Resting-State Functional Connectivity Characteristics of Resilience to Traumatic Stress in Dutch Police Officers

BackgroundInsights into the neurobiological basis of resilience can have important implications for the prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders, especially in populations that are subjected to high-stress environments. Evaluating large-scale resting-state networks (RSNs) can provide information regarding resilient specific brain function which may be useful in understanding resilience. This study aimed to explore functional connectivity patterns specific for (high) resilience in Dutch policemen after exposure to multiple work-related traumatic events. We investigated resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the salience network (SN), limbic network, and the default-mode network (DMN).MethodsResting-state functional MRI scans were obtained from trauma-exposed executive personnel of the Dutch police force and non-trauma-exposed recruits from the police academy. Participants were divided into three groups: a resilient group (n = 31; trauma exposure; no psychopathology), a vulnerable group (n = 32; trauma exposure, psychopathology), and a control group (n = 19; no trauma exposure, no psychopathology). RSFC of the three networks of interest was compared between these groups, using an independent component analysis and a dual regression approach.ResultsWe found decreased resilience-specific positive RSFC of the salience network with several prefrontal regions. The DMN and limbic network RFSC did not show resilience-specific patterns.ConclusionThis study shows a differential RSFC specific for resilient police officers. This differential RSFC may be related to a greater capacity for internal-focused thought and interoceptive awareness, allowing more effective higher-order responses to stress in highly resilient individuals

Social brain, social dysfunction and social withdrawal

The human social brain is complex. Current knowledge fails to define the neurobiological processes underlying social behaviour involving the (patho-) physiological mechanisms that link system-level phenomena to the multiple hierarchies of brain function. Unfortunately, such a high complexity may also be associated with a high susceptibility to several pathogenic interventions. Consistently, social deficits sometimes represent the first signs of a number of neuropsychiatric disorders including schizophrenia (SCZ), Alzheimer's disease (AD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) which leads to a progressive social dysfunction. In the present review we summarize present knowledge linking neurobiological substrates sustaining social functioning, social dysfunction and social withdrawal in major psychiatric disorders. Interestingly, AD, SCZ, and MDD affect the social brain in similar ways. Thus, social dysfunction and its most evident clinical expression (i.e., social withdrawal) may represent an innovative transdiagnostic domain, with the potential of being an independent entity in terms of biological roots, with the perspective of targeted interventions

A Comparison of Methods to Harmonize Cortical Thickness Measurements Across Scanners and Sites

Results of neuroimaging datasets aggregated from multiple sites may be biased by site-specific profiles in participants’ demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as MRI acquisition protocols and scanning platforms. We compared the impact of four different harmonization methods on results obtained from analyses of cortical thickness data: (1) linear mixed-effects model (LME) that models site-specific random intercepts (LME INT), (2) LME that models both site-specific random intercepts and age-related random slopes (LME INT+SLP), (3) ComBat, and (4) ComBat with a generalized additive model (ComBat-GAM). Our test case for comparing harmonization methods was cortical thickness data aggregated from 29 sites, which included 1,340 cases with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (6.2–81.8 years old) and 2,057 trauma-exposed controls without PTSD (6.3–85.2 years old). We found that, compared to the other data harmonization methods, data processed with ComBat-GAM was more sensitive to the detection of significant case-control differences (Χ 2(3) = 63.704, p < 0.001) as well as case-control differences in age-related cortical thinning (Χ 2(3) = 12.082, p = 0.007). Both ComBat and ComBat-GAM outperformed LME methods in detecting sex differences (Χ 2(3) = 9.114, p = 0.028) in regional cortical thickness. ComBat-GAM also led to stronger estimates of age-related declines in cortical thickness (corrected p-values < 0.001), stronger estimates of case-related cortical thickness reduction (corrected p-values < 0.001), weaker estimates of age-related declines in cortical thickness in cases than controls (corrected p-values < 0.001), stronger estimates of cortical thickness reduction in females than males (corrected p-values < 0.001), and stronger estimates of cortical thickness reduction in females relative to males in cases than controls (corrected p-values < 0.001). Our results support the use of ComBat-GAM to minimize confounds and increase statistical power when harmonizing data with non-linear effects, and the use of either ComBat or ComBat-GAM for harmonizing data with linear effects

White matter disturbances in major depressive disorder : a coordinated analysis across 20 international cohorts in the ENIGMA MDD working group

