Inflammation, reward circuitry and symptoms of anhedonia and PTSD in trauma-exposed women.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Mehta ND
PROVIDER: S-EPMC7657453 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
Inflammation, reward circuitry and symptoms of anhedonia and PTSD in trauma-exposed women.
Mehta Neeti D ND Stevens Jennifer S JS Li Zhihao Z Gillespie Charles F CF Fani Negar N Michopoulos Vasiliki V Felger Jennifer C JC
Social cognitive and affective neuroscience 20201101 10
Trauma exposure is associated with increased inflammatory biomarkers (e.g. C-reactive protein [CRP] and cytokines), and inflammation has been shown to impact corticostriatal reward circuitry and increase anhedonia-related symptoms. We examined resting-state functional MRI in a high-trauma inner-city population of African-American women (n = 56), who reported on average five different types of trauma exposures, to investigate whether inflammation correlated with functional connectivity (FC) in co ...[more]
Similar Datasets
Project description:Trauma-exposed sexual minority women (SMW) are at elevated risk of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and hazardous drinking compared to trauma-exposed heterosexual women. To understand whether these problems might be exacerbated during times of elevated societal stress, we collected data from a New York-based sample of trauma-exposed SMW between April 2020 and August 2020, a period of notable, compounding societal stressors, including: (a) living in or near one of the first epicenters of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic in the United States and (b) living through multiple high-profile occurrences of racism-related police violence and subsequent racial unrest. SMW (n = 68) completed online self-report questionnaires related to trauma, PTSD symptoms, and alcohol use, and a subset (n = 29) completed semi-structured qualitative interviews. PsycINFO was searched with terms related to SMW, PTSD, and alcohol use to identify studies with samples of SMW from articles published within the last 10 years to which we could compare our sample; this produced nine studies. Welch's t-tests and Chi-square analyses revealed that SMW within our sample reported significantly higher PTSD symptom severity, probable PTSD, and hazardous drinking indicators (i.e., alcohol use disorder and heavy episodic drinking) between April 2020 and August 2020 compared to similar samples (i.e., trauma-exposed SMW and general samples of SMW) assessed previously. Qualitative reports also indicated that the societal stressors of 2020 contributed to mental and behavioral health concerns. These results underscore the need for integrated PTSD and alcohol use prevention and intervention efforts for trauma-exposed SMW during times of heightened societal stress.Supplemental data for this article is available online at https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2021.2006132 .
| S-EPMC9167896 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Childhood trauma (CT) is a well-established risk factor for major depressive disorder (MDD). However, the underlying mechanism linking CT and MDD remains not fully understood. The present study tested the hypothesis that CT have effects on specific types of anhedonia in depression via reward system. To do so, we evaluated different aspects of anhedonia and resting-state functional connectivity (FC) in reward system among 66 patients with MDD (44 with moderate-to-severe and 22 with no or low CT), and 57 healthy controls (HC; 23 with moderate-to-severe and 34 with no or low CT). Results showed that MDD patients with moderate-to-severe CT suffered more severe state anhedonic depression than patients with no or low level of CT. Individuals with moderate-to-severe CT, irrespective of MDD diagnosis, had elevated physical, social and anticipatory but not consummatory trait anhedonia, and demonstrated decreased left nucleus accumbens (NAcc)-right orbital frontal cortex (OFC) and left ventral caudate-left OFC connectivity compared to those with no or low exposure. Left NAcc-right OFC connectivity mediated relationship between CT and state anhedonia in MDD. The total altered ventral striatum (VS)-OFC connectivity mediated links between CT and physical trait anhedonia in HC. These findings highlight specific types of anhedonia and the core reward system as targets of CT. Blunted hedonic responses via decreased coupling within core reward system may be involved in the mechanism of depression following CT. Implications for clinical interventions are also discussed.
