Recall of emotional states in posttraumatic stress disorder: an fMRI investigation.
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.
Lanius
Ruth A
RA
Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
Williamson
Peter C
PC
Hopper
James
J
Densmore
Maria
M
Boksman
Kristine
K
Gupta
Madhulika A
MA
Neufeld
Robert W J
RW
Gati
Joseph S
JS
Menon
Ravi S
RS
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