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Positive coping is a key developmental asset that supports active self-regulation in daily emotional challenges and may influence neurodevelopment through cortisol-related stress physiology relevant to hippocampal integrity and behavioral adaptation in childhood. However, the neurobiological mechanism underlying how positive coping may impact hippocampal development during childhood remains unclear. In Study 1, we recruited 129 typically-developing children aged 6-12 years and assessed their positive coping style, cortisol awakening response (CAR) by cortisol 30min -cortisol awakening , and brain activity under an emotional processing task. In Study 2, 59 of them longitudinally underwent the same emotional task fMRI one year later. Behaviorally, positive coping was associated with better emotional regulation and lower anxiety at Time-1, and less decision hesitation in emotional decision-making at both Time-1 and Time-2. At the endocrine and neurocognitive level, positive coping was associated with greater CAR at Time-1, which was further linked with higher hippocampal activation and hippocampus-ventrolateral prefrontal (vlPFC) connectivity one year later. Besides, the hippocampal maturation may support the maturity of hippocampal-vlPFC connectivity one year later. The study highlights a cognitive-neuroendocrine framework in which positive coping may impact the hippocampal-neocortical pathway via CAR to enhance emotional wellness. • Positive coping is associated with better emotion regulation, reduced anxiety, and lower response caution, which may help foster emotional well-being. • Positive coping is related to an enhanced stress-sensitive cortisol awakening response (CAR) at the neuroendocrine level, which in turn is linked to greater hippocampal activation and stronger hippocampus-ventrolateral prefrontal (vlPFC) functional connectivity one year later. • Greater CAR mediates the effects of positive coping on the maturation of hippocampal-vlPFC circuitry, which may support emotional development in childhood.
Tian et al. (Sat,) studied this question.