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Saar-Ashkenazy R, Guez J, Jacob Y, Veksler R, Cohen JE, Shelef I, Friedman A, Benifla M. White-matter correlates of anxiety: The contribution of the corpus-callosum to the study of anxiety and stress-related disorders. Int J Methods Psychiatr Res 2023; 32:e1955. [PMID: 36448238 DOI: 10.1002/mpr.1955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Revised: 10/04/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Traumatic stress has been associated with increased risk for brain alterations and development of anxiety disorders. Studies conducted in posttraumatic patients have shown white-mater volume and diffusion alterations in the corpus-callosum. Decreased cognitive performance has been demonstrated in acute stress disorder and posttraumatic patients. However, whether cognitive alterations result from stress related neuropathology or reflect a predisposition is not known. In the current study, we examined in healthy controls, whether individual differences in anxiety are associated with those cognitive and brain alterations reported in stress related pathologies. METHODS Twenty healthy volunteers were evaluated for anxiety using the state-trait inventory (STAI), and were tested for memory performance. Brain imaging was employed to extract volumetric and diffusion characteristics of the corpus-callosum. RESULTS Significant correlations were found between trait anxiety and all three diffusion parameters (fractional-anisotropy, mean and radial-diffusivity). Associative-memory performance and corpus-callosum volume were also significantly correlated. CONCLUSION We suggest that cognitive and brain alterations, as tested in the current work and reported in stress related pathologies, are present early and possibly persist throughout life. Our findings support the hypothesis that individual differences in trait anxiety predispose individuals towards negative cognitive outcomes and brain alterations, and potentially to stress related disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Saar-Ashkenazy
- Faculty of Social-Work, Ashkelon Academic College, Ashkelon, Israel
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, The Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Jonathan Guez
- Department of Psychology, Achva Academic College, Beer-Tuvia Regional Council, Shikmim, Israel
- Beer-Sheva Mental Health Center, Shikmim, Israel
| | - Yael Jacob
- Department of Psychiatry, Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ronel Veksler
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Jonathan E Cohen
- Sharett Institute of Oncology and The Wohl Institute for Translational Medicine, Hadassah Medical Center, The Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ilan Shelef
- Department of Radiology, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Alon Friedman
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Neuroscience, The Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Department of Physiology and Cell Biology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- Department of Medical Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
| | - Mony Benifla
- Department of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Rambam Health Care Campus, Haifa, Israel
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Bremner JD, Ortego RA, Campanella C, Nye JA, Davis LL, Fani N, Vaccarino V. Neural correlates of PTSD in women with childhood sexual abuse with and without PTSD and response to paroxetine treatment: A placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS REPORTS 2023; 14:100615. [PMID: 38088987 PMCID: PMC10715797 DOI: 10.1016/j.jadr.2023.100615] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Objective Childhood sexual abuse is the leading cause of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in women, and is a prominent cause of morbidity and loss of function for which limited treatments are available. Understanding the neurobiology of treatment response is important for developing new treatments. The purpose of this study was to assess neural correlates of personalized traumatic memories in women with childhood sexual abuse with and without PTSD, and to assess response to treatment. Methods Women with childhood sexual abuse with (N = 28) and without (N = 17) PTSD underwent brain imaging with High-Resolution Positron Emission Tomography scanning with radiolabeled water for brain blood flow measurements during exposure to personalized traumatic scripts and memory encoding tasks. Women with PTSD were randomized to paroxetine or placebo followed by three months of double-blind treatment and repeat imaging with the same protocol. Results Women with PTSD showed decreases in areas involved in the Default Mode Network (DMN), a network of brain areas usually active when the brain is at rest, hippocampus and visual processing areas with exposure to traumatic scripts at baseline while women without PTSD showed increased activation in superior frontal gyrus and other areas (p < 0.005). Treatment of women with PTSD with paroxetine resulted in increased anterior cingulate activation and brain areas involved in the DMN and visual processing with scripts compared to placebo (p < 0.005). Conclusion PTSD related to childhood sexual abuse in women is associated with alterations in brain areas involved in memory and the stress response and treatment with paroxetine results in modulation of these areas.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. Douglas Bremner
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
- Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA
| | - Rebeca Alvarado Ortego
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Carolina Campanella
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Jonathon A. Nye
- Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Lori L. Davis
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL
- Tuscaloosa VA Medical Center, Tuscaloosa AL
| | - Negar Fani
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
| | - Viola Vaccarino
- Department of Epidemiology, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta GA
- Department of Medicine (Cardiology), Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA
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Tsang B, Venditti V, Javier CM, Gerlai R. The ram cichlid (Mikrogeophagus ramirezi) learns an associative task: a new fish species for memory research. Sci Rep 2023; 13:13781. [PMID: 37612369 PMCID: PMC10447575 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40739-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Fish are the most species rich and evolutionarily oldest vertebrate taxon. This represents opportunities for biologists who intend to employ laboratory animals in their comparative or translational research. Yet, the overwhelming majority of such studies use a single fish species, the zebrafish, a suboptimal strategy from the comparative standpoint. Neuronal plasticity (learning and memory) is perhaps one of the most complex biological phenomena from a mechanistic standpoint, and thus its analysis could benefit from the use of evolutionarily ancient and simple vertebrate model organisms, i.e., fish species. However, learning & memory research with the zebrafish has been replete with problems. Here, we employ a novel fish species, the ram cichlid, we argue will be particularly appropriate for this purpose for practical as well as ethological/ecological reasons. First, we investigate whether the ram cichlid exhibits innate preference for certain colours (red, blue, yellow or green) in a four-choice task, the plus maze. Subsequently, we pair the apparently least preferred colour (green, the conditioned stimulus or CS) with food reward (the unconditioned stimulus, US) in the plus maze, a CS-US associative learning task. After eight pairing trials, we run a probe trial during which only the CS is presented. At this trial, we find significant preference to the CS, i.e., acquisition of memory of CS-US association. We argue that our proof-of-concept study demonstrating fast acquisition of CS-US association in the ram cichlid, coupled with the universal utility of some genome editing methods, will facilitate the mechanistic analysis of learning and memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Tsang
- Cell and System Biology Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
| | - Veronica Venditti
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Celina Micaela Javier
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Cell and System Biology Department, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Rm CCT4004, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, ON, L5L 1C6, Canada.
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4
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Portillo-Van Diest A, Vilagut G, Alayo I, Ferrer M, Amigo F, Amann BL, Aragón-Peña A, Aragonès E, Asúnsolo Del Barco Á, Campos M, Del Cura-González I, Espuga M, González-Pinto A, Haro JM, Larrauri A, López-Fresneña N, Martínez de Salázar A, Molina JD, Ortí-Lucas RM, Parellada M, Pelayo-Terán JM, Pérez-Zapata A, Pijoan JI, Plana N, Puig T, Rius C, Rodríguez-Blázquez C, Sanz F, Serra C, Urreta-Barallobre I, Kessler RC, Bruffaerts R, Vieta E, Pérez-Solá V, Alonso J, Mortier P. Traumatic stress symptoms among Spanish healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: a prospective study. Epidemiol Psychiatr Sci 2023; 32:e50. [PMID: 37555258 PMCID: PMC10465320 DOI: 10.1017/s2045796023000628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
AIM To investigate the occurrence of traumatic stress symptoms (TSS) among healthcare workers active during the COVID-19 pandemic and to obtain insight as to which pandemic-related stressful experiences are associated with onset and persistence of traumatic stress. METHODS This is a multicenter prospective cohort study. Spanish healthcare workers (N = 4,809) participated at an initial assessment (i.e., just after the first wave of the Spain COVID-19 pandemic) and at a 4-month follow-up assessment using web-based surveys. Logistic regression investigated associations of 19 pandemic-related stressful experiences across four domains (infection-related, work-related, health-related and financial) with TSS prevalence, incidence and persistence, including simulations of population attributable risk proportions (PARP). RESULTS Thirty-day TSS prevalence at T1 was 22.1%. Four-month incidence and persistence were 11.6% and 54.2%, respectively. Auxiliary nurses had highest rates of TSS prevalence (35.1%) and incidence (16.1%). All 19 pandemic-related stressful experiences under study were associated with TSS prevalence or incidence, especially experiences from the domains of health-related (PARP range 88.4-95.6%) and work-related stressful experiences (PARP range 76.8-86.5%). Nine stressful experiences were also associated with TSS persistence, of which having patient(s) in care who died from COVID-19 had the strongest association. This association remained significant after adjusting for co-occurring depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS TSSs among Spanish healthcare workers active during the COVID-19 pandemic are common and associated with various pandemic-related stressful experiences. Future research should investigate if these stressful experiences represent truly traumatic experiences and carry risk for the development of post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Portillo-Van Diest
- Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Gemma Vilagut
- Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Itxaso Alayo
- Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Asociación instituto de investigación en sistemas de salud Biosistemak, Barakaldo, País Vasco, España
| | - Montse Ferrer
- Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Franco Amigo
- Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Benedikt L. Amann
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Centre Fórum Research Unit, Institute of Neuropsychiatry and Addictions (INAD), Parc de Salut Mar, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Health Services Research Group, IMIM-Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
- Department for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hospital of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
| | - Andrés Aragón-Peña
- Epidemiology Unit, Regional Ministry of Health, Community of Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Fundación Investigación e Innovación Biosanitaria de AP, Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enric Aragonès
- Department of Atenció Primària Camp de Tarragona, Institut d’Investigació en Atenció Primària IDIAP Jordi Gol, Barcelona, Spain
- Atenció Primària Camp de Tarragona, Institut Català de la Salut, Spain
| | - Ángel Asúnsolo Del Barco
- Department of Surgery, Medical and Social Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Alcala, Alcalá de Henares, Spain
- Ramón y Cajal Institute of Sanitary Research (IRYCIS), Madrid, Spain
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, The City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mireia Campos
- Service of Prevention of Labor Risks, Medical Emergencies System, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain
| | - Isabel Del Cura-González
- Fundación Investigación e Innovación Biosanitaria de AP, Comunidad de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
- Research Unit, Primary Care Management, Madrid Health Service, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medical Specialities and Public Health, King Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
| | - Meritxell Espuga
- Occupational Health Service, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ana González-Pinto
- CIBER de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- BIOARABA, UPV-EHU, Hospital Universitario Araba-Santiago, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | - Josep M. Haro
- CIBER de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain
- Department Facultat de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salut, Universitat de Barcelona (UB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Amparo Larrauri
- National Center of Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Nieves López-Fresneña
- Department Medicina Preventiva, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Juan D. Molina
- CIBER de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Villaverde Mental Health Center, Clinical Management Area of Psychiatry and Mental Health, Psychiatric Service, Hospital Universitario 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain
- Research Institute Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain
| | - Rafael M. Ortí-Lucas
- Department of Preventive MedicineDepartment, Hospital Clínic Universitari, Valencia, Spain
| | - Mara Parellada
- CIBER de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department Medicina Preventiva, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain
| | - José M. Pelayo-Terán
