Childhood trauma history differentiates amygdala response to sad faces within MDD

“N IH -PA Author M anuscript N IH -PA Author M anuscript N IH -PA Author M anuscript Rating Scale for Depression; HRSD-17) (Piotrowski, 1999; Hamilton, 1967).”

“Keywords childhood trauma; amygdala; stress sensitization; depression Major depressive disorder is a serious illness estimated to affect 13 to 14 million adults annually and approximately 16% of the U.S. population across the lifespan (Kessler et al., 2003).”

“Imaging Protocol Stimuli and Paradigm Participants performed a gender identification variant of the Eriksen flanker task of selective attention (Eriksen and Eriksen, 1974) using selected Ekman faces as stimuli (Ekman and Friesen, 1976).”

“…are also linked to amygdala response including sex, (Killgore and Yurgelun-Todd, 2001; Schneider et al., 2000) severity of illness, (Drevets, 2003) anxiety, (Phan et al., 2006; Etkin and Wager, 2007) adult onset trauma (Shin et al., 2005) and basal glucocorticoid activity (Drevets et al., 2002).”

“…during early neurodevelopment in rodent and nonhuman primates, such as early maternal separation and poor postnatal care, has been linked specifically with long-term changes in structure and function of the brain (Kaffman and Meaney, 2007; Meaney, 2001; Mirescu et al., 2004; Sanchez, 2006).”

“Parallel findings in clinical populations suggest child abuse and neglect significantly increase risk for depression (Chapman et al., 2004; Putnam, 2003; Widom et al., 2007).”

“Our finding is tempered however by a consistent limitation within this literature (Heim et al 2000; Vythilingham et al 2002), which is that our groups were based on a comparison of a moderate to severely abused group with those reporting only mild abuse and not the absolute presence or absence of…”

“The more difficult levels of task difficulty, (congruent and incongruent), were not included in this analysis, as effective performance for high cognitive load processes are generally associated with dampened emotional response as a function of competition for neural resources (Lavie et al 2004).”

“This is consistent with a growing literature suggesting several of the theorized features of depression may in fact be secondary to sensitization of the limbic system ensuing from early life stress (Sanchez, 2006; Heim et al., 2008).”

“Exaggerated amygdala response is regarded as a core feature of the underlying physiology of major depression (Price and Drevets, 2010) with increased amygdala reactivity to sad stimuli demonstrated consistently (Suslow et al., 2010; Victor et al ., 2010).”

“Parallel findings in clinical populations suggest child abuse and neglect significantly increase risk for depression (Chapman et al., 2004; Putnam, 2003; Widom et al., 2007).”

“As such, the dampening of amygdala response is considered an essential component of symptom remission (Sheline et al., 2001; Fu et al., 2004), while heightened amygdala activity is considered a significant risk factor for relapse (Ramel et al., 2007) and increased amygdala response has been linked…”

“Coronal, sagittal and axial schematic of neuroanatomical boundaries of amygdala adapted with permission from Zald (2003).”

“This finding may have implications for the relationship between abuse and depression in general as it parallels the findings from recent investigations of childhood trauma and depression in which physical and emotional abuse have demonstrated strong relationships with depression but not sexual abuse (Lumley & Harkness…”

“, 2006; Etkin and Wager, 2007) adult onset trauma (Shin et al., 2005) and basal glucocorticoid activity (Drevets et al.”

“, 2003) and disinhibition via medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) atrophy (Quirk et al., 2003; Radley et al., 2006).”

“Evidence of sustained amygdala activity post-stimulus offset and in response to masked stimuli has also been demonstrated (Dannlowski et al., 2007; Siegle et al., 2002).”

“, 2003) and disinhibition via medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) atrophy (Quirk et al., 2003; Radley et al., 2006).”

“As such, the dampening of amygdala response is considered an essential component of symptom remission (Sheline et al., 2001; Fu et al., 2004), while heightened amygdala activity is considered a significant risk factor for relapse (Ramel et al., 2007) and increased amygdala response has been linked…”

“…(1) normative values have been computed in a community sample (Scher et al., 2004) and (2) exploratory cut-off scores have been investigated based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methods in a random sample of women members of a group health maintenance organization (Walker et al., 1999).”

“…during early neurodevelopment in rodent and nonhuman primates, such as early maternal separation and poor postnatal care, has been linked specifically with long-term changes in structure and function of the brain (Kaffman and Meaney, 2007; Meaney, 2001; Mirescu et al., 2004; Sanchez, 2006).”

“…trauma are also linked to amygdala response including sex, (Killgore and Yurgelun-Todd, 2001; Schneider et al., 2000) severity of illness, (Drevets, 2003) anxiety, (Phan et al., 2006; Etkin and Wager, 2007) adult onset trauma (Shin et al., 2005) and basal glucocorticoid activity (Drevets…”

“…are also linked to amygdala response including sex, (Killgore and Yurgelun-Todd, 2001; Schneider et al., 2000) severity of illness, (Drevets, 2003) anxiety, (Phan et al., 2006; Etkin and Wager, 2007) adult onset trauma (Shin et al., 2005) and basal glucocorticoid activity (Drevets et al., 2002).”

“, 2005) and basal glucocorticoid activity (Drevets et al., 2002).”

“Reliability and validity of the CTQ, including its stability over time, convergent and discriminant validity with structured trauma interviews, and corroboration using independent data, have been determined (Fink et al., 1995).”

