RESUMEN
Objective@#Several lines of evidence indicate verbal abuse (VA) critically impacts the developing brain; however, whether VA results in changes in brain neurochemistry has not been established. Here, we hypothesized that exposure to recurrent parental VA elicits heightened glutamate (Glu) responses during the presentation of swear words, which can be measured with functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy (fMRS). @*Methods@#During an emotional Stroop task consisting of blocks of color and swear words, metabolite concentration changes were measured in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and the left amygdalohippocampal region (AMHC) of healthy adults (14 F/27 M, 23 ± 4 years old) using fMRS. The dynamic changes in Glu and their associations with the emotional state of the participants were finally evaluated based on 36 datasets from the vmPFC and 30 from the AMHC. @*Results@#A repeated-measures analysis of covariance revealed a modest effect of parental VA severity on Glu changes in the vmPFC. The total score on the Verbal Abuse Questionnaire by parents (pVAQ) was associated with the Glu response to swear words (ΔGluSwe ). The interaction term of ΔGluSwe and baseline N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) level in the vmPFC could be used to predict state-trait anxiety level and depressive mood. We could not find any significant associations between ΔGluSwe in the AMHC and either pVAQ or emotional states. @*Conclusion@#Parental VA exposure in individuals is associated with a greater Glu response towards VA-related stimuli in the vmPFC and that the accompanying low NAA level may be associated with anxiety level or depressive mood.
RESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: Previous studies showing the association of exposure to peer (PeVA) and parental verbal abuse in childhood with structural alterations in the young adult brain suggest functional changes in adolescence. In this functional MRI study, we investigated the effects of exposure to PeVA, during elementary and middle school periods, on brain response to emotional words, in high school students. METHODS: An emotional Stroop task consisting of swear, negative, positive, and neutral words was performed during functional MRI scan for 23 subjects who were divided into low- and high exposure groups to PeVA. RESULTS: High-PeVA group had a higher depression score, greater left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) activity, and higher left VLPFC-left hippocampus connectivity in swear word conditions. The VLPFC activity and left VLPFC-left hippocampus connectivity was negatively related to the severity of anxiety and depressive symptoms, respectively. CONCLUSION: These preliminary findings support the hypothesis that exposure to PeVA, during childhood, is an aversive stimulus associated with meaningful functional change in emotional regulation network, showing hypersensitivity to swear words, at middle adolescence.