West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
Department of Radiology, West China Xiamen Hospital of Sichuan University, Xiamen, Fujian, China.
Transl Psychiatry. 2024 Sep 20;14(1):384. doi: 10.1038/s41398-024-03091-8.
Harm avoidance (HA) is a Cloninger personality trait that describes behavioural inhibition to avoid aversive stimuli. It serves as a predisposing factor that contributes to the development of mental disorders such as anxiety and major depressive disorder. Neuroimaging research has identified some brain anatomical and functional correlates of HA, but reported findings are inconsistent. We therefore conducted a multimodal meta-analysis of whole-brain structural and resting-state functional neuroimaging studies to identify the most stable neural substrate of HA. Included were a total of 10 structural voxel-based morphometry studies (11 datasets) and 13 functional positron emission tomography or single photon emission computed tomography studies (16 datasets) involving 3053 healthy participants without any psychiatric or neurological disorders evaluated for HA using the Three-Dimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) or the Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI). The meta-analysis revealed brain volumetric correlates of HA in parietal and temporal cortices, and resting-state functional correlates in prefrontal, temporal and parietal gray matter. Volumetric and functional correlates co-occurred in the left superior frontal gyrus and left middle frontal gyrus, and were dissociated in the left rectus gyrus. Our meta-analysis is the first study to give a comprehensive picture of the structural and functional correlates of HA, a contribution that may help bridge the grievous gap between the neurobiology of HA and the pathogenesis, prevention and treatment of HA-related mental disorders.
回避倾向（HA）是一种克隆宁格人格特质，描述了避免厌恶刺激的行为抑制。它是一种促成因素，有助于焦虑和重性抑郁障碍等精神障碍的发展。神经影像学研究已经确定了 HA 的一些大脑解剖和功能相关性，但报告的发现并不一致。因此，我们进行了一项全脑结构和静息态功能神经影像学研究的多模态荟萃分析，以确定 HA 最稳定的神经基础。共纳入了 10 项基于体素的形态学结构研究（11 个数据集）和 13 项正电子发射断层扫描或单光子发射计算机断层扫描功能研究（16 个数据集），涉及 3053 名没有任何精神或神经系统疾病的健康参与者，他们使用三维人格问卷（TPQ）或气质和性格量表（TCI）评估 HA。荟萃分析显示，HA 与顶叶和颞叶皮质的脑体积相关，与前额叶、颞叶和顶叶灰质的静息状态功能相关。体积和功能相关性同时出现在左额上回和左额中回，而在左rectus gyrus 则分离。我们的荟萃分析是第一项全面描述 HA 的结构和功能相关性的研究，这一贡献可能有助于弥合 HA 的神经生物学与 HA 相关精神障碍的发病机制、预防和治疗之间的巨大差距。
