Abstract
Childhood adversity increases the risk of psychosis in adulthood. Theoretical and animal models suggest that this effect may be mediated by increased striatal dopamine neurotransmission. The primary objective of this study was to examine the relationship between adversity in childhood and striatal dopamine function in early adulthood. Secondary objectives were to compare exposure to childhood adversity and striatal dopamine function in young people at ultra high risk (UHR) of psychosis and healthy volunteers. Sixty-seven young adults, comprising 47 individuals at UHR for psychosis and 20 healthy volunteers were recruited from the same geographic area and were matched for age, gender and substance use. Presynaptic dopamine function in the associative striatum was assessed using 18F-DOPA positron emission tomography. Childhood adversity was assessed using the Childhood Experience of Care and Abuse questionnaire. Within the sample as a whole, both severe physical or sexual abuse (T63=2.92; P=0.005), and unstable family arrangements (T57=2.80; P=0.007) in childhood were associated with elevated dopamine function in the associative striatum in adulthood. Comparison of the UHR and volunteer subgroups revealed similar incidence of childhood adverse experiences, and there was no significant group difference in dopamine function. This study provides evidence that childhood adversity is linked to elevated striatal dopamine function in adulthood.
Highlights
Traumatic experiences during childhood, such as physical, sexual or psychological abuse, increase the risk of mental illness in adulthood threefold (Varese et al, 2012)
Striatal dopamine release elicited by an acute psychosocial stress task is elevated in healthy college students who experienced low levels of maternal care during childhood (Pruessner et al, 2004), suggesting that childhood disadvantage may be associated with elevated dopaminergic responses to stress in later life
An elevated dopaminergic response to this stress task is seen in adults who are at high risk for psychosis, adults with schizotypy, and patients with schizophrenia (Mizrahi et al, 2012; Soliman et al, 2008)
Summary
Traumatic experiences during childhood, such as physical, sexual or psychological abuse, increase the risk of mental illness in adulthood threefold (Varese et al, 2012). It has been suggested that psychosocial stress in childhood may increase the risk of psychosis in later life through an effect on dopaminergic neurotransmission (Howes et al, 2004; Selten et al, 2013; Thompson et al, 2004). Striatal dopamine release elicited by an acute psychosocial stress task is elevated in healthy college students who experienced low levels of maternal care during childhood (Pruessner et al, 2004), suggesting that childhood disadvantage may be associated with elevated dopaminergic responses to stress in later life. An elevated dopaminergic response to this stress task is seen in adults who are at high risk for psychosis, adults with schizotypy, and patients with schizophrenia (Mizrahi et al, 2012; Soliman et al, 2008)
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