Impact of childhood maltreatment and resilience on behavioral and neural patterns of inhibitory control during emotional distraction

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
Lauren A. Demers ◽  
Ruskin H. Hunt ◽  
Dante Cicchetti ◽  
Julia E. Cohen-Gilbert ◽  
Fred A. Rogosch ◽  
...  

Abstract Exposure to childhood maltreatment (CM) may disrupt typical development of neural systems underlying impulse control and emotion regulation. Yet resilient outcomes are observed in some individuals exposed to CM. Individual differences in adult functioning may result from variation in inhibitory control in the context of emotional distractions, underpinned by cognitive–affective brain circuits. Thirty-eight healthy adults with a history of substantiated CM and 34 nonmaltreated adults from the same longitudinal sample performed a Go/No-Go task in which task-relevant stimuli (letters) were presented at the center of task-irrelevant, negative, or neutral images, while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. The comparison group, but not the maltreated group, made increased inhibitory control errors in the context of negative, but not neutral, distractor images. In addition, the comparison group had greater right inferior frontal gyrus and bilateral frontal pole activation during inhibitory control blocks with negative compared to neutral background images relative to the CM group. Across the full sample, greater adaptive functioning in everyday contexts was associated with superior inhibitory control and greater right frontal pole activation. Results suggest that resilience following early adversity is associated with enhanced attention and behavioral regulation in the context of task-irrelevant negative emotional stimuli in a laboratory setting.

2020 ◽  
pp. 310-352
Author(s):  
Michael Numan

Chapter 10 deals with the development of the parental brain in humans, emphasizing experiential influences on the intergenerational continuity of maternal behavior: A history of experiencing childhood maltreatment (CMT; maternal neglect and/or abuse) is associated with alterations in the development of the child’s parental brain, which may lead to subsequent deficits in its maternal behavior. The manner in which parents treat their children may affect the development of neural systems (a) that regulate emotionality, with poor parental care resulting in deficits in emotion regulation, and (b) that underpin maternal motivation, love, and empathy, with poor parental care decreasing these processes. Alterations in the development of medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, mesolimbic dopamine, oxytocin, corticotropin-releasing factor, and serotonin neural systems are involved, as are epigenetic effects. Not all mothers who experience CMT become poor mothers, and the involvement of gene by environment interactions are highlighted.


2011 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 978-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bradley R. Buchsbaum ◽  
Aarthi Padmanabhan ◽  
Karen Faith Berman

One of the classic categorical divisions in the history of memory research is that between short-term and long-term memory. Indeed, because memory for the immediate past (a few seconds) and memory for the relatively more remote past (several seconds and beyond) are assumed to rely on distinct neural systems, more often than not, memory research has focused either on short- (or “working memory”) or on long-term memory. Using an auditory–verbal continuous recognition paradigm designed for fMRI, we examined how the neural signatures of recognition memory change across an interval of time (from 2.5 to 30 sec) that spans this hypothetical division between short- and long-term memory. The results revealed that activity during successful auditory–verbal item recognition in inferior parietal cortex and the posterior superior temporal lobe was maximal for early lags, whereas, conversely, activity in the left inferior frontal gyrus increased as a function of lag. Taken together, the results reveal that as the interval between item repetitions increases, there is a shift in the distribution of memory-related activity that moves from posterior temporo-parietal cortex (lags 1–4) to inferior frontal regions (lags 5–10), indicating that as time advances, the burden of recognition memory is increasingly placed on top–down retrieval mechanisms that are mediated by structures in inferior frontal cortex.


