title: Adversity in childhood linked to elevated striatal dopamine function in adulthood.
abstract: Childhood adversity increases the risk of psychosis in adulthood. Theoretical and animal models suggest that this effect may be mediated by increased striatal dopamine neurotransmission. The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between adversity in childhood and striatal dopamine function in early adulthood. Secondary objectives were to compare exposure to childhood adversity and striatal dopamine function in young people at ultra high risk (UHR) of psychosis and healthy volunteers. Sixty-seven young adults, comprising 47 individuals at UHR for psychosis and 20 healthy volunteers were recruited from the same geographic area and were matched for age, gender and substance use. Presynaptic dopamine function in the associative striatum was assessed using 18F-DOPA positron emission tomography. Childhood adversity was assessed using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse questionnaire. Within the sample as a whole, both severe physical or sexual abuse (T63=2.92; P=0.005), and unstable family arrangements (T57=2.80; P=0.007) in childhood were associated with elevated dopamine function in the associative striatum in adulthood. Comparison of the UHR and volunteer subgroups revealed similar incidence of childhood adverse experiences, and there was no significant group difference in dopamine function. This study provides evidence that childhood adversity is linked to elevated striatal dopamine function in adulthood.
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK. Electronic address: Alice.Egerton@kcl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Alice
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Egerton
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Lucia R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Valmaggia
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK; Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Howes
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Fern
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Day
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Chaddock
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Toby T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Winton-Brown
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK; Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College London, Du Cane Road, London W12 0NN, UK.
authors.forename: Michael A P
authors.initials: MAP
authors.lastname: Bloomfield
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Sagnik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharyya
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chilcott
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Julia M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lappin
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Robin M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: King's College London, King's Health Partners, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, De Crespigny Park, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF, UK.
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McGuire
mesh_terms: D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003342:Corpus Striatum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; D004298:Dopamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D015259:Dopamine Agents; D005260:Female; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism*; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012306:Risk; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000378:metabolism; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015259:Dopamine Agents; D005462:Fluorine Radioisotopes; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D004295:Dihydroxyphenylalanine; C000615276:Fluorine-18; D004298:Dopamine
keywords: At risk mental state; Childhood adversity; Dopamine; PET; Psychosis; social defeat