- CIBER de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Servicio de Psiquiatría y Salud Mental, Hospital el Bierzo, Gerencia de Asistencia Sanitaria del Bierzo (GASBI), Gerencia Regional de Salud de Castilla y Leon (SACYL), Ponferrada, León, Spain
- Area de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, Universidad de León, León, Spain
| | - Aurora Pérez-Zapata
- Department Servicio de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales, Príncipe de Asturias University Hospital, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - José I. Pijoan
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Hospital Universitario Cruces/OSI EEC, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Nieves Plana
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department Servicio de Prevención de Riesgos Laborales, Príncipe de Asturias University Hospital, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Teresa Puig
- Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain
- Biomedical Research Institute Sant Pau (IIB Sant Pau), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine and Public HealthDepartment, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Cristina Rius
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carmen Rodríguez-Blázquez
- National Center of Epidemiology, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- CIBER de Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ferran Sanz
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
- Research Progamme on Biomedical Informatics (GRIB), Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute (IMIM), Barcelona, Spain
- Instituto Nacional de Bioinformatica – ELIXIR-ES (IMPaCT-Data-ISCIII), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Consol Serra
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Parc de Salut Mar PSMAR, Barcelona, Spain
- CiSAL-Centro de Investigación en Salud Laboral, IMIM/UPF, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Iratxe Urreta-Barallobre
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Osakidetza Basque Health Service, Donostialdea Integrated Health Organisation, Donostia University Hospital, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, San Sebastián, Spain
- Clinical Epidemiology, Biodonostia Health Research Institute, San Sebastián, Spain
| | - Ronald C. Kessler
- Department of Health Care Policy, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Ronny Bruffaerts
- Center for Public Health Psychiatry, Universitair Psychiatrisch Centrum, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Eduard Vieta
- CIBER de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Hospital Clínic, Institute of Neuroscience, University of Barcelona, IDIBAPS, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Víctor Pérez-Solá
- CIBER de Salud Mental, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Preventive Medicine and Public HealthDepartment, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Parc de Salut Mar PSMAR, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Jordi Alonso
- Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Medicine and Life Sciences, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Philippe Mortier
- Health Services Research Unit, IMIM-Institut Hospital del Mar d’Investigacions Mèdiques, Barcelona, Spain
- CIBER de Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
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Datta S, Rashid Z, Naskar S, Chattarji S. Administration of the glutamate-modulating drug, riluzole, after stress prevents its delayed effects on the amygdala in male rats. PNAS NEXUS 2023; 2:pgad166. [PMID: 37266396 PMCID: PMC10230288 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgad166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Extracellular glutamate levels are elevated across brain regions immediately after stress. Despite sharing common features in their genesis, the patterns of stress-induced plasticity that eventually take shape are strikingly different between these brain areas. While stress causes structural and functional deficits in the hippocampus, it has the opposite effect on the amygdala. Riluzole, an FDA-approved drug known to modulate glutamate release and facilitate glutamate clearance, prevents stress-induced deficits in the hippocampus. But whether the same drug is also effective in countering the opposite effects of stress in the amygdala remains unexplored. We addressed this question by using a rat model wherein even a single 2-h acute immobilization stress causes a delayed expression of anxiety-like behavior, 10 days later, alongside stronger excitatory synaptic connectivity in the basolateral amygdala (BLA). This temporal profile-several days separating the acute stressor and its delayed impact-allowed us to test if these effects can be prevented by administering riluzole in drinking water after acute stress. Poststress riluzole not only prevented the delayed increase in anxiety-like behavior on the elevated plus maze but also blocked the increase in spine density on BLA neurons 10 days later. Further, stress-induced increase in the frequency of miniature excitatory postsynaptic currents recorded in BLA slices, 10 days later, was also blocked by the same poststress riluzole administration. Together, these findings underscore the importance of therapeutic strategies, aimed at glutamate uptake and modulation, in correcting the delayed behavioral, physiological, and morphological effects of stress on the amygdala.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Saptarnab Naskar
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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Riluzole prevents stress-induced spine plasticity in the hippocampus but mimics it in the amygdala. Neurobiol Stress 2022; 18:100442. [PMID: 35330860 PMCID: PMC8938913 DOI: 10.1016/j.ynstr.2022.100442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress elicits divergent patterns of structural plasticity in the amygdala and hippocampus. Despite these contrasting effects, at least one of the immediate consequences of stress – elevated levels of extracellular glutamate – is similar in both brain areas. This raises the possibility that the contrasting effects of stress on neuronal plasticity is shaped by differences in astrocytic glutamate clearance in these two brain areas. Although astrocytes play a key role in glutamate reuptake, past analyses of, and interventions against, stress-induced plasticity have focused largely on neurons. Hence, we tested the impact of riluzole, which potentiates glutamate clearance by astrocytic glutamate transporters, on principal neurons and astrocytes in the basal amygdala (BA) and hippocampal area CA1. Chronic immobilization stress reduced spine-density on CA1 pyramidal neurons of male rats. Riluzole, administered in the drinking water during chronic stress, prevented this decrease; but, the drug by itself had no effect. In contrast, the same chronic stress enhanced spine-density on BA principal neurons, and this effect, unlike area CA1, was not reversed by riluzole. Strikingly, riluzole treatment alone also caused spinogenesis in the BA. Thus, the same riluzole treatment that prevented the effect of stress on spines in the hippocampus, mimicked its effect in the amygdala. Further, chronic stress and riluzole alone decreased the neuropil volume occupied by astrocytes in both the BA and CA1 area. Riluzole treatment in stressed animals, however, did not reverse or further add to this reduction in either region. Thus, while the effects on astrocytes were similar, neuronal changes were distinct between the two areas following stress, riluzole and the two together. Therefore, similar to the impact of repeated stress, pharmacological potentiation of glutamate clearance, with or without stress, also leads to differential effects on dendritic spines in principal neurons of the amygdala and hippocampus. This highlights differences in the astrocytic glutamate reuptake machinery that are likely to have important functional consequences for stress-induced dysfunction, and its reversal, in two brain areas implicated in stress-related psychiatric disorders.
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Petzold M, Bunzeck N. Impaired episodic memory in PTSD patients - A meta-analysis of 47 studies. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:909442. [PMID: 36245884 PMCID: PMC9553990 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.909442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Episodic memory impairments beyond the traumatic event might be a characteristic hallmark of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although several studies support such a claim, empirical findings are inconsistent. Therefore, we performed a random-effects meta-analysis including data from a total of 47 studies and 3,062 subjects. As main finding, we can show that PTSD patients show episodic memory deficits compared to all controls. This effect was significantly stronger for PTSD vs. non-traumatized healthy controls as compared to PTSD vs. traumatized controls without PTSD. Finally, episodic memory impairments in PTSD were most pronounced in verbal memory tests as compared to non-verbal memory tests. Our results provide new evidence that PTSD is characterized by impaired episodic long-term memory beyond the traumatic event, and these deficits are particularly pronounced in verbal memory. We will discuss our findings in the context of physiological, psychological and trauma related memory models. From a broader perspective, our findings may have implications for the treatment of PTSD by suggesting that the assessment and, if necessary, training of memory deficits could be included as part of diagnostics and psychotherapeutic treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Petzold
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
| | - Nico Bunzeck
- Department of Psychology, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany.,Center of Brain, Behavior, and Metabolism, University of Lübeck, Lübeck, Germany
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Wiemer J, Leimeister F, Pauli P. Subsequent memory effects on event-related potentials in associative fear learning. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:525-536. [PMID: 33522590 PMCID: PMC8094998 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of human fear learning suggest that a reliable discrimination between safe and threatening stimuli is important for survival and mental health. In the current study, we applied the subsequent memory paradigm in order to identify neurophysiological correlates of successful threat and safety learning. We recorded event-related potentials, while participants incidentally learned associations between multiple neutral faces and an aversive outcome [unconditioned stimulus (US)/conditioned stimulus (CS)+] or no outcome (noUS/CS-). We found that an enhanced late positive potential (LPP) to both CS+ and CS- during learning predicted subsequent memory. A quadratic relationship between LPP and confidence in memory indicates a possible role in both correct and false fear memory. Importantly, the P300 to the omission of the US (following CS-) was enhanced for remembered CS-, while there was a positive correlation between P300 amplitude to both US occurrence and omission and individual memory performance. A following re-exposure phase indicated that memory was indeed related to subjective fear of the CS+/CS-. These results highlight the importance of cognitive resource allocation to both threat and safety for the acquisition of fear and suggest a potential role of the P300 to US omission as an electrophysiological marker of successful safety learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julian Wiemer
- Institute of Psychology (Biological Psychology Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Franziska Leimeister
- Institute of Psychology (Biological Psychology Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Paul Pauli
- Institute of Psychology (Biological Psychology Clinical Psychology, and Psychotherapy), University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Center of Mental Health, Medical Faculty, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Lee MS, Anumagalla P, Pavuluri MN. Individuals with the post-traumatic stress disorder process emotions in subcortical regions irrespective of cognitive engagement: a meta-analysis of cognitive and emotional interface. Brain Imaging Behav 2021; 15:941-957. [PMID: 32710332 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-020-00303-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) manifests as emotional suffering and problem-solving impairments under extreme stress. This meta-analysis aimed to pool the findings from all the studies examining emotion and cognition in individuals with PTSD to develop a robust mechanistic understanding of the related brain dysfunction. We identified primary studies through a comprehensive literature search of the MEDLINE and PsychINFO databases. The GingerALE software (version 2.3.6) from the BrainMap Project was used to conduct activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses of the eligible studies for cognition, emotion and interface of both. Relative to the non-clinical (NC) group, the PTSD group showed greater activation during emotional tasks in the amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus. In contrast, the NC group showed significantly greater activation in the bilateral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) than did the PTSD group in the emotional tasks. When both emotional and cognitive processing were evaluated, the PTSD group showed significantly greater activation in the striatum than did the NC group. No differences in activation between the PTSD and NC groups were noted when only the cognitive systems were examined. Individuals with PTSD exhibited overactivity in the subcortical regions, i.e., amygdala and striatum, when processing emotions. Underactivity in the emotional and cognitive processing intermediary cortex, i.e., the ACC, was especially prominent in individuals with PTSD relative to the NC population following exposure to emotional stimuli. These findings may explain the trauma-related fear, irritability, and negative effects as well as the concentration difficulties during cognitive distress associated with emotional arousal, that are commonly observed in individuals with PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moon-Soo Lee
- Department of adult, adolescent and child psychiatry, Brain and Wellness Institute, 1500 N. Halsted St, Chicago, IL, 60642, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Korea University Guro hospital, Guro-gu, Seoul, 08308, Republic of Korea
| | - Purnima Anumagalla
- Department of adult, adolescent and child psychiatry, Brain and Wellness Institute, 1500 N. Halsted St, Chicago, IL, 60642, USA
| | - Mani N Pavuluri
- Department of adult, adolescent and child psychiatry, Brain and Wellness Institute, 1500 N. Halsted St, Chicago, IL, 60642, USA.
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10
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Li Y, Zhu H, Ren Z, Lui S, Yuan M, Gong Q, Yuan C, Gao M, Qiu C, Zhang W. Exploring memory function in earthquake trauma survivors with resting-state fMRI and machine learning. BMC Psychiatry 2020; 20:43. [PMID: 32013935 PMCID: PMC6998246 DOI: 10.1186/s12888-020-2452-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Traumatized earthquake survivors may develop poor memory function. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and machine learning techniques may one day aid the clinical assessment of individual psychiatric patients. This study aims to use machine learning with Rs-fMRI from the perspectives of neurophysiology and neuroimaging to explore the association between it and the individual memory function of trauma survivors. METHODS Rs-fMRI data was acquired for eighty-nine survivors (male (33%), average age (SD):45.18(6.31) years) of Wenchuan earthquakes in 2008 each of whom was screened by experienced psychiatrists based on the clinician-administered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) scale (CAPS), and their memory function scores were determined by the Wechsler Memory Scale-IV (WMS-IV). We explored which memory function scores were significantly associated with CAPS scores. Using simple multiple kernel learning (MKL), Rs-fMRI was used to predict the memory function scores that were associated with CAPS scores. A support vector machine (SVM) was also used to make classifications in trauma survivors with or without PTSD. RESULTS Spatial addition (SA), which is defined by spatial working memory function, was negatively correlated with the total CAPS score (r = - 0.22, P = 0.04). The use of simple MKL allowed quantitative association of SA scores with statistically significant accuracy (correlation = 0.28, P = 0.03; mean squared error = 8.36; P = 0.04). The left middle frontal gyrus and the left precuneus contributed the largest proportion to the simple MKL association frame. The SVM could not make a quantitative classification of diagnosis with statistically significant accuracy. LIMITATIONS The use of the cross-sectional study design after exposure to an earthquake and the leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) increases the risk of overfitting. CONCLUSION Spontaneous brain activity of the left middle frontal gyrus and the left precuneus acquired by rs-fMRI may be a brain mechanism of visual working memory that is related to PTSD symptoms. Machine learning may be a useful tool in the identification of brain mechanisms of memory impairment in trauma survivors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuchen Li
- 0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fMental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Hongru Zhu
- 0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fMental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China ,0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fMental Health Center and Psychiatric Laboratory, the State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China ,0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fHuaxi Brain Research Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Zhengjia Ren
- 0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fMental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China ,0000 0004 1760 6682grid.410570.7Department of Clinical Psychology, Southwest Hospital, Army Medical University (The Third Military Medical University), Chongqing, China
| | - Su Lui
- 0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fHuaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan People’s Republic of China
| | - Minlan Yuan
- 0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fMental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- 0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fHuaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan People’s Republic of China
| | - Cui Yuan
- 0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fMental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Meng Gao
- 0000 0004 1770 1022grid.412901.fMental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Changjian Qiu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
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11
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Dossi G, Delvecchio G, Prunas C, Soares JC, Brambilla P. Neural Bases of Cognitive Impairments in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders: A Mini-Review of Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Findings. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:176. [PMID: 32256405 PMCID: PMC7090214 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is often associated with impairments in emotional and cognitive domains. Contrarily to the emotional sphere, neural basis underpinnings to cognitive impairments are still not well known. METHODS We performed a bibliographic search on PUBMED of all the studies investigating the cognitive impairments in PTSD individuals. We considered only studies that applied cognitive tasks using a functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging technique. The inclusion criteria were met by nine studies. RESULTS Overall, PTSD individuals reported significant impairments in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, inferior frontal gyrus, insula, inferior temporal cortex, supplement motor area, and Default Mode Network (DMN). Moreover, abnormal activity was reported in subcortical structures (e.g. hippocampus, amygdala, thalamus) and in the cerebellum. LIMITATIONS Cognitive functioning was assessed using different cognitive tasks. Potential confounding factors such as age, sex, symptoms intensity, and comorbidities might have influenced the results. CONCLUSION So far, the evidence reported that PTSD is characterized by cognitive impairments in several domains, such as attention, memory and autonomic arousal, which may be due to selective dysfunctions in brain regions that are part of cortical networks, the limbic system and DMN. However, further studies are needed in order to better assess the role of cognitive impairments in PTSD and to develop more targeted therapeutic approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriele Dossi
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Delvecchio
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Cecilia Prunas
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy
| | - Jair C Soares
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Sciences, UT Houston Medical School, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Paolo Brambilla
- Department of Neurosciences and Mental Health, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.,Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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12
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Lambert HK, McLaughlin KA. Impaired hippocampus-dependent associative learning as a mechanism underlying PTSD: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:729-749. [PMID: 31545990 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2019] [Revised: 08/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Smaller hippocampal volume is associated with increased risk for PTSD following trauma, but the hippocampal functions involved remain unknown. We propose a conceptual model that identifies broad impairment in hippocampus-dependent associative learning as a vulnerability factor for PTSD. Associative learning of foreground cues and background context is required to form an integrated representation of an event. People with poor associative learning may have difficulty remembering who or what was present during a trauma, where the trauma occurred, or the sequence of events, which may contribute to PTSD symptoms. We argue that associative learning difficulties in PTSD exist for cues and context, regardless of the emotional nature of the information. This contrasts with PTSD models that focus exclusively on threat-processing or contextual-processing. In a meta-analysis, people with PTSD exhibited poor associative learning of multiple information types compared to those without PTSD. Differences were of medium effect size and similar magnitude for neutral and negative/trauma-related stimuli. We provide evidence for associative learning difficulties as a neurocognitive pathway that may contribute to PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hilary K Lambert
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, 119A Guthrie Hall, Box 351525, Seattle, WA, 98195-1525, USA.
| | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, William James Hall, 33 Kirkland Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA.
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13
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Jak AJ, Crocker LD, Aupperle RL, Clausen A, Bomyea J. Neurocognition in PTSD: Treatment Insights and Implications. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2019; 38:93-116. [PMID: 28025811 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2016_62] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is classified as a traumatic stress-related condition and is most often discussed in terms of emotional dysfunction. However, given that cognitive and emotional processes are intricately intertwined, implemented by overlapping brain networks, and effectively integrated in at least some of the same regions (e.g., prefrontal cortex, for a review, see Crocker et al. 2013), an abundance of literature now highlights the key role that cognitive functioning plays in both the development and maintenance (or exacerbation) of PTSD symptoms (Aupperle et al. 2012a; Verfaellie et al. 2012). Findings from this body of work detail objective impairment in neuropsychological function in those with PTSD (Brandes et al. 2002; Hayes et al. 2012a; Koenen et al. 2001). Yet despite the impact of neurocognition on PTSD treatment engagement and success (e.g., Haaland et al. 2016; Nijdam et al. 2015) and conversely, the role of PTSD treatment in normalizing cognitive dysfunction, a much smaller literature exists on neurocognitive changes following treatment for PTSD. Even aside from its role in treatment, cognitive functioning in PTSD has significant implications for daily functioning for individuals with this disorder, as cognition is predictive of school achievement, obtaining and maintaining employment, job advancement, maintaining relationships, greater wealth, and better health and quality of life (e.g., Diamond and Ling 2016).
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy J Jak
- VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
- University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
| | | | - Robin L Aupperle
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA
- University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
| | - Ashley Clausen
- Laureate Institute for Brain Research, Tulsa, OK, USA
- University of Tulsa, Tulsa, OK, USA
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14
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Lipinska G, Thomas KGF. Rapid eye movement fragmentation, not slow-wave sleep, predicts neutral declarative memory consolidation in posttraumatic stress disorder. J Sleep Res 2019; 28:e12846. [PMID: 30932254 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2018] [Revised: 02/04/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Individuals diagnosed with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) experience disruption at both slow-wave sleep (SWS) and rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep stages and demonstrate marked memory impairment. A small group of studies suggests that, within the disorder, there is a mechanistic relation between these sleep and memory impairments. This study sought to extend that literature by examining whether, in PTSD-diagnosed individuals, memory-retention deficits are present after a sleep-filled (but not after a wake-filled) delay (i.e., whether memory deficits can be traced to interruptions of sleep-dependent memory consolidation). Moreover, we investigated whether SWS- or REM-based disturbances, or both, contribute to retention deficits. We recruited participants into three groups: PTSD (n = 21), trauma-exposed non-PTSD (TE; n = 19) and healthy control (HC; n = 20). Using a crossover design, we assessed memory recall before and after an 8-hr period of polysomnography-monitored sleep and an 8-hr period of regular waking activity. PTSD-diagnosed participants retained less information than controls over the sleep-filled (but not wake-filled) delay. Furthermore, increased REM fragmentation predicted postsleep memory retention in PTSD-diagnosed individuals only. No SWS parameter was associated with or predictive of the amount of information retained postsleep. We conclude that specific REM-related changes in PTSD-diagnosed individuals affected sleep-dependent neutral declarative memory consolidation. Generally, these findings extend the literature suggesting that the co-occurrence of sleep and memory difficulties in PTSD is not accidental, but that these two symptom clusters are meaningfully related. Specifically, the study illustrates that subtle REM-related disruptions contribute most strongly to memory impairment in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gosia Lipinska
- UCT Sleep Sciences and ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kevin G F Thomas
- UCT Sleep Sciences and ACSENT Laboratory, Department of Psychology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
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15
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Joshi SA, Duval ER, Kubat B, Liberzon I. A review of hippocampal activation in post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychophysiology 2019; 57:e13357. [PMID: 30829407 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is often characterized by deficits in memory encoding and retrieval and aberrant fear and extinction learning. The hippocampus plays a critical role in memory and contextual processing and has been implicated in intrinsic functional connectivity networks involved in self-referential thought and memory-related processes. This review focuses on hippocampal activation findings during memory and fear and extinction learning tasks, as well as resting state hippocampal connectivity in individuals with PTSD. A preponderance of functional neuroimaging studies to date, using memory, fear learning, and extinction tasks, report decreased or "controls comparable" hippocampal activation in individuals with PTSD, which is usually associated with poorer performance on the task imaged. Existing evidence thus raises the possibility that greater hippocampal recruitment in PTSD participants may be required for similar performance levels. Studies of resting state functional connectivity in PTSD predominantly report reduced within-network connectivity in the default mode network (DMN), as well as greater coupling between the DMN and salience network (SN) via the hippocampus. Together, these findings suggest that deficient hippocampal activation in PTSD may be associated with poorer performance during memory, extinction recall, and fear renewal tasks. Furthermore, studies of resting state connectivity implicate the hippocampus in decreased within-network DMN connectivity and greater coupling with SN regions characteristic of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonalee A Joshi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Elizabeth R Duval
