EXPLORING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES, NEURAL ACTIVITY IN RESPONSE TO SOCIAL FEEDBACK, AND PERCEIVED SOCIAL SUPPORT

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are related to a variety of negative social and mental health outcomes in adulthood, many of which are explained by difficulties in social-emotional information processing and evaluation. This project aims to investigate the relationship between ACEs, neural activation in response to social acceptance and rejection, and how perceived social support (PSS) may play a role. Methods: 146 adults in romantic relationships underwent functional MRI scans during which they viewed positive, negative, and neutral social feedback about themselves or their partners. Participants also completed the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire and the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale. Results: ACEs were significantly negatively related to general PSS, PSS from family, and PSS from friends, but not PSS from a significant-other. ACEs were significantly negatively related to neural activation of the bilateral amygdala and the DLPFC during social rejection, but not significantly related to neural activation of the NAcc during social acceptance. PSS was not a significant moderator in these relationships. Conclusion: In this sample, which may be defined as adaptive in participants' abilities to develop and maintain close relationships in adulthood, those with greater ACE scores showed reduced activation of the amygdala during social rejection, demonstrating adaptative social-emotional responses not found in other investigations of ACEs. These results, along with our findings of reduced DLPFC activation, may suggest that a moderate level of early life adversity can be associated with a reduced need for emotional regulation due to lower emotional processing activity.