The aim of this study was to characterize neural activation during the processing of negative facial expressions in a non-clinical group of individuals characterized by two factors: the levels of stress experienced in early life and in adulthood. Two models of stress consequences were investigated: the match/mismatch and cumulative stress models. The match/mismatch model assumes that early adversities may promote optimal coping with similar events in the future through fostering the development of coping strategies. The cumulative stress model assumes that effects of stress are additive, regardless of the timing of the stressors. Previous studies suggested that stress can have both cumulative and match/mismatch effects on brain structure and functioning and, consequently, we hypothesized that effects on brain circuitry would be found for both models. We anticipated effects on the neural circuitry of structures engaged in face perception and emotional processing. Hence, the amygdala, fusiform face area, occipital face area, and posterior superior temporal sulcus were selected as seeds for seed-based functional connectivity analyses. The interaction between early and recent stress was related to alterations during the processing of emotional expressions mainly in to the cerebellum, middle temporal gyrus, and supramarginal gyrus. For cumulative stress levels, such alterations were observed in functional connectivity to the middle temporal gyrus, lateral occipital cortex, precuneus, precentral and postcentral gyri, anterior and posterior cingulate gyri, and Heschl's gyrus. This study adds to the growing body of literature suggesting that both the cumulative and the match/mismatch hypotheses are useful in explaining the effects of stress.

中文翻译：

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早期和近期生活压力与情绪表达处理之间的关系：一项功能连通性研究。

本研究的目的是表征非临床个体群体在处理负面面部表情过程中的神经激活，其特征有两个因素：早期生活和成年期所经历的压力水平。研究了两种压力后果模型：匹配/不匹配和累积压力模型。匹配/不匹配模型假设早期的逆境可以通过促进应对策略的发展来促进未来对类似事件的最佳应对。累积压力模型假设压力的影响是相加的，而与压力源的时间无关。先前的研究表明，压力会对大脑结构和功能产生累积和匹配/不匹配的影响，因此，我们假设这两种模型都会对大脑回路产生影响。我们预计会对参与面部感知和情绪处理的结构的神经回路产生影响。因此，选择杏仁核、梭形面部区域、枕面部区域和后颞上沟作为基于种子的功能连接分析的种子。早期和近期压力之间的相互作用与情绪表达处理过程中的改变有关，主要在小脑、颞中回和缘上回。对于累积压力水平，在与颞中回、枕外侧皮层、楔前叶、中央前回和中央后回、前扣带回和后扣带回以及 Heschl 回的功能连接中观察到了这种改变。