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Early Adversity and Emotion Processing From Faces: A Meta-analysis on Behavioral and Neurophysiological Responses
Aino Saarinen1, Liisa Keltikangas-Järvinen2, Erika Jääskeläinen3
1Research Unit of Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Center for Life Course Health Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland; Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Biological Psychiatry. Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
|January 24, 2021
Summary
Early adversity (EA) alters how individuals process facial emotions, impacting amygdala reactivity and behavioral responses. The age and recency of EA exposure significantly influence these emotional processing changes.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Early adversity (EA) is linked to psychiatric disorders.
- The impact of EA on facial emotion processing remains unclear.
- Investigating EA's effects on emotional perception is crucial for understanding mental health outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To meta-analyze the relationship between early adversity and facial emotion processing.
- To examine EA's effects on event-related potentials, amygdala fMRI responses, and behavioral data.
- To determine if age at exposure and time since EA influence these effects.
Main Methods:
- Systematic literature search of PubMed and Web of Science up to April 2020.
- Random-effects meta-analyses of 29 behavioral, 32 fMRI, and 3 EEG studies.
- Inclusion of studies with varying sample sizes (n=197 to 8555).
Main Results:
- Early adversity (EA) associated with increased amygdala reactivity to sad faces.
- EA linked to faster reaction times for angry/sad faces but normal accuracy.
- Lower accuracy for fearful/happy faces in recent EA exposure, especially before age 3.
- EEG data insufficient for conclusions on P100/N170 potentials.
Conclusions:
- Early adversity (EA) demonstrably alters behavioral and neurophysiological processing of facial emotions.
- Age at exposure and time since EA are critical factors mediating EA-related processing changes.
- Findings highlight the nuanced impact of early adversity on emotional perception, independent of psychiatric diagnosis.
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