Childhood Maltreatment Experience Influences Neural Response to Psychosocial Stress in Adults: An fMRI Study

The Association between Childhood Adversity and the Conserved Transcriptional Response to Adversity (CTRA) in Sexual Minority Men

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) increase risk for mental and physical health disorders in adulthood, particularly in individuals from sexual and ethnic minority groups. The effects of ACEs on health may be mediated by the immune system. The exact mechanisms by which an environmental exposure, such as childhood adversity, can affect the immune system are still unknown. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether early adversity is associated with significant changes in the expression of a predefined set of immune-related genes, known as the conserved transcriptional response to adversity (CTRA), in a diverse group (African American and Latino) of sexual minority men (SMM) (n = 259). Participants included HIV positive and negative males, with a median age of 31 years (range = 19-46 years), from the mSTUDY. Expression data from 53 CTRA genes were obtained at baseline and 12-month follow-up. Childhood adversity was measured with the 10-item ACEs questionnaire. Wilcoxon rank sum and chi-squared tests were used to assess differences in sociodemographic variables, HIV status, smoking, weekly alcohol use, and methamphetamine use between exposed (cumulative ACEs ≥ 1) and unexposed groups (cumulative ACEs = 0). As we had transcriptional data from two timepoints, linear mixed models were used to determine associations between ACEs (cumulative score, dichotomous measure (exposed/unexposed), childhood maltreatment, household dysfunction, abuse and neglect subscales) and CTRA gene expression. Exploratory subgroup analysis was conducted in younger (≤ median age) and older (> median age) participant groups. There were no statistically significant differences in sociodemographic variables and substance use between the exposed and unexposed groups. There were no significant associations between any of the ACEs variables and CTRA gene, suggesting that early adversity does not influence immune-related gene expression in a group of ethnically diverse SMM. Further studies are needed to assess the biological effects of ACEs in adulthood.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40653-024-00661-2.

Childhood maltreatment and the risk of eating disorders: a meta-analysis of observational studies

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to examine the relationship between childhood maltreatment as a variable of exposure and eating disorders as an outcome.

METHODS

PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar were searched to find manuscripts related to the current research. The search was conducted up until October 2023 and limited to the English language. An odds ratio (OR) based on the random effects method was used to combine studies. One subgroup analysis was performed based on the type of eating disorder and another based on the type of childhood maltreatment.

RESULTS

Thirty eligible studies were recognized for this research. Childhood maltreatment was associated with a rate of eating disorders of more than double: OR 2.37 with 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.84-3.06 (P < 0.001; I2 = 92.6%). Childhood maltreatment was associated with anorexia nervosa (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.47-2.42; Z = 5.03; P < 0.001; I2 = 0%), bulimia nervosa (OR 2.64, 95% CI 1.34-5.17; Z = 2.82; P = 0.005; I2 = 93.1%), and binge eating disorder (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.38-2.26; Z = 4.52; P < 0.001; I2 = 80.2%).

CONCLUSION

The findings of this research showed that childhood maltreatment significantly increases the risk of eating disorders. Therefore, in understanding the mechanisms related to eating disorders, it is necessary to pay attention to the issue of the childhood living environment and the traumatic experiences of that time.

Dampening of positive affect partially accounts for the association between women's history of child maltreatment and current depressive symptoms

BACKGROUND

Child maltreatment exerts lasting effects on emotion regulation, which in turn accounts for adult's risk for psychopathology such as depression. In this vulnerable population, deficits in emotion regulation of negative affect are well established and include reliance on emotional suppression and rumination strategies. In contrast, alterations in the regulation of positive affect associated with child maltreatment history are less understood. We examined the role of positive rumination and dampening of positive affect, two emotion regulation strategies that may be impaired by the experience of child maltreatment and are associated with depression risk. We hypothesized that alterations in positive rumination and dampening would explain the association between women's childmaltreatment history and heightened risk for current depressive symptoms. To determine if positive affect regulation accounts for unique variance between child maltreatment history and depression risk we controlled for brooding rumination.

METHODS

Undergraduate women (n = 122) completed surveys on child maltreatment, depressive symptoms, and their tendency to dampen or engage in positive rumination in response to positive affect, reflecting cross-sectional data. The PROCESS macro, model 4 was run in SPSS to examine the extent to which emotion regulation strategies accounted for the association between child maltreatment history and current depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

Child maltreatment history was associated with a higher tendency to dampen positive affect but was not linked with positive rumination. Dampening partially explained the link between child maltreatment and women's current depressive symptoms. Dampening and brooding rumination each accounted for unique variance in the association between child maltreatment and depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Results suggest that emotion suppression strategies among child maltreatment survivors may also extend to positive affect, with impairments in specific regulation strategies. Currently dysphoric women with a history of child maltreatment tend to dampen their positive moods and reactions to events as well as ruminate on their dysphoric moods, both tendencies accounted for unique variance in current depression risk. Longitudinal research is warranted to clarify the role of alterations in positive emotion regulations strategies in understanding how child maltreatment fosters risk for psychopathology such as depression.

Neuroscience-based relational art therapy and deep brain reorienting in the treatment of dissociative identity disorder

Art therapy (AT) has been proposed as a treatment for post-traumatic conditions, potentially by providing somatic sensory input that can (i) enhance the client's sense of self and embodiment, (ii) modulate arousal, and (iii) aid in rethinking and reframing traumatic memories. However, evidence supporting AT as a treatment for dissociative disorders remains limited. The theoretical basis for the efficacy of AT is discussed in relation to findings regarding the traumatized person's brain and mindset, as well as its altered functional network connectivity. It is crucial to consider specific alterations in brain networks associated with trauma, particularly those occurring in the deep brain regions, which include the midbrain, the brainstem, and the cerebellum. The hypothesis suggests that early or severe trauma can impair the brain's higher regulatory functions, as explained by the cascade theory. This theory explains how diverse activation patterns within the midbrain's periaqueductal gray (PAG) of the midbrain influence the limbic system and cortices, thereby modulating states of being and behavior. Phase-specific, resource-oriented, and long-term therapy for complexly traumatized and dissociative individuals can benefit from novel insights from neuroimaging studies to inform and enhance therapeutic methods. This is illustrated in a clinical vignette with a client diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder (DID), where deep brain reorienting (DBR) was combined with relational AT. The AT component is hypothesized to have facilitated a sense of grounding in the present moment and enhanced the client's access to her neurophenomenological self. Moreover, changes may have occurred at implicit and non-verbal levels. DBR is believed to have helped the client remain present with her previously avoided and unbearable internal experience. To validate these assumptions, the second author conducted a semi-structured interview that focused on the client's experiences of being dissociative and in psychotherapy, including the effect of DBR when introduced after AT. The client's experiences were articulated through a thematic analysis of the interview, which yielded the following themes: Loneliness, getting help, and moving towards togetherness. Further research on and development of therapy methods that enhance the neuroplasticity necessary for highly dissociative clients to change and heal are highly recommended.

