Resting cerebral glucose metabolism and perfusion patterns in women with posttraumatic stress disorder related to sexual assault

Psychiatry Res. 2012 Mar 31;201(3):214-7. doi: 10.1016/j.pscychresns.2011.08.007. Epub 2012 Mar 29.

Abstract

In the literature, numerous trials using neuroimaging techniques have investigated brain function in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the contrasting results showed that improvements, including in the study design, were required to reach consistent and convincing conclusions. This study evaluated the functional neuroimaging pattern of resting cerebral blood flow and glucose metabolism in patients with PTSD related to sexual assault. Twelve patients were enrolled for both brain single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (PET) investigations. All data were analyzed with statistical parametric mapping 2 (SPM2). The PTSD patients showed significant relative decreases in perfusion in the left hippocampus and in the basal ganglia compared with the control group. The PTSD group also had significantly lower cerebral glucosemetabolic activity in the left hippocampus and the superior temporal and precentral gyri than in the control group. These specific patterns of perfusion and glucose metabolism may be closely related to various neurophysiologic symptoms of PTSD.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Brain Mapping
  • Cerebral Cortex / blood supply*
  • Cerebral Cortex / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Middle Aged
  • Oxytocin / blood
  • Perfusion
  • Positron-Emission Tomography
  • Rest / physiology*
  • Sex Offenses / psychology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / diagnostic imaging
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / etiology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic* / pathology
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon

Substances

  • Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
  • Oxytocin