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Open Access 01-12-2013 | Brief Report

Diminished rostral anterior cingulate cortex activation during trauma-unrelated emotional interference in PTSD

Authors: Reid Offringa, Kathryn Handwerger Brohawn, Lindsay K Staples, Stacey J Dubois, Katherine C Hughes, Danielle L Pfaff, Michael B VanElzakker, F Caroline Davis, Lisa M Shin

Published in: Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders | Issue 1/2013

Abstract

Background

Previous research suggests that individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) preferentially attend to trauma-related emotional stimuli and have difficulty completing unrelated concurrent tasks. Compared to trauma-exposed control groups, individuals with PTSD also exhibit lower rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) activation during tasks involving interference from trauma-related stimuli. However, it is not clear whether relatively diminished rACC activation in PTSD also occurs during interference tasks involving trauma-unrelated emotional stimuli. The present study employed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and an interference task that involves emotional facial expressions and elicits rACC activation in healthy participants.

Findings

While performing a trauma-unrelated emotional interference task, participants with PTSD (n=17) showed less rACC activation than trauma-exposed non-PTSD (TENP; n=18) participants. In the PTSD group, rACC activation was negatively correlated with the severity of re-experiencing symptoms. The two groups did not significantly differ on behavioral measures (i.e., response times and error rates).

Conclusions

These findings suggest that relatively diminished rACC activation in PTSD can be observed in interference tasks involving trauma-unrelated emotional stimuli, indicating a more general functional brain abnormality in this disorder. Future neuroimaging studies need not employ trauma-related stimuli in order to detect rACC abnormalities in PTSD.

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Title: Diminished rostral anterior cingulate cortex activation during trauma-unrelated emotional interference in PTSD
Authors: Reid Offringa
Kathryn Handwerger Brohawn
Lindsay K Staples
Stacey J Dubois
Katherine C Hughes
Danielle L Pfaff
Michael B VanElzakker
F Caroline Davis
Lisa M Shin
Publication date: 01-12-2013
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders / Issue 1/2013
Electronic ISSN: 2045-5380
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-5380-3-10

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Diminished rostral anterior cingulate cortex activation during trauma-unrelated emotional interference in PTSD

Abstract

Background

Findings

Conclusions

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Findings

Conclusions

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