Women with early maltreatment experience show increased resting-state functional connectivity in the theory of mind (ToM) network

<b>Background</b>: Experience of childhood maltreatment significantly increases the risk for the development of psychopathology and is associated with impairments in socio-cognitive skills including theory-of-mind (ToM). In turn, neural alterations in ToM processing might then influence future interpersonal interaction and social-emotional understanding. <b>Objective</b>: To assess resting-state activity in the theory-of-mind network in traumatized and non-traumatized persons. <b>Methods</b>: Thirty-five women with a history of childhood maltreatment and 31 unaffected women completed a resting-state scan and a ToM localizer task. The peak coordinates from the localizer were used as the seed regions for the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) analyses (temporo-parietal junction, dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, middle temporal gyrus and precuneus). <b>Results</b>: Child abuse was associated with increased RSFC between various ToM regions including the precuneus and the brainstem suggesting altered hierarchical processing in ToM regions. Number of types of abuse was driving the effect for the temporo-parietal junction and the brainstem, while the severity of abuse was linked to increased RSFC between the middle temporal gyrus and the frontal cortex. Post-hoc analyses of brainstem regions indicated the involvement of the serotonergic system (dorsal raphe). <b>Conclusions</b>: The data indicate a lasting impact of childhood maltreatment on the neural networks involved in social information processing that are integral to understanding others’ emotional states. Indeed, such altered neural networks may account for some of the interpersonal difficulties victims of childhood maltreatment experience. • Early psychological trauma influences socio-cognitive skills.• Evidence regarding altered resting-state activity in theory of mind network lacking.• Resting-state functional connectivity was increased between Theory of Mind regions and brainstem in people with early maltreatment experience.• Particularly number of types of abuse appeared to be driving the effect for left temporo-parietal junction (TPJ).• The findings support altered resting-state activity between higher cognitive and more basic brain processes after early maltreatment experience.