Atrophy in the supramarginal gyrus associated with impaired cognitive inhibition in grieving Chinese Shidu parents
Creators: name: Shi, Yuqing
name: Shi, Guangyuan
name: Zhao, Shaokun
name: Wang, Bolong
name: Yang, Yiru
name: Li, He
name: Zhang, Junying
name: Wang, Jianping
name: Li, Xin
name: O’Connor, Mary-Frances
Publisher: name: Taylor & Francis
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Medicine
subject: Neuroscience
subject: Physiology
subject: FOS: Biological sciences
subject: Pharmacology
subject: Sociology
subject: FOS: Sociology
subject: Biological Sciences not elsewhere classified
subject: Mental Health

description: <b>Background:</b> The loss of an only child, known as Shidu in China, is a profoundly distressing experience, often leading to Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD). Despite its impact, the structural brain alterations associated with PGD, potentially influencing cognitive impairments in Shidu parents, remain understudied. <b>Objective:</b> This study aims to identify brain structural abnormalities related to prolonged grief and their relation with cognitive inhibition in Shidu parents. <b>Methods:</b> The study included 40 Shidu parents and 42 non-bereaved participants. Prolonged grief was evaluated using the Prolonged Grief Questionnaire (PG-13). We employed voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to assess brain structural alterations and their correlation with cognitive inhibition, as measured by Stroop interference scores. <b>Results:</b> Findings suggest that greater prolonged grief intensity correlates with reduced grey matter volume in the right amygdala and the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG). Additionally, enhanced amygdala-to-whole-brain structural connectivity showed a marginal association with prolonged grief, particularly with emotional-related symptoms. Furthermore, a decrease in SMG volume was found to mediate the relation between prolonged grief and Stroop Time Inference (TI) score, indicating an indirect effect of prolonged grief on cognitive inhibition. <b>Conclusions:</b> The study provides insight into the neural correlates of prolonged grief in Shidu parents, highlighting the SMG’s role in cognitive inhibition. These findings emphasise the need for comprehensive grief interventions to address the complex cognitive and emotional challenges faced by this unique bereaved population. The Shidu parents had a delay in cognitive inhibition when performing the Stroop test, compared to the control group.Prolonged grief intensity was linked to decreased grey matter in the right amygdala and a potential increase in amygdala-to-whole-brain structural connectivity. These volumes were associated with prolonged grief symptoms related to emotions.A higher level of prolonged grief was also associated with reduced grey matter volume in the left supramarginal gyrus, mediating the relationship between prolonged grief and Stroop Time Inference score, which indicates cognitive inhibition. The Shidu parents had a delay in cognitive inhibition when performing the Stroop test, compared to the control group. Prolonged grief intensity was linked to decreased grey matter in the right amygdala and a potential increase in amygdala-to-whole-brain structural connectivity. These volumes were associated with prolonged grief symptoms related to emotions. A higher level of prolonged grief was also associated with reduced grey matter volume in the left supramarginal gyrus, mediating the relationship between prolonged grief and Stroop Time Inference score, which indicates cognitive inhibition.