Faculty Bibliography

A specific polymorphism of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene is associated with alterations in brain anatomy and memory; its relevance to the functional connectivity of brain networks, however, is unclear. Given that altered hippocampal function and structure has been found in adults who carry the methionine (met) allele of the BDNF gene and the molecular studies elucidating the role of BDNF in neurogenesis and synapse formation, we examined the association between BDNF gene variants and neural resting connectivity in children and adolescents. We observed a reduction in hippocampal and parahippocampal to cortical connectivity in met-allele carriers within both default-mode and executive networks. In contrast, we observed increased connectivity to amygdala, insula and striatal regions in met-carriers, within the paralimbic network. Because of the known association between the BDNF gene and neuropsychiatric disorder, this latter finding of greater connectivity in circuits important for emotion processing may indicate a new neural mechanism through which these gene-related psychiatric differences are manifest. Here we show that the BDNF gene, known to regulate synaptic plasticity and connectivity in the brain, affects functional connectivity at the neural systems level. In addition, we demonstrate that the spatial topography of multiple high-level resting state networks in healthy children and adolescents is similar to that observed in adults.

Reviews the book, The invisible man. A self-help guide for men with eating disorders, compulsive exercise, and bigorexia by John F. Morgan (see record 2007-18411-000). Dr. Morgan's The Invisible Man is a self-help guide tailored for those men struggling with eating disorders and body image disorders. Dr. Morgan, the author of multiple previous scientific publications on eating disorders and body image issues, is the head of Yorkshire Center for Eating Disorders in the United Kingdom. In this book Dr. Morgan argues that the majority of previous research, outreach, and treatment with regards to eating disorders have been focused on women. He has written The Invisible Man as a resource for the growing number of boys and men who are suffering from eating disorders and body image issues. In his book, Morgan targets a male audience. He provides easy to understand psychoeducation about these illnesses and he introduces cognitive behavioral and motivational treatments to help guide his reader toward recovery. The book follows a logical organization that accomplishes Dr. Morgan's apparent goal of providing information to the reader about the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of eating disorders and body image issues in men. Dr. Morgan has produced an important contribution to the therapeutic community by providing a book for men and their families who may have otherwise suffered alone and in silence. He covers a great deal of useful information in a relatively brief book, though there are some weaknesses to note. Overall, this is a clearly written book that could be very be helpful for men struggling with eating disorders and body image issues. As the title outlines, this book is a 'self-help' book written for a male audience.

Anxiety disorders are among the most common disorders affecting children and adolescents. Most pediatric anxiety treatment trials have been conducted in specialized research clinics and have targeted mixed samples of anxious children. In addition, the majority have focused on children ages 7 through 14 years, and used waiting-list controls which provide limited documentation of the specific contribution of CBT. Another issue is that despite the efficacy demonstrated for existing cognitive-behavioral treatments, the majority of affected children in the community do not receive mental health services. Future research is needed examining the effectiveness of interventions: (a) compared to other treatments, (b) tailored to specific disorders, and (c) for younger children below age 9 as well as adolescents. An additional critical direction will be to evaluate the efficacy of interventions in less controlled and innovative settings, and to adapt our existing treatments to be feasible for delivery by less specialized clinicians and more applicable to children with anxiety disorders who present in community settings. This special series in Cognitive and Behavioral Practice aims to expand the research agenda on interventions for pediatric anxiety disorders to address these unmet needs of anxious children and adolescents.

Previous research across species has shown that the amygdala is critical for learning about aversive outcomes, while the striatum is involved in reward-related processing. Less is known, however, about the role of the amygdala and the striatum in learning how to exert control over emotions and avoid negative outcomes. One potential mechanism for active avoidance of stressful situations is postulated to involve amygdala-striatal interactions. The goal of this study was to investigate the physiological and neural correlates underlying avoidance learning in humans. Specifically, we used a classical conditioning paradigm where three different conditioned stimuli (CS) were presented. One stimulus predicted the delivery of a shock upon stimulus offset (CS+), while another predicted no negative consequences (CS-). A third conditioned cue also predicted delivery of a shock, but participants were instructed that upon seeing this stimulus, they could avoid the shock if they chose the correct action (AV+). After successful learning, participants could then easily terminate the shock during subsequent stimulus presentations (AV-). Physiological responses (as measured by skin conductance responses) confirmed a main effect of conditioning, particularly showing higher arousal responses during pre (AV+) compared to post (AV-) learning of an avoidance response. Consistent with animal models, amygdala-striatal interactions were observed to underlie the acquisition of an avoidance response. These results support a mechanism of active coping with conditioned fear that allows for the control over emotional responses such as fears that can become maladaptive and influence our decision-making

Fear arousal, initiated by an environmental threat, leads to activation of the stress response, a state of alarm that promotes an array of autonomic and endocrine changes designed to aid self-preservation. The stress response includes the release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex and catecholamines from the adrenal medulla and sympathetic nerves. These stress hormones, in turn, provide feedback to the brain and influence neural structures that control emotion and cognition. To illustrate this influence, we focus on how it impacts fear conditioning, a behavioral paradigm widely used to study the neural mechanisms underlying the acquisition, expression, consolidation, reconsolidation, and extinction of emotional memories. We also discuss how stress and the endocrine mediators of the stress response influence the morphological and electrophysiological properties of neurons in brain areas that are crucial for fear-conditioning processes, including the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex. The information in this review illuminates the behavioral and cellular events that underlie the feedforward and feedback networks that mediate states of fear and stress and their interaction in the brain

This study examines the independent impact of bullying on suicide risk. Bullying was assessed by peer nomination in a prospective study of 1,655 7th and 8th grade Korean students, and suicide by youth self-report. Odds Ratios (ORs) of bullying for suicidal risks were computed, controlling for other suicide risk factors. Victim-Perpetrators and female Victims at baseline showed increased risk for persistent suicidality (OR: 2.4-9.8). Male Incident Victims exhibited increased risk for suicidal behaviors and ideations (OR = 4.4, 3.6). Female Persistent Perpetrators exhibited increased risks for suicidal behaviors; male Incident Perpetrators had increased risk for suicidal ideations (OR = 2.7, 2.3). Baseline-only male Victim-Perpetrators showed increased risk for suicidal ideations. (OR = 6.4). Bullying independently increased suicide risks