Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (Hapi-Infant): Assessing Infant Anhedonia And Its Prospective Association With Adolescent Depressive Symptoms, Jessica L. Irwin, Elysia Poggi Davis, Curt A. Sandman, Tallie Z. Baram, Hal S. Stern, Laura M. Glynn

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Anhedonia, an impairment in the motivation for or experience of pleasure, is a well-established transdiagnostic harbinger and core symptom of mental illness. Given increasing recognition of early life origins of mental illness, we posit that anhedonia should, and could, be recognized earlier if appropriate tools were available. However, reliable diagnostic instruments prior to childhood do not currently exist.

Methods

We developed an assessment instrument for anhedonia/reward processing in infancy, the Infant Hedonic/Anhedonic Processing Index (HAPI-Infant). Exploratory factor and psychometric analyses were conducted using data from 6- and 12-month-old infants from two cohorts (N = 188, N = 212). …

Childhood Unpredictability Is Associated With Increased Risk For Long- And Short-Term Depression And Anhedonia Symptoms Following Combat Deployment, Christopher Hunt, Meghan Vinograd, Laura M. Glynn, Elysia Poggi Davis, Tallie Z. Baram, Hal S. Stern, Caroline M. Nievergelt, Bruna Cuccurazzu, Cindy Napan, Dylan Delmar, Dewleen G. Baker, Victoria B. Risbrough

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

High unpredictability has emerged as a dimension of early-life adversity that may contribute to a host of deleterious consequences later in life. Early-life unpredictability affects development of limbic and reward circuits in both rodents and humans, with a potential to increase sensitivity to stressors and mood symptoms later in life. Here, we examined the extent to which unpredictability during childhood was associated with changes in mood symptoms (anhedonia and general depression) after two adult life stressors, combat deployment and civilian reintegration, which were assessed ten years apart. We also examined how perceived stress and social support mediated and /or moderated …

Contribution Of Early-Life Unpredictability To Neuropsychiatric Symptom Patterns In Adulthood, Andrea D. Spadoni, Meghan Vinograd, Bruna Cuccurazzu, Katy Torres, Laura M. Glynn, Elysia P. Davis, Tallie Z. Baram, Dewleen G. Baker, Caroline M. Nievergelt, Victoria B. Risbrough

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Recent studies in both human and experimental animals have identified fragmented and unpredictable parental and environmental signals as a novel source of early-life adversity. Early-life unpredictability may be a fundamental developmental factor that impacts brain development, including reward and emotional memory circuits, affecting the risk for psychopathology later in life. Here, we tested the hypothesis that self-reported early-life unpredictability is associated with psychiatric symptoms in adult clinical populations.

Methods

Using the newly validated Questionnaire of Unpredictability in Childhood, we assessed early-life unpredictability in 156 trauma-exposed adults, of which 65% sought treatment for mood, anxiety, and/or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) …

The Influence Of Unpredictable, Fragmented Parental Signals On The Developing Brain, Laura M. Glynn, Tallie Z. Baram

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Mental illnesses originate early in life, governed by environmental and genetic factors. Because parents are a dominant source of signals to the developing child, parental signals - beginning with maternal signals in utero - are primary contributors to children’s mental health. Existing literature on maternal signals has focused almost exclusively on their quality and valence (e.g. maternal depression, sensitivity). Here we identify a novel dimension of maternal signals: their patterns and especially their predictability/unpredictability, as an important determinant of children’s neurodevelopment. We find that unpredictable maternal mood and behavior presage risk for child and adolescent psychopathology. In experimental models, fragmented/unpredictable …