Publication

Smaller Global and Regional Cortical Volume in Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Marie Schaer
2009
Journal Articles

Abstract

Context Two sets of findings predict smaller cerebral cortical gray matter volume in adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Measures of intracranial tissue volume and cerebral tissue volume have been observed to be smaller in adolescents with maltreatment-related PTSD. Second, lower intelligence, a risk factor for PTSD, is associated with smaller cerebral tissue volumes. Nevertheless, to our knowledge, only 1 study has observed globally smaller cerebral tissue volume in adults with PTSD. Objectives To apply a recently developed method providing improved estimates of cortical volume and to estimate associations between adult PTSD and selected regional cortical volumes not yet investigated. Design Between-group comparison of global and regional cerebral cortical volumes in adult patients with combat-related PTSD and controls. Setting Two Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers with large inpatient and outpatient PTSD catchments. Participants Ninety-seven combat-exposed veterans of the Vietnam and Persian Gulf wars. Main Outcome Measure Global and regional cortical volumes determined using the FreeSurfer software program and the Desikan et al parcellation (modified). Results Cerebral cortical volume, thickness, and area were observed to be smaller in association with adult combat-related PTSD. Robust associations were observed between PTSD and smaller cortical volumes in the parahippocampal gyrus, superior temporal cortex, lateral orbital frontal cortex, and pars orbitalis of the inferior frontal gyrus. Conclusions Cerebral cortical volume, thickness, and area may be smaller in adult chronic severe PTSD; however, the extracted structural variables did not mediate relations between intelligence and PTSD. The 4 regions exhibiting especially smaller cortical volumes in this sample share involvement in mechanisms subserving "top-down" facilitation of the identification of objects and words. Compromise of these regions may result in difficulty in relearning pretrauma schemata for interpreting the civilian physical and social environments.

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/a67fbcf1-73f9-442f-9b26-2470301c7aaa

Marie Schaer
2009
Journal Articles

Abstract

Official source

https://infoscience.epfl.ch/entities/publication/a67fbcf1-73f9-442f-9b26-2470301c7aaa

Related concepts (32)

Post-traumatic stress disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that develops from experiencing a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a person's life or well-being. Symptoms may include disturbing thoughts, feelings, or dreams related to the events, mental or physical distress to trauma-related cues, attempts to avoid trauma-related cues, alterations in the way a person thinks and feels, and an increase in the fight-or-flight response.

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) is a stress-related mental disorder generally occurring in response to complex traumas, i.e. commonly prolonged or repetitive exposures to a series of traumatic events, within which individuals perceive little or no chance to escape. In the ICD-11 classification, CPTSD is a category of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) with three additional clusters of significant symptoms: emotional dysregulations, negative self-beliefs (e.g.

Cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex, also known as the cerebral mantle, is the outer layer of neural tissue of the cerebrum of the brain in humans and other mammals. The cerebral cortex mostly consists of the six-layered neocortex, with just 10% consisting of allocortex. It is separated into two cortices, by the longitudinal fissure that divides the cerebrum into the left and right cerebral hemispheres. The two hemispheres are joined beneath the cortex by the corpus callosum. The cerebral cortex is the largest site of neural integration in the central nervous system.

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