INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 04 Program Schedule 02/15/2024 12:00 pm - 01:15 pm Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 04: Neuroimaging \| Neurostimulation/Neuromodulation \| Teleneuropsychology/Technology Final Abstract #112 Metabolic Syndrome and its Unique Risk Factors are Associated with Reduced Default Mode Functional Connectivity in Young to Middle Aged Post-9/11 Veterans Aubrey Knoff, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States Madeleine Nowak, Boston University, Boston, United States Emily Van Etten, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, United States Michael Esterman, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States Elizabeth Leritz, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States William Milberg, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States Catherine Fortier, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States David Salat, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, United States Category: Neuroimaging Keyword 1: neuroimaging: functional connectivity Keyword 2: cardiovascular disease Objective: Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a collection of health factors that increases risk for cardiovascular disease and is more common with advancing age. In older adults, MetS is associated with alterations in cognition and reduced resting-state functional connectivity (FC) within the default mode network (DMN), a set of brain regions vulnerable to age and neurodegeneration. It is unclear if these are accelerated aging effects or if they are potentially linked to increase risk for disease. Recent data suggest that MetS is more prevalent in younger cohorts, especially post-9/11 Veterans, potentially due to comorbid conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), making it critical to better understand whether MetS and/or its individual components also have an effect on DMN FC in high-risk younger individuals. We hypothesized that younger and middle-aged Veterans with MetS would demonstrate reductions in DMN FC similar to older cohorts. We further explored whether the factors that comprise MetS have unique relationships with DMN FC, as well as whether PTSD also explained DMN FC. Participants and Methods: A sample of 433 post-9/11 Veterans (M_age=33.08, SD_age=8.26; 384 men, 49 women) with combat deployment history underwent functional MRI to capture DMN resting-state functional connectivity using seed-based analyses. MetS was defined as three or more atypical measurements in waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides, or high density lipoprotein (Grundy, 2005). We measured current PTSD diagnosis and severity using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (Blake et al., 1995), a structured interview that corresponds to the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. The MetS group (n = 74) was matched to the non-MetS group (n = 359) in demographic and clinical variables, with the exception of age. Using linear regression models, we first examined DMN FC as a function of MetS and PTSD controlling for age, followed by partial least squares correlation analyses to investigate whether specific combinations of MetS components relate to unique patterns of DMN FC. Results: The MetS group demonstrated reduced positive FC between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) seed and the superior frontal and middle temporal gyri. We also found that a pattern of MetS components (waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and age) was inversely related to a pattern of reduced DMN FC (PCC-right superior frontal gyrus and PCC-bilateral middle temporal gyri). Lastly, PTSD was not associated with DMN FC nor did it account for the MetS relationship with the DMN. Conclusions: These findings suggests that disruptions to the DMN, a resting-state functional network, can be captured in younger individuals with MetS independent of age and PTSD. Future longitudinal studies are needed to track how MetS and its individual health factors impact the brain and cognition during the aging process, particularly for Veteran populations that may have elevated risk for MetS and changes in brain function due to history of combat exposure. Furthermore, the pattern of elevated waist circumference and systolic blood pressure relating to reductions in positive frontal and temporal FC provide insight into possible physiological characteristics of MetS that are driving contributors to DMN disruption.

Poster

02/15/2024
12:00 pm - 01:15 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

Poster Session 04: Neuroimaging | Neurostimulation/Neuromodulation | Teleneuropsychology/Technology

Final Abstract #112

Metabolic Syndrome and its Unique Risk Factors are Associated with Reduced Default Mode Functional Connectivity in Young to Middle Aged Post-9/11 Veterans

Aubrey Knoff, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States
Madeleine Nowak, Boston University, Boston, United States
Emily Van Etten, Boston VA Healthcare System, Boston, United States
Michael Esterman, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States
Elizabeth Leritz, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States
William Milberg, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States
Catherine Fortier, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, United States
David Salat, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, United States

Category: Neuroimaging

Keyword 1: neuroimaging: functional connectivity
Keyword 2: cardiovascular disease

Objective:

Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) is a collection of health factors that increases risk for cardiovascular disease and is more common with advancing age. In older adults, MetS is associated with alterations in cognition and reduced resting-state functional connectivity (FC) within the default mode network (DMN), a set of brain regions vulnerable to age and neurodegeneration. It is unclear if these are accelerated aging effects or if they are potentially linked to increase risk for disease. Recent data suggest that MetS is more prevalent in younger cohorts, especially post-9/11 Veterans, potentially due to comorbid conditions such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), making it critical to better understand whether MetS and/or its individual components also have an effect on DMN FC in high-risk younger individuals. We hypothesized that younger and middle-aged Veterans with MetS would demonstrate reductions in DMN FC similar to older cohorts. We further explored whether the factors that comprise MetS have unique relationships with DMN FC, as well as whether PTSD also explained DMN FC.

Participants and Methods:

A sample of 433 post-9/11 Veterans (M_age=33.08, SD_age=8.26; 384 men, 49 women) with combat deployment history underwent functional MRI to capture DMN resting-state functional connectivity using seed-based analyses. MetS was defined as three or more atypical measurements in waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, triglycerides, or high density lipoprotein (Grundy, 2005). We measured current PTSD diagnosis and severity using the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (Blake et al., 1995), a structured interview that corresponds to the DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. The MetS group (n = 74) was matched to the non-MetS group (n = 359) in demographic and clinical variables, with the exception of age. Using linear regression models, we first examined DMN FC as a function of MetS and PTSD controlling for age, followed by partial least squares correlation analyses to investigate whether specific combinations of MetS components relate to unique patterns of DMN FC.

Results:

The MetS group demonstrated reduced positive FC between the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) seed and the superior frontal and middle temporal gyri. We also found that a pattern of MetS components (waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, and age) was inversely related to a pattern of reduced DMN FC (PCC-right superior frontal gyrus and PCC-bilateral middle temporal gyri). Lastly, PTSD was not associated with DMN FC nor did it account for the MetS relationship with the DMN.

Conclusions:

These findings suggests that disruptions to the DMN, a resting-state functional network, can be captured in younger individuals with MetS independent of age and PTSD. Future longitudinal studies are needed to track how MetS and its individual health factors impact the brain and cognition during the aging process, particularly for Veteran populations that may have elevated risk for MetS and changes in brain function due to history of combat exposure. Furthermore, the pattern of elevated waist circumference and systolic blood pressure relating to reductions in positive frontal and temporal FC provide insight into possible physiological characteristics of MetS that are driving contributors to DMN disruption.