Avoidance symptoms and delayed verbal memory are associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms in female victims of sexual violence

Shin, Kyoung Min; Chang, Hyoung Yoon; Cho, Sun-Mi; Kim, Nam Hee; Kim, Kyoung Ah; Chung, Young Ki

doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.05.051

Cited by 22 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 28 publications

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“…According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5 th edition), a PTSD diagnosis requires presence of symptoms from all four of the following symptom clusters for at least one month: 1) intrusive recollections of the traumatic event, 2) avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, 3) negative alterations in cognition, and 4) alterations in arousal and mood. Of these symptom clusters, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli may be the most detrimental to psychosocial functioning [4,5], is a strong predictor of future PTSD severity [6][7][8] and poor treatment response [9], and is predicted by amygdala hyperreactivity [10]. Critically, PTSD is highly co-morbid with alcohol use disorder (AUD), with 22-43% of individuals with PTSD meeting criteria for AUD, compared to 8% in the general population [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of central amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor in predator odor stress-induced avoidance behavior and escalated alcohol drinking in rats

et al. 2020

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by avoidance of trauma-associated stimuli and amygdala hyperreactivity, and is highly co-morbid with alcohol use disorder (AUD). Our lab uses a predator odor (bobcat urine) stress model that produces conditioned avoidance of an odorpaired context in a subset of rats, mirroring avoidance symptoms that manifest in some but not all humans exposed to trauma. We previously showed that after predator odor stress, Avoiders exhibit escalated alcohol drinking, higher aversion-resistant operant alcohol responding, hyperalgesia, and greater anxiety-like behavior compared to unstressed Controls. We also showed that systemic antagonism of corticotropin-releasing factor-1 receptors (CRFR1) reduced escalation of alcohol drinking in rats not indexed for avoidance, that corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) infusions into the central amygdala (CeA) produced conditioned place avoidance in stressnaïve rats, and that intra-CeA infusion of a CRFR1 antagonist reduced hyperalgesia in Avoiders.Here, we show that avoidance behavior is persistent after repeated predator odor exposure and is resistant to extinction. In addition, Avoiders showed lower weight gain than Controls after predator odor re-exposure. In the brain, higher avoidance was correlated with higher number of c-Fos+ cells and CRF immunoreactivity in the CeA. Finally, we show that intra-CeA CRFR1 antagonism reversed post-stress escalation of alcohol drinking and reduced avoidance behavior in Avoiders. Collectively, these findings suggest that elucidation of the mechanisms by which CRFR1-gated CeA circuits regulate avoidance behavior and alcohol drinking may lead to better understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying co-morbid PTSD and AUD.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of central amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor in predator odor stress-induced avoidance behavior and escalated alcohol drinking in rats

et al. 2020

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“…Persistent avoidance of stimuli that are related or perceived to be related to the traumatic stress is a major diagnostic criterion for PTSD in humans (American Psychiatric Association, 2013), and avoidance of trauma-related stimuli predicts subsequent onset of PTSD symptoms (Shin et al, 2015). Our lab uses a predator odor model of PTSD in which rats are divided into groups based on their stress reactivity, as indexed by avoidance of a predator odor-paired chamber (i.e., Avoiders and Non-Avoiders; Edwards et al, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Corticotropin-releasing factor in ventromedial prefrontal cortex mediates avoidance of a traumatic stress-paired context

Schreiber

Baynes

et al. 2017

Neuropharmacology

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Post-traumatic stress disorder affects 7.7 million Americans. One diagnostic criterion is avoidance of stimuli related to the traumatic stress. Using a predator odor stress conditioned place avoidance (CPA) model, rats can be divided into groups based on stress reactivity, measured by avoidance of the odor-paired context. Avoider rats, which show high stress reactivity, exhibit avoidance of stress-paired context and escalated alcohol drinking. Here, we examined the role of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), a neuropeptide that promotes anxiety-like behavior, in mediating post-stress avoidance and escalated alcohol drinking. CRF is expressed in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). The dorsal and ventral sub-regions of mPFC (dmPFC and vmPFC) have opposing roles in stress reactivity and alcohol drinking/seeking. We hypothesized that CRF-CRFR1 signaling in the vmPFC contributes to stress-induced avoidance and escalated alcohol self-administration. In Experiment 1, adult male Wistar rats were exposed to predator odor stress in a CPA paradigm, indexed for avoidance of odor-paired context, and brains processed for CRF-immunoreactive cell density in vmPFC and dmPFC. In Experiment 2, rats were tested for avoidance of a context repeatedly paired with intra-vmPFC CRF infusions. In Experiment 3, rats were stressed, indexed, and tested for the effects of intra-vmPFC CRFR1 antagonism on avoidance and alcohol self-administration. Post-stress, Avoiders exhibited higher CRF cell density in vmPFC, but not dmPFC. Intra-vmPFC CRF infusion produced conditioned place avoidance. Intra-vmPFC CRFR1 antagonism reversed avoidance of odor-paired context, but did not alter post-stress alcohol self-administration. These findings suggest that vmPFC CRF-CRFR1 signaling mediates avoidance of stimuli paired with traumatic stress.

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“…Several trauma theorists have proposed that negative thoughts about the world and one's incompetence mediate the development of PTSD after sexual assault ( 13 14 ). In other studies, avoidance-coping embedded dysfunctional cognitions (e.g., “the world is dangerous,” “the accident was my fault”) are associated with greater levels of post-traumatic stress symptoms ( 15 16 ). However, how post-traumatic cognition contributes to the link between a history of sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress symptoms in sexual assault victims in Korea remains unclear.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Post-Traumatic Cognition Mediates the Relationship between a History of Sexual Abuse and the Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Sexual Assault Victims

et al. 2017

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More than half of all sexual assault victims report experiencing sexual victimization more than once. The aim of this paper was to determine the role post-traumatic cognition plays in the relationship between a history of sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress symptoms in sexual assault victims. The relationship between a history of sexual assault and the severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms was investigated retrospectively using data from a sexual assault crisis center in Korea. Data on psychological symptoms were collected in person at the initial assessment and by telephone 1 month later using the Post-traumatic Cognitions Inventory and the Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms Scale: Self-report Version. Of 105 women included in the analysis, 10 (9.5%) reported prior sexual abuse and were classified as sexually revictimized. Revictimized women had more post-traumatic negative cognition at initial assessment (t = −2.98; P = 0.004) and more post-traumatic symptoms at 1 month follow-up (t = −2.39; P = 0.019) than singly victimized women. At 1 month follow-up, the severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms had increased in revictimized women but had decreased slightly in singly victimized women. Negative post-traumatic cognition fully mediated the association between a history of sexual abuse and the severity of post-traumatic stress symptoms. Early detection of sexually revictimized women and tailored service and treatment intervention is needed to better serve this group of victims. Interventions targeted at preventing revictimization or post crime victimization may also help victims recover from the trauma and prevent future abuse.

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Avoidance symptoms and delayed verbal memory are associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms in female victims of sexual violence

Cited by 22 publications

References 28 publications

The role of central amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor in predator odor stress-induced avoidance behavior and escalated alcohol drinking in rats

The role of central amygdala corticotropin-releasing factor in predator odor stress-induced avoidance behavior and escalated alcohol drinking in rats

Corticotropin-releasing factor in ventromedial prefrontal cortex mediates avoidance of a traumatic stress-paired context

Post-Traumatic Cognition Mediates the Relationship between a History of Sexual Abuse and the Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms in Sexual Assault Victims

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