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Kobelt M, Waldhauser GT, Rupietta A, Heinen R, Rau EMB, Kessler H, Axmacher N. The memory trace of an intrusive trauma-analog episode. Curr Biol 2024; 34:1657-1669.e5. [PMID: 38537637 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
Intrusive memories are a core symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder. Compared with memories of everyday events, they are characterized by several seemingly contradictory features: intrusive memories contain distinct sensory and emotional details of the traumatic event and can be triggered by various perceptually similar cues, but they are poorly integrated into conceptual memory. Here, we conduct exploratory whole-brain analyses to investigate the neural representations of trauma-analog experiences and how they are reactivated during memory intrusions. We show that trauma-analog movies induce excessive processing and generalized representations in sensory areas but decreased blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) responses and highly distinct representations in conceptual/semantic areas. Intrusive memories activate generalized representations in sensory areas and reactivate memory traces specific to trauma-analog events in the anterior cingulate cortex. These findings provide the first evidence of how traumatic events could distort memory representations in the human brain, which may form the basis for future confirmatory research on the neural representations of traumatic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Kobelt
- Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44801, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
| | - G T Waldhauser
- Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44801, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
| | - A Rupietta
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44787, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - R Heinen
- Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44801, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - E M B Rau
- Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44801, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - H Kessler
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Campus Fulda, Universität Marburg, Marburg 35032, Hessen, Germany; Department of Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, LWL University Hospital, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44791, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
| | - N Axmacher
- Department of Neuropsychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Bochum 44801, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
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Tymofiyeva O, Hu R, Kidambi R, Nguyen C, Max JE, Yang TT. A meta-analysis of brain morphometric aberrations in adolescents who experienced childhood trauma. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:1022791. [PMID: 36561836 PMCID: PMC9764002 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1022791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Childhood trauma is known to have dramatic effects on the risks for developing psychiatric disorders and increased suicidality. We conducted a meta-analysis of whole brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) correlates of childhood trauma in adolescents exposed to childhood maltreatment (N = 379) and unexposed controls (N = 348). Methods Anisotropic effect size-signed differential mapping (AES-SDM) was utilized to synthesize the studies. Results We observed increased volume amongst adolescents with a history of childhood trauma in regions that are involved in motor functions and language production: left precentral gyrus, including part of the left inferior frontal gyrus, left fibers of the body of corpus callosum, and left postcentral gyrus. We observed decreased volume amongst adolescents with a history of childhood trauma in regions that are involved in language processing and/or sensory processing: bilateral cerebellum, bilateral middle temporal gyrus, left rostrum of corpus callosum, and bilateral supramarginal gyrus. Discussion We suggest that these morphometric differences may be reflective of impaired motor development and increased sensory sensitivity and hypervigilance in adolescents with experiences of childhood trauma. Our results differ from meta-analytical findings in adults with history of childhood trauma and may contribute to a better understanding of neural mechanisms of childhood trauma, prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes, and development of more effective and personalized therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olga Tymofiyeva
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,*Correspondence: Olga Tymofiyeva,
| | - Rebecca Hu
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Roma Kidambi
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Ca Nguyen
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Jeffrey E. Max
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States,Rady Children’s Hospital, San Diego, CA, United States
| | - Tony T. Yang
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, The Langley Porter Psychiatric Institute, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States,Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
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3
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Leite L, Esper NB, Junior JRML, Lara DR, Buchweitz A. An exploratory study of resting-state functional connectivity of amygdala subregions in posttraumatic stress disorder following trauma in adulthood. Sci Rep 2022; 12:9558. [PMID: 35688847 PMCID: PMC9187646 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-13395-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
We carried out an exploratory study aimed at identifying differences in resting-state functional connectivity for the amygdala and its subregions, right and left basolateral, centromedial and superficial nuclei, in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), relative to controls. The study included 10 participants with PTSD following trauma in adulthood (9 females), and 10 controls (9 females). The results suggest PTSD was associated with a decreased (negative) functional connectivity between the superficial amygdala and posterior brain regions relative to controls. The differences were observed between right superficial amygdala and right fusiform gyrus, and between left superficial amygdala and left lingual and left middle occipital gyri. The results suggest that among PTSD patients, the worse the PTSD symptoms, the lower the connectivity. The results corroborate the fMRI literature that shows PTSD is associated with weaker amygdala functional connectivity with areas of the brain involved in sensory and perceptual processes. The results also suggest that though the patients traumatic experience occured in adulthood, the presence of early traumatic experiences were associated with negative connectivity between the centromedial amygdala and sensory and perceptual regions. We argue that the understanding of the mechanisms of PTSD symptoms, its behaviors and the effects on quality of life of patients may benefit from the investigation of brain function that underpins sensory and perceptual symptoms associated with the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leticia Leite
- School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil.
