Larger amygdala but no change in hippocampal volume in 10-year-old children exposed to maternal depressive symptomatology since birth
Larger amygdala but no change in hippocampal volume in 10-year-old children exposed to maternal depressive symptomatology since birth
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DOI：
10.1073/pnas.1105371108
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发表时间：
2011-08-23
影响因子：
11.1
通讯作者：
Seguin, Jean R.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Lupien, Sonia J.;Parent, Sophie;Seguin, Jean R.
动物的母性分离和不良母性护理已被证明对发育中的海马体和杏仁核有重要影响。在人类中，遭受虐待或孤儿院抚养的儿童的海马体积不会发生变化。然而，在孤儿院长大的儿童杏仁核体积增大，这表明杏仁核可能对婴儿期严重干扰（即不连续、疏忽）的照顾特别敏感。母亲的抑郁症状与对婴儿的整体敏感性降低以及孤僻、脱离行为的发生率增加有关。为了确定与母亲抑郁症状相关的不良母亲护理是否与儿童海马体和杏仁核体积具有类似的关联模式，就像严重受干扰的婴儿护理（孤儿院抚养）的情况一样，我们测量了自出生以来暴露（n = 17）或未（n = 21）母亲抑郁症状的儿童的海马和杏仁核体积以及应激激素（糖皮质激素）水平。结果显示，自出生以来就表现出抑郁症状的母亲所生的孩子，海马体积没有组间差异，但左右杏仁核体积较大，糖皮质激素水平增加。此外，母亲的平均抑郁评分与孩子的杏仁核体积之间存在显着的正相关关系。这项研究的结果表明，人类儿童的杏仁核体积可能代表了对孕产妇护理质量的生物敏感性的早期标志。
Maternal separation and poor maternal care in animals have been shown to have important effects on the developing hippocampus and amygdala. In humans, children exposed to abuse/maltreatment or orphanage rearing do not present changes in hippocampal volumes. However, children reared in orphanages present enlarged amygdala volumes, suggesting that the amygdala may be particularly sensitive to severely disturbed (i.e., discontinous, neglectful) care in infancy. Maternal depressive symptomatology has been associated with reductions in overall sensitivity to the infant, and with an increased rate of withdrawn, disengaged behaviors. To determine if poor maternal care associated with maternal depressive symptomatology has a similar pattern of association to the volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala in children, as is the case for severely disturbed infant care (orphanage rearing), we measured hippocampal and amygdala volumes as well as stress hormone (glucocorticoid) levels in children exposed (n = 17) or not (n = 21) to maternal depressive symptomatology since birth. Results revealed no group difference in hippocampal volumes, but larger left and right amygdala volumes and increased levels of glucocorticoids in the children of mothers presenting depressive symptomatology since birth. Moreover, a significant positive correlation was observed between mothers' mean depressive scores and amygdala volumes in their children. The results of this study suggest that amygdala volume in human children may represent an early marker of biological sensitivity to quality of maternal care.