TY - JOUR
T1 - An intergenerational family study on the impact of experienced and perpetrated child maltreatment on neural face processing
AU - van den Berg, Lisa J.M.
AU - Tollenaar, Marieke S.
AU - Compier-de Block, Laura H.C.G.
AU - Bakermans-Kranenburg, Marian J.
AU - Elzinga, Bernet M.
PY - 2019/5/1
Y1 - 2019/5/1
N2 - Altered processing of emotional faces due to childhood maltreatment has repeatedly been reported, and may be a key process underlying the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment. The current study is the first to examine the role of neural reactivity to emotional and neutral faces in the transmission of maltreatment, using a multi-generational family design including 171 participants of 51 families of two generations with a large age range (8–69 years). The impact of experienced and perpetrated maltreatment (abuse and neglect) on face processing was examined in association with activation in the amygdala, hippocampus, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and insula in response to angry, fearful, happy and neutral faces. Results showed enhanced bilateral amygdala activation in response to fearful faces in older neglected individuals, whereas reduced amygdala activation was found in response to these faces in younger neglected individuals. Furthermore, while experienced abuse was associated with lower IFG activation in younger individuals, experience of neglect was associated with higher IFG activation in this age group, pointing to potentially differential effects of abuse and neglect and significant age effects. Perpetrated abusive and neglectful behavior were not related to neural activation in any of these regions. Hence, no indications for a role of neural reactivity to emotional faces in the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment were found.
AB - Altered processing of emotional faces due to childhood maltreatment has repeatedly been reported, and may be a key process underlying the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment. The current study is the first to examine the role of neural reactivity to emotional and neutral faces in the transmission of maltreatment, using a multi-generational family design including 171 participants of 51 families of two generations with a large age range (8–69 years). The impact of experienced and perpetrated maltreatment (abuse and neglect) on face processing was examined in association with activation in the amygdala, hippocampus, inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) and insula in response to angry, fearful, happy and neutral faces. Results showed enhanced bilateral amygdala activation in response to fearful faces in older neglected individuals, whereas reduced amygdala activation was found in response to these faces in younger neglected individuals. Furthermore, while experienced abuse was associated with lower IFG activation in younger individuals, experience of neglect was associated with higher IFG activation in this age group, pointing to potentially differential effects of abuse and neglect and significant age effects. Perpetrated abusive and neglectful behavior were not related to neural activation in any of these regions. Hence, no indications for a role of neural reactivity to emotional faces in the intergenerational transmission of maltreatment were found.
KW - Amygdala
KW - Child maltreatment
KW - Emotional face processing
KW - Hippocampus
KW - IFG
KW - Insula
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85061207670&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85061207670&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.030
DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2019.01.030
M3 - Article
C2 - 30754001
AN - SCOPUS:85061207670
VL - 103
SP - 266
EP - 275
JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology
JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology
SN - 0306-4530
ER -