| S-EPMC7775998 | biostudies-literature
Project description:People, particularly undergraduate students, who report elevated symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are at elevated risk of binge drinking. The present study used ecological momentary assessment to (a) evaluate whether PTSD severity, specifically, or psychological distress, generally, are associated with binge drinking and (b) examine the self-medication and susceptibility models of the comorbidity of PTSD with binge drinking while accounting for shared liability (i.e., the between-person association of PTSD symptom severity with binge drinking). Within a larger study of undergraduate student mental health, for 14 days, students who reported a potentially traumatic experience (N = 276) reported nightly on use of alcohol and psychoactive substances and thrice daily on current affect, internalizing symptoms, and PTSD symptoms. Daily binge drinking, per the NIAAA definition, was analyzed using multivariate mixed effects, multilevel logistic regression. Results support the self-medication model; participants were more likely to binge drink on days marked by elevated PTSD symptoms, OR = 2.82, p < .01. Binge drinking was also more likely on weekends, OR = 4.21, p < .0001, and days marked by elevated daily positive affect, OR = 1.60, p < .001. Binge drinking was not associated with concurrent depressive or general anxiety symptoms (p > .30). PTSD symptoms were not associated with use of cannabis or other substances (p > .06). Regarding the susceptibility model, following a binge drinking episode, participants reported elevated depressive symptoms, B = 0.34, p = .04, but no change in affect, PTSD symptoms, or general anxiety symptoms (p > .16). Results suggest that, beyond understanding who is at risk for binge drinking, fluctuations in PTSD severity clarify when students engage in binge drinking. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
| S-EPMC8463629 | biostudies-literature
Project description:A subtype of the posttraumatic stress disorder diagnosis for children 6 years and younger (PTSD-6Y) was introduced in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fifth Edition (DSM-5). This study utilized confirmatory factor analytic techniques to evaluate the proposed DSM-5 PTSD-6Y factor structure and criterion and convergent validity against competing models. Data for N = 284 (3-6 years) trauma-exposed young children living in New Orleans were recruited following a range of traumas, including medical emergencies, exposure to Hurricane Katrina and repeated exposure to domestic violence. The model was compared to DSM-IV, a 4-factor 'dysphoria' model that groups symptoms also associated with anxiety and depression, and alternate 1- and 2- factor models. Convergent validity was established against the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Criterion related validity was established by comparing each model to a categorical rating of impairment. The Dysphoria and PTSD-6Y models offered the better accounts of symptom structure, although neither satisfied minimum requirements for a good fitting model. These two models also only showed small levels of convergence with CBCL dimensions. The 1-factor model offered the most compelling balance of sensitivity and specificity, with the 2-factor model and the Dysphoria model following closely behind. These CFA results do not support the symptom clusters proposed within the DSM-5 for PTSD-6Y. Although a 4-factor Dysphoria model offers a better overall account of clustering patterns (relative to alternate models), alongside acceptable sensitivity and specificity for detecting clinical impairment, it also falls short of being an adequate model in this younger age group.
| S-EPMC6805819 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Individuals admitted to inpatient psychiatry for suicide-related concerns are at increased risk of suicide post-discharge, necessitating an understanding of factors, such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), that are associated with suicide-related hospitalizations. In this study, we examined if individuals admitted for suicide-related concerns were more likely than those admitted for other reasons to have elevated PTSD symptoms or a probable PTSD diagnosis. We also examined the moderating role of impulsivity. Participants were 188 trauma-exposed adult psychiatric inpatients (M [SD]age = 33.6 y [11.7 y], 63.3% male, 46.3% white). We used the Life Events Checklist for DSM-5, PTSD Checklist for DSM-5, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, and Barratt Impulsiveness Scale-11 to assess trauma exposure, PTSD symptoms, suicidal ideation severity, and impulsivity, respectively. We controlled for trauma load, number of psychiatric diagnoses, and comorbid depressive and substance use disorders. Patients admitted for suicide-related concerns (55.3%; n = 104), compared with those admitted for other reasons (44.7%; n = 84), had more severe PTSD symptoms, corresponding to medium-to-large effect sizes; associations were stronger at higher levels of impulsivity. Additionally, patients admitted for suicide-related concerns were nearly four times more likely than their counterparts to screen positive for a provisional PTSD diagnosis. Among the subset of individuals admitted for suicide-related concerns, greater PTSD symptoms were associated with more severe suicidal ideation. In sum, PTSD symptoms are elevated among psychiatric inpatients admitted for suicide-related concerns, and among this subgroup, greater PTSD symptom severity covaries with suicidal ideation severity. Screening for and treating PTSD, and attending to cooccurring impulsivity, in psychiatric inpatients may reduce suicide risk.
