Early childhood trauma alters neurological responses to mental stress in patients with coronary artery disease

Abstract Background Early childhood trauma is known to independently increase adverse outcome risk in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients, although the neurological correlates are not well understood. The purpose of this study was to examine whether early childhood trauma alters neural responses to acute mental stress in CAD patients. Methods Participants ( n  = 152) with CAD underwent brain imaging with High Resolution Positron Emission Tomography and radiolabeled water during control (verbal counting, neutral speaking) and mental stress (mental arithmetic, public speaking). Traumatic events in childhood were assessed with the Early Trauma Inventory (ETI-SR-SF) and participants were separated by presence (ETI+) or absence (ETI-) of early childhood trauma. Brain activity during mental stress was compared between ETI+ and ETI-. Results Compared to ETI-, ETI+ experienced greater ( p p p Limitations Results in non-CAD samples may differ and ETI may be subject to recall bias. Conclusion Early childhood trauma exacerbated activations in stress-responsive limbic and cognitive brain areas with direct and indirect connections to the heart, potentially contributing to adverse outcomes in CAD patients.