Open AccessResting state functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex in veterans with and without post‐traumatic stress disorder
Author(s) -
Kennis Mitzy,
Rademaker Arthur R.,
van Rooij Sanne J.H.,
Kahn René S.,
Geuze Elbert
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
human brain mapping
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.005
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1097-0193
pISSN - 1065-9471
DOI - 10.1002/hbm.22615
Subject(s) - anterior cingulate cortex , precentral gyrus , resting state fmri , middle frontal gyrus , neuroscience , superior frontal gyrus , psychology , anxiety , functional magnetic resonance imaging , medial frontal gyrus , medicine , psychiatry , magnetic resonance imaging , cognition , radiology
Post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that is associated with structural and functional alterations in several brain areas, including the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). Here, we examine resting state functional connectivity of ACC subdivisions in PTSD, using a seed‐based approach. Resting state magnetic resonance images were obtained from male veterans with ( n = 31) and without ( n = 25) PTSD, and healthy male civilian controls ( n = 25). Veterans with and without PