Posttraumatic Stress Disorder-Related Differences in Neural Connectivity Among Female Trauma Survivors

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Women's Health

Background:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) disproportionately affects females.
• Previous studies linked male PTSD to reduced frontal brain connectivity.
• This study investigated functional connectivity in females with PTSD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine functional brain connectivity in females with PTSD.
• To explore the impact of sex hormones on brain connectivity in PTSD.
• To identify neural correlates of PTSD in women.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 61 females with trauma exposure.
• Recorded resting-state electroencephalography (EEG) data.
• Analyzed theta band (4-7 Hz) functional connectivity using linear mixed-effects models.

Main Results:

• PTSD group exhibited hyperconnectivity between visual and cerebral cortex regions.
• Enhanced connectivity was observed between default mode and frontoparietal control networks in PTSD.
• Increased connectivity was found between the ventral attention network and the cerebral cortex in PTSD.

Conclusions:

• Findings align with prior research on altered visual brain region connectivity in PTSD.
• Results suggest disrupted visual processing may underlie PTSD reexperiencing symptoms.
• The theta frequency range is relevant to PTSD, potentially due to its role in fear learning and regulation.