TY - JOUR
T1 - A negative association between brainstem pontine grey-matter volume, well-being and resilience in healthy twins
AU - Gatt, Justine M.
AU - Burton, Karen L.O.
AU - Routledge, Kylie M.
AU - Grasby, Katrina L.
AU - Korgaonkar, Mayuresh S.
AU - Grieve, Stuart M.
AU - Schofield, Peter R.
AU - Harris, Anthony W.F.
AU - Clark, C. Richard
AU - Williams, Leanne M.
PY - 2018/6/20
Y1 - 2018/6/20
N2 - Background: Associations between well-being, resilience to trauma and the volume of grey-matter regions involved in affective processing (e.g., threat/reward circuits) are largely unexplored, as are the roles of shared genetic and environmental factors derived from multivariate twin modelling. Methods: This study presents, to our knowledge, the first exploration of well-being and volumes of grey-matter regions involved in affective processing using a region-of-interest, voxel-based approach in 263 healthy adult twins (60% monozygotic pairs, 61% females, mean age 39.69 yr). To examine patterns for resilience (i.e., positive adaptation following adversity), we evaluated associations between the same brain regions and well-being in a trauma-exposed subgroup. Results: We found a correlated effect between increased well-being and reduced grey-matter volume of the pontine nuclei. This association was strongest for individuals with higher resilience to trauma. Multivariate twin modelling suggested that the common variance between the pons volume and well-being scores was due to environmental factors. Limitations: We used a cross-sectional sample; results need to be replicated longitudinally and in a larger sample. Conclusion: Associations with altered grey matter of the pontine nuclei suggest that basic sensory processes, such as arousal, startle, memory consolidation and/or emotional conditioning, may have a role in well-being and resilience.
AB - Background: Associations between well-being, resilience to trauma and the volume of grey-matter regions involved in affective processing (e.g., threat/reward circuits) are largely unexplored, as are the roles of shared genetic and environmental factors derived from multivariate twin modelling. Methods: This study presents, to our knowledge, the first exploration of well-being and volumes of grey-matter regions involved in affective processing using a region-of-interest, voxel-based approach in 263 healthy adult twins (60% monozygotic pairs, 61% females, mean age 39.69 yr). To examine patterns for resilience (i.e., positive adaptation following adversity), we evaluated associations between the same brain regions and well-being in a trauma-exposed subgroup. Results: We found a correlated effect between increased well-being and reduced grey-matter volume of the pontine nuclei. This association was strongest for individuals with higher resilience to trauma. Multivariate twin modelling suggested that the common variance between the pons volume and well-being scores was due to environmental factors. Limitations: We used a cross-sectional sample; results need to be replicated longitudinally and in a larger sample. Conclusion: Associations with altered grey matter of the pontine nuclei suggest that basic sensory processes, such as arousal, startle, memory consolidation and/or emotional conditioning, may have a role in well-being and resilience.
KW - Trauma
KW - well-being
KW - resilience
KW - grey-matter regions
KW - grey-matter volume
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85055615450&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/ARC/LP0883621
UR - http://purl.org/au-research/grants/NHMRC/1079102
U2 - 10.1503/jpn.170125
DO - 10.1503/jpn.170125
M3 - Article
C2 - 30372012
AN - SCOPUS:85055615450
SN - 1180-4882
VL - 43
SP - 386
EP - 395
JO - Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JF - Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
IS - 6
ER -