title: Amygdala activity correlates with attentional bias in PTSD.
abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder arising in the aftermath of a traumatic event. The most prevalent hypothesis is that of an increased amygdala activity to threat cues. The amygdala has also shown an implication in orienting attention toward threat. The aim of the study was to explore the correlations between amygdala activity, symptom severity and attentional bias in PTSD. Patients and healthy controls were assayed on an fMRI emotional face matching task and an attentional detection of target (DOT) task. The amygdala showed enhanced activity in PTSD (vs. controls). It positively correlated with anxiety scores and PTSD symptomatology. It also positively correlated with the disengagement index. Mostly, these results provide preliminary support for an implication of the amygdala in attention orientation to threat in PTSD. These results are further discussed in light of recent theories concerned with cortico-limbic functioning.
authors: National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) - Mediterranean Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience (INCM, UMR 6193), CHU Timone Hospital, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5, France. myriam.khoury@gmail.com
authors: Myriam
authors: M
authors: El Khoury-Malhame
authors: Emmanuelle
authors: E
authors: Reynaud
authors: Alice
authors: A
authors: Soriano
authors: Keller
authors: K
authors: Michael
authors: Pilar
authors: P
authors: Salgado-Pineda
authors: Xavier
authors: X
authors: Zendjidjian
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Gellato
authors: Fakra
authors: F
authors: Eric
authors: Marie-Noelle
authors: MN
authors: Lefebvre
authors: Frank
authors: F
authors: Rouby
authors: Jean-Claude
authors: JC
authors: Samuelian
authors: Jean-Luc
authors: JL
authors: Anton
authors: Olivier
authors: O
authors: Blin
authors: Stephanie
authors: S
authors: Khalfa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000502:physiology*; D000786:Anger; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005149:Facial Expression; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005403:Fixation, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000523:psychology*