Extrinsic and default mode networks in psychiatric conditions: Relationship to excitatory-inhibitory transmitter balance and early trauma

Paul Allen; Iris E Sommer; Renaud Jardri; Michael W Eysenck; Kenneth Hugdahl

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.004

Extrinsic and default mode networks in psychiatric conditions: Relationship to excitatory-inhibitory transmitter balance and early trauma

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2019 Apr:99:90-100. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.004. Epub 2019 Feb 12.

Authors

Paul Allen¹, Iris E Sommer², Renaud Jardri³, Michael W Eysenck⁴, Kenneth Hugdahl⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK; Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience King's College London, London, UK; Icahn School of Medicine, Mount Sinai Hospital, New York, USA. Electronic address: Paul.allen@roehampton.ac.uk.
² Department of Neuroscience University Medical Centre Groningen (UMCG) and the Groningen NeuroImaging Center, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands; Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
³ Service de Psychiatrie, CHRU Lille and SCALab UMR 91993, University of Lille, Lille, France.
⁴ Department of Psychology, University of Roehampton, London, UK; Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway University of London, London, UK.
⁵ Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; Division of Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Radiology, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.

PMID: 30769024
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.02.004

Abstract

Over the last three decades there has been an accumulation of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) studies reporting that aberrant functional networks may underlie cognitive deficits and other symptoms across a range of psychiatric diagnoses. The use of pharmacological MRI and ¹H-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (¹H-MRS) has allowed researchers to investigate how changes in network dynamics are related to perturbed excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmission in individuals with psychiatric conditions. More recently, changes in functional network dynamics and excitatory/inhibitory (E/I) neurotransmission have been linked to early childhood trauma, a major antecedents for psychiatric illness in adulthood. Here we review studies investigating whether perturbed network dynamics seen across psychiatric conditions are related to changes in E/I neurotransmission, and whether such changes could be linked to childhood trauma. Whilst there is currently a paucity of studies relating early traumatic experiences to altered E/I balance and network function, the research discussed here lead towards a plausible mechanistic hypothesis, linking early traumatic experiences to cognitive dysfunction and symptoms mediated by E/I neurotransmitter imbalances.

Keywords: Anxiety; Connectivity; Cortical networks; Excitatory transmitters; Inhibitory transmitters; Psychiatric disorders; Schizophrenia; Trauma; fMRI.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Review

MeSH terms

Brain / physiopathology
Brain Mapping* / methods
Cognition Disorders / diagnosis
Cognition Disorders / psychology*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Nerve Net / physiopathology*
Neurotransmitter Agents / metabolism*

Substances

Neurotransmitter Agents