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. 2011 May;45(5):630-7.
doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2010.10.011. Epub 2010 Nov 24.

Functional neuroimaging of emotionally intense autobiographical memories in post-traumatic stress disorder

Peggy L St Jacques  1 , Anne Botzung, Amanda Miles, David C Rubin
Affiliations

Functional neuroimaging of emotionally intense autobiographical memories in post-traumatic stress disorder

Peggy L St Jacques et al. J Psychiatr Res. 2011 May.

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects regions that support autobiographical memory (AM) retrieval, such as the hippocampus, amygdala and ventral medial prefrontal cortex (PFC). However, it is not well understood how PTSD may impact the neural mechanisms of memory retrieval for the personal past. We used a generic cue method combined with parametric modulation analysis and functional MRI (fMRI) to investigate the neural mechanisms affected by PTSD symptoms during the retrieval of a large sample of emotionally intense AMs. There were three main results. First, the PTSD group showed greater recruitment of the amygdala/hippocampus during the construction of negative versus positive emotionally intense AMs, when compared to controls. Second, across both the construction and elaboration phases of retrieval the PTSD group showed greater recruitment of the ventral medial PFC for negatively intense memories, but less recruitment for positively intense memories. Third, the PTSD group showed greater functional coupling between the ventral medial PFC and the amygdala for negatively intense memories, but less coupling for positively intense memories. In sum, the fMRI data suggest that there was greater recruitment and coupling of emotional brain regions during the retrieval of negatively intense AMs in the PTSD group when compared to controls.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Group × Valence × Phase Interaction
There was differential sensitivity of the right amygdala/hippocampus to emotional intensity in PTSD vs. controls according to valence and retrieval phase. The PTSD group showed greater recruitment of this region during the construction of emotionally intense negative autobiographical memories, whereas the control group showed greater recruitment here during construction of emotionally intense positive memories.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Group × Valence Interaction
There was differential sensitivity in the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (PFC) in PTSD vs. controls to valence across both construction and elaboration phases of autobiographical memory retrieval. The PTSD group showed greater recruitment of the ventral medial PFC for negatively intense autobiographical memories, whereas the control group showed greater recruitment of this region for positively intense memories.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Task-related functional connectivity with the ventral medial prefrontal cortex (PFC)
There was a valence reversal in the functional connectivity of the ventral medial PFC with the right amygdala and bilateral occipital cortices in PTSD vs. controls. The PTSD group showed greater coactivation with the ventral medial PFC in the amygdala and occipital cortices during retrieval of emotionally intense negative autobiographical memories, whereas the control group showed greater coactivation here for emotionally intense positive memories.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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