Brain structure within the fear circuit early post-trauma as a mediator of sex differences in future post-traumatic stress disorder Restricted; Files Only

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to measure the extent to which hippocampal, amygdala, dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) volumes may serve as a biomarker for future PTSD onset and symptom severity. This work analyzed potential correlations between brain volume taken early post-trauma and later PTSD symptom severity as measured by PTSD symptom scale (PSS) scores over the course of 1-year post-trauma. Additionally, women are at a higher risk for developing PTSD after experiencing a traumatic incident as compared to men, so we assessed how sex differences may influence these correlations. As part of our analysis, we also tested for potential correlations between PTSD symptom trajectories and gender. We found a significant positive correlation between the left dACC and 12 month PSS scores. With gender as an interaction effect, we found significant positive correlations between 12 month PSS scores and the left hippocampus, left amygdala, and left dACC. When separated out by gender, the only significant correlation present was between the left dACC with 12 month PSS scores for women.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

A. Introduction

Background and Rationale …………………………………..………9

Research Questions ……………………………………………….…16

Hypotheses …………………………………………………………....16

B. Methods

Participants …………………………………………………….…......17

Table 1 ……………………………………………………………...…..18

ED Assessment and Follow-Up Assessments …………….........20

Structural Brain Imaging …………………………………………....21

Statistical Analysis Overview ……………………………………....22

C. Results ………………………………………………………………..23

Table 2 …………………………………………………………………...24

Table 3 …….……………………………………………………………..25

Figure 1 ……..…………………………………………………………...27

D. Discussion

Interpretation of Results ………………………………………….....29

Predisposing Factor: Differing Hormone Levels ……………......33

Limitations ……………………………………………………………….35

Future Studies and Implications …………………………………….36

Conclusion ………………………………………………………………..38

E. Works Cited ………………………………………………………......39

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Biology, Neuroscience Health Sciences, Mental Health Psychology, Clinical
Keyword	trauma predictive biomarker PTSD Grady sex differences brain volume post-traumatic stress disorder gender
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Dr. Jennifer Stevens, Emory University
Committee Members	Alyssa Roeckner, Emory University Dr. Mar Sanchez, Emory University Dr. Kristen Frenzel, Emory University

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