School of Psychology and Counselling, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Australia.
Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Amsterdam University Medical Centre, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2023;14(2):2272477. doi: 10.1080/20008066.2023.2272477. Epub 2023 Nov 15.
Supporting wellbeing beyond symptom reduction is necessary in trauma care. Research suggests increased posttraumatic growth (PTG) may promote wellbeing more effectively than posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom reduction alone. Understanding neurobiological mechanisms of PTG would support PTG intervention development. However, most PTG research to-date has been cross-sectional data self-reported through surveys or interviews. Neural evidence of PTG and its coexistence with resilience and PTSD is limited. To advance neural PTG literature and contribute translational neuroscientific knowledge necessary to develop future objectively measurable neural-based PTG interventions. Alpha frequency EEG and validated psychological inventories measuring PTG, resilience, and PTSD symptoms were collected from 30 trauma-exposed healthy adults amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. EEG data were collected using custom MNE-Python software, and a wireless OpenBCI 16-channel dry electrode EEG headset. Psychological inventory scores were analysed in SPSS Statistics and used to categorise the EEG data. Power spectral density analyses, -tests and ANOVAs were conducted within EEGLab to identify brain activity differentiating high and low PTG, resilience, and PTSD symptoms. Higher PTG was significantly differentiated from low PTG by higher alpha power in the left centro-temporal brain area around EEG electrode C3. A trend differentiating high PTG from PTSD was also indicated in this same location. Whole-scalp spectral topographies revealed alpha power EEG correlates of PTG, resilience and PTSD symptoms shared limited, but potentially meaningful similarities. This research provides the first comparative neural topographies of PTG, resilience and PTSD symptoms in the known literature. Results provide objective neural evidence supporting existing theory depicting PTG, resilience and PTSD as independent, yet co-occurring constructs. PTG neuromarker alpha C3 significantly delineated high from low PTG and warrants further investigation for potential clinical application. Findings provide foundation for future neural-based interventions and research for enhancing PTG in trauma-exposed individuals.
在创伤护理中，除了减轻症状外，支持幸福感的提升也是必要的。研究表明，与单纯减轻创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）症状相比，增加创伤后成长（PTG）可能更有效地促进幸福感。了解 PTG 的神经生物学机制将支持 PTG 干预措施的发展。然而，迄今为止，大多数 PTG 研究都是通过调查或访谈进行的横断面数据自我报告。PTG 的神经证据及其与韧性和 PTSD 的共存情况有限。为了推进神经 PTG 文献，并为开发未来基于客观可测量神经的 PTG 干预措施提供必要的转化神经科学知识。在 COVID-19 大流行期间，从 30 名创伤暴露的健康成年人中收集了 Alpha 频率 EEG 和经过验证的测量 PTG、韧性和 PTSD 症状的心理量表。使用定制的 MNE-Python 软件和无线 OpenBCI 16 通道干电极 EEG 耳机收集 EEG 数据。在 SPSS Statistics 中分析心理量表评分，并用于对 EEG 数据进行分类。在 EEGLab 中进行功率谱密度分析、t 检验和 ANOVA，以确定区分高和低 PTG、韧性和 PTSD 症状的脑活动。左中央颞区 EEG 电极 C3 处的 alpha 功率较高可显著区分高和低 PTG。同一位置也表明高 PTG 与 PTSD 存在区分趋势。全头皮频谱地形图显示了 PTG、韧性和 PTSD 症状的 alpha 功率 EEG 相关，它们具有有限但可能有意义的相似性。这项研究提供了已知文献中 PTG、韧性和 PTSD 症状的首次比较神经地形图。结果提供了客观的神经证据，支持现有的理论，即 PTG、韧性和 PTSD 是独立的，但同时发生的结构。PTG 神经标志物 alpha C3 显著区分了高和低 PTG，值得进一步研究以潜在的临床应用。研究结果为未来基于神经的干预措施和研究提供了基础，以增强创伤暴露个体的 PTG。
