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Frontal Lobe Circuitry in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Lynn D Selemon1, Keith A Young2,3,4, Dianne A Cruz5
1Department of Neuroscience, Yale School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
Chronic Stress (Thousand Oaks, Calif.)
|August 23, 2019
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves widespread frontal lobe dysfunction, impacting fear, salience, and mood circuits. This neurobiological basis explains PTSD symptoms and executive function deficits.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Brain Imaging
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by hyperarousal, avoidance, re-experiencing, and mood changes.
- Frontal cortical areas are critical for circuits involved in PTSD symptomatology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the role of frontal cortical areas in the conditioned fear extinction, salience, and mood circuits in PTSD.
- To examine structural and functional brain abnormalities in PTSD.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on frontal lobe circuitry in PTSD.
- Analysis of structural abnormalities (e.g., volumetric reductions) and functional activation patterns.
- Examination of network connectivity and synaptic plasticity.
Main Results:
- Structural abnormalities, including reduced cingulate cortex volumes, affect fear, salience, and mood circuits.
- Abnormal frontal cortical activation and altered amygdalo-frontal connectivity are observed in PTSD.
- Reduced synaptic plasticity and executive function impairments are linked to frontal lobe dysfunction.
Conclusions:
- Widespread frontal lobe dysfunction underlies core PTSD symptoms.
- Impaired executive functions in PTSD are associated with frontal lobe abnormalities.
- Understanding these neurobiological underpinnings is crucial for PTSD treatment.
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