Exposure to adverse experiences is a well‐established major risk factor for affective psychopathology. The vulnerability of deleterious sequelae is assumed in maladaptive processes of the defensive system, particularly in emotional processing. More specifically, childhood maltreatment has been suggested to be associated with the recruitment of specific and distinct defensive response profiles. To date, it remains unclear whether these are specific or generalizable to recent adversity in adulthood. This pre‐registered study aimed to investigate the impact of exposure to childhood and recent adversity on emotional processing in 685 healthy adults with the “Affective Startle Modulation” Paradigm (ASM). First, we replicated higher trait anxiety and depression levels in individuals exposed to both types of adversity. Second, we observed increased general skin conductance reactivity in individuals exposed to recent adversity. Third, individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment showed reduced, while individuals exposed to recent adversity showed increased discrimination between pictures of negative and neutral valence, compared with non‐exposed individuals in SCR. No association between exposure to adversity and fear potentiated startle was observed. Furthermore, explorative analyses revealed moderate dimensional and categorical agreement between two childhood maltreatment questionnaires and provide insight into potential adversity‐type specific effects. Our results support experience‐dependent plasticity in sympathetic nervous system reactivity and suggest distinct response profiles in affective modulation in individuals exposed to early versus recent adversity. We emphasize the need to further explore distinct adversity profiles to further our understanding on specific psychophysiological profiles and their potential implication for prevention and intervention.

Background:Exposure to adverse experiences is a well-established major risk factor for affective psychopathology. The vulnerability of deleterious sequelae is assumed in maladaptive processes of the defensive system, particularly in emotional processing. More specifically, childhood maltreatment has been suggested to be associated with the recruitment of specific and distinct defensive response profiles. To date it remains unclear whether these are specific or generalisable to recent adversity in adulthood.Method:This preregistered study aimed to investigate the impact of exposure to childhood and recent adversity on emotional processing in 685 healthy adults with the “Affective Startle Modulation” Paradigm (ASM).Results:First, we replicated higher trait anxiety and depression levels in individuals exposed to both types of adversity. Second, we observed blunted general skin conductance reactivity in individuals exposed to recent adversity. Third, individuals exposed to childhood maltreatment showed reduced, while individuals exposed to recent adversity showed increased discrimination between pictures of negative and neutral valence, compared to non-exposed individuals in SCR. No association between exposure to adversity and fear potentiated startle was observed. Furthermore, explorative analyses revealed moderate dimensional and categorical agreement between two childhood maltreatment questionnaires and provide insight into potential adversity-type specific effects.Conclusion:Our results support experience-dependent plasticity in sympathetic nervous system reactivity and suggest distinct response profiles in affective modulation in individuals exposed to early versus recent adversity. We emphasise the need to further explore distinct adversity profiles to further our understanding on specific psychophysiological profiles and their potential implication for prevention and intervention.

How does one retrieve real-life episodic memories? Here, we tested the hypothesis, derived from computational models, that successful retrieval relies on neural dynamics patterns that rapidly shift towards stable states. We implemented cross-temporal correlation analysis of electroencephalographic (EEG) recordings while participants retrieved episodic memories cued by pictures collected with a wearable camera depicting real-life episodes taking place at “home” and at “the office”. We found that the retrieval of real-life episodic memories is supported by rapid shift towards brain states of stable activity, that the degree of neural stability is associated with the participants’ ability to recollect the episodic content cued by the picture, and that each individual elicits stable EEG patterns that were not shared with other participants. These results indicate that the retrieval of autobiographical memory episodes is supported by rapid shifts of neural activity towards stable states.