key Laboratory for Children's Environmental Health, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, China.
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Brieant A, Cai T, Ip KI, Holt-Gosselin B, Gee DG. Heterogeneity in Developmental Trajectories of Internalizing and Externalizing Symptomatology: Associations with Risk and Protective Factors. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 2025:10.1007/s10578-024-01804-0. [PMID: 39786680 DOI: 10.1007/s10578-024-01804-0] [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] [Accepted: 12/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/12/2025]
Abstract
Among a large sample of youth (9-10 years old at baseline) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study® (n = 11,661) we modeled trajectories of psychopathology over three years and associated risk and protective factors. Growth mixture modeling characterized latent classes with distinct psychopathology trajectories. Results indicated four different internalizing trajectories: a high-decreasing class, a moderate-decreasing class, a moderate-increasing class, and a low-stable class. There were also four externalizing trajectories: a moderate-decreasing class, a high-decreasing class, a moderate-increasing class, and a low-decreasing class. We used parallel process growth analysis to examine the co-development of internalizing and externalizing symptoms and characterized five trajectory classes with distinct patterns of co-development. These classes were differentially associated with negative life events, neighborhood safety, and parental acceptance. Together, the findings characterize general developmental patterns of psychopathology, quantify the proportion of youth that follow each pattern, and identify key predictors that discriminate these patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Brieant
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05402, USA.
| | - T Cai
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - K I Ip
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA
| | - B Holt-Gosselin
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
| | - D G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 06520, USA
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6
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Sacu S, Dubois M, Hezemans FH, Aggensteiner PM, Monninger M, Brandeis D, Banaschewski T, Hauser TU, Holz NE. Early-Life Adversities Are Associated With Lower Expected Value Signaling in the Adult Brain. Biol Psychiatry 2024; 96:948-958. [PMID: 38636886 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2024.04.005] [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: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Early adverse experiences are assumed to affect fundamental processes of reward learning and decision making. However, computational neuroimaging studies investigating these circuits in the context of adversity are sparse and limited to studies conducted in adolescent samples, leaving the long-term effects unexplored. METHODS Using data from a longitudinal birth cohort study (n = 156; 87 female), we investigated associations between adversities and computational markers of reward learning (i.e., expected value, prediction errors). At age 33 years, all participants completed a functional magnetic resonance imaging-based passive avoidance task. Psychopathology measures were collected at the time of functional magnetic resonance imaging investigation and during the COVID-19 pandemic. We applied a principal component analysis to capture common variations across 7 adversity measures. The resulting adversity factors (factor 1: postnatal psychosocial adversities and prenatal maternal smoking; factor 2: prenatal maternal stress and obstetric adversity; factor 3: lower maternal stimulation) were linked with psychopathology and neural responses in the core reward network using multiple regression analysis. RESULTS We found that the adversity dimension primarily informed by lower maternal stimulation was linked to lower expected value representation in the right putamen, right nucleus accumbens, and anterior cingulate cortex. Expected value encoding in the right nucleus accumbens further mediated the relationship between this adversity dimension and psychopathology and predicted higher withdrawn symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggested that early adverse experiences in caregiver context might have a long-term disruptive effect on reward learning in reward-related brain regions, which can be associated with suboptimal decision making and thereby may increase the vulnerability of developing psychopathology.
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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; German Center for Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany
| | - Magda Dubois
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Frank H Hezemans
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Department of Computational Neuroscience, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Tübingen, 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; German Center for Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany
| | - Maximilian Monninger
- 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, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; Neuroscience Center Zurich, University of Zurich and ETH Zürich, 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; German Center for Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany
| | - Tobias U Hauser
- Max Planck UCL Centre for Computational Psychiatry and Ageing Research, University College London, London, United Kingdom; Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Tübingen, Germany; Wellcome Centre for Human Neuroimaging, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nathalie E Holz
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Mannheim, Germany; German Center for Mental Health, Mannheim, Heidelberg, and Ulm, Germany; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, the Netherlands; Department for Cognitive Neuroscience, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
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7
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Rosenberg BM, Moreira JFG, Leal ASM, Saragosa-Harris NM, Gaines E, Meredith WJ, Waizman Y, Ninova E, Silvers JA. Functional connectivity between the nucleus accumbens and amygdala underlies avoidance learning during adolescence: Implications for developmental psychopathology. Dev Psychopathol 2024:1-13. [PMID: 39324228 PMCID: PMC11936845 DOI: 10.1017/s095457942400141x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Reward and threat processes work together to support adaptive learning during development. Adolescence is associated with increasing approach behavior (e.g., novelty-seeking, risk-taking) but often also coincides with emerging internalizing symptoms, which are characterized by heightened avoidance behavior. Peaking engagement of the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) during adolescence, often studied in reward paradigms, may also relate to threat mechanisms of adolescent psychopathology. METHODS 47 typically developing adolescents (9.9-22.9 years) completed an aversive learning task during functional magnetic resonance imaging, wherein visual cues were paired with an aversive sound or no sound. Task blocks involved an escapable aversively reinforced stimulus (CS+r), the same stimulus without reinforcement (CS+nr), or a stimulus that was never reinforced (CS-). Parent-reported internalizing symptoms were measured using Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scales. RESULTS Functional connectivity between the NAcc and amygdala differentiated the stimuli, such that connectivity increased for the CS+r (p = .023) but not for the CS+nr and CS-. Adolescents with greater internalizing symptoms demonstrated greater positive functional connectivity for the CS- (p = .041). CONCLUSIONS Adolescents show heightened NAcc-amygdala functional connectivity during escape from threat. Higher anxiety and depression symptoms are associated with elevated NAcc-amygdala connectivity during safety, which may reflect poor safety versus threat discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M. Rosenberg
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - João F. Guassi Moreira
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Adriana S. Méndez Leal
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Gaines
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Wesley J. Meredith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Yael Waizman
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Emilia Ninova
- College of Social Work, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA, USA
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8
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Borchers LR, Gifuni AJ, Ho TC, Kirshenbaum JS, Gotlib IH. Threat- and reward-related brain circuitry, perceived stress, and anxiety in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal investigation. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2024; 19:nsae040. [PMID: 38874967 PMCID: PMC11219304 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsae040] [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: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic led to heightened anxiety in adolescents. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the nucleus accumbens (NAcc) are implicated in response to stress and may contribute to anxiety. The role of threat- and reward-related circuitry in adolescent anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, is not clear. Ninety-nine adolescents underwent resting-state fMRI ∼1 year before the pandemic. Following shelter-in-place orders, adolescents reported their perceived stress and, 1 month later, their anxiety. Generalized multivariate analyses identified BLA and NAcc seed-based whole-brain functional connectivity maps with perceived stress. In the resulting significant clusters, we examined the association between seed-based connectivityand subsequent anxiety. Perceived stress was associated with bilateral BLA and NAcc connectivity across distributed clusters that included prefrontal, limbic, temporal, and cerebellar regions. Several NAcc connectivity clusters located in ventromedial prefrontal, parahippocampal, and temporal cortices were positively associated with anxiety; NAcc connectivity with the inferior frontal gyrus was negatively associated. BLA connectivity was not associated with anxiety. These results underscore the integrative role of the NAcc in responding to acute stressors and its relation to anxiety in adolescents. Elucidating the involvement of subcortical-cortical circuitry in adolescents' capacity to respond adaptively to environmental challenges can inform treatment for anxiety-related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren R Borchers
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
| | - Anthony J Gifuni
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
- Psychiatry Department and Douglas Mental Health University Institute, McGill University, Montréal, Québec H4H 1R3, Canada
| | - Tiffany C Ho
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, United States
| | - Jaclyn S Kirshenbaum
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Ian H Gotlib
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, United States
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9
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Qin Z, Wu Q, Bi C, Deng Y, Hu Q. The relationship between climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behavior in adolescents: the mediating role of future self-continuity and the moderating role of green self-efficacy. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:241. [PMID: 38678287 PMCID: PMC11056057 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01746-1] [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: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Climate change is seriously affecting human survival and development, and the anxiety caused by it is becoming increasingly prominent. How to alleviate people's climate change anxiety, improve the ecological environment, and promote the formation of green lifestyles among people, especially young people, is an important topic that deserves to be explored. This study examined the relationship between climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behaviors and the underlying psychological mechanism in the adolescents. METHODS This study explored the crucial role of future self-continuity (FSC) between climate change anxiety (CCA) and pro-environmental behaviors (PEB) in adolescents and examined the moderating role of green self-efficacy (GSE). In this study, a total of 1,851 middle and high school students from five schools were selected for questionnaire survey. RESULTS The results showed that (1) in both middle and high school grades, there was a significant negative correlation between climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behaviors; future self-continuity was significantly positively correlated with pro-environmental behaviors; green self-efficacy was negatively correlated with climate change anxiety and positively correlated with pro-environmental behaviors; (2) climate change anxiety negatively predicted pro-environmental behaviors, and compared with middle school grades, high school grade adolescents' climate change anxiety was significantly predicted pro-environmental behaviors. Future self-continuity mediated the relationship between climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behaviors in both grades. (3) green self-efficacy moderated the second half of the pathway of the mediation model only in middle grades. Specifically in middle school, future self-continuity did not significantly predict pro-environmental behaviors at low green self-efficacy level, but positively predicted pro-environmental behaviors at high green self-efficacy level. In high school, future self-continuity did not significantly predict pro-environmental behaviors in either high or low green self-efficacy level. CONCLUSION This study suggests that there is a moderated mediation model between adolescents' climate change anxiety and pro-environmental behaviors, with different mediating and moderating effects among adolescents in various grades. This is of great significance in alleviating climate anxiety among adolescents and cultivating their pro-environmental behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqi Qin
- School of psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Sichuan, 610066, China
| | - Qi Wu
- School of psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Sichuan, 610066, China
| | - Cuihua Bi
- School of psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Sichuan, 610066, China.
