Citation

McCrory EJ, Puetz VB, Maguire EA, Mechelli A, Palmer A, Gerin MI, Kelly PA, Koutoufa I, Viding E. Br. J. Psychiatry 2017; 211(4): 216-222.

Affiliation

Eamon J. McCrory, PhD, DClin Psy, Vanessa B. Puetz, PhD, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, and The Anna Freud Centre, London, UK; Eleanor A. Maguire, PhD, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Andrea Mechelli, PhD, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Amy Palmer, PhD, Mattia I. Gerin, MSc, Philip A. Kelly, PhD, Iakovina Koutoufa, MSc, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, and The Anna Freud Centre, London, UK; Essi viding, PhD, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

10.1192/bjp.bp.117.201798

PMID

28882830

Abstract

BackgroundAltered autobiographical memory (ABM) functioning has been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and may represent one mechanism by which childhood maltreatment elevates psychiatric risk.AimsTo investigate the impact of childhood maltreatment on ABM functioning.

METHODThirty-four children with documented maltreatment and 33 matched controls recalled specific ABMs in response to emotionally valenced cue words during functional magnetic resonance imaging.

RESULTSChildren with maltreatment experience showed reduced hippocampal and increased middle temporal and parahippocampal activation during positive ABM recall compared with peers. During negative ABM recall they exhibited increased amygdala activation, and greater amygdala connectivity with the salience network.

CONCLUSIONSChildhood maltreatment is associated with altered ABM functioning, specifically reduced activation in areas encoding specification of positive memories, and greater activation of the salience network for negative memories. This pattern may confer latent vulnerability to future depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

© The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2017.

Language: en