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Measurement Of Neuromagnetic Brain Function In Pre-school Children With Custom Sized MEG
Published on: February 19, 2010
Preschool- and School-Age Irritability Predict Reward-Related Brain Function
Lea R Dougherty1, Karen T G Schwartz2, Maria Kryza-Lacombe2
1University of Maryland, College Park, MD.
Insights
Childhood irritability impacts brain reward pathways differently depending on when it emerges. Early or ongoing irritability in children shows distinct patterns of neural connectivity, influencing reward processing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Chronic irritability in childhood is common, impactful, and predicts future maladjustment.
- The underlying brain mechanisms (pathophysiology) of childhood irritability are not well understood.
- Altered reward processing is a potential contributing factor to irritability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between the developmental timing of irritability (preschool vs. school-age) and reward-related brain function.
- To identify specific neural connectivity patterns associated with irritability at different developmental stages.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal assessment of children's irritability at preschool and school-age using clinical interviews.
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a monetary incentive delay task in school-aged children (N=46).
- Analysis of reward-related brain connectivity, comparing children with higher vs. lower irritability.
Main Results:
- Preschool irritability (controlled for concurrent irritability) was linked to altered connectivity between the right amygdala and insula/inferior parietal lobe, and the left ventral striatum and several parietal/occipital regions.
- Concurrent irritability (controlled for preschool irritability) showed altered connectivity between amygdalae and the superior frontal gyrus, and the left ventral striatum and precuneus/culmen.
- Neural differences were most pronounced when comparing reward vs. no-reward conditions during missed targets.
Conclusions:
- Both preschool-age and concurrent irritability are uniquely associated with aberrant reward-related neural connectivity.
- The developmental timing of irritability is crucial for understanding its impact on brain function.
- These findings highlight specific neural pathways involved in the pathophysiology of childhood irritability.
Objective:
Although chronic irritability in childhood is prevalent, impairing, and predictive of later maladjustment, its pathophysiology is largely unknown. Deficits in reward processing are hypothesized to play a role in irritability. The current study aimed to identify how the developmental timing of irritability during preschool- and school-age relates to reward-related brain function during school-age.
Method:
Children's irritability was assessed during the preschool period (wave 1; ages 3.0-5.9 years) and 3 years later (wave 2; ages 5.9-9.6 years) using a clinical interview. At wave 2, children (N = 46; 28 female and 18 male) performed a monetary incentive delay task in which they received rewards, if they successfully hit a target, or no reward regardless of performance, during functional magnetic resonance imaging.
Results:
Children with more versus less severe preschool irritability, controlling for concurrent irritability, exhibited altered reward-related connectivity: right amygdala with insula and inferior parietal lobe as well as left ventral striatum with lingual gyrus, postcentral gyrus, superior parietal lobe, and culmen. Children with more versus less severe concurrent irritability, controlling for preschool irritability, exhibited a similar pattern of altered connectivity between left and right amygdalae and superior frontal gyrus and between left ventral striatum and precuneus and culmen. Neural differences associated with irritability were most evident between reward and no-reward conditions when participants missed the target.
Conclusion:
Preschool-age irritability and concurrent irritability were uniquely associated with aberrant patterns of reward-related connectivity, highlighting the importance of developmental timing of irritability for brain function.
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