Biology subjects

Tyborowska, A.

Publications and source records attributed to Tyborowska, A..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2023

No evidence for a link between childhood (6-10y) cellular aging and brain morphology (12y) in a preregistered longitudinal study.

Animal studies show that early life environmental factors, such as stress and trauma, can have a significant impact on a variety of bodily processes, including cellular aging and brain development. However, whether cellular wear-and-tear effects are also associated with individual differences in brain structures in humans, remains unknown. In this pre-registered study in a community sample of children (N=94, Mean age=12.71 years), we prospectively investigated the predictive value of two markers of cellular aging in childhood (at age 6 and 10) for brain morphology in early adolescence (age 12). More specifically, we associated buccal cell telomere length and epigenetic age in childhood to individual differences in adolescent whole-brain grey matter volume (GMV) including volumes of three regions of interest that have been found to be sensitive to effects of early life stress (i.e. amygdala, hippocampus, (pre)frontal cortex -PFC). Multiple regression analyses revealed no significant associations between childhood cellular aging (at 6 and 10 years) and early adolescent brain morphology. Exploratory Bayesian analyses indicated moderate to strong evidence for the null-findings. These results suggest that although our sample is modest, the associations between middle childhood cellular aging and early adolescent brain morphology are, if they do exist, likely not particularly large in community children. Future work should investigate whether these effects are similarly absent in large samples, in samples with a higher risk profile and in samples characterized by different age ranges. Highlights (3-5)- Investigation of cellular aging in relation to brain morphology in a community sample (N=95) - Epigenetic aging and telomere shortening were not associated with brain structure - Exploratory Bayesian Analyses reveal moderate to strong evidence for null findings - No association was found between cellular aging and white matter volume

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2023

Integrating stereotypes and factual evidence in interpersonal communication

Stereotypes can exert a powerful influence on our interactions with others, potentially leading to prejudice when factual evidence is ignored. Here, we identify neuroanatomical and developmental factors that influence the real-time integration of stereotypes and factual evidence during live social interactions. The study uses precisely quantified communicative exchanges in a longitudinal cohort of seventeen-year-olds followed since infancy, testing their ability to moderate stereotype tendencies toward children as contrary evidence accumulates. Our results indicate that the impact of stereotypes on communicative behavior is linked to individual variations in gray matter density and cortical thickness in the right anterior cingulate gyrus. In contrast, the ability to moderate stereotype tendencies is influenced by developmental exposure to social interactions during the initial years of life, beyond the effects of familial environment and later experiences. These findings pinpoint a key brain structure underlying stereotype tendencies and suggest that early-life social experiences have lasting consequences on how individuals integrate factual evidence in interpersonal communication.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2022

Developmental shift in testosterone influence on prefrontal emotion control

A paradox of testosterone effects is seen in adolescents vs. adults in social emotional approach-avoidance behavior. During adolescence, high testosterone levels are associated with increased anterior prefrontal (aPFC) involvement in emotion control, whereas during adulthood this neuro-endocrine relation is reversed. Rodent work shows that, during puberty, testosterone transitions from a neuro-developmental to a social-sexual activating hormone. In this study, we explored whether this functional transition is also present in human adolescents and young adults. Using a prospective longitudinal design, we investigated the role of testosterone on neural control of social emotional behavior during the transitions from middle to late adolescence and into young adulthood. Seventy-one individuals (tested at ages 14, 17, and 20 years) performed an fMRI-adapted approach-avoidance (AA) task involving automatic and controlled actions in response to social emotional stimuli. In line with predictions from animal models, the effect of testosterone on aPFC engagement decreased between middle and late adolescence, and shifted into an activational role by young adulthood - impeding neural control of emotions. This change in testosterone function was accompanied by increased testosterone-modulated amygdala reactivity. These findings qualify the testosterone-dependent maturation of the prefrontal-amygdala circuit supporting emotion control during the transition from middle adolescence into young adulthood.

neuroscience↗