Developing Functional Network Connectivity of the Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Mediates Externalizing Psychopathology in Adolescents with Child Neglect

Abstract

Childhood adversity in form of child abuse and neglect is associated with elevated risk for psychopathologies. We investigated whether development of functional brain networks important for executive function (EF) could serve as potential mediators of this association. We analyzed data of 475 adolescents, a subsample of the multisite longitudinal NCANDA (National Consortium on Alcohol and Neurodevelopment in Adolescence) cohort with completed measures of childhood trauma, resting-state functional brain connectivity data, and internalizing/externalizing psychopathological syndrome data at baseline and follow-up years 1-4. Using parallel process latent growth models, we found that childhood adversity was associated with increased risk for externalizing/internalizing behaviors. We specifically investigated whether functional connectivity of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC) to brain regions within the cingulo-opercular (CO) network, a well-known EF network that underlies control of attention and self-regulation, mediates the association between adversity and psychopathological behaviors. We found that childhood adversity, specifically neglect was negatively associated with functional connectivity of the dACC within the CO network, and that this connectivity mediated the association between child neglect and externalizing behaviors. Our study advances a mechanistic understanding of how childhood adversity may impact the development of psychopathology, highlighting the relevance of dACC functional networks particularly for externalizing psychopathology.

Early deprivation alters structural brain development from middle childhood to adolescence

“…Thickness in the ACC at 16 years was positively associated with externalizing psychopathology from a bifactor model. This finding is consistent with a significant body of work linking the function and structure of the ACC with externalizing symptoms in populations of participants not exposed to institutionalization ( 46 , 47 ) and with data demonstrating that ACC function and connectivity mediate the link between other forms of adversity and externalizing psychopathology ( 48 , 49 ). Thickness in the IFG, but not ACC, was negatively associated with cognitive ability at 18 years.…”

Presence D’une Prédisposition : Premier Épisode D’une Série De Huit Épisodes Sur Le Cerveau

“…Une prédisposition sans détermination raisonnés (Shipp, 2017;Silveira et al, 2021;Snyder et al, 2021;Sowell et al, 2001;Tanaka et al, 2012). (Fonagy & Bateman, 2016).…”

“…Le cortex cingulaire antérieur (moniteur de l'erreur et disciple de l'érudit frontal) et les régions frontales médiales ne détecteront plus les conditions nécessitant un contrôle cognitif accru (par exemple, la détection et la résolution des conflits). Les régions pariétales ne traiteront plus l'information relative à la saillance des items et les associations stimulus-réponse(Barch et al, 2018;Dosenbach et al, 2006;Silveira et al, 2021;Snyder et al, 2021).De ce qui précède, nous avançons qu'auniveau comportementale, l'environnement invalident prédispose le jeune à A. Une excitation émotionnelle élevée ou dérégulation émotionnelle ; B. un manque d'intégration dans la mentalisation émotionnelle et cognitive c.à-d. des relations instables intenses ou superficielle teinté par la peur de l'abandon et du jugement ; C. Une incapacité de faire la différence entre les états mentaux de soi et des autres , voire la justice). Cet enfant est soumis aux lois et règles normalisantes de la vie en société.…”