title: Resting state functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex in veterans with and without post-traumatic stress disorder.
abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that is associated with structural and functional alterations in several brain areas, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Here, we examine resting state functional connectivity of ACC subdivisions in PTSD, using a seed-based approach. Resting state magnetic resonance images were obtained from male veterans with (n = 31) and without (n = 25) PTSD, and healthy male civilian controls (n = 25). Veterans with and without PTSD (combat controls) had reduced functional connectivity compared to healthy controls between the caudal ACC and the precentral gyrus, and between the perigenual ACC and the superior medial gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. Combat controls had increased connectivity between the rostral ACC and precentral/middle frontal gyrus compared to PTSD patients and healthy civilian controls. The resting state functional connectivity differences in the perigenual ACC network reported here indicate that veterans differ from healthy controls, potentially due to military training, deployment, and/or trauma exposure. In addition, specific alterations in the combat controls may potentially be related to resilience. These results underline the importance of distinguishing trauma-exposed (combat) controls from healthy civilian controls when studying PTSD.
authors.affiliation: Research Centre-Military Mental Healthcare, Ministry of Defence, CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands; Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Utrecht, CX, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Mitzy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kennis
authors.forename: Arthur R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rademaker
authors.forename: Sanne J H
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: van Rooij
authors.forename: René S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Kahn
authors.forename: Elbert
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Geuze
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006179:Gyrus Cinguli / Q000098:blood supply / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012146:Rest; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000473:pathology*; D014728:Veterans; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: anterior cingulate cortex; fMRI; middle temporal gyrus; post-traumatic stress disorder; precentral gyrus; resting state; superior medial gyrus; trauma; veterans