Affective Visual Circuit Dysfunction in Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is widely recognized as involving disruption of core neurocircuitry that underlies processing, regulation, and response to threat. In particular, the prefrontal cortex-hippocampal-amygdala circuit is a major contributor to posttraumatic dysfunction. However, the functioning of core threat neurocircuitry is partially dependent on sensorial inputs, and previous research has demonstrated that dense, reciprocal connections exist between threat circuits and the ventral visual stream. Furthermore, emergent evidence suggests that trauma exposure and resultant PTSD symptoms are associated with altered structure and function of the ventral visual stream. In the current review, we discuss evidence that both threat and visual circuitry together are an integral part of PTSD pathogenesis. An overview of the relevance of visual processing to PTSD is discussed in the context of both basic and translational research, highlighting the impact of stress on affective visual circuitry. This review further synthesizes emergent literature to suggest potential timing-dependent effects of traumatic stress on threat and visual circuits that may contribute to PTSD development. We conclude with recommendations for future research to move the field toward a more complete understanding of PTSD neurobiology.

Chronic unpredictable stress during adolescence exerts sex-specific effects on depressive-like behavior and neural activation triggered by tail suspension test

During adolescence, acute stress can modify neuronal excitability in various brain regions, leading to negative behavioral outcomes. However, the impact of chronic stress during adolescence on neuronal responses to acute stimuli remains unclear. To address this, we subjected adolescent mice to 12 days of chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Anxiety and depressive behaviors were evaluated, along with changes in c-Fos expression, which is one of the most widely used markers of neuronal activation. By comparing c-Fos immunoreactivity between the CUS and control groups both before and after the tail suspension test (TST), we found that adolescent CUS induced depressive behaviors in male mice, but not in female mice. Adolescent CUS primarily affected the excitability of neurons in the infralimbic cortex (IL), the dorsomedial and dorsolateral area of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST), and the ventral hippocampus CA3. TST exerted a significant main effect on the density of c-Fos+ neurons in the prelimbic cortex (PL), infralimbic cortex (IL), cingulate areas 1 and 2 (Cg1, Cg2), the lateral septum (LS), BNST, and lateral habenular (LHb). Furthermore, the excitability of neurons in the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) was impacted by sex. These data suggest that adolescent CUS elicits region- and sex-specific modifications in TST-induced c-Fos expression, establishing a theoretical basis for understanding the pathophysiological alterations in mood disorders following adolescent stress.

Common and distinct neural underpinnings of the association between childhood maltreatment and depression and aggressive behavior

BACKGROUND

Although childhood maltreatment (CM) is widely recognized as a transdiagnostic risk factor for various internalizing and externalizing psychological disorders, the neural basis underlying this association remain unclear. The potential reasons for the inconsistent findings may be attributed to the involvement of both common and specific neural pathways that mediate the influence of childhood maltreatment on the emergence of psychopathological conditions.

METHODS

This study aimed to delineate both the common and distinct neural pathways linking childhood maltreatment to depression and aggression. First, we employed Network-Based Statistics (NBS) on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data to identify functional connectivity (FC) patterns associated with depression and aggression. Mediation analyses were then conducted to assess the role of these FC patterns in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and each outcome.

RESULTS

The results demonstrated that FC within the default mode network (DMN) and between the cingulo-opercular network (CON) and dorsal attention network (DAN) mediated the association between childhood maltreatment and aggression, whereas FC within the reward system and between the CON and the reward system mediated the link between childhood maltreatment and depression.

CONCLUSIONS

We speculate that the control system may serve as a transdiagnostic neural basis accounting for the sequela of childhood maltreatment, and the attention network and the reward network may act as specific neural basis linking childhood maltreatment to depression and aggression, respectively.

Stress in Musicians with and Without Focal Dystonia Is Not Reflected in Limbic Circuit Activation

BACKGROUND

Musicians' dystonia (MD) is a movement disorder with several established risk factors, but the exact pathophysiology remains unknown. Recent research suggests dysfunction in sensory-motor, basal ganglia, cerebellar, and limbic loops as potential causes. Adverse childhood experiences are also considered risk factors.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to investigate whether MD patients have experienced more childhood trauma, leading to increased stress reactivity and neural vulnerability to movement disorders.

METHODS

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging and the Montreal Imaging Stress Task, 40 MD patients were compared with 39 healthy musicians (HMs). Whole-brain analysis and regions of interest analysis were performed. Parameter estimates and subjective stress levels were compared between groups and correlated with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.

RESULTS

MD patients reported significantly higher childhood trauma scores than healthy control subjects, but they did not differ in their subjective stress experiences. Stress-related activity of limbic areas was neither found in the whole sample nor between the two groups. Instead, increased activity of visual association and temporal areas was observed, but this activation did not differ between patients and HMs. However, patients showed a tendency toward reduced precuneus activity under stress. Adverse childhood experiences were negatively correlated with precuneus, thalamus, and substantia nigra activity across all participants.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, MD patients and HMs had similar subjective and neurological reactions to stress but differed in childhood trauma experiences and precuneus activity under stress. Further research about the functional connectivity between precuneus, cerebellum, thalamus, and basal ganglia in musicians is needed. © 2024 The Author(s). Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Neural correlates of stress-reactive rumination in depression - The role of childhood trauma and social anxiety

Recent work showed an association of prefrontal dysfunctions in patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and social stress induced rumination. However, up to date it is unclear which etiological features of MDD might cause prefrontal dysfunctions. In the study at hand, we aimed to replicate recent findings, that showed prefrontal activation alterations during the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST) and subsequently increased stress-reactive rumination in MDD compared to healthy controls. Moreover, we aimed to explore the role of adverse childhood experiences and other clinical variables in this relationship. N = 55 patients currently suffering from MDD and n = 42 healthy controls (HC) underwent the TSST, while cortical activity in areas of the Cognitive Control Network (CCN) was measured via functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The TSST successfully induced a stress reaction (physiologically, as well as indicated by subjective stress ratings) and state rumination in all subjects with moderate to large effect sizes. In comparison to HC, MDD patients showed elevated levels of state rumination with large effect sizes, as well as a typical pattern of reduced cortical oxygenation during stress in the CCN with moderate effect sizes. Self-reported emotional abuse and social anxiety were moderately positively associated with increased stress-reactive rumination. Within the MDD sample, emotional abuse was negatively and social anxiety positively associated with cortical oxygenation within the CCN with moderate to large effect sizes. In conclusion, our results replicate previous findings on MDD-associated prefrontal hypoactivity during stress and extends the research toward specific subtypes of depression.

