Feggy Ostrosky, Jean Decety, Azucena Lozano, Angélica Lujan, Martha Perez, Ana Munguia, Dianela Castañeda, Karla Diaz, Rafael Lara, Emilio Sacristan, Maria A Bobes, Karina Borja, Beatriz Camarena, Sandra Hernández-Muñoz, Aurora Álvarez, Rebecca E Franco-Bourland
{"title":"[Formula: see text] Can psychopathy be prevented? Clinical, neuroimaging, and genetic data: an exploratory study.","authors":"Feggy Ostrosky, Jean Decety, Azucena Lozano, Angélica Lujan, Martha Perez, Ana Munguia, Dianela Castañeda, Karla Diaz, Rafael Lara, Emilio Sacristan, Maria A Bobes, Karina Borja, Beatriz Camarena, Sandra Hernández-Muñoz, Aurora Álvarez, Rebecca E Franco-Bourland","doi":"10.1080/09297049.2023.2277396","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The aim of the study was to explore the relationship among brain functional activations elicited by an emotional paradigm, clinical scores (PTSD, anxiety, and depression), psychopathic traits, and genetic characteristics (5-HTTLPR) in a group of severely maltreated children compared to a healthy control group before and after the implementation of a Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The final sample consisted of an experimental group of 14 maltreated children (mean age = 8.77 years old, <i>S.D</i>. = 1.83) recruited from a non-governmental shelter in Mexico City for children who had experienced child abuse and a control group of 10 children from the general population (mean age = 9.57 years old, <i>S.D</i>. = 1.91). Both groups were matched according to age and gender and were assessed before and after the implementation of the aforementioned therapy by means of clinical scales and an emotional paradigm that elicited brain activations which were recorded through functional magnetic resonance imaging. Genotyping of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was made at first assessment. A region of interest analysis showed amygdala hyperactivation during exposure to fear and anger stimuli in the maltreated children before treatment. Following therapy, a decrease in brain activity as well as a decrease in clinical symptoms were also observed. 5-HTTLPR polymorphism did not show any effect on the severity of clinical symptoms in maltreated children. Trauma-Focused Behavioral Therapy may help reorganize the brain's processing of emotional stimuli. These observations reveal the importance of an early intervention when the mechanisms of neuroplasticity may be still recruited.</p>","PeriodicalId":9789,"journal":{"name":"Child Neuropsychology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2024-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Child Neuropsychology","FirstCategoryId":"102","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2023.2277396","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/11/10 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q3","JCRName":"CLINICAL NEUROLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The aim of the study was to explore the relationship among brain functional activations elicited by an emotional paradigm, clinical scores (PTSD, anxiety, and depression), psychopathic traits, and genetic characteristics (5-HTTLPR) in a group of severely maltreated children compared to a healthy control group before and after the implementation of a Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The final sample consisted of an experimental group of 14 maltreated children (mean age = 8.77 years old, S.D. = 1.83) recruited from a non-governmental shelter in Mexico City for children who had experienced child abuse and a control group of 10 children from the general population (mean age = 9.57 years old, S.D. = 1.91). Both groups were matched according to age and gender and were assessed before and after the implementation of the aforementioned therapy by means of clinical scales and an emotional paradigm that elicited brain activations which were recorded through functional magnetic resonance imaging. Genotyping of the 5-HTTLPR polymorphism was made at first assessment. A region of interest analysis showed amygdala hyperactivation during exposure to fear and anger stimuli in the maltreated children before treatment. Following therapy, a decrease in brain activity as well as a decrease in clinical symptoms were also observed. 5-HTTLPR polymorphism did not show any effect on the severity of clinical symptoms in maltreated children. Trauma-Focused Behavioral Therapy may help reorganize the brain's processing of emotional stimuli. These observations reveal the importance of an early intervention when the mechanisms of neuroplasticity may be still recruited.
期刊介绍:
The purposes of Child Neuropsychology are to:
publish research on the neuropsychological effects of disorders which affect brain functioning in children and adolescents,
publish research on the neuropsychological dimensions of development in childhood and adolescence and
promote the integration of theory, method and research findings in child/developmental neuropsychology.
The primary emphasis of Child Neuropsychology is to publish original empirical research. Theoretical and methodological papers and theoretically relevant case studies are welcome. Critical reviews of topics pertinent to child/developmental neuropsychology are encouraged.
Emphases of interest include the following: information processing mechanisms; the impact of injury or disease on neuropsychological functioning; behavioral cognitive and pharmacological approaches to treatment/intervention; psychosocial correlates of neuropsychological dysfunction; definitive normative, reliability, and validity studies of psychometric and other procedures used in the neuropsychological assessment of children and adolescents. Articles on both normal and dysfunctional development that are relevant to the aforementioned dimensions are welcome. Multiple approaches (e.g., basic, applied, clinical) and multiple methodologies (e.g., cross-sectional, longitudinal, experimental, multivariate, correlational) are appropriate. Books, media, and software reviews will be published.