RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 The neural networks of inhibitory control in posttraumatic stress disorder
JF Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience
JO JPN
FD Canadian Medical Association
SP 413
OP 422
VO 33
IS 5
A1 Erin Falconer
A1 Richard Bryant
A1 Kim L. Felmingham
A1 Andrew H. Kemp
A1 Evian Gordon
A1 Anthony Peduto
A1 Gloria Olivieri
A1 Leanne M. Williams
YR 2008
UL http://jpn.ca/content/33/5/413.abstract
AB Objective: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) involves deficits in information processing that may reflect hypervigilence and deficient inhibitory control. To date, however, no PTSD neuroimaging study has directly examined PTSD-related changes in executive inhibition. Our objective was to investigate the hypothesis that executive inhibitory control networks are compromised in PTSD.Methods: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used during a Go/No-Go inhibition task completed by a sample of patients with PTSD (n = 23), a matched sample of healthy (i.e. without trauma exposure) control participants (n = 23) and a sample of control participants with trauma exposure who did not meet criteria for PTSD (n = 17).Results: Participants with PTSD showed more inhibition-related errors than did individuals without trauma exposure. During inhibition, control participants activated a right-lateralized cortical inhibitory network, whereas patients with PTSD activated only the left lateral frontal cortex. PTSD was associated with a reduction in right cortical activation and increased activation of striatal and somatosensory regions.Conclusion: The increased inhibitory error and reduced right frontal cortical activation are consistent with compromised inhibitory control in PTSD, while the increased activation of brain regions associated with sensory processing and a greater demand on inhibitory control may reflect enhanced stimulus processing in PTSD, which may undermine cortical control mechanisms.