Out of touch? How trauma shapes the experience of social touch - Neural and endocrine pathways

Trauma can shape the way an individual experiences the world and interacts with other people. Touch is a key component of social interactions, but surprisingly little is known about how trauma exposure influences the processing of social touch. In this review, we examine possible neurobiological pathways through which trauma can influence touch processing and lead to touch aversion and avoidance in trauma-exposed individuals. Emerging evidence indicates that trauma may affect sensory touch thresholds by modulating activity in the primary sensory cortex and posterior insula. Disturbances in multisensory integration and oxytocin reactivity combined with diminished reward-related and anxiolytic responses may induce a bias towards negative appraisal of touch contexts. Furthermore, hippocampus deactivation during social touch may reflect a dissociative state. These changes depend not only on the type and severity of the trauma but also on the features of the touch. We hypothesise that disrupted touch processing may impair social interactions and confer elevated risk for future stress-related disorders.

The cognitive tasks and event-related potentials associated childhood adversity: A systematic review

In this systematic review, 18 articles met inclusion criteria to be qualitatively analyzed for converging evidence of brain activity, measured using event-related potential (ERP), related to retrospectively reported childhood adversity/trauma. Using the PRISMA guidelines for systematic reviews, 917 articles were assessed for inclusion and were filtered using study parameters. The most common ERP components listed in the literature were P100, N170, N200, P200, P300, ERN, and LPP. We discuss levels of evidence for changed brain activity, each ERP component, and the tasks used to evoke them. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire was found to be the most commonly cited measure. We note the need to assess the duration and intensity of childhood adversity/trauma measurements in the strengths and limitations of the reported childhood adversity/trauma measurements. No concrete converging evidence was found to support a relationship between ERP-measured brain activity and retrospectively reported childhood adversity/trauma. Thus, a discussion of limitations and future directions for this field of research is presented.

Characteristics of white matter structural connectivity in healthy adults with childhood maltreatment

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a common psychological stressor associated with multiple mental disorders. While CM is associated with vulnerability to depression and anxiety, little is known about the specific mechanism underlying this relationship.Objective: This study aimed to investigate the white matter (WM) of healthy adults with CM and their relationships with depression and anxiety to provide biological evidence for the development of mental disorders in subjects with childhood trauma.Methods: The CM group included 40 healthy adults with CM. The non-CM group included 40 healthy adults without CM. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were collected, and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were applied to the whole brain to assess WM differences between the two groups; post-hoc fibre tractography was used to characterise the developmental differences; and mediation analysis was used to assess the relationships among the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) results, DTI indices, and depression and anxiety scores.Results: Relative to the non-CM group, the CM group revealed significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right posterior corona radiata (PCR-R), right anterior corona radiata (ACR-R), left super corona radiata (SCR-L), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and right posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC-R). Additionally, shorter fibre bundles passed through the PCR-R, ACR-R, and ATR in the CM group compared with the non-CM group. Besides, the length of the ACR-R mediated the relationship between CM and trait anxiety.Conclusions: The alteration of white matter microstructure associated with childhood trauma in healthy adults may reflect biomarkers of childhood trauma. Besides, an alteration of WM microstructure in healthy adults with CM mediates the association between CM and trait anxiety, which may represent the vulnerability to developing mental disorders after childhood trauma experiences.

Neural responses to acute stress predict chronic stress perception in daily life over 13 months

The importance of amygdala, hippocampus, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) for the integration of neural, endocrine, and affective stress processing was shown in healthy participants and patients with stress-related disorders. The present manuscript which reports on one study-arm of the LawSTRESS project, aimed at investigating the predictive value of acute stress responses in these regions for biopsychological consequences of chronic stress in daily life. The LawSTRESS project examined law students either in preparation for their first state examination (stress group [SG]) or in the mid-phase of their study program (control group [CG]) over 13 months. Ambulatory assessments comprising perceived stress measurements and the cortisol awakening response (CAR) were administered on six sampling points (t1 = - 1 year, t2 = - 3 months, t3 = - 1 week, t4 = exam, t5 =  + 1 week, t6 =  + 1 month). In a subsample of 124 participants (SG: 61; CG: 63), ScanSTRESS was applied at baseline. In the SG but not in the CG, amygdala, hippocampus, and (post-hoc analyzed) right mPFC activation changes during ScanSTRESS were significantly associated with the trajectory of perceived stress but not with the CAR. Consistent with our finding in the total LawSTRESS sample, a significant increase in perceived stress and a blunted CAR over time could be detected in the SG only. Our findings suggest that more pronounced activation decreases of amygdala, hippocampus, and mPFC in response to acute psychosocial stress at baseline were related to a more pronounced increase of stress in daily life over the following year.

Association of adverse childhood experiences and cortical neurite density alterations with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in autism spectrum disorder

Background

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can be a source of significant social and daily distress in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Compared to typically developed (TD) individuals, people with ASD are at an increased risk of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), which can result in abnormal neuronal development. However, whether or how ACEs influence abnormal neural development and PTSD symptoms in ASD has not been fully elucidated.

Methods

Thirty-nine TD individuals and 41 individuals with ASD underwent T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging and neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), with axonal and dendritic densities assessed in terms of the orientation dispersion index and neurite density index (NDI), respectively. Voxel-based analyses were performed to explore the brain regions associated with PTSD symptoms, and the relationships between the severity of ACEs and PTSD symptoms and NODDI parameters in the extracted brain regions were examined.