| S-EPMC7856162 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an established comorbidity in Bipolar Disorder (BD), but little is known about the characteristics of psychological trauma beyond a PTSD diagnosis and differences in trauma symptoms between BD-I and BD-II.Objective(1) To present characteristics of a trauma-exposed BD sample; (2) to investigate prevalence and trauma symptom profile across BD-I and BD-II; (3) to assess the impact of a lifetime PTSD diagnosis vs. a history of trauma on BD course; and (4) to research the impacts of sexual and physical abuse.MethodsThis multi-center study comprised 79 adult participants with BD with a history of psychological trauma and reports baseline data from a trial registered in Clinical Trials (https://clinicaltrials.gov; ref: NCT02634372). Clinical variables were gathered through clinical interview, validated scales and a review of case notes.ResultsThe majority (80.8%) of our sample had experienced a relevant stressful life event prior to onset of BD, over half of our sample 51.9% had a lifetime diagnosis of PTSD according to the Clinician Administered PTSD scale. The mean Impact of Event Scale-Revised scores indicated high levels of trauma-related distress across the sample, including clinical symptoms in the PTSD group and subsyndromal symptoms in the non-PTSD group. Levels of dissociation were not higher than normative values for BD. A PTSD diagnosis (vs. a history of trauma) was associated with psychotic symptoms [2(1) = 5.404, p = 0.02] but not with other indicators of BD clinical severity. There was no significant difference between BD-I and BD-II in terms of lifetime PTSD diagnosis or trauma symptom profile. Sexual abuse significantly predicted rapid cycling [2(1) = 4.15, p = 0.042], while physical abuse was not significantly associated with any clinical indicator of severity.ConclusionTrauma load in BD is marked with a lack of difference in trauma profile between BD-I and BD-II. Although PTSD and sexual abuse may have a negative impact on BD course, in many indicators of BD severity there is no significant difference between PTSD and subsyndromal trauma symptoms. Our results support further research to clarify the role of subsyndromic PTSD symptoms, and highlight the importance of screening for trauma in BD patients.
| S-EPMC9632656 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Objective: Racial and ethnic minority women from low-resource urban communities experience disproportionately high rates of trauma exposure. Higher rates of lifetime trauma exposure are strongly associated with subsequent psychological sequela, specifically depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Communal mastery is the ability to cope with challenges and achieve goals by being closely interconnected with friends, family, and significant others. Yet, it is unknown if communal mastery is protective specifically against PTSD and depressive symptoms. Method: Participants (N = 131) were Black and Latina women (88.5% Black, mean monthly income: < $750) recruited from an urban outpatient obstetric-gynecological clinic at an academic medical center. Participants completed an online questionnaire that assessed trauma history, PTSD and depressive symptoms, types of individualistic coping, social support, and communal mastery. Results: Hierarchical multiple regression models demonstrated that communal mastery is uniquely associated with fewer PTSD symptoms (β = -.23, p = .003). More severe trauma history, more use of passive coping skills, and poorer social support were also significantly associated with PTSD symptoms, explaining over half of the variance in PTSD symptoms. Although significantly correlated, communal mastery was not uniquely associated with fewer depressive symptoms (β = -.13, p = .201). Conclusions: These findings suggest that connectedness as assessed through communal mastery serves as an important shield against the effects of traumatic stress for Black and Latina women. Future research would benefit by exploring interventions that aim to increase communal mastery in order to help highly trauma-exposed racial and ethnic minority women in low-resource environments. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
| S-EPMC9628780 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundTheoretical models of self-conscious emotions indicate that shame is elicited through internal, stable, and global causal attributions of the precipitating event. The current study aimed to investigate whether these negative attributions are related to trauma-related shame and PTSD symptom severity.MethodA total of 658 participants aged 18 to 89 (M = 33.42; SD = 12.17) with a history of trauma exposure completed a range of self-report measures assessing trauma exposure, negative trauma-related attributions, shame, and PTSD symptoms.ResultsHigher levels of internal, stable, and global trauma-related attributions were significantly associated with shame and PTSD. Shame mediated the association between trauma-related attributions and PTSD symptom severity, even after controlling for the effects of number of trauma exposures, worst index trauma and depression.ConclusionsThe present results suggest that negative attributions are a critical cognitive component related to shame and in turn, PTSD symptom severity. Future research should aim to replicate these findings in a clinical sample and extend these findings using prospective designs.