“It is possible these differences are attributable to discrepancies in brain maturation in relation to the timing of the stressor that may influence susceptibility to persistent changes in brain structure and function following trauma (Andersen and Teicher, 2004; Buss et al., 2009), but we cannot rule out insufficient…”

“Imaging studies utilizing both positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) methods have consistently demonstrated increased glucose metabolism and cerebral blood flow in response to sad stimuli (Suslow et al., 2010; Victor et al., 2010).”

“…during early neurodevelopment in rodent and nonhuman primates, such as early maternal separation and poor postnatal care, has been linked specifically with long-term changes in structure and function of the brain (Kaffman and Meaney, 2007; Meaney, 2001; Mirescu et al., 2004; Sanchez, 2006).”

“There are no well established CTQ norms in adults, however (1) normative values have been computed in a community sample (Scher et al., 2004) and (2) exploratory cut-off scores have been investigated based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) methods in a random sample of women members of a…”

“Exaggerated amygdala response is regarded as a core feature of the underlying physiology of major depression (Price and Drevets, 2010) with increased amygdala reactivity to sad stimuli demonstrated consistently (Suslow et al., 2010; Victor et al ., 2010).”

“This increased amygdala response has subsequently been linked to the experience of momentary fluctuations in emotion in every-day life, self-induced sadness in healthy volunteers as well as negative affect in depression (Abercrombie et al., 1998; Barrett et al., 2007; Posse et al., 2003).”

“…brain maturation in relation to the timing of the stressor that may influence susceptibility to persistent changes in brain structure and function following trauma (Andersen and Teicher, 2004; Buss et al., 2009), but we cannot rule out insufficient power in the current study based on sample size.”

“Rodent and non-human primate models suggest heightened amygdala response is closely linked to glucocorticoid-mediated transformations in brain morphology, neuronal hyperexcitability (Duvarci and Paré, 2007; Vyas et al., 2003) and disinhibition via medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) atrophy (Quirk et al.”

“However, a number of factors other than childhood trauma are also linked to amygdala response including sex, (Killgore and Yurgelun-Todd, 2001; Schneider et al., 2000) severity of illness, (Drevets, 2003) anxiety, (Phan et al., 2006; Etkin and Wager, 2007) adult onset trauma (Shin et al., 2005) and…”

“This increased amygdala response has subsequently been linked to the experience of momentary fluctuations in emotion in every-day life, self-induced sadness in healthy volunteers as well as negative affect in depression (Abercrombie et al., 1998; Barrett et al., 2007; Posse et al., 2003).”

“Rodent and non-human primate models suggest heightened amygdala response is closely linked to glucocorticoid-mediated transformations in brain morphology, neuronal hyperexcitability (Duvarci and Pare, 2007; Vyas et al., 2003) and disinhibition via medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) atrophy (Quirk et al.”

“…between abuse and depression in general as it parallels the findings from recent investigations of childhood trauma and depression in which physical and emotional abuse have demonstrated strong relationships with depression but not sexual abuse (Lumley & Harkness, 2007; Widom et al., 2007).”

“This is consistent with a growing literature suggesting several of the theorized features of depression may in fact be secondary to sensitization of the limbic system ensuing from early life stress (Sanchez, 2006; Heim et al., 2008).”

“Evidence suggesting brain morphology and physiology are influenced by both heritable and stress induced influences has been observed in both human and animal models (Oler et al, 2010; Pennington et al 2000; Kaffman and Meaney, 2007).”

“Evidence suggesting brain morphology and physiology are influenced by both heritable and stress induced influences has been observed in both human and animal models (Oler et al, 2010; Pennington et al 2000; Kaffman and Meaney, 2007).”

“For instance, mild early life stress in non-human primates has been linked with later life stress inoculation, demonstrated by low plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol levels and decreased anxiety in response to emotional obstacles (Parker et al., 2004).”

“…of early life trauma suggests important differences on several key neurobiological features including endocrine and autonomic activity (Heim et al., 2000), as well as region-specific brain morphology differences in hippocampus and mPFC/cingulate (Vythilingham et al., 2002; Treadway et al., 2009).”

“, 2004), while heightened amygdala activity is considered a significant risk factor for relapse (Ramel et al., 2007) and increased amygdala response has been linked to negative affect in depression (Abercrombie et al.”

“Furthermore, the considerable social, occupational and workplace related costs associated with impaired function are estimated in the tens of billions of dollars each year (Wang et al., 2006).”

“Our premise is consistent with the group differences observed in the current study between depressed with and without a history of significant early life trauma, as well as animal and human models of glucocorticoid effects on amygdala response (Duvarci and Pare, 2007; Kukolja et al. 2008).”

“This increased amygdala response has subsequently been linked to the experience of momentary fluctuations in emotion in every-day life, self-induced sadness in healthy volunteers as well as negative affect in depression (Abercrombie et al., 1998; Barrett et al., 2007; Posse et al., 2003).”

“N IH -PA Author M anuscript N IH -PA Author M anuscript N IH -PA Author M anuscript Rating Scale for Depression; HRSD-17) (Piotrowski, 1999; Hamilton, 1967).”

“In general, it is assumed that lack of validity of retrospective self reports leads to underestimation of the actual occurrence rather than overestimation (Hardt and Rutter, 2004).”