title: Resting regional cerebral perfusion in recent posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brain imaging research in posttraumatic stress disorder has been largely performed on patients with chronic disease, often heavily medicated, with current or past alcohol and substance abuse. Additionally, virtually only activation brain imaging paradigms have been done in posttraumatic stress disorder, whereas in other mental disorders both resting and activation studies have been performed.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-eight (11 posttraumatic stress disorder) trauma survivors underwent resting state hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime single photon emission computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging 6 months after trauma. Eleven nontraumatized subjects served as healthy controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Regional cerebral blood flow in the cerebellum was higher in posttraumatic stress disorder than in both control groups. Regional cerebral blood flow in right precentral, superior temporal, and fusiform gyri in posttraumatic stress disorder was higher than in healthy controls. Cerebellar and extrastriate regional cerebral blood flow were positively correlated with continuous measures of depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. Cortisol level in posttraumatic stress disorder was negatively correlated with medial temporal lobe perfusion. Anterior cingulate perfusion and cortisol level were positively correlated in posttraumatic stress disorder and negatively correlated in trauma survivors without posttraumatic stress disorder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Recent posttraumatic stress disorder is accompanied by elevated regional cerebral blood flow, particularly in the cerebellum. This warrants attention because the cerebellum is often used as a reference region in regional cerebral blood flow studies. The inverse correlation between plasma cortisol and medial temporal lobe perfusion may herald hippocampal damage.
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Hadassah University Hospital, Jerusalem, Israel.
authors: Omer
authors: O
authors: Bonne
authors: Asaf
authors: A
authors: Gilboa
authors: Yoram
authors: Y
authors: Louzoun
authors: Dalia
authors: D
authors: Brandes
authors: Ilan
authors: I
authors: Yona
authors: Hava
authors: H
authors: Lester
authors: Gavriel
authors: G
authors: Barkai
authors: Nanette
authors: N
authors: Freedman
authors: Roland
authors: R
authors: Chisin
authors: Arieh Y
authors: AY
authors: Shalev
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D003863:Depression / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010091:Oximes / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D010477:Perfusion; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000379:methods; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D010091:Oximes; C068296:hexamethylpropyleneamine oxime; D006854:Hydrocortisone