title: Altered functional connectivity in the brain default-mode network of earthquake survivors persists after 2 years despite recovery from anxiety symptoms.
abstract: Although acute impact of traumatic experiences on brain function in disaster survivors is similar to that observed in post-traumatic stress disorders (PTSD), little is known about the long-term impact of this experience. We have used structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate resting-state functional connectivity and gray and white matter (WM) changes occurring in the brains of healthy Wenchuan earthquake survivors both 3 weeks and 2 years after the disaster. Results show that while functional connectivity changes 3 weeks after the disaster involved both frontal-limbic-striatal and default-mode networks (DMN), at the 2-year follow-up only changes in the latter persisted, despite complete recovery from high initial levels of anxiety. No gray or WM volume changes were found at either time point. Taken together, our findings provide important new evidence that while altered functional connectivity in the frontal-limbic-striatal network may underlie the post-trauma anxiety experienced by survivors, parallel changes in the DMN persist despite the apparent absence of anxiety symptoms. This suggests that long-term changes occur in neural networks involved in core aspects of self-processing, cognitive and emotional functioning in disaster survivors which are independent of anxiety symptoms and which may also confer increased risk of subsequent development of PTSD.
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Ming-Ying
authors: MY
authors: Du
authors: Central for Cognition and Brain Disorders, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
authors: Wei
authors: W
authors: Liao
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, lusuwcums@hotmail.com.
authors: Su
authors: S
authors: Lui
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Xiao-Qi
authors: XQ
authors: Huang
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Fei
authors: F
authors: Li
authors: Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Wei-Hong
authors: WH
authors: Kuang
authors: Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Li
authors: Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China, and.
authors: Hua-Fu
authors: HF
authors: Chen
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, Key Laboratory for Neuroinformation, School of Life Science and Technology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China, and.
authors: Keith Maurice
authors: KM
authors: Kendrick
authors: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China.
authors: Qi-Yong
authors: QY
authors: Gong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000503:physiopathology; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000067073:Psychological Trauma / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017741:Survivors / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: default-mode network; functional magnetic resonance imaging; graph theory; stress; trauma