The Individual Contribution of DSM 5 Symptom Clusters of PTSD, Life Events, and Childhood Adversity to Frontal Oscillatory Brain Asymmetry in a Large Sample of Active Combatants

Overview

Journal Biol Psychol

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2017 Sep 30

PMID 28958482

Citations 8

Authors

James K Moran

Anselm Crombach

Thomas Elbert

Corina Nandi

Manasse Bambonye

Christian Wienbruch

Ursula Lommen

Roland Weierstall

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been linked to deviations in lateralized frontal functional oscillatory activity. This is possibly because left and right DLPFC have differential roles in regulating both memory and stress response, which are both dysfunctional in PTSD. However, previous results are heterogeneous, and could be attributable to individual symptom clusters, traumatic or aggressive life events, early life stress, or the interaction of these factors. In a large sample of active combatants (N=401), we regressed these factors on frontal electroencephalography (EEG) asymmetry across 5 frequency bands (delta: 2-4Hz; theta: 4-8Hz; alpha: 8-12Hz; beta: 12-24Hz; gamma: 24-48Hz). Negative cognition and mood was associated with stronger relative left delta and theta band power. Traumatic life events showed stronger right alpha and beta band power. Traumatic life events in interaction with hyperarousal predicted stronger relative right left-right imbalance (theta, alpha, and beta bands), whereas childhood adversity, in interaction with negative cognition and mood, predicted stronger relative left left-right imbalance (delta, theta, alpha and beta bands). The contribution of lateralized DLPFC dysfunction to PTSD is thus dependent on the individual complexities of subsymptom clusters and life history, and future studies need to take these factors into account.

Citing Articles

Differences in Electroencephalography Power and Asymmetry at Frontal Region in Young Adults with Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder: A Quantitative Electroencephalography Study.

Yoon S, Oh J, Um Y, Seo H, Hong S, Kim T Clin Psychopharmacol Neurosci. 2024; 22(3):431-441.

PMID: 39069682 PMC: 11289613. DOI: 10.9758/cpn.23.1104.

Frontoparietal beta event characteristics are associated with early life stress and psychiatric symptoms in adults.

Kavanaugh B, Vigne M, Tirrell E, Acuff W, Fukuda A, Thorpe R Brain Cogn. 2024; 177:106164.

PMID: 38670050 PMC: 11193540. DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2024.106164.

Flexible emotional regulation typology: associations with PTSD symptomology and trait resilience.

Spikol E, McGlinchey E, Robinson M, Armour C BMC Psychol. 2024; 12(1):79.

PMID: 38365706 PMC: 10874029. DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01573-4.

Differential methylation of linoleic acid pathway genes is associated with PTSD symptoms - a longitudinal study with Burundian soldiers returning from a war zone.

Crombach A, Rukundo-Zeller A, Vukojevic V, Nandi C, Bambonye M, de Quervain D Transl Psychiatry. 2024; 14(1):32.

PMID: 38238325 PMC: 10796347. DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02757-7.

Predictions of tDCS treatment response in PTSD patients using EEG based classification.

Kim S, Yang C, Dong S, Lee S Front Psychiatry. 2022; 13:876036.

PMID: 35845448 PMC: 9277561. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.876036.

References

Begic D, Hotujac L . Electroencephalographic comparison of veterans with combat-related post-traumatic stress disorder and healthy subjects. Int J Psychophysiol. 2001; 40(2):167-72. DOI: 10.1016/s0167-8760(00)00153-7. View

Ferree T, Luu P, Russell G, Tucker D . Scalp electrode impedance, infection risk, and EEG data quality. Clin Neurophysiol. 2001; 112(3):536-44. DOI: 10.1016/s1388-2457(00)00533-2. View

Jokic-Begic N, Begic D . Quantitative electroencephalogram (qEEG) in combat veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Nord J Psychiatry. 2003; 57(5):351-5. DOI: 10.1080/08039480310002688. View

