Thalamic Connectivity and its Role in Resilience to Trauma: Insights from Ultra-High-Field MRI at 7T

Motivation: To discern why some individuals develop stress-related disorders post-trauma while others don't, focusing on the role of thalamus in emotional regulation and resilience. Goal(s): Investigate thalamic functional connectivity differences in trauma-exposed individuals to identify neural mechanisms of resilience. Approach: Acquired MRI data from 35 Syrian refugees using a 7T scanner, analyzed for trauma-related connectivity differences via seed-to-voxel thalamic analysis with the CONN toolbox, informed by RS-25 and HTQ questionnaires to distinguish between asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. Results: Significant right thalamic connectivity differences were found, indicating potential neural resilience correlates and adaptive changes in sensory-motor processing related to PTSD symptom severity. Impact: This study enhances our understanding of trauma's neural basis and resilience, potentially directing new therapeutic strategies targeting thalamic connectivity to prevent stress-related disorders, thereby improving trauma care and mental health outcomes. Ref.