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Bradley Kubat
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, Michigan
| | - Israel Liberzon
- Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System, Ann Arbor, Michigan.,Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M University Health Science Center, College Station, Texas
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16
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Selemon LD, Young KA, Cruz DA, Williamson DE. Frontal Lobe Circuitry in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. CHRONIC STRESS (THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF.) 2019; 3:2470547019850166. [PMID: 31435577 PMCID: PMC6703563 DOI: 10.1177/2470547019850166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder include hyperarousal, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, re-experiencing of trauma, and mood changes. This review focuses on the frontal cortical areas that form crucial links in circuitry pertinent to posttraumatic stress disorder symptomatology: (1) the conditioned fear extinction circuit, (2) the salience circuit, and (3) the mood circuit. These frontal areas include the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (conditioned fear extinction), the dorsal anterior cingulate and insular cortices (salience), and the lateral orbitofrontal and subgenual cingulate cortices (mood). Frontal lobe structural abnormalities in posttraumatic stress disorder, including volumetric reductions in the cingulate cortices, impact all three circuits. Functional analyses of frontal cortices in posttraumatic stress disorder show abnormal activation in all three according to task demand and emotional valence. Network analyses reveal altered amygdalo-frontal connectivity and failure to suppress the default mode network during cognitive engagement. Spine shape alterations also have been detected in the medial orbito-frontal cortex in posttraumatic stress disorder postmortem brains, suggesting reduced synaptic plasticity. Importantly, frontal lobe abnormalities in posttraumatic stress disorder extend beyond emotion-related circuits to include the lateral prefrontal cortices that mediate executive functions. In conclusion, widespread frontal lobe dysfunction in posttraumatic stress disorder provides a neurobiologic basis for the core symptomatology of the disorder, as well as for executive function impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn D. Selemon
- Department of Neuroscience, Yale School
of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Keith A. Young
- Baylor Scott & White Psychiatry,
Central Texas Veterans Health Care System, Temple, TX, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Texas A&M
College of Medicine, College Station, USA
- Department of Veterans Affairs,
VISN
17 Center of Excellence for Research on Returning War
Veterans, Waco, TX,USA
| | - Dianne A. Cruz
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences,
Duke
University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Douglas E. Williamson
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences,
Duke
University, Durham, NC, USA
- Durham
VA Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
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17
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Flanagan JC, Sippel LM, Santa Maria MMM, Hartwell KJ, Brady KT, Joseph JE. Impact of Oxytocin on the neural correlates of fearful face processing in PTSD related to childhood Trauma. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2019; 10:1606626. [PMID: 31105906 PMCID: PMC6508045 DOI: 10.1080/20008198.2019.1606626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2019] [Accepted: 03/28/2019] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) related to exposure to abuse and neglect during childhood is associated with particularly severe and persistent deleterious outcomes. Amygdala hyperreactivity has been observed in childhood trauma survivors and implicated in symptoms of PTSD. Objective: The neuropeptide oxytocin holds promise as a potential treatment for PTSD due to its ability to attenuate amygdala response to threat cues. However, the effect of oxytocin on amygdala reactivity in individuals with childhood trauma-related PTSD has not been investigated. Method: We employed a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design to examine the effects of intranasal oxytocin (24 IU) versus placebo on amygdala reactivity to fearful faces among childhood-trauma exposed individuals with PTSD (n = 17) and without PTSD (control group; n = 16). Results: Region-of-interest based amygdala fMRI signal magnitude did not differ by group, drug, or group x drug interaction. Self-report of childhood trauma exposure severity was negatively associated with the oxytocin-related change in left amygdala response in the PTSD group, but not in the control group. Supplementary and exploratory whole-brain analyses conducted separately in each group revealed that left amygdala reactivity to fearful faces was absent on placebo but increased on oxytocin in the control group. The PTSD group showed right amygdala activation to fearful faces in both the oxytocin and placebo conditions, but the left amygdala response observed in the placebo condition was diminished on oxytocin. Conclusions: Findings extend the literature pertaining to the potential for oxytocin to attenuate neural correlates of PTSD to a childhood trauma-related PTSD sample.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julianne C Flanagan
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Lauren M Sippel
- National Center for PTSD, White River Junction, VT, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Lebanon, NH, USA
| | - Megan M Moran Santa Maria
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Karen J Hartwell
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Kathleen T Brady
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.,Ralph H. Johnson VAMC, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Jane E Joseph
- Department of Neuroscience, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
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18
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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW The aim of this review is to provide a summary of the current evidence pertaining to the course of acute and chronic posttraumatic stress, the diagnosis of acute stress disorder (ASD), and treatment of acute stress disorder and prevention of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). RECENT FINDINGS Although acute stress disorder was introduced partly to predict subsequent PTSD, longitudinal studies indicate that ASD is not an accurate predictor of PTSD. Recent analytic approaches adopting latent growth mixture modeling have shown that trauma-exposed people tend to follow one of four trajectories: (a) resilient, (b) worsening, (c) recovery, and (d) chronically distressed. The complexity of the course of posttraumatic stress limits the capacity of the ASD diagnosis to predict subsequent PTSD. Current evidence indicates that the treatment of choice for ASD is trauma-focused cognitive behavior therapy, and this intervention results in reduced chronic PTSD severity. Recent attempts to limit subsequent PTSD by early provision of pharmacological interventions have been promising, especially administration of corticosterone to modulate glucocorticoid levels. Although the ASD diagnosis does not accurately predict chronic PTSD, it describes recently trauma-exposed people with severe distress. Provision of CBT in the acute phase is the best available strategy to limit subsequent PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard A Bryant
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia.
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19
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Tural Ü, Aker AT, Önder E, Sodan HT, Ünver H, Akansel G. Neurotrophic factors and hippocampal activity in PTSD. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0197889. [PMID: 29799860 PMCID: PMC5969740 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0197889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Although numerous studies have investigated the neurotrophic factors and hippocampal activity in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) separately each other, it is unclear whether an association between neurotrophic factors and hippocampal activity is present. The aim of this study was to evaluate the functional changes in hippocampus before and after treatment with escitalopram and to associate these changes with peptides related to neuronal growth in patients with chronic PTSD and trauma survivors without PTSD. Fifteen earthquake survivors with chronic PTSD and thirteen drug naïve trauma exposed individuals without PTSD underwent fMRI scans in a block design. Serum levels of Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) and Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) were measured before and after 12 weeks treatment with escitalopram. Baseline median serum level of NGF was significantly lower in patients with chronic PTSD than trauma survivors; however, 12 weeks of treatment with escitalopram significantly increased it. Higher activation was found both in left and right hippocampus for chronic PTSD group than trauma survivors. Treatment with escitalopram was significantly associated with suppression of the hyperactivation in left hippocampus in patients with chronic PTSD. Bilateral hyperactivation in hippocampus and lowered NGF may associate with neurobiological disarrangements in chronic PTSD. Treatment with escitalopram was significantly associated with both improvement in the severity of PTSD symptoms and biological alterations. Patients diagnosed with PTSD may have further and complicated deteriorations in hippocampal networks and neurotransmitter systems than individuals who had not been diagnosed with PTSD following the same traumatic experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ümit Tural
- The Nathan S. Kline Psychiatric Research Institute, Orangeburg, New York, United States of America
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
- * E-mail:
| | - Ahmet Tamer Aker
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Emin Önder
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Hatice Turan Sodan
- Department of Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
| | - Hatice Ünver
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical Faculty of Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Gür Akansel
- Department of Radiology, Medical Faculty of Kocaeli University, Kocaeli, Turkey
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20
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Hall SA, Brodar KE, LaBar KS, Berntsen D, Rubin DC. Neural responses to emotional involuntary memories in posttraumatic stress disorder: Differences in timing and activity. Neuroimage Clin 2018; 19:793-804. [PMID: 30013923 PMCID: PMC6024199 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 04/30/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Background Involuntary memories are a hallmark symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but studies of the neural basis of involuntary memory retrieval in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are sparse. The study of the neural correlates of involuntary memories of stressful events in PTSD focuses on the voluntary retrieval of memories that are sometimes recalled as intrusive involuntary memories, not on involuntary retrieval while being scanned. Involuntary memory retrieval in controls has been shown to elicit activity in the parahippocampal gyrus, precuneus, inferior parietal cortex, and posterior midline regions. However, it is unknown whether involuntary memories are supported by the same mechanisms in PTSD. Because previous work has shown that both behavioral and neural responsivity is slowed in PTSD, we examined the spatiotemporal dynamics of the neural activity underlying negative and neutral involuntary memory retrieval. Methods Twenty-one individuals with PTSD and 21 non-PTSD, trauma-exposed controls performed an involuntary memory task, while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan. Environmental sounds served as cues for well-associated pictures of negative and neutral scenes. We used a finite impulse response model to analyze temporal differences between groups in neural responses. Results Compared with controls, participants with PTSD reported more involuntary memories, which were more emotional and more vivid, but which activated a similar network of regions. However, compared to controls, individuals with PTSD showed delayed neural responsivity in this network and increased vmPFC/ACC activity for negative > neutral stimuli. Conclusions The similarity between PTSD and controls in neural substrates underlying involuntary memories suggests that, unlike voluntary memories, involuntary memories elicit similar activity in regions critical for memory retrieval. Further, the delayed neural responsivity for involuntary memories in PTSD suggests that factors affecting cognition in PTSD, like increased fatigue, or avoidance behaviors could do so by delaying activity in regions necessary for cognitive processing. Finally, compared to neutral memories, negative involuntary memories elicit hyperactivity in the vmPFC, whereas the vmPFC is typically shown to be hypoactive in PTSD during voluntary memory retrieval. These patterns suggest that considering both the temporal dynamics of cognitive processes as well as involuntary cognitive processes would improve existing neurobiological models of PTSD.
