title: Early developmental emergence of human amygdala-prefrontal connectivity after maternal deprivation.
abstract: Under typical conditions, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) connections with the amygdala are immature during childhood and become adult-like during adolescence. Rodent models show that maternal deprivation accelerates this development, prompting examination of human amygdala-mPFC phenotypes following maternal deprivation. Previously institutionalized youths, who experienced early maternal deprivation, exhibited atypical amygdala-mPFC connectivity. Specifically, unlike the immature connectivity (positive amygdala-mPFC coupling) of comparison children, children with a history of early adversity evidenced mature connectivity (negative amygdala-mPFC coupling) and thus, resembled the adolescent phenotype. This connectivity pattern was mediated by the hormone cortisol, suggesting that stress-induced modifications of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis shape amygdala-mPFC circuitry. Despite being age-atypical, negative amygdala-mPFC coupling conferred some degree of reduced anxiety, although anxiety was still significantly higher in the previously institutionalized group. These findings suggest that accelerated amygdala-mPFC development is an ontogenetic adaptation in response to early adversity.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Psychology and Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Services, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095.
authors.forename: Dylan G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Gee
authors.forename: Laurel J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Gabard-Durnam
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flannery
authors.forename: Bonnie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goff
authors.forename: Kathryn L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Humphreys
authors.forename: Eva H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Telzer
authors.forename: Todd A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Hare
authors.forename: Susan Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Bookheimer
authors.forename: Nim
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tottenham
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000679:Amygdala / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001010:Anxiety, Separation / Q000503:physiopathology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000378:metabolism; D007326:Institutionalization; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008426:Maternal Deprivation; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010641:Phenotype; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: emotion regulation; fMRI; neurodevelopment; stress
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