ISSN 2586-0151 (Print) | ISSN 2586-0046 (Online)
대한불안의학회지 (18권2호 39-47)
Effects of Occupational Trauma Exposure on Brain Functional Connectivity in Firefighters With Subclinical Post-Traumatic Stress Symptoms: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study
직업적 외상 노출이 역치 하 외상 후 스트레스 증상을 보이는 소방공무원의 뇌 기능적 연결성에 미치는 영향: 휴지기 기능적 자기공명영상 연구
Yul Heo, MD, Minji Bang, MD, PhD, Sang-Hyuk Lee, MD, PhD, and Kang Soo Lee, MD, PhD
Department of Psychiatry, CHA Bundang Medical Center, CHA University, Seongnam, Korea
Objectives : This study investigated brain functional connectivity in male firefighters who showed subclinical post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Methods : We compared the data of 17 firefighters who were not diagnosed with PTSD and 18 healthy controls who had no trauma exposure. The following instruments were applied to assess psychiatric symptoms:
Korean version of the Post-traumatic stress disorder Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5-K), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). For all subjects, functional magnetic resonance imaging was performed, and functional connectivity was compared between the two groups (family-wise error-corrected p<0.05).
Additionally, correlations between psychiatric symptoms and functional connectivity were explored.
Results : The following connectivity was higher than that of healthy controls: 1) the central opercular
cortex-superior temporal gyrus, 2) planum polare-parahippocampal gyrus, 3) angular gyrus-amygdala, and
4) temporal fusiform cortex-parahippocampal gyrus. The functional connectivity of 1) the lateral occipital
cortex-inferior temporal gyrus, 2) superior parietal lobule-caudate, and 3) middle temporal gyrus-thalamus were
lower in firefighters. In firefighters, the connectivity of the planum polare-parahippocampal gyrus showed a
negative correlation with the severity of arousal symptoms (rho=-0.586, p=0.013). The connectivity of the middle temporal gyrus-thalamus showed a positive correlation with the severity of intrusion (rho=0.552, p=0.022)
and arousal symptoms (rho=0.619, p=0.008). The connectivity of the temporal fusiform cortex-parahippocampal gyrus was negatively correlated with intrusion (rho=-0.491, p=0.045) and arousal (rho=-0.579, p=0.015).
Conclusions : Our results indicate that the brain functional connectivity is associated with occupational
trauma exposure in firefighters without PTSD. Therefore, this study provides evidence that close monitoring
and early intervention are important for firefighters with traumatic experience even at a subthreshold level.
(Anxiety and Mood 2022;18(2):39-47)
Post-traumatic stress disorder; Fire fighters; Functional magnetic resonance imaging
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