ABSTRACT

It was proposed that dimensions of childhood adversity (i.e., deprivation and threat) have distinct effects on neural development and function. Present study examined the relationships between mild deprivation/threat and performance monitoring among undergraduate students without psychiatric diagnoses. By using event-related potentials (ERPs), 78 participants underwent a modified Flanker task in which false feedback on approximately 10% of the correct response trials was administered. The dynamic stages of performance monitoring in this task were differentiated into interference monitoring, feedback processing, and behavior adjustment. Childhood adversity was assessed by a Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), which was further divided into subscales of neglect (as a proxy for deprivation dimension) and abuse (as a proxy for threat dimension). Our results showed that higher score of childhood neglect was associated with more interference cost indicated by longer RT to interference trials at the behavioral level, and altered interference monitoring indicated by smaller N2 amplitude to interference trials at the neural level. Meanwhile, higher score of childhood abuse was related to smaller P3 amplitude to unexpected negative feedback. These results suggested that mild childhood deprivation might be associated with altered processing of interference monitoring, while mild childhood threat might be linked to lower electrophysiological response to unexpected negative feedback among young adults without psychiatric disorders.

摘要

有人提出，童年逆境的维度（即剥夺和威胁）对神经发育和功能有不同的影响。本研究调查了没有精神病学诊断的本科生轻度剥夺/威胁与表现监测之间的关系。通过使用事件相关电位 (ERP)，78 名参与者接受了修改后的 Flanker 任务，其中对大约 10% 的正确反应试验进行了错误反馈。该任务中性能监控的动态阶段分为干扰监控、反馈处理和行为调整。童年逆境通过童年创伤问卷 (CTQ) 进行评估，该问卷进一步分为忽视（作为剥夺维度的代表）和虐待（作为威胁维度的代表）的分量表。我们的结果表明，较高的儿童忽视分数与较长的 RT 指示的干扰成本有关，表明行为水平的干扰试验，以及较小的 N2 振幅指示的干扰监测改变对神经水平的干扰试验。同时，更高的童年虐待分数与更小的 P3 振幅有关，以应对意想不到的负面反馈。这些结果表明，轻度童年剥夺可能与干扰监测处理的改变有关，而轻度童年威胁可能与没有精神疾病的年轻人对意外负反馈的电生理反应较低有关。并通过较小的 N2 振幅指示对神经水平的干扰试验进行干扰监测。同时，更高的童年虐待分数与更小的 P3 振幅有关，以应对意想不到的负面反馈。这些结果表明，轻度童年剥夺可能与干扰监测处理的改变有关，而轻度童年威胁可能与没有精神疾病的年轻人对意外负反馈的电生理反应较低有关。并通过较小的 N2 振幅指示对神经水平的干扰试验进行干扰监测。同时，更高的童年虐待分数与更小的 P3 振幅有关，以应对意想不到的负面反馈。这些结果表明，轻度童年剥夺可能与干扰监测处理的改变有关，而轻度童年威胁可能与没有精神疾病的年轻人对意外负反馈的电生理反应较低有关。