Extended Functional Connectivity of Convergent Structural Alterations Among Individuals with PTSD: A Neuroimaging Meta-Analysis

Background: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating disorder defined by the onset of intrusive, avoidant, negative cognitive or affective, and/or hyperarousal symptoms after witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Previous voxel-based morphometry studies have provided insight into structural brain alterations associated with PTSD with notable heterogeneity across these studies. Furthermore, how structural alterations may be associated with brain function, as measured by task-free and task-based functional connectivity, remains to be elucidated. Methods: Using emergent meta-analytic techniques, we sought to first identify a consensus of structural alterations in PTSD using the anatomical likelihood estimation (ALE) approach. Next, we generated functional profiles of identified convergent structural regions utilizing resting-state functional connectivity (rsFC) and meta-analytic co-activation modeling (MACM) methods. Finally, we performed functional decoding to examine mental functions associated with our ALE, rsFC, and MACM brain characterizations. Results: We observed convergent structural alterations in a single region located in the medial prefrontal cortex. The resultant rsFC and MACM maps identified functional connectivity across a widespread, whole-brain network that included frontoparietal and limbic regions. Functional decoding revealed overlapping associations with attention, memory, and emotion processes. Conclusions: Consensus-based functional connectivity was observed in regions of the default mode, salience, and central executive networks, which play a role in the tripartite model of psychopathology. Taken together, these findings have important implications for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms associated with PTSD

Neural Systems Underlying RDoC Social Constructs: An Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analysis

Neuroscientists have sought to identify the underlying neural systems supporting social processing that allow interaction and communication, forming social relationships, and navigating the social world. Through the use of NIMH’s Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) framework, we evaluated consensus among studies that examined brain activity during social tasks to elucidate regions comprising the “social brain”. We examined convergence across tasks corresponding to the four RDoC social constructs, including Affiliation and Attachment, Social Communication, Perception and Understanding of Self, and Perception and Understanding of Others. We performed a series of coordinate-based meta-analyses using the activation likelihood estimate (ALE) method. Meta-analysis was performed on whole-brain coordinates reported from 864 fMRI contrasts using the NiMARE Python package, revealing convergence in medial prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, temporoparietal junction, bilateral insula, amygdala, fusiform gyrus, precuneus, and thalamus. Additionally, four separate RDoC-based meta-analyses revealed differential convergence associated with the four social constructs. These outcomes highlight the neural support underlying these social constructs and inform future research on alterations among neurotypical and atypical populations

Exploring the Family Stress Model (FSM) Among Recently Immigrated Hispanic Parents

Parents play an important role in shaping children’s behavior by establishing boundaries and correcting inappropriate behavior, while also providing emotional support, protecting the child and providing for the child’s needs (Seay, Freysteinson, & McFarlane, 2014). Acute and chronic stressors can negatively impact parents’ ability to engage in positive parenting practices (Masarik & Conger 2017). Given the stressors associated with immigration and acculturation (Romero & Piña-Watson, 2017), there has been a recent interest in examining how these unique pressures impact parenting and children’s emotional well-being (Lorenzo-Blanco et al., 2016). Acculturative stress includes two dimensions: pressure against acculturation (pressure to preserve one’s culture by speaking one’s native language and refusing to assimilate) and pressure to acculturate (pressure to learn the language and practices of their new surroundings) (Kim, Hogge, & Salvisberg 2014). Prior research has found negative associations between acculturative stress and positive parenting (Calzadaa & O\u27Garaa, 2019; Marsiglia, Kiehne, & Ayers, 2016; Williams et al., 2017) by addressing the subscales of the Multidimensional Acculturative Stress Inventory (Rodriguez, Myers, Mira, Flores, & Garcia-Hernandez) as a unitary construct during their analyses. However, studies have not yet investigated the unique effects of the individual components of acculturative stress on parenting practices. This study addresses gap by examining how dimensions of acculturative stress predicts positive parenting and parental involvement. The parent sample was drawn from a larger longitudinal study, Construyendo Oportunidades Para los Adolescentes Latinos (Schwartz et al., 2014), with recently immigrated parent-adolescent dyads residing in Los Angeles and Miami. The sample consisted of 302 recently immigrated Hispanic caregivers (Mage= 41.09, SD = 7.09; Mother = 69%). Miami families were primarily from Cuba (61%) whereas Los Angeles families were primarily from Mexico (70%). A path model was estimated in Mplus V8. (Muthén & Muthén, 1998-2017) using a Robust Maximum Likelihood Estimator to examine the unique effects of parents’ acculturative stress at Time 1 on Positive Parenting Behavior and Parental Involvement at Time 2, controlling for baseline levels. The model had good fit [χ2(2) = .403, p = .817, CFI = 1.000; RMSEA Consistent with prior findings (Lorenzo-Blanco et al., 2016), pressure to acculturate reduces caregivers’ involvement in their adolescents’ lives. In contrast, native language pressure was associated with positive parenting. Given that caregivers are native Spanish speakers, experiencing greater native language pressure may reflect a desire to keep their children grounded in their cultural heritage. Indeed, as children gravitate toward the receiving culture (Schwartz et al., 2010), caregivers may exert more parental control (Halgunseth et al., 2006), which may be construed as “positive parenting”. Future research should examine both the origin of these stressors and take into accounts’ youths own report of family functioning