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Key Words
- ACC, anterior cingulate cortex
- FDR, false detection rate
- FIR, finite impulse response
- FWE, family-wise error
- Finite impulse response (FIR)
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
- IAPS, International Affective Picture System
- IPC, inferior parietal cortex
- Involuntary memory
- MTL, medial temporal lobes
- Memory network
- PCC, posterior cingulate cortex
- PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- SPGR, spoiled gradient recalled
- SPM, Statistical Parametric Mapping
- TE, echo time
- TI, inverse recovery time
- TR, repetition time
- Ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)
- vmPFC, ventromedial prefrontal cortex
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Affiliation(s)
- Shana A Hall
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, United States; Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, United States.
| | - Kaitlyn E Brodar
- Department of Psychology, University of Miami, United States; Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, United States
| | - Kevin S LaBar
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, United States
| | - Dorthe Berntsen
- Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Aarhus University, Denmark
| | - David C Rubin
- Department of Psychology & Neuroscience, Duke University, United States; Center on Autobiographical Memory Research, Aarhus University, Denmark
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21
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Sacher M, Tudorache AC, Clarys D, Boudjarane M, Landré L, El-Hage W. Prospective and retrospective episodic metamemory in posttraumatic stress disorder. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/13803395.2018.1442814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Sacher
- UMR CNRS 5263, Laboratoire “Cognition, Langues, Langage Ergonomie,” Université de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Andrei-Cristian Tudorache
- UMR CNRS 7295 “Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition et l’Apprentissage,” Université de Poitiers, Université François-Rabelais de Tours, Poitiers, France
| | - David Clarys
- UMR CNRS 7295 “Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition et l’Apprentissage,” Université de Poitiers, Université François-Rabelais de Tours, Poitiers, France
| | - Mohamed Boudjarane
- UMR CNRS 7295 “Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition et l’Apprentissage,” Université de Poitiers, Université François-Rabelais de Tours, Poitiers, France
| | - Lionel Landré
- UMR CNRS 7357, Laboratoire ICube, Team IMIS/Neurocrypto, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Wissam El-Hage
- INSERM U1253 “iBrain,”, Université François-Rabelais de Tours, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France
- INSERM CIC1415, Centre d’Investigation Clinique, CHRU de Tours, Tours, France
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22
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Zhang X, Zhang J, Wang L, Zhang W. Altered Gray Matter Volume and Its Correlation With PTSD Severity in Chinese Earthquake Survivors. Front Psychiatry 2018; 9:629. [PMID: 30555358 PMCID: PMC6284061 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00629] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: To detect the changes of gray matter volume (GMV) and their correlation with severity of symptom in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) who were defined with updated DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. Method: 71 participants were assigned into PTSD group (n = 35) or trauma-exposed control (TEC) group (n = 36) with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. Voxel-based morphometry analysis was used to detect alterations in GMV in the PTSD group. Results: We found that the PTSD group had larger GMV in the left middle temporal gyrus (MTG) and in the right dorsal medial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and smaller GMV in the region of the right temporal pole (TP) than the TEC group. We also found that PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) scores correlated positively with the left MTG and right dmPFC GMV, and negatively with left TP GMV. These correlations were consistent with the findings of the between-group comparisons. Conclusions: GMV alterations in the MTG, dmPFC, and TP are detected in the group comparisons and correlated with symptom severity when classifying PTSD individuals according to DSM-5 diagnostic criteria within an earthquake-exposed population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyu Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianxin Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wencai Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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23
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Cwik JC, Sartory G, Nuyken M, Schürholt B, Seitz RJ. Posterior and prefrontal contributions to the development posttraumatic stress disorder symptom severity: an fMRI study of symptom provocation in acute stress disorder. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2017; 267:495-505. [PMID: 27455992 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-016-0713-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2015] [Accepted: 07/12/2016] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Acute stress disorder (ASD) is predictive of the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In response to symptom provocation, the exposure to trauma-related pictures, ASD patients showed increased activation of the medial posterior areas of precuneus and posterior cingulate cortex as well as of superior prefrontal cortex in a previous study. The current study aimed at investigating which activated areas are predictive of the development of PTSD. Nineteen ASD patients took part in an fMRI study in which they were shown personalized trauma-related and neutral pictures within 4 weeks of the traumatic event. They were assessed for severity of PTSD 4 weeks later. Activation contrasts between trauma-related and neutral pictures were correlated with subsequent PTSD symptom severity. Greater activation in, among others, right medial precuneus, left retrosplenial cortex, precentral and right superior temporal gyrus as well as less activation in lateral, superior prefrontal and left fusiform gyrus was related to subsequently increased PTSD severity. The results are broadly in line with neural areas related to etiological models of PTSD, namely multisensory associative learning recruiting posterior regions on the one hand and failure to reappraise maladaptive cognitions, thought to involve prefrontal areas, on the other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan C Cwik
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, School of Human and Social Sciences, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Max-Horkheimer-Str. 20, Wuppertal, 42097, Germany. .,Mental Health Research and Treatment Center, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Massenbergstr. 9-13, 44787, Bochum, Germany.
| | - Gudrun Sartory
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, School of Human and Social Sciences, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Max-Horkheimer-Str. 20, Wuppertal, 42097, Germany
| | - Malte Nuyken
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, School of Human and Social Sciences, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Max-Horkheimer-Str. 20, Wuppertal, 42097, Germany
| | - Benjamin Schürholt
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, School of Human and Social Sciences, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, Max-Horkheimer-Str. 20, Wuppertal, 42097, Germany
| | - Rüdiger J Seitz
- Department of Neurology, Center for Neurology and Neuropsychiatry, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Moorenstr. 5, Düsseldorf, 40225, Germany
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24
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The role of microRNAs in the therapeutic action of D-cycloserine in a post-traumatic stress disorder animal model. Psychiatr Genet 2017; 27:139-151. [DOI: 10.1097/ypg.0000000000000176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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25
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Nathan DE, Bellgowan JAF, French LM, Wolf J, Oakes TR, Mielke J, Sham EB, Liu W, Riedy G. Assessing the Impact of Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms on the Resting-State Default Mode Network in a Military Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Sample. Brain Connect 2017; 7:236-249. [DOI: 10.1089/brain.2016.0433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Dominic E. Nathan
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- North Tide LLC, Dulles, Virginia
- Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Julie A. Frost Bellgowan
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- North Tide LLC, Dulles, Virginia
| | - Louis M. French
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- Center of Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine (CNRM), Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jonathan Wolf
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Terrence R. Oakes
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Jeannine Mielke
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Elyssa B. Sham
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- North Tide LLC, Dulles, Virginia
| | - Wei Liu
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- North Tide LLC, Dulles, Virginia
| | - Gerard Riedy
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence (NICoE), Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, Maryland
- Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, Maryland
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26
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Rubin LH, Wu M, Sundermann EE, Meyer VJ, Smith R, Weber KM, Cohen MH, Little DM, Maki PM. Elevated stress is associated with prefrontal cortex dysfunction during a verbal memory task in women with HIV. J Neurovirol 2016; 22:840-851. [PMID: 27094924 DOI: 10.1007/s13365-016-0446-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2016] [Accepted: 04/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
HIV-infected women may be particularly vulnerable to verbal learning and memory deficits. One factor contributing to these deficits is high perceived stress, which is associated with prefrontal cortical (PFC) atrophy and memory outcomes sensitive to PFC function, including retrieval and semantic clustering. We examined the association between stress and PFC activation during a verbal memory task in 36 HIV-infected women from the Chicago Consortium of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS) to better understand the role of the PFC in this stress-related impairment. Participants completed standardized measures of verbal learning and memory and stress (perceived stress scale-10). We used functional magnetic resonance imaging to assess brain function while participants completed encoding and recognition phases of a verbal memory task. HIV-infected women with higher stress (scores in top tertile) performed worse on all verbal memory outcomes including strategic encoding (p < 0.05) compared to HIV-infected women with lower stress (scores in lower two tertiles). Patterns of brain activation during recognition (but not encoding) differed between women with higher vs. lower stress. During recognition, women with higher stress demonstrated greater deactivation in medial PFC and posterior cingulate cortex compared to women with lower stress (p < 0.05). Greater deactivation in medial PFC marginally related to less efficient strategic retrieval (p = 0.06). Similar results were found in analyses focusing on PTSD symptoms. Results suggest that stress might alter the function of the medial PFC in HIV-infected women resulting in less efficient strategic retrieval and deficits in verbal memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah H Rubin
- Department of Psychiatry (MC 913), University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 S Wood St, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.
| | - Minjie Wu
- Department of Psychiatry (MC 913), University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 S Wood St, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Erin E Sundermann
- Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.,Einstein Aging Study and the Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NYC, USA
| | - Vanessa J Meyer
- Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Rachael Smith
- Department of Psychiatry (MC 913), University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 S Wood St, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA
| | - Kathleen M Weber
- The Core Center, Cook County Health and Hospital System and Hektoen Institute of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mardge H Cohen
- The Core Center, Cook County Health and Hospital System and Hektoen Institute of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.,Department of Medicine Stroger Hospital and Rush University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Deborah M Little
- Baylor Scott & White Health, Temple, TX, USA.,Texas A&M University Health Science Center, Temple, TX, USA
| | - Pauline M Maki
- Department of Psychiatry (MC 913), University of Illinois at Chicago, 912 S Wood St, Chicago, IL, 60612, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
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27
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Abstract
Fear memory is the best-studied form of memory. It was thoroughly investigated in the past 60 years mostly using two classical conditioning procedures (contextual fear conditioning and fear conditioning to a tone) and one instrumental procedure (one-trial inhibitory avoidance). Fear memory is formed in the hippocampus (contextual conditioning and inhibitory avoidance), in the basolateral amygdala (inhibitory avoidance), and in the lateral amygdala (conditioning to a tone). The circuitry involves, in addition, the pre- and infralimbic ventromedial prefrontal cortex, the central amygdala subnuclei, and the dentate gyrus. Fear learning models, notably inhibitory avoidance, have also been very useful for the analysis of the biochemical mechanisms of memory consolidation as a whole. These studies have capitalized on in vitro observations on long-term potentiation and other kinds of plasticity. The effect of a very large number of drugs on fear learning has been intensively studied, often as a prelude to the investigation of effects on anxiety. The extinction of fear learning involves to an extent a reversal of the flow of information in the mentioned structures and is used in the therapy of posttraumatic stress disorder and fear memories in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan Izquierdo
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Cristiane R. G. Furini
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
| | - Jociane C. Myskiw
- National Institute of Translational Neuroscience, National Research Council of Brazil, and Memory Center, Brain Institute, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
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28
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Malan-Müller S, Fairbairn L, Daniels WMU, Dashti MJS, Oakeley EJ, Altorfer M, Kidd M, Seedat S, Gamieldien J, Hemmings SMJ. Molecular mechanisms of D-cycloserine in facilitating fear extinction: insights from RNAseq. Metab Brain Dis 2016; 31:135-56. [PMID: 26400817 DOI: 10.1007/s11011-015-9727-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
D-cycloserine (DCS) has been shown to be effective in facilitating fear extinction in animal and human studies, however the precise mechanisms whereby the co-administration of DCS and behavioural fear extinction reduce fear are still unclear. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms of intrahippocampally administered D-cycloserine in facilitating fear extinction in a contextual fear conditioning animal model. Male Sprague Dawley rats (n = 120) were grouped into four experimental groups (n = 30) based on fear conditioning and intrahippocampal administration of either DCS or saline. The light/dark avoidance test was used to differentiate maladapted (MA) (anxious) from well-adapted (WA) (not anxious) subgroups. RNA extracted from the left dorsal hippocampus was used for RNA sequencing and gene expression data was compared between six fear-conditioned + saline MA (FEAR + SALINE MA) and six fear-conditioned + DCS WA (FEAR + DCS WA) animals. Of the 424 significantly downregulated and 25 significantly upregulated genes identified in the FEAR + DCS WA group compared to the FEAR + SALINE MA group, 121 downregulated and nine upregulated genes were predicted to be relevant to fear conditioning and anxiety and stress-related disorders. The majority of downregulated genes transcribed immune, proinflammatory and oxidative stress systems molecules. These molecules mediate neuroinflammation and cause neuronal damage. DCS also regulated genes involved in learning and memory processes, and genes associated with anxiety, stress-related disorders and co-occurring diseases (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, digestive system diseases and nervous system diseases). Identifying the molecular underpinnings of DCS-mediated fear extinction brings us closer to understanding the process of fear extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Malan-Müller