Results

There was a significant positive association between PTSD symptom severity and NDI in the bilateral supplementary motor area; right superior frontal, left supramarginal, and right superior temporal gyrus; and right precuneus in the ASD group, but not in the TD group. ACE severity was significantly associated with NDI in the right superior frontal and left supramarginal gyrus and right precuneus in the ASD group. Moreover, NDI in the right precuneus mainly predicted the severity of PTSD symptoms in the ASD group, but not the TD group.

Conclusion

These results suggest that ACE-associated higher neurite density is of clinical importance in the pathophysiology of PTSD symptoms in ASD.

Childhood adversity and late-life depression: moderated mediation model of stress and social support

Background

As life expectancy increases, understanding the mechanism for late-life depression and finding a crucial moderator becomes more important for mental health in older adults. Childhood adversity increases the risk of clinical depression even in old age. Based on the stress sensitivity theory and stress-buffering effects, stress would be a significant mediator, while social support can be a key moderator in the mediation pathways. However, few studies have tested this moderated mediation model with a sample of older adults. This study aims to reveal the association between childhood adversity and late-life depression in older adults, taking into consideration the effects of stress and social support.

Methods

This study used several path models to analyze the data from 622 elderly participants who were never diagnosed with clinical depression.

Results

We found that childhood adversity increases the odds ratio of depression by approximately 20% in older adults. Path model with mediation demonstrates that stress fully mediates the pathway from childhood adversity to late-life depression. Path model with moderated mediation also illustrates that social support significantly weakens the association between childhood adversity and perceived stress.

Conclusion

This study provides empirical evidence to reveal a more detailed mechanism for late-life depression. Specifically, this study identifies one crucial risk factor and one protective factor, stress and social support, respectively. This brings insight into prevention of late-life depression among those who have experienced childhood adversity.

Chronic pain, chronic stress and substance use: overlapping mechanisms and implications

Chronic pain is among the most common reasons adults in the U.S. seek medical care. Despite chronic pain's substantial impact on individuals' physical, emotional, and financial wellness, the biologic underpinnings of chronic pain remain incompletely understood. Such deleterious impact on an individuals' wellness is also manifested in the substantial co-occurrence of chronic stress with chronic pain. However, whether chronic stress and adversity and related alcohol and substance misuse increases risk of developing chronic pain, and, if so, what the overlapping psychobiological processes are, is not well understood. Individuals suffering with chronic pain find alleviation through prescription opioids as well as non-prescribed cannabis, alcohol, and other drugs to control pain, and use of these substances have grown significantly. Substance misuse also increases experience of chronic stress. Thus, given the evidence showing a strong correlation between chronic stress and chronic pain, we aim to review and identify overlapping factors and processes. We first explore the predisposing factors and psychologic features common to both conditions. This is followed by examining the overlapping neural circuitry of pain and stress in order to trace a common pathophysiologic processes for the development of chronic pain and its link to substance use. Based on the previous literature and our own findings, we propose a critical role for ventromedial prefrontal cortex dysfunction, an overlapping brain area associated with the regulation of both pain and stress that is also affected by substance use, as key in the risk of developing chronic pain. Finally, we identify the need for future research in exploring the role of medial prefrontal circuits in chronic pain pathology. Critically, in order to alleviate the enormous burden of chronic pain without exacerbating the co-occurring substance misuse crisis, we emphasize the need to find better approaches to treat and prevent chronic pain.

The role of stress phenotypes in understanding childhood adversity as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology

Childhood adversity is a leading transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology, being associated with an estimated 31-62% of childhood-onset disorders and 23-42% of adult-onset disorders (Kessler et al., 2010). Major unresolved theoretical challenges stem from the nonspecific and probabilistic nature of the links between childhood adversity and psychopathology. The links are nonspecific because childhood adversity increases risk, through a range of mechanisms, for diverse forms of psychopathology and are probabilistic because not all individuals exposed to childhood adversity develop psychopathology. In this article, we propose a path forward by focusing on stress phenotypes, defined as biobehavioral patterns activated in response to stressors that can disrupt future functioning when persistent (e.g., reward seeking, social withdrawal, aggression). This review centers on the accumulating evidence that psychopathology appears to be more strongly predicted by behavior and biology during states of stress. Building on this observation, our theoretical framework proposes that we can model pathways from childhood adversity to psychopathology with greater specificity and certainty by understanding stress phenotypes, defined as patterns of behavior and their corresponding biological substrates that are elicited by stressors. This approach aims to advance our conceptualization of mediating pathways from childhood adversity to psychopathology. Understanding stress phenotypes will bring us closer to "precision mental health," a person-centered approach to identifying, preventing, and treating psychopathology. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

The Mediating Role of Brain Structural Imaging Markers in Connecting Adverse Childhood Experiences and Psychological Resilience

The impact of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on brain structure has been noticed. Resilience has been considered a protective characteristic from being mentally ill; however, the link between ACEs, psychological resilience, and brain imaging remains untested. A total of 108 participants (mean age 22.92 ± 2.43 years) completed the ACEs questionnaire and the Resilience Scale for Adults (RSA), with five subscales: personal strength (RSA_ps), family cohesion (RSA_fc), social resources (RSA_sr), social competence (RSA_sc), and future structured style (RSA_fss), and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to acquire imaging data, and the fusion-independent component analysis was employed to determine multimodal imaging components. The results showed a significantly negative association between ACE subscales and RSA_total score (ps < 0.05). The parallel mediation model showed significant indirect mediation of mean gray matter volumes in the regions of the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus between childhood maltreatment and RSA_sr and RSA_sc. (ps < 0.05). This study highlighted the ACEs effect on gray matter volumes in the regions of the middle frontal gyrus, superior frontal gyrus, posterior cingulate, superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, postcentral gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, and precuneus leading to decreased psychological resilience.

Focal Dystonia and the Stress Network: The Role of Stress Vulnerability and Adverse Childhood Experiences in the Development of Musician's Dystonia

Musician's dystonia is often described as a neurological disorder, resulting from reduced inhibition in the basal ganglia and the cerebellum and dysfunctional cortical plasticity. However, several studies over the last decades support the hypothesis that psychological factors play an important role in the aetiology of dystonia, contradicting its classification as "purely neurological". Especially adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) such as neglect, maltreatment, or household dysfunction may influence the sensorimotor system, additionally to the impact they have on psychological traits. They are known to alter limbic networks, such as the amygdala, the hippocampus, and the stress response via the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and might also affect the cortico-striatal-thalamo-cortical loop that is vital for correct motor movement learning. Especially a higher activity of the basolateral amygdala could be important by increasing the consolidation of dysfunctional motor memories in stressful situations.Therefore, this chapter explores how musician's dystonia might be a result of dysfunctional stress-coping mechanisms, additionally to the already established neurological alterations.

