Differential Associations of Distinct Forms of Childhood Adversity With Neurobehavioral Measures of Reward Processing: A Developmental Pathway to Depression

Abstract

Childhood adversity is associated with altered reward processing, but little is known about whether this varies across distinct types of adversity. In a sample of 94 children (6-19 years), we investigated whether experiences of material deprivation, emotional deprivation, and trauma have differential associations with reward-related behavior and white matter microstructure in tracts involved in reward processing. Material deprivation (food insecurity), but not emotional deprivation or trauma, was associated with poor reward performance. Adversity-related influences on the integrity of white matter microstructure in frontostriatal tracts varied across childhood adversity types, and reductions in frontostriatal white matter integrity mediated the association of food insecurity with depressive symptoms. These findings document distinct behavioral and neurodevelopmental consequences of specific forms of adversity that have implications for psychopathology risk.

Figure 1

Three views of the four white-matter fiber regions of interest delineated using tract-based spatial statistics. Views (i) and (ii) are inferior and superior transverse views respectively; (iii) provides a coronal view. Blue = Anterior corona radiata; Red = Anterior limb of the internal capsule; Green = External capsule; Yellow = Uncinate fasciculus. A =anterior, P = posterior, I = inferior, S = superior.

Figure 2

Bar plots depicting means and 95% confidence intervals for the total number of stars, change in reaction time (RT) from 0 to 4 stars on the piñata task and depression symptoms (CDI) by food insecurity, neglect and trauma exposure. (*) Depicts significant difference between groups after controlling for sex, age and other forms of adversity and after corrections for multiple comparisons (p<.05 adjusted for the family-wise error rate). When analyzed independently, trauma and food insecurity were associated with greater depression symptoms (p<.05). Depicted means are not adjusted for covariates included in the regression models. Original data are presented for the CDI; statistical tests were conducted on transformed data.

Figure 3

Bar plots depicting means and 95% confidence intervals for fractional anisotropy in: the left external capsule (EC) by trauma (upper left panel), the left uncinate fasciculus (UNC) by neglect (upper right panel), the left anterior limb of the internal capsule (ALIC) by food insecurity (lower left panel), and, the left uncinate fasciculus by food insecurity (lower right panel). (*) Depicts significant difference between groups after controlling for sex, age and other forms of adversity and after corrections for multiple comparisons (p<.05 adjusted for the family-wise error rate). Depicted means are not adjusted for covariates included in the regression models.

Figure 4

Scatter plots depicting significant negative associations between white-matter microstructure and depression symptoms (Child Depression Inventory; CDI, depicted as square root). ALIC = Anterior limb of the internal capsule; EC = External capsule; ACR = Anterior corona radiata; UNC = Uncinate fasciculus. All depicted associations survive corrections for multiple comparisons.