2015 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 521-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raquel A. Cowell ◽  
Dante Cicchetti ◽  
Fred A. Rogosch ◽  
Sheree L. Toth

AbstractChildhood maltreatment represents a complex stressor, with the developmental timing, duration, frequency, and type of maltreatment varying with each child (Barnett, Manly, & Cicchetti, 1993; Cicchetti & Manly, 2001). Multiple brain regions and neural circuits are disrupted by the experience of child maltreatment (Cicchetti & Toth, in press; DeBellis et al., 2002; McCrory & Viding, 2010; Teicher, Anderson, & Polcari, 2012). These neurobiological compromises indicate the impairment of a number of important cognitive functions, including working memory and inhibitory control. The present study extends prior research by examining the effect of childhood maltreatment on neurocognitive functioning based on developmental timing of maltreatment, including onset, chronicity, and recency, in a sample of 3- to 9-year-old nonmaltreated (n= 136) and maltreated children (n= 223). Maltreated children performed more poorly on inhibitory control and working-memory tasks than did nonmaltreated children. Group differences between maltreated children based on the timing of maltreatment and the chronicity of maltreatment also were evident. Specifically, children who were maltreated during infancy, and children with a chronic history of maltreatment, exhibited significantly poorer inhibitory control and working-memory performance than did children without a history of maltreatment. The results suggest that maltreatment occurring during infancy, a period of major brain organization, disrupts normative structure and function, and these deficits are further instantiated by the prolonged stress of chronic maltreatment during the early years of life.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sjur Skjørshammer Sætren ◽  
Else-Marie Augusti ◽  
Gertrud Sofie Hafstad

Background. Adolescents’ emotion regulatory capacities may modulate the relationship between childhood maltreatment experiences and psychopathology. Affective inhibitory control constitutes an important part of emotion regulation and involves the ability to regulate automatic or prepotent responses to irrelevant and potentially distracting emotional information. Aims. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of affective inhibitory control in the relationship between exposure to childhood psychological and physical abuse and internalizing problems in adolescence. Method. A nationally representative sample of adolescents (Mage/SD =14/.8) exposed to physical and psychological abuse (N = 1841; male = 964; female = 877) conducted an Emotional Go/No-go task. Participants were presented with angry facial expressions as emotional no-go stimuli in order to examine their ability to inhibit behavioral responses to threatening task-irrelevant stimuli. Results. Affective inhibitory control problems were uniquely related to internalizing problems in girls, but not in boys. Moreover, affective inhibitory control moderated the relationship between exposure to psychological abuse and internalizing problems in girls. We did not observe any relationship between inhibitory control and internalizing problems when neutral faces were presented as task-irrelevant information. Conclusion. Findings suggest that a reduced ability to inhibit threatening, but task-irrelevant, information is related to internalizing problems in adolescent girls exposed to physical and psychological abuse. This highlights the importance of affective inhibitory control as a potential moderating mechanism in individual risk for experiencing internalizing problems in abused adolescent girls.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110063
Author(s):  
Tingting Gao ◽  
Songli Mei ◽  
Muzi Li ◽  
Carl D’ Arcy ◽  
Xiangfei Meng

Childhood maltreatment is a major public health issue worldwide. It increases a range of health-risk behaviors, psychological and physical problems, which are associated with an increased need for mental health services in adulthood. Identification of mediating factors in the relationship between maltreatment and seeking mental health care may help attenuate the negative consequences of childhood maltreatment and promote more appropriate treatment. This study aims to examine whether the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care is mediated by psychological distress and/or moderated by social support. Data from the Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health 2012 are analyzed. A total of 8,993 participants, who had complete information on childhood maltreatment and diagnoses of mental disorders or psychological distress, are included in this study. Structural equation modeling and the PROCESS macro were used to identify relationships among childhood maltreatment, perceived needs for mental health care, and psychological distress. Hierarchical linear regression was then used to verify the moderated mediation model. We found that psychological distress partially mediated the effect of childhood maltreatment on perceived needs for mental health care in adulthood. Social support played an important role in terms of moderating the relationship between maltreatment and perceived needs for care. For those with a history of childhood maltreatment, those who perceived a low level of social support were more likely to have higher levels of psychological distress and perceived need for mental health care. This is the first study to identify the separate and combined roles of psychological distress and social support in the relationship between childhood maltreatment and perceived need for mental health care. Selective prevention strategies should focus on social support to improve mental health services among people with a history of childhood maltreatment.