Childhood maltreatment and inflammation: Leveraging structural equation modeling to test the social signal transduction theory of depression

BACKGROUND

The experience of childhood maltreatment has long been understood to increase the risk for experiencing depressive symptoms and is often associated with an overall worse course of illness when these symptoms are elevated to a major depressive episode. Despite this, current treatments for depression continue to require a need for a greater understanding of the underlying mechanisms.

METHOD

We utilized structural equation modeling to test the effects of childhood maltreatment on inflammation and depressive symptoms. Inflammation was conceptualized as a latent variable, estimated by CRP, fibrinogen, IL-6, sICAM-1, sE-selectin, and TNF- α; whereas depressive symptoms were estimated using the subscales for the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale and childhood maltreatment was estimated using the subscales for the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.

RESULTS

Multivariate results identified that childhood maltreatment had a significant positive relationship with inflammation as well as depressive symptoms, and inflammation had a significant positive relationship with depressive symptoms. Notably, childhood maltreatment also had a significant positive relationship with perceived stress over the last month and this perceived stress had a positive relationship with depressive symptoms; however perceived stress had no relationship with inflammation.

LIMITATIONS

Data from the present study is cross-sectional, requiring replication with longitudinal data. Some measures such as childhood maltreatment were measured by self-report and should be replicated with verified reports.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide support for the Social Signal Transduction Theory of Depression, emphasizing the importance of the immune system and inflammation as a relevant mediator between early social treats and adulthood depressive symptoms.

Oxytocin moderates corticolimbic social stress reactivity in cocaine use disorder and healthy controls

Social stress can contribute to the development of substance use disorders (SUDs) and increase the likelihood of relapse. Oxytocin (OT) is a potential pharmacotherapy that may buffer the effects of social stress on arousal and reward neurocircuitry. However, more research is needed to understand how OT moderates the brain’s response to social stress in SUDs. The present study examined the effect of intransasal OT (24 IU) versus placebo (PBO) on corticolimbic functional connectivity associated with acute social stress in individuals with cocaine use disorder (CUD; n = 67) and healthy controls (HC; n = 52). Psychophysiological interaction modeling used the left and right amygdala as seed regions with the left and right orbitofrontal and anterior cingulate cortex as a priori regions of interest. Moderators of the OT response included childhood trauma history and biological sex, which were examined in independent analyses. The main finding was that OT normalized corticolimbic connectivity (left amygdala-orbitofrontal and left amygdala-anterior cingulate) as a function of childhood trauma such that connectivity was different between trauma-present and trauma-absent groups on PBO, but not between trauma groups on OT. Effects of OT on corticolimbic connectivity were not different as a function of diagnosis (CUD vs HC) or sex. However, OT reduced subjective anxiety during social stress for CUD participants who reported childhood trauma compared to PBO and normalized craving response as a function of sex in CUD. The present findings add to some prior findings of normalizing effects of OT on corticolimbic circuitry in individuals with trauma histories and provide some initial support that OT can normalize subjective anxiety and craving in CUD.

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Social stress-related corticolimbic connectivity was affected by childhood trauma under placebo.

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Under oxytocin, corticolimbic connectivity differences due to childhood trauma were absent.

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Oxytocin reduced subjective anxiety in cocaine users with childhood trauma.

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Oxytocin reduced subjective craving in male cocaine users.

Altered centromedial amygdala functional connectivity in adults is associated with childhood emotional abuse and predicts levels of depression and anxiety

BACKGROUND

Childhood maltreatment is significantly associated with greater occurrence of mental disorders in adulthood such as depression and anxiety. As a key node of the limbic system, the amygdala is engaged in emotional processing and regulation and is dysfunctional in many psychiatric disorders. The present study aimed at exploring the association between childhood maltreatment and amygdala-based functional networks and their potential contributions to depression and anxiety.

METHODS

Totally 90 Chinese healthy volunteers participated in a resting-state fMRI experiment. Levels of childhood maltreatment experience were assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ-SF) as well as levels of depression and anxiety. Associations between CTQ-SF scores and bilateral amygdala gray matter volume and resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the amygdala and selected regions of interest were analyzed using multiple regression analyses with sex and age as covariates. A subsequent moderation analysis was performed to identify whether associations were predictive of depression and anxiety levels.

RESULTS

Childhood maltreatment was significantly negatively associated with RSFC between left amygdala and anterior insula. Further sub-region analyses revealed that this negative association only occurred for the left centromedial amygdala subregion, which subsequently moderated the relationship between levels of childhood emotional abuse and depression / anxiety.

LIMITATIONS

No psychiatric patients were involved and specific neural associations with different childhood maltreatment subtypes need to be examined in future studies.

CONCLUSION

The present findings provide evidence for altered RSFC of centromedial amygdala and the anterior insula associated with childhood maltreatment and which moderate levels of depression and anxiety in adulthood.

Distinct stress-related medial prefrontal cortex activation in women with depression with and without childhood maltreatment

BACKGROUND

Emerging evidence has highlighted the moderating effect of childhood maltreatment (CM) in shaping neurobiological abnormalities in major depressive disorder (MDD). However, whether neural mechanisms underlying stress sensitivity in MDD are affected by the history of CM is unclear.

METHODS

Two hundred and thirteen medication-free female participants were recruited for a functional magnetic resonance imaging study assessing the effects of psychosocial stress on neural responses. The Montreal Imaging Stress Task was administrated to 44 female MDD patients with CM (MDD/CM), 32 female MDD patients without CM (MDD/noCM), 43 female healthy controls (HCs) with CM (HC/CM), and 94 female HCs without CM (HC/noCM). A CM (CM, noCM) × diagnosis (MDD, HC) whole-brain voxel-wise analysis was run to assess putative group differences in neural stress responses.

