The functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorder
Background: Previous fMRI studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have investigated region-specific alterations in intrinsic connectivity but connectome-wide changes in connectivity are yet to be characterized. Understanding the neurobiology of this is important to develop novel treatment in...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Neurobiology of Stress |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289521000291 |
| _version_ | 1818640690088771584 |
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| author | Isabella A. Breukelaar Richard A. Bryant Mayuresh S. Korgaonkar |
| author_facet | Isabella A. Breukelaar Richard A. Bryant Mayuresh S. Korgaonkar |
| author_sort | Isabella A. Breukelaar |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Previous fMRI studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have investigated region-specific alterations in intrinsic connectivity but connectome-wide changes in connectivity are yet to be characterized. Understanding the neurobiology of this is important to develop novel treatment interventions for PTSD. This study aims to identify connectome-wide disruptions in PTSD to provide a more comprehensive analysis of nseural networks in this disorder. Methods: A functional MRI scan was completed by 138 individuals (67 PTSD and 71 non-trauma-exposed healthy controls [HC]). For every individual, inter-regional intrinsic functional connectivity was estimated between 436 brain regions, comprising intra and inter-network connectivity of eight large-scale brain networks. Group-wise differences between PTSD and HC were investigated using network-based statistics at a family-wise error rate of p < 0.05. Significant network differences were then further investigated in 27 individuals with trauma exposure but no PTSD [TC]). Results: Compared to HC, PTSD displayed lower intrinsic functional connectivity in a network of 203 connections between 420 regions within and between mid-posterior default mode, central executive, limbic, visual and somatomotor regions. Additionally, PTSD displayed higher connectivity across a network of 50 connections from thalamic and limbic to sensory and default-mode regions. Connectivity in TC in both these networks was intermediate and significantly different to PTSD and HC. Conclusion: A large-scale imbalance between hypoconnectivity of higher-order cortical networks and hyperconnectivity of emotional and arousal response systems seems to occur on a sliding scale from trauma exposure to clinical manifestation as PTSD. Novel interventions that target this systemic functional imbalance could provide potential mitigation of PTSD. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:15:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f42e9c0229fe4fa3af92cd1034cd5c8a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2352-2895 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T23:15:16Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Neurobiology of Stress |
| spelling | doaj.art-f42e9c0229fe4fa3af92cd1034cd5c8a2022-12-21T22:12:20ZengElsevierNeurobiology of Stress2352-28952021-05-0114100321The functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorderIsabella A. Breukelaar0Richard A. Bryant1Mayuresh S. Korgaonkar2Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Corresponding author. Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, 176 Hawkesbury Road, Westmead, NSW, 2145, Australia.Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia; School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, AustraliaBrain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Institute for Medical Research, University of Sydney, Westmead, NSW, Australia; Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, Westmead, NSW, Australia; School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, AustraliaBackground: Previous fMRI studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have investigated region-specific alterations in intrinsic connectivity but connectome-wide changes in connectivity are yet to be characterized. Understanding the neurobiology of this is important to develop novel treatment interventions for PTSD. This study aims to identify connectome-wide disruptions in PTSD to provide a more comprehensive analysis of nseural networks in this disorder. Methods: A functional MRI scan was completed by 138 individuals (67 PTSD and 71 non-trauma-exposed healthy controls [HC]). For every individual, inter-regional intrinsic functional connectivity was estimated between 436 brain regions, comprising intra and inter-network connectivity of eight large-scale brain networks. Group-wise differences between PTSD and HC were investigated using network-based statistics at a family-wise error rate of p < 0.05. Significant network differences were then further investigated in 27 individuals with trauma exposure but no PTSD [TC]). Results: Compared to HC, PTSD displayed lower intrinsic functional connectivity in a network of 203 connections between 420 regions within and between mid-posterior default mode, central executive, limbic, visual and somatomotor regions. Additionally, PTSD displayed higher connectivity across a network of 50 connections from thalamic and limbic to sensory and default-mode regions. Connectivity in TC in both these networks was intermediate and significantly different to PTSD and HC. Conclusion: A large-scale imbalance between hypoconnectivity of higher-order cortical networks and hyperconnectivity of emotional and arousal response systems seems to occur on a sliding scale from trauma exposure to clinical manifestation as PTSD. Novel interventions that target this systemic functional imbalance could provide potential mitigation of PTSD.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289521000291ConnectomePosttraumatic stress disorderfMRIFunctional connectivityNetworkNeuropathology |
| spellingShingle | Isabella A. Breukelaar Richard A. Bryant Mayuresh S. Korgaonkar The functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorder Neurobiology of Stress Connectome Posttraumatic stress disorder fMRI Functional connectivity Network Neuropathology |
| title | The functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorder |
| title_full | The functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorder |
| title_fullStr | The functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorder |
| title_full_unstemmed | The functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorder |
| title_short | The functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorder |
| title_sort | functional connectome in posttraumatic stress disorder |
| topic | Connectome Posttraumatic stress disorder fMRI Functional connectivity Network Neuropathology |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289521000291 |
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