Multimodal Neuroimaging of Cognitive and Emotional Networks in Young Adults Exposed to 9/11 as Children

遭受9/11世贸中心恐怖袭击创伤的儿童和青少年继续受到 影响他们的神经心理和情感发展，因为他们长大成人。在我们最近 完成NIOSH资助的压力与幸福（S&W）研究，我们全面评估，一个代表 2011年9月11日年龄<18岁的青年样本（N= 1，000）。15年后，我们 研究发现，高度暴露的儿童患分离焦虑症或恐慌症的几率是正常儿童的四倍。 非暴露对照组（8%，每种疾病为2%）。焦虑症的神经生物学表明 一些神经元网络的缺陷，包括情绪调节，认知控制和记忆。这些 神经回路在儿童和青少年时期成熟，因此在此期间最容易受到创伤。 期然而，到目前为止，还没有神经影像学研究检查这些神经网络在年轻人 小时候经历过9/11创伤当这些人进入成年期， 改变，我们必须了解9/11暴露对相关大脑的神经生物学影响 如果我们要及时减轻影响，我们打算研究 使用事件相关电位（ERP）和多模态磁共振成像（MRI） 在以下3个亚组中，对105名21至32岁的年轻人进行了核磁共振成像（MRI）检查：1）9/11例高度暴露 焦虑症（HEAnx+）; 2）9/11例高度暴露，无焦虑症（HEAnx-）; 3）9/11例无 无焦虑障碍（LEAnx-）。我们将比较性能，大脑结构，功能和 群体之间的联系，以捕捉情绪反应和创伤相互作用的差异 记忆和认知控制过程。这项研究将拓宽我们对神经行为的理解， 一个独特的9/11队列，年轻人在儿童或青少年时期接触过9/11。 年轻成人暴露后认知和情绪网络的多模态神经成像的目的 儿童研究（E&M研究）是为了检查认知控制，记忆和 情绪，这是最容易受到创伤的影响，在大脑成熟的童年， 青春期这项研究将首次使用ERP和MRI评估年轻人的大脑结构和功能， 患有和不患有焦虑症的成年人（年龄>17-32岁），在儿童时期高度暴露于9/11事件（年龄>17-32岁） 4-<18）。我们将采用的任务，目标注意到显着的刺激，记忆和情绪调节相结合 用心理学方法测量情绪反应和焦虑。重要的是，这项研究将提供一个初步的 了解情绪，记忆和认知系统，并告知精神疾病的轨迹 在这个成熟的群体中。此外，它可能会导致基于大脑的预防策略， 到9/11，有可能促进一般创伤暴露的干预

Children and adolescents exposed to the trauma of the 9/11 WTC terrorist attack continue to have an effect on their neuro-psychological and emotional development as they grow into adulthood. In our recently completed NIOSH funded Stress & Well-Being (S&W) Study, we comprehensively assessed, a representative sample (N= 1,000) of youth who were between the ages of <18 years of age on 9/11. Fifteen years later, we found that highly exposed children developed separation anxiety, or panic disorder at four times the rate of a non-exposed control (8% compared to 2% for each disorder). The neurobiology of anxiety disorder suggests deficits in several neuronal networks, including emotional regulation, cognitive control and memory. These circuits mature during childhood and adolescence, and therefore are most vulnerable to trauma during this period. Yet, to date, there are no neuroimaging studies examining these neuronal networks in young adults exposed to 9/11 trauma as children. As these individuals enter adulthood with potential brain development alterations, it is imperative that we understand the neurobiological impact of 9/11 exposure on the relevant brain circuitry, if we are to mitigate the effects in a timely fashion. We propose to investigate the neural underpinnings of emotional processing and cognitive control using event related potentials (ERPs) and multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 105 young adults ages 21 to 32 in the following 3 subgroups: 1) 9/11 highly exposed with anxiety disorder (HEAnx+); 2) 9/11 highly exposed with no anxiety disorder (HEAnx-); and, 3) no 9/11 exposure with no anxiety disorder (LEAnx-). We will compare performance, and brain structure, function and connectivity between groups to capture differences in emotional reactivity, and in the interaction of trauma memory and cognitive control processes. This study will broaden the neurobehavioral understanding of our unique 9/11 cohort of young adults exposed to 9/11 as children or adolescents. The aim of the Multimodal Neuroimaging of Cognitive and Emotional Networks in Young Adults Exposed to 9/11 as Children Study (E&M Study) is to examine the neural circuits of cognitive control, memory and emotion, which are most susceptible to the effects of trauma during brain maturation in childhood and adolescence. This study will assess, for the first time, brain structure and function, using ERP and MRI, of young adults with and without anxiety disorders (ages >17-32), who were highly exposed to 9/11 during childhood (ages 4-<18). We will employ tasks that target attention to salient stimuli, memory and emotion regulation in conjunction with psychological measures of emotional reactivity, and anxiety. Importantly, the study will provide an initial understanding of the emotional, memory and cognitive systems, and inform the trajectory of psychiatric disorders in this maturing cohort. Furthermore, it will could lead to brain-based prevention strategies for children exposed to 9/11, with the potential to facilitate interventions for trauma exposure in general