RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Hippocampal Threat Reactivity Interacts with Physiological Arousal to Predict PTSD Symptoms
JF The Journal of Neuroscience
JO J. Neurosci.
FD Society for Neuroscience
SP 6593
OP 6604
DO 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0911-21.2022
VO 42
IS 34
A1 Büşra Tanriverdi
A1 David F. Gregory
A1 Thomas M. Olino
A1 Timothy D. Ely
A1 Nathaniel G. Harnett
A1 Sanne J.H. van Rooij
A1 Lauren A.M. Lebois
A1 Antonia V. Seligowski
A1 Tanja Jovanovic
A1 Kerry J. Ressler
A1 Stacey L. House
A1 Francesca L. Beaudoin
A1 Xinming An
A1 Thomas C. Neylan
A1 Gari D. Clifford
A1 Sarah D. Linnstaedt
A1 Laura T. Germine
A1 Kenneth A. Bollen
A1 Scott L. Rauch
A1 John P. Haran
A1 Alan B. Storrow
A1 Christopher Lewandowski
A1 Paul I. Musey
A1 Phyllis L. Hendry
A1 Sophia Sheikh
A1 Christopher W. Jones
A1 Brittany E. Punches
A1 Michael C. Kurz
A1 Meghan E. McGrath
A1 Lauren A. Hudak
A1 Jose L. Pascual
A1 Mark J. Seamon
A1 Elizabeth M. Datner
A1 Claire Pearson
A1 Robert M. Domeier
A1 Niels K. Rathlev
A1 Brian J. O'Neil
A1 Leon D. Sanchez
A1 Steven E. Bruce
A1 Mark W. Miller
A1 Robert H. Pietrzak
A1 Jutta Joormann
A1 Deanna M. Barch
A1 Diego A. Pizzagalli
A1 John F. Sheridan
A1 Jordan W. Smoller
A1 Steven E. Harte
A1 James M. Elliott
A1 Samuel A. McLean
A1 Ronald C. Kessler
A1 Karestan C. Koenen
A1 Jennifer S. Stevens
A1 Vishnu P. Murty
YR 2022
UL http://www.jneurosci.org/content/42/34/6593.abstract
AB Hippo campal impairments are reliably associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, little research has characterized how increased threat sensitivity may interact with arousal responses to alter hippocampal reactivity, and further how these interactions relate to the sequelae of trauma-related symptoms. In a sample of individuals recently exposed to trauma (N = 116, 76 female), we found that PTSD symptoms at 2 weeks were associated with decreased hippocampal responses to threat as assessed with fMRI. Further, the relationship between hippocampal threat sensitivity and PTSD symptomology only emerged in individuals who showed transient, high threat-related arousal, as assayed by an independently collected measure of fear potentiated startle. Collectively, our finding suggests that development of PTSD is associated with threat-related decreases in hippocampal function because of increases in fear-potentiated arousal.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Alterations in hippocampal function linked to threat-related arousal are reliably associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, how these alterations relate to the sequelae of trauma-related symptoms is unknown. Prior models based on nontrauma samples suggest that arousal may impact hippocampal neurophysiology leading to maladaptive behavior. Here we show that decreased hippocampal threat sensitivity interacts with fear-potentiated startle to predict PTSD symptoms. Specifically, individuals with high fear-potentiated startle and low, transient hippocampal threat sensitivity showed the greatest PTSD symptomology. These findings bridge literatures of threat-related arousal and hippocampal function to better understand PTSD risk.