The Importance of Early Experiences for Neuro-Affective Development

Tottenham, Nim

doi:10.1007/7854_2013_254

Cited by 74 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 145 publications

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“…Interestingly, mirroring the early maturation of the fear neurocircuitry induced by maternal separation in the rodent (Callaghan and Richardson, 2011), institutionallyreared children who experienced early maternal deprivation show the more mature pattern of positive vmPFC-amygdala coupling (Gee et al, 2013a). This suggests that, as in rodents, the maturational trajectory of human fear neurocircuitry is also highly sensitive to experiential variation during early development (Tottenham, 2013).…”

Section: Developmental Changes In Fear-learning Circuitsmentioning

confidence: 89%

Sensitive Periods in Affective Development: Nonlinear Maturation of Fear Learning

Hartley

Lee

2014

Neuropsychopharmacol

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At specific maturational stages, neural circuits enter sensitive periods of heightened plasticity, during which the development of both brain and behavior are highly receptive to particular experiential information. A relatively advanced understanding of the regulatory mechanisms governing the initiation, closure, and reinstatement of sensitive period plasticity has emerged from extensive research examining the development of the visual system. In this article, we discuss a large body of work characterizing the pronounced nonlinear changes in fear learning and extinction that occur from childhood through adulthood, and their underlying neural substrates. We draw upon the model of sensitive period regulation within the visual system, and present burgeoning evidence suggesting that parallel mechanisms may regulate the qualitative changes in fear learning across development.

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Section: Developmental Changes In Fear-learning Circuitsmentioning

confidence: 89%

Sensitive Periods in Affective Development: Nonlinear Maturation of Fear Learning

Hartley

Lee

2014

Neuropsychopharmacol

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“…Although the basic architecture of the human amygdala is present at birth (Humphrey, 1968;Ulfig et al, 2003), it does appear to undergo significant structural and functional remodeling and refinement across the infancy, childhood, and adolescent stages of development (see Tottenham, 2014;Tottenham and Sheridan, 2009 for a review). Although the most rapid postnatal volumetric growth occurs soon after birth (eg, over 100% increase in volume in 0-1 year followed by a 9% increase from years 1 to 2; Gilmore et al, 2012; also see Payne et al, 2010;Uematsu et al, 2012), the amygdala continues to increase in volume until 4 years of age in females and 18 years of age in males (Giedd et al, 1996;Mosconi et al, 2009;Nordahl et al, 2012;Schumann et al, 2004).…”

Section: Amygdala Developmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition, infant rats reared under conditions of high maternal stress (produced through drastically reduced nesting material) begin to exhibit odor aversion learning much earlier in development than rats receiving typical maternal care . Similarly, infant rats that were maternally separated early in life exhibit greater fear relapse and longer lasting fear memories than infants with higher levels of maternal presence across rearing (Callaghan and Richardson, 2011, 2012a, 2014Callaghan et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Neuro-Environmental Loop of Plasticity: A Cross-Species Analysis of Parental Effects on Emotion Circuitry Development Following Typical and Adverse Caregiving

Callaghan

Tottenham

2015

Neuropsychopharmacol

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226

210

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Early experiences critically shape the structure and function of the brain. Perturbations in typical/species-expected early experiences are known to have profound neural effects, especially in regions important for emotional responding. Parental care is one species-expected stimulus that plays a fundamental role in the development of emotion neurocircuitry. Emerging evidence across species suggests that phasic variation in parental presence during the sensitive period of childhood affects the recruitment of emotional networks on a moment-to-moment basis. In addition, it appears that increasing independence from caregivers cues the termination of the sensitive period for environmental input into emotion network development. In this review, we examine how early parental care, the central nervous system, and behavior come together to form a 'neuroenvironmental loop,' contributing to the formation of stable emotion regulation circuits. To achieve this end, we focus on the interaction of parental care and the developing amygdala-medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) network-that is at the core of human emotional functioning. Using this model, we discuss how individual or group variations in parental independence, across chronic and brief timescales, might contribute to neural and emotional phenotypes that have implications for long-term mental health.

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“…Studies using brain imaging (fMRI) of securely attached children in the presence of their attachment figures (Tottenham, 2013;Tottenham, Shapiro, Telzer, & Humphreys, 2012), reveal how a trusted caregiver soothes or buffers a child's stress system. When the caregiver is present, the child's stress system (the hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal axis; HPA) turns off, apparently due to decreased activation of the brain region crucial for rapidly detecting safety and threats in other people: the amygdala.…”

Section: Social Bufferingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Two areas of current neuroscience are particularly relevant to these questions: the study of social buffering (Tottenham, 2013;Lieberman, 2013;Coan, Schaefer, & Davidson, 2006) and the study of how compassionate stories promote empathic, trusting connections between people (Zak, 2012). Let's look at these two areas of research and consider how they can be applied to the task of helping caregivers provide mistrusting children with the enriched care they need and deserve.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Social Buffering and Compassionate Stories: The Neuroscience of Trust Building with Children in Care

Baylin¹

2017

ANZ J of Family Therapy

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Caregivers for children who experienced abuse and neglect earlier in life are tasked with sustaining their caring feelings despite the deep mistrust these children bring to the relationship. Two areas of neuroscientific research are particularly applicable to the process of helping caregivers manage the risk of blocked care: research on social buffering and research on the power of compassionate stories to promote trusting connections. This article explores the implications of these two lines of research to the therapeutic goal of helping parents 'go high' to embrace the whole child, mistrust, and all.

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The Importance of Early Experiences for Neuro-Affective Development

Cited by 74 publications

References 145 publications

Sensitive Periods in Affective Development: Nonlinear Maturation of Fear Learning

Sensitive Periods in Affective Development: Nonlinear Maturation of Fear Learning

The Neuro-Environmental Loop of Plasticity: A Cross-Species Analysis of Parental Effects on Emotion Circuitry Development Following Typical and Adverse Caregiving

Social Buffering and Compassionate Stories: The Neuroscience of Trust Building with Children in Care

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