| S-EPMC9667339 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundReward processing deficits have been increasingly associated with trauma exposure and are a core feature of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). While altered resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) of ventral striatal regions, including the nucleus accumbens (NAcc), has been associated with anhedonia in some stress-related disorders, relationships between NAcc rsFC and anhedonia have not previously been investigated in trauma-exposed individuals. Additionally, relationships between anhedonia and reward-related decision making remain unexplored in relation to trauma exposure. We hypothesized that elevated anhedonia would be associated with altered rsFC between NAcc and default mode network regions and with increased delay discounting.MethodsThe sample included 51 participants exposed to a DSM-IV PTSD Criterion A event related to community trauma. Participants completed the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale, the Snaith-Hamilton Pleasure Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, a computerized delay discounting paradigm, and resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. rsFC data were analyzed in SPM12 and CONN.ResultsHigher levels of anhedonia were associated with increased rsFC between seed regions of bilateral NAcc and areas of right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex. This relationship remained significant after accounting for Clinician Administered PTSD Scale total scores, Beck Depression Inventory total scores, or diagnostic group in the regression. Additionally, anhedonia was associated with elevated (increased) delay discounting.ConclusionsGreater anhedonia was related to higher positive connectivity between NAcc and right dorsomedial prefrontal cortex and to increased delay discounting, i.e., greater preference for smaller immediate versus larger delayed rewards. These findings contribute to a growing body of literature emphasizing the importance of anhedonia in trauma-exposed individuals.
| S-EPMC6233731 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundAlthough inflammatory activity is known to play a role in depression, no work has examined whether experimentally induced systemic inflammation alters neural activity that is associated with anhedonia, a key diagnostic symptom of depression. To investigate this, we examined the effect of an experimental inflammatory challenge on the neural correlates of anhedonia-namely, reduced ventral striatum (VS) activity to reward cues. We also examined whether this altered neural activity related to inflammatory-induced increases in depressed mood.MethodsParticipants (n = 39) were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or low-dose endotoxin, which increases proinflammatory cytokine levels in a safe manner. Cytokine levels were repeatedly assessed through hourly blood draws; self-reported and observer-rated depressed mood were assessed regularly as well. Two hours after drug administration, neural activity was recorded as participants completed a task in which they anticipated monetary rewards.ResultsResults demonstrated that subjects exposed to endotoxin, compared with placebo, showed greater increases in self-reported and observer-rated depressed mood over time, as well as significant reductions in VS activity to monetary reward cues. Moreover, the relationship between exposure to inflammatory challenge and increases in observer-rated depressed mood was mediated by between-group differences in VS activity to anticipated reward.ConclusionsThe data reported here show, for the first time, that inflammation alters reward-related neural responding in humans and that these reward-related neural responses mediate the effects of inflammation on depressed mood. As such, these findings have implications for understanding risk of depression in persons with underlying inflammation.
| S-EPMC3025604 | biostudies-literature