Impact of childhood trauma on tripartite functional connectivity within the medial prefrontal circuit and the tapetum of the corpus callosum.

BACKGROUND

While prior research highlights altered gray matter (GM) functional connectivity in fear circuits, the role of white matter (WM) in childhood trauma-related neural disruptions remains unclear. This study investigates how childhood trauma severity impacts GM-WM-GM connectivity within the medial prefrontal circuit and the tapetum of the corpus callosum, and examines its association with anxiety and depression scores.

METHODS

Community-dwelling young adults (N = 187, aged 18-30) underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging and emotional assessments. Childhood trauma experiences were measured using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). GM-WM-GM connectivity between nodes of the medial prefrontal circuit and the tapetum region of the corpus callosum was evaluated using a triple-wise correlation analysis, which quantifies the synchronization of signals between two GM regions mediated by an intervening WM tract. Partial correlation analysis examined the relationship between CTQ scores and GM-WM-GM connectivity. Mediation analyses determined if disrupted GM-WM-GM connectivity mediated the association between CTQ and emotional scores.

RESULTS

CTQ scores correlated positively with anxiety and depression scores. This study identified significant negative correlations between CTQ scores and the functional connectivity of GM-WM-GM triplets within the tapetum region and medial prefrontal circuit nodes. Mediation analysis revealed that childhood trauma negatively impacts GM-WM-GM triplets, thereby leading to higher anxiety and depression scores.

CONCLUSION

Childhood trauma disrupts tripartite GM-WM-GM connectivity within the medial prefrontal circuit and the tapetum region, contributing to emotional dysregulation. Integrating WM fMRI signals advances understanding of GM-WM disconnection in fear processing, offering novel targets for interventions to mitigate trauma's mental health sequelae.