Childhood trauma affects stress-related interoceptive accuracy

in Frontiers in Psychiatry (2019), 10(1), 750

Early life adversity (ELA) may cause permanent disturbances in brain-body signaling. These disturbances are thought to contribute to physical symptoms and emotional dysregulation in adulthood. The current ... [more ▼]

Early life adversity (ELA) may cause permanent disturbances in brain-body signaling. These disturbances are thought to contribute to physical symptoms and emotional dysregulation in adulthood. The current study investigated the effects of childhood trauma on young adults’ interoceptive accuracy as an indicator of brain-body communication that may be dysregulated by ELA. Sixty-six participants completed an online-questionnaire followed by a laboratory session including the socially-evaluated cold pressor stress test during which ECG, salivary cortisol and interoceptive accuracy were assessed. Childhood trauma was negatively related to interoceptive accuracy (IAc) after the stressor. This stress-effect could not be observed for heart rate and cortisol, which were unrelated to IAc. Participants reporting higher baseline unpleasantness exhibited lower IAc after the stressor, while increases in unpleasantness due to the stressor were associated with higher IAc. Unpleasantness at baseline mediated the effect of childhood trauma on IAc after the stressor. [less ▲]

Was Hänschen erlebt - erlebt Hans immer wieder - Auswirkungen elterlicher Scheidung auf psychische Gesundheit im jungen Erwachsenenhalter

in Brisch, Karl Heinz (Ed.) Bindung - Scheidung - Neubeginn (2019)

Langzeitkonsequenzen elterlicher Scheidung für die Gesundheit im jungen Erwachsenenalter

Presentation (2018, November 23)

Blunted endocrine response to a combined physical-cognitive stressor in adults with early life adversity

in Child Abuse and Neglect (2018)

The negative health effects of early life adversity (ELA) continue long into adulthood. Changes in the physiological response to psychosocial stressors have been proposed to mediate this effect. However ... [more ▼]

The negative health effects of early life adversity (ELA) continue long into adulthood. Changes in the physiological response to psychosocial stressors have been proposed to mediate this effect. However, many previous studies have come to contradicting conclusions as to whether ELA induces a long-term increase or decrease in stress reactivity. Therefore, we tested the association of ELA exposure and adult stress reactivity in a sample of early life adoptees and controls.Two previously validated stressful elements (bilateral feet CPT and the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Task (PASAT)) were combined in an extended Cold Pressor Test (CPT). This test was performed on 22 participants who had experienced severe ELA (separation from biological parents, institutionalization, and adoption in early childhood), and in 22 age-matched control participants.A prior history of ELA was associated with blunted reactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (Cohen´s d = 0.680). Cardiovascular reactivity remained unchanged, and affective reactivity (self-report ratings) were increased in participants exposed to ELA compared to the control group (range Cohen´s d: 0.642–0.879).Our results suggest that the activity of the HPA axis reactivity was inhibited in ELA participants. Importantly, cardiovascular stress responsiveness was not affected by ELA. This separation of the HPA axis and cardiovascular stress responses may best be explained by ELA selectively enhancing central feedback-sensitivity to glucocorticoids, but preserving cardiovascular/ autonomic stress reactivity. [less ▲]

Proinflammatory T Cell Status Associated with Early Life Adversity

in Journal of Immunology (2017)

Early life adversity (ELA) has been associated with an increased risk for diseases in which the immune system plays a critical role. The ELA immune phenotype is characterized by inflammation, impaired ... [more ▼]

Early life adversity (ELA) has been associated with an increased risk for diseases in which the immune system plays a critical role. The ELA immune phenotype is characterized by inflammation, impaired cellular immunity, and immunosenescence. However, data on cell-specific immune effects are largely absent. Additionally, stress systems and health behaviors are altered in ELA, which may contribute to the generation of the ELA immune phenotype. The present investigation tested cell-specific immune differences in relationship to the ELA immune phenotype, altered stress parameters, and health behaviors in individuals with ELA (n = 42) and those without a history of ELA (control, n = 73). Relative number and activation status (CD25, CD69, HLA-DR, CD11a, CD11b) of monocytes, NK cells, B cells, T cells, and their main subsets were assessed by flow cytometry. ELA was associated with significantly reduced numbers of CD69+CD8+ T cells (p = 0.022), increased numbers of HLA-DR+ CD4 and HLA-DR+ CD8 T cells (p < 0.001), as well as increased numbers of CD25+CD8+ T cells (p = 0.036). ELA also showed a trend toward higher numbers of CCR4+CXCR3−CCR6+ CD4 T cells. Taken together, our data suggest an elevated state of immune activation in ELA, in which particularly T cells are affected. Although several aspects of the ELA immune phenotype were related to increased activation markers, neither stress nor health-risk behaviors explained the observed group differences. Thus, the state of immune activation in ELA does not seem to be secondary to alterations in the stress system or health-risk behaviors, but rather a primary effect of early life programming on immune cells. [less ▲]

Langzeitkonsequenzen von frühkindlichem Stress

Poster (2017)

