title: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Structural Characterization with 3-T MR Imaging.
abstract: Purpose To explore cerebral alterations related to the emergence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by using three-dimensional T1-weighted imaging and also to explore the relationship of gray and white matter abnormalities and the anatomic changes with clinical severity and duration of time since the trauma. Materials and Methods Informed consent was provided, and the prospective study was approved by the ethics committee of the West China Hospital. Recruited were 67 patients with PTSD and 78 adult survivors without PTSD 7-15 months after a devastating earthquake in western China. All participants underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with a 3-T imager to obtain anatomic images. Cortical thickness and volumes of 14 subcortical gray matter structures and five subregions of the corpus callosum were analyzed with software. Statistical differences between patients with PTSD and healthy survivors were evaluated with a general linear model. Averaged data from the regions with volumetric or cortical thickness differences between groups were extracted in each individual to examine correlations between morphometric measures and clinical profiles. Results Patients with PTSD showed greater cortical thickness in the right superior temporal gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and left precuneus (P < .05; Monte Carlo null-z simulation corrected) and showed reduced volume in the posterior portion of the corpus callosum (F = 6.167; P = .014) compared with healthy survivors of the earthquake. PTSD severity was positively correlated with cortical thickness in the left precuneus (r = 0.332; P = .008). The volumes of posterior corpus callosum were negatively correlated with PTSD ratings in all survivors (r = -0.210; P = .013) and with cortical thickness of the left precuneus in patients with PTSD (r = -0.302; P = .017). Conclusion Results indicate that patients with PTSD had alterations in both cerebral gray matter and white matter compared with individuals who experienced similar psychologic trauma from the same stressor. Importantly, early in the course of PTSD, gray matter changes were in the form of increased, not decreased, cortical thickness, which may have resulted from neuroinflammatory or other trophic process related to endocrine changes or functional compensation. (©) RSNA, 2016.
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Shiguang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Xiaoqi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Lingjiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bi
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Su
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Jessica A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Turner
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: John A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Sweeney
authors.affiliation: From the Huaxi MR Research Center (HMRRC), Department of Radiology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, 37 Guo Xue Xiang, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, China (S. Li, X.H., S. Lui, J.A.S, Q.G.); Department of Psychology, School of Public Administration, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China (Q.G.); Mental Health Institute, The Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China (L.L.); Department of Psychiatry, Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass (F.D.); Department of Psychiatry, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (J.L.); Department of Oncology, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, China (F.B.); Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM (J.A.T.); Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Tex (J.A.S.); Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Guizhou, China (S.Li).
authors.forename: Qiyong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gong
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002681:China; D055866:Earthquakes; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D017741:Survivors / Q000706:statistics & numerical data