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Cited by 130Functional Brain Connectivity StudiesNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development

Immature integration and segregation of emotion-related brain circuitry in young children

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Qin, Shaozheng, Young, Christina B., Supekar, Kaustubh, Uddin, Lucina Q., Menon, Vinod·2012·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
DOI 10.1073/pnas.1120408109PMC PMC3356602
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Abstract

The human brain undergoes protracted development, with dramatic changes in expression and regulation of emotion from childhood to adulthood. The amygdala is a brain structure that plays a pivotal role in emotion-related functions. Investigating developmental characteristics of the amygdala and associated functional circuits in children is important for understanding how emotion processing matures in the developing brain. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) and centromedial amygdala (CMA) are two major amygdalar nuclei that contribute to distinct functions via their unique pattern of interactions with cortical and subcortical regions. Almost nothing is currently known about the maturation of functional circuits associated with these amygdala nuclei in the developing brain. Using intrinsic connectivity analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data, we investigated developmental changes in functional connectivity of the BLA and CMA in twenty-four 7- to 9-y-old typically developing children compared with twenty-four 19- to 22-y-old healthy adults. Children showed significantly weaker intrinsic functional connectivity of the amygdala with subcortical, paralimbic, and limbic structures, polymodal association, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex. Importantly, target networks associated with the BLA and CMA exhibited greater overlap and weaker dissociation in children. In line with this finding, children showed greater intraamygdala connectivity between the BLA and CMA. Critically, these developmental differences were reproducibly identified in a second independent cohort of adults and children. Taken together, our findings point toward weak integration and segregation of amygdala circuits in young children. These immature patterns of amygdala connectivity have important implications for understanding typical and atypical development of emotion-related brain circuitry.

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Crossref · 10.1073/pnas.1120408109

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  • The structural and functional connectivity between the amygdala and cortical areas undergoes substantial maturation during adolescence.

    “Structural and functional connectivity between the amygdala and cortical brain regions undergoes dramatic maturation across adolescence (Qin et al., 2012, Gabard-Durnam et al., 2014).”

    From Developmental sex differences in resting state functional connectivity of amygdala sub-regions (2015) · cites this paper as Qin et al., 2012

  • Earlier studies have reported that connectivity between the medial prefrontal cortex and all amygdala sub-regions increases with age.

    “Previous research has shown coupling of mPFC and all amygdala sub-regions with increasing age (Roy et al., 2009, Qin et al., 2012, Gabard-Durnam et al., 2014),”

    From Developmental sex differences in resting state functional connectivity of amygdala sub-regions (2015) · cites this paper as Qin et al., 2012

  • The observed pattern of decreased parieto-occipital connectivity and increased medial prefrontal connectivity matches adult resting-state functional connectivity patterns of amygdala sub-regions.

    “which corresponds with adult RSFC patterns of amygdala sub-regions (Roy et al., 2009, Qin et al., 2012, Gabard-Durnam et al., 2014), albeit with varying effects by sex.”

    From Developmental sex differences in resting state functional connectivity of amygdala sub-regions (2015) · cites this paper as Qin et al., 2012

  • Prior research has identified distinct resting-state functional connectivity patterns across amygdalar nuclei, with age-related positive connectivity to ventromedial prefrontal, temporal, and subcortical regions and negative connectivity to parietal and occipital cortices.

    “Previous work has found distinct functional connectivity patterns, as measured with RSFC, across amygdalar nuclei (Roy et al., 2009, Li et al., 2012, Qin et al., 2012, Gabard-Durnam et al., 2014), specifically different patterns of age-dependent positive connectivity between amygdalar nuclei and ventromedial PFC (vmPFC), temporal, and subcortical regions, as well as negative connectivity with pari”

    From Developmental sex differences in resting state functional connectivity of amygdala sub-regions (2015) · cites this paper as Qin et al., 2012

  • The comparable functional coupling patterns in both sexes are in accordance with a healthy developmental trajectory.

    “which is in accordance with a healthy developmental trajectory (Roy et al., 2009, Qin et al., 2012, Gabard-Durnam et al., 2014).”

    From Developmental sex differences in resting state functional connectivity of amygdala sub-regions (2015) · cites this paper as Qin et al., 2012

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Authors
Qin, S., Young, C. B., Supekar, K., Uddin, L. Q., & Menon, V.
Affiliations
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
  • Northwestern University (US)
  • Stanford University (US)
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
Publisher
National Academy of Sciences
Published
2012-04-30
Volume
109
Issue
20
Pages
7941-7946
ISSN
  • 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
  • 1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.1120408109
PMC
PMC3356602
OpenAlex
W1965642520
Cited by
130
References
49
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 5 · 2022: 10 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 14 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 16 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 1
FWCI
6.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (446.10.010)
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (K01MH092288)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD047520, HD059205, R01HD047520, R01HD059205)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Functional Brain Connectivity Studies
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
Keywords
amygdala, basolateral amygdala, centromedial amygdala, intrinsic functional connectivity, brain development, emotional processing, children, ventromedial prefrontal cortex, limbic system, integration and segregation, amygdala connectivity
MeSH terms
Age Factors, Amygdala, Brain Mapping, Child, Emotions, Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Models, Neurological, Neural Pathways, Young Adult

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