Neuroimaging Findings in PTSD Studies
| Study | Imaging | Main findings |
| (46) | 18F-FDG PET | Increased metabolism in right amygdala in danger-based trauma vs. control groups; increased metabolism in precuneus in non–danger-based trauma vs. danger group |
| (47) | Functional MRI | Increased activation of basolateral relative to centromedial amygdala in PTSD group |
| (48) | 15O-CO2 PET | Decreased regional cerebral blood flow in medial prefrontal cortex in veterans with PTSD during mental imagery of trauma-unrelated stressful personal experiences |
| (63) | Resting-state functional MRI | Oxytocin decreased amygdala–left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity after trauma script–driven imagery vs. neutral script–driven imagery; oxytocin increased amygdala–insula functional connectivity and decreased amygdala–ventromedial prefrontal cortex functional connectivity in both groups; placebo-treated participants had increased amygdala–left ventrolateral prefrontal cortex functional connectivity after trauma script–driven imagery |
| (50) | SPECT and 18F-FDG PET | Decreased perfusion and metabolism in left hippocampus and basal ganglia in PTSD group; increased cerebellar metabolism in PTSD group |
| (51) | MRI and 18F-AV-45 PET | Slightly decreased superior parietal volume in TBI + PTSD group vs. controls; decreased odds of amyloid positivity based on cortical amyloid SUV ratio in PTSD group vs. controls; no evidence for increased brain amyloid associated with TBI; no evidence for medial temporal lobe atrophy in PTSD or TBI vs. controls |
| (54) | Functional MRI | Decreased functional connectivity between left ventral anterior insula and anterior cingulate cortex; decreased functional connectivity between right posterior insula and left inferior parietal lobe |
| (56) | SPECT | Hyperperfused default-mode network in PTSD group; hypoperfused default-mode network in TBI group |
| (55) | 11C-flumazenil PET and MRI | Increased benzodiazepine receptor binding potential in precuneus and dorsal anterior cingulate cortex in PTSD subjects vs. healthy controls |
| (57) | 18F-AV-45 PET | Increased amyloid accumulation in frontal, occipital, and temporal lobes of PTSD group, in white matter of TBI + PTSD group, and in cerebellum and precuneus of TBI group |
| (59) | Active-task functional MRI | Increased activation of dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala in response to trauma-unrelated negative stimuli predicted PTSD persistence after trauma-focused therapy |