RESULTS

A significant CM × Diagnosis interaction emerged in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). Bonferroni-corrected simple effects analysis clarified that (1) the MDD/CM group had less mPFC deactivation than the HC/CM group, (2) the MDD/noCM group exhibited greater mPFC deactivation than the HC/noCM group, and (3) the MDD/CM group exhibited less mPFC deactivation relative to the MDD/noCM group. In addition, the mPFC-seed psychophysiological interaction analysis revealed that individuals in the CM groups had significantly greater stress-related mPFC-left superior frontal gyrus and mPFC-right posterior cerebellum connectivity relative to the noCM groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight distinct neural abnormalities in MDD depending on prior CM history, particularly potentiated stress-related mPFC recruitment among MDD individuals reporting CM. Moreover, CM history was generally associated with the disruption in functional connectivity centered on the mPFC.

Unconscious associations between stressor type and ability to cope: An experimental approach using ancient and modern sources of stress

Objectives

Work has emerged that suggests it is salient and feasible to include a chronological approach to the taxonomy of stress. The ability to make an explicit distinction between ancient stressors (AS) and modern stressors (MS) has been reported in young and older adults; AS have been associated with greater ability to cope and MS with poorer health outcomes. Whether these explicit distinctions exist at an implicit, unconscious level, has yet to be determined.

Design

A quantitative design employed a computer‐based Implicit Association Test (IAT) to examine implicit associations between AS/MS and coping appraisal.

Methods

One hundred adults (75 females) aged 18–58 years (M = 28.27 years, SD = 10.02) completed the AS/MS IAT, to compare reaction time (RT) and accuracy between consistent pairs (AS/ability to cope; MS/inability to cope) and inconsistent pair responses (AS/inability to cope; MS/ability to cope); followed by an explicit self‐report questionnaire.

Results

Repeated measures ANCOVAs, controlling for sex and age, revealed significant main effects of faster RT and higher accuracy in responses for consistent than inconsistent pairs. Adult participants made implicit associations indicating an unconscious AS and MS distinction. Using the D algorithm, a univariate ANCOVA and independent t‐tests found that males, compared to females, showed a stronger implicit preference for consistent than inconsistent pairs.

Conclusions

Findings suggest an implicit association between ancient and modern stressors and perceived coping ability. Utilizing a chronological taxonomy for understanding evolutionary origins that drive individual’s responses to stress has implications for developing effective coping strategies to improve health outcomes.

Child Maltreatment and the Child Welfare System as Environmental Factors in the International Classification of Functioning

The WHO defines child maltreatment as any form of neglect, exploitation, and physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, committed against children under the age of 18. Youth involved in the child welfare system report more maltreatment experiences and environmental turbulence (e.g., number of moves, caseworkers), placing them at greater risk for poorer physical and mental health. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) provides a framework to describe health conditions and severity of disabilities for an individual and/or group in the context of environmental factors. The Maltreatment and Adolescent Pathways (MAP) study is a longitudinal study, assessing self-reports on variables (e.g., child maltreatment history, trauma symptoms, dating violence, and substance use) of youth in an urban child protection service system. This study focuses on 11 of the 24 MAP publications that pertain to health and functioning, which can be considered applicable to the ICF framework, following established linking rules. The purpose of this study is to analyze these MAP sub-studies, with maltreatment and involvement in the child welfare system as environmental factors that impact the functioning of child welfare-involved youth. Findings indicate significant relationships across environmental factors (i.e., child maltreatment histories, child welfare system involvement), health conditions (i.e., trauma symptomatology, psychological distress, intellectual disabilities), and functioning problems (i.e., substance use, adolescent dating violence, sexual risk-taking, coping motives, sleep problems). The interrelated nature of these factors in the MAP sub-studies suggests the value of the ICF model to a holistic health view of use to practitioners supporting system-involved youth, clarifying unattended environmental factors in guiding service provision for foster care and/or maltreated youth.

Childhood Maltreatment and Psychiatric Comorbidity in Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Disorders

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether childhood maltreatment is associated with immune-mediated inflammatory disorders (IMIDs; multiple sclerosis [MS], inflammatory bowel disease [IBD], and rheumatoid arthritis [RA]). We further aimed to determine the relationship between maltreatment and psychiatric comorbidity in IMIDs and whether these relationships differed across IMID.

METHODS

Six hundred eighty-one participants (MS, 232; IBD, 216; RA, 130; healthy controls, 103) completed a structured psychiatric interview to identify psychiatric disorders, and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to evaluate five types of maltreatment: emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional neglect, and physical neglect. We evaluated associations between maltreatment, IMID, and psychiatric comorbidity using multivariable logistic regression models.

RESULTS

The prevalence of having ≥1 maltreatment was similar across IMID but higher than in controls (MS, 63.8%; IBD, 61.6%; RA, 62.3%; healthy controls, 45.6%). Emotional abuse was associated with having an IMID (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.37; 1.15-4.89). In the sex-specific analysis, this association was only present in women. History of childhood maltreatment was associated with a lifetime diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder in the IMID cohort (OR = 2.24; 1.58-3.16), but this association did not differ across diseases. In those with IMID, total types of maltreatments (aOR = 1.36; 1.17-1.59) and emotional abuse (aOR = 2.64; 1.66-4.21) were associated with psychiatric comorbidity.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood maltreatment is more common in IMID than in a healthy population and is associated with psychiatric comorbidity. Given the high burden of psychiatric disorders in the IMID population, clinicians should be aware of the contribution of maltreatment and the potential need for trauma-informed care strategies.

The Independent and Joint Effects of Different Childhood Abuse Types on Subjective Prospective and Retrospective Memory Impairment During Pregnancy

Background and Objective: Childhood abuse is considered a risk factor in various health outcomes during pregnancy. However, no study has explored the relationship between childhood abuse and memory impairment during pregnancy. This study is the first to explore the relationship between childhood abuse and subjective memory impairment. Participants, Setting, and Methods: A total of 1,825 pregnant women were recruited from a comprehensive hospital in Shandong province, China, and completed a questionnaire survey. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to explore the relationship between childhood abuse and subjective prospective and retrospective memory. Results: Pregnant women with high total childhood abuse scores had high prospective and retrospective memory impairment. Among pregnant women reporting only emotional abuse, only physical abuse, or only sexual abuse, women reporting only emotional abuse were found to have high prospective and retrospective memory impairment. Women with all three childhood abuse types also had high prospective and retrospective memory impairment. Conclusion: Women who experienced childhood abuse, especially childhood emotional abuse, had high subjective memory impairment during pregnancy. It is important to ask pregnant women about their experiences of childhood abuse, especially emotional abuse, during early prenatal care, as such abuse is likely to have negative effects on memory during pregnancy.

