A longitudinal resting-state functional connectivity analysis on trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms in older individuals

Carla M. Eising; Andreas Maercker; Brigitta Malagurski; Lutz Jäncke; Susan Mérillat

NeuroImage: Clinical (Jan 2022)

A longitudinal resting-state functional connectivity analysis on trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress symptoms in older individuals

Carla M. Eising,
Andreas Maercker,
Brigitta Malagurski,
Lutz Jäncke,
Susan Mérillat

Affiliations

Carla M. Eising: University of Zürich, Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Binzmuehlestrasse 14 / 17, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland; University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Corresponding author at: University of Zurich, Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Binzmuehlestr, 14/17, CH-8050 Zürich, Switzerland.
Andreas Maercker: University of Zürich, Psychopathology and Clinical Intervention, Institute of Psychology, Binzmuehlestrasse 14 / 17, 8050 Zürich, Switzerland; University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zürich, Switzerland
Brigitta Malagurski: University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zürich, Switzerland
Lutz Jäncke: University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Division Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Binzmuehlestrasse 14, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
Susan Mérillat: University Research Priority Program “Dynamics of Healthy Aging”, University of Zürich, Switzerland

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 35
p. 103052

Abstract

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Background: Given the present demographic shift towards an aging society, there is an increased need to investigate the brain’s functional connectivity in the context of aging. Trauma exposure and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are factors known to impact healthy aging and have been reported to be associated with functional connectivity differences. In the present study, we examined and compared differences in within-Default Mode Network (DMN), within-Salience Network (SN) and between DMN-SN functional connectivity, between trauma-exposed individuals with and without PTSD symptoms as well as non-traumatized individuals in a non-clininical older adult sample. METHODS: Resting state functional MRI and behavioral data is taken from the Longitudinal Healthy Aging Brain Database Project (LHAB). For the present analysis, participants who completed the questionnaires on trauma exposure and PTSD symptoms (N = 110 individuals of which n = 50 individuals reported previous trauma exposure and n = 25 individuals reported PTSD symptoms; mean age = 70.55 years, SD = 4.82) were included. RESULTS: The reporting of PTSD symptoms relative to no symptoms was associated with lower within-DMN connectivity, while on a trend level trauma-exposed individuals showed higher within-SN connectivity compared to non-trauma exposed individuals. Consistent with existing models of healthy aging, between DMN-SN functional connectivity showed an increase across time in older age. CONCLUSION: Present results suggest that alterations in within-DMN and within-SN functional connectivity also occur in non-treatment seeking older adult populations with trauma exposure and in association with PTSD symptoms. These changes manifest, alongside altered between DMN-SN functional connectivity, in older age supposedly independent of aging-related functional desegregation.

Published in NeuroImage: Clinical

ISSN: 2213-1582 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General): Computer applications to medicine. Medical informatics; Medicine: Internal medicine: Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry: Neurology. Diseases of the nervous system
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuroimage-clinical/

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