Autobiographical memory: a candidate latent vulnerability mechanism for psychiatric disorder following childhood maltreatment

Eamon J McCrory; Vanessa B Puetz; Eleanor A Maguire; Andrea Mechelli; Amy Palmer; Mattia I Gerin; Philip A Kelly; Iakovina Koutoufa; Essi Viding

doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.117.201798

Autobiographical memory: a candidate latent vulnerability mechanism for psychiatric disorder following childhood maltreatment

Br J Psychiatry. 2017 Oct;211(4):216-222. doi: 10.1192/bjp.bp.117.201798. Epub 2017 Sep 7.

Authors

Eamon J McCrory¹, Vanessa B Puetz², Eleanor A Maguire², Andrea Mechelli², Amy Palmer², Mattia I Gerin², Philip A Kelly², Iakovina Koutoufa², Essi Viding²

Affiliations

¹ Eamon J. McCrory, PhD, DClin Psy, Vanessa B. Puetz, PhD, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, and The Anna Freud Centre, London, UK; Eleanor A. Maguire, PhD, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Andrea Mechelli, PhD, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Amy Palmer, PhD, Mattia I. Gerin, MSc, Philip A. Kelly, PhD, Iakovina Koutoufa, MSc, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, and The Anna Freud Centre, London, UK; Essi Viding, PhD, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK e.mccrory@ucl.ac.uk.
² Eamon J. McCrory, PhD, DClin Psy, Vanessa B. Puetz, PhD, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, and The Anna Freud Centre, London, UK; Eleanor A. Maguire, PhD, Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK; Andrea Mechelli, PhD, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK; Amy Palmer, PhD, Mattia I. Gerin, MSc, Philip A. Kelly, PhD, Iakovina Koutoufa, MSc, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, and The Anna Freud Centre, London, UK; Essi Viding, PhD, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK.

Abstract

BackgroundAltered autobiographical memory (ABM) functioning has been implicated in the pathogenesis of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder and may represent one mechanism by which childhood maltreatment elevates psychiatric risk.AimsTo investigate the impact of childhood maltreatment on ABM functioning.MethodThirty-four children with documented maltreatment and 33 matched controls recalled specific ABMs in response to emotionally valenced cue words during functional magnetic resonance imaging.ResultsChildren with maltreatment experience showed reduced hippocampal and increased middle temporal and parahippocampal activation during positive ABM recall compared with peers. During negative ABM recall they exhibited increased amygdala activation, and greater amygdala connectivity with the salience network.ConclusionsChildhood maltreatment is associated with altered ABM functioning, specifically reduced activation in areas encoding specification of positive memories, and greater activation of the salience network for negative memories. This pattern may confer latent vulnerability to future depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Amygdala / physiopathology
Case-Control Studies
Child
Child Abuse / psychology*
Disease Susceptibility / physiopathology
Disease Susceptibility / psychology*
Female
Hippocampus / physiopathology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Memory, Episodic*
Mental Recall
Neuroimaging
Parahippocampal Gyrus / physiopathology
Temporal Lobe / physiopathology

Abstract

MeSH terms

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