Impact of trauma on emotional systems neurobiology

描述（由申请人提供）：创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）的特征是对创伤经历的持续和侵入性记忆，以及普遍的过度觉醒。目前与PTSD相关的神经系统模型强调了一种情绪调节系统的异常，该系统涉及杏仁核的高度反应性，并伴随着来自内侧前额叶区域（如前扣带皮层）自上而下调节的减少。然而，很少有先前的研究检查了创伤对杏仁核和内侧前额叶皮层之间功能相互作用的影响，特别是在参与和调节情绪唤醒反应的背景下。本研究的目的是探讨创伤和创伤后应激障碍对支持和调节情感刺激的情绪唤醒反应的大脑区域的影响。与其他精神疾病相比，环境因素在PTSD中起着独特的作用，因为创伤事件是PTSD的触发因素，创伤的强度和持续时间与症状的严重程度相关。此外，对双胞胎的研究表明，遗传因素会导致这种疾病的易感性。该研究的另一个目标是通过关注FKBP5基因多态性来研究PTSD的基因x环境相互作用模型，FKBP5是HPA轴系统中共同伴侣的基因编码，因为风险等位基因已被证明可以预测创伤后PTSD的发展，该基因已被我们的团队广泛研究。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by persistent and intrusive memories of traumatic experiences, and general hyper-arousal. Current models of the neural systems involved in PTSD highlight abnormalities in an emotion regulation system involving amygdala hyper-reactivity accompanied by reduced top-down regulation from medial prefrontal regions such as anterior cingulate cortex. However, few previous studies have examined the effects of trauma on functional interactions between the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex, particularly within the context of engaging and regulating emotional arousal responses. The purpose of the proposed research is to investigate the effects of trauma and PTSD on the brain regions that support and regulate emotional arousal responses to affective stimuli. Environmental factors are uniquely involved in PTSD relative to other psychiatric disorders, as traumatic events serve as a trigger for PTSD, and the intensity and duration of trauma is correlated with symptom severity. In addition, twin studies suggest that heritable factors contribute to vulnerability to the disorder. An additional goal of the proposed research will be to examine gene x environment interaction models of PTSD by focusing on genetic polymorphisms in FKBP5, a gene coding for a co-chaperone in the HPA axis system, as risk alleles have been shown to predict PTSD development after a trauma, and this gene has been studied extensively by our group.