| | - Nathalia Bianchini Esper
- School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil.,Brain Institute (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, 90610-000, Brazil
| | - José Roberto M Lopes Junior
- School of Psychology and Health, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre (UFCSPA), Porto Alegre, 90050-170, Brazil
| | | | - Augusto Buchweitz
- School of Medicine, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, 90619-900, Brazil. .,Brain Institute (BraIns), Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, 90610-000, Brazil. .,Department of Psychology, University of Connecticut, Stamford, 06269-1020, United States of America.
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Alteration of early attentional processing after analogue trauma exposure: evidence from event-related potentials. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:3671-3686. [PMID: 34618196 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06234-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to determine whether exposure to an analogue traumatic event affects attentional processing of emotional information. Two groups of non-clinical participants matched on anxiety level, depression symptoms and stressful life events viewed either a trauma or a neutral film. They then performed an emotional Stroop task during which both continuous electroencephalographic activity was recorded and intrusive memories were measured. Results revealed that the valence effect (measured by the difference between emotional and neutral conditions) for the P1 amplitude was significantly greater in participants who viewed the trauma film than in participants who viewed the neutral film. This interaction was specific to words semantically related to the analogue trauma event and did not extend to all negative words. Further analyses revealed a relationship between intrusions frequency, P1 amplitude and emotional Stroop interference, indicating a link between attention and intrusive memories. Our findings suggest that exposure to potentially traumatic events has an important impact on neurocognitive function, even in the absence of psychopathology, and that this impact occurs at an early, possibly automatic stage of processing.
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Movies and narratives as naturalistic stimuli in neuroimaging. Neuroimage 2020; 224:117445. [PMID: 33059053 PMCID: PMC7805386 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Using movies and narratives as naturalistic stimuli in human neuroimaging studies has yielded significant advances in understanding of cognitive and emotional functions. The relevant literature was reviewed, with emphasis on how the use of naturalistic stimuli has helped advance scientific understanding of human memory, attention, language, emotions, and social cognition in ways that would have been difficult otherwise. These advances include discovering a cortical hierarchy of temporal receptive windows, which supports processing of dynamic information that accumulates over several time scales, such as immediate reactions vs. slowly emerging patterns in social interactions. Naturalistic stimuli have also helped elucidate how the hippocampus supports segmentation and memorization of events in day-to-day life and have afforded insights into attentional brain mechanisms underlying our ability to adopt specific perspectives during natural viewing. Further, neuroimaging studies with naturalistic stimuli have revealed the role of the default-mode network in narrative-processing and in social cognition. Finally, by robustly eliciting genuine emotions, these stimuli have helped elucidate the brain basis of both basic and social emotions apparently manifested as highly overlapping yet distinguishable patterns of brain activity.
