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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

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Scientific Papers


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PARTICIPANTS
Presenter
Nivedita	Agarwal	MD
Abstract Co-Author
Giuseppe	Como	MD
Giovanni	Brondani	MD
Paolo	Brambilla	MD, PhD
Monica	Baiano	MD, PhD
Massimo	Bazzocchi	MD
	et al

SUBSPECIALTY CONTENT
	Neuroradiology

	CODE: SSQ15-01
	SESSION: Neuroradiology (Brain: Functional Imaging/Cortical Activation)
	Mechanisms of Memory Suppression in Stress-related Psychiatric Disorders: A Functional Magnetic Resonance Study


	DATE:	Thursday, December 04 2008
	START TIME:	10:30 AM
	END TIME:	10:40 AM
	LOCATION:	N228

	DISCLOSURES
	N.A.	- Nothing to disclose.
	G.C.	- Nothing to disclose.
	G.B.	- Nothing to disclose.
	P.B.	- Nothing to disclose.
	M.B.	- Nothing to disclose.
	M.B.	- Nothing to disclose.
	.e.

	PURPOSE
	functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) technique called BOLD (Blood-Oxygen-Level-Dependent) detects signal intensity changes caused by increased paramagnetic deoxygenated haemoglobin in activated brain structures. The prefrontal cortex (PFC) exercises a cognitive control over memories processed by the hippocampus including traumatic memories through a mechanism known as memory suppression. We hypothesized that this is dysfunctional in patients with psychiatric disorders such as Major Depression (MD) and Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), suffering recurrent early sexual/physical abuse or difficult relationship.
	METHOD AND MATERIALS
	10 patients (5 with MD and 5 with BPD; mean age: 40.9±11.5 years; 3M/7F; all right-handed; 10 Caucasians) and 11 healthy controls (HC) (mean age: 34.2±13.9 years; 3M/8F; 10 right-handed/1 left-handed; 10 Caucasians/1 Indian) underwent a specific think/no-think test (suppression and retrieval phase; Anderson test) using a 1.5T MR scanner. A qualitative cluster analysis, based on Talairach and Tourneaux parameters, was performed by visually detecting the activation of PFC and hippocampus.

	RESULTS
	While PFC was bilaterally activated in both HC and patients during both the suppression phase (SP) and the retrieval phase (RP), significantly reduced activation was found among patients. A trend towards greater activation during the SP was seen in the hippocampus of patients while HC showed greater activation during the RP.
	CONCLUSION
	These preliminary data suggest a dysfunctional cognitive memory suppression mechanism primarily due to alteration in the PFC in patients with stress related disorders. Also, altered memory retrieval process in patients would account for memory problems in patients. fMRI-BOLD permits investigation of transient cognitive functions in small brain areas.
	CLINICAL RELEVANCE/APPLICATION
	These preliminary data suggest that the PFC-hippocampus neural circuitry dysfunction may play a key role in supporting cognitive symptoms of stress related psychiatric disorders

	QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS EVENT EMAIL:
	nagarwal@mclean.harvard.edu