Biology subjects

Vaiva, G.

Publications and source records attributed to Vaiva, G..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

Intrusive Experiences In Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: Treatment Response Induces Changes In The Effective Connectivity Of The Anterior Insula

BackgroundOne of the core features of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is reexperiencing the trauma. The anterior insula (AI) was proposed to play a crucial role in these intrusive experiences. However, the dynamic function of the AI in reexperiencing trauma, as well as its putative modulation by effective therapy, still need to be specified. MethodsThirty PTSD patients were enrolled and exposed to traumatic memory reactivation therapy. Resting-state fMRI scans were acquired before and after treatment. To explore AI directed influences over the rest of the brain, we referred to a mixed-model using pre/post Granger causality analysis seeded on the AI as a within-subject factor and treatment response as a between-subject factor. To further identify correlates of reexperiencing trauma, we investigated how intrusive severity affected: (i) causality maps and (ii) the spatial stability of other intrinsic brain networks. ResultsWe observed dynamic changes in AI effective connectivity in PTSD patients. Many within- and between-network causal paths were found to be less influenced by the AI after effective therapy. Insular influences were found positively correlated with flashback severity, while reexperiencing was linked with a stronger default mode network (DMN) and more unstable central executive network (CEN) connectivity. ConclusionWe showed that directed changes in AI signaling to the DMN and CEN at rest may underlie the degree of intrusive symptoms in PTSD. A positive response to treatment further induced changes in network-to-network anticorrelated patterns. Such findings may guide targeted neuromodulation strategies in PTSD patients not suitably improved by conventional treatment.

neuroscience↗

bioRxiv2020

Life trajectories towards suicide: developmental role and specificities of adolescence

ObjectiveConsidering that adolescence is a crucial period of allostatic maturation, we aimed at testing whether it represents a breakpoint in adversity trajectories to suicide and, relatedly, whether life trajectories of adolescents who died by suicide differ from those of adult counterparts. MethodIn 303 individuals who died by suicide, a panel of experts derived longitudinal burden of adversity ratings from extensive clinical interviews conducted with informants. Piecewise Joint Latent Class Models allowed to identify patterns of adversity trajectories and test the introduction of breakpoints in life-paths. The classes inferred from the optimal model were compared in terms of socio-demographics, psychopathology and nature of experienced events. ResultsThe most accurate model derived 2 trajectory patterns with a breakpoint in early adolescence. In the first class (n = 43 individuals), the burden of adversity increased steadily from birth to death, which occurred on average at 23 (SE = 1.29). In the second class (n = 259), where individuals died on average at 43 years (SE = 0.96), the burden of adversity followed a similar trajectory during infancy but stabilized between ages 10 and 14 years and rebounded at about 25. The classes differed in terms of childhood family stability, occurrence of dependent events, distal exposure to suicide and intra-family sexual victimization. ConclusionAlthough subject to inherent limitations of the retrospective designs, our results encourage clinicians and researchers to pay greater attention to the diathetic maturation processes occurring during adolescence when considering suicidal behaviors in young people.

developmental biology↗

bioRxiv2019

Similarities between Borderline Personality Disorder and Post traumatic Stress Disorder: evidence from Resting-State Meta-Analysis

Borderline personality disorder (BPD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are common psychiatric disorders. The nature of the relationship between BPD and PTSD remains controversial, but it has been suggested that these disorders should brought closer because of their many similarities. We thus performed a quantitative meta-analysis of resting-state functional imaging to assess similarities in the brain activation across BPD and PTSD diagnostic groups.\n\nOverlap analyses revealed decreased activation in the left and right precuneus of both BPD and PTSD groups when compared to control subjects. BPD showed significant increased, but PTSD showed decreased activation, relative to control subjects, in the anterior cingulate/paracingulate gyri and in the left superior frontal gyrus. Complementary overlap analyses on a subgroup of studies with similar sex and age distribution partially confirmed the main results as the same pattern of functional activation in the anterior cingulate and in the left superior frontal gyrus were found.\n\nOur findings are in agreement with the hypothesis that BPD and PTSD share common neuropathological pathways.

neuroscience↗