Longitudinal telomere length profile does not reflect HIV and childhood trauma impacts on cognitive function in South African women

HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) present a challenge in South Africa where the burden of HIV infection is the highest. Identification of biological correlates of HAND is required to improve diagnosis and inform interventions. Telomeres maintain genomic integrity and their shortening is a marker of biological aging sensitive to environmental influences. This study examined relative telomere length (rTL) as a predictor of cognitive function in the context of HIV and childhood trauma (CT), a risk factor for HAND. Two hundred and eighty-six women completed a neurocognitive assessment battery and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ). Quantitative polymerase chain reaction for amplification of telomeric repeats and the reference gene human beta-globin was used to calculate rTL. Neurocognitive and rTL assessments were repeated at 1 year in 110 participants. Cross-sectional and longitudinal data were assessed using linear and mixed models, respectively. Participants with HIV (n = 135 in cross-sectional and n = 62 in longitudinal study groups) reported more severe CT and had shorter baseline rTL compared to seronegative controls. Participants without HIV had a greater 1-year decline in rTL. Global cognitive and attention/working memory scores declined in participants with HIV. Our data indicate that baseline rTL in the context of CT and HIV did not predict decline in cognitive scores. HIV-associated pathophysiological processes driving cognitive decline may also engage mechanisms that protect against telomere shortening. The results highlight the importance of examining biological correlates in longitudinal studies.

Workplace design-related stress effects on prefrontal cortex connectivity and neurovascular coupling

This study aims to evaluate the effect of workstation type on the neural and vascular networks of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) underlying the cognitive activity involved during mental stress. Workstation design has been reported to affect the physical and mental health of employees. However, while the functional effects of ergonomic workstations have been documented, there is little research on the influence of workstation design on the executive function of the brain. In this study, 23 healthy volunteers in ergonomic and non-ergonomic workstations completed the Montreal imaging stress task, while their brain activity was recorded using the synchronized measurement of electroencephalography and functional near-infrared spectroscopy. The results revealed desynchronization in alpha rhythms and oxygenated hemoglobin, as well as decreased functional connectivity in the PFC networks at the non-ergonomic workstations. Additionally, a significant increase in salivary alpha-amylase activity was observed in all participants at the non-ergonomic workstations, confirming the presence of induced stress. These findings suggest that workstation design can significantly impact cognitive functioning and human capabilities at work. Therefore, the use of functional neuroimaging in workplace design can provide critical information on the causes of workplace-related stress.

Frontal Electroencephalogram Alpha Asymmetry during Mental Stress Related to Workplace Noise

This study aims to investigate the effects of workplace noise on neural activity and alpha asymmetries of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during mental stress conditions. Workplace noise exposure is a pervasive environmental pollutant and is negatively linked to cognitive effects and selective attention. Generally, the stress theory is assumed to underlie the impact of noise on health. Evidence for the impacts of workplace noise on mental stress is lacking. Fifteen healthy volunteer subjects performed the Montreal imaging stress task in quiet and noisy workplaces while their brain activity was recorded using electroencephalography. The salivary alpha-amylase (sAA) was measured before and immediately after each tested workplace to evaluate the stress level. The results showed a decrease in alpha rhythms, or an increase in cortical activity, of the PFC for all participants at the noisy workplace. Further analysis of alpha asymmetry revealed a greater significant relative right frontal activation of the noisy workplace group at electrode pairs F4-F3 but not F8-F7. Furthermore, a significant increase in sAA activity was observed in all participants at the noisy workplace, demonstrating the presence of stress. The findings provide critical information on the effects of workplace noise-related stress that might be neglected during mental stress evaluations.

The role of only-child status in the psychological impact of COVID-19 on mental health of Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

The impact of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on public mental health in 2019 is verified, but the role of only-child status in the mental health of adolescents confined at home during the COVID-19 epidemic has not been investigated and is not clear.

OBJECTIVE

Our study aims to assess the impact of only-child status on the mental health of adolescents confined at home during the COVID-19 outbreak. The exposure risk to COVID-19, adverse experience, parent-child relationship, and resilience have also been measured and considered.

METHODS

From March 20 to 31, 2020, a cross-sectional survey test was conducted on 11,681 adolescents aged from 12 to 18 years in middle schools (Grade 7 to Grade 9) across five provinces in China. The self-reported online questionnarie was used to collected data of demographic information, the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire, the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, the short form of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale and the exposure risk to COVID-19.

RESULTS

A total of 11,180 valid questionnaires were collected, with an effective rate of 95.7%. 35.2% of only children and 38.8% of non-only children reported depression symptoms, while 20.5% of only children and 24.7% of non-only children reported anxiety symptoms. It was significant that non-only children were more likely to have anxiety and depression symptoms than only children (OR = 1.164, 95%CI: 1.064-1.273, p = 0.001). The risk of exposure to COVID-19 was a risk factor of depression (OR = 2.284, 95%CI: 1.640-3.180, p < 0.001) and anxiety symptoms (OR = 1.959, 95%CI: 1.402-2.737, p < 0.001) in non-only children, but not in only children. For both only children and non-only children, the resilience and parent-child relationship were protective factors of depression and anxiety symptoms, while emotional abuse was a risk factor (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The non-only children are more likely to develop the symptoms of anxiety and depression than only children, during the outbreak of COVID-19 in China. The adolescents with siblings are psychiatrically more vulnerable to exposure risk of COVID-19 and need more attention, especially those with poor parent-child relationship, low resilience and experience of emotional abuse.

How stress physically re-shapes the brain: Impact on brain cell shapes, numbers and connections in psychiatric disorders

Severe stress is among the most robust risk factors for the development of psychiatric disorders. Imaging studies indicate that life stress is integral to shaping the human brain, especially regions involved in processing the stress response. Although this is likely underpinned by changes to the cytoarchitecture of cellular networks in the brain, we are yet to clearly understand how these define a role for stress in human psychopathology. In this review, we consolidate evidence of macro-structural morphometric changes and the cellular mechanisms that likely underlie them. Focusing on stress-sensitive regions of the brain, we illustrate how stress throughout life may lead to persistent remodelling of the both neurons and glia in cellular networks and how these may lead to psychopathology. We support that greater translation of cellular alterations to human cohorts will support parsing the psychological sequalae of severe stress and improve our understanding of how stress shapes the human brain. This will remain a critical step for improving treatment interventions and prevention outcomes.

