Meeting Banner
Abstract #1133

Exploring Functional and Structural Connectivity as Markers of Atherosclerotic Burden in Chronic Stress

David O'Connor1, Mandy van Leent1, Philip Robson1, Audrey Kaufman1, Maria Giovanna Trivieri1, Lisa Shin2, Ahmed Tawakol3, and Zahi Fayad1
1Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States, 2Tufts University, Boston, MA, United States, 3Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, United States

Synopsis

Keywords: Psychiatric Disorders, Multimodal

Motivation: Chronic stress leads to increase incidence of CVD. Connections between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex, and their effects on the hypothalamus and pituitary glands, are thought to be crucial.

Goal(s): To elucidate the pathways by which chronic stress disorders lead to increased atherosclerosis.

Approach: Multimodal PET/MR of the brain and body, bloodwork, and cognitive assessment were performed in a cohort of individuals with and without chronic stress. Functional and structural connectivity estimates were contrasted with established markers of stress, atherosclerosis and inflammation.

Results: Functional and structural connectivity metrics were able to distinguish high and low atherosclerotic burden participants, with whole brain contributions.

Impact: Sensorimotor cortices, and their connectivity with the amygdala, proved surprisingly relevant for distinguishing individuals with high atherosclerotic burden from those with low burden. While the prefrontal cortex is crucial to understanding stress-CVD relationships, sensorimotor contributions should not be disregarded.

How to access this content:

For one year after publication, abstracts and videos are only open to registrants of this annual meeting. Registrants should use their existing login information. Non-registrant access can be purchased via the ISMRM E-Library.

After one year, current ISMRM & ISMRT members get free access to both the abstracts and videos. Non-members and non-registrants must purchase access via the ISMRM E-Library.

After two years, the meeting proceedings (abstracts) are opened to the public and require no login information. Videos remain behind password for access by members, registrants and E-Library customers.

Click here for more information on becoming a member.

Keywords