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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC 4.0Genes, Brain, and Behavior

Childhood Trauma and APOEε4 Are Associated With Patterns of Developmental Frontal Alpha Connectivity, Posttraumatic Stress, and Alcohol‐Related Outcomes

  • Zoe E. Neale1,2
  • Megan E. Cooke3
  • Jasmine Cárcamo1
  • Maissa Trabilsy1
  • Peter B. Barr1,2
  • Chris Chatzinakos1
  • Rachel Furhang1
  • David B. Chorlian1
  • Weipeng Kuang1
  • Gayathri Pandey1
  • Alison M. Goate4,5
  • Bernice Porjesz1
2 more authors
  • Ananda B. Amstadter6
  • Jacquelyn L. Meyers1
6 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University Brooklyn New York USA
  2. 2VA New York Harbor Healthcare System Brooklyn New York USA
  3. 3Department of Psychiatry Rutgers University, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Piscataway New Jersey USA
  4. 4Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York New York USA
  5. 5Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Ronald M. Loeb Center for Alzheimer's Disease New York New York USA
  6. 6Department of Psychiatry, Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond Virginia USA
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Abstract

Childhood trauma affects neurodevelopment and lifelong risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Changes in brain structures and function are observed in young carriers of APOEε4, the genetic factor most associated with Alzheimer's disease. Longitudinal studies of APOEε4, childhood trauma, and neural connectivity in adolescence have not been explored. We studied 837 trauma‐exposed participants (53% female) from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism prospective sample, using latent growth curve models to assess associations of childhood trauma and APOEε4 on repeated measures of frontal alpha EEG coherence (EEGc) throughout adolescence and young adulthood. Young adult AUD and PTSD symptoms were also examined. Results indicate childhood sexual assaultive trauma (CSAT) and APOEε4 are linked to neural connectivity, with effects differing by brain region and direction. CSAT was associated with a higher EEGc baseline but less growth in three EEGc pairs, while APOEε4 associated with lower left frontocentral (LFC) EEGc baseline and higher slope. EEGc patterns and symptoms of PTSD and AUD were robustly associated. A significant interaction between CSAT‐by‐APOEε4 interaction also emerged, such that among APOEε4 carriers, childhood sexual assaultive trauma was associated with higher baseline PFI and diminished growth in PFI and LFC EEGc. No significant direct links between APOEε4 and PTSD or AUD were observed. Findings highlight how EEGc may help explain connections between genetics, trauma, and psychopathology, guiding at‐risk group identification and informing prevention strategies.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{neale2026childhood,
  title = {{Childhood Trauma and APOEε4 Are Associated With Patterns of Developmental Frontal Alpha Connectivity, Posttraumatic Stress, and Alcohol‐Related Outcomes}},
  author = {Zoe E. Neale and Megan E. Cooke and Jasmine Cárcamo and Maissa Trabilsy and Peter B. Barr and Chris Chatzinakos and Rachel Furhang and David B. Chorlian and Weipeng Kuang and Gayathri Pandey and Alison M. Goate and Bernice Porjesz and Ananda B. Amstadter and Jacquelyn L. Meyers},
  journal = {Genes, Brain, and Behavior},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1111/gbb.70068},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.70068},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - Childhood Trauma and APOEε4 Are Associated With Patterns of Developmental Frontal Alpha Connectivity, Posttraumatic Stress, and Alcohol‐Related Outcomes
AU  - Zoe E. Neale
AU  - Megan E. Cooke
AU  - Jasmine Cárcamo
AU  - Maissa Trabilsy
AU  - Peter B. Barr
AU  - Chris Chatzinakos
AU  - Rachel Furhang
AU  - David B. Chorlian
AU  - Weipeng Kuang
AU  - Gayathri Pandey
AU  - Alison M. Goate
AU  - Bernice Porjesz
AU  - Ananda B. Amstadter
AU  - Jacquelyn L. Meyers
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/05
JO  - Genes, Brain, and Behavior
DO  - 10.1111/gbb.70068
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1111/gbb.70068
AB  - Childhood trauma affects neurodevelopment and lifelong risk for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). Changes in brain structures and function are observed in young carriers of APOEε4, the genetic factor most associated with Alzheimer's disease. Longitudinal studies of APOEε4, childhood trauma, and neural connectivity in adolescence have not been explored. We studied 837 trauma‐exposed participants (53% female) from the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism prospective sample, using latent growth curve models to assess associations of childhood trauma and APOEε4 on repeated measures of frontal alpha EEG coherence (EEGc) throughout adolescence and young adulthood. Young adult AUD and PTSD symptoms were also examined. Results indicate childhood sexual assaultive trauma (CSAT) and APOEε4 are linked to neural connectivity, with effects differing by brain region and direction. CSAT was associated with a higher EEGc baseline but less growth in three EEGc pairs, while APOEε4 associated with lower left frontocentral (LFC) EEGc baseline and higher slope. EEGc patterns and symptoms of PTSD and AUD were robustly associated. A significant interaction between CSAT‐by‐APOEε4 interaction also emerged, such that among APOEε4 carriers, childhood sexual assaultive trauma was associated with higher baseline PFI and diminished growth in PFI and LFC EEGc. No significant direct links between APOEε4 and PTSD or AUD were observed. Findings highlight how EEGc may help explain connections between genetics, trauma, and psychopathology, guiding at‐risk group identification and informing prevention strategies.
SN  - 1601-1848
SN  - 1601-183X
ER  -