Association Between Hyperactivity Symptoms and Somatic Complaints: Mediating and Moderating Mechanisms in Childhood Trauma and Life Events Among Chinese Male Adolescents

Background: Prior research has found that attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) - particularly hyperactivity symptoms - is associated with various somatic complaints. The present study further tests the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints in Chinese male adolescents and explores the underlying moderating and mediating mechanisms. Methods: Our sample included 1,586 males (age = 12-16) recruited as part of an epidemiological study of child and adolescent mental disorders from April to July, 2014. Hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints were assessed with Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire Short Form (CTQ-SF) and Adolescent Life Events Scale (ASLEC) were used to assess exposure to childhood trauma and recent life events. Results: Adolescents with hyperactivity symptoms experienced more emotional abuse, physical abuse, life events, and reported more somatic complaints symptoms (p < 0.0083 or p < 0.05). Linear regression analysis showed that hyperactivity, total childhood trauma score/emotional abuse and sexual abuse and ASLEC score significantly predicted somatic complaints (all p < 0.05). Emotional abuse and life events mediated the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints. Furthermore, childhood trauma moderated the path between hyperactivity symptoms and ASLEC in the moderation mediation model for predicting somatic complaints (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Hyperactivity symptoms had a significant impact on somatic complaints among Chinese male adolescents. Furthermore, childhood trauma and life events affected the relationship between hyperactivity symptoms and somatic complaints. Interventions for somatic complaints in male adolescents with hyperactivity symptoms should thus consider history of childhood trauma and life events.

Neural mechanisms of acute stress and trait anxiety in adolescents

Adolescence is a critical period of heightened stress sensitivity and elevated vulnerability for developing mental illness, suggesting a possible association between stress exposure and the etiology of psychiatric disorders. In adults, aberrant neurobiological responses to acute stress relate to anxiety symptoms, yet less is known about the neural stress response in adolescents and how it relates to biological and psychological variables. Here we characterize the neurobiology of stress response in adolescents using multiple modalities, including neuroimaging, subjective stress ratings, heart rate, and cortisol data. We evaluated stress response in adolescents using the Montreal Imaging Stress Task (MIST), an acute psychosocial stressor commonly administered in adult functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies but not previously utilized with this population. FMRI data were acquired from 101 adolescents (44 female; 9-16 years) exhibiting varied trait anxiety severity. The MIST elicited decreased high-frequency heart rate variability and increased heart rate, subjective stress and cortisol. Whole-brain analyses comparing fMRI activity during experimental versus control MIST conditions revealed stress-related activation in regions including the anterior insula, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and deactivations in the hippocampus, ventral striatum, and putamen. Region of Interest analyses found that during acute stress (a) hippocampal deactivation corresponded to heightened cortisol release, (b) trait anxiety was associated with increased hippocampal and ventral striatum activation and decreased putamen activity, and (c) males exhibited greater putamen deactivation than females. These results provide novel evidence that the MIST is an effective stressor for adolescents. Associations between the neural acute stress response, other biological factors, and trait anxiety highlight the importance of these neurobiological mechanisms in understanding anxiety disorders.

mPFC GABAergic transmission mediated the role of BDNF signaling in cognitive impairment but not anxiety induced by adolescent social stress

Depression with comorbid anxiety or cognitive symptoms can vary in terms of symptoms, pathophysiology and antidepressant efficacy, but the underlying neurobiological mechanisms remain to be elucidated. Previous studies from our group and others have shown that as a classic animal model of depression, adolescent social stress (ASS) could stably induce a variety of emotional and cognitive alterations in adult animals, and accompanied by transcriptional decrease in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) total and promoter IV levels in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The present study further identified the GABAergic synaptic and molecular changes downstream of BDNF signaling impairment in the mPFC and roles in various behavioral phenotypes induced by ASS. We found that ASS induced a set of emotional and cognitive symptoms, including decreased social interest, impaired cognitive function, and increased anxiety-like behavior, as well as decreased GABAergic transmission in the mPFC. The specific deletion of BDNF promoter IV directly caused impairments in social interest, cognitive function, and inhibition of GABAergic transmission, but no changes in anxiety-like behavior. Acute microinjections of tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) agonists into the mPFC and chronic antidepressant treatment ameliorated the changes in social behavior and cognition, as well as the reduction in GABAergic synaptic transmission in the mPFC, but not anxiety in previously stressed adult mice. These results suggest that the downstream GABAergic transmission of BDNF signaling in the mPFC involved in depression with comorbid cognitive dysfunction induced by ASS and can be used as a therapeutic target for the treatment of cognitive dysfunction in depression. This article is part of the special issue on Stress, Addiction and Plasticity.

Childhood assaultive trauma and physical aggression: Links with cortical thickness in prefrontal and occipital cortices

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Childhood assaultive trauma exposure is linked to less cortical thickness.

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Cortical thickness in prefrontal regions is inversely associated with aggression.

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Prefrontal thickness mediated the link between trauma exposure and aggression.

Although the link between childhood maltreatment and violence perpetration in adulthood (i.e., the “cycle of violence”) is well-documented, the neural mechanisms driving these processes remain relatively unknown. The objectives of this study were to investigate whether cortical thickness in adulthood varies as a function of childhood assaultive trauma exposure and whether such neurobiological markers of early trauma relate to the perpetration of aggression across the lifespan. In a sample of 138 ethnically-diverse men and women, whole-brain analysis of the cortical mantle revealed that individuals with exposure to assaultive trauma before age 13 had less cortical thickness in two clusters that survived multiple comparison correction: a region that peaked in the left lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and a region peaking in the right pericalcarine cortex. Diminished cortical thickness in the left OFC cluster was, in turn, associated with greater physical aggression, and mediation analysis revealed that reductions in cortical thickness in this left prefrontal region partially accounted for the association between exposure to childhood assaultive trauma and lifetime perpetration of aggression in adulthood. Findings extend previous investigations into the morphological correlates of early assaultive trauma by implicating reductions in cortical thickness as a potential mechanism linking early violence exposure to violence perpetration that extends into adulthood.