title: Voxel-wise resting-state MEG source magnitude imaging study reveals neurocircuitry abnormality in active-duty service members and veterans with PTSD.
abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a leading cause of sustained impairment, distress, and poor quality of life in military personnel, veterans, and civilians. Indirect functional neuroimaging studies using PET or fMRI with fear-related stimuli support a PTSD neurocircuitry model that includes amygdala, hippocampus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC). However, it is not clear if this model can fully account for PTSD abnormalities detected directly by electromagnetic-based source imaging techniques in resting-state. The present study examined resting-state magnetoencephalography (MEG) signals in 25 active-duty service members and veterans with PTSD and 30 healthy volunteers. In contrast to the healthy volunteers, individuals with PTSD showed: (1) hyperactivity from amygdala, hippocampus, posterolateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), and insular cortex in high-frequency (i.e., beta, gamma, and high-gamma) bands; (2) hypoactivity from vmPFC, Frontal Pole (FP), and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) in high-frequency bands; (3) extensive hypoactivity from dlPFC, FP, anterior temporal lobes, precuneous cortex, and sensorimotor cortex in alpha and low-frequency bands; and (4) in individuals with PTSD, MEG activity in the left amygdala and posterolateral OFC correlated positively with PTSD symptom scores, whereas MEG activity in vmPFC and precuneous correlated negatively with symptom score. The present study showed that MEG source imaging technique revealed new abnormalities in the resting-state electromagnetic signals from the PTSD neurocircuitry. Particularly, posterolateral OFC and precuneous may play important roles in the PTSD neurocircuitry model.
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Research, and Psychiatry Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA ; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ming-Xiong
authors.initials: MX
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Research, and Psychiatry Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA ; VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kate A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Yurgil
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Research, and Psychiatry Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Robb
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Research, and Psychiatry Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Annemarie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angeles
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Mithun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Diwakar
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Research, and Psychiatry Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA ; VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, CA, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Victoria B
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Risbrough
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Sharon L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Nichols
authors.affiliation: Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McLay
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Rebecca J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Theilmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Charles W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Research, and Psychiatry Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA ; Department of Radiology, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Roland R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Radiology, Research, and Psychiatry Services, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA ; VA Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, CA, USA ; Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Dewleen G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Baker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015225:Magnetoencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008889:Military Personnel; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012146:Rest; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014728:Veterans
keywords: Amygdala; MEG; Orbitofrontal cortex; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Precuneous; Ventromedial prefrontal cortex