| | - Yanwei Deng
- School of psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Sichuan, 610066, China
| | - Qiuyun Hu
- School of psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Sichuan, 610066, China
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10
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Meredith WJ, Silvers JA. Experience-dependent neurodevelopment of self-regulation in adolescence. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 66:101356. [PMID: 38364507 PMCID: PMC10878838 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is a period of rapid biobehavioral change, characterized in part by increased neural maturation and sensitivity to one's environment. In this review, we aim to demonstrate that self-regulation skills are tuned by adolescents' social, cultural, and socioeconomic contexts. We discuss adjacent literatures that demonstrate the importance of experience-dependent learning for adolescent development: environmental contextual influences and training paradigms that aim to improve regulation skills. We first highlight changes in prominent limbic and cortical regions-like the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex-as well as structural and functional connectivity between these areas that are associated with adolescents' regulation skills. Next, we consider how puberty, the hallmark developmental milestone in adolescence, helps instantiate these biobehavioral adaptations. We then survey the existing literature demonstrating the ways in which cultural, socioeconomic, and interpersonal contexts drive behavioral and neural adaptation for self-regulation. Finally, we highlight promising results from regulation training paradigms that suggest training may be especially efficacious for adolescent samples. In our conclusion, we highlight some exciting frontiers in human self-regulation research as well as recommendations for improving the methodological implementation of developmental neuroimaging studies and training paradigms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wesley J Meredith
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
| | - Jennifer A Silvers
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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11
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Liuzzi L, Pine DS, Fox NA, Averbeck BB. Changes in Behavior and Neural Dynamics across Adolescent Development. J Neurosci 2023; 43:8723-8732. [PMID: 37848282 PMCID: PMC10727120 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0462-23.2023] [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: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescence is an important developmental period, during which substantial changes occur in brain function and behavior. Several aspects of executive function, including response inhibition, improve during this period. Correspondingly, structural imaging studies have documented consistent decreases in cortical and subcortical gray matter volume, and postmortem histologic studies have found substantial (∼40%) decreases in excitatory synapses in prefrontal cortex. Recent computational modeling work suggests that the change in synaptic density underlie improvements in task performance. These models also predict changes in neural dynamics related to the depth of attractor basins, where deeper basins can underlie better task performance. In this study, we analyzed task-related neural dynamics in a large cohort of longitudinally followed subjects (male and female) spanning early to late adolescence. We found that age correlated positively with behavioral performance in the Eriksen Flanker task. Older subjects were also characterized by deeper attractor basins around task related evoked EEG potentials during specific cognitive operations. Thus, consistent with computational models examining the effects of excitatory synaptic pruning, older adolescents showed stronger attractor dynamics during task performance.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT There are well-documented changes in brain and behavior during adolescent development. However, there are few mechanistic theories that link changes in the brain to changes in behavior. Here, we tested a hypothesis, put forward on the basis of computational modeling, that pruning of excitatory synapses in cortex during adolescence changes neural dynamics. We found, consistent with the hypothesis, that variability around event-related potentials shows faster decay dynamics in older adolescent subjects. The faster decay dynamics are consistent with the hypothesis that synaptic pruning during adolescent development leads to stronger attractor basins in task-related neural activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucrezia Liuzzi
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, 20892, MD
| | - Daniel S Pine
- Emotion and Development Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, 20892, MD
| | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742
| | - Bruno B Averbeck
- Laboratory of Neuropsychology, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, 20892, MD
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12
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Gee DG, Cohodes EM. Leveraging the developmental neuroscience of caregiving to promote resilience among youth exposed to adversity. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:2168-2185. [PMID: 37929292 PMCID: PMC10872788 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423001128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2023]
Abstract
Early adversity is a major risk factor for the emergence of psychopathology across development. Identifying mechanisms that support resilience, or favorable mental health outcomes despite exposure to adversity, is critical for informing clinical intervention and guiding policy to promote youth mental health. Here we propose that caregivers play a central role in fostering resilience among children exposed to adversity via caregiving influences on children's corticolimbic circuitry and emotional functioning. We first delineate the numerous ways that caregivers support youth emotional learning and regulation and describe how early attachment lays the foundation for optimal caregiver support of youth emotional functioning in a developmental stage-specific manner. Second, we outline neural mechanisms by which caregivers foster resilience-namely, by modulating offspring corticolimbic circuitry to support emotion regulation and buffer stress reactivity. Next, we highlight the importance of developmental timing and sensitive periods in understanding caregiving-related mechanisms of resilience. Finally, we discuss clinical implications of this line of research and how findings can be translated to guide policy that promotes the well-being of youth and families.
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13
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Cohodes EM, Sisk LM, Keding TJ, Mandell JD, Notti ME, Gee DG. Characterizing experiential elements of early-life stress to inform resilience: Buffering effects of controllability and predictability and the importance of their timing. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:2288-2301. [PMID: 37496155 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579423000822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
Key theoretical frameworks have proposed that examining the impact of exposure to specific dimensions of stress at specific developmental periods is likely to yield important insight into processes of risk and resilience. Utilizing a sample of N = 549 young adults who provided a detailed retrospective history of their lifetime exposure to numerous dimensions of traumatic stress and ratings of their current trauma-related symptomatology via completion of an online survey, here we test whether an individual's perception of their lifetime stress as either controllable or predictable buffered the impact of exposure on trauma-related symptomatology assessed in adulthood. Further, we tested whether this moderation effect differed when evaluated in the context of early childhood, middle childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood stress. Consistent with hypotheses, results highlight both stressor controllability and stressor predictability as buffering the impact of traumatic stress exposure on trauma-related symptomatology and suggest that the potency of this buffering effect varies across unique developmental periods. Leveraging dimensional ratings of lifetime stress exposure to probe heterogeneity in outcomes following stress - and, critically, considering interactions between dimensions of exposure and the developmental period when stress occurred - is likely to yield increased understanding of risk and resilience following traumatic stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Cohodes
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lucinda M Sisk
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Taylor J Keding
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Jeffrey D Mandell
- Program in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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14
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Santos-Silva T, Hazar Ülgen D, Lopes CFB, Guimarães FS, Alberici LC, Sandi C, Gomes FV. Transcriptomic analysis reveals mitochondrial pathways associated with distinct adolescent behavioral phenotypes and stress response. Transl Psychiatry 2023; 13:351. [PMID: 37978166 PMCID: PMC10656500 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-023-02648-3] [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: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Adolescent individuals exhibit great variability in cortical dynamics and behavioral outcomes. The developing adolescent brain is highly sensitive to social experiences and environmental insults, influencing how personality traits emerge. A distinct pattern of mitochondrial gene expression in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during adolescence underscores the essential role of mitochondria in brain maturation and the development of mental illnesses. Mitochondrial features in certain brain regions account for behavioral differences in adulthood. However, it remains unclear whether distinct adolescent behavioral phenotypes and the behavioral consequences of early adolescent stress exposure in rats are accompanied by changes in PFC mitochondria-related genes and mitochondria respiratory chain capacity. We performed a behavioral characterization during late adolescence (postnatal day, PND 47-50), including naïve animals and a group exposed to stress from PND 31-40 (10 days of footshock and 3 restraint sessions) by z-normalized data from three behavioral domains: anxiety (light-dark box tests), sociability (social interaction test) and cognition (novel-object recognition test). Employing principal component analysis, we identified three clusters: naïve with higher-behavioral z-score (HBZ), naïve with lower-behavioral z-score (LBZ), and stressed animals. Genome-wide transcriptional profiling unveiled differences in the expression of mitochondria-related genes in both naïve LBZ and stressed animals compared to naïve HBZ. Genes encoding subunits of oxidative phosphorylation complexes were significantly down-regulated in both naïve LBZ and stressed animals and positively correlated with behavioral z-score of phenotypes. Our network topology analysis of mitochondria-associated genes found Ndufa10 and Cox6a1 genes as central identifiers for naïve LBZ and stressed animals, respectively. Through high-resolution respirometry analysis, we found that both naïve LBZ and stressed animals exhibited a reduced prefrontal phosphorylation capacity and redox dysregulation. Our findings identify an association between mitochondrial features and distinct adolescent behavioral phenotypes while also underscoring the detrimental functional consequences of adolescent stress on the PFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thamyris Santos-Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Doğukan Hazar Ülgen
- Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Caio Fábio Baeta Lopes
- Ribeirão Preto Pharmaceutical Sciences School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Francisco S Guimarães
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Luciane Carla Alberici
- Ribeirão Preto Pharmaceutical Sciences School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil
| | - Carmen Sandi
- Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Felipe V Gomes
- Department of Pharmacology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
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15
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Suppalarkbunlue W, Duangchaiyoosook S, Khruapradit V, Kilenthong WT. Material incentive motivation and working memory performance of kindergartners: A large-scale randomized controlled trial. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 235:105730. [PMID: 37406537 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2022] [Revised: 06/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the effect of material incentive motivation on the working memory performance of kindergartners using a large-scale randomized controlled trial covering 7123 children aged 50 to 144 months (M = 75.85 months) from 19 provinces in Thailand. This study measured the working memory of young children using the digit span task. The first finding is that material incentive motivation raised the working memory performance of young children by 4% of the mean of the control group. The second finding is that young children with different background characteristics responded to material incentive motivation uniformly except for the children's age. The third finding is that school readiness was the most predictive variable for the working memory performance of young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Warabud Suppalarkbunlue
- School of Early Childhood Education, University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok 10400, Thailand.
