1-015 - Translational Perspectives on the Role of Inflammation in Brain Development and Function

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

There is a growing appreciation that the immune system shares significant bidirectional connections with the brain and is predictive of consequential mental and physical health outcomes. Given this, and evidence suggesting that early experiences can alter neuro-immune functioning, there are compelling reasons to believe that the immune system plays can help to sculpt developmental trajectories. In this highly interdisciplinary and translational symposium, we present research examining neuro-immune interactions in different species (rats and humans) and at different developmental stages (adolescents and adults). Using a rodent model, the first talk demonstrates that manipulation of early life stress via maternal separation alters neuro-immune activity in cortical and striatal regions of the brain, resulting in changes in reward-related behavior. These findings are sex-specific and have significant implications for addiction vulnerability. The second talk shows that early life stress exposure in the form of early institutional care is associated with pro-inflammatory gene expression and impaired prefrontal-amygdala coupling during a self-regulation task in adolescents. The third talk demonstrates that circulating inflammation markers predict resting functional connectivity in an emotion regulation network in independent samples of African American adolescents and young adults. Finally, the fourth talk explores how inflammation impacts reward circuitry in healthy and clinically depressed adults and considers the impact of such findings for clinical interventions. Together, this work highlights the potential for neuro-immune interactions to inform both basic and applied developmental science research.

Sub Unit

• Biological Processes: Neuroscience and Genetics

Chair

• Jennifer Silvers, UCLA

Individual Presentations

• Effects of Early Life Stress on Addiction Vulnerability are Sex Specific and Driven by Immune Signals - Non-Presenting Author: Prabarna Ganguly, Northeastern University; Non-Presenting Author: June Rowe, Northeastern University; Non-Presenting Author: Camila Demaestri, Northeastern University; Non-Presenting Author: Jennifer Honeycutt, Northeastern University; Presenting Author: Heather Brenhouse, Northeastern University

• Early Institutional Care Predicts Pro-inflammatory Gene Expression and Diminished Brain Connectivity in Adolescence - Presenting Author: Jennifer Silvers, UCLA; Non-Presenting Author: Steve Cole, University of California, Los Angeles; Non-Presenting Author: Joao Guassi Moreira, University of California, Los Angeles; Non-Presenting Author: Emilia Ninova, University of California, Los Angeles; Non-Presenting Author: Yael Waizman, University of California, Los Angeles

• Higher Inflammation Associated with Lower Resting State Functional Connectivity in Emotion Regulation and Executive Networks - Presenting Author: Robin Nusslock, Northwestern University; Non-Presenting Author: Gene Brody, University of Georgia; Non-Presenting Author: Casey Armstrong, Northwestern University; Non-Presenting Author: Ann Carroll, Northwestern University; Non-Presenting Author: Yu Tianyi, University of Georgia; Non-Presenting Author: Allen Barton, University of Georgia; Non-Presenting Author: Edith Chen, Northwestern University; Non-Presenting Author: James Higgins, Northwestern University; Non-Presenting Author: Todd Parrish, Northwestern University; Non-Presenting Author: Lei Wang, Northwestern University; Non-Presenting Author: Greg Miller, Northwestern University

• Evidence for an Inflammatory Subtype of Adult Depression - Presenting Author: Michael T Treadway, Emory University