Progress in magnetic resonance imaging of brain structural changes in post-traumatic stress disorder_West China Medical Journal

Authors：

MA Qingxin ¹ , JIANG Lisha ² , ZHU Hongru ¹ ,  ZHANG Wei ¹

1. Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P. R. China;
2. Day Surgery Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan 610041, P. R. China;

Corresponding author：

ZHANG Wei, Email: weizhang27@163.com

Keywords：

Post-traumatic stress disorder; Magnetic resonance imaging; Anterior cingulate cortex; Hippocampus; Corpus callosum

DOI：

10.7507/1002-0179.201812050

Video：

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Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one of the common chronic diseases in psychiatry. It has a long course of disease which seriously affects patient’s life and work, and has a serious impact on social function. So far, the diagnosis of PTSD is limited to clinical symptom manifestations and physician experience, and no exact pathological substance basis is found, while the pathological substance basis is crucial for accurate diagnosis, selection of effective treatment methods, evaluation of treatment results, and assessment of disability. Head MRI is currently one of the most promising techniques to solve this problem. This paper reviews the progress in MRI research on brain structure changes in PTSD patients, in order to explore the possible future development directions.

Citation： MA Qingxin, JIANG Lisha, ZHU Hongru, ZHANG Wei. Progress in magnetic resonance imaging of brain structural changes in post-traumatic stress disorder. West China Medical Journal, 2019, 34(2): 213-217. doi: 10.7507/1002-0179.201812050 Copy