| | - Sartja Duangchaiyoosook
- Research Institute for Policy Evaluation and Design (RIPED), University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Varunee Khruapradit
- Research Institute for Policy Evaluation and Design (RIPED), University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
| | - Weerachart T Kilenthong
- Research Institute for Policy Evaluation and Design (RIPED), University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
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16
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Thomas RP, Wittke K, Blume J, Mastergeorge AM, Naigles L. Predicting Language in Children with ASD Using Spontaneous Language Samples and Standardized Measures. J Autism Dev Disord 2023; 53:3916-3931. [PMID: 35930209 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05691-z] [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] [Accepted: 07/16/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
This longitudinal study examined the degree to which standardized measures of language and natural language samples predicted later language usage in a heterogeneous sample of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and how this relationship is impacted by ASD severity and interventions. Participants with a diagnosis of ASD (N = 54, 41 males) completed standardized assessments of language and social functioning; natural language samples were transcribed from play-based interactions. Findings indicated that standardized language measures, natural language measures, and ADOS severity were each unique predictors of later lexical use. Intervention types also appeared to impact later language; in particular, participation in mainstream inclusion accounted for significant amounts of variance in children's mean length of utterance at T3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca P Thomas
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Bousfield Psychology Building, 406 Babbidge Road Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA.
| | - Kacie Wittke
- Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jessica Blume
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Ann M Mastergeorge
- Human Development and Family Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Letitia Naigles
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Connecticut, Bousfield Psychology Building, 406 Babbidge Road Unit 1020, Storrs, CT, 06269, USA
- Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, USA
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17
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Abstract
The transition from childhood to adulthood represents the developmental time frame in which the majority of psychiatric disorders emerge. Recent efforts to identify risk factors mediating the susceptibility to psychopathology have led to a heightened focus on both typical and atypical trajectories of neural circuit maturation. Mounting evidence has highlighted the immense neural plasticity apparent in the developing brain. Although in many cases adaptive, the capacity for neural circuit alteration also induces a state of vulnerability to environmental perturbations, such that early-life experiences have long-lasting implications for cognitive and emotional functioning in adulthood. The authors outline preclinical and neuroimaging studies of normative human brain circuit development, as well as parallel efforts covered in this issue of the Journal, to identify brain circuit alterations in psychiatric disorders that frequently emerge in developing populations. Continued translational research into the interactive effects of neurobiological development and external factors will be crucial for identifying early-life risk factors that may contribute to the emergence of psychiatric illness and provide the key to optimizing treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Meyer
- The Department of Psychiatry and the Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York
| | - Francis S Lee
- The Department of Psychiatry and the Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, New York
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18
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Meyer HC, Fields A, Vannucci A, Gerhard DM, Bloom PA, Heleniak C, Opendak M, Sullivan R, Tottenham N, Callaghan BL, Lee FS. The Added Value of Crosstalk Between Developmental Circuit Neuroscience and Clinical Practice to Inform the Treatment of Adolescent Anxiety. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY GLOBAL OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 3:169-178. [PMID: 37124361 PMCID: PMC10140450 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Revised: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Significant advances have been made in recent years regarding the developmental trajectories of brain circuits and networks, revealing links between brain structure and function. Emerging evidence highlights the importance of developmental trajectories in determining early psychiatric outcomes. However, efforts to encourage crosstalk between basic developmental neuroscience and clinical practice are limited. Here, we focus on the potential advantage of considering features of neural circuit development when optimizing treatments for adolescent patient populations. Drawing on characteristics of adolescent neurodevelopment, we highlight two examples, safety cues and incentives, that leverage insights from neural circuit development and may have great promise for augmenting existing behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders during adolescence. This commentary seeks to serve as a framework to maximize the translational potential of basic research in developmental populations for strengthening psychiatric treatments. In turn, input from clinical practice including the identification of age-specific clinically relevant phenotypes will continue to guide future basic research in the same neural circuits to better reflect clinical practices. Encouraging reciprocal communication to bridge the gap between basic developmental neuroscience research and clinical implementation is an important step toward advancing both research and practice in this domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C. Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Andrea Fields
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Anna Vannucci
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Danielle M. Gerhard
- Department of Psychiatry, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
| | - Paul A. Bloom
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | | | - Maya Opendak
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
- Department of Neuroscience, Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Regina Sullivan
- Emotional Brain Institute, Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, Orangeburg, New York
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, New York
| | - Bridget L. Callaghan
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Joan & Sanford I. Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, New York
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19
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Abstract
Frameworks of emotional development have tended to focus on how environmental factors shape children's emotion understanding. However, individual experiences of emotion represent a complex interplay between both external environmental inputs and internal somatovisceral signaling. Here, we discuss the importance of afferent signals and coordination between central and peripheral mechanisms in affective response processing. We propose that incorporating somatovisceral theories of emotions into frameworks of emotional development can inform how children understand emotions in themselves and others. We highlight promising directions for future research on emotional development incorporating this perspective, namely afferent cardiac processing and interoception, immune activation, physiological synchrony, and social touch.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Faig
- Department of Psychology, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Road, Clinton, NY 13502
| | - Karen E Smith
- Department of Psychology, the University of Wisconsin, 1500 Highland Blvd, Madison, WI, 53705
| | - Stephanie J Dimitroff
- Department of Psychology, Universität Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
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20
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Gee DG. Neurodevelopmental mechanisms linking early experiences and mental health: Translating science to promote well-being among youth. AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGIST 2022; 77:1033-1045. [PMID: 36595400 PMCID: PMC9875304 DOI: 10.1037/amp0001107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Early experiences can have profound and lasting effects on mental health. Delineating neurodevelopmental pathways related to risk and resilience following adversity exposure is critical for promoting well-being and targeting interventions. A rapidly growing cross-species literature has facilitated advances in identifying neural and behavioral mechanisms linking early experiences with mental health, highlighting a central role of corticolimbic circuitry involved in learning and emotion regulation. Building upon knowledge of corticolimbic development related to stress and buffering factors, we describe the importance of the developmental timing and experiential elements of adversity in mental health outcomes. Finally, we discuss opportunities to translate knowledge of the developing brain and early experiences to optimize interventions for youth with psychopathology and to inform policy that promotes healthy development at the societal level. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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21
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Martin AJ, Balzer B, Garden F, Handelsman DJ, Hawke C, Luscombe G, Paxton K, Skinner SR, Steinbeck K. The role of motivation and puberty hormones in adolescents' academic engagement and disengagement: A latent growth modeling study. LEARNING AND INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lindif.2022.102213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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22
