Differences in interference processing and frontal brain function with climate trauma from California’s deadliest wildfire

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000125
• Publication Date: 2023-01-18T18:25:56Z
• Authors: Gillian K. Grennan; Mathew C. Withers; Dhakshin S. Raman...; Jyoti Mishra
• Keywords: Stimulus (psychology)

As climate change accelerates extreme weather disasters, the mental health of impacted communities is a rising concern. In recent study 725 Californians we showed that individuals were directly exposed to California’s deadliest wildfire, Camp Fire 2018, had significantly greater chronic symptoms post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression than control not fires. Here, subsample these individuals: (n = 27), indirectly (who witnessed fire but impacted, n 21), versus age gender-matched non-exposed controls 27). All participants underwent cognitive testing with synchronized electroencephalography (EEG) brain recordings. our sample, 67% reported having experienced trauma, while 14% 0% trauma exposure. Fire-exposed significant deficits, particularly on interference processing task stimulus-evoked fronto-parietal activity as measured this task. Across all subjects, found in left frontal cortex was associated overall improved efficiency, suggesting increased observed may reflect compensatory increase cortical processes control. To best knowledge first examine underlying neural impacts trauma.