UNDERSTANDING NEURODEVELOPMENT IN MACAQUES WITH DIFFERENT REARING EXPERIENCES

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 这个项目的目标：我们已经使用了一个独特的，自然主义的，非人类的灵长类动物模型来描述人类童年虐待的长期影响，使用活体神经成像技术来表征不良照料对神经发育的长期影响。为了实现这一重要目标，我们还提出了收集体内神经成像数据的建议，以与正常脑发育进行比较。 为了研究恒河猴神经发育的标准化变化，我们收集了恒河猴整个幼年期的结构MRI、扩散张量成像(DTI)和磁共振波谱扫描。对这些时期神经发育的变化进行评估，以确定其与身体发育和社会情绪发育变化的联系。我们已经完成了对5名2周、3个月和6个月大的恒河猴婴儿的扫描 除了正常的神经发育变化外，我们还研究了不良早期护理引起的病理性脑发育。为此，我们收集了结构磁共振成像、DTI和MRS扫描，以研究有或没有不良照料经历的青春期恒河猴的大脑结构、连通性和功能的组织。我们的初步DTI分析显示，由照顾技能较差的母亲饲养的动物的脑白质完整性发生了变化。在这些动物中，我们检测到与对照组相比，大脑皮质区域的分数各向异性(FA)增加：额叶(前扣带回、背外侧前额叶和眶前叶皮质)、躯体感觉、顶叶和左侧视觉皮质。另一方面，腹侧纹状体和右视皮质的FA减少。这些FA的差异表明，早期接受不良照料的动物的脑白质结构的正常成熟存在变化。 有必要进行进一步的研究，以确定早期不良经历对神经结构和功能产生如此深远和多样化影响的机制。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. Goal of this project: We have used a unique, naturalistic, nonhuman primate model of human childhood maltreatment to characterize the long-term impact of adverse caregiving on neurodevelopment using in vivo neuroimaging technologies. In order to accomplish this important goal, we have also proposed the collection of in vivo neuroimaging data to compare with normative brain development. In order to study normative changes in neurodevelopment of rhesus monkeys, we collected structural MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and MR spectroscopy scans on rhesus monkeys throughout the infant period. Changes in neurodevelopment during these periods were assessed for links to changes in physical growth and socioemotional development. We have completed scans on 5 rhesus infants at 2 weeks, 3 months and 6 months of age We also studied pathological brain development caused by adverse early caregiving, in addition to normative neurodevelopmental changes. For this, we collected structural MRI, DTI and MRS scans to study the organization of brain structure, connectivity and function in adolescent rhesus monkeys with or without adverse caregiving experiences. Our preliminary DTI analysis revealed alterations in brain white matter integrity in the animals raised by mothers with poor caregiving skills. In these animals, we detected increased fractional anisotropy (FA, a measure of microstructural organization/integrity) in cortical regions: frontal lobe (anterior cingulate, dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortices), somatosensory, parietal and left visual cortices, in comparison to controls. On the other hand, FA was reduced in the ventral striatum and right visual cortex. These differences in FA indicate the existence of alterations in normal maturation of brain white matter structure in animals that received poor early caregiving. Further research is necessary to determine the mechanisms through which early adverse experiences can have such far reaching and diverse effects on neural structure and function.