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McGuirt A, Pigulevskiy I, Sulzer D. Developmental regulation of thalamus-driven pauses in striatal cholinergic interneurons. iScience 2022; 25:105332. [PMID: 36325074 PMCID: PMC9619292 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Revised: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
In response to salient sensory cues, the tonically active striatal cholinergic interneuron (ChI) exhibits a characteristic synchronized "pause" thought to facilitate learning and the execution of motivated behavior. We report that thalamostriatal-driven ChI pauses are enhanced in ex vivo brain slices from infantile (P10) mice, with decreasing expression in preadolescent (P28) and adult (P100) mice concurrent with waning excitatory input to ChIs. Our data are consistent with previous reports that the adult ChI pause is dependent on dopamine signaling, but we find that the robust pausing at P10 is dopamine independent. Instead, elevated expression of the noninactivating delayed rectifier Kv7.2/3 current promotes pausing in infantile ChIs. Because this current decreases over development, a parallel increase in Ih further attenuates pause expression. These findings demonstrate that cell intrinsic and circuit mechanisms of ChI pause expression are developmentally determined and may underlie changes in learning properties as the nervous system matures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery McGuirt
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pharmacology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Irena Pigulevskiy
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pharmacology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - David Sulzer
- Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, Pharmacology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Division of Molecular Therapeutics, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA
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23
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Gee DG, Hanson C, Caglar LR, Fareri DS, Gabard-Durnam LJ, Mills-Finnerty C, Goff B, Caldera CJ, Lumian DS, Flannery J, Hanson SJ, Tottenham N. Experimental evidence for a child-to-adolescent switch in human amygdala-prefrontal cortex communication: A cross-sectional pilot study. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13238. [PMID: 35080089 PMCID: PMC9232876 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Revised: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex are fundamental to human emotion. Despite the central role of frontoamygdala communication in adult emotional learning and regulation, little is known about how top-down control emerges during human development. In the present cross-sectional pilot study, we experimentally manipulated prefrontal engagement to test its effects on the amygdala during development. Inducing dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) activation resulted in developmentally-opposite effects on amygdala reactivity during childhood versus adolescence, such that dACC activation was followed by increased amygdala reactivity in childhood but reduced amygdala reactivity in adolescence. Bayesian network analyses revealed an age-related switch between childhood and adolescence in the nature of amygdala connectivity with the dACC and ventromedial PFC (vmPFC). Whereas adolescence was marked by information flow from dACC and vmPFC to amygdala (consistent with that observed in adults), the reverse information flow, from the amygdala to dACC and vmPFC, was dominant in childhood. The age-related switch in information flow suggests a potential shift from bottom-up co-excitatory to top-down regulatory frontoamygdala connectivity and may indicate a profound change in the circuitry supporting maturation of emotional behavior. These findings provide novel insight into the developmental construction of amygdala-cortical connections and implications for the ways in which childhood experiences may influence subsequent prefrontal function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan G. Gee
- Yale University, Department of Psychology, 2 Hillhouse Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: ,
| | - Catherine Hanson
- Rutgers University, Department of Psychology, 101 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07102
| | - Leyla Roksan Caglar
- Rutgers University, Department of Psychology, 101 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07102
| | - Dominic S. Fareri
- Adelphi University, Department of Psychology, Blodgett Hall, Garden City, NY 11530
| | | | | | - Bonnie Goff
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Christina J. Caldera
- University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Daniel S. Lumian
- University of Denver, Department of Psychology, 2155 S. Race Street, Denver, CO 80210
| | - Jessica Flannery
- University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, Department of Psychology, 235 E. Cameron Ave, Chapel Hill, NC 27599
| | - Stephen J. Hanson
- Rutgers University, Department of Psychology, 101 Warren Street, Newark, NJ 07102
| | - Nim Tottenham
- Columbia University, Department of Psychology, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027
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Farber MJ, Gee DG, Hariri AR. Normative range parenting and the developing brain: A scoping review and recommendations for future research. Eur J Neurosci 2022; 55:2341-2358. [PMID: 33051903 PMCID: PMC8044268 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Revised: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Studies of early adversity such as trauma, abuse, and neglect highlight the critical importance of quality caregiving in brain development and mental health. However, the impact of normative range variability in caregiving on such biobehavioral processes remains poorly understood. Thus, we lack an essential foundation for understanding broader, population-representative developmental mechanisms of risk and resilience. Here, we conduct a scoping review of the extant literature centered on the question, "Is variability in normative range parenting associated with variability in brain structure and function?" After removing duplicates and screening by title, abstract, and full-text, 23 records were included in a qualitative review. The most striking outcome of this review was not only how few studies have explored associations between brain development and normative range parenting, but also how little methodological consistency exists across published studies. In light of these limitations, we propose recommendations for future research on normative range parenting and brain development. In doing so, we hope to facilitate evidence-based research that will help inform policies and practices that yield optimal developmental trajectories and mental health as well as extend the literature on the neurodevelopmental impact of early life stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeline J. Farber
- Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Department of Psychology &
Neuroscience, Duke University
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Clinical Affective Neuroscience & Development
Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Yale University
| | - Ahmad R. Hariri
- Laboratory of NeuroGenetics, Department of Psychology &
Neuroscience, Duke University
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25
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Lichenstein SD, Roos C, Kohler R, Kiluk B, Carroll KM, Worhunsky PD, Witkiewitz K, Yip SW. Identification and Validation of Distinct Latent Neurodevelopmental Profiles in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2022; 7:352-361. [PMID: 33706021 PMCID: PMC8426420 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2021.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Regardless of the precise mechanism, all neurodevelopmental models of risk assume that, at the population level, there exist subgroups of individuals that share similar patterns of neural function and development-and that these subgroups somehow relate to psychiatric risk. However, the existence of multiple neurodevelopmental subgroups at the population level has not been assessed previously. METHODS In the current study, cross-validated latent profile analysis was used to test for the presence of empirically derived, brain-based developmental subgroups using functional magnetic resonance imaging data from 6758 individuals (49.4% female; mean age = 9.94 years) in the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study wave 1 release. Data were randomly split into training and testing samples. RESULTS Analyses in the training sample (n = 3379) identified a seven-profile solution (entropy = 0.880) that was replicated in the held-out testing data (n = 3379, entropy = 0.890). Identified subgroups included a moderate group (66.8%), high reward (4.3%) and low reward (4.0%) groups, high inhibition (9.8%) and low inhibition (6.7%) groups, and high emotion regulation (4.0%) and low emotion regulation (4.3%) groups. Relative to the moderate group, other subgroups were characterized by more males (χ2 = 24.10, p = .0005), higher proportions of individuals from lower-income households (χ2 = 122.17, p < .0001), poorer cognitive performance (ps < .0001), more screen time (F = 6.80, p < .0001), heightened impulsivity (ps < .006), and higher rates of neurodevelopmental disorders (χ2 = 26.20, p = .0002). CONCLUSIONS These data demonstrate the existence of multiple, distinct neurodevelopmental subgroups at the population level. They indicate that these empirically derived, brain-based developmental profiles relate to differences in clinical features, even at a young age, and prior to the peak period of risk for the development of psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Corey Roos
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Robert Kohler
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Brian Kiluk
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Kathleen M Carroll
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | | | - Katie Witkiewitz
- Department of Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
| | - Sarah W Yip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut; Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut.
