Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia; Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, VIC, Australia; Orygen, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2020 Dec;122:104868. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2020.104868. Epub 2020 Oct 2.
Early Life Stress (ELS) is thought to influence Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal-Axis (HPAA) functioning, contributing to an increased risk for psychopathology through dysregulation of biological stress responses. Research exploring relationships between ELS and HPAA functioning has largely focused on its key hormonal output, cortisol. However, findings have been inconsistent, potentially due to cortisol's distinctive diurnal patterns and dynamic nature complicating its accurate measurement. Thus, this study explored the link between ELS and a more stable, structural component of the HPAA, specifically, anterior pituitary gland volume (PGV) in a community sample of children (N = 129, 68 female). PGV was traced from Magnetic Resonance Imaging brain scans across two time-points at ages 8 (baseline) and 10 years (follow-up). ELS exposure was assessed at baseline through parent-report questionnaires and maternal affective behavior observed in mother-child interaction tasks. ELS variables were reduced to a 5-factor structure using exploratory factor analysis - Uninvolved Parenting, Negative Affective Parenting, Neglect, Trauma, and Dysfunctional Discipline. Direct and sex-moderated associations between ELS and PGV were explored using regression and linear mixed models analyses. PGV-mediated associations between ELS and internalizing symptoms were also investigated. Childhood Neglect was significantly associated with greater baseline anterior PGV, that was stable over the follow-up period. This effect was found in the whole sample, and in males, specifically. No mediation effects were found. Results suggest that neglect may play a unique role in HPAA neurodevelopment; however, it is important that future research extends into adolescence to more clearly characterize these neurodevelopmental associations and any subsequent psychopathological outcomes.
早期生活压力（ELS）被认为会影响下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴（HPAA）的功能，通过生物应激反应的失调增加精神病理学的风险。探索 ELS 与 HPAA 功能之间关系的研究主要集中在其关键的激素输出，皮质醇。然而，研究结果不一致，这可能是由于皮质醇独特的昼夜节律模式和动态性质使其准确测量变得复杂。因此，本研究在儿童社区样本中探索了 ELS 与 HPAA 更稳定、结构性组成部分之间的联系，具体来说，是前垂体体积（PGV）（N=129，68 名女性）。PGV 是通过磁共振成像脑扫描在 8 岁（基线）和 10 岁（随访）两个时间点追踪的。ELS 暴露在基线时通过父母报告问卷和母婴互动任务中观察到的母亲情感行为进行评估。ELS 变量使用探索性因素分析减少到 5 个因素结构 - 不参与育儿、消极情感育儿、忽视、创伤和功能失调的纪律。使用回归和线性混合模型分析探索了 ELS 与 PGV 之间的直接和性别调节关联。还调查了 ELS 与内化症状之间的 PGV 介导关联。童年忽视与基线前 PGV 显著相关，且在随访期间保持稳定。该效应在整个样本中发现，特别是在男性中。没有发现中介效应。结果表明，忽视可能在 HPAA 神经发育中发挥独特作用；然而，未来的研究需要扩展到青春期，以更清楚地描述这些神经发育关联和任何随后的精神病理学结果。
