Childhood neglect is associated with corticostriatal circuit dysfunction in bipolar disorder adults

Abstract

Bipolar disorder (BD) is characterized with cognitive impairment, which may be mediated by corticostriatal dysfunction. Here we examined whether history of childhood trauma, a risk factor for BD, was linked to corticostriatal dysfunction in BD patients. Furthermore, the possible associations between childhood trauma and cognitive impairment were examined. Thirty-eight BD participants who met the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria were enrolled. Childhood trauma was identified via the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). Participants completed the Wisconsin Card-Sorting Test (WCST). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) was performed in participants using a 3T scanner. Bilateral caudate to whole-brain functional connectivity (FC) were analyzed, and childhood trauma was entered as a regressor of interest when controlling for age. Results showed the level of physical neglect was negatively correlated with left-caudate-seed FC to the frontoparietal network, including the right supramarginal gyrus, left inferior parietal lobule, right middle frontal gyrus, and right superior parietal lobule. The level of physical neglect was also negatively correlated with WCST performance. And the left-caudate-seed FCs to the frontoparietal network were positively correlated with WCST performance. Unequivocally, the specific impacts of physical neglect on brain connectivity and executive function in the BD population merit further investigation.

Keywords: Bipolar; childhood neglect; childhood trauma; corticostriatal circuit; executive function; frontoparietal network.