Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Feb. 2: Nim Tottenham

 Human Amygdala-Prefrontal Cortex Development and the Role of Caregiving

Abstract: 
Strong evidence indicates that reciprocal connections between the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) support fundamental aspects of emotional behavior in adulthood. Despite the central role that this circuitry plays in regulating emotions in adulthood, the state of the science regarding the development of this circuitry in humans is at an early stage. In this talk, I will present developmental functional magnetic resonance imaging data describing age-related changes in amygdala-mPFC circuitry throughout childhood and adolescence and how it relates to emergent emotional behaviors. The argument will be made that the development of this circuitry in humans is intimately associated with caregiving, such that parents exert a significant buffering effect during childhood.  I will focus on both typical development as well as development following maternal deprivation (e.g., orphanage care), showing that early life stress may accelerate development of this circuitry. The findings presented are highly consistent with the animal literature showing both large changes in amygdala-mPFC circuitry throughout childhood/adolescence, as well as the large influence of maternal care in shaping this neural circuitry. These age-related changes will be discussed in terms of potential developmental sensitive periods for environmental influence.


This talk will be held in 3105 Tolman, 12:00-1:30pm.