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
- SA MRC Centre for TB Research, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Lorren Fairbairn
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Willie M U Daniels
- Department of Human Physiology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | | | - Edward J Oakeley
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Biomarker Development - Human Genetics and Genomics, Genome Technologies, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Marc Altorfer
- Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Biomarker Development - Human Genetics and Genomics, Genome Technologies, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Martin Kidd
- Centre for Statistical Consultation, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Soraya Seedat
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Junaid Gamieldien
- University of the Western Cape, South African National Bioinformatics Institute, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Sîan Megan Joanna Hemmings
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
- SA MRC Centre for TB Research, DST/NRF Centre of Excellence for Biomedical Tuberculosis Research, Division of Molecular Biology and Human Genetics, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University, Cape Town, South Africa
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29
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Jung W, Lee SH. Memory deficit in patients with schizophrenia and posttraumatic stress disorder: relational vs item-specific memory. Neuropsychiatr Dis Treat 2016; 12:1157-66. [PMID: 27274250 PMCID: PMC4869787 DOI: 10.2147/ndt.s104384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been well established that patients with schizophrenia have impairments in cognitive functioning and also that patients who experienced traumatic events suffer from cognitive deficits. Of the cognitive deficits revealed in schizophrenia or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients, the current article provides a brief review of deficit in episodic memory, which is highly predictive of patients' quality of life and global functioning. In particular, we have focused on studies that compared relational and item-specific memory performance in schizophrenia and PTSD, because measures of relational and item-specific memory are considered the most promising constructs for immediate tangible development of clinical trial paradigm. The behavioral findings of schizophrenia are based on the tasks developed by the Cognitive Neuroscience Treatment Research to Improve Cognition in Schizophrenia (CNTRICS) initiative and the Cognitive Neuroscience Test Reliability and Clinical Applications for Schizophrenia (CNTRACS) Consortium. The findings we reviewed consistently showed that schizophrenia and PTSD are closely associated with more severe impairments in relational memory compared to item-specific memory. Candidate brain regions involved in relational memory impairment in schizophrenia and PTSD are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wookyoung Jung
- Clinical Emotions and Cognition Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Inje University, Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang, Korea
| | - Seung-Hwan Lee
- Clinical Emotions and Cognition Research Laboratory, Department of Psychiatry, Inje University, Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang, Korea; Department of Psychiatry, Inje University, Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang, Korea
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30
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Nilsen AS, Hilland E, Kogstad N, Heir T, Hauff E, Lien L, Endestad T. Right temporal cortical hypertrophy in resilience to trauma: an MRI study. Eur J Psychotraumatol 2016; 7:31314. [PMID: 27473521 PMCID: PMC5055608 DOI: 10.3402/ejpt.v7.31314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In studies employing physiological measures such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), it is often hard to distinguish what constitutes risk-resilience factors to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma exposure and what the effects of trauma exposure and PTSD are. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate whether there were observable morphological differences in cortical and sub-cortical regions of the brain, 7-8 years after a single potentially traumatic event. METHODS Twenty-four participants, who all directly experienced the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, and 25 controls, underwent structural MRI using a 3T scanner. We generated cortical thickness maps and parcellated sub-cortical volumes for analysis. RESULTS We observed greater cortical thickness for the trauma-exposed participants relative to controls, in a right lateralized temporal lobe region including anterior fusiform gyrus, and superior, middle, and inferior temporal gyrus. CONCLUSIONS We observed greater thickness in the right temporal lobe which might indicate that the region could be implicated in resilience to the long-term effects of a traumatic event. We hypothesize this is due to altered emotional semantic memory processing. However, several methodological and confounding issues warrant caution in interpretation of the results.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Eva Hilland
- Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Diakonhjemmet Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | - Trond Heir
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Norwegian Center for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway
| | - Edvard Hauff
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.,Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Lars Lien
- Innlandet Hospital Trust, Brumunddal, Norway.,Faculty of Public Health, Hedmark University College, Elverum, Norway
| | - Tor Endestad
- Institute of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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31
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van Rooij SJH, Stevens JS, Ely TD, Fani N, Smith AK, Kerley KA, Lori A, Ressler KJ, Jovanovic T. Childhood Trauma and COMT Genotype Interact to Increase Hippocampal Activation in Resilient Individuals. Front Psychiatry 2016; 7:156. [PMID: 27683563 PMCID: PMC5021680 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2016.00156] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2016] [Accepted: 08/29/2016] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Both childhood trauma and a functional catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genetic polymorphism have been associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression; however, it is still unclear whether the two interact and how this interaction relates to long-term risk or resilience. Imaging and genotype data were collected on 73 highly traumatized women. DNA extracted from saliva was used to determine COMT genotype (Val/Val, n = 38, Met carriers, n = 35). Functional MRI data were collected during a Go/NoGo task to investigate the neurocircuitry underlying response inhibition. Self-report measures of adult and childhood trauma exposure, PTSD and depression symptom severity, and resilience were collected. Childhood trauma was found to interact with COMT genotype to impact inhibition-related hippocampal activation. In Met carriers, more childhood trauma was associated with decreased hippocampal activation, whereas in the Val/Val group childhood trauma was related to increased hippocampal activation. Second, hippocampal activation correlated negatively with PTSD and depression symptoms and positively with trait resilience. Moreover, hippocampal activation mediated the relationship between childhood trauma and psychiatric risk or resilience in the Val/Val, but not in the Met carrier group. These data reveal a potential mechanism by which childhood trauma and COMT genotype interact to increase risk for trauma-related psychopathology or resilience. Hippocampal recruitment during inhibition may improve the ability to use contextual information to guide behavior, thereby enhancing resilience in trauma-exposed individuals. This finding may contribute to early identification of individuals at risk and suggests a mechanism that can be targeted in future studies aiming to prevent or limit negative outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne J H van Rooij
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Jennifer S Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Timothy D Ely
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Negar Fani
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Alicia K Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Kimberly A Kerley
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Adriana Lori
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA
| | - Tanja Jovanovic
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine , Atlanta, GA , USA
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32
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Chew LH, Teo J, Mountstephens J. Aesthetic preference recognition of 3D shapes using EEG. Cogn Neurodyn 2015; 10:165-73. [PMID: 27066153 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-015-9363-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2015] [Revised: 10/09/2015] [Accepted: 10/22/2015] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Recognition and identification of aesthetic preference is indispensable in industrial design. Humans tend to pursue products with aesthetic values and make buying decisions based on their aesthetic preferences. The existence of neuromarketing is to understand consumer responses toward marketing stimuli by using imaging techniques and recognition of physiological parameters. Numerous studies have been done to understand the relationship between human, art and aesthetics. In this paper, we present a novel preference-based measurement of user aesthetics using electroencephalogram (EEG) signals for virtual 3D shapes with motion. The 3D shapes are designed to appear like bracelets, which is generated by using the Gielis superformula. EEG signals were collected by using a medical grade device, the B-Alert X10 from advance brain monitoring, with a sampling frequency of 256 Hz and resolution of 16 bits. The signals obtained when viewing 3D bracelet shapes were decomposed into alpha, beta, theta, gamma and delta rhythm by using time-frequency analysis, then classified into two classes, namely like and dislike by using support vector machines and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) classifiers respectively. Classification accuracy of up to 80 % was obtained by using KNN with the alpha, theta and delta rhythms as the features extracted from frontal channels, Fz, F3 and F4 to classify two classes, like and dislike.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lin Hou Chew
- Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, UMS Road, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - Jason Teo
- Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, UMS Road, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
| | - James Mountstephens
- Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, UMS Road, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
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33
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Kutlu MG, Gould TJ. Nicotine modulation of fear memories and anxiety: Implications for learning and anxiety disorders. Biochem Pharmacol 2015; 97:498-511. [PMID: 26231942 DOI: 10.1016/j.bcp.2015.07.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2015] [Accepted: 07/24/2015] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Anxiety disorders are a group of crippling mental diseases affecting millions of Americans with a 30% lifetime prevalence and costs associated with healthcare of $42.3 billion. While anxiety disorders show high levels of co-morbidity with smoking (45.3% vs. 22.5% in healthy individuals), they are also more common among the smoking population (22% vs. 11.1% in the non-smoking population). Moreover, there is clear evidence that smoking modulates symptom severity in patients with anxiety disorders. In order to better understand this relationship, several animal paradigms are used to model several key symptoms of anxiety disorders; these include fear conditioning and measures of anxiety. Studies clearly demonstrate that nicotine mediates acquisition and extinction of fear as well as anxiety through the modulation of specific subtypes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in brain regions involved in emotion processing such as the hippocampus. However, the direction of nicotine's effects on these behaviors is determined by several factors that include the length of administration, hippocampus-dependency of the fear learning task, and source of anxiety (novelty-driven vs. social anxiety). Overall, the studies reviewed here suggest that nicotine alters behaviors related to fear and anxiety and that nicotine contributes to the development, maintenance, and reoccurrence of anxiety disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas J Gould
- Temple University, Weiss Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19122, USA.
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Stark EA, Parsons CE, Van Hartevelt TJ, Charquero-Ballester M, McManners H, Ehlers A, Stein A, Kringelbach ML. Post-traumatic stress influences the brain even in the absence of symptoms: A systematic, quantitative meta-analysis of neuroimaging studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2015; 56:207-21. [PMID: 26192104 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2015.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2015] [Revised: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/09/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Stress affects brain function, and may lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Considerable empirical data for the neurobiology of PTSD has been derived from neuroimaging studies, although findings have proven inconsistent. We used an activation likelihood estimation analysis to explore differences in brain activity between adults with and without PTSD in response to affective stimuli. We separated studies by type of control group: trauma-exposed and trauma-naïve. This revealed distinct patterns of differences in functional activity. Compared to trauma-exposed controls, regions of the basal ganglia were differentially active in PTSD; whereas the comparison with trauma-naïve controls revealed differential involvement in the right anterior insula, precuneus, cingulate and orbitofrontal cortices known to be involved in emotional regulation. Changes in activity in the amygdala and parahippocampal cortex distinguished PTSD from both control groups. Results suggest that trauma has a measurable, enduring effect upon the functional dynamics of the brain, even in individuals who experience trauma but do not develop PTSD. These findings contribute to the understanding of whole-brain network activity following trauma, and its transition to clinical PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Stark
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; The Scars of War Foundation, The Queen's College, Oxford, United Kingdom; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - C E Parsons
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; The Scars of War Foundation, The Queen's College, Oxford, United Kingdom; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark
| | - T J Van Hartevelt
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; The Scars of War Foundation, The Queen's College, Oxford, United Kingdom; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - M Charquero-Ballester
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; The Scars of War Foundation, The Queen's College, Oxford, United Kingdom; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - H McManners
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; The Scars of War Foundation, The Queen's College, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - A Ehlers
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - A Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - M L Kringelbach
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom; The Scars of War Foundation, The Queen's College, Oxford, United Kingdom; Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Center for Music in the Brain, Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University & The Royal Academy of Music Aarhus/Aalborg, Denmark.