Altres ajuts: The ENIGMA-Major Depressive Disorder working group gratefully acknowledges support from the NIH Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) award (U54 EB020403 to PMT) and NIH grant R01 MH116147 (PMT). LS is supported by an NHMRC MRFF Career Development Fellowship (APP1140764). We wish to acknowledge the patients and control subjects that have particiaped int the study. We thank Rosa Schirmer, Elke Schreiter, Reinhold Borschke and Ines Eidner for image acquisition and data preparation, and Anna Oliynyk for quality checks. We thank Dorothee P. Auer and F. Holsboer for initiation of the RUD study. We wish to acknowledge the patients and control subjects that have particiaped int the study. We thank Rosa Schirmer, Elke Schreiter, Reinhold Borschke and Ines Eidner for image acquisition and data preparation, and Anna Oliynyk for quality checks. We thank Dorothee P. Auer and F. Holsboer for initiation of the RUD study. NESDA: The infrastructure for the NESDA study (www.nesda.nl) is funded through the Geestkracht program of the Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development (Zon-Mw, grant number 10-000-1002) and is supported by participating universities (VU University Medical Center, GGZ inGeest, Arkin, Leiden University Medical Center, GGZ Rivierduinen, University Medical Center Groningen) and mental health care organizations, see www.nesda.nl. M-JvT was supported by a VENI grant (NWO grant number 016.156.077). UCSF: This work was supported by the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (formerly NARSAD) to TTY; the National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH085734 to TTY; K01MH117442 to TCH) and by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (PDF-1-064-13) to TCH. Stanford: This work was supported by NIMH Grants R01MH59259 and R37101495 to IHG. MS is partially supported by an award funded by the Phyllis and Jerome Lyle Rappaport Foundation. Muenster: This work was funded by the German Research Foundation (SFB-TRR58, Projects C09 and Z02 to UD) and the Interdisciplinary Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) of the medical faculty of Münster (grant Dan3/012/17 to UD). Marburg: This work was funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG, grant FOR2107 DA1151/5-1 and DA1151/5-2 to UD; KI 588/ 14-1, KI 588/14-2 to TK; KR 3822/7-1, KR 3822/7-2 to AK; JA 1890/ 7-1, JA 1890/7-2 to AJ). IMH-MDD: This work was supported by the National Healthcare Group Research Grant (SIG/15012) awarded to KS. Barcelona: This study was funded by two grants of the Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, by the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM). The author is funded through 'Miguel Servet' research contract (CP16-0020), co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (2016-2019). QTIM: We thank the twins and singleton siblings who gave generously of their time to participate in the QTIM study. We also thank the many research assistants, radiographers, and IT support staff for data acquisition and DNA sample preparation. This study was funded by White matter disturbances in major depressive disorder: a coordinated analysis across 20 international. . . 1521 the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (RO1 HD050735); National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (Award 1U54EB020403-01, Subaward 56929223); National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia (Project Grants 496682, 1009064). NIH ENIGMA-BD2K U54 EB020403 (Thompson); R01 MH117601 (Jahanshad/Schmaal). Magdeburg: M.L. and M.W. are funded by SFB 779. Bipolar Family Study: This study has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013). This paper reflects only the author's views and the European Union is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein. This work was also supported by a Wellcome Trust Strategic Award (104036/Z/14/Z). Minnesota Adolescent Depression Study: The study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (K23MH090421), the National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression, the University of Minnesota Graduate School, the Minnesota Medical Foundation, and the Biotechnology Research Center (P41 RR008079 to the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research), University of Minnesota, and the Deborah E. Powell Center for Women's Health Seed Grant, University of Minnesota. Dublin: This study was supported by Science Foundation Ireland through a Stokes Professorhip grant to TF. MPIP: The MPIP Sample comprises patients included in the Recurrent Unipolar Depression (RUD) Case-Control study at the clinic of the Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, German. The RUD study was supported by GlaxoSmithKline.Alterations in white matter (WM) microstructure have been implicated in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, previous findings have been inconsistent, partially due to low statistical power and the heterogeneity of depression. In the largest multi-site study to date, we examined WM anisotropy and diffusivity in 1305 MDD patients and 1602 healthy controls (age range 12-88 years) from 20 samples worldwide, which included both adults and adolescents, within the MDD Working Group of the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) consortium. Processing of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data and statistical analyses were harmonized across sites and effects were meta-analyzed across studies. We observed subtle, but widespread, lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in adult MDD patients compared with controls in 16 out of 25 WM tracts of interest (Cohen's d between 0.12 and 0.26). The largest differences were observed in the corpus callosum and corona radiata. Widespread higher radial diffusivity (RD) was also observed (all Cohen's d between 0.12 and 0.18). Findings appeared to be driven by patients with recurrent MDD and an adult age of onset of depression. White matter microstructural differences in a smaller sample of adolescent MDD patients and controls did not survive correction for multiple testing. In this coordinated and harmonized multisite DTI study, we showed subtle, but widespread differences in WM microstructure in adult MDD, which may suggest structural disconnectivity in MDD

Resting-State Functional Connectivity Characteristics of Resilience to Traumatic Stress in Dutch Police Officers

