6.19 EARLY LIFE STRESS PREDICTS REWARD-RELATED BRAIN ACTIVATION IN SCHOOL-AGED CHILDREN

Abstract

Dysfunction in neural reward processing systems is thought to underlie a range of psychopathology. Early life stress (ELS) probably contributes to the development of aberrant reward processing, although studies to date have focused almost exclusively on adolescents and adults, measuring ELS retrospectively and often failing to control for current life stress. Here, we examine the contribution of prospectively measured life stress in preschool-age children on reward-related neural function in school-age children, controlling for current life stress.