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BMC Psychiatry
Published in: BMC Psychiatry 1/2017

Open Access 01-12-2017 | Research article

Increased amygdala reactivity following early life stress: a potential resilience enhancer role

Authors: Tetsuya Yamamoto, Shigeru Toki, Greg J. Siegle, Masahiro Takamura, Yoshiyuki Takaishi, Shinpei Yoshimura, Go Okada, Tomoya Matsumoto, Takashi Nakao, Hiroyuki Muranaka, Yumiko Kaseda, Tsuneji Murakami, Yasumasa Okamoto, Shigeto Yamawaki

Published in: BMC Psychiatry | Issue 1/2017

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Abstract

Background

Amygdala hyper-reactivity is sometimes assumed to be a vulnerability factor that predates depression; however, in healthy people, who experience early life stress but do not become depressed, it may represent a resilience mechanism. We aimed to test these hypothesis examining whether increased amygdala activity in association with a history of early life stress (ELS) was negatively or positively associated with depressive symptoms and impact of negative life event stress in never-depressed adults.

Methods

Twenty-four healthy participants completed an individually tailored negative mood induction task during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) assessment along with evaluation of ELS.

Results

Mood change and amygdala reactivity were increased in never-depressed participants who reported ELS compared to participants who reported no ELS. Yet, increased amygdala reactivity lowered effects of ELS on depressive symptoms and negative life events stress. Amygdala reactivity also had positive functional connectivity with the bilateral DLPFC, motor cortex and striatum in people with ELS during sad memory recall.

Conclusions

Increased amygdala activity in those with ELS was associated with decreased symptoms and increased neural features, consistent with emotion regulation, suggesting that preservation of robust amygdala reactions may reflect a stress buffering or resilience enhancing factor against depression and negative stressful events.
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Metadata
Title
Increased amygdala reactivity following early life stress: a potential resilience enhancer role
Authors
Tetsuya Yamamoto
Shigeru Toki
Greg J. Siegle
Masahiro Takamura
Yoshiyuki Takaishi
Shinpei Yoshimura
Go Okada
Tomoya Matsumoto
Takashi Nakao
Hiroyuki Muranaka
Yumiko Kaseda
Tsuneji Murakami
Yasumasa Okamoto
Shigeto Yamawaki
Publication date
01-12-2017
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
BMC Psychiatry / Issue 1/2017
Electronic ISSN: 1471-244X
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1201-x

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