Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based Study
Early life adversity (ELA) in childhood is a major risk factor for borderline intellectual functioning (BIF). BIF affects both adaptive and intellectual abilities, commonly leading to school failure and to an increased risk to develop mental and social problems in the adulthood. This study aimed to...
Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
---|---|
Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2020-09-01
|
Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.497116/full |
id |
doaj-294be453fc414d7493cbda7dfafd08e1 |
---|---|
record_format |
Article |
spelling |
doaj-294be453fc414d7493cbda7dfafd08e12020-11-25T03:48:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402020-09-011110.3389/fpsyt.2020.497116497116Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based StudyValeria Blasi0Alice Pirastru1Monia Cabinio2Sonia Di Tella3Maria Marcella Laganà4Alice Giangiacomo5Gisella Baglio6Michela Zanette7Maria Paola Canevini8Maria Paola Canevini9Mauro Walder10Mario Clerici11Mario Clerici12Francesca Baglio13CADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Health Sciences, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyEpilepsy Centre, ASST S. Paolo and S. Carlo Hospital, Milan, ItalyEpilepsy Centre, ASST S. Paolo and S. Carlo Hospital, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyDepartment of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, ItalyCADiTeR - Center of Advanced Diagnostic, Therapy and Rehabilitation, IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, ItalyEarly life adversity (ELA) in childhood is a major risk factor for borderline intellectual functioning (BIF). BIF affects both adaptive and intellectual abilities, commonly leading to school failure and to an increased risk to develop mental and social problems in the adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of ELA associated with BIF in terms of global topological organization and structural connectivity and their relation with intellectual functioning. BIF (N=32) and age-matched typical development (TD, N=14) children were evaluated for intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioral competencies, and ELA. Children underwent an anatomical and diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) protocol. Global brain topological organization was assessed measuring segregation and integration indexes. Moreover, structural matrices, measuring normalized number of fibers (NFn), were compared between the 2 groups using network-based statistics. Finally, a linear regression model was used to explore the relationship between network parameters and clinical measures. Results showed increased behavioral difficulties and ELA, together with decreased network integration in BIF children. Moreover, significantly lower NFn was observed in the BIF group (p=.039) in a sub-network comprising anterior and posterior cingulate, the pericallosal sulcus, the orbital frontal areas, amygdala, basal ganglia, the accumbens nucleus, and the hippocampus. Linear regression showed that NFn significantly predicted IQ (p<.0001). This study demonstrated that ELA in children with BIF is associated with a decreased information integration at the global level, and with an altered structural connectivity within the limbic system strictly related to the intellectual functioning.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.497116/fullearly life adversityborderline intellectual functioninglimbic systemconnectomicsgraph analysis |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Valeria Blasi Alice Pirastru Monia Cabinio Sonia Di Tella Maria Marcella Laganà Alice Giangiacomo Gisella Baglio Michela Zanette Maria Paola Canevini Maria Paola Canevini Mauro Walder Mario Clerici Mario Clerici Francesca Baglio |
spellingShingle |
Valeria Blasi Alice Pirastru Monia Cabinio Sonia Di Tella Maria Marcella Laganà Alice Giangiacomo Gisella Baglio Michela Zanette Maria Paola Canevini Maria Paola Canevini Mauro Walder Mario Clerici Mario Clerici Francesca Baglio Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based Study Frontiers in Psychiatry early life adversity borderline intellectual functioning limbic system connectomics graph analysis |
author_facet |
Valeria Blasi Alice Pirastru Monia Cabinio Sonia Di Tella Maria Marcella Laganà Alice Giangiacomo Gisella Baglio Michela Zanette Maria Paola Canevini Maria Paola Canevini Mauro Walder Mario Clerici Mario Clerici Francesca Baglio |
author_sort |
Valeria Blasi |
title |
Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based Study |
title_short |
Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based Study |
title_full |
Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based Study |
title_fullStr |
Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based Study |
title_full_unstemmed |
Early Life Adversities and Borderline Intellectual Functioning Negatively Impact Limbic System Connectivity in Childhood: A Connectomics-Based Study |
title_sort |
early life adversities and borderline intellectual functioning negatively impact limbic system connectivity in childhood: a connectomics-based study |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Psychiatry |
issn |
1664-0640 |
publishDate |
2020-09-01 |
description |
Early life adversity (ELA) in childhood is a major risk factor for borderline intellectual functioning (BIF). BIF affects both adaptive and intellectual abilities, commonly leading to school failure and to an increased risk to develop mental and social problems in the adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of ELA associated with BIF in terms of global topological organization and structural connectivity and their relation with intellectual functioning. BIF (N=32) and age-matched typical development (TD, N=14) children were evaluated for intelligence quotient (IQ), behavioral competencies, and ELA. Children underwent an anatomical and diffusion-weighted MR imaging (DWI) protocol. Global brain topological organization was assessed measuring segregation and integration indexes. Moreover, structural matrices, measuring normalized number of fibers (NFn), were compared between the 2 groups using network-based statistics. Finally, a linear regression model was used to explore the relationship between network parameters and clinical measures. Results showed increased behavioral difficulties and ELA, together with decreased network integration in BIF children. Moreover, significantly lower NFn was observed in the BIF group (p=.039) in a sub-network comprising anterior and posterior cingulate, the pericallosal sulcus, the orbital frontal areas, amygdala, basal ganglia, the accumbens nucleus, and the hippocampus. Linear regression showed that NFn significantly predicted IQ (p<.0001). This study demonstrated that ELA in children with BIF is associated with a decreased information integration at the global level, and with an altered structural connectivity within the limbic system strictly related to the intellectual functioning. |
topic |
early life adversity borderline intellectual functioning limbic system connectomics graph analysis |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyt.2020.497116/full |
work_keys_str_mv |
AT valeriablasi earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT alicepirastru earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT moniacabinio earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT soniaditella earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT mariamarcellalagana earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT alicegiangiacomo earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT gisellabaglio earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT michelazanette earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT mariapaolacanevini earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT mariapaolacanevini earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT maurowalder earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT marioclerici earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT marioclerici earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy AT francescabaglio earlylifeadversitiesandborderlineintellectualfunctioningnegativelyimpactlimbicsystemconnectivityinchildhoodaconnectomicsbasedstudy |
_version_ |
1724500201974005760 |