Altered cortical functional network during behavioral inhibition in individuals with childhood trauma

Abstract

Individuals who have prior history of childhood traumatic experiences are at a high risk for a variety of psychological and behavioral problems throughout their lifetime. This study aimed to investigate whether such individuals exhibit altered cortical functional networks during a behavioral inhibition task. One hundred fifty-three non-clinical individuals were recruited and instructed to perform a Go/NoGo task during an electroencephalograph. Source-level weighted functional networks based on the graph theory were analyzed for NoGo-P3 processing. Based on their total scores on the childhood trauma questionnaire (CTQ) participants were divided into three groups: low CTQ, middle CTQ, and high CTQ. Results at the global level indicated decreased strength, clustering coefficient, and efficiency for the low and gamma bands in the high CTQ group. In addition, the path length of the low beta band was observed to be longer in the high CTQ group than the low CTQ group. At the nodal level, the nodal clustering coefficient of high CTQ group was decreased in left primary somatosensory cortex and middle occipital gyrus for the low beta band, and in left superior temporal gyrus for the gamma band. The nodal clustering coefficient of the left primary somatosensory cortex showed a significant negative correlation with the total CTQ score for the low beta band. In addition, the nodal clustering coefficient of the left middle occipital gyrus for the low beta band and superior temporal gyrus for the gamma band showed significant negative correlations with the emotional neglect score. Our results demonstrate an altered cortical functional network in individuals who experienced childhood trauma. In particular, the left primary somatosensory cortex, middle occipital gyrus, and superior temporal gyrus were found to be vulnerable in individuals who experienced childhood trauma, especially emotional neglect.

Disorder- and emotional context-specific neurofunctional alterations during inhibitory control in generalized anxiety and major depressive disorder

“…Demographic data, current levels of depressive and generalized anxiety symptoms were assessed by means of validated questionnaires (BDI-II, PSWQ, ( Beck et al, 1996 ). Given that childhood trauma may affect inhibitory control ( Kim et al, 2018 , Liu et al, 2020 , Maier et al, 2020 ) the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire ( Bernstein et al, 2003 ) was administered ( Table 1 ). The study was part of a larger project on common and disorders-specific alterations in MDD and GAD, the present paradigm was preceded by resting state fMRI acquisition ( Xu et al, 2020a ) and followed by a pain empathy paradigm ( Xu et al, 2020b ).…”

Severe childhood and adulthood stress associates with neocortical layer-specific reductions of mature spines in psychiatric disorders

“…Decline of these functions is associated with the development of psychopathology including depressive states and psychosis [69, 70]. In accordance, cortical circuit dysregulation has been identified in functional magnetic resonance imaging studies of psychiatric disorders specifically associated with childhood stress [71, 72]. Taken together, reduced spines in the OFC could be involved in impaired emotional regulation and anxiety associated with psychiatric disorders.…”

Enduring effect of abuse: Childhood maltreatment links to altered theory of mind network among adults

“…Of note, CM‐related reduced FC between the IPL and dorsolateral PFC during sustained attention was moderated by SNP rs3800373 (Hart et al, 2017). In addition, network analysis reported that CM was associated with changed degree centrality in the insula, ACC, and occipital cortex (Teicher, Anderson, Ohashi, & Polcari, 2014), and decreased nodal clustering coefficient in the STG and middle occipital gyrus during behavioral inhibition (Kim, Kim, Shim, Im, & Lee, 2018). Therefore, our finding of changed ToM connectomes implied that CM experience disrupted the function of ToM network, thus resulting in maladjusted ToM abilities which are commonly seen in maltreatment persons.…”

“…In addition, network analysis reported that CM was associated with F I G U R E 3 Group difference in FC of right IPL between CM and non-CM groups (voxel level p < .005, cluster level p < .05, GRF corrected). CM, childhood maltreatment; FC, functional connectivity; IPL, inferior parietal lobule; L, left; MFG, middle frontal gyrus; R, right; STG, superior temporal gyrus changed degree centrality in the insula, ACC, and occipital cortex (Teicher, Anderson, Ohashi, & Polcari, 2014), and decreased nodal clustering coefficient in the STG and middle occipital gyrus during behavioral inhibition (Kim, Kim, Shim, Im, & Lee, 2018). Therefore, our finding of changed ToM connectomes implied that CM experience disrupted the function of ToM network, thus resulting in maladjusted ToM abilities which are commonly seen in maltreatment persons.…”