Healthy individuals show robust functional connectivity during rest, which is stronger in adults than in children. Connectivity occurs between the posterior and anterior portions of the default network, a group of structures active in the absence of a task, including the posterior cingulate cortex and the superior frontal gyrus. Previous studies found weaker posterior-anterior connectivity… Continue reading Using a self-organizing map algorithm to detect age-related changes in functional connectivity during rest in autism spectrum disorders
Keyword: Computer-Assisted/methods
Neural and behavioral responses to threatening emotion faces in children as a function of the short allele of the serotonin transporter gene
Recent evidence suggests that a genetic polymorphism in the promoter region (5-HTTLPR) of the serotonin transporter gene (SLC6A4) mediates stress reactivity in adults. Little is known, however, about this gene-brain association in childhood and adolescence, generally conceptualized as a time of heightened stress reactivity. The present study examines the association between 5-HTTLPR allelic variation and… Continue reading Neural and behavioral responses to threatening emotion faces in children as a function of the short allele of the serotonin transporter gene
A developmental examination of gender differences in brain engagement during evaluation of threat
BACKGROUND: Females appear to be more sensitive and responsive to social cues, including threat signals, than are males. Recent theoretical models suggest that developmental changes in brain functioning play important roles in the emergence of such gender differences. METHODS: We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine developmental and gender differences in activation of neural… Continue reading A developmental examination of gender differences in brain engagement during evaluation of threat
Striatal functional alteration in adolescents characterized by early childhood behavioral inhibition
The temperamental style of behavioral inhibition has been characterized by exaggerated behavioral and neural responses to cues signaling threat. Virtually no work, however, has addressed whether behavioral inhibition may also confer heightened brain activation in response to positively valenced incentives. We used event-related functional MRI (fMRI) and a monetary incentive delay task to examine whether… Continue reading Striatal functional alteration in adolescents characterized by early childhood behavioral inhibition
A developmental examination of amygdala response to facial expressions
Several lines of evidence implicate the amygdala in face-emotion processing, particularly for fearful facial expressions. Related findings suggest that face-emotion processing engages the amygdala within an interconnected circuitry that can be studied using a functional-connectivity approach. Past work also underscores important functional changes in the amygdala during development. Taken together, prior research on amygdala function… Continue reading A developmental examination of amygdala response to facial expressions