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26
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Ip KI, Sisk LM, Horien C, Conley MI, Rapuano KM, Rosenberg MD, Greene AS, Scheinost D, Constable RT, Casey BJ, Baskin-Sommers A, Gee DG. Associations among Household and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantages, Resting-state Frontoamygdala Connectivity, and Internalizing Symptoms in Youth. J Cogn Neurosci 2022; 34:1810-1841. [PMID: 35104356 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_01826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to socioeconomic disadvantages (SED) can have negative impacts on mental health, yet SED are a multifaceted construct and the precise processes by which SED confer deleterious effects are less clear. Using a large and diverse sample of preadolescents (ages 9-10 years at baseline, n = 4038, 49% female) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study, we examined associations among SED at both household (i.e., income-needs and material hardship) and neighborhood (i.e., area deprivation and neighborhood unsafety) levels, frontoamygdala resting-state functional connectivity, and internalizing symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up. SED were positively associated with internalizing symptoms at baseline and indirectly predicted symptoms 1 year later through elevated symptoms at baseline. At the household level, youth in households characterized by higher disadvantage (i.e., lower income-to-needs ratio) exhibited more strongly negative frontoamygdala coupling, particularly between the bilateral amygdala and medial OFC (mOFC) regions within the frontoparietal network. Although more strongly positive amygdala-mOFC coupling was associated with higher levels of internalizing symptoms at baseline and 1-year follow-up, it did not mediate the association between income-to-needs ratio and internalizing symptoms. However, at the neighborhood level, amygdala-mOFC functional coupling moderated the effect of neighborhood deprivation on internalizing symptoms. Specifically, higher neighborhood deprivation was associated with higher internalizing symptoms for youth with more strongly positive connectivity, but not for youth with more strongly negative connectivity, suggesting a potential buffering effect. Findings highlight the importance of capturing multilevel socioecological contexts in which youth develop to identify youth who are most likely to benefit from early interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ka I Ip
- Yale University, New Haven, CT
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27
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Ventura R, Cabib S, Babicola L, Andolina D, Di Segni M, Orsini C. Interactions Between Experience, Genotype and Sex in the Development of Individual Coping Strategies. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 15:785739. [PMID: 34987364 PMCID: PMC8721137 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.785739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Coping strategies, the first line of defense against adversities, develop through experience. There is consistent evidence that both genotype and sex contribute to the development of dysfunctional coping, leading to maladaptive outcomes of adverse experiences or to adaptive coping that fosters rapid recovery even from severe stress. However, how these factors interact to influence the development of individual coping strategies is just starting to be investigated. In the following review, we will consider evidence that experience, sex, and genotype influence the brain circuits and neurobiological processes involved in coping with adversities and discuss recent results pointing to the specific effects of the interaction between early experiences, genotype, and stress in the development of functional and dysfunctional coping styles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rossella Ventura
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Cabib
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Lucy Babicola
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Diego Andolina
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy.,Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Matteo Di Segni
- Department of Experimental Neurosciences, IRCCS Fondazione Santa Lucia, Rome, Italy
| | - Cristina Orsini
- Department of Psychology and Centre for Research in Neurobiology D. Bovet, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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28
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Murlanova K, Hasegawa Y, Kamiya A, Pletnikov MV. Cannabis effects on the adolescent brain. CANNABIS AND THE DEVELOPING BRAIN 2022:283-330. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-823490-7.00007-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2025]
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29
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Brown RW, Varnum CG, Wills LJ, Peeters LD, Gass JT. Modulation of mGlu5 improves sensorimotor gating deficits in rats neonatally treated with quinpirole through changes in dopamine D2 signaling. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2021; 211:173292. [PMID: 34710401 PMCID: PMC9176413 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2021.173292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [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: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
This study analyzed whether the positive allosteric modulator of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 (mGlu5) 3-Cyano-N-(1,3-diphenyl-1H-pyrazol-5-yl) benzamide (CDPPB) would alleviate deficits in prepulse inhibition (PPI) and affect dopamine (DA) D2 signaling in the dorsal striatum and prefrontal cortex (PFC) in the neonatal quinpirole (NQ) model of schizophrenia (SZ). Male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were neonatally treated with either saline (NS) or quinpirole HCL (1 mg/kg; NQ), a DAD2 receptor agonist, from postnatal days (P) 1-21. Rats were raised to P44 and behaviorally tested on PPI from P44-P48. Before each trial, rats were subcutaneous (sc) administered saline or CDPPB (10 mg/kg or 30 mg/kg). On P50, rats were given a spontaneous locomotor activity test after CDPPB or saline administration. On P51, the dorsal striatum and PFC were evaluated for both arrestin-2 (βA-2) and phospho-AKT protein levels. NQ-treated rats demonstrated a significant deficit in PPI, which was alleviated to control levels by the 30 mg/kg dose of CDPPB. There were no significant effects of CDPPB on locomotor activity. NQ treatment increased βA-2 and decreased phospho-AKT in both the dorsal striatum and PFC, consistent with an increase DAD2 signaling. The 30 mg/kg dose of CDPPB significantly reversed changes in βA-2 in the dorsal striatum and PFC and phospho-AKT in the PFC equivalent to controls. Both doses of CDPPB produced a decrease of phospho-AKT in the PFC compared to controls. This study revealed that a mGlu5 positive allosteric modulator was effective to alleviate PPI deficits and striatal DAD2 signaling in the NQ model of SZ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell W Brown
- Department of Biomedical Sciences James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN 37614, United States of America.
| | - Christopher G Varnum
- Department of Biomedical Sciences James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN 37614, United States of America
| | - Liza J Wills
- Department of Biomedical Sciences James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN 37614, United States of America
| | - Loren D Peeters
- Department of Biomedical Sciences James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN 37614, United States of America
| | - Justin T Gass
- Department of Biomedical Sciences James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University Johnson City, TN 37614, United States of America
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30
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Icenogle G, Cauffman E. Adolescent decision making: A decade in review. JOURNAL OF RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR RESEARCH ON ADOLESCENCE 2021; 31:1006-1022. [PMID: 34820945 DOI: 10.1111/jora.12608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Research in the past decade has highlighted the nuances of adolescent decision making. In this review article, we summarize several themes evident in the field of developmental science including the redefinition of adolescence and the ways in which adolescent decision-making capabilities converge with or diverge from those of adults. While the decision-making process is similar for adolescents and adults in contexts that encourage deliberation and reflection, adolescents and adults differ in contexts which preclude deliberation vis-à-vis high emotional arousal. We also discuss the reconceptualization of adolescent behavior, including risk taking, as adaptive. That is, characteristics of adolescence, including impulsivity, the importance of peers, and novelty seeking, are normative, evolutionarily advantageous, and essential for positive development. While these features manifest in negative, health-compromising ways (e.g., risky driving and criminal behavior), they also foster growth and exploration. We conclude with a discussion of potential avenues for future research.
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31
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Meyer HC, Sangha S, Radley JJ, LaLumiere RT, Baratta MV. Environmental certainty influences the neural systems regulating responses to threat and stress. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2021; 131:1037-1055. [PMID: 34673111 PMCID: PMC8642312 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2021.10.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/01/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Flexible calibration of threat responding in accordance with the environment is an adaptive process that allows an animal to avoid harm while also maintaining engagement of other goal-directed actions. This calibration process, referred to as threat response regulation, requires an animal to calculate the probability that a given encounter will result in a threat so they can respond accordingly. Here we review the neural correlates of two highly studied forms of threat response suppression: extinction and safety conditioning. We focus on how relative levels of certainty or uncertainty in the surrounding environment alter the acquisition and application of these processes. We also discuss evidence indicating altered threat response regulation following stress exposure, including enhanced fear conditioning, and disrupted extinction and safety conditioning. To conclude, we discuss research using an animal model of coping that examines the impact of stressor controllability on threat responding, highlighting the potential for previous experiences with control, or other forms of coping, to protect against the effects of future adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Meyer
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, 02215, USA.
| | - Susan Sangha
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
| | - Jason J Radley
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Ryan T LaLumiere
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA.
| | - Michael V Baratta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80301, USA.
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32
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Gerhard DM, Meyer HC. Extinction trial spacing across days differentially impacts fear regulation in adult and adolescent male mice. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2021; 186:107543. [PMID: 34748926 PMCID: PMC8744067 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2021.107543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Fear regulation changes as a function of age and adolescence is a key developmental period for the continued maturation of fear neural circuitry. A consistent finding in the literature is diminished extinction retention in adolescents. However, these studies often directly compare adolescents to adults using a single protocol and therefore provide little insight into learning parameters that improve adolescent fear regulation. Studies in adults highlight the benefits of spaced learning over massed learning. These findings have been extended to fear regulation, with adult rodents exhibiting improved extinction learning and retention when cues are distributed over days versus a single session. However, similar studies have not been performed in adolescents. Here, we systematically examine the impact of trial spacing across days on fear regulation. Adolescent or adult male mice were exposed to one of three extinction paradigms that presented the same number of trials but differed in the temporal distribution of trials across days (one day, two days, or four days). We found that introducing consolidation events into the protocol improves adult extinction learning and short-term extinction retention but these effects disappear after two weeks. For adolescents, all three protocols were comparably effective in reducing freezing across extinction training and improved retention at both short-term and long-term fear recall time points relative to extinction-naive mice. These findings suggest that extinction protocols that incorporate consolidation events are optimal for adults but additional booster training may be required for enduring efficacy. In contrast, protocols incorporating either massed or spaced presentations show immediate and enduring benefits for adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle M Gerhard
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States.
| | - Heidi C Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States; Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States.
