title: Neural and genetic markers of vulnerability to post-traumatic stress symptoms among survivors of the World Trade Center attacks.
abstract: Although recent research has begun to describe the neural and genetic processes underlying variability in responses to trauma, less is known about how these processes interact. We addressed this issue by using functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress symptomatology (PTSS), a common genetic polymorphism of the serotonin transporter [5-HTT (5-hydroxy tryptamine)] gene and neural activity in response to viewing images associated with the 9/11 terrorist attack among a rare sample of high-exposure 9/11 survivors (n = 17). Participants varied in whether they carried a copy of the short allele in the promoter region of the 5-HTT gene. During scanning, participants viewed images of the 9/11 attack, non-9/11 negative and neutral images. Three key findings are reported. First, carriers of the short allele displayed higher levels of PTSS. Second, both PTSS and the presence of the short allele correlated negatively with activity in a network of cortical midline regions (e.g. the retrosplenal and more posterior cingulate cortices (PCCs)) implicated in episodic memories and self-reflection when viewing 9/11 vs non-9/11 negative control images. Finally, exploratory analyses indicated that PCC activity mediated the relationship between genotype and PTSS. These results highlight the role of PCC in distress following trauma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA Andreas.Olsson@ki.se.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Olsson
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Ethan
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kross
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Samuel S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Nordberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Weinberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Sonja
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schmer-Galunder
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fossella
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Tor D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Wager
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: George A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Bonanno
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA, Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, USA, Department of Psychology, State University of New York, Stony Brook, USA, Department of Psychology, Columbia University, New York, USA, Smart Information Flow Technologies, Minneapolis, MN, USA, Sackler Institute for Developmental Psychobiology, Weill Medical College, Cornell University, Cornell, USA, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience and the Institute for Cognitive Science, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, USA, and Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, USA.
authors.forename: Kevin N
authors.initials: KN
authors.lastname: Ochsner
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000483:Alleles; D005260:Female; D005819:Genetic Markers; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011110:Polymorphism, Genetic; D047851:September 11 Terrorist Attacks; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012919:Social Behavior; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017741:Survivors
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers; D050486:Serotonin Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
keywords: 9/11; fMRI; polymorphism; post-traumatic stress; posterior cingulate cortex; trauma