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Neurobiological Programming of Early Life Stress: Functional Development of Amygdala-Prefrontal Circuitry and Vulnerability for Stress-Related Psychopathology

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Behavioral Neurobiology of PTSD

Part of the book series: Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences ((CTBN,volume 38))

Abstract

Early adverse experiences are associated with heighted vulnerability for stress-related psychopathology across the lifespan. While extensive work has investigated the effects of early adversity on neurobiology in adulthood, developmental approaches can provide further insight on the neurobiological mechanisms that link early experiences and long-term mental health outcomes. In the current review, we discuss the role of emotion regulation circuitry implicated in stress-related psychopathology from a developmental and transdiagnostic perspective. We highlight converging evidence suggesting that multiple forms of early adverse experiences impact the functional development of amygdala-prefrontal circuitry. Next, we discuss how adversity-induced alterations in amygdala-prefrontal development are associated with symptoms of emotion dysregulation and psychopathology. Additionally, we discuss potential mechanisms through which protective factors may buffer the effects of early adversity on amygdala-prefrontal development to confer more adaptive long-term outcomes. Finally, we consider limitations of the existing literature and make suggestions for future longitudinal and translational research that can better elucidate the mechanisms linking early adversity, neurobiology, and emotional phenotypes. Together, these findings may provide further insight into the neuro-developmental mechanisms underlying the emergence of adversity-related emotional disorders and facilitate the development of targeted interventions that can ameliorate risk for psychopathology in youth exposed to early life stress.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the NIMH under grant R01MH091864 (N. Tottenham, PI), an NSF Conference Grant conference grant BCS-1439258 (N. Tottenham, co-I), and the Dana Foundation (N. Tottenham, PI), and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program under Grant No. DGE-16-44869 (M. R. VanTieghem). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, or the Dana Foundation.

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  1. Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1990 Amsterdam Ave, MC 5501, New York, NY, 10027, USA

    Michelle R. VanTieghem & Nim Tottenham

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  1. Michelle R. VanTieghem
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  2. Nim Tottenham
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Correspondence to Michelle R. VanTieghem .

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  1. Department Psychiatry, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands

    Eric Vermetten

  2. Department of Psychiatry, UC San Diego School of Medicine, San Diego, CA, USA

    Dewleen G. Baker

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA

    Victoria B. Risbrough

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VanTieghem, M.R., Tottenham, N. (2017). Neurobiological Programming of Early Life Stress: Functional Development of Amygdala-Prefrontal Circuitry and Vulnerability for Stress-Related Psychopathology. In: Vermetten, E., Baker, D.G., Risbrough, V.B. (eds) Behavioral Neurobiology of PTSD. Current Topics in Behavioral Neurosciences, vol 38. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/7854_2016_42

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