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Iyadurai L, Visser RM, Lau-Zhu A, Porcheret K, Horsch A, Holmes EA, James EL. Intrusive memories of trauma: A target for research bridging cognitive science and its clinical application. Clin Psychol Rev 2019; 69:67-82. [PMID: 30293686 PMCID: PMC6475651 DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2018.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Intrusive memories of a traumatic event can be distressing and disruptive, and comprise a core clinical feature of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Intrusive memories involve mental imagery-based impressions that intrude into mind involuntarily, and are emotional. Here we consider how recent advances in cognitive science have fueled our understanding of the development and possible treatment of intrusive memories of trauma. We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, selecting articles published from 2008 to 2018 that used the terms "trauma" AND ("intrusive memories" OR "involuntary memories") in their abstract or title. First, we discuss studies that investigated internal (neural, hormonal, psychophysiological, and cognitive) processes that contribute to intrusive memory development. Second, we discuss studies that targeted these processes using behavioural/pharmacological interventions to reduce intrusive memories. Third, we consider possible clinical implications of this work and highlight some emerging research avenues for treatment and prevention, supplemented by new data to examine some unanswered questions. In conclusion, we raise the possibility that intrusive memories comprise an alternative, possibly more focused, target in translational research endeavours, rather than only targeting overall symptoms of disorders such as PTSD. If so, relatively simple approaches could help to address the need for easy-to-deliver, widely-scalable trauma interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Renée M Visser
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK; University of Amsterdam, Department of Psychology, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alex Lau-Zhu
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK; Kings College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, London, UK
| | - Kate Porcheret
- University of Oxford, Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Oxford, UK
| | - Antje Horsch
- Lausanne University Hospital, Woman-Mother-Child Department, Lausanne, Switzerland; Institute of Higher Education and Research in Healthcare, University of Lausanne, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Emily A Holmes
- Karolinska Institutet, Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ella L James
- MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, UK
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Gvozdanovic G, Stämpfli P, Seifritz E, Rasch B. Structural brain differences predict early traumatic memory processing. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13354. [PMID: 30825218 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2018] [Revised: 12/21/2018] [Accepted: 01/20/2019] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Intrusive memories are a key symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They emerge early after trauma exposure and are predictive for PTSD development. There is a high relevance in evaluating the neurobiological mechanisms of early stages of intrusive symptom development to provide a further understanding of PTSD. In the present study, we explore structural differences in healthy young female subjects preceding experimental trauma exposure and their relationship to early intrusive memory development using a traumatic film paradigm. With voxel-based morphometry, we demonstrate that smaller insular volume was associated with an increased number of early intrusive film memories. Moreover, larger lingual gyrus/cerebellar and inferior frontal gyrus/precentral gyrus volumes were also related to an increased number of early intrusive film memories. Our results identify unique brain areas associated with early experimental trauma memory processing and highlight the necessity of evaluating early symptom stages relevant for personalized PTSD prevention and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geraldine Gvozdanovic
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Institute of Psychology, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Philipp Stämpfli
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,MR-Center of the Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics and the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychiatric Hospital of the University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Erich Seifritz
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Psychiatric Hospital, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Competence Center of Sleep & Health Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Björn Rasch
- Competence Center of Sleep & Health Zürich, University of Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Department of Psychology, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Ren Y, Nguyen VT, Sonkusare S, Lv J, Pang T, Guo L, Eickhoff SB, Breakspear M, Guo CC. Effective connectivity of the anterior hippocampus predicts recollection confidence during natural memory retrieval. Nat Commun 2018; 9:4875. [PMID: 30451864 PMCID: PMC6242820 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-07325-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human interactions with the world are influenced by memories of recent events. This effect, often triggered by perceptual cues, occurs naturally and without conscious effort. However, the neuroscience of involuntary memory in a dynamic milieu has received much less attention than the mechanisms of voluntary retrieval with deliberate purpose. Here, we investigate the neural processes driven by naturalistic cues that relate to, and presumably trigger the retrieval of recent experiences. Viewing the continuation of recently viewed clips evokes greater bilateral activation in anterior hippocampus, precuneus and angular gyrus than naïve clips. While these regions manifest reciprocal connectivity, continued viewing specifically modulates the effective connectivity from the anterior hippocampus to the precuneus. The strength of this modulation predicts participants' confidence in later voluntary recall of news details. Our study reveals network mechanisms of dynamic, involuntary memory retrieval and its relevance to metacognition in a rich context resembling everyday life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yudan Ren
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, 4006, Australia
| | - Vinh T Nguyen
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, 4006, Australia
| | - Saurabh Sonkusare
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, 4006, Australia
- School of Medicine, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
| | - Jinglei Lv
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, 4006, Australia
| | - Tianji Pang
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Lei Guo
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China
| | - Simon B Eickhoff
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, 52425, Germany
| | | | - Christine C Guo
- School of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical University, 710072, Xi'an, China.
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, 4006, Australia.
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