Amygdala Functional Connectivity Is Associated With Emotion Regulation and Amygdala Reactivity in 4- to 6-Year-Olds

Michael S. Gaffrey; Deanna M. Barch; Joan L. Luby; Steven Petersen

doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2020.01.024

Amygdala Functional Connectivity Is Associated With Emotion Regulation and Amygdala Reactivity in 4- to 6-Year-Olds

Michael S. Gaffrey, Deanna M. Barch, Joan L. Luby, Steven Petersen

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: Emotion dysregulation has been suggested to be a potent risk factor for multiple psychiatric conditions. Altered amygdala−prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity has been consistently linked to emotion dysregulation. Recent data indicate that amygdala−PFC functional connectivity undergoes a prolonged period of development, with amygdala reactivity during early childhood potentially shaping this unfolding process. Little is known about the relationships between amygdala−PFC functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation during early childhood. This information is likely critical for understanding early emotion dysregulation as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. The current study examined the relationships between amygdala functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation in preschoolers. Method: A total of 66 medication-naive 4- to 6-year-olds participated in a study where resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and parent-reported child emotion regulation ability data were collected. fMRI data collected during a face viewing task was also available for 24 children. Results: Right amygdala−medial PFC (mPFC) functional connectivity was positively associated with child emotion regulation ability and negatively associated with child negative affect and right amygdala reactivity to facial expressions of emotion. Right amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity also statistically mediated the relationship between heightened right amygdala reactivity and elevated child negative affect. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity during early childhood, and its relationships with amygdala reactivity and emotion regulation during this highly sensitive developmental period, may play an important role in early emotional development. These results inform the neurodevelopmental biology of emotion regulation and its potential relationship with risk for psychopathology.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	176-185
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Volume	60
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.01.024
State	Published - Jan 2021

Keywords

amygdala
emotion regulation
functional connectivity
irritability
pediatric

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10.1016/j.jaac.2020.01.024

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@article{92d2b5c9827a42cc8df4dc01cc63a93d,

title = "Amygdala Functional Connectivity Is Associated With Emotion Regulation and Amygdala Reactivity in 4- to 6-Year-Olds",

abstract = "Objective: Emotion dysregulation has been suggested to be a potent risk factor for multiple psychiatric conditions. Altered amygdala−prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity has been consistently linked to emotion dysregulation. Recent data indicate that amygdala−PFC functional connectivity undergoes a prolonged period of development, with amygdala reactivity during early childhood potentially shaping this unfolding process. Little is known about the relationships between amygdala−PFC functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation during early childhood. This information is likely critical for understanding early emotion dysregulation as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. The current study examined the relationships between amygdala functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation in preschoolers. Method: A total of 66 medication-naive 4- to 6-year-olds participated in a study where resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and parent-reported child emotion regulation ability data were collected. fMRI data collected during a face viewing task was also available for 24 children. Results: Right amygdala−medial PFC (mPFC) functional connectivity was positively associated with child emotion regulation ability and negatively associated with child negative affect and right amygdala reactivity to facial expressions of emotion. Right amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity also statistically mediated the relationship between heightened right amygdala reactivity and elevated child negative affect. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity during early childhood, and its relationships with amygdala reactivity and emotion regulation during this highly sensitive developmental period, may play an important role in early emotional development. These results inform the neurodevelopmental biology of emotion regulation and its potential relationship with risk for psychopathology.",

keywords = "amygdala, emotion regulation, functional connectivity, irritability, pediatric",

author = "Gaffrey, {Michael S.} and Barch, {Deanna M.} and Luby, {Joan L.} and Steven Petersen",

note = "Funding Information: Disclosure: Dr. Barch has received funding from the NIMH and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Luby has received funding from the NIMH. Dr. Petersen has received funding from the McDonnell Foundation. Dr. Gaffrey has reported no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest. Funding Information: The Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation (M.S.G.), the Communities Healing Adolescent Depression and Suicide (CHADS) Coalition for Mental Health (J.L.L., D.M.B.), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; M.S.G.; K23 MH098176) provided funding for this study. Dr. Gaffrey{\textquoteright}s work on this manuscript was supported by a grant from the NIMH (R01 MH110488). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2020 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry",

year = "2021",

month = jan,

doi = "10.1016/j.jaac.2020.01.024",

language = "English",

volume = "60",

pages = "176--185",

journal = "Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry",

issn = "0890-8567",

number = "1",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Amygdala Functional Connectivity Is Associated With Emotion Regulation and Amygdala Reactivity in 4- to 6-Year-Olds

AU - Gaffrey, Michael S.