Oakes T, Pizzagalli D, Hendrick A, Horras K, Larson C, Abercrombie H . Functional coupling of simultaneous electrical and metabolic activity in the human brain. Hum Brain Mapp. 2004; 21(4):257-70. PMC: 6871925. DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20004. View

Coan J, Allen J . Frontal EEG asymmetry as a moderator and mediator of emotion. Biol Psychol. 2004; 67(1-2):7-49. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2004.03.002. View

Blair R . The roles of orbital frontal cortex in the modulation of antisocial behavior. Brain Cogn. 2004; 55(1):198-208. DOI: 10.1016/S0278-2626(03)00276-8. View

Neuner F, Schauer M, Karunakara U, Klaschik C, Robert C, Elbert T . Psychological trauma and evidence for enhanced vulnerability for posttraumatic stress disorder through previous trauma among West Nile refugees. BMC Psychiatry. 2004; 4:34. PMC: 529265. DOI: 10.1186/1471-244X-4-34. View

Shin L, Wright C, Cannistraro P, Wedig M, McMullin K, Martis B . A functional magnetic resonance imaging study of amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex responses to overtly presented fearful faces in posttraumatic stress disorder. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005; 62(3):273-81. DOI: 10.1001/archpsyc.62.3.273. View

Paller K, Wagner A . Observing the transformation of experience into memory. Trends Cogn Sci. 2005; 6(2):93-102. DOI: 10.1016/s1364-6613(00)01845-3. View

10.

Karl A, Schaefer M, Malta L, Dorfel D, Rohleder N, Werner A . A meta-analysis of structural brain abnormalities in PTSD. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2006; 30(7):1004-31. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2006.03.004. View

11.

Klimesch W, Sauseng P, Hanslmayr S . EEG alpha oscillations: the inhibition-timing hypothesis. Brain Res Rev. 2006; 53(1):63-88. DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresrev.2006.06.003. View

12.

Shin L, Rauch S, Pitman R . Amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and hippocampal function in PTSD. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006; 1071:67-79. DOI: 10.1196/annals.1364.007. View

13.

Rabe S, Beauducel A, Zollner T, Maercker A, Karl A . Regional brain electrical activity in posttraumatic stress disorder after motor vehicle accident. J Abnorm Psychol. 2006; 115(4):687-98. DOI: 10.1037/0021-843X.115.4.687. View

14.

Thibodeau R, Jorgensen R, Kim S . Depression, anxiety, and resting frontal EEG asymmetry: a meta-analytic review. J Abnorm Psychol. 2006; 115(4):715-29. DOI: 10.1037/0021-843X.115.4.715. View

15.

Ray W, Odenwald M, Neuner F, Schauer M, Ruf M, Wienbruch C . Decoupling neural networks from reality: dissociative experiences in torture victims are reflected in abnormal brain waves in left frontal cortex. Psychol Sci. 2006; 17(10):825-9. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01788.x. View

16.

Davey C, Yucel M, Allen N . The emergence of depression in adolescence: development of the prefrontal cortex and the representation of reward. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2007; 32(1):1-19. DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2007.04.016. View

17.

de Quervain D, Kolassa I, Ertl V, Onyut P, Neuner F, Elbert T . A deletion variant of the alpha2b-adrenoceptor is related to emotional memory in Europeans and Africans. Nat Neurosci. 2007; 10(9):1137-9. DOI: 10.1038/nn1945. View

18.

Harmon-Jones E, Abramson L, Nusslock R, Sigelman J, Urosevic S, Turonie L . Effect of bipolar disorder on left frontal cortical responses to goals differing in valence and task difficulty. Biol Psychiatry. 2007; 63(7):693-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2007.08.004. View

19.

Thatcher R, North D, Biver C . Development of cortical connections as measured by EEG coherence and phase delays. Hum Brain Mapp. 2007; 29(12):1400-15. PMC: 6871112. DOI: 10.1002/hbm.20474. View

20.

Cerqueira J, Almeida O, Sousa N . The stressed prefrontal cortex. Left? Right!. Brain Behav Immun. 2008; 22(5):630-8. DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2008.01.005. View