title: Recall of emotional states in posttraumatic stress disorder: an fMRI investigation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The goal of this study was to examine the neuronal circuitry underlying different emotional states (neutral, sad, anxious, and traumatic) in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in traumatized subjects versus traumatized subjects without PTSD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Traumatized subjects with (n = 10) and without (n = 10) PTSD were studied using the script-driven symptom provocation paradigm adapted to functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) at a 4 Tesla field strength.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to the trauma-exposed comparison group, PTSD subjects showed significantly less activation of the thalamus and the anterior cingulate gyrus (area 32) in all three emotional states (sad, anxious, and traumatic).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest thalamic and anterior cingulate dysfunction in the recollection of traumatic as well as other negative events. Thalamic and anterior cingulate dysfunction may underlie emotion dysregulation often observed clinically in PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
authors.forename: Ruth A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lanius
authors.forename: Peter C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Williamson
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hopper
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Densmore
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Boksman
authors.forename: Madhulika A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gupta
authors.forename: Robert W J
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Neufeld
authors.forename: Joseph S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Gati
authors.forename: Ravi S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Menon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology