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Elevated amygdala response to faces following early deprivation

N Tottenham1, T A Hare, A Millner

  • 1Department of Psychology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1563, USA. nlt2002@med.cornell.edu

Developmental Science
|March 15, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Early adversity in childhood, such as institutionalization, can lead to lasting changes in brain development. This neuroimaging study found heightened amygdala activity and reduced cognitive function in previously institutionalized children, impacting socio-emotional development.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Psychology
  • Child Psychiatry

Background:

  • Early adverse rearing conditions can significantly impact socio-emotional development.
  • Understanding the long-term neural correlates of such adversity is crucial for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the persistent neural correlates of early adverse rearing in previously institutionalized children.
  • To examine the relationship between these neural changes and socio-emotional development, specifically eye-contact behaviors.

Main Methods:

  • Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to scan previously institutionalized children and a comparison group.
  • Participants completed an Emotional Face Go/Nogo task to assess neural responses to emotional stimuli.
  • Eye-tracking and live dyadic interaction were employed to measure eye-contact.

Main Results:

  • Previously institutionalized children exhibited heightened amygdala activity and reduced activity in cortical regions supporting cognitive functions.
  • Increased amygdala activity correlated with decreased eye-contact.
  • Amygdala activity mediated the relationship between early adversity and reduced eye-contact.

Conclusions:

  • Early adversity can lead to enduring alterations in human brain development, particularly affecting the amygdala and cognitive networks.
  • These neural changes are associated with socio-emotional disturbances, such as reduced eye-contact, offering insights into behavioral outcomes.

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