Swanson, Marissa H
(2012)
The neural correlates of emotional numbing and nicotine use in veterans during wake and REM: an [18F]-FDG PET imaging study.
Undergraduate Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Confirmatory factor analyses and theories of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) support the clinical and scientific relevance of a distinct emotional numbing construct in PTSD. Increased emotional numbing has been linked with increased nicotine use. Deficits in reward system functioning may be related to symptoms of emotional numbing and nicotine use. Previous research has found altered neurotransmitter function and brain activation in response to reward in reward system brain structures in PTSD. In normal REM sleep, these brain structures have increased activity and are related to sleep-wake mechanisms, which may be dysregulated in PTSD. This study used polysomnography (PSG) and [18F]-FDG PET imaging to conduct region of interest analyses (ROIs) examining possible resting state brain activity deficits in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom veterans in the striatum and amygdala. It was hypothesized that 1) increased emotional numbing would be associated with decreased activity during wakefulness and REM; 2) increased emotional numbing would be associated with increased nicotine use; and 3) increased nicotine use would be associated with decreased activity during wakefulness and REM. Results indicate that increased emotional numbing corresponds with decreased activity during wakefulness in the striatum and amygdala, but not after adjusting for all non-emotional numbing symptoms of PTSD. This pattern was reversed during REM, with increased emotional numbing corresponding with increased activity in the striatum, which survived adjusting for non-emotional numbing symptoms of PTSD. Emotional numbing was not correlated with nicotine use, possibly because heavy smokers were underrepresented in the sample. Increased nicotine use was associated with decreased activity during wakefulness in the striatum, but was not related to activity during REM. Results support the involvement of reward structures in nicotine use, emotional numbing, and other symptoms of PTSD. Dysregulation in the reward system may exaggerate patterns of activity seen in healthy adults, with less activity in reward structures during quiet wakefulness and increased activity during REM sleep.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
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| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
25 May 2012 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
6 April 2012 |
| Approval Date: |
25 May 2012 |
| Submission Date: |
13 April 2012 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
68 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
David C. Frederick Honors College
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Psychology |
| Degree: |
BPhil - Bachelor of Philosophy |
| Thesis Type: |
Undergraduate Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
neuroimaging, cerebral glucose metabolic rate, military, smoking, positron emission tomography, rapid eye movement |
| Date Deposited: |
25 May 2012 19:31 |
| Last Modified: |
19 Dec 2016 14:38 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/11817 |
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