Project Summary

Francoise S. Maheu, Ph.D. (Young Investigator 2006) of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH/NIH), will use fMRI to document the influence of a history of maltreatment (sexual or physical abuse) on brain regions involved in emotion regulation in young individuals. To reach this goal, 20 adopted adolescents with a history of maltreatment, 20 adopted nonmaltreated healthy adolescents, and 20 nonadopted, nonmaltreated healthy adolescents will be studied. Adopted maltreated subjects will be recruited from a well characterized longitudinally followed sample study. Subjects will undergo an fMRI task probing neural responses to peer acceptation and rejection. During neuroimaging, subjects will be led to believe they have been selected or not selected to join in an Internet chat room. Preliminary results with this task showed activation in emotion-regulating brain regions, such as the amygdala, hippocampus, ventral PFC, and striatum, in healthy adolescents (n=15). Dr. Maheu hypothesizes that compared to adopted, nonmaltreated and nonadopted, non-maltreated healthy adolescents, adopted maltreated adolescents will show dysfunctional amygdala, hippocampus, and striatum activity during peer acceptation and rejection.

Program Area: MOOD DISORDERS\Unipolar

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