Dataset Information

Rapid emotional processing in relation to trauma-related symptoms as revealed by magnetic source imaging.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: Traumatic stress leads to functional reorganization in the brain and may trigger an alarm response. However, when the traumatic event produces severe helplessness, the predominant peri-traumatic response may instead be marked by a dissociative shutdown reaction. The neural correlates of this dissociative shutdown were investigated by presenting rapidly presented affective pictures to female participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and comparing responses to a Non-PTSD control group. METHODS: Event-related-magnetic-fields were recorded during rapid visual serial presentation of emotionally arousing stimuli (unpleasant or pleasant), which alternated with pictures with low affective content (neutral). Neural sources, based on the L2-surface-minimum-norm, correlated with the severity of the symptom clusters: PTSD, depression and shutdown dissociation. RESULTS: For the early cortical response (60 to 110 ms), dissociation and PTSD symptom severity show similar spatial distributions of correlates for unpleasant stimuli. Cortical networks that could be involved in the relationships seem to be widespread. CONCLUSION: We conclude that shutdown dissociation, PTSD and depression all have distinct effects on early processing of emotional stimuli.

SUBMITTER: Schalinski I

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4100056 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Rapid emotional processing in relation to trauma-related symptoms as revealed by magnetic source imaging.

Schalinski Inga I Moran James J Schauer Maggie M Elbert Thomas T

BMC psychiatry 20140705

<h4>Background</h4>Traumatic stress leads to functional reorganization in the brain and may trigger an alarm response. However, when the traumatic event produces severe helplessness, the predominant peri-traumatic response may instead be marked by a dissociative shutdown reaction. The neural correlates of this dissociative shutdown were investigated by presenting rapidly presented affective pictures to female participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and comparing responses to a No ...[more]

PMID: 24997778

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Project description:BACKGROUND:The amygdala is a central node in the brain network that processes aversive emotions and is extensively innervated by dorsal raphe nucleus (DRN) serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) neurons. Alterations in DRN 5-HT1A receptor availability cause phenotypes characterized by fearful behavior in preclinical models. However, it is unknown whether 5-HT1A receptor availability is linked specifically to the processing of aversive emotions in humans or whether it modulates connectivity in brain networks involved in emotion processing. To answer this question, we investigated the relationship between DRN 5-HT1A receptor availability and amygdala reactivity to aversive emotion and functional connectivity within the amygdala-cortical network. METHODS:We studied 15 healthy human participants who underwent positron emission tomography scanning with [(11)C]CUMI-101, a 5-HT1A partial agonist radioligand, and functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain responses during an incidental emotion processing task including happy, fearful, and neutral faces. Regional estimates of 5-HT1A receptor binding potential (nondisplaceable) were obtained by calculating total volumes of distribution for presynaptic DRN and amygdala. Connectivity between the amygdala and corticolimbic areas was assessed using psychophysiologic interaction analysis with the amygdala as the seed region. RESULTS:Analysis of the fear versus neutral contrast revealed a significant negative correlation between amygdala response and DRN binding potential (nondisplaceable) (r = -.87, p < .001). Availability of DRN 5-HT1A receptors positively correlated with amygdala connectivity with middle frontal gyrus, anterior cingulate cortex, bilateral precuneus, and left supramarginal gyrus for fearful (relative to neutral) faces. CONCLUSIONS:Our data show that DRN 5-HT1A receptor availability is linked specifically to the processing of aversive emotions in the amygdala and the modulation of amygdala-cortical connectivity.

Dataset Information

Rapid emotional processing in relation to trauma-related symptoms as revealed by magnetic source imaging.

Publications

Rapid emotional processing in relation to trauma-related symptoms as revealed by magnetic source imaging.

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