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33
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Perigenual and Subgenual Anterior Cingulate Afferents Converge on Common Pyramidal Cells in Amygdala Subregions of the Macaque. J Neurosci 2021; 41:9742-9755. [PMID: 34649954 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1056-21.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The subgenual (sgACC) and perigenual (pgACC) anterior cingulate are important afferents of the amygdala, with different cytoarchitecture, connectivity, and function. The sgACC is associated with arousal mechanisms linked to salient cues, whereas the pgACC is engaged in conflict decision-making, including in social contexts. After placing same-size, small volume tracer injections into sgACC and pgACC of the same hemisphere in male macaques, we examined anterogradely labeled fiber distribution to understand how these different functional systems communicate in the main amygdala nuclei at both mesocopic and cellular levels. The sgACC has broad-based termination patterns. In contrast, the pgACC has a more restricted pattern, which was always nested in sgACC terminals. Terminal overlap occurred in subregions of the accessory basal and basal nuclei, which we termed "hotspots." In triple-labeling confocal studies, the majority of randomly selected CaMKIIα-positive cells (putative amygdala glutamatergic neurons) in hotspots received dual contacts from the sgACC and pgACC. The ratio of dual contacts occurred over a surprisingly narrow range, suggesting a consistent, tight balance of afferent contacts on postsynaptic neurons. Large boutons, which are associated with greater synaptic strength, were ∼3 times more frequent on sgACC versus pgACC axon terminals in hotspots, consistent with a fast "driver" function. Together, the results reveal a nested interaction in which pgACC ("conflict/social monitoring") terminals converge with the broader sgACC ("salience") terminals at both the mesoscopic and cellular level. The presynaptic organization in hotspots suggests that shifts in arousal states can rapidly and flexibly influence decision-making functions in the amygdala.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The subgenual (sgACC) and perigenual cingulate (pgACC) have distinct structural and functional characteristics and are important afferent modulators of the amygdala. The sgACC is critical for arousal, whereas the pgACC mediates conflict-monitoring, including in social contexts. Using dual tracer injections in the same monkey, we found that sgACC inputs broadly project in the main amygdala nuclei, whereas pgACC inputs were more restricted and nested in zones containing sgACC terminals (hotspots). The majority of CaMKIIα + (excitatory) amygdala neurons in hotspots received converging contacts, which were tightly balanced. pgACC and sgACC afferent streams are therefore highly interdependent in these specific amygdala subregions, permitting "internal arousal" states to rapidly shape responses of amygdala neurons involved in conflict and social monitoring networks.
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34
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Gee DG. Early Adversity and Development: Parsing Heterogeneity and Identifying Pathways of Risk and Resilience. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:998-1013. [PMID: 34734741 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2021.21090944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Adversity early in life is common and is a major risk factor for the onset of psychopathology. Delineating the neurodevelopmental pathways by which early adversity affects mental health is critical for early risk identification and targeted treatment approaches. A rapidly growing cross-species literature has facilitated advances in identifying the mechanisms linking adversity with psychopathology, specific dimensions of adversity and timing-related factors that differentially relate to outcomes, and protective factors that buffer against the effects of adversity. Yet, vast complexity and heterogeneity in early environments and neurodevelopmental trajectories contribute to the challenges of understanding risk and resilience in the context of early adversity. In this overview, the author highlights progress in four major areas-mechanisms, heterogeneity, developmental timing, and protective factors; synthesizes key challenges; and provides recommendations for future research that can facilitate progress in the field. Translation across species and ongoing refinement of conceptual models have strong potential to inform prevention and intervention strategies that can reduce the immense burden of psychopathology associated with early adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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35
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Melbourne JK, Chandler CM, Van Doorn CE, Bardo MT, Pauly JR, Peng H, Nixon K. Primed for addiction: A critical review of the role of microglia in the neurodevelopmental consequences of adolescent alcohol drinking. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2021; 45:1908-1926. [PMID: 34486128 PMCID: PMC8793635 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14694] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Alcohol is one of the most widely used recreational substances worldwide, with drinking frequently initiated during adolescence. The developmental state of the adolescent brain makes it vulnerable to initiating alcohol use, often in high doses, and particularly susceptible to alcohol-induced brain changes. Microglia, the brain parenchymal macrophages, have been implicated in mediating some of these effects, though the role that these cells play in the progression from alcohol drinking to dependence remains unclear. Microglia are uniquely positioned to sense and respond to central nervous system insult, and are now understood to exhibit innate immune memory, or "priming," altering their future functional responses based on prior exposures. In alcohol use disorders (AUDs), the role of microglia is debated. Whereas microglial activation can be pathogenic, contributing to neuroinflammation, tissue damage, and behavioral changes, or protective, it can also engage protective functions, providing support and mediating the resolution of damage. Understanding the role of microglia in adolescent AUDs is complicated by the fact that microglia are thought to be involved in developmental processes such as synaptic refinement and myelination, which underlie the functional maturation of multiple brain systems in adolescence. Thus, the role microglia play in the impact of alcohol use in adolescence is likely multifaceted. Long-term sequelae may be due to a failure to recover from EtOH-induced tissue damage, altered neurodevelopmental trajectories, and/or persistent changes to microglial responsivity and function. Here, we review critically the literature surrounding the effects of alcohol on microglia in models of adolescent alcohol misuse. We attempt to disentangle what is known about microglia from other neuroimmune effectors, to which we apply recent discoveries on the role of microglia in development and plasticity. Considered altogether, these studies challenge assumptions that proinflammatory microglia drive addiction. Alcohol priming microglia and thereby perturbing their homeostatic roles in neurodevelopment, especially during critical periods of plasticity such as adolescence, may have more serious implications for the neuropathogenesis of AUDs in adolescents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer K. Melbourne
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Cassie M. Chandler
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | | | - Michael T. Bardo
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - James R. Pauly
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Hui Peng
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky, USA
| | - Kimberly Nixon
- Division of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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36
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Wiring of higher-order cortical areas: Spatiotemporal development of cortical hierarchy. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2021; 118:35-49. [PMID: 34034988 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2021.05.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
A hierarchical development of cortical areas was suggested over a century ago, but the diversity and complexity of cortical hierarchy properties have so far prevented a formal demonstration. The aim of this review is to clarify the similarities and differences in the developmental processes underlying cortical development of primary and higher-order areas. We start by recapitulating the historical and recent advances underlying the biological principle of cortical hierarchy in adults. We then revisit the arguments for a hierarchical maturation of cortical areas, and further integrate the principles of cortical areas specification during embryonic and postnatal development. We highlight how the dramatic expansion in cortical size might have contributed to the increased number of association areas sustaining cognitive complexification in evolution. Finally, we summarize the recent observations of an alteration of cortical hierarchy in neuropsychiatric disorders and discuss their potential developmental origins.
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37
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Lowes DC, Harris AZ. Early to beta and neuronally precocial makes a mouse have weak gamma and be less social. Neuron 2021; 109:1250-1252. [PMID: 33887190 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2021.03.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In this issue of Neuron, Bitzenhofer et al. show that transiently stimulating the prefrontal cortex during a brief critical window early in development causes precocious maturation and lasting deleterious consequences on circuit activity and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel C Lowes
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA
| | - Alexander Z Harris
- Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY 10032, USA; Division of Systems Neuroscience, New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY 10032, USA.
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An Adolescent Sensitive Period for Threat Responding: Impacts of Stress and Sex. Biol Psychiatry 2021; 89:651-658. [PMID: 33342545 PMCID: PMC7954972 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2020.10.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety and fear-related disorders peak in prevalence during adolescence, a window of rapid behavioral development and neural remodeling. However, understanding of the development of threat responding and the underlying neural circuits remains limited. Preclinical models of threat conditioning and extinction have provided an unparalleled glimpse into the developing brain. In this review we discuss mouse and rat studies on the development of threat response regulation, with a focus on the adolescent period. Evidence of nonlinear patterns of threat responding during adolescence and the continued development of the underlying circuitry is highly indicative of an adolescent sensitive period for threat response regulation. While we highlight literature in support of this unique developmental window, we also emphasize the need for causal studies to clarify the parameters defining such a sensitive period. In doing so, we explore how stress and biological sex affect the development and expression of threat response regulation during adolescence and beyond. Ultimately, a deeper understanding of how these factors interact with and affect developmental trajectories of learning and memory will inform treatment and prevention strategies for pediatric anxiety disorders.
