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Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Brain Imaging Investigation of the Neural Correlates of Emotional Autobiographical Recollection
Published on: August 26, 2011
Neural correlates of traumatic memories in posttraumatic stress disorder: a functional MRI investigation
R A Lanius1, P C Williamson, M Densmore
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada. ruth.lanius@lhsc.on.ca
Objective:
The neuronal circuitry underlying posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) was studied in traumatized subjects with and without PTSD.
Method:
Traumatized subjects with (N=9) and without (N=9) PTSD were studied by using the script-driven symptom provocation paradigm adapted to functional magnetic resonance imaging at a 4-T field strength.
Results:
PTSD subjects showed significantly less activation of the thalamus, the anterior cingulate gyrus (Brodmann's area 32), and the medial frontal gyrus (Brodmann's area 10/11) than did the comparison subjects.
Conclusions:
The findings suggest anterior cingulate, frontal, and thalamic involvement in the neuronal circuitry underlying PTSD.
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