Article
Clinical Neurology
Emilia L. Mielke, Julian Koenig, Sabine C. Herpertz, Sylvia Steinmann, Corinne Neukel, Pelin Kilavuz, Patrice van der Venne, Katja Bertsch, Michael Kaess
Summary: Interpersonal dysfunction is a core symptom of borderline personality disorder (BPD), and recent research suggests that low levels of oxytocin in plasma may be related to this disorder. This study examined plasma oxytocin levels in 131 female BPD patients, finding that they had reduced levels compared to non-BPD controls, and this was independent of age. Plasma oxytocin was also negatively associated with the number of BPD symptoms, and there was a mediating effect of adverse childhood experiences on the relationship between BPD symptoms and oxytocin levels.
PROGRESS IN NEURO-PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Cheryl R. Stein, Margaret A. Sheridan, William E. Copeland, Laura S. Machlin, Kimberly L. H. Carpenter, Helen L. Egger
Summary: The association between adversity and psychopathology in preschool-aged children differs depending on the type of adversity, with threat being strongly related to behavioral disorders and cumulative risk being consistently related to all psychopathologies.
DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY
(2022)
Article
Neurosciences
Aino Saarinen, Liisa Keltikangas-Jarvinen, Erika Jaaskelainen, Sanna Huhtaniska, Juho Pudas, Santiago Tovar-Perdomo, Matti Penttila, Jouko Miettunen, Johannes Lieslehto
Summary: Early adversity is associated with alterations in behavioral and neurophysiological processing of facial emotions, impacting reaction time and accuracy rate in response to different facial emotions, particularly in individuals exposed to recent adversity.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY-COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING
(2021)
Article
Neurosciences
Cassandra L. Hendrix, Daniel D. Dilks, Brooke G. McKenna, Anne L. Dunlop, Elizabeth J. Corwin, Patricia A. Brennan
Summary: The study found that maternal exposure to emotional neglect during her own childhood is associated with stronger functional connectivity of two different frontoamygdala circuits in neonates shortly after birth. This effect was specific to early experiences of emotional neglect and not influenced by maternal distress during pregnancy, suggesting that early-life adversity experiences may be transmitted across generations.
BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY-COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING
(2021)
Article
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Teresa E. Daniels, Karen Jennings Mathis, Asi Polly Gobin, William W. Lewis-de los Angeles, Eric M. Smith, Pranavan Chanthrakumar, Suzanne de la Monte, Audrey R. Tyrka
Summary: This study examined the levels of leptin and ghrelin in young adults with and without early life stress (ELS). The findings showed that the relationship between ELS and higher leptin levels became non-significant when accounting for body mass index (BMI), while the relationship between ELS and lower ghrelin levels remained significant, even after adjusting for BMI. Current psychiatric disorder was also found to be associated with higher leptin levels and lower ghrelin levels. These results suggest that BMI and psychiatric functioning may play important roles in the relationship between ELS and cardiometabolic health.
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Linda T. Betz, Marlene Rosen, Raimo K. R. Salokangas, Joseph Kambeitz
Summary: Different types of childhood maltreatment are key risk factors for psychopathology, with emotional abuse playing a unique role in affective psychopathology. This study used machine learning to identify the most predictive domains and facets of childhood maltreatment for adult depressive affect, finding that subjective experience, particularly reactions to and appraisal of the abuse, were the strongest predictors.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2022)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Christine Sigrist, Ines Murner-Lavanchy, Stephanie K. Peschel, Stefanie J. Schmidt, Michael Kaess, Julian Koenig
Summary: This systematic review and meta-analysis found no evidence for a relationship between early life maltreatment (ELM) exposure and resting vagal activity overall, but identified that the relationship may significantly vary based on age and the presence of psychopathology. Further research is needed to understand the complex pathways linking ELM to disease onset, with specific considerations outlined for future studies.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Cell Biology
Emily K. Zitkovsky, Teresa E. Daniels, Audrey R. Tyrka
Summary: Early-life adversity increases the lifelong risk for negative health outcomes, with mitochondria potentially playing a key role in transducing stress into biological risk for disease and interacting dynamically with physiological stress responses coordinated by the central nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. Further research should investigate mitochondria as a potential therapeutic target following early-life adversity.