Background: Insights into the neurobiological basis of resilience can have important implications for the prevention and treatment of stress-related disorders, especially in populations that are subjected to high-stress environments. Evaluating large-scale resting-state networks (RSNs) can provide information regarding resilient specific brain function which may be useful in understanding resilience. This study aimed to explore functional connectivity patterns specific for (high) resilience in Dutch policemen after exposure to multiple work-related traumatic events. We investigated resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the salience network (SN), limbic network, and the default-mode network (DMN). Methods: Resting-state functional MRI scans were obtained from trauma-exposed executive personnel of the Dutch police force and non-trauma-exposed recruits from the police academy. Participants were divided into three groups: a resilient group (n = 31; trauma exposure; no psychopathology), a vulnerable group (n = 32; trauma exposure, psychopathology), and a control group (n = 19; no trauma exposure, no psychopathology). RSFC of the three networks of interest was compared between these groups, using an independent component analysis and a dual regression approach. Results: We found decreased resilience-specific positive RSFC of the salience network with several prefrontal regions. The DMN and limbic network RFSC did not show resilience-specific patterns. Conclusion: This study shows a differential RSFC specific for resilient police officers. This differential RSFC may be related to a greater capacity for internal-focused thought and interoceptive awareness, allowing more effective higher-order responses to stress in highly resilient individuals

Structural brain correlates of resilience to traumatic stress in Dutch police officers

Stress-related psychiatric disorders across the life spa

Beyond economics : understanding the decision-making of German small private landlords in terms of energy efficiency investment

The German government aims to achieve virtually climate-neutral building stock by 2050 to tackle climate change. To realise this goal, comprehensive policy packages based on neoclassical economic theory are in place to foster energy efficiency investment. However, in the building sector, there is increasingly a gap between this aspiration and the reality. It is claimed that one of the main reasons for this is that the existing policy framework fails to address the specific characteristics and needs of different groups of building owners. This is a particular challenge in Germany, where 80% of all dwellings are owned privately and 37% are rented out by small private landlords (SPL). Despite the significant numbers of SPL, they often follow black box decision-making processes when considering energy renovations. In this study, the author uses an explanatory model to understand the decision-making processes of SPL, combining theoretical aspects from different research disciplines. This model was applied to a low-demand housing market in a neighbourhood in the Ruhr area. Eighteen semi-structured interviews (each lasting between 37 and 115 min) were conducted, demonstrating that in addition to economic factors, the values, beliefs, norms and routines of SPL - as well as their personal capabilities and contextual factors - play an important role in their decision-making. Based on the findings, recommendations are made for enhancing the effectiveness of existing energy efficiency policies and other supporting instruments (e.g. tenancy law and social legislation), tailored to the specific needs of SPL

Resting-State Functional Connectivity in Patients with Long-Term Remission of Cushing’s Disease

Glucocorticoid disturbance can be a cause of psychiatric symptoms. Cushing's disease represents a unique model for examining the effects of prolonged exposure to high levels of endogenous cortisol on the human brain as well as for examining the relation between these effects and psychiatric symptomatology. This study aimed to investigate resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) of the limbic network, the default mode network (DMN), and the executive control network in patients with long-term remission of Cushing's disease. RSFC of these three networks of interest was compared between patients in remission of Cushing's disease (n=24; 4 male, mean age=44.96 years) and matched healthy controls (n=24; 4 male, mean age=46.5 years), using probabilistic independent component analysis to extract the networks and a dual regression method to compare both groups. Psychological and cognitive functioning was assessed with validated questionnaires and interviews. In comparison with controls, patients with remission of Cushing's disease showed an increased RSFC between the limbic network and the subgenual subregion of the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) as well as an increased RSFC of the DMN in the left lateral occipital cortex. However, these findings were not associated with psychiatric symptoms in the patient group. Our data indicate that previous exposure to hypercortisolism is related to persisting changes in brain function

Cortical volume abnormalities in posttraumatic stress disorder : an ENIGMA-psychiatric genomics consortium PTSD workgroup mega-analysis

Studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) report volume abnormalities in multiple regions of the cerebral cortex. However, findings for many regions, particularly regions outside commonly studied emotion-related prefrontal, insular, and limbic regions, are inconsistent and tentative. Also, few studies address the possibility that PTSD abnormalities may be confounded by comorbid depression. A mega-analysis investigating all cortical regions in a large sample of PTSD and control subjects can potentially provide new insight into these issues. Given this perspective, our group aggregated regional volumes data of 68 cortical regions across both hemispheres from 1379 PTSD patients to 2192 controls without PTSD after data were processed by 32 international laboratories using ENIGMA standardized procedures. We examined whether regional cortical volumes were different in PTSD vs. controls, were associated with posttraumatic stress symptom (PTSS) severity, or were affected by comorbid depression. Volumes of left and right lateral orbitofrontal gyri (LOFG), left superior temporal gyrus, and right insular, lingual and superior parietal gyri were significantly smaller, on average, in PTSD patients than controls (standardized coefficients = -0.111 to -0.068, FDR corrected P values < 0.039) and were significantly negatively correlated with PTSS severity. After adjusting for depression symptoms, the PTSD findings in left and right LOFG remained significant. These findings indicate that cortical volumes in PTSD patients are smaller in prefrontal regulatory regions, as well as in broader emotion and sensory processing cortical regions