Reduced Ventral Tegmental Area-Hippocampal Connectivity in Children and Adolescents Exposed to Early Threat.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Preclinical data suggest that early life stress has detrimental effects on the brain's dopaminergic system, particularly the mesocorticolimbic pathway. Altered dopamine function is thought to contribute to the development of stress-related pathologies; yet, little is known about the impact of early stress on dopamine systems during childhood and adolescence, when stress-related disorders frequently emerge. Here, we evaluate the impact of early threat exposure (violence, abuse) on functional connectivity of putative dopaminergic midbrain regions, the ventral tegmental area (VTA) and substantia nigra (SN), giving rise to mesocorticolimbic and nigrostriatal pathways, respectively.

Methods

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging scans were completed in 43

SUBMITTER: Marusak HA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5520796 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature