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Amygdala Nuclei Volume and Shape in Military Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Authors :
Rajendra A. Morey
Emily K. Clarke
Courtney C. Haswell
Rachel D. Phillips
Ashley N. Clausen
Mary S. Mufford
Zeynep Saygin
H. Ryan Wagner
Kevin S. LaBar
Mira Brancu
Jean C. Beckham
Patrick S. Calhoun
Eric Dedert
Eric B. Elbogen
John A. Fairbank
Robin A. Hurley
Jason D. Kilts
Nathan A. Kimbrel
Angela Kirby
Christine E. Marx
Scott D. McDonald
Scott D. Moore
Jennifer C. Naylor
Jared Rowland
Cindy Swinkels
Steven T. Szabo
Katherine H. Taber
Larry A. Tupler
Elizabeth E. van Voorhees
Ruth E. Yoash-Gantz
Source :
Biol Psychiatry Cogn Neurosci Neuroimaging
Publication Year :
2020
Publisher :
Elsevier BV, 2020.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The amygdala is a subcortical structure involved in socioemotional and associative fear learning processes relevant for understanding the mechanisms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Research in animals indicates that the amygdala is a heterogeneous structure in which the basolateral and centromedial divisions are susceptible to stress. While the amygdala complex is implicated in the pathophysiology of PTSD, little is known about the specific contributions of the individual nuclei that constitute the amygdala complex. METHODS: Military veterans (n = 355), including military veterans with PTSD (n = 149) and trauma-exposed control subjects without PTSD (n = 206), underwent high-resolution T1-weighted anatomical scans. Automated FreeSurfer segmentation of the amygdala yielded 9 structures: basal, lateral, accessory basal, anterior amygdaloid, and central, medial, cortical, and paralaminar nuclei, along with the corticoamygdaloid transition zone. Subregional volumes were compared between groups using ordinary-least-squares regression with relevant demographic and clinical regressors followed by 3-dimensional shape analysis of whole amygdala. RESULTS: PTSD was associated with smaller left and right lateral and paralaminar nuclei, but with larger left and right central, medial, and cortical nuclei (p < .05, false discovery rate corrected). Shape analyses revealed lower radial distance in anterior bilateral amygdala and lower Jacobian determinant in posterior bilateral amygdala in PTSD compared with control subjects. CONCLUSIONS: Alterations in select amygdala subnuclear volumes and regional shape distortions are associated with PTSD in military veterans. Volume differences of the lateral nucleus and the centromedial complex associated with PTSD demonstrate a subregion-specific pattern that is consistent with their functional roles in fear learning and fear expression behaviors.

Details

ISSN :
24519022
Volume :
5
Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....78ffde59824b3c296b6c0362799b19a0
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.11.016