title: Altered spontaneous neuronal activity in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder patients before and after a 12-week paroxetine treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Abnormal functional brain activity has been revealed in patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in recent years, while the recovery neuromechanism of PTSD has not yet been elucidated. The aim of this study was to investigate the altered spontaneous brain activity in treatment-naïve chronic PTSD patients before and after 12 weeks׳ treatment with paroxetine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-one earthquake-related PTSD patients and seventeen traumatized controls underwent a resting functional magnetic resonance imaging (Rs-fMRI) scan at baseline. Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) was calculated and compared between PTSD patients and controls. Then, the PTSD group completed 12 weeks of treatment with paroxetine, and Rs-fMRI was repeated to compare with the baseline. Lastly, correlation analyses of ALFF values within altered brain areas were conducted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hyperactive function of visual cortex was observed in PTSD patients before and after treatment. After treatment, significantly increased ALFF values were observed in the left orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), while decreased ALFF values were found in the precuneus. Interestingly, a negative correlation between the mean ALFF values of OFC and those of precuneus and visual cortex was only observed in controls, but not in PTSD patients pre- or post-treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A corresponding control condition was absent in this study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings showed that manipulating regional spontaneous activity of precuneus and OFC could be a potential prognostic indicator of PTSD. However, hyperactive function of visual cortex and disrupted connections between OFC, precuneus and visual cortex did not reverse after treatment, which could be a potential target for further treatment.
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Hongru
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Changjian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Yajing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Haofei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical Engineering and Information, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065, Sichuan Province, China.
authors.forename: Junran
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
authors.forename: Qiyong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China. Electronic address: weizhang27@163.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China; Radiology Department of the Second Affiliated Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang 325027 China. Electronic address: lusuwcums@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lui
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004190:Disasters; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology; D017374:Paroxetine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014793:Visual Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D017374:Paroxetine
keywords: Amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Paroxetine; Posttraumatic stress disorder; Resting-state