The Corpus Callosum and PTSD Severity

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a chronic, debilitating disorder that is associated with neural alterations in multiple brain regions. Neuroimaging studies have largely focused on gray matter abnormalities in PTSD, with less information known about the integrity of white matter tracts. Prior studies of brain white matter in PTSD have produced mixed results, likely due to differences in neuroimaging sequences and clinical variables. This study addressed this gap by examining the microstructural integrity of the corpus callosum, the largest white matter fiber bundle in the brain, using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Sixty adult females diagnosed with PTSD with a history of interpersonal violence were compared with 18 trauma-exposed controls. All participants underwent DTI using 1.5 T. MANOVA revealed significantly higher fractional anisotropy (FA; p = .012) in the genu of the corpus callosum (GCC) compared with the trauma-exposed controls. These results suggest the GCC to relate to PTSD symptomatology. Further studies of this mechanism may provide insight into improving treatment and prevention efforts.

Keywords: PTSD; sexual assault.