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Abnormal dynamic functional connectivity in childhood maltreatment based on the triple-network model

Poster No:

389

Submission Type:

Abstract Submission

Authors:

Haiqi Wu¹, Huiyuan Huang¹, Bingqing Jiao¹, Jiabao Lin¹, Lijun Ma¹

Institutions:

¹School of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

First Author:

Haiqi Wu
School of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Co-Author(s):

Huiyuan Huang
School of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Bingqing Jiao
School of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Jiabao Lin
School of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Lijun Ma
School of Public Health and Management, Guangzhou University of Chinese medicine
Guangzhou, Guangdong Province

Introduction:

Childhood maltreatment (CM) including physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical neglect, and emotional neglect, has a long-term adverse effect on children and even though throughout adults (Teicher, Gordon et al. 2021, Cay, Gonzalez-Heydrich et al. 2022). Childhood maltreatment has been confirmed as one of high-risk factors for mental illness (e.g., major depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder) (Cay, Gonzalez-Heydrich et al. 2022). A meta-analysis indicated that specific brain regions might change in people with childhood maltreatment, particularly in hippocampus, amygdala, middle temporal gyrus, prefrontal cortex (PFC), anterior cingulate cortex (Heany, Groenewold et al. 2017). Moreover, previous study has implicated that most of the changes in these brain regions were associate with major depressive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (Cay, Gonzalez-Heydrich et al. 2022). Therefore, it is important to elucidate the neurophysiological mechanism of childhood trauma which may help for developing targeted preventive and treatment strategies. Triple network model is a core network associated with cognitive and affective dysfunction, including the default mode network (DMN), central executive network (CEN), and salience network (SN) (Menon 2011). Elton and van found differences in DMN and SN static functional connectivity between individuals with childhood trauma and healthy individuals (Elton, Tripathi et al. 2013, van der Werff, Pannekoek et al. 2013). However, as far as we know, no studies have focused on differences in interaction in the triple-network model between subjects with childhood maltreatment (CM) and without childhood maltreatment (non-CM). Moreover, most previous studies of childhood trauma have focused on static properties of the brain (He, Fan et al. 2022), but few studies consider dynamic properties. In current study, we consider the sample of young healthy adults (18-40) with CM and hypothesized that the subjects with CM and non-CM may exhibit differences in the temporal properties of dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) states.

Methods:

The fMRI and structure data were collected from 125 right-handed healthy young adults, including 55 CM subjects and 70 non-CM controls. The severity of childhood maltreatment was assessed using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire-Short Form (CTQ-SF) scale (Bernstein, Stein et al. 2003). The fMRI data were preprocessed using Data Processing Assistant for Resting-State fMRI (DPABI 3.0) (Yan et al. 2016). Group independent component analysis (ICA) was used to determine the spatially independent components of DMN, SN, and CEN in GIFT (version 3.0c) (Calhoun, V D et al.2001, Calhoun, V D et al.2004). We adopt the sliding window approach to construct dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC). Finally, the dFNC states were estimated by k-means clustering and the between group difference in the temporal properties of dFNC states were evaluated using permutation test.

Results:

The dFNC within the triple networks could be clustered into four states. State 1 was a more strongly and intensively interconnected state, with high positive correlation within and between DMN and CEN. While state 2 and state 3 are characterized as sparsely connected states. The RSFC pattern of State 4 resembled that of State 1 but had a reduced RSFC strength within and between DMN and CEN with moderate positive couplings. The results show that the CM spent longer mean dwell time than non-CM in state 4: MDT(CM)=16.23±14.68 > MDT (non-CM) =11.30±8.19.

Conclusions:

Individuals with childhood trauma spent more time than non-CM in state 4 of the triple networks with dense and positive correlation within and between default-mode network and central executive network. These networks are involved in functions related to working memory, executive function, and self-cognition. These findings may help us to understand the neural mechanisms that distinguish CM from non-CM.

Disorders of the Nervous System:

Neurodevelopmental/ Early Life (eg. ADHD, autism) ¹

Modeling and Analysis Methods:

fMRI Connectivity and Network Modeling ²

Novel Imaging Acquisition Methods:

BOLD fMRI

Keywords:

Other - Childhood maltreatment; Dynamic functional network connectivity; triple network model

^1|2Indicates the priority used for review

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Bernstein, D. P., et al. (2003). 'Development and validation of a brief screening version of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. 'Child abuse & neglect 27(2): 169-190.
Cay, M., et al. (2022). 'Childhood maltreatment and its role in the development of pain and psychopathology. ' The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 6(3): 195-206.
Calhoun, V D et al. (2001). 'A method for making group inferences from functional MRI data using independent component analysis. ' Human brain mapping 14(3): 140-51.
Calhoun, V D et al. (2004). 'Group ICA of fMRI toolbox (GIFT) . ' Available at http:// icatb.sourceforge.net.
Elton, A., et al. (2013). 'Childhood maltreatment is associated with a sex‐dependent functional reorganization of a brain inhibitory control network. ' Human Brain Mapping 35(4): 1654-1667.
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van der Werff, S. J. A., et al. (2013). 'Resilience to childhood maltreatment is associated with increased resting-state functional connectivity of the salience network with the lingual gyrus. ' Child abuse & neglect 37(11): 1021-1029.