AU - Barch, Deanna M.

AU - Luby, Joan L.

AU - Petersen, Steven

N1 - Funding Information: Disclosure: Dr. Barch has received funding from the NIMH and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Dr. Luby has received funding from the NIMH. Dr. Petersen has received funding from the McDonnell Foundation. Dr. Gaffrey has reported no biomedical financial interests or potential conflicts of interest. Funding Information: The Klingenstein Third Generation Foundation (M.S.G.), the Communities Healing Adolescent Depression and Suicide (CHADS) Coalition for Mental Health (J.L.L., D.M.B.), and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH; M.S.G.; K23 MH098176) provided funding for this study. Dr. Gaffrey’s work on this manuscript was supported by a grant from the NIMH (R01 MH110488). Publisher Copyright: © 2020 American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

PY - 2021/1

Y1 - 2021/1

N2 - Objective: Emotion dysregulation has been suggested to be a potent risk factor for multiple psychiatric conditions. Altered amygdala−prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity has been consistently linked to emotion dysregulation. Recent data indicate that amygdala−PFC functional connectivity undergoes a prolonged period of development, with amygdala reactivity during early childhood potentially shaping this unfolding process. Little is known about the relationships between amygdala−PFC functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation during early childhood. This information is likely critical for understanding early emotion dysregulation as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. The current study examined the relationships between amygdala functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation in preschoolers. Method: A total of 66 medication-naive 4- to 6-year-olds participated in a study where resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and parent-reported child emotion regulation ability data were collected. fMRI data collected during a face viewing task was also available for 24 children. Results: Right amygdala−medial PFC (mPFC) functional connectivity was positively associated with child emotion regulation ability and negatively associated with child negative affect and right amygdala reactivity to facial expressions of emotion. Right amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity also statistically mediated the relationship between heightened right amygdala reactivity and elevated child negative affect. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity during early childhood, and its relationships with amygdala reactivity and emotion regulation during this highly sensitive developmental period, may play an important role in early emotional development. These results inform the neurodevelopmental biology of emotion regulation and its potential relationship with risk for psychopathology.

AB - Objective: Emotion dysregulation has been suggested to be a potent risk factor for multiple psychiatric conditions. Altered amygdala−prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity has been consistently linked to emotion dysregulation. Recent data indicate that amygdala−PFC functional connectivity undergoes a prolonged period of development, with amygdala reactivity during early childhood potentially shaping this unfolding process. Little is known about the relationships between amygdala−PFC functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation during early childhood. This information is likely critical for understanding early emotion dysregulation as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. The current study examined the relationships between amygdala functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation in preschoolers. Method: A total of 66 medication-naive 4- to 6-year-olds participated in a study where resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and parent-reported child emotion regulation ability data were collected. fMRI data collected during a face viewing task was also available for 24 children. Results: Right amygdala−medial PFC (mPFC) functional connectivity was positively associated with child emotion regulation ability and negatively associated with child negative affect and right amygdala reactivity to facial expressions of emotion. Right amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity also statistically mediated the relationship between heightened right amygdala reactivity and elevated child negative affect. Conclusion: Study findings suggest that amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity during early childhood, and its relationships with amygdala reactivity and emotion regulation during this highly sensitive developmental period, may play an important role in early emotional development. These results inform the neurodevelopmental biology of emotion regulation and its potential relationship with risk for psychopathology.

KW - amygdala

KW - emotion regulation

KW - functional connectivity

KW - irritability

KW - pediatric

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JO - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

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Amygdala Functional Connectivity Is Associated With Emotion Regulation and Amygdala Reactivity in 4- to 6-Year-Olds

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