A bihemispheric autonomic model for traumatic stress effects on health and behavior

Sung W Lee, Lee Gerdes, Catherine L Tegeler, Hossam A Shaltout, Charles H Tegeler, Sung W Lee, Lee Gerdes, Catherine L Tegeler, Hossam A Shaltout, Charles H Tegeler

Abstract

A bihemispheric autonomic model (BHAM) may support advanced understanding of traumatic stress effects on physiology and behavior. The model builds on established data showing hemispheric lateralization in management of the autonomic nervous system, and proposes that traumatic stress can produce dominant asymmetry in activity of bilateral homologous brain regions responsible for autonomic management. Rightward and leftward dominant asymmetries are associated with sympathetic high arousal or parasympathetic freeze tendencies, respectively, and return to relative symmetry is associated with improved autonomic regulation. Autonomic auto-calibration for recovery (inverse of Jacksonian dissolution proposed by polyvagal theory) has implications for risk behaviors associated with traumatic life stress. Trauma-induced high arousal may be associated with risk for maladaptive behaviors to attenuate arousal (including abuse of alcohol or sedative-hypnotics). Trauma-induced freeze mode (including callous-unemotional trait) may be associated with low resting heart rate and risk for conduct disorders. The model may explain higher prevalence of leftward hemispheric abnormalities reported in studies of violence. Implications of the BHAM are illustrated through case examples of a military special operations officer with history of traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, and a university student with persisting post-concussion symptoms. Both undertook use of a noninvasive closed-loop neurotechnology - high-resolution, relational, resonance-based, electroencephalic mirroring - with ensuing decrease in hemispheric asymmetry, improvement in heart rate variability, and symptom reduction. Finally, the BHAM aligns with calls for researchers to use brain-behavioral constructs (research domain criteria or RDoC, proposed by the National Institutes of Mental Health) as building blocks for assessment and intervention in mental health science.

Keywords: RDoC; autonomic nervous system; hemispheric asymmetry; polyvagal theory; post-traumatic stress disorder; trauma; traumatic brain injury; violence.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Bihemispheric autonomic model (BHAM) for traumatic stress effects on health and behavior through auto-calibration of arousal. Top oval denotes state of relative symmetry (balance) in activity of bilateral homologous brain regions responsible for autonomic management. Middle oval denotes rightward dominant asymmetry in activation of the same brain regions, indicative of traumatic stress associated with high arousal. Bottom oval denotes leftward asymmetry in activation of the same regions, indicative of traumatic stress associated with parasympathetic freeze mode. Recovery from trauma may be associated with compensatory adverse behaviors (including but not limited to conduct disorders, especially from freeze state to progress to high arousal; and varying forms of substance abuse or medication dependence, to achieve state of balance). Effective autonomic interventions are needed, that can support recovery of balance and decrease likelihood of compensatory adverse behaviors.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Spectrographs of left and right temporal lobe brain electrical activity for 29-year-old US military special operations officer with history of mTBI and PTSD (Case 1) at baseline, before undergoing neurotechnology intervention for auto-calibration of neural oscillations. Data were collected from T3 and T4 in 10–20 system, with frequency (Hertz, Hz, vertical axis), plotted against amplitude (microvolts, µv, horizontal axis). Individual color bars reflect amplitude averages for one minute of recording, eyes closed, at rest, without stimulation. Columns to the left and right of the color bars denote ten frequency bands of aggregated data (00: < 1.0 Hz; 10: 1.0–3.0 Hz; 20: 3.0–5.5 Hz; 30: 5.5–7.5 Hz; 40: 7.5–10.0 Hz; 50: 10.0–12.0 Hz; 60: 12.0–15.0 Hz; 70: 15.0–23.0 Hz; 80: 23.0–36.0 Hz; 90: 36.0–48.0 Hz) and numerical values for averages in those ranges.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Spectrographs of left and right temporal lobe brain electrical activity for 29-year-old US military special operations officer (Case 1), during penultimate session of neurotechnology intervention, penultimate minute. Data reflect subject’s brain activity with eyes closed, at rest, while listening to audible tones. See Figure 2 legend for detailed explanation of data elements.
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
Spectrographs of left and right temporal lobe brain electrical activity for 23-year-old woman with history of persisting post-concussion symptoms (Case 2), before undergoing neurotechnology intervention for auto-calibration of neural oscillations. Data were collected from T3 and T4 in 10–20 system, with frequency (Hertz, Hz, vertical axis), plotted against amplitude (microvolts, µv, horizontal axis). See Figure 2 legend for detailed explanation of data elements.
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Spectrographs of left and right temporal lobe brain electrical activity for 23-year-old woman (Case 2), during penultimate session of neurotechnology intervention, penultimate minute. Data reflect subject’s brain activity with eyes closed, at rest, while listening to audible tones. See Figure 2 legend for detailed explanation of data elements.

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