Traumatische Belastungen während der Kindheit können das Risiko für die Entwicklung unsicherer Bindungsstile erhöhen, die bereits mit langfristigen psychischen und körperlichen Gesundheitsproblemen in ... [more ▼]

Traumatische Belastungen während der Kindheit können das Risiko für die Entwicklung unsicherer Bindungsstile erhöhen, die bereits mit langfristigen psychischen und körperlichen Gesundheitsproblemen in Beziehung gebracht wurden. Die zugrundeliegenden Prozesse sind allerdings noch weitestgehend unklar. Wir präsentieren zwei Studien, die den Zusammenhang zwischen kindlichem Stress und Gesundheit im Erwachsenenalter sowie Körperwahrnehmung und Gedächtnisfähigkeit untersuchen. In der ersten Studie nahmen 199 Teilnehmer an einer Onlineumfrage teil, bei der Gesundheit, frühkindliches Trauma, Resilienz und Zurückweisungssensitivität gemessen wurden. Teilnehmer mit geschiedenen Eltern berichteten erhöhte psychische Belastungswerte, kindliches Trauma, Zurückweisungssensitivität und weniger Resilienz. Die Beziehung zwischen elterlicher Scheidung und psychischer Gesundheit konnte vollständig durch diese vier Faktoren erklärt werden (Varianzaufklärung 44%). In einer zweiten Studie wurden bei 60 Teilnehmern verschiedene Selbstbericht-Parameter erhoben und die Gedächtnis- und Interozeptionsfähigkeit vor und nach einem Stresstest untersucht. Erwachsene mit einer Vorgeschichte von elterlicher Trennung berichteten mehr bindungsbezogene Angst und Vermeidung als Kontrollpersonen. Das Erlebnis einer elterlichen Scheidung war negativ mit der Gedächtnisleistung nach dem Stresstest korreliert. Weiterhin weisen die Ergebnisse auf einen quadratischen Zusammenhang zwischen Stress und Interozeptionsfähigkeit hin. [less ▲]

Resilience and rejection sensitivity mediate long-term outcomes of parental divorce

in European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (2016), 25(11), 1267-1269

Introduction: Increasing divorce rates leave more and more children to deal with the separation of their parents. Recent research suggests that children of divorced parents more often experience ... [more ▼]

Introduction: Increasing divorce rates leave more and more children to deal with the separation of their parents. Recent research suggests that children of divorced parents more often experience psychological and physical symptoms than children of non-divorced parents. The processes that mediate the relationship between parental divorce and ill-health, however, are still elusive. The current study investigated the mediating role of psychological factors such as resilience and rejection sensitivity on the long-term consequences of parental divorce in young adults. Methods: One hundred and ninety-nine participants (mean age 22.3 years) completed an online survey including measures of mental health, childhood trauma, resilience and rejection sensitivity. Results: Participants with divorced parents (33%) reported increased levels of psychological symptoms, childhood trauma, rejection sensitivity and lower levels of resilience. The association between parental divorce and mental health was fully mediated by resilience, rejection sensitivity and childhood trauma. The mediation model explained up to 44% of the total variance in mental health symptoms. Discussion: Resilience and rejection sensitivity are crucial factors for successful coping with the experience of parental separation. Prevention programs that help to boost children’s resilience might help to reduce the long-term effects of parental divorce on their attachment style (e.g. rejection sensitivity), thereby improving their mental health on the long run. Furthermore, the results call for parental awareness and counseling to target and reduce the observed increased level of childhood trauma. Limitations concern the cross-sectional and retrospective design of the study. [less ▲]

Early life adversity associates with increased depressive symptoms and few active T cells in adulthood

Poster (2016, June)

Parental Mediation of Children’s Television and Video Game Use in Germany: Active and Embedded in Family Processes

in Journal of Children and Media (2015), 9(1), 58-76

In a survey study, 158 dyads of German parents and their 9 to 12-year-old children reported on their television and video game (VG) consumption, parental mediation strategies, and family climate. Parents ... [more ▼]

In a survey study, 158 dyads of German parents and their 9 to 12-year-old children reported on their television and video game (VG) consumption, parental mediation strategies, and family climate. Parents also reported their beliefs concerning media effects. We found that mediation strategies differ from acknowledged media usage conceptions in that parents play a more active role than previously assumed. Restrictive mediation comprises rules and restrictions, but also parents’ educative explanations that media do not reflect reality. Patronizing mediation includes shared media consumption, but also parents commenting on media contents. Pointing out and emphasizing socio-emotional features in the media (e.g., empathy) characterize active-emotional co-use (AEC). Regression analyses revealed that parental fear of negative media effects predicted both AEC and restrictive mediation. Children and parents’ congruent perceptions of family interactions predicted AEC and patronizing VG mediation. Overall, positive ratings of family interactions were associated with children using media less frequently. [less ▲]

Emotions matter: Affektive und kardiale Modulation der Schreckreaktion

in Kaiser, J.; Fiebach, C. (Eds.) 41. Tagung Psychologie und Gehirn - Abstracts der Beiträge (2015)