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Christiane Wesarg, Alithe L. Van den Akker, Nicole Y. L. Oei, Reinout W. Wiers, Janneke Staaks, Julian F. Thayer, DeWayne P. Williams, Machteld Hoeve
Summary: Childhood adversity is associated with small alterations in vagal functioning, particularly in samples including individuals with psychiatric disorders and experiences of direct adversities. Overall, no significant association was found between childhood adversity and vagal activity or reactivity.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Karen E. Smith, Seth D. Pollak
Summary: Understanding the processes through which early adverse experiences affect children's nervous-system development, health, and behavior is crucial for developing effective interventions. However, current conceptualizations are limited, and alternative formulations are needed to advance knowledge about the neurobiological mechanisms through which adversity influences human development.
PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Seth D. Pollak, Karen E. Smith
Summary: This article summarizes different perspectives and positions on research on the effects of childhood adversity, highlighting the pressing need to address knowledge gaps through continued empirical research.
PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Anna Vannucci, Andrea Fields, Eleanor Hansen, Ariel Katz, John Kerwin, Ayumi Tachida, Nathan Martin, Nim Tottenham
Summary: It has been established that early-life adversity has varying effects on brain volumes, depending on age, experience, and region. Interpersonal early adversity, such as family-based maltreatment, initially leads to larger volumes in frontolimbic regions until around 10 years old, after which these exposures are associated with smaller volumes. On the other hand, socioeconomic disadvantage, like poverty, is linked to smaller volumes in temporal-limbic regions in childhood, but this association diminishes with age. These findings contribute to ongoing debates about the impact of early-life adversity on later neural outcomes.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Rezan Nehir Mavioglu, Laura Ramo-Fernandez, Anja M. Gumpp, Iris-Tatjana Kolassa, Alexander Karabatsiakis
Summary: Childhood maltreatment is associated with DNA methylation changes, especially in stress response genes. This study investigated the influence of different severities of childhood maltreatment on the DNA methylation of DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) in immune and buccal cells of mother-newborn dyads. The results showed that maternal history of childhood maltreatment was associated with lower mean methylation of DNMT1 in immune cells, and this association was only observed in mothers with at least moderate maltreatment. However, there was no link between maternal history of childhood maltreatment and DNMT1 DNA methylation in newborns. These findings suggest that DNMT1 DNA methylation alterations may play a role in the physiological response to childhood maltreatment, particularly in individuals with more severe experiences.
FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Yann Quide, Oliver J. Watkeys, Emiliana Tonini, Dominik Grotegerd, Udo Dannlowski, Igor Nenadic, Tilo Kircher, Axel Krug, Tim Hahn, Susanne Meinert, Janik Goltermann, Marius Gruber, Frederike Stein, Katharina Brosch, Adrian Wroblewski, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Paula Usemann, Benjamin Straube, Nina Alexander, Elisabeth J. Leehr, Jochen Bauer, Nils R. Winter, Lukas Fisch, Katharina Dohm, Wulf Roessler, Lukasz Smigielski, Pamela DeRosse, Ashley Moyett, Josselin Houenou, Marion Leboyer, James Gilleen, Sophia I. Thomopoulos, Paul M. Thompson, Andre Aleman, Gemma Modinos, Melissa J. Green
Summary: The present study investigated the relationship between schizotypy and childhood trauma exposure on brain morphological differences. The results showed that higher levels of schizotypy were associated with thicker or thinner cortical regions in individuals exposed to higher levels of childhood trauma. This suggests that the effects of schizotypy on brain regions critical for higher cognitive processes may be enhanced in those with a history of significant trauma.
PSYCHOLOGICAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mohammad Asyraf, Michael P. Dunne, Noran N. Hairi, Farizah Mohd Hairi, Noraliza Radzali, Choo Wan Yuen
Summary: The study found a significant association between childhood adversity and elder abuse among older adults. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed a strong relationship between the cumulative number of adverse childhood experiences and elder abuse, especially in financial and psychological abuse. This association persisted even after adjusting for sociodemographic and health factors.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Alison Fang-Wei Wu, Tai-Li Chou, Caroline Catmur, Jennifer Y. F. Lau
Summary: Pathological social withdrawal is a global public health issue that is associated with personal self-esteem and sociocultural deviance, leading to mental health problems. This study tentatively supports the theories of pathological social withdrawal and suggests considering the influences of personal self-esteem and sociocultural deviance in future studies and treatments.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Developmental
Victoria Pile, Laura K. Schlepper, Jennifer Y. F. Lau, Mary Leamy
Summary: This study evaluates the theoretical basis and valued outcomes of an early intervention for adolescent depression. Through interviews and analysis, the important components of the intervention and the positive results for participants are identified. The findings provide valuable guidance for further intervention development and implementation.
EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Psychology, Developmental
Jennifer Y. F. Lau
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Audiology & Speech-Language Pathology
Naomi H. Rodgers, Jennifer Y. F. Lau, Patricia M. Zebrowski
Summary: The study found that stuttering did not have an effect on interpretation bias, but social anxiety was associated with more negative interpretations. Higher social anxiety was linked to more negative interpretations, while lower social anxiety was linked to more positive interpretations. Further research is needed to explore how individuals who stutter process social information.
JOURNAL OF COMMUNICATION DISORDERS
(2022)
Article
Family Studies
Eleanor M. Bennett, Paul Gray, Jennifer Y. F. Lau
Summary: This study found no significant difference in threatening interpretations of social situations between maltreated adolescents and non-maltreated adolescents. Furthermore, an association between anxiety and depressive symptoms and interpretation bias was only found in the non-maltreatment group, not the maltreatment group.
JOURNAL OF CHILD & ADOLESCENT TRAUMA
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
V. Kumari, E. Antonova, S. Mahmood, M. Shukla, A. Saifullah, R. Pandey
Summary: There is increasing evidence that mindfulness training/practices have beneficial effects on sensory and cognitive processing, emotion regulation, and mental health. This study examined the associations between dispositional mindfulness, alexithymia, and sensory processing. The results showed a negative association between dispositional mindfulness and alexithymia, and a stronger startle habituation in individuals with higher dispositional mindfulness. These findings suggest a similar startle habituation pattern in individuals with high dispositional mindfulness as in those with moderate mindfulness meditation practice intensity.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Sandesh Dhakal, Shulka Gupta, Narayan Prasad Sharma, Aakanksha Upadhyay, Abigail Oliver, Alex Sumich, Veena Kumari, Shanta Niraula, Rakesh Pandey, Jennifer Y. F. Lau
Summary: Child labourers who have experienced physical victimisation are at higher risk for anxiety/depression due to their biased information-processing. In this study, we examined the feasibility and acceptability of delivering Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM) training to rescued youth labourers. The results showed that CBM training effectively targeted attention biases and vulnerability, with high feasibility and acceptability rates. CBM participants exhibited positive changes in attention and interpretation biases, indicating the potential of CBM in helping former child labourers.
BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH AND THERAPY
(2023)
Review
Behavioral Sciences
Satyam Chauhan, Ray Norbury, Kaja Christina Fassbender, Ulrich Ettinger, Veena Kumari
Summary: Chronotype refers to the expression or representation of various mechanisms of circadian rhythms, such as body temperature, cortisol secretion, cognitive functions, eating and sleeping patterns. It is influenced by internal (e.g., genetics) and external factors (e.g., light exposure), and has implications for health and well-being. Existing models of chronotype have primarily focused on the sleep dimension and have not considered the social and environmental influences. We propose a multidimensional model that integrates individual, environmental, and social factors to determine an individual's true chronotype with potential feedback loops. This model has relevance in both basic science and understanding the health and clinical implications of different chronotypes, as well as designing preventive and therapeutic approaches for related illnesses.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Meenakshi Shukla, Jennifer Y. F. Lau, Rakesh Pandey
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the effects of elevated blood pressure on the basic motivational systems of approach and avoidance to positively- and negatively-valenced stimuli. The results showed that individuals with high blood pressure were faster to respond to angry facial expressions and did not show any significant differences in response time to happy facial expressions.
CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Krupa Vakani, Martina Ratto, Anna Sandford-James, Elena Antonova, Veena Kumari
Summary: There is limited research on the cognitive impact of COVID-19, and this study aimed to address this gap by evaluating cognitive function in COVID-19 patients compared to non-COVID patients. The results showed that while there was limited cognitive impact in the COVID group overall, they exhibited larger intra-individual variability in processing speed. Those who required hospitalization due to COVID-19 and experienced long-COVID symptoms displayed cognitive impairment in attention and executive function. The findings suggest the importance of repeated cognitive assessments and remediation efforts for these individuals.
EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Rakesh Pandey, Satchit Prasun Mandal, Meenakshi Shukla, Vishnukant Tripathi, Elena Antonova, Veena Kumari
Summary: Dispositional mindfulness reduces the risk of mental health problems by reducing maladaptive emotion processing styles and associated negative affect.
Article
Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Meenakshi Shukla, Rakesh Pandey
Summary: This study investigated emotional recognition in prehypertensives and hypertensives, and found that they show emotional dampening in auditory implicit emotion recognition but not in explicit emotion recognition.