1.	Kennis M, van Rooij SJ, Tromp do PM, et al. Treatment outcome-related white matter differences in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2015, 40(10): 2434-2442.
2.	Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, et al. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-Ⅳ disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2005, 62(6): 617-627.
3.	Kessler RC, Sonnega A, Bromet E, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1995, 52(12): 1048-1060.
4.	Breslau N, Kessler RC, Chilcoat HD, et al. Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in the community: the 1996 Detroit Area Survey of Trauma. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1998, 55(7): 626-632.
5.	Tolin DF, Foa EB. Sex differences in trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder: a quantitative review of 25 years of research. Psychol Bull, 2006, 132(6): 959-992.
6.	Breslau N, Chilcoat HD, Kessler RC, et al. Previous exposure to trauma and PTSD effects of subsequent trauma: results from the Detroit Area Survey of Trauma. Am J Psychiatry, 1999, 156(6): 902-907.
7.	Gabbay V, Oatis MD, Silva RR, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorders in children & adolescents [Handbook]. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2004.
8.	Schlenger WE, Caddell JM, Ebert L, et al. Psychological reactions to terrorist attacks: findings from the National Study of Americans’ Reactions to September 11. JAMA, 2002, 288(5): 581-588.
9.	Turner SW, Thompson J, Rosser RM. The kings cross fire: psychological reactions. J Trauma Stress, 1995, 8(3): 419-427.
10.	Havenaar JM, Rumyantzeva GM, van den Brink W, et al. Long-term mental health effects of the Chernobyl disaster: an epidemiologic survey in two former soviet regions. Am J Psychiatry, 1997, 154(11): 1605-1607.
11.	McFarlane AC, Williamson P, Barton CA. The impact of traumatic stressors in civilian occupational settings. J Public Health Policy, 2009, 30(3): 311-327.
12.	Koch SBJ, van Zuiden M, Nawijn L, et al. Decreased uncinate fasciculus tract integrity in male and female patients with PTSD: a diffusion tensor imaging study. J Psychiatry Neurosci, 2017, 42(5): 331-342.
13.	Pickering TG. Mental stress as a causal factor in the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Curr Hypertens Rep, 2001, 3(3): 249-254.
14.	Mittenberg W, Canyock EM, Condit D, et al. Treatment of post-concussion syndrome following mild head injury. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, 2001, 23(6): 829-836.
15.	Butler O, Adolf J, Gleich T, et al. Military deployment correlates with smaller prefrontal gray matter volume and psychological symptoms in a subclinical population. Transl Psychiatry, 2017, 7(2): e1031.
16.	Alves GS, Oertel Knöchel V, Knöchel C, et al. Integrating retrogenesis theory to Alzheimer’s disease pathology: insight from DTI-TBSS investigation of the white matter microstructural integrity. Biomed Res Int, 2015: 291658.
17.	Schuff N, Zhang Y, Zhan W, et al. Patterns of altered cortical perfusion and diminished subcortical integrity in posttraumatic stress disorder: an MRI study. Neuroimage, 2011, 54(Suppl 1): S62-S68.
18.	Li L, Lei D, Li L, et al. White matter abnormalities in post-traumatic stress disorder following a specific traumatic event. EBioMedicine, 2016, 4: 176-183.
19.	Chao L, Weiner M, Neylan T. Regional cerebral volumes in veterans with current versus remitted posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Res, 2013, 213(3): 193-201.
20.	Karl A, Schaefer M, Malta LS, et al. A meta-analysis of structural brain abnormalities in PTSD. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2006, 30(7): 1004-1031.
21.	Ahmed F, Spottiswoode BS, Carey PD, et al. Relationship between neurocognition and regional brain volumes in traumatized adolescents with and without posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychobiology, 2012, 66(3): 174-184.
22.	Herringa R, Phillips M, Almeida J, et al. Post-traumatic stress symptoms correlate with smaller subgenual cingulate, caudate, and insula volumes in unmedicated combat veterans. Psychiatry Res, 2012, 203(2/3): 139-145.
23.	Kühn S, Gallinat J. Gray matter correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder: a quantitative meta-analysis. Biol Psychiatry, 2013, 73(1): 70-74.
24.	Durkee CA, Sarlls JE, Hommer DW. White matter microstructure alterations: a study of alcoholics with and without post-traumatic stress disorder. PLoS One, 2013, 8(11): e80952.
25.	Jatzko A, Vogler C, Demirakca T, et al. Pattern and volume of the anterior cingulate cortex in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2013, 263(7): 585-592.
26.	Corbo V, Clément MH, Armony JL, et al. Size versus shape differences: contrasting voxel-based and volumetric analyses of the anterior cingulate cortex in individuals with acute posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry, 2005, 58(2): 119-124.
27.	Kasai K, Yamasue H, Gilbertson MW, et al. Evidence for acquired pregenual anterior cingulate gray matter loss from a twin study of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry, 2008, 63(6): 550-556.
28.	Sekiguchi A, Sugiura M, Taki Y, et al. Brain structural changes as vulnerability factors and acquired signs of post-earthquake stress. Mol Psychiatry, 2013, 18(5): 618-623.
29.	Dickie EW, Brunet A, Akerib V, et al. Anterior cingulate cortical thickness is a stable predictor of recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychol Med, 2013, 43(3): 645-653.
30.	Dolcos F, Labar KS, Cabeza R. Interaction between the amygdala and the medial temporal lobe memory system predicts better memory for emotional events. Neuron, 2004, 42(5): 855-863.
31.	Zhang J, Tan Q, Yin H, et al. Decreased gray matter volume in the left hippocampus and bilateral calcarine cortex in coal mine flood disaster survivors with recent onset PTSD. Psychiatry Res, 2011, 192(2): 84-90.
32.	Childress JE, McDowell EJ, Dalai VV, et al. Hippocampal volumes in patients with chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2013, 25(1): 12-25.
33.	Apfel BA, Ross J, Hlavin J, et al. Hippocampal volume differences in Gulf War veterans with current versus lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Biol Psychiatry, 2011, 69(6): 541-548.
34.	Hu H, Zhou Y, Wang Q, et al. Association of abnormal white matter integrity in the acute phase of motor vehicle accidents with post-traumatic stress disorder. J Affect Disord, 2016, 190: 714-722.
35.	Gilbertson MW, Williston SK, Paulus LA, et al. Configural cue performance in identical twins discordant for posttraumatic stress disorder: theoretical implications for the role of hippocampal function. Biol Psychiatry, 2007, 62(5): 513-520.
36.	Levy-Gigi E, Szabó C, Kelemen O, et al. Association among clinical response, hippocampal volume, and FKBP5 gene expression in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder receiving cognitive behavioral therapy. Biol Psychiatry, 2013, 74(11): 793-800.
37.	Jackowski AP, Douglas-Palumberi H, Jackowski M, et al. Corpus callosum in maltreated children with posttraumatic stress disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Psychiatry Res, 2008, 162(3): 256-261.
38.	Rose SE, Chen F, Chalk JB, et al. Loss of connectivity in Alzheimer’s disease: an evaluation of white matter tract integrity with colour coded MR diffusion tensor imaging. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 2000, 69(4): 528-530.
39.	Fani N, King TZ, Jovanovic T, et al. White matter integrity in highly traumatized adults with and without post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2012, 37(12): 2740-2746.
40.	Bierer LM, Ivanov I, Carpenter DM, et al. White matter abnormalities in Gulf War veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2015, 51: 567-576.
41.	Daniels JK, Lamke JP, Gaebler M, et al. White matter integrity and its relationship to PTSD and childhood trauma--a systematic review and meta-analysis. Depress Anxiety, 2013, 30(3): 207-216.
42.	Olson EA, Cui J, Fukunaga R, et al. Disruption of white matter structural integrity and connectivity in posttraumatic stress disorder: a TBSS and tractography study. Depress Anxiety, 2017, 34(5): 437-445.
43.	Sanjuan PM, Thoma R, Claus ED, et al. Reduced white matter integrity in the cingulum and anterior corona radiata in posttraumatic stress disorder in male combat veterans: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Psychiatry Res, 2013, 214(3): 260-268.
44.	Sun Y, Wang Z, Ding W, et al. Alterations in white matter microstructure as vulnerability factors and acquired signs of traffic accident-induced PTSD. PLoS One, 2013, 8(12): e83473.

1. Kennis M, van Rooij SJ, Tromp do PM, et al. Treatment outcome-related white matter differences in veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2015, 40(10): 2434-2442.
2. Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, et al. Prevalence, severity, and comorbidity of 12-month DSM-Ⅳ disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 2005, 62(6): 617-627.
3. Kessler RC, Sonnega A, Bromet E, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorder in the National Comorbidity Survey. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1995, 52(12): 1048-1060.
4. Breslau N, Kessler RC, Chilcoat HD, et al. Trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder in the community: the 1996 Detroit Area Survey of Trauma. Arch Gen Psychiatry, 1998, 55(7): 626-632.
5. Tolin DF, Foa EB. Sex differences in trauma and posttraumatic stress disorder: a quantitative review of 25 years of research. Psychol Bull, 2006, 132(6): 959-992.
6. Breslau N, Chilcoat HD, Kessler RC, et al. Previous exposure to trauma and PTSD effects of subsequent trauma: results from the Detroit Area Survey of Trauma. Am J Psychiatry, 1999, 156(6): 902-907.
7. Gabbay V, Oatis MD, Silva RR, et al. Posttraumatic stress disorders in children & adolescents [Handbook]. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2004.
8. Schlenger WE, Caddell JM, Ebert L, et al. Psychological reactions to terrorist attacks: findings from the National Study of Americans’ Reactions to September 11. JAMA, 2002, 288(5): 581-588.
9. Turner SW, Thompson J, Rosser RM. The kings cross fire: psychological reactions. J Trauma Stress, 1995, 8(3): 419-427.
10. Havenaar JM, Rumyantzeva GM, van den Brink W, et al. Long-term mental health effects of the Chernobyl disaster: an epidemiologic survey in two former soviet regions. Am J Psychiatry, 1997, 154(11): 1605-1607.
11. McFarlane AC, Williamson P, Barton CA. The impact of traumatic stressors in civilian occupational settings. J Public Health Policy, 2009, 30(3): 311-327.
12. Koch SBJ, van Zuiden M, Nawijn L, et al. Decreased uncinate fasciculus tract integrity in male and female patients with PTSD: a diffusion tensor imaging study. J Psychiatry Neurosci, 2017, 42(5): 331-342.
13. Pickering TG. Mental stress as a causal factor in the development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Curr Hypertens Rep, 2001, 3(3): 249-254.
14. Mittenberg W, Canyock EM, Condit D, et al. Treatment of post-concussion syndrome following mild head injury. J Clin Exp Neuropsychol, 2001, 23(6): 829-836.
15. Butler O, Adolf J, Gleich T, et al. Military deployment correlates with smaller prefrontal gray matter volume and psychological symptoms in a subclinical population. Transl Psychiatry, 2017, 7(2): e1031.
16. Alves GS, Oertel Knöchel V, Knöchel C, et al. Integrating retrogenesis theory to Alzheimer’s disease pathology: insight from DTI-TBSS investigation of the white matter microstructural integrity. Biomed Res Int, 2015: 291658.
17. Schuff N, Zhang Y, Zhan W, et al. Patterns of altered cortical perfusion and diminished subcortical integrity in posttraumatic stress disorder: an MRI study. Neuroimage, 2011, 54(Suppl 1): S62-S68.
18. Li L, Lei D, Li L, et al. White matter abnormalities in post-traumatic stress disorder following a specific traumatic event. EBioMedicine, 2016, 4: 176-183.
19. Chao L, Weiner M, Neylan T. Regional cerebral volumes in veterans with current versus remitted posttraumatic stress disorder. Psychiatry Res, 2013, 213(3): 193-201.
20. Karl A, Schaefer M, Malta LS, et al. A meta-analysis of structural brain abnormalities in PTSD. Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 2006, 30(7): 1004-1031.
21. Ahmed F, Spottiswoode BS, Carey PD, et al. Relationship between neurocognition and regional brain volumes in traumatized adolescents with and without posttraumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychobiology, 2012, 66(3): 174-184.
22. Herringa R, Phillips M, Almeida J, et al. Post-traumatic stress symptoms correlate with smaller subgenual cingulate, caudate, and insula volumes in unmedicated combat veterans. Psychiatry Res, 2012, 203(2/3): 139-145.
23. Kühn S, Gallinat J. Gray matter correlates of posttraumatic stress disorder: a quantitative meta-analysis. Biol Psychiatry, 2013, 73(1): 70-74.
24. Durkee CA, Sarlls JE, Hommer DW. White matter microstructure alterations: a study of alcoholics with and without post-traumatic stress disorder. PLoS One, 2013, 8(11): e80952.
