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Zannas AS, Linnstaedt SD, An X, Stevens JS, Harnett NG, Roeckner AR, Oliver KI, Rubinow DR, Binder EB, Koenen KC, Ressler KJ, McLean SA. Epigenetic aging and PTSD outcomes in the immediate aftermath of trauma. Psychol Med 2023; 53:7170-7179. [PMID: 36951141 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291723000636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Psychological trauma exposure and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with advanced epigenetic age. However, whether epigenetic aging measured at the time of trauma predicts the subsequent development of PTSD outcomes is unknown. Moreover, the neural substrates underlying posttraumatic outcomes associated with epigenetic aging are unclear. METHODS We examined a multi-ancestry cohort of women and men (n = 289) who presented to the emergency department (ED) after trauma. Blood DNA was collected at ED presentation, and EPIC DNA methylation arrays were used to assess four widely used metrics of epigenetic aging (HorvathAge, HannumAge, PhenoAge, and GrimAge). PTSD symptoms were evaluated longitudinally at the time of ED presentation and over the ensuing 6 months. Structural and functional neuroimaging was performed 2 weeks after trauma. RESULTS After covariate adjustment and correction for multiple comparisons, advanced ED GrimAge predicted increased risk for 6-month probable PTSD diagnosis. Secondary analyses suggested that the prediction of PTSD by GrimAge was driven by worse trajectories for intrusive memories and nightmares. Advanced ED GrimAge was also associated with reduced volume of the whole amygdala and specific amygdala subregions, including the cortico-amygdaloid transition and the cortical and accessory basal nuclei. CONCLUSIONS Our findings shed new light on the relation between biological aging and trauma-related phenotypes, suggesting that GrimAge measured at the time of trauma predicts PTSD trajectories and is associated with relevant brain alterations. Furthering these findings has the potential to enhance early prevention and treatment of posttraumatic psychiatric sequelae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony S Zannas
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Carolina Stress Initiative, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sarah D Linnstaedt
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Xinming An
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer S Stevens
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Nathaniel G Harnett
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alyssa R Roeckner
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Katelyn I Oliver
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - David R Rubinow
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Karestan C Koenen
- Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Kerry J Ressler
- Department of Psychiatry, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Samuel A McLean
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Institute for Trauma Recovery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Narayanan DP, Tsukano H, Kline AM, Onodera K, Kato HK. Biological constraints on stereotaxic targeting of functionally-defined cortical areas. Cereb Cortex 2023; 33:3293-3310. [PMID: 35834935 PMCID: PMC10016058 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhac275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2022] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding computational principles in hierarchically organized sensory systems requires functional parcellation of brain structures and their precise targeting for manipulations. Although brain atlases are widely used to infer area locations in the mouse neocortex, it has been unclear whether stereotaxic coordinates based on standardized brain morphology accurately represent functional domains in individual animals. Here, we used intrinsic signal imaging to evaluate the accuracy of area delineation in the atlas by mapping functionally-identified auditory cortices onto bregma-based stereotaxic coordinates. We found that auditory cortices in the brain atlas correlated poorly with the true complexity of functional area boundaries. Inter-animal variability in functional area locations predicted surprisingly high error rates in stereotaxic targeting with atlas coordinates. This variability was not simply attributed to brain sizes or suture irregularities but instead reflected differences in cortical geography across animals. Our data thus indicate that functional mapping in individual animals is essential for dissecting cortical area-specific roles with high precision.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Hiroaki Tsukano
- Corresponding authors: Hiroyuki Kato, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Dr., Mary Ellen Jones Building, Rm. 6212B, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7250, United States. ; Hiroaki Tsukano, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Dr., Mary Ellen Jones Building, Rm. 6212B, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7250, United States.
| | | | | | - Hiroyuki K Kato
- Corresponding authors: Hiroyuki Kato, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Dr., Mary Ellen Jones Building, Rm. 6212B, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7250, United States. ; Hiroaki Tsukano, Neuroscience Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 116 Manning Dr., Mary Ellen Jones Building, Rm. 6212B, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599-7250, United States.
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Bauer AE, Guintivano J, Krohn H, Sullivan PF, Meltzer-Brody S. The longitudinal effects of stress and fear on psychiatric symptoms in mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arch Womens Ment Health 2022; 25:1067-1078. [PMID: 36151337 PMCID: PMC9510199 DOI: 10.1007/s00737-022-01265-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has been particularly difficult for mothers. Women with a history of peripartum depression (PPD) may be vulnerable to relapse. We sought to understand changes in depressive and anxious symptoms throughout the pandemic and which stressors increased symptoms in women with a history of PPD. In June 2020, all US participants with a history of PPD (n = 12,007) in the global MomGenes Fight PPD study were invited to the COVID-19 follow-up study. Respondents (n = 2163, 18%) were sent biweekly and then monthly surveys until January 31, 2022. We employed time-varying effects models to evaluate trajectories of depressive (patient health questionnaire, PHQ-9) and anxious (generalized anxiety disorder, GAD-7) symptoms and to estimate longitudinal associations between perceived stress, fears, COVID-19 case rates, and symptoms. Peaks of PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSS, and perceived COVID-19 risk scores corresponded with timing of national COVID-19 case surges. High perceived stress was the strongest predictor of PHQ-9 (beta = 7.27; P = 1.48e - 38) and GAD-7 (beta = 7.73; P = 6.19e - 70). Feeling lack of control and unlikely to survive increased PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores by 2 points. COVID-19 case rates, pandemic restrictions, and region were not independently associated with symptoms. This study suggests that the collective trauma of the pandemic has significantly affected mothers with a history of PPD, exemplified by high levels of perceived stress and the strong association with depressive and anxious symptoms. The next pandemic phase is uncertain, but will continue to influence mental health collectively and dynamically. Interventions must be flexible and responsive and should address fear, trauma, and feelings of control, particularly for mothers with a history of PPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna E Bauer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7160, 234 Medical Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Jerry Guintivano
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7160, 234 Medical Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Holly Krohn
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7160, 234 Medical Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | - Patrick F Sullivan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7160, 234 Medical Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
- Department of Genetics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Samantha Meltzer-Brody
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB #7160, 234 Medical Wing C, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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