Citation

Wrocklage KM, Averill LA, Cobb Scott J, Averill CL, Schweinsburg B, Trejo M, Roy A, Weisser V, Kelly C, Martini B, Harpaz-Rotem I, Southwick SM, Krystal JH, Abdallah CG. Eur. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2017; 27(5): 515-525.

Affiliation

National Center for PTSD - Clinical Neurosciences Division, US Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, CT, United States; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United States. Electronic address: chadi.abdallah@yale.edu.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.euroneuro.2017.02.010

PMID

28279623

Abstract

We investigated the extent of cortical thinning in U.S. Veterans exposed to combat who varied in the severity of their posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. In addition, we explored the neural correlates of PTSD symptom dimensions and the interactive effects of combat exposure and PTSD upon cortical thickness. Sixty-nine combat exposed Veterans completed high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to estimate cortical thickness. The Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) and Combat Exposure Scale (CES) assessments were completed to measure current PTSD and historical combat severity, respectively. PTSD symptom dimensions (numbing, avoidance, reexperiencing, anxious arousal, and dysphoric arousal) were studied. Vertex-wise whole cerebrum analyses were conducted. We found widespread negative correlations between CAPS severity and cortical thickness, particularly within the prefrontal cortex. This prefrontal correlation remained significant after controlling for depression severity, medication status, and other potential confounds. PTSD dimensions, except anxious arousal, negatively correlated with cortical thickness in various unique brain regions. CES negatively correlated with cortical thickness in the left lateral prefrontal, regardless of PTSD diagnosis. A significant interaction between CES and PTSD diagnosis was found, such that CES negatively correlated with cortical thickness in the non-PTSD, but not in the PTSD, participants. The results underscore the severity of cortical thinning in U.S. Veterans suffering from high level of PTSD symptoms, as well as in Veterans with no PTSD diagnosis but severe combat exposure. The latter finding raises considerable concerns about a concealed injury potentially related to combat exposure in the post-9/11 era.

Published by Elsevier B.V.

Language: en

Keywords

Combat; Cortical thickness; Neuroimaging; PTSD; Veteran