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Psychology Commons

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Stress

2013

University of Missouri, St. Louis

Articles 1 - 2 of 2

Full-Text Articles in Psychology

Early Exposure To Traumatic Stressors Impairs Emotional Brain Circuitry, Robert H. Paul, Mayuresh S. Korgaonkar, Cassandra Antees, Leanne M. Williams Oct 2013

Early Exposure To Traumatic Stressors Impairs Emotional Brain Circuitry, Robert H. Paul, Mayuresh S. Korgaonkar, Cassandra Antees, Leanne M. Williams

Psychology Faculty Works

Exposure to early life trauma (ELT) is known to have a profound impact on mental development, leading to a higher risk for depression and anxiety. Our aim was to use multiple structural imaging methods to systematically investigate how traumatic stressors early in life impact the emotional brain circuits, typically found impaired with clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety, across the lifespan in an otherwise healthy cohort. MRI data and self-reported histories of ELT from 352 healthy individuals screened for no psychiatric disorders were analyzed in this study. The volume and cortical thickness of the limbic and cingulate regions were assessed …


Altered Emotional Interference Processing In The Amygdala And Insula In Women With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Steven E. Bruce, Katherine R. Buchholz, Wilson J. Brown, Laura Yan Jan 2013

Altered Emotional Interference Processing In The Amygdala And Insula In Women With Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Steven E. Bruce, Katherine R. Buchholz, Wilson J. Brown, Laura Yan

Psychology Faculty Works

Background: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is characterized by distinct behavioral and physiological changes. Given the significant impairments related to PTSD, examination of the biological underpinnings is crucial to the development of theoretical models and improved treatments of PTSD. Methods: We used an attentional interference task using emotional distracters to test for top-down versus bottom-up dysfunction in the interaction of cognitive-control circuitry and emotion-processing circuitry. A total of 32 women with PTSD (based on an interpersonal trauma) and 21 matched controls were tested. Event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging was carried out as participants directly attended to, or attempted to ignore, fear-related …