Brain Imaging Studies of PTSD

Abstract

(from the introduction) Provides a summary of neuroanatomical findings in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that have evaluated both the morphology and functional chemistry of different brain regions. This chapter mentions the observations of hippocampal atrophy in PTSD patients and describes several studies showing that the brain responds exaggeratedly to both reminders of traumatic stress and pharmacological challenges of alarm systems, as captured by positron emission tomography technology. The authors make the point that it is important to distinguish between the way the brain looks under basal or resting conditions and the way it may respond to provocation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2000 APA, all rights reserved) Record 183 of 814 in PsycINFO 1999-2001/12