Brain connectivity is lower in adults with PTSD or a history of sexual
abuse
Adults with a history of sexual abuse or with maltreatment-related posttraumatic stress disorder have reduced brain connectivity

Date:
October 27, 2021
Source:
Medical University of South Carolina
Summary:
A study has found that adults with maltreatment-related
posttraumatic stress disorder or a history of sexual abuse have
lower brain connectivity in the attention systems known as the
ventral and dorsal attention network. These networks enable us
to shift attention from external events to a specific task. The
team also found that oxytocin, a hormone associated with social
affiliation as well as stress response, increases brain connectivity
in those systems.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A study conducted at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in
adults with a history of childhood maltreatment showed that two groups --
those with a history of sexual abuse and those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - - had reduced brain connectivity in the attention
systems known as the ventral and dorsal attention network (VAN-DAN). No
such reduction was seen in adults with a history of physical abuse,
nor in those who did not develop PTSD. The team, which was led by MUSC neuroscientist Jane Joseph, Ph.D., also showed that connectivity in
the VAN-DAN systems increased after treatment with oxytocin, a hormone associated with social affiliations and the stress response. The team's findings are published in Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.


==========================================================================
"We believe that these findings contribute to the field by helping us
to understand better how the connection between the brain's attention
systems may be involved in whether PTSD develops after childhood trauma," explained Kathleen Crum, Ph.D., lead author of the article. Crum, who
was at MUSC at the time of the study, has since transitioned to a faculty position in the Department of Psychiatry at the Indiana University School
of Medicine.

Abuse during childhood is a major risk factor for PTSD. Indeed,
children who experience any form of abuse are 70% more likely to develop
PTSD. Sexual abuse during childhood disrupts brain development and is
theorized to be associated with betrayal trauma, which occurs when a
person's trust in an institution or loved one is violated by abuse.

"Current psychology literature suggests the possibility of something known
as betrayal trauma," Crum explained. "People perceive events differently depending on the form of abuse." For example, study participants with
a history of sexual abuse had reduced VAN- DAN connectivity, regardless
of whether they went on to develop PTSD, whereas those with a history
of physical abuse did not.

VAN and DAN each play a unique role in the regulation of attention,
according to Crum.



==========================================================================
"DAN is a network in the brain that is responsible for voluntary
attention, while VAN is the process of shifting or reorienting our
attention to another event," said Crum. "They act as a push-pull
mechanism; while one action occurs, the other cannot." Joseph and Crum
wanted to study the VAN-DAN network because patients with PTSD often
find it difficult to reorient their attention.

"Individuals with PTSD have difficulty disengaging attention from
threat- related cues, including cues that remind them of their traumatic experiences," explained Crum. "Individuals with PTSD may also tend to
interpret neutral cues as threat-related. Collectively, these problems
affect their ability to direct their attention to the task at hand
in their everyday lives." It is thought that the "fight or flight"
response may be hyperactive in these individuals, which may account for
this difficulty with shifting their attention. Crum provided an example
to illustrate why it can be difficult for people with PTSD to concentrate
on a specific task when their perception of external threat is heightened.

"Imagine a scenario where you are parachuting or skydiving and someone
asks you to do a complex math problem -- how well would you do on that
math problem?" asked Crum. "The focus on survival and staying out
of danger can compete with performing everyday tasks, like holding a conversation or doing our work." The team wanted to measure VAN-DAN connectivity at rest because it enabled them to compare differences in connectivity without the demands of a specific task.



==========================================================================
To measure resting-state connectivity, the team placed participants in
an MRI scanner and asked them to focus on a cross on a screen, allowing
their attention systems to remain at rest. Participants with PTSD or
a history of sexual abuse showed decreased resting-state functional connectivity between the VAN and DAN regions, suggesting decreased
connectivity between the two.

The effect of the hormone oxytocin was also explored in relation to
decreased connectivity. Oxytocin is thought to act on the attention
network system and is being studied nationally as a potential treatment
for PTSD and childhood trauma, including at MUSC.

"Oxytocin is very important for social bonding and stress reduction,"
explained Joseph. "While PTSD does not always originate from social and personal trauma, oxytocin seems to be beneficial in stressful situations,
which is why it is being explored as a treatment for this disorder."
Crum believes the next step for the field would be to examine how trauma exposure itself affects attention network connectivity.

"Existing research suggests that trauma exposure is associated with
changes in the brain and its functions, regardless of a PTSD diagnosis,"
stated Crum.

"Future work should analyze the differences between
trauma exposure and traumatic stress in groups exposed
to trauma who did and did not develop PTSD, as well as
a third group who did not experience any trauma whatsoever." ========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by
Medical_University_of_South_Carolina. Original written by Connor
Graham. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Kathleen I. Crum, Julianne C. Flanagan, Brandon Vaughan, Joseph
Aloi,
Megan M. Moran-Santa Maria, Sudie E. Back, Kathleen T. Brady,
Jane E.

Joseph. Oxytocin, PTSD, and sexual abuse are associated with
attention network intrinsic functional connectivity. Psychiatry
Research: Neuroimaging, 2021; 316: 111345 DOI:
10.1016/j.pscychresns.2021.111345 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/10/211027121948.htm

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