Altered dynamic parahippocampus functional connectivity in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Objectives

This study investigated dynamic brain functional alterations in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) patients with resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Methods

Degree centrality (DC) and seed-based functional connectivity (FC) analyses were conducted among typhoon survivours with (n = 27) and without PTSD (n = 33) and healthy controls (HC) (n = 30) to assess the intrinsic dysconnectivity pattern and network-level brain function.

Results

Both the PTSD group and the trauma-exposed control (TEC) group had increased DC in the left parahippocampal gyrus relative to the HC group. More increased DC in the left parahippocampal gyrus was found in the PTSD group. Both traumatised groups exhibited decreased left parahippocampal gyrus dynamic FC with the bilateral middle frontal gyrus and superior frontal gyrus relative to the HC group. The Checklist-Civilian Version score was positively correlated with dynamic FC between the parahippocampal gyrus and left superior frontal gyrus but was negatively correlated with dynamic FC between the parahippocampal gyrus and right middle frontal gyrus.

Conclusions

Trauma exposure may lead to an altered dynamic FC in individuals with or without PTSD. An altered DC in the parahippocampal gyrus may be an important risk factor for PTSD development following trauma exposure. A more prominently increased DC in the parahippocampal gyrus might be a common trait in the PTSD group.

Keywords:

• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• degree centrality
• dynamic functional connectivity
• parahippocampal gyrus

Acknowledgements

The authors thank all participants for their time and effort.

Author contributions

Feng Chen and Guang Ming Lu designed the research. Hui Juan Chen, Rongfeng Qi, Jun Ke, and Jie Qiu performed the research. Hui Juan Chen, Qiang Xu, Zhiqiang Zhang and Yuan Zhong analysed the data. Hui Juan Chen, Rongfeng Qi, and Feng Chen wrote the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China [grant number 81971602, 81760308, 81801684, 81701669]; the Chinese Key Grant [grant number BWS11J063, 10z026]; the Program of Hainan Association for Science and Technology Plans to Youth R & D Innovation [grant number QCXM201919]; Hainan Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China [grant number 818MS124]; the Nature Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province [grant number BK20170368].