TY - JOUR
T1 - General psychopathology factor and unresolved-disorganized attachment uniquely correlated to white matter integrity using diffusion tensor imaging
AU - Riem, M. M.E.
AU - van Hoof, M. J.
AU - Garrett, A. S.
AU - Rombouts, S. A.R.B.
AU - van der Wee, N. J.A.
AU - van IJzendoorn, M. H.
AU - Vermeiren, R. R.J.M.
N1 - Funding Information:
M.J. van Hoof was generouslysupported by the Psychotraumacenter and GGZ Kinderen en Jeugd Rivierduinen and grants from WOP Rivierduinen and the Hilly Roevers-Bonnet fonds of the Dutch Society of Female Doctors (VNVA) . The study was conducted with a grant from the Leiden University Medical Center. M.H. van IJzendoorn was supported by a Spinoza Award . We thank all adolescents and their parents for their participation; the members of the researchteam (C.I. Gelderblom, B.G. van den Bulk, N.D.J. van Lang, P.H.F. Meens, M.A.W. Rinne-Albers,) and scientific advisors (M.A. van Buchem, E.A. Crone, M. Linting, S. van der Werff, S.A.R.B. Rombouts). We thank the Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC) for facilitation of this neuroimaging study in multiple respects, e.g. MRI data acquisition and analysis. We also thank all students, mental health professionals and personnel at Psychotraumacenter and GGZ Kinderen en Jeugd Rivierduinen, Curium-LUMC and KJTC Haarlem who facilitated or helped with patient selection and inclusion, or who helped with transcription of the AAI. G. Kuipers, S. den Hollander and M.J. Bakermans-Kranenburg we thank for AAI coding. We gratefully acknowledge M. Villerius for his technical assistance with the analyses.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2019/2/1
Y1 - 2019/2/1
N2 - Background: A dimensional approach of psychopathology focuses on features and risk factors that are shared across diagnoses. In support for this dimensional approach, studies point to a general psychopathology factor (GPF) associated with risk for multiple psychiatric disorders. It is, however, unknown how GPF relates to white matter integrity (WMI). In the current diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study, we examined how GPF relates to abnormalities in a skeleton representation of white matter tracts, taking into account a trans-diagnostic risk factor: unresolved-disorganized attachment (Ud) resulting from loss or trauma. Methods: Unique associations between GPF, Ud, and WMI were examined in a combined sample of adolescents (N = 63) with childhood sexual abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder (N = 18), anxiety and depressive disorders (N = 26) and without psychiatric disorder (N = 19). WMI was measured using DTI. Ud was measured using the Adult Attachment Interview. We controlled for puberty stage, gender, age, and IQ. Results: Controlling for GPF, Ud was associated with reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the splenium and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). Controlling for Ud, GPF was associated with reduced FA in the genu and body of the corpus callosum. Conclusions: Decreasing WMI in the genu and body with increasing psychopathology across diagnoses suggests demyelinization in these areas and may underlie comorbidity and presence of symptoms that transcend psychopathological diagnoses. In contrast, trauma-related WMI reductions in the splenium and IFOF may account for heterogeneity within diagnostic categories as a function of childhood trauma. These findings support the importance of a dimensional approach in addition to traditional diagnostic classifications in clinical research and practice.
AB - Background: A dimensional approach of psychopathology focuses on features and risk factors that are shared across diagnoses. In support for this dimensional approach, studies point to a general psychopathology factor (GPF) associated with risk for multiple psychiatric disorders. It is, however, unknown how GPF relates to white matter integrity (WMI). In the current diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study, we examined how GPF relates to abnormalities in a skeleton representation of white matter tracts, taking into account a trans-diagnostic risk factor: unresolved-disorganized attachment (Ud) resulting from loss or trauma. Methods: Unique associations between GPF, Ud, and WMI were examined in a combined sample of adolescents (N = 63) with childhood sexual abuse-related posttraumatic stress disorder (N = 18), anxiety and depressive disorders (N = 26) and without psychiatric disorder (N = 19). WMI was measured using DTI. Ud was measured using the Adult Attachment Interview. We controlled for puberty stage, gender, age, and IQ. Results: Controlling for GPF, Ud was associated with reduced fractional anisotropy (FA) in the splenium and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF). Controlling for Ud, GPF was associated with reduced FA in the genu and body of the corpus callosum. Conclusions: Decreasing WMI in the genu and body with increasing psychopathology across diagnoses suggests demyelinization in these areas and may underlie comorbidity and presence of symptoms that transcend psychopathological diagnoses. In contrast, trauma-related WMI reductions in the splenium and IFOF may account for heterogeneity within diagnostic categories as a function of childhood trauma. These findings support the importance of a dimensional approach in addition to traditional diagnostic classifications in clinical research and practice.
KW - Adversity
KW - Attachment
KW - Brain imaging
KW - Child abuse
KW - Psychopathology
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U2 - 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.10.014
DO - 10.1016/j.bbr.2018.10.014
M3 - Article
C2 - 30315842
AN - SCOPUS:85055753477
VL - 359
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - Behavioural Brain Research
JF - Behavioural Brain Research
SN - 0166-4328
ER -