Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
Clienia Littenheid AG, Hospital for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Littenheid, Switzerland.
Brain Behav. 2021 Jul;11(7):e02200. doi: 10.1002/brb3.2200. Epub 2021 Jun 9.
Recent research suggests that traumatized patients are characterized by disrupted resting-state functional connectivity. We examined whether neural networks involved in resting-state change over the course of a phase-oriented inpatient treatment for complex traumatized and dissociative disorder patients. We also investigated associations between these network alterations and clinical symptoms and emotion regulation skills.
Pre- and post-treatment, electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded during resting-state in patients (n = 23) with a complex dissociative disorder (CDD) or complex posttraumatic stress disorder (cPTSD). Patients also completed clinical and emotion regulation questionnaires. To reduce variance in the collected data, patients were exclusively tested as one prototypical dissociative part referred to as Apparently Normal Part (ANP). Functional network connectivity was examined and compared with a matched healthy control group (n = 37), also measured twice.
Prior to treatment and compared with controls, patients had a significantly lower functional connectivity strength within eyes-open and eyes-closed resting-state networks in the theta and alpha frequency band. Following treatment, functional connectivity strength within these networks was comparable to the control group and comprised areas belonging to the default mode network (DMN) and prefrontal as well as anterior cingulate control regions. Treatment-related network normalizations in the theta frequency band were associated with a self-reported increase in the use of cognitive reappraisal strategies and reduction in emotion regulation difficulties.
Phase-oriented trauma treatment can strengthen resting-state network connectivity and can increase the capacity of complex traumatized and dissociative patients as ANP to handle emotional challenges effectively.
最近的研究表明，创伤患者的静息态功能连接存在紊乱。我们研究了复杂创伤后应激障碍和分离障碍患者在以阶段为导向的住院治疗过程中，静息态下的神经网络是否会发生变化。我们还调查了这些网络变化与临床症状和情绪调节技能之间的关联。
在治疗前后，对 23 名患有复杂分离障碍（CDD）或复杂创伤后应激障碍（cPTSD）的患者进行静息态脑电图（EEG）记录。患者还完成了临床和情绪调节问卷。为了减少收集数据的方差，患者仅作为一个被称为“明显正常部分”（ANP）的典型分离部分进行测试。检查了功能网络连接，并与匹配的健康对照组（n=37）进行了比较，该对照组也进行了两次测量。
与对照组相比，治疗前患者在睁眼和闭眼静息状态下的θ和α频段网络中，功能连接强度明显较低。治疗后，这些网络中的功能连接强度与对照组相当，包括默认模式网络（DMN）以及前额叶和前扣带控制区域。与治疗相关的θ频段网络正常化与自我报告的认知重评策略使用增加以及情绪调节困难减少有关。
以阶段为导向的创伤治疗可以增强静息态网络连接，并可以提高复杂创伤和分离患者作为 ANP 的能力，使其能够更有效地应对情绪挑战。