Comparison of Hispanic College and Noncollege Emerging Adults

Although a substantive body of research has focused on Hispanic college students, there has been little research regarding the differences between college-attending Hispanics and non-college attending Hispanics emerging adults (EA). Studies have indicated that noncollege emerging adults may be at greater risk compared to college-attending peers (Bailey et al., 2011). Given the differences in SES and daily routine (Schwartz, 2016), the exclusive focus on college-attending Hispanic EA is problematic. Addressing this gap, the current study examined differences between college and noncollege Hispanic EA on acculturative stress, ethnic and US identity, self-esteem, and alcohol use. The sample consisted of 91 Hispanic EA (52.0% female; Mage= 21.20, range = 18-26; College-Attending = 75.5%). Results from a series of t-tests indicated noncollege Hispanics experience significantly greater Native Language Pressure [t(96) = 4.799, pt(96) = 8.455, pt(96) = 5.009, pt(97) = 6.018, pt(96) = 2.793, p = .006]. Self-Esteem [t(97) = -2.540, p = .013] and ethnic identity [t(97) = -2.556, p = .012] were higher among college-attending Hispanic EA. Given key demographic differences (Schwartz, 2016), it was not surprising to see noncollege Hispanic EA reporting higher English language pressure and pressure to acculturate. However, consistent with prior research (Bailey et al., 2011), noncollege Hispanic EA exhibiting lower self-esteem, greater alcohol use, higher Spanish language pressure and pressure against acculturation. In sum, these findings indicate noncollege may represent a particularly vulnerable population

Effects of Cultural Stress on Identity Development and Depression among Hispanic College Students

Hispanic emerging adults are routinely faced with a variety of cultural stressors that adversely impact mental health and compromise identity development. Given that identity emerges through day-to-day interactions, there is a need to explore the impact of cultural stress on identity development and depressive symptoms at the micro-level (across days). To address these gaps, the current study utilized a 12-day diary study conducted among 792 Hispanic college students (75.9% female, M age  = 20.14 years, SD = 1.85, Range = 18-24 years) to determine the impact of cultural stress on daily identity coherence, identity confusion, depressive symptoms, and the association between identity coherence and confusion and depressive symptoms in this population. Results indicated that Day 1 cultural stress positively predicted average daily depressive symptoms and identity confusion and negatively predicted identity coherence. Finally, cultural stress predicted a stronger daily association between identity confusion and depressive symptoms. As a whole, our findings emphasize the detrimental impact that cultural stressors have on both identity development and depressive symptoms at the daily level. These results are discussed in relation to the specific types of cultural stressors that Hispanic emerging adults face, and the need for appropriate intervention and prevention efforts for this population is emphasized