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Hong SJ, Sisk LM, Caballero C, Mekhanik A, Roy AK, Milham MP, Gee DG. Decomposing complex links between the childhood environment and brain structure in school-aged youth. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2021; 48:100919. [PMID: 33556882 PMCID: PMC7868609 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2021.100919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 10/26/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Childhood experiences play a profound role in conferring risk and resilience for brain and behavioral development. However, how different facets of the environment shape neurodevelopment remains largely unknown. Here we sought to decompose heterogeneous relationships between environmental factors and brain structure in 989 school-aged children from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. We applied a cross-modal integration and clustering approach called 'Similarity Network Fusion', which combined two brain morphometrics (i.e., cortical thickness and myelin-surrogate markers), and key environmental factors (i.e., trauma exposure, neighborhood safety, school environment, and family environment) to identify homogeneous subtypes. Depending on the subtyping resolution, results identified two or five subgroups, each characterized by distinct brain structure-environment profiles. Notably, more supportive caregiving and school environments were associated with greater myelination, whereas less supportive caregiving, higher family conflict and psychopathology, and higher perceived neighborhood safety were observed with greater cortical thickness. These subtypes were highly reproducible and predicted externalizing symptoms and overall mental health problems. Our findings support the theory that distinct environmental exposures are differentially associated with alterations in structural neurodevelopment. Delineating more precise associations between risk factors, protective factors, and brain development may inform approaches to enhance risk identification and optimize interventions targeting specific experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seok-Jun Hong
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA; Center for Neuroscience Imaging Research, Institute for Basic Science, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea; Department of Biomedical Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, South Korea
| | - Lucinda M Sisk
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Anthony Mekhanik
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA
| | - Amy K Roy
- Department of Psychology, Fordham University, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Michael P Milham
- Center for the Developing Brain, Child Mind Institute, New York, NY, USA; Center for Biomedical Imaging and Neuromodulation, Nathan Kline Institute, Orangeburg, NY, USA
| | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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40
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Traumatic brain injury in adolescence: A review of the neurobiological and behavioural underpinnings and outcomes. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2020.100943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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41
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Meyer HC, Gerhard DM, Amelio PA, Lee FS. Pre-adolescent stress disrupts adult, but not adolescent, safety learning. Behav Brain Res 2021; 400:113005. [PMID: 33171149 PMCID: PMC8283802 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 09/26/2020] [Accepted: 11/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent across the lifespan, although diagnoses peak early in adolescence. As a method for inhibiting fear, safety signals have the potential to augment conventional treatments for anxiety. However, the ability to acquire and use safety signals during adolescence remains unclear. Moreover, the impact of stress on safety learning has received surprisingly little attention given that stress is a major factor preceding anxiety onset. In this study, mice were trained in a discriminative conditioning protocol to facilitate safety learning and were tested for fear inhibition using a conditioned safety signal. Next, independent groups of mice were exposed to chronic unpredictable stress (CUS) conditions between postnatal day 22 and 28, followed by tests for anxiety-like phenotypes or fear inhibition using a safety signal, performed either 24 h or five weeks following CUS. Pre-adolescent CUS reduced weight in adolescence and this effect endured into adulthood. CUS also increased specific anxiety-like behaviors in adolescence that were unique from the increase in anxiety observed in adulthood. Despite increased anxiety-like behaviors, adolescents were able to learn about and effectively use safety signals to inhibit fear. In contrast, adults that experienced CUS showed a subtle increase in anxiety but had impaired safety signal learning and usage. Together, these findings indicate that pre-adolescent stress has immediate and enduring effects on anxiety-like behaviors but impairs the capacity for conditioned inhibition only following incubation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heidi C Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Danielle M Gerhard
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
| | - Paia A Amelio
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA; School of Communication, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, 60208, USA.
| | - Francis S Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA; Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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42
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Yazgan I, Hanson JL, Bates JE, Lansford JE, Pettit GS, Dodge KA. Cumulative early childhood adversity and later antisocial behavior: The mediating role of passive avoidance. Dev Psychopathol 2021; 33:340-350. [PMID: 32200772 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579419001809] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Twenty-six percent of children experience a traumatic event by the age of 4. Negative events during childhood have deleterious correlates later in life, including antisocial behavior. However, the mechanisms that play into this relation are unclear. We explored deficits in neurocognitive functioning, specifically problems in passive avoidance, a construct with elements of inhibitory control and learning as a potential acquired mediator for the pathway between cumulative early childhood adversity from birth to age 7 and later antisocial behavior through age 18, using prospective longitudinal data from 585 participants. Path analyses showed that cumulative early childhood adversity predicted impaired passive avoidance during adolescence and increased antisocial behavior during late adolescence. Furthermore, poor neurocognition, namely, passive avoidance, predicted later antisocial behavior and significantly mediated the relation between cumulative early childhood adversity and later antisocial behavior. This research has implications for understanding the development of later antisocial behavior and points to a potential target for neurocognitive intervention within the pathway from cumulative early childhood adversity to later antisocial behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Idil Yazgan
- Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jamie L Hanson
- Department of Psychology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - John E Bates
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Jennifer E Lansford
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | - Gregory S Pettit
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies / College of Human Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Kenneth A Dodge
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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Odriozola P, Gee DG. Learning About Safety: Conditioned Inhibition as a Novel Approach to Fear Reduction Targeting the Developing Brain. Am J Psychiatry 2021; 178:136-155. [PMID: 33167673 PMCID: PMC7951569 DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.20020232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Adolescence is a peak time for the onset of psychiatric disorders, with anxiety disorders being the most common and affecting as many as 30% of youths. A core feature of anxiety disorders is difficulty regulating fear, with evidence suggesting deficits in extinction learning and corresponding alterations in frontolimbic circuitry. Despite marked changes in this neural circuitry and extinction learning throughout development, interventions for anxious youths are largely based on principles of extinction learning studied in adulthood. Safety signal learning, based on conditioned inhibition of fear in the presence of a cue that indicates safety, has been shown to effectively reduce anxiety-like behavior in animal models and attenuate fear responses in healthy adults. Cross-species evidence suggests that safety signal learning involves connections between the ventral hippocampus and the prelimbic cortex in rodents or the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in humans. Particularly because this pathway follows a different developmental trajectory than fronto-amygdala circuitry involved in traditional extinction learning, safety cues may provide a novel approach to reducing fear in youths. In this review, the authors leverage a translational framework to bring together findings from studies in animal models and humans and to bridge the gap between research on basic neuroscience and clinical treatment. The authors consider the potential application of safety signal learning for optimizing interventions for anxious youths by targeting the biological state of the developing brain. Based on the existing cross-species literature on safety signal learning, they propose that the judicious use of safety cues may be an effective and neurodevelopmentally optimized approach to enhancing treatment outcomes for youths with anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Dylan G. Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Conn
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Gentle Touch: Noninvasive Approaches to Improve Patient Comfort and Cooperation for Pediatric Imaging. Top Magn Reson Imaging 2021; 29:187-195. [PMID: 32541256 DOI: 10.1097/rmr.0000000000000245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Pediatric imaging presents unique challenges related to patient anxiety, cooperation, and safety. Techniques to reduce anxiety and patient motion in adults must often be augmented in pediatrics, because it is always mentioned in the field of pediatrics, children are not miniature adults. This article will review methods that can be considered to improve patient experience and cooperation in imaging studies. Such techniques can range from modifications to the scanner suite, different ways of preparing and interacting with children, collaborating with parents for improved patient care, and technical advances such as accelerated acquisition and motion correction to reduce artifact. Special considerations for specific populations including transgender patients, neonates, and pregnant women undergoing fetal imaging will be described. The unique risks of sedation in children will also be briefly reviewed.
