Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41843706›Full record

ArticleDevelopmental neuroscience2026

Adaptive Skills May Moderate the Association between Prenatal Stress Exposure and Limbic Brain Activation: A Developmental Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Superstorm Sandy Exposure.

Donato Deingeniis, Monika Baldyga, Rung-Yu Tseng, Rebecca M Lee, Abid Fahim, Ishra Khan, Chikako Olsen, Veronica J Hinton, A Duke Shereen, Yoko Nomura

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Article in Developmental neuroscience, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Donato DeingeniisDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Monika BaldygaDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Rung-Yu TsengDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Rebecca M LeeDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Abid FahimDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Ishra KhanDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Chikako OlsenAdvanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, Neuroscience Initiative, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Veronica J HintonDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
A Duke ShereenDepartment of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA.
Yoko NomuraDepartment of Psychology, Queens College, City University of New York, New York, New York, USA, yoko.nomura@qc.cuny.edu.

Funding

The Evolutionary Basis of the Developmental Course and Etiologies of Anxiety and Disruptive Behaviors during Early AdolescenceR01MH131638 · NIMH · QUEENS COLLEGE · PI Yoko Nomura · 2023 to 2026
$2.8M
NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH131638
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe developing brain shows remarkable capacity for adaptation following early adversity, but the behaviors that influence neural compensation mechanisms remain unclear. Prenatal stress exposure provides a natural model for studying these mechanisms, as it alters neurodevelopment while allowing examination of potential protective factors. However, whether early adaptive behaviors - the skills needed to meet everyday demands such as self-care and communication - can buffer against the neural consequences of prenatal stress has not been established. Natural disasters provide a unique opportunity to examine these mechanisms, as they serve as measurable prenatal stressors with well-defined exposure timing.

methodsIn this pilot study, using a quasi-experimental design, we examined children with (n = 11) and without (n = 23) prenatal exposure to Superstorm Sandy (SS) to investigate how early adaptive behavior (aged 2-6 years) moderates the association between prenatal stress (i.e., exposure to a natural disaster) and later brain activity during emotional processing (age 8 years). We first examined main effects of SS on both adaptive behaviors over time (aged 2-6 years) and functional brain activation at age 8 years in brain regions responsible for facial emotional processing. Moderation models subsequently explored whether early-life adaptive behaviors influenced the association between SS and later brain activation. The Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2) measured child adaptive behaviors. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) measured regional brain activation using an emotional face processing task.

resultsPrenatal stress exposure was associated with nonsignificant trends toward reduced adaptive behaviors over time and reduced brain activation in the right ventral anterior insula. Critically, early adaptive behaviors moderated the association between prenatal stress and later brain activation in the left amygdala and both hemispheres of the hippocampus, ventral anterior insula, and rostral anterior cingulate cortex. Simple slope analyses revealed that prenatal stress was associated with significantly reduced brain activation at low adaptive skills. However, this association was attenuated among children that exhibited higher adaptive skills such that activation patterns were comparable to their unexposed peers.

conclusionOur preliminary moderation (i.e., interaction) findings provide initial evidence that adaptive behaviors may serve as a neural buffer against prenatal stress. This protective pattern indicates that early adaptive skills may help maintain neural responsiveness following prenatal stress exposure. If validated in larger, adequately powered samples, interventions targeting adaptive behaviors in early childhood could potentially reduce the neural burden of prenatal stress and support more resilient brain development in at-risk populations. These findings highlight adaptive behaviors as potential targets for early intervention to promote neural resilience following prenatal adversity.

Indexed as

Adaptive behaviorsEmotion-processingFunctional magnetic resonance imagingNeurodevelopmentPrenatal stress

Identifiers

PMID41843706
PMCPMC13108944

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.