title: Central type benzodiazepine receptors in Gulf War veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A previous single photon emission computed tomography study showed decreased central type benzodiazepine receptors in the prefrontal cortex in Vietnam War veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. To assess the generalizability of this finding to patients with more recent history, we studied central type benzodiazepine receptors in Gulf War veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nineteen Gulf War veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder and 19 age-matched, healthy, nondeployed veterans participated in a single photon emission computed tomography study using [(123)I]iomazenil. Regional total distribution volume (V(T)') was compared between two groups using Statistical Parametric Mapping 99 (Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom) and volumes of interest analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Benzodiazepine receptor levels did not show regional differences between the two groups, either with or without global normalization. Average difference in V(T)' was 2% across brain areas; however, by applying global normalization, V(T)' in the patient group showed significant negative correlation with childhood trauma scores in the right superior temporal gyrus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Less severe symptoms and shorter duration of the illness in the current group than the prior one may be the source of the difference in the results of the two studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale University and Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut, USA.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Southwick
authors.forename: Christopher C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Denucci
authors.forename: Sami S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Zoghbi
authors.forename: Martha S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Dillon
authors.forename: Ronald M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Baldwin
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kugaya
authors.forename: N Paul L G
authors.initials: NP
authors.lastname: Verhoeff
authors.forename: John P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Seibyl
authors.forename: Robert B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Innis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003130:Combat Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D005442:Flumazenil / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D006801:Humans; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon; D014481:United States; D014728:Veterans
chemical_list: D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A; D005442:Flumazenil; C063038:iomazenil