25. Jatzko A, Vogler C, Demirakca T, et al. Pattern and volume of the anterior cingulate cortex in chronic posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2013, 263(7): 585-592.
26. Corbo V, Clément MH, Armony JL, et al. Size versus shape differences: contrasting voxel-based and volumetric analyses of the anterior cingulate cortex in individuals with acute posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry, 2005, 58(2): 119-124.
27. Kasai K, Yamasue H, Gilbertson MW, et al. Evidence for acquired pregenual anterior cingulate gray matter loss from a twin study of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder. Biol Psychiatry, 2008, 63(6): 550-556.
28. Sekiguchi A, Sugiura M, Taki Y, et al. Brain structural changes as vulnerability factors and acquired signs of post-earthquake stress. Mol Psychiatry, 2013, 18(5): 618-623.
29. Dickie EW, Brunet A, Akerib V, et al. Anterior cingulate cortical thickness is a stable predictor of recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychol Med, 2013, 43(3): 645-653.
30. Dolcos F, Labar KS, Cabeza R. Interaction between the amygdala and the medial temporal lobe memory system predicts better memory for emotional events. Neuron, 2004, 42(5): 855-863.
31. Zhang J, Tan Q, Yin H, et al. Decreased gray matter volume in the left hippocampus and bilateral calcarine cortex in coal mine flood disaster survivors with recent onset PTSD. Psychiatry Res, 2011, 192(2): 84-90.
32. Childress JE, McDowell EJ, Dalai VV, et al. Hippocampal volumes in patients with chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder: a systematic review. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, 2013, 25(1): 12-25.
33. Apfel BA, Ross J, Hlavin J, et al. Hippocampal volume differences in Gulf War veterans with current versus lifetime posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Biol Psychiatry, 2011, 69(6): 541-548.
34. Hu H, Zhou Y, Wang Q, et al. Association of abnormal white matter integrity in the acute phase of motor vehicle accidents with post-traumatic stress disorder. J Affect Disord, 2016, 190: 714-722.
35. Gilbertson MW, Williston SK, Paulus LA, et al. Configural cue performance in identical twins discordant for posttraumatic stress disorder: theoretical implications for the role of hippocampal function. Biol Psychiatry, 2007, 62(5): 513-520.
36. Levy-Gigi E, Szabó C, Kelemen O, et al. Association among clinical response, hippocampal volume, and FKBP5 gene expression in individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder receiving cognitive behavioral therapy. Biol Psychiatry, 2013, 74(11): 793-800.
37. Jackowski AP, Douglas-Palumberi H, Jackowski M, et al. Corpus callosum in maltreated children with posttraumatic stress disorder: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Psychiatry Res, 2008, 162(3): 256-261.
38. Rose SE, Chen F, Chalk JB, et al. Loss of connectivity in Alzheimer’s disease: an evaluation of white matter tract integrity with colour coded MR diffusion tensor imaging. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 2000, 69(4): 528-530.
39. Fani N, King TZ, Jovanovic T, et al. White matter integrity in highly traumatized adults with and without post-traumatic stress disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology, 2012, 37(12): 2740-2746.
40. Bierer LM, Ivanov I, Carpenter DM, et al. White matter abnormalities in Gulf War veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: a pilot study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2015, 51: 567-576.
41. Daniels JK, Lamke JP, Gaebler M, et al. White matter integrity and its relationship to PTSD and childhood trauma--a systematic review and meta-analysis. Depress Anxiety, 2013, 30(3): 207-216.
42. Olson EA, Cui J, Fukunaga R, et al. Disruption of white matter structural integrity and connectivity in posttraumatic stress disorder: a TBSS and tractography study. Depress Anxiety, 2017, 34(5): 437-445.
43. Sanjuan PM, Thoma R, Claus ED, et al. Reduced white matter integrity in the cingulum and anterior corona radiata in posttraumatic stress disorder in male combat veterans: a diffusion tensor imaging study. Psychiatry Res, 2013, 214(3): 260-268.
44. Sun Y, Wang Z, Ding W, et al. Alterations in white matter microstructure as vulnerability factors and acquired signs of traffic accident-induced PTSD. PLoS One, 2013, 8(12): e83473.

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