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A symptom provocation study of posttraumatic stress disorder using positron emission tomography and script-driven
S L Rauch1, B A van der Kolk, R E Fisler
1Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass., USA.
Archives of General Psychiatry
|May 1, 1996
Summary
This study used brain imaging to find that traumatic memories in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) activate right-sided brain areas, including visual cortex, potentially explaining reexperiencing symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Previous research mapped anxiety brain systems using symptom provocation and PET.
- This study aimed to identify brain regions involved in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To measure regional cerebral blood flow changes linked to PTSD symptoms.
- To investigate the neural correlates of PTSD symptom provocation.
Main Methods:
- Eight patients with PTSD underwent script-driven imagery with audiotaped traumatic and neutral stimuli.
- Positron emission tomography (PET) measured regional cerebral blood flow.
- Statistical mapping identified significant brain activation patterns.
Main Results:
- Increased blood flow observed in right-sided limbic, paralimbic, and visual areas during traumatic script exposure.
- Decreased blood flow noted in left inferior frontal and middle temporal cortex.
- Heart rate and emotional state were monitored concurrently.
Conclusions:
- Emotions in the PTSD symptomatic state appear mediated by right-hemisphere limbic and paralimbic systems.
- Activated visual cortex may relate to the visual reexperiencing phenomena characteristic of PTSD.
- Findings contribute to understanding the neurobiology of PTSD.