Research Interests
Child and adolescent mental health; enduring effects of childhood trauma on adults; protective factors, depression and well-being in young adults
Publications
Kahn, A., McCormack, H., Bolger, E., Vitaliano, G., McGreenery, C., Polcari, A. & Teicher, M. (2015) Childhood Maltreatment, Depression and Suicidal Ideation: Critical Importance of Parental and Peer Emotional Abuse During Developmental Sensitive Periods in Males and Females. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 6. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2015.0004.
Teicher, M., Ohashi, K., Lowen, S., Polcari, A., Fitzmaurice, G. (2015) Mood Dysregulation and Affective Instability in Young Adults with Histories of Childhood Maltreatment: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. Journal of Psychiatric Research. Volume 70 doi:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.012.
Polcari A, Rabi K, Bolger E, Teicher MH. (2014) Parental verbal affection and verbal aggression in childhood deferentially influence psychiatric symptoms and well-being in young adulthood. Child Abuse & Neglect: 38(1):91-102 URL http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24268711.
Teicher MH, Anderson CM, Ohashi K, Polcari A. (2013) Childhood maltreatment: altered network centrality of cingulate, precuneus, temporal pole and insula. Biological Psychiatry; 76(4). URLhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24209775.
Teicher MH, Anderson CM, Polcari A. (2012) Childhood maltreatment is associated with reduced volume in the hippocampal subfields CA3, dentate gyrus, and subiculum. PNAS , 109: E563-572. URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3295326/.
Choi J, Jeong B, Polcari A, Rohan ML, Teicher MH. (2012) Reduced fractional anisotropy in the visual limbic pathway of young adults witnessing domestic violence in childhood. Neuroimage, 59(2): 1071–1079. URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3236680/.
Tomoda A, Polcari A, Anderson CM, Teicher MH. (2012) Reduced visual cortex gray matter volume and thickness in young adults who witnessed domestic violence during childhood. PLoS ONE, 7(12):e52528. URL.http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3530484/
Tomoda A, Sheu Y-S, Rabi K, Suzuki H, Navalta CP, Polcari A, Teicher MH. (2011) Exposure to parental verbal abuse is associated with increased gray matter volume in superior temporal gyrus. Neuroimage, 54 Suppl 1: 260-8. URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2950228/.
Teicher MH, Samson JA, Sheu Y-S, Polcari A, McGreenery CE. (2010) Hurtful words: Exposure to peer verbal aggression is associated with elevated psychiatric symptom scores and corpus callosum abnormalities. American Journal of Psychiatry , 167(10): 1464-71. URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3246683/.
Sheu Y-S, Polcari A, Anderson CM, Teicher MH. (2010) Harsh corporal punishment is associated with increased T2 relaxation time in dopamine-rich regions. Neuroimage , 53(2): 412-419. URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3854930/.
Tomoda A, Navalta CP, Polcari A, Sadato N, Teicher MH.Biol Psychiatry. (2009) Childhood sexual abuse is associated with reduced gray matter volume in visual cortex of young women. 66(7):642-8. URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19560122.
Teicher MH, Samson JA, Polcari A, Andersen SL. (2009) Length of time between onset of childhood sexual abuse and emergence of depression in a young adult sample: a retrospective clinical report. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 70(5):684-91. URL: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19358787.
Choi J, Jeong B, Rohan ML, Polcari A. M., Teicher MH. (2009 ) Preliminary evidence for white matter tract abnormalities in young adults exposed to parental verbal abuse. Biological Psychiatry. 65(3):227-234. URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2652864.
Andersen SL, Tomada A, Vincow ES, Valente E, Polcari A, Teicher MH. Preliminary evidence for sensitive periods in the effect of childhood sexual abuse on regional brain development. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2008 Summer;20(3):292-301.
Teicher MH, Polcari A, McGreenery CE. Utility of objective measures of activity and attention in the assessment of therapeutic response to stimulants in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2008 Jun;18(3):265-70.
Teicher MH, Polcari A, Foley M, Valente E, McGreenery CE, Chang WW, McKay G, Midha KK. Methylphenidate blood levels and therapeutic response in children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: I. Effects of different dosing regimens. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2006 Aug;16(4):416-31.
Teicher MH, Samson JA, Polcari A, McGreenery CE. (2006) Sticks, stones, and hurtful words: Relative effects of various forms of childhood maltreatment. American Journal of Psychiatry. 163:993-1000. URL:http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16741199.
Funding
Polcari, A. (2015-2017). Impact of Emotional Abuse on Cognition and the Default Brain Network in Depression. Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly Narsad). Funding Period: 1/15/2015 to 1/14/2017.
Polcari, A. (2014 – 2017). Project Director: Behavioral Health Workforce Education and Training for Professionals. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Funding Period: 9/30/2014 to 9/29/2017.
