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Disrupted amygdala reactivity in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Gaffrey, MS; Barch, DM; Singer, J; Shenoy, R; Luby, JL
Published in: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
July 2013

Disrupted amygdala activity in depressed adolescents and adults while viewing facial expressions of emotion has been reported. However, few data are available to inform the developmental nature of this phenomenon, an issue that studies of the earliest known forms of depression might elucidate. The current study addressed this question by examining functional brain activity and its relationships to emotion regulation in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children and their healthy peers.A total of 54 medication-naive 4- to 6-year-olds (23 depressed and 31 healthy) participated in a case-control study using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Imaging data were used to compare functional brain activity in children with and without depression during emotion face processing.A right-lateralized pattern of elevated amygdala, thalamus, inferior frontal gyrus, and angular gyrus activity during face processing was found in depressed 4- to 6-year-olds. In addition, relationships between increased amygdala activity during face processing and disruptions in parent-reported emotion regulation and negative affect were found. No between-group differences specific to emotion face type were identified.To our knowledge, this is the earliest evidence of alterations in functional brain activity in depression using fMRI. Results suggest that, similar to findings in older depressed groups, depression at this age is associated with disrupted amygdala functioning during face processing. The findings also raise the intriguing possibility that disrupted amygdala function is a depression-related biomarker that spans development. Additional studies will be needed to clarify whether the current findings are a precursor to or a consequence of very early childhood depression.

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Published In

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1527-5418

ISSN

0890-8567

Publication Date

July 2013

Volume

52

Issue

7

Start / End Page

737 / 746

Related Subject Headings

  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Facial Expression
  • Emotions
  • Developmental & Child Psychology
  • Depressive Disorder, Major
  • Child, Preschool
  • Child
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
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Gaffrey, M. S., Barch, D. M., Singer, J., Shenoy, R., & Luby, J. L. (2013). Disrupted amygdala reactivity in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(7), 737–746. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.04.009
Gaffrey, Michael S., Deanna M. Barch, Janet Singer, Rivfka Shenoy, and Joan L. Luby. “Disrupted amygdala reactivity in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 52, no. 7 (July 2013): 737–46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.04.009.
Gaffrey MS, Barch DM, Singer J, Shenoy R, Luby JL. Disrupted amygdala reactivity in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;52(7):737–46.
Gaffrey, Michael S., et al. “Disrupted amygdala reactivity in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children.Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, vol. 52, no. 7, July 2013, pp. 737–46. Epmc, doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2013.04.009.
Gaffrey MS, Barch DM, Singer J, Shenoy R, Luby JL. Disrupted amygdala reactivity in depressed 4- to 6-year-old children. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 2013 Jul;52(7):737–746.
Journal cover image

Published In

Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

DOI

EISSN

1527-5418

ISSN

0890-8567

Publication Date

July 2013

Volume

52

Issue

7

Start / End Page

737 / 746

Related Subject Headings

  • Male
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Humans
  • Female
  • Facial Expression
  • Emotions
  • Developmental & Child Psychology
  • Depressive Disorder, Major
  • Child, Preschool
  • Child