Our study is not without limitations. First, while we speculated on the relationship between HPA axis function and amygdala reactivity in the context of a history of childhood emotional neglect and mineralocorticoid receptor genotype, we did not collect neuroendocrine measures (e.g., cortisol) to directly test whether such differences might mediate this relationship. Second, the assessment of emotional neglect relied on retrospective self-report. Given that such retrospective memory may be influenced by other factors that are also associated with amygdala reactivity (e.g., neuroticism), it will be important for future research to replicate these findings with more refined assessments (e.g., public records and interviews). The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire nevertheless possesses excellent reliability and validity relative to other measures (e.g., clinician-rated abuse from interview) (30). Moreover, our results nicely complement animal research and human research in extreme environments (e.g., institutional rearing), lending credence to the findings reported here (4–9). It will be important for researchers to examine whether associations between mineralocorticoid receptor genotype, emotional neglect, and amygdala reactivity predict individual differences in behavior and psychopathology. Prospective research that follows individuals into peak periods of psychopathology development, as the Teen Alcohol Outcomes Study is designed to do, will be particularly valuable (52).
