In this section
Social and affective neuroscience
The field of neuroscience has blossomed in the last two decades. Increasingly researchers are now focusing on advancing ourunderstanding of social and emotional process in the relatively new field of affective neuroscience. The Anna Freud Centre is playing a key part in that endeavour. We are particularly interested in how brain structure and function can shed light on both normal processes of child development and how these might differ in the context of emotional or clinical problems in childhood. Our work is centred on two key developmental phases – infancy and adolescence – which are characterised by dramatic changes in the brain, and also by rapid changes in social behaviour, self-regulation and emotionality. There is good reason to think that these two phases of development are also periods where risk for emotional disturbance is particularly high, and also where the potential to make a positive difference in children’s lives may be greatest. We believe the tools and ideas of neuroscience are crucial in the long-term for delivering compelling evidence for the importance of early intervention and for the development of innovative new ways of supporting children and families.
Research themes
1. Early adversity
There is overwhelming evidence that early adversity and maltreatment increases the risk of psychopathology (such as anxiety and depression). We are investigating how a child’s brain is shaped by their early caregiving environment. Our work focuses on understanding responses to social cues and the ability to regulate stress. Alongside these functional differences we are also interested in identifying measurable differences in brain structure. Such differences do not necessarily reflect ‘damage’ – rather they are markers of how a child has adapted to the environment. Dr Eamon McCrory, at the Developmental Risk and Resilience Unit, is working with us to investigate with fMRI how the neural systems implicated in emotional regulation can help buffer children from the negative impact of early stress. We are also investigating these processes in very early life, by exploring the processes that make infants and young children sensitive to stress, and examining brain markers of early adversity in our developmental EEG lab. Our MSc in Developmental Neuroscience and Psychopathology aims to provide students with a developmental neuroscience framework to understand such processes and the opportunity for hands on research while they are placed in Yale.
2. The nature of the brain mechanisms involved in normal and maladaptive emotional and social development
A significant element of the work we do is focused on understanding the way that several fundamental psychological and emotional processes are represented in the brain and how they develop. We are running a range of studies looking at the neural systems involved in the experience of reward and loss, in the capacity to regulate emotions and in our ability to think about other people’s minds (mentalising). These fundamental psychological faculties undergo dramatic developmental changes across childhood and provide an important window into the mechanisms involved in the emergence of psychological distress and disorder. Our work is also fundamentally based on the premise that psychological development is inextricably embedded in the social environment, particularly the environment provided by attachment figures. So, our neuroscience research dovetails our research on attachment and parenting, by examining the role played by genes, physiology and the brain in the development of attachment and its long-term effects.
3. The brain systems involved in the effects of successful psychological intervention
Increasingly, we are applying the techniques and tools of neuroscience to address questions about how psychological treatments work. We are running several projects in which we track changes in the brain that occur as a result of psychological treatments. We are also trying to identify brain markers that might help us understand why some treatments work better for some people than others. These studies are crucial for understanding the mechanisms of psychological therapy and for demonstrating the multiple levels at which psychological treatments can bring about change. These findings are crucial for influencing policy debates about the need to invest in high quality psychological support for children and families and of the importance of early intervention.
The tools we use
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
This measures brain structure and function by detecting very small changes in electromagnetic fields that occur when harmless radio waves pass through the body in a strong magnetic field. The procedure is entirely safe, and produces detailed information about the structure of the brain, and can also detect moment-to-moment changes in the activity of different regions of the brain. The method is used most commonly with adults, and with children over the age of 7. However, it is increasingly being applied successfully with younger children and infants.
Electroencepholography (EEG)
This involves the measurement of very small electrical changes that are observed on the scalp, as nerve impulses fire in the outer surfaces of the brain. This method is very easy to administer, and involves placing a net containing a large number of small sensors on the head, like a hat. This method measures the timing of brain activity very accurately, and is one of the few techniques that can be used to measure brain activity during psychological experiments in the very young (e.g. infants and toddlers).
Genetics
Genetics is a further vital part of our work. We use twin and adoption studies and measurements of specific gene sequences to examine the contribution of genes and environment to children’s development. Genetics is making a major contribution to our understand of the factors that make some children more vulnerable or sensitive to adverse social experiences, and to the complex interplay between family relationship process, genetic dispositions in the child and their mutual influences on children’s social wellbeing and mental health.
Mccrory, E., De Brito, S. A., Viding, E. (2010). Research review: the neurobiology and genetics of maltreatment and adversity. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 51(10), 1079-1095.