2021 ◽  
pp. 152483802110294
Author(s):  
Annie Bérubé ◽  
Jessica Turgeon ◽  
Caroline Blais ◽  
Daniel Fiset

Child maltreatment has many well-documented lasting effects on children. Among its consequences, it affects children’s recognition of emotions. More and more studies are recognizing the lasting effect that a history of maltreatment can have on emotion recognition. A systematic literature review was conducted to better understand this relationship. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol was used and four databases were searched, MEDLINE/PubMed, PsycINFO, EMBASE, and FRANCIS, using three cross-referenced key words: child abuse, emotion recognition, and adults. The search process identified 23 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The review highlights the wide variety of measures used to assess child maltreatment as well as the different protocols used to measure emotion recognition. The results indicate that adults with a history of childhood maltreatment show a differentiated reaction to happiness, anger, and fear. Happiness is less detected, whereas negative emotions are recognized more rapidly and at a lower intensity compared to adults not exposed to such traumatic events. Emotion recognition is also related to greater brain activation for the maltreated group. However, the results are less consistent for adults who also have a diagnosis of mental health problems. The systematic review found that maltreatment affects the perception of emotions expressed on both adult and child faces. However, more research is needed to better understand how a history of maltreatment is related to adults’ perception of children’s emotions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 89 (9) ◽  
pp. S177
Author(s):  
Leah Thomas ◽  
Melinda Westlund Schreiner ◽  
Katie Bessette ◽  
Rebecca Easter ◽  
Alina Dillahunt ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Marta Bodecka-Zych ◽  
Anna Zajenkowska ◽  
Mary Bower Russa

Little research has explored the role of aggression, anger, and family history of incarceration as they relate to female offenders. The current study aimed to address this gap in the literature by investigating these possible risk factors for incarceration among both men and women. The survey involved 123 (61 female and 62 male) prisoners convicted for violent crimes and a comparison group of 118 (60 female and 58 male) adults from the community. We found that women (convicted and non-convicted) were more sensitive to provocation than men, while community adults showed higher levels of trait anger than prisoners. Detainees were more likely than community adults to have a relative in prison. Although male and female inmates were equally likely to have a relative in prison, they differed in their relation to the imprisoned relative. Male and female prisoners showed increased risk for incarceration of same sex, first degree relatives (father and brothers for men, and mothers for women). These results may contribute to improved understanding of incarcerated populations. As such, this represents a critical first step in creating recovery programs that are more gender appropriate.


2018 ◽  
pp. 66-68
Author(s):  
L.I. Vorobey ◽  

The objective: was to determine the features of the course of labor in women with a history of perinatal lesions. Materials and methods. A prospective, concurrent, controlled, randomized study was conducted involving 68 women aged 26.8 ±0.5 years, with a gestation period of 28.1 ±0.56 weeks, 41 of whom had perinatal history lesions (main group) and comparable for anthropodemographic indicators and terms of gestation of 27 women with a repeat pregnancy without abortion or unsuccessful childbirth (child death) in the history (comparison group). Results. In the anamnestic aspect, the characteristics of pregnant women with a history of perinatal losses are a relatively shorter interval between repeated pregnancies, a more frequent development of extragenital pathology - the respiratory, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular and orthopedic disorders, and a higher incidence of gynecological anamnesis. In the context of complications of delivery, women with perinatal losses are characterized by premature birth, anomalies of labor, early discharge of amniotic fluid, ruptures of soft tissues. Conclusion. It is necessary to make a comparative analysis of the course of pregnancy, childbirth and the state of health of newborns in women with a history of obstetrical anamnesis in connection with violations of neurovegetative regulation. Key words: perinatal losses, anamnesis, childbirth, current.


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