A systematic review of childhood maltreatment and resting state functional connectivity

Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) has the potential to shed light on how childhood abuse and neglect relates to negative psychiatric outcomes. However, a comprehensive review of the impact of childhood maltreatment on the brain's resting state functional organization has not yet been undertaken. We systematically searched rsFC studies in children and youth exposed to maltreatment. Nineteen studies (total n = 3079) met our inclusion criteria. Two consistent findings were observed. Childhood maltreatment was linked to reduced connectivity between the anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and with widespread heightened amygdala connectivity with key structures in the salience, default mode, and prefrontal regulatory networks. Other brain regions showing altered connectivity included the ventral anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. These patterns of altered functional connectivity associated with maltreatment exposure were independent of symptoms, yet comparable to those seen in individuals with overt clinical disorder. Summative findings indicate that rsFC alterations associated with maltreatment experience are related to poor cognitive and social functioning and are prognostic of future symptoms. In conclusion, maltreatment is associated with altered rsFC in emotional reactivity, regulation, learning, and salience detection brain circuits. This indicates patterns of recalibration of putative mechanisms implicated in maladaptive developmental outcomes

Employment status among individuals afflicted by acquired brain injury: exploring economic consequences for both the affected person and their family (Situación laboral en personas con lesión cerebral adquirida: estudio sobre el impacto económico individual y familiar)

Background: Acquired Brain Injuries (ABI) are conditions that can result in decreased workforce engagement and economic earnings. This research study aims to explore the impact of ABIs on employability, and their potential to reduce individual and family income. // Method: Using data from the II National Survey on Disability, a cohort of 9,835 individuals aged 18 to 65 was chosen. Subsequently, a sample of 110 ABI-affected individuals was selected, employing propensity score matching to ensure equivalence with a control group of healthy subjects (n = 110). // Results: The study found that the presence of ABI and disability decreases the likelihood of employment and labour force engagement. These differences persist even after accounting for covariate effects. However, no conclusive predictive association was established regarding individual and family income levels, despite observed disparities across the analysed groups. // Discussion: The obtained findings can contribute to raising awareness regarding the general employment situation of individuals with ABI, and facilitate policy-making in the context of inclusion and vocational rehabilitation initiatives. // RESUMEN: // Antecedentes: Las Lesiones Cerebrales Adquiridas (LCA) constituyen patologías que pueden disminuir la participación laboral y los ingresos económicos. El estudio busca examinar si las LCA afectan las posibilidades de tener empleo y disminuyen los ingresos individuales y familiares. Método: Se utilizaron datos de la II Encuesta Nacional de Discapacidad. Se seleccionó una muestra de 9,835 personas entre 18–65 años. Posteriormente, se seleccionó una muestra de 110 personas afectadas por una LCA y muestra control de sujetos sanos (n = 110) mediante pareamiento por puntaje de propensión. Resultados: Se encontró que tener una LCA y la discapacidad disminuye las posibilidades de tener empleo y participar laboralmente. Las diferencias también se observan al controlar la influencia de covariables. No se encontró asociación predictiva respecto a los niveles de ingresos individuales y familiares, aún cuando se observan brechas respecto a los grupos. Discusión: Los hallazgos encontrados pueden ayudar a visibilizar la situación laboral de personas con LCA, así como fomentar el desarrollo de políticas en materias de inclusión y rehabilitación vocacional

A systematic review of childhood maltreatment and resting state functional connectivity

Resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) has the potential to shed light on how childhood abuse and neglect relates to negative psychiatric outcomes. However, a comprehensive review of the impact of childhood maltreatment on the brain's resting state functional organization has not yet been undertaken. We systematically searched rsFC studies in children and youth exposed to maltreatment. Nineteen studies (total n = 3079) met our inclusion criteria. Two consistent findings were observed. Childhood maltreatment was linked to reduced connectivity between the anterior insula and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, and with widespread heightened amygdala connectivity with key structures in the salience, default mode, and prefrontal regulatory networks. Other brain regions showing altered connectivity included the ventral anterior cingulate cortex, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus. These patterns of altered functional connectivity associated with maltreatment exposure were independent of symptoms, yet comparable to those seen in individuals with overt clinical disorder. Summative findings indicate that rsFC alterations associated with maltreatment experience are related to poor cognitive and social functioning and are prognostic of future symptoms. In conclusion, maltreatment is associated with altered rsFC in emotional reactivity, regulation, learning, and salience detection brain circuits. This indicates patterns of recalibration of putative mechanisms implicated in maladaptive developmental outcomes

Evidence for Depressogenic Spontaneous Thoughts and Altered Resting-State Connectivity in Adolescents With a Maltreatment History

OBJECTIVE: Childhood maltreatment has been associated with major depressive disorder (MDD). Atypical self-generated thoughts (SGT), lacking in positive and privileging negative content-a feature of ruminative thinking-might represent one vulnerability factor for developing depression. Rumination in MDD has been linked to alterations in resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC) to the default mode network and the fronto-parietal network (FPN). This study aimed to investigate online SGT content and its variability, as well as sgACC RSFC, as potential risk markers for depression in adolescents who experienced maltreatment. METHOD: Adolescents 12 to 16 years old (29 with maltreatment history [MT] and 39 with no maltreatment history [NMT]) performed an established mind-wandering task. Participants made nondemanding number discriminations during which intermittent questions probed their SGTs that were classified as off-task, positive, negative, self-related, other-related, past-oriented, or future-oriented. Resting-state data were acquired separately for 22 of 29 MT and 27 39 NMT adolescents, and seed-based functional connectivity analyses of the sgACC were performed. RESULTS: MT, relative to the NMT adolescents, generated significantly fewer positively valenced thoughts, and exhibited more extreme ratings for positively valenced thoughts. MT adolescents also showed significantly reduced RSFC between the sgACC and the FPN. Group differences in depressive symptoms between the MT and NMT adolescents were partly accounted by differences in sgACC-FPN RSFC. CONCLUSION: Adolescents who experienced maltreatment show a reduction in positively valenced spontaneous thoughts and reduced sgACC-FPN RSFC at the neural level. These may contribute to a ruminative thinking style, representing risk factors for developing depression later in life

Autobiographical memory:A candidate latent vulnerability mechanism for psychiatric disorder following childhood maltreatment

BackgroundAltered autobiographical memory (ABM) functioning has been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder and may represent one mechanism by which childhood maltreatment elevates psychiatric risk.AimsTo investigate the impact of childhood maltreatment on ABM functioning.MethodThirty-four children with documented maltreatment and 33 matched controls recalled specific ABMs in response to emotionally valenced cue words during functional magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsChildren with maltreatment experience showed reduced hippocampal and increased middle temporal and parahippocampal activation during positive ABM recall compared with peers. During negative ABM recall they exhibited increased amygdala activation, and greater amygdala connectivity with the salience network.ConclusionsChildhood maltreatment is associated with altered ABM functioning, specifically reduced activation in areas encoding specification of positive memories, and greater activation of the salience network for negative memories. This pattern may confer latent vulnerability to future depression and posttraumatic stress disorder.</jats:sec