Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and the Neurobiology of Uncertainty in Traumatically Injured Adults

Authors

Carissa W. Tomas, Medical College of Wisconsin
E. Kate Webb, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Kenneth P. Bennett, Montana VA Health Care System
Ashley A. Huggins, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee
Jacklynn M. Fitzgerald, Marquette UniversityFollow
Tara A. Miskovich, VA Northern California Healthcare System
Jessica L. Krukowski, Marquette University
Terri A. deRoon-Cassini, Medical College of Wisconsin
Christine L. Larson, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2022

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science

Source ISSN

2667-1743

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsgos.2022.02.006

Abstract

Background

Individuals residing in more socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods experience greater uncertainty through insecurity of basic needs such as food, employment, and housing, compared with more advantaged neighborhoods. Although the neurobiology of uncertainty has been less frequently examined in relation to neighborhood disadvantage, there is evidence that neighborhood disadvantage is associated with widespread neural alterations.

Methods

Recently traumatically injured participants (n = 90) completed a picture anticipation task in the magnetic resonance imaging scanner, in which they viewed images presented in a temporally predictable or unpredictable manner. We investigated how neighborhood disadvantage (via area deprivation index [ADI]) was related to neural activation during anticipation and presentation of negative and neutral images after accounting for individual factors (i.e., age, gender, income, acute posttraumatic stress symptoms).

Results

There was a significant interaction during the anticipation period such that higher ADI rankings were related to greater activation of the right anterior cingulate cortex to predictable versus unpredictable neutral stimuli. Although no other robust interactions emerged related to ADI, we note several novel simple effects of ADI during anticipation and presentation periods in the hippocampus and prefrontal, cingulate, and occipital cortices.

Conclusions

Together, these results may represent an adaptive response to predictable and/or negative stimuli, stemming from chronic exposure to socioeconomic-based uncertainties. Although effects were modest, future work should continue to examine pretrauma context on posttrauma outcomes. To better understand trauma outcomes, it is imperative that researchers consider the broader context in which trauma survivors reside.

Comments

Published version. Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, Vol. 2, No. 3 (July 2022): 263-272. DOI. © 2022 THE AUTHORS. Used with permission.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Tomas, Carissa W.; Webb, E. Kate; Bennett, Kenneth P.; Huggins, Ashley A.; Fitzgerald, Jacklynn M.; Miskovich, Tara A.; Krukowski, Jessica L.; deRoon-Cassini, Terri A.; and Larson, Christine L., "Neighborhood Socioeconomic Disadvantage and the Neurobiology of Uncertainty in Traumatically Injured Adults" (2022). Psychology Faculty Research and Publications. 579.
https://epublications.marquette.edu/psych_fac/579