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Post-traumatic stress influences local and remote functional connectivity: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study

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Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with alterations in regional brain activation and remote functional connectivity (FC) in limbic and prefrontal cortex. However, little is known about local FC changes following a traumatic event. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance images were collected for typhoon survivors with (n = 27) and without PTSD (n = 33), and healthy controls (n = 30). Local FC was examined by calculating regional homogeneity (ReHo), and remote FC was investigated between regions showing significant ReHo group differences. The PTSD group showed ReHo changes in multiple regions, including the amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, and prefrontal cortex relative to both control groups. Compared with healthy controls, typhoon survivors had increased ReHo in the insula/inferior frontal gyrus, middle and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (MCC/dACC), as well as enhanced negative FC between the MCC/dACC and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC)/precuneus. The typhoon-exposed control group exhibited higher ReHo in the PCC/precuneus than the PTSD and healthy control groups. Furthermore, positive correlations were found between PTSD symptom severity and ReHo in several regions. Post-traumatic stress can influence local and remote FC, irrespective of PTSD diagnosis. Future studies are needed to validate the findings and to determine whether the alterations represent pre-existing or acquired deficits.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China [grant number 81301209, 81301155, 81460261, 81201077]; the Key science and technology project of Hainan Province [grant number ZDYF2016156]; and the Chinese Key Grant [grant number BWS11J063, 10z026].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, No.305 Zhongshan East Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210002, China

    Jun Ke, Rongfeng Qi, Qiang Xu, Yuan Zhong & Guangming Lu

  2. Department of Radiology, People’s Hospital of Hainan Province, Haikou, 570311, China

    Feng Chen & Jianjun Li

  3. Mental Health Institute, the Second Xiangya Hospital, National Technology Institute of Psychiatry, Key Laboratory of Psychiatry and Mental Health of Hunan Province, Central South University, No.139 Middle Renmin Road, Changsha, Hunan Province, 410011, China

    Lida Chen & Li Zhang

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  1. Jun Ke
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  4. Qiang Xu
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  5. Yuan Zhong
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  8. Li Zhang
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  9. Guangming Lu
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Correspondence to Li Zhang or Guangming Lu.

Ethics declarations

The present study was in accordance with the declaration of Helsinki, and was approved by the ethics committee of People’s Hospital of Hainan Province and the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University. All participants provided written informed consent after a detailed description of this study.

Conflicts of interest

Jun Ke, Feng Chen, Rongfeng Qi, Qiang Xu, Yuan Zhong, Lida Chen, Jianjun Li, Li Zhang, and Guangming Lu declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Jun Ke, Feng Chen, Rongfeng Qi equally to this work.

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Ke, J., Chen, F., Qi, R. et al. Post-traumatic stress influences local and remote functional connectivity: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Brain Imaging and Behavior 11, 1316–1325 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11682-016-9622-6

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