title: Aberrant Functional Connectivity of the Amygdala Complexes in PTSD during Conscious and Subconscious Processing of Trauma-Related Stimuli.
abstract: Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by altered functional connectivity of the amygdala complexes at rest. However, amygdala complex connectivity during conscious and subconscious threat processing remains to be elucidated. Here, we investigate specific connectivity of the centromedial amygdala (CMA) and basolateral amygdala (BLA) during conscious and subconscious processing of trauma-related words among individuals with PTSD (n = 26) as compared to non-trauma-exposed controls (n = 20). Psycho-physiological interaction analyses were performed using the right and left amygdala complexes as regions of interest during conscious and subconscious trauma word processing. These analyses revealed a differential, context-dependent responses by each amygdala seed during trauma processing in PTSD. Specifically, relative to controls, during subconscious processing, individuals with PTSD demonstrated increased connectivity of the CMA with the superior frontal gyrus, accompanied by a pattern of decreased connectivity between the BLA and the superior colliculus. During conscious processing, relative to controls, individuals with PTSD showed increased connectivity between the CMA and the pulvinar. These findings demonstrate alterations in amygdala subregion functional connectivity in PTSD and highlight the disruption of the innate alarm network during both conscious and subconscious trauma processing in this disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rabellino
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.|Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Densmore
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.|Department of Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Paul A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Frewen
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.|Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.|Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Théberge
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Program, St. Joseph's Healthcare, Hamilton, ON, Canada.|Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.|Homewood Research Institute, Guelph, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Margaret C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: McKinnon
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.|Imaging Division, Lawson Health Research Institute, London, ON, Canada.|Department of Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Ruth A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Lanius
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000679:Amygdala / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000503:physiopathology*