Objective

Emotion dysregulation has been suggested to be a potent risk factor for multiple psychiatric conditions. Altered amygdala−prefrontal cortex (PFC) connectivity has been consistently linked to emotion dysregulation. Recent data indicate that amygdala−PFC functional connectivity undergoes a prolonged period of development, with amygdala reactivity during early childhood potentially shaping this unfolding process. Little is known about the relationships between amygdala−PFC functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation during early childhood. This information is likely critical for understanding early emotion dysregulation as a transdiagnostic risk factor for psychopathology. The current study examined the relationships between amygdala functional connectivity, amygdala reactivity, and emotion regulation in preschoolers.

Method

A total of 66 medication-naive 4- to 6-year-olds participated in a study where resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and parent-reported child emotion regulation ability data were collected. fMRI data collected during a face viewing task was also available for 24 children.

Results

Right amygdala−medial PFC (mPFC) functional connectivity was positively associated with child emotion regulation ability and negatively associated with child negative affect and right amygdala reactivity to facial expressions of emotion. Right amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity also statistically mediated the relationship between heightened right amygdala reactivity and elevated child negative affect.

Conclusion

Study findings suggest that amygdala−mPFC functional connectivity during early childhood, and its relationships with amygdala reactivity and emotion regulation during this highly sensitive developmental period, may play an important role in early emotional development. These results inform the neurodevelopmental biology of emotion regulation and its potential relationship with risk for psychopathology.

中文翻译：

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杏仁核功能连接与 4 至 6 岁儿童的情绪调节和杏仁核反应性有关。

客观的

情绪失调被认为是多种精神疾病的有效风险因素。改变的杏仁核-前额叶皮层 (PFC) 连接一直与情绪失调有关。最近的数据表明，杏仁核-PFC 的功能连接经历了长时间的发展，儿童早期的杏仁核反应性可能会影响这一展开过程。对儿童早期杏仁核-PFC 功能连接、杏仁核反应性和情绪调节之间的关系知之甚少。这些信息可能对于理解早期情绪失调作为精神病理学的跨诊断风险因素至关重要。目前的研究检查了学龄前儿童杏仁核功能连接、杏仁核反应性和情绪调节之间的关系。

方法

共有 66 名 4 至 6 岁未接受药物治疗的儿童参与了一项研究，该研究收集了静息状态功能磁共振成像 (rs-fMRI) 和父母报告的儿童情绪调节能力数据。在面部观察任务期间收集的 fMRI 数据也可用于 24 名儿童。

结果

右侧杏仁核-内侧 PFC (mPFC) 功能连接与儿童情绪调节能力呈正相关，与儿童负面情绪和右侧杏仁核对情绪面部表情的反应呈负相关。右侧杏仁核-mPFC 功能连接也在统计上介导了右侧杏仁核反应性增强与儿童负面影响升高之间的关系。

结论

研究结果表明，儿童早期杏仁核-mPFC 的功能连接，及其与杏仁核反应性和这个高度敏感发育时期情绪调节的关系，可能在早期情绪发展中发挥重要作用。这些结果为情绪调节的神经发育生物学及其与精神病理学风险的潜在关系提供了信息。