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Perry CJ, Campbell EJ, Drummond KD, Lum JS, Kim JH. Sex differences in the neurochemistry of frontal cortex: Impact of early life stress. J Neurochem 2020; 157:963-981. [PMID: 33025572 DOI: 10.1111/jnc.15208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic events during early life have been linked with later life psychopathology. To understand this risk factor, researchers have studied the effects of prenatal and postnatal early life stress on neurochemical changes. Here we review the rodent literature on sex differences and sex-specific impact of early life stress on frontal cortex neurochemistry. This region is implicated in regulating motivation and emotion, which are often disrupted in psychological disorders. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) in particular is one of the last brain regions to develop, and there are sex differences in the rate of this development. To draw direct comparisons between sexes, our review of the literature was restricted to studies where the effects of prenatal or postnatal stress had been described in male and female littermates. This literature included research describing glutamate, γ-amino butyric acid (GABA), corticosteroids, monoamines, and cannabinoids. We found that sex-dependent effects of stress are mediated by the age at which stress is experienced, age at test, and type of stress endured. More research is required, particularly into the effects of adolescent stress on male and female littermates. We hope that a greater understanding of sex-specific susceptibilities in response to stress across development will help to uncover risk factors for psychological disorders in vulnerable populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina J Perry
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Erin J Campbell
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Katherine D Drummond
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - Jeremy S Lum
- Neuropharmacology and Molecular Psychiatry Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jee Hyun Kim
- Mental Health Theme, The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,Florey Department of Neuroscience and Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia.,IMPACT - the Institute for Mental and Physical Health and Clinical Translation, School of Medicine, Deakin University, Geelong, Australia
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46
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Moin Afshar N, Keip AJ, Taylor JR, Lee D, Groman SM. Reinforcement Learning during Adolescence in Rats. J Neurosci 2020; 40:5857-5870. [PMID: 32601244 PMCID: PMC7380962 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.0910-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2020] [Revised: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The most dynamic period of postnatal brain development occurs during adolescence, the period between childhood and adulthood. Neuroimaging studies have observed morphologic and functional changes during adolescence, and it is believed that these changes serve to improve the functions of circuits that underlie decision-making. Direct evidence in support of this hypothesis, however, has been limited because most preclinical decision-making paradigms are not readily translated to humans. Here, we developed a reversal-learning protocol for the rapid assessment of adaptive choice behavior in dynamic environments in rats as young as postnatal day 30. A computational framework was used to elucidate the reinforcement-learning mechanisms that change in adolescence and into adulthood. Using a cross-sectional and longitudinal design, we provide the first evidence that value-based choice behavior in a reversal-learning task improves during adolescence in male and female Long-Evans rats and demonstrate that the increase in reversal performance is due to alterations in value updating for positive outcomes. Furthermore, we report that reversal-learning trajectories in adolescence reliably predicted reversal performance in adulthood. This novel behavioral protocol provides a unique platform for conducting biological and systems-level analyses of the neurodevelopmental mechanisms of decision-making.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The neurodevelopmental adaptations that occur during adolescence are hypothesized to underlie age-related improvements in decision-making, but evidence to support this hypothesis has been limited. Here, we describe a novel behavioral protocol for rapidly assessing adaptive choice behavior in adolescent rats with a reversal-learning paradigm. Using a computational approach, we demonstrate that age-related changes in reversal-learning performance in male and female Long-Evans rats are linked to specific reinforcement-learning mechanisms and are predictive of reversal-learning performance in adulthood. Our behavioral protocol provides a unique platform for elucidating key components of adolescent brain function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neema Moin Afshar
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Alex J Keip
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
| | - Jane R Taylor
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8001
| | - Daeyeol Lee
- The Zanvyl Krieger Mind/Brain Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- The Solomon H. Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21218
- Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205
| | - Stephanie M Groman
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06511
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Cohodes EM, Kitt ER, Baskin-Sommers A, Gee DG. Influences of early-life stress on frontolimbic circuitry: Harnessing a dimensional approach to elucidate the effects of heterogeneity in stress exposure. Dev Psychobiol 2020; 63:153-172. [PMID: 32227350 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2019] [Revised: 01/17/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Early-life stress confers profound and lasting risk for developing cognitive, social, emotional, and physical health problems. The effects of stress on the developing brain contribute to this risk, with frontolimbic circuitry particularly susceptible to early experiences, possibly due to its innervation with glucocorticoid receptors and the timing of frontolimbic circuit maturation. To date, the majority of studies on stress and frontolimbic circuitry have employed a categorical approach, comparing stress-exposed versus non-stress-exposed youth. However, there is vast heterogeneity in the nature of stress exposure and in outcomes. Recent forays into understanding the psychobiological effects of stress have employed a dimensional approach focused on experiential, environmental, and temporal factors that influence the association between stress and subsequent vulnerability. This review highlights empirical findings that inform a dimensional approach to understanding the effects of stress on frontolimbic circuitry. We identify the timing, type, severity, controllability, and predictability of stress, and the degree to which a caregiver is involved, as specific features of stress that may play a substantial role in differential outcomes. We propose a framework for the effects of these features of stress on frontolimbic development that may partially determine how heterogeneity in stress exposure influences this circuitry and, ultimately, mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily M Cohodes
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | - Dylan G Gee
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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48
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Burgdorf CE, Jing D, Yang R, Huang C, Hill MN, Mackie K, Milner TA, Pickel VM, Lee FS, Rajadhyaksha AM. Endocannabinoid genetic variation enhances vulnerability to THC reward in adolescent female mice. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2020; 6:eaay1502. [PMID: 32095523 PMCID: PMC7015690 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aay1502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Adolescence represents a developmental period with the highest risk for initiating cannabis use. Little is known about whether genetic variation in the endocannabinoid system alters mesolimbic reward circuitry to produce vulnerability to the rewarding properties of the exogenous cannabinoid Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Using a genetic knock-in mouse model (FAAHC/A) that biologically recapitulates the human polymorphism associated with problematic drug use, we find that in adolescent female mice, but not male mice, this FAAH polymorphism enhances the mesolimbic dopamine circuitry projecting from the ventral tegmental area (VTA) to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and alters cannabinoid receptor 1 (CB1R) levels at inhibitory and excitatory terminals in the VTA. These developmental changes collectively increase vulnerability of adolescent female FAAHC/A mice to THC preference that persists into adulthood. Together, these findings suggest that this endocannabinoid genetic variant is a contributing factor for increased susceptibility to cannabis dependence in adolescent females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E. Burgdorf
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind and Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Deqiang Jing
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Ruirong Yang
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Chienchun Huang
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Matthew N. Hill
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Departments of Cell Biology and Anatomy and Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Ken Mackie
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University Bloomington, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Teresa A. Milner
- Feil Family Brain and Mind and Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Virginia M. Pickel
- Feil Family Brain and Mind and Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Francis S. Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Department of Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
| | - Anjali M. Rajadhyaksha
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
- Feil Family Brain and Mind and Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA
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49
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Warren SM, Chou YH, Steklis HD. Potential for Resting-State fMRI of the Amygdala in Elucidating Neural Mechanisms of Adaptive Self-Regulatory Strategies: A Systematic Review. Brain Connect 2020; 10:3-17. [PMID: 31950847 DOI: 10.1089/brain.2019.0700] [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: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary-developmental theories consider the evolved mechanisms underlying adaptive behavioral strategies shaped in response to early environmental cues. Identifying neural mechanisms mediating processes of conditional adaptation in humans is an active area of research. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) captures functional connectivity theorized to represent the underlying functional architecture of the brain. This allows for investigating how underlying functional brain connections are related to early experiences during development, as well as current traits and behaviors. This review explores the potential of RS-fMRI of the amygdala (AMY) for advancing research on the neural mechanisms underlying adaptive strategies developed in early adverse environments. RS-fMRI studies of early life stress (ELS) and AMY functional connectivity within the frame of evolutionary theories are reviewed, specifically regarding the development of self-regulatory strategies. The potential of RS-fMRI for investigating the effects of ELS on developmental trajectories of self-regulation is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Warren
- Norton School of Family & Consumer Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Ying-Hui Chou
- Department of Psychology, Graduate Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Science, Arizona Center on Aging, BIO5 Institute, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
| | - Horst Dieter Steklis
- School of Animal and Comparative Biomedical Sciences, The University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona
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50
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Gegenhuber B, Tollkuhn J. Signatures of sex: Sex differences in gene expression in the vertebrate brain. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2020; 9:e348. [PMID: 31106965 PMCID: PMC6864223 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Women and men differ in disease prevalence, symptoms, and progression rates for many psychiatric and neurological disorders. As more preclinical studies include both sexes in experimental design, an increasing number of sex differences in physiology and behavior have been reported. In the brain, sex-typical behaviors are thought to result from sex-specific patterns of neural activity in response to the same sensory stimulus or context. These differential firing patterns likely arise as a consequence of underlying anatomic or molecular sex differences. Accordingly, gene expression in the brains of females and males has been extensively investigated, with the goal of identifying biological pathways that specify or modulate sex differences in brain function. However, there is surprisingly little consensus on sex-biased genes across studies and only a handful of robust candidates have been pursued in the follow-up experiments. Furthermore, it is not known how or when sex-biased gene expression originates, as few studies have been performed in the developing brain. Here we integrate molecular genetic and neural circuit perspectives to provide a conceptual framework of how sex differences in gene expression can arise in the brain. We detail mechanisms of gene regulation by steroid hormones, highlight landmark studies in rodents and humans, identify emerging themes, and offer recommendations for future research. This article is categorized under: Nervous System Development > Vertebrates: General Principles Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Regulatory Mechanisms Gene Expression and Transcriptional Hierarchies > Sex Determination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Gegenhuber
- Watson School of Biological Sciences, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York
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