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Early-life stress exposure associated with altered prefrontal resting-state fMRI connectivity in young children
Özlem Ece Demir-Lira1, Joel L Voss2, Jonathan T O'Neil2
1Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
Insights
Early-life stress (ELS) impacts brain development, affecting resting-state fMRI in children. ELS is linked to altered frontal cortex activity and poorer cognitive control performance.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Early-life stress (ELS) is a known risk factor for adverse developmental outcomes.
- Understanding the neural mechanisms linking ELS to cognitive function is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between early-life stress and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in young children.
- To explore how ELS affects brain functional connectivity and cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- Examined resting-state fMRI data in children aged 4-7 years with varying histories of ELS.
- Utilized functional connectivity analyses to assess brain network interactions.
- Assessed cognitive performance using a reversal-learning task.
Main Results:
- ELS in early life, but not concurrent stress, was associated with increased regional homogeneity in the left lateral frontal cortex.
- Heightened regional homogeneity in the left lateral frontal cortex showed negative functional connectivity with right temporal/parahippocampal areas.
- These neural alterations correlated with poorer performance on a reversal-learning task, independent of other adversities.
Conclusions:
- Early-life stress may shape the development of cognitive control networks in the lateral prefrontal cortex.
- ELS can influence the interaction between prefrontal and temporal cortical regions.
- These findings highlight potential neural pathways through which ELS impacts cognitive development.
Abstract:
Early-life stress (ELS) exposure is associated with adverse outcomes across the lifespan. We examined the relation of ELS exposure to resting-state fMRI in children ages 4-7 years. ELS in the first years of life, but not concurrent, was associated with higher regional homogeneity of resting-state fMRI in the left lateral frontal cortex. Resting-state fMRI functional connectivity analyses showed that the region of left lateral frontal cortex demonstrating heightened regional homogeneity associated with ELS was negatively correlated with right temporal/parahippocampal areas. Moreover, higher regional homogeneity in the left lateral frontal cortex and its negative coupling with the right middle temporal/parahippocampal areas were associated with poorer performance on a reversal-learning task performed outside the scanner. Association of ELS exposure with regional homogeneity was independent of other early adversities. These findings suggest that ELS may influence the development of cognitive control in the lateral prefrontal cortex and its interactions with temporal cortex.
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