Attention Bias to Threat in Maltreated Children: Implications for Vulnerability to Stress-Related Psychopathology

• DOI: 10.1176/appi.ajp.162.2.291
• Publication Date: 2005-01-27T23:18:39Z
• Authors: Daniel S. Pine; Karin Mogg; Brendan P. Bradley; LeeAnne Montgomery; Christopher S. Monk; Erin McClure; Amanda E. Guyer; Monique Ernst; Dennis S. Charney; Joan Kaufman
• Keywords: Attentional Bias; Association (psychology); Vulnerability

Previous research in adults implicates attention bias posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To study children, the authors used picture-based versions of visual-probe task previously with adults. They tested hypothesis that to threatening facial photographs is associated maltreatment and PTSD.A manipulated threat levels was test 34 children who had been maltreated 21 not maltreated. The involved showing actors faces depicting neutral, angry/threatening, or happy expressions for 500 msec each.Attention away from severity physical abuse diagnosis PTSD. This association reflected tendency high PTSD predict avoidance faces.Previous studies examined engagement specific brain regions orientation angry/threatening faces. current similar methods document associations between children. sets stage examining relationships among perturbed function, psychopathology, bias, maltreatment.