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Scharnowski F, Veit R, Zopf R, Studer P, Bock S, Diedrichsen J, Goebel R, Mathiak K, Birbaumer N, Weiskopf N. Manipulating motor performance and memory through real-time fMRI neurofeedback. Biol Psychol 2015; 108:85-97. [PMID: 25796342 PMCID: PMC4433098 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2015.03.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2014] [Revised: 02/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/10/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Neurofeedback training of motor cortex shortens reaction times. Self-regulation of parahippocampal cortex activity interferes with memory encoding. Differential neurofeedback reveals double dissociation between neurofeedback target areas.
Task performance depends on ongoing brain activity which can be influenced by attention, arousal, or motivation. However, such modulating factors of cognitive efficiency are unspecific, can be difficult to control, and are not suitable to facilitate neural processing in a regionally specific manner. Here, we non-pharmacologically manipulated regionally specific brain activity using technically sophisticated real-time fMRI neurofeedback. This was accomplished by training participants to simultaneously control ongoing brain activity in circumscribed motor and memory-related brain areas, namely the supplementary motor area and the parahippocampal cortex. We found that learned voluntary control over these functionally distinct brain areas caused functionally specific behavioral effects, i.e. shortening of motor reaction times and specific interference with memory encoding. The neurofeedback approach goes beyond improving cognitive efficiency by unspecific psychological factors such as attention, arousal, or motivation. It allows for directly manipulating sustained activity of task-relevant brain regions in order to yield specific behavioral or cognitive effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank Scharnowski
- Department of Radiology and Medical Informatics-CIBM, University of Geneva, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-G 4, CH-1211 Geneva 14, Switzerland; Institute of Bioengineering, Swiss Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), STI-IBI Station 17, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
| | - Ralf Veit
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Gartenstrasse 29, 72074 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Regine Zopf
- Perception in Action Research Centre, ARC Centre of Excellence in Cognition and its Disorders, Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney 2109, NSW, Australia
| | - Petra Studer
- Department of Child & Adolescent Mental Health, University Hospital of Erlangen, Schwabachanlage 6+10, 91054 Erlangen, Germany
| | - Simon Bock
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Centre for Mental Health, Hospitals of Stuttgart, Prießnitzweg 24, 70374 Stuttgart
| | - Jörn Diedrichsen
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, University College London, 17 Queen Square, London WC1 N 3AR, UK
| | - Rainer Goebel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht 6200 MD, The Netherlands; Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW), 1105 BA Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Klaus Mathiak
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Niels Birbaumer
- Institute of Medical Psychology and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, Gartenstrasse 29, 72074 Tübingen, Germany; Ospedale San Camillo, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Venezia-Lido, Italy
| | - Nikolaus Weiskopf
- Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging, UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London, 12 Queen Square, London WC1 N 3BG, UK
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Zhu H, Qiu C, Meng Y, Cui H, Zhang Y, Huang X, Zhang J, Li T, Gong Q, Zhang W, Lui S. Altered spontaneous neuronal activity in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder patients before and after a 12-week paroxetine treatment. J Affect Disord 2015; 174:257-64. [PMID: 25527996 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2014.11.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2014] [Revised: 11/25/2014] [Accepted: 11/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Abnormal functional brain activity has been revealed in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in recent years, while the recovery neuromechanism of PTSD has not yet been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the altered spontaneous brain activity in treatment-naïve chronic PTSD patients before and after 12 weeks׳ treatment with paroxetine. METHODS Twenty-one earthquake-related PTSD patients and seventeen traumatized controls underwent a resting functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) scan at baseline. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was calculated and compared between PTSD patients and controls. Then, the PTSD group completed 12 weeks of treatment with paroxetine, and Rs-fMRI was repeated to compare with the baseline. Lastly, correlation analyses of ALFF values within altered brain areas were conducted. RESULTS Hyperactive function of visual cortex was observed in PTSD patients before and after treatment. After treatment, significantly increased ALFF values were observed in the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), while decreased ALFF values were found in the precuneus. Interestingly, a negative correlation between the mean ALFF values of OFC and those of precuneus and visual cortex was only observed in controls, but not in PTSD patients pre- or post-treatment. LIMITATIONS A corresponding control condition was absent in this study. CONCLUSION The findings showed that manipulating regional spontaneous activity of precuneus and OFC could be a potential prognostic indicator of PTSD. However, hyperactive function of visual cortex and disrupted connections between OFC, precuneus and visual cortex did not reverse after treatment, which could be a potential target for further treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongru Zhu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Changjian Qiu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yajing Meng
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Haofei Cui
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yan Zhang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Junran Zhang
- School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Tao Li
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
| | - Su Lui
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Radiology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027 China.
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Smith KV, Burgess N, Brewin CR, King JA. Impaired allocentric spatial processing in posttraumatic stress disorder. Neurobiol Learn Mem 2015; 119:69-76. [PMID: 25636201 PMCID: PMC4384783 DOI: 10.1016/j.nlm.2015.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2014] [Revised: 01/15/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
A neurobiological dual representation model of PTSD proposes that reduced hippocampus-dependent contextual processing contributes to intrusive imagery due to a loss of control over hippocampus-independent sensory and affective representations. We investigated whether PTSD sufferers show impaired allocentric spatial processing indicative of reduced hippocampal functioning. Trauma-exposed individuals with (N=29) and without (N=30) a diagnosis of PTSD completed two tests of spatial processing: a topographical recognition task comprising perceptual and memory components, and a test of memory for objects' locations within a virtual environment in which the test is from either the same viewpoint as presentation (solvable with egocentric memory) or a different viewpoint (requiring allocentric memory). Participants in the PTSD group performed significantly worse on allocentric spatial processing than trauma-exposed controls. Groups performed comparably on egocentric memory and non-spatial memory for lists of objects. Exposure to repeated incident trauma was also associated with significantly worse spatial processing in the PTSD group. Results show a selective impairment in allocentric spatial processing, implicating weak hippocampal functioning, as predicted by a neurobiological dual representation model of PTSD. These findings have important clinical implications for cognitive therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten V Smith
- Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey, United Kingdom; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | - Neil Burgess
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Institute of Neurology, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom
| | - Chris R Brewin
- Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom
| | - John A King
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Institute of Neurology, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom; Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, Gower Street, London, United Kingdom
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Zhang Y, Kong F, Han L, Najam ul Hasan A, Chen H. Attention bias in earthquake-exposed survivors: An event-related potential study. Int J Psychophysiol 2014; 94:358-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Revised: 09/06/2014] [Accepted: 09/08/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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Lissek S, van Meurs B. Learning models of PTSD: Theoretical accounts and psychobiological evidence. Int J Psychophysiol 2014; 98:594-605. [PMID: 25462219 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2014.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2014] [Revised: 10/29/2014] [Accepted: 11/10/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Learning abnormalities have long been centrally implicated in posttraumatic psychopathology. Indeed, of all anxiety disorders, PTSD may be most clearly attributable to discrete, aversive learning events. In PTSD, such learning is acquired during the traumatic encounter and is expressed as both conditioned fear to stimuli associated with the event and more general over-reactivity-or failure to adapt-to intense, novel, or fear-related stimuli. The relatively straightforward link between PTSD and these basic, evolutionarily old, learning processes of conditioning, sensitization, and habituation affords models of PTSD comprised of fundamental, experimentally tractable mechanisms of learning that have been well characterized across a variety of mammalian species including humans. Though such learning mechanisms have featured prominently in explanatory models of psychological maladjustment to trauma for at least 90years, much of the empirical testing of these models has occurred only in the past two decades. The current review delineates the variety of theories forming this longstanding tradition of learning-based models of PTSD, details empirical evidence for such models, attempts an integrative account of results from this literature, and specifies limitations of, and future directions for, studies testing learning models of PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shmuel Lissek
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Campus, Department of Psychology, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States.
| | - Brian van Meurs
- University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Campus, Department of Psychology, 75 East River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
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Zhu H, Zhang J, Zhan W, Qiu C, Wu R, Meng Y, Cui H, Huang X, Li T, Gong Q, Zhang W. Altered spontaneous neuronal activity of visual cortex and medial anterior cingulate cortex in treatment-naïve posttraumatic stress disorder. Compr Psychiatry 2014; 55:1688-95. [PMID: 25060989 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2014.06.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2014] [Revised: 06/19/2014] [Accepted: 06/23/2014] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although no more traumatic stimuli exists, a variety of symptoms are persisting in chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients. It is therefore necessary to explore the spontaneous brain activity of treatment-naïve PTSD patients during resting-state. METHOD Seventeen treatment-naïve PTSD patients and twenty traumatized controls were recruited and underwent a resting functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) scan. The differences of regional brain spontaneous activity between the participants with and without PTSD were measured by Amplitude of Low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). The relationship between the altered brain measurements and the symptoms of PTSD were analyzed. RESULT Compared to traumatized controls, the PTSD group showed significantly altered ALFF in many emotion-related brain regions, such as the medial anterior cingulate cortex (MACC), dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), insular (IC), middle temporal gyrus (MTG), and ventral posterior cingulate cortex (VPCC). Interestingly this is the first report of a hyperactive visual cortex (V1/V2) during resting-state in treatment-naïve PTSD patients. There were significant positive correlations between ALFF values in the bilateral visual cortex and re-experiencing or avoidance in PTSD. Negative correlation was observed between ALFF values in MACC and avoidance. CONCLUSION This study suggested that the visual cortex and the MACC may be involved in the characteristic symptoms of chronic PTSD, such as re-experiencing and avoidance. Future studies that focus on these areas of the brain are required, as alteration of these areas may act as a biomarker and could be targeted in future treatments for PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongru Zhu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Junran Zhang
- School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan Province, China
| | - Wang Zhan
- Neuroimaging Center, University of Maryland, College Park 20740, MD, USA
| | - Changjian Qiu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Ruizhi Wu
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yajing Meng
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Haofei Cui
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Xiaoqi Huang
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Tao Li
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Qiyong Gong
- Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
| | - Wei Zhang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
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Schaeffer JD, Yennu AS, Gandy KC, Tian F, Liu H, Park H. An fNIRS investigation of associative recognition in the prefrontal cortex with a rapid event-related design. J Neurosci Methods 2014; 235:308-15. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2014.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2014] [Accepted: 07/15/2014] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Tian F, Yennu A, Smith-Osborne A, Gonzalez-Lima F, North CS, Liu H. Prefrontal responses to digit span memory phases in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): a functional near infrared spectroscopy study. Neuroimage Clin 2014; 4:808-19. [PMID: 24936431 PMCID: PMC4055895 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2014.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2014] [Revised: 05/08/2014] [Accepted: 05/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Neuroimaging studies of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-related memory impairments have consistently implicated abnormal activities in the frontal and parietal lobes. However, most studies have used block designs and could not dissociate the multiple phases of working memory. In this study, the involvement of the prefrontal cortex in working memory phases was assessed among veterans with PTSD and age-/gender-matched healthy controls. Multichannel functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was utilized to measure prefrontal cortex hemodynamic activations during memory of neutral (i.e., not trauma-related) forward and backward digit span tasks. An event-related experimental design was utilized to dissociate the different phases (i.e., encoding, maintenance and retrieval) of working memory. The healthy controls showed robust hemodynamic activations during the encoding and retrieval processes. In contrast, the veterans with PTSD were found to have activations during the encoding process, but followed by distinct deactivations during the retrieval process. The PTSD participants, but not the controls, appeared to suppress prefrontal activity during memory retrieval. This deactivation was more pronounced in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during the retrieval phase. These deactivations in PTSD patients might implicate an active inhibition of dorsolateral prefrontal neural activity during retrieval of working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fenghua Tian
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, USA
| | - Amarnath Yennu
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, USA
| | | | - F. Gonzalez-Lima
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| | - Carol S. North
- VA North Texas Health Care System, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
- Department of Surgery, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Hanli Liu
- Department of Bioengineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, USA
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Saar-Ashkenazy R, Cohen JE, Guez J, Gasho C, Shelef I, Friedman A, Shalev H. Reduced corpus-callosum volume in posttraumatic stress disorder highlights the importance of interhemispheric connectivity for associative memory. J Trauma Stress 2014; 27:18-26. [PMID: 24473965 DOI: 10.1002/jts.21887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Memory deficits are a common complaint of patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Despite vivid trauma-related memory, previous studies report memory impairment for nontrauma-related stimuli when compared to controls, specifically in associative memory (Guez et al., 2011). Healthy individuals show hemispheric memory asymmetry with left-prefrontal lateralization of encoding and right-prefrontal lateralization of episodic retrieval, suggesting a role for interhemispheric communication in memory-related tasks (Gazzaniga, ; Ringo, Doty, Demeter, & Simard, ). Because brain magnetic resonance imaging (bMRI) studies in PTSD patients report volume changes in various regions, including white matter and corpus callosum (CC), we aimed to test the relationship between memory deficits and CC volume in PTSD patients. We probed for specific alterations in associative memory in PTSD and measured the volume of subportions within the CC employing bMRI. Our main finding was a reduction in CC white-matter volume in PTSD patients, as compared to controls, t(35) = -2.7, p = .010, that was correlated with lower associative performance (r = .76, p = .003). We propose that CC volume reduction is a substrate for the associative memory deficits found in PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rotem Saar-Ashkenazy
- Department of Cognitive-Neuroscience, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel; Department of Psychology, Achva Academic College, Beer-Tuvia Regional Council, Israel
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Lipinska M, Timol R, Kaminer D, Thomas KGF. Disrupted rapid eye movement sleep predicts poor declarative memory performance in post-traumatic stress disorder. J Sleep Res 2014; 23:309-17. [PMID: 24467663 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.12122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2013] [Accepted: 11/20/2013] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Successful memory consolidation during sleep depends on healthy slow-wave and rapid eye movement sleep, and on successful transition across sleep stages. In post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep is disrupted and memory is impaired, but relations between these two variables in the psychiatric condition remain unexplored. We examined whether disrupted sleep, and consequent disrupted memory consolidation, is a mechanism underlying declarative memory deficits in post-traumatic stress disorder. We recruited three matched groups of participants: post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 16); trauma-exposed non-post-traumatic stress disorder (n = 15); and healthy control (n = 14). They completed memory tasks before and after 8 h of sleep. We measured sleep variables using sleep-adapted electroencephalography. Post-traumatic stress disorder-diagnosed participants experienced significantly less sleep efficiency and rapid eye movement sleep percentage, and experienced more awakenings and wake percentage in the second half of the night than did participants in the other two groups. After sleep, post-traumatic stress disorder-diagnosed participants retained significantly less information on a declarative memory task than controls. Rapid eye movement percentage, wake percentage and sleep efficiency correlated with retention of information over the night. Furthermore, lower rapid eye movement percentage predicted poorer retention in post-traumatic stress disorder-diagnosed individuals. Our results suggest that declarative memory consolidation is disrupted during sleep in post-traumatic stress disorder. These data are consistent with theories suggesting that sleep benefits memory consolidation via predictable neurobiological mechanisms, and that rapid eye movement disruption is more than a symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder.
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Drury SS, Brett ZH, Henry C, Scheeringa M. The association of a novel haplotype in the dopamine transporter with preschool age posttraumatic stress disorder. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol 2013; 23:236-43. [PMID: 23647133 PMCID: PMC3657285 DOI: 10.1089/cap.2012.0072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Significant evidence supports a genetic contribution to the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Three previous studies have demonstrated an association between PTSD and the nine repeat allele of the 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in the dopamine transporter (DAT, rs28363170). Recently a novel, functionally significant C/T single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the 3'UTR (rs27072) with putative interactions with the 3'VNTR, has been identified. To provide enhanced support for the role of DAT and striatal dopamine regulation in the development of PTSD, this study examined the impact of a haplotype defined by the C allele of rs27072 and the nine repeat allele of the 3'VNTR on PTSD diagnosis in young trauma-exposed children. METHODS DAT haplotypes were determined in 150 trauma-exposed 3-6 year-old children. PTSD was assessed with a semistructured interview. After excluding double heterozygotes, analysis was performed on 143 total subjects. Haplotype was examined in relation to categorical and continuous measures of PTSD, controlling for trauma type and race. Additional analysis within the two largest race categories was performed, as other means of controlling for ethnic stratification were not available. RESULTS The number of haplotypes (0, 1, or 2) defined by the presence of the nine repeat allele of rs28363170 (VNTR in the 3'UTR) and the C allele of rs27072 (SNP in the 3'UTR) was significantly associated with both the diagnosis of PTSD and total PTSD symptoms. Specifically, children with one or two copies of the haplotype had significantly more PTSD symptoms and were more likely to be diagnosed with PTSD than were children without this haplotype. CONCLUSIONS These findings extend previous findings associating genetic variation in the DAT with PTSD. The association of a haplotype in DAT with PTSD provides incremental traction for a model of genetic vulnerability to PTSD, a specific underlying mechanism implicating striatal dopamine regulation, and insight into potential future personalized interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacy S Drury
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA.
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Temporal association of elevated cholecystokininergic tone and adolescent trauma is critical for posttraumatic stress disorder-like behavior in adult mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2013; 110:6589-94. [PMID: 23576730 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1219601110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Adolescent trauma (AT) is a common risk factor for adult-onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the vulnerability to AT among different individuals varies dramatically, indicating that other cofactors are important. Despite extensive studies, the identification of those cofactors has had little success. Here, we found that after subjected to traumatic stress at postnatal day 25 (P25), a stage that is comparable to the human adolescent period, inducible/reversible forebrain-specific cholecystokinin receptor-2 transgenic (IF-CCKR-2 tg) mice exhibited a significantly higher level of PTSD-like behavior at a later life (adult) stage compared with their wild-type littermates. Moreover, in these traumatized IF-CCKR-2 tg mice, both the glucocorticoid negative feedback inhibition and spatial learning and memory were impaired. Interestingly, if the CCKR-2 transgene was specifically suppressed during the time of AT exposure, these observations were largely diminished, indicating that a temporal association of the elevated CCKergic tone and AT is pathogenically critical. Treatment of traumatized IF-CCKR-2 tg mice with fluoxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, for a period of 4 wk significantly attenuated the PTSD-like behavior and the impaired glucocorticoid negative feedback inhibition, but not the memory deficit, implying that the memory deficit is an independent post-AT clinical entity and not a consequence of PTSD. Taken together, these results reveal a dynamic role of the CCKergic system in the development of post-AT psychopathologies and suggest that a timely antagonism of CCKR-2 activity during AT exposure is a potential preventive strategy for post-AT psychopathologies including PTSD and cognitive dysfunction.
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Graner J, Oakes TR, French LM, Riedy G. Functional MRI in the investigation of blast-related traumatic brain injury. Front Neurol 2013; 4:16. [PMID: 23460082 PMCID: PMC3586697 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2013.00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2012] [Accepted: 02/09/2013] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
This review focuses on the application of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to the investigation of blast-related traumatic brain injury (bTBI). Relatively little is known about the exact mechanisms of neurophysiological injury and pathological and functional sequelae of bTBI. Furthermore, in mild bTBI, standard anatomical imaging techniques (MRI and computed tomography) generally fail to show focal lesions and most of the symptoms present as subjective clinical functional deficits. Therefore, an objective test of brain functionality has great potential to aid in patient diagnosis and provide a sensitive measurement to monitor disease progression and treatment. The goal of this review is to highlight the relevant body of blast-related TBI literature and present suggestions and considerations in the development of fMRI studies for the investigation of bTBI. The review begins with a summary of recent bTBI publications followed by discussions of various elements of blast-related injury. Brief reviews of some fMRI techniques that focus on mental processes commonly disrupted by bTBI, including working memory, selective attention, and emotional processing, are presented in addition to a short review of resting state fMRI. Potential strengths and weaknesses of these approaches as regards bTBI are discussed. Finally, this review presents considerations that must be made when designing fMRI studies for bTBI populations, given the heterogeneous nature of bTBI and its high rate of comorbidity with other physical and psychological injuries.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Graner
- National Intrepid Center of Excellence, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center Bethesda, MD, USA ; National Capital Neuroimaging Consortium, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda, MD, USA
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Guidetti G. The role of cognitive processes in vestibular disorders. HEARING, BALANCE AND COMMUNICATION 2013. [DOI: 10.3109/21695717.2013.765085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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Thomaes K, Dorrepaal E, Draijer N, de Ruiter MB, Elzinga BM, Sjoerds Z, van Balkom AJ, Smit JH, Veltman DJ. Increased anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus activation in Complex PTSD during encoding of negative words. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2013; 8:190-200. [PMID: 22156722 PMCID: PMC3575721 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsr084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with impaired memory performance coupled with functional changes in brain areas involved in declarative memory and emotion regulation. It is not yet clear how symptom severity and comorbidity affect neurocognitive functioning in PTSD. We performed a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with an emotional declarative memory task in 28 Complex PTSD patients with comorbid depressive and personality disorders, and 21 healthy non-trauma-exposed controls. In Complex PTSD patients--compared to controls--encoding of later remembered negative words vs baseline was associated with increased blood oxygenation level dependent (BOLD) response in the left ventral anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and dorsal ACC extending to the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC) together with a trend for increased left hippocampus activation. Patients tended to commit more False Alarms to negative words compared to controls, which was associated with enhanced left ventrolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex (vlPFC/OFC) responses. Severity of child abuse was positively correlated with left ventral ACC activity and severity of depression with (para) hippocampal and ventral ACC activity. Presented results demonstrate functional abnormalities in Complex PTSD in the frontolimbic brain circuit also implicated in fear conditioning models, but generally in the opposite direction, which may be explained by severity of the trauma and severity of comorbid depression in Complex PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Thomaes
- Department of Psychiatry, GGZ InGeest/VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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Malta LS. Allostasis: The emperor of all (trauma‐related) maladies. CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY-SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/cpsp.12003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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