Common neural correlates of disgust processing in childhood maltreatment and peer victimisation
Year: 2024
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment and peer victimisation are common sources of early-life interpersonal stress. Childhood maltreatment is associated with atypical frontolimbic emotion processing and regulation, and increased vulnerability for self-harm/suicide. However, few studies have compared the neurofunctional correlates between caregiver- versus peer-inflicted mistreatment. AIMS: We compared the alterations of neurofunctional correlates of facial emotion processing in youths exposed to childhood maltreatment or peer victimisation, and explored their associations with self-harm. METHOD: Functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected from 114 age- and gender-matched youths (39 childhood maltreatment, 37 peer victimisation and 38 controls) during an emotion discrimination task. Region-of-interest (amygdala, insula) and whole-brain analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Groups differed significantly during disgust processing only. Both groups had lower activation in the right amygdala and bilateral posterior insula than controls; left insular underactivation was furthermore related to increased self-harm in maltreated youths. Compared with controls, at the whole-brain level, both groups also had underactivation in a cluster of bilateral limbic-thalamic-striatal, precuneus/posterior cingulate, temporal, fusiform/lingual and cerebellar regions, which was negatively associated with emotional problems in controls, as well as a cluster of somatosensory regions associated with increased self-harm in maltreated youths. CONCLUSIONS: Early-life interpersonal stress from caregivers or peers is associated with common underactivation of limbic-thalamic-striatal, precuneus/posterior cingulate and somatosensory regions during disgust processing. The hypoactivation of key emotion and sensory processing and self-referential brain regions could be a potential suppressive mechanism to cope with the aversive emotion; however, it may also entail increased risk of affective psychopathology in seemingly healthy youths.
Source: BJPsych Open
DOI: 10.1192/bjo.2024.767
Authors: Lena Lim, Katya Rubia, Steve Lukito
Language: English
Topic: Child Abuse and Trauma
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,450
Awards: A multi-centre, double-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled study to compare the efficacy of real versus sham external Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (eTNS) on symptoms in youth with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), G1949544019, Digital Sleep Support for Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (The DISCA study)
OpenAlex ID: W4403840006