Regional cerebral blood flow in patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to determine whether regional cerebral blood flow in survivors of torture suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) differed significantly from that in healthy controls.


METHODS
We examined the cerebral regional distribution of 99m-technetium-hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime (HMPAO) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 8 patients and in 8 healthy controls. A semi-quantitative analysis was performed in which symmetrical regions of interest (ROI) were drawn in all subjects.


RESULTS
Regional blood flow was markedly more heterogeneous in patients suffering from PTSD than in healthy controls. The differences are significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Severe psychological trauma induced by torture can cause neurobiologic alterations that may contribute, even years after the original trauma, to a number of complaints commonly expressed by patients suffering from PTSD.
Mirzaei
S
S
Department of Nuclear Medicine and Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Nuclear Medicine, Vienna, Austria. siroos.mirzaei@nuk.wil.magwien.gv.at
Knoll
P
P
Keck
A
A
Preitler
B
B
Gutierrez
E
E
Umek
H
H
Köhn
H
H
Pecherstorfer
M
M
D000328:Adult; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019690:Technetium Tc 99m Exametazime