Mechanisms linking childhood trauma exposure and psychopathology: a transdiagnostic model of risk and resilience

Abstract Background Research has demonstrated that chronic stress exposure early in development can lead to detrimental alterations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC)–amygdala circuit. However, the majority of this research uses functional neuroimaging methods, and thus the extent to which childhood trauma corresponds to morphometric alterations in this limbic-cortical network has not yet been investigated. This study had two primary objectives: (i) to test whether anatomical associations between OFC–amygdala differed between adults as a function of exposure to chronic childhood assaultive trauma and (ii) to test how these environment-by-neurobiological effects relate to pathological personality traits. Methods Participants were 137 ethnically diverse adults (48.1% female) recruited from the community who completed a clinical diagnostic interview, a self-report measure of pathological personality traits, and anatomical MRI scans. Results Findings revealed that childhood trauma moderated bilateral OFC–amygdala volumetric associations. Specifically, adults with childhood trauma exposure showed a positive association between medial OFC volume and amygdalar volume, whereas adults with no childhood exposure showed the negative OFC–amygdala structural association observed in prior research with healthy samples. Examination of the translational relevance of trauma-related alterations in OFC–amygdala volumetric associations for disordered personality traits revealed that trauma exposure moderated the association of OFC volume with antagonistic and disinhibited phenotypes, traits characteristic of Cluster B personality disorders. Conclusions The OFC–amygdala circuit is a potential anatomical pathway through which early traumatic experiences perpetuate emotional dysregulation into adulthood and confer risk for personality pathology. Results provide novel evidence of divergent neuroanatomical pathways to similar personality phenotypes depending on early trauma exposure.

Download Full-text

Linking childhood trauma exposure to adolescent justice involvement: The concept of posttraumatic risk‐seeking.

Clinical Psychology Science and Practice ◽

10.1037/h0101756 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Patricia K. Kerig

Keyword(s):

Childhood Trauma ◽

Trauma Exposure ◽

Risk Seeking

Download Full-text

Considering the Impact of Early Trauma on Coping and Pathology to Predict Posttraumatic Growth Among 9-1-1 Telecommunicators

Journal of Interpersonal Violence ◽

10.1177/0886260517716942 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 35 (21-22) ◽

pp. 4709-4731 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Melissa J. London ◽

Mary C. Mercer ◽

Michelle M. Lilly

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Growth ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Indirect Effect ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Structural Equation Models ◽

Trauma Exposure ◽

First Responders ◽

Lifetime Trauma ◽

Early Trauma ◽

The Impact

Recent research has demonstrated that first responders may report posttraumatic growth (PTG), positive psychological changes that arise in the aftermath of a trauma. Less is known regarding the perception of PTG among 9-1-1 telecommunicators, a group of first responders exposed to a high degree of lifetime trauma, including duty-related trauma as well as early and non-duty-related trauma. Moreover, the impact of childhood trauma on the processes involved in the perception of growth is less clear. While some distress is needed to facilitate processes that lead to the perception of PTG, it has been suggested that positive associations between PTG and pathology reflect avoidant coping or represent an illusory component of PTG. Structural equation models were used to examine early trauma exposure, coping, and pathology in predicting PTG among 9-1-1 telecommunicators ( N = 788). In separate models using active and avoidant forms of coping, childhood trauma exposure had an indirect effect on PTG through coping. In a model considering both forms of coping, childhood trauma had an indirect effect on PTG through psychopathology, but not through coping. The results show that early trauma exposure leads to the perception of growth through pathways indicative of both adaptive and maladaptive coping processes.

Download Full-text

Supplemental Material for Linking childhood trauma exposure to adolescent justice involvement: The concept of posttraumatic risk-seeking

Clinical Psychology Science and Practice ◽

10.1037/h0101756.supp ◽

2019 ◽

Keyword(s):

Childhood Trauma ◽

Trauma Exposure ◽

Risk Seeking

Download Full-text

Association of Childhood Trauma Exposure With Adult Psychiatric Disorders and Functional Outcomes

JAMA Network Open ◽

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.4493 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 1 (7) ◽

pp. e184493 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

William E. Copeland ◽

Lilly Shanahan ◽

Jennifer Hinesley ◽

Robin F. Chan ◽

Karolina A. Aberg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Functional Outcomes ◽

Trauma Exposure

Download Full-text

Childhood Trauma Exposure Exacerbates the Impact of Concurrent Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence on Women's Posttraumatic Symptoms

Journal of Traumatic Stress ◽

10.1002/jts.22545 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 1102-1110 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Patricia Cintora ◽

Heidemarie Kaiser Laurent

Keyword(s):

Intimate Partner Violence ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Partner Violence ◽

Trauma Exposure ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Posttraumatic Symptoms ◽

The Impact

Download Full-text

Cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma is associated with reduced cortical differentiation between threat and non-threat faces in posttraumatic stress disorder adults

Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1177/0004867418761578 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 53 (1) ◽

pp. 48-58 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Denise A Chu ◽

Richard A Bryant ◽

Justine M Gatt ◽

Anthony WF Harris

Keyword(s):

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ◽

Posttraumatic Stress ◽

Childhood Trauma ◽

Symptom Severity ◽

Stress Disorder ◽

Trauma Exposure ◽

Interpersonal Trauma ◽

Reward Processing ◽

Cumulative Exposure ◽

Neural Pathways

Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder and childhood trauma frequently co-occur. Both are associated with abnormal neural responses to salient emotion stimuli. As childhood trauma is a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder, differentiating between their neurophysiological effects is necessary to elucidate the neural pathways by which childhood trauma exposure contributes to increased posttraumatic stress disorder risks. Methods: Face-specific N170 evoked response potentials for backward-masked (non-conscious) and conscious threat (fear, angry) and non-threat (happy) faces were measured in 77 adults (18–64 years old, 64% women, 78% right-handed) symptomatic for posttraumatic stress disorder. Differences in N170 peak amplitudes for fear-versus-happy and angry-versus-happy faces at bilateral temporo-occipital (T5, T6) sites were computed. The effect of cumulative exposure to childhood interpersonal trauma, other childhood trauma, adult trauma, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity on the N170 response was assessed using hierarchical multiple regression analyses. Results: T5 N170 peak amplitudes for non-conscious fear-versus-happy faces were inversely related to cumulative childhood interpersonal trauma after accounting for socio-demographic, clinical symptom and other trauma factors. Posttraumatic stress disorder Avoidance was positively associated with N170 peak amplitudes for non-conscious fear-versus-happy faces, primarily due to reduced N170 responsivity to happy faces. Conclusion: Childhood interpersonal trauma exposure is associated with reduced discrimination between fear and happy faces, while avoidance symptom severity is associated with dampened responsivity to automatically processed happy faces in posttraumatic stress disorder adults. Results are discussed in terms of the likely contributions of impaired threat discrimination and deficient reward processing during neural processing of salient emotion stimuli, to increased risks of posttraumatic stress disorder onset and chronicity in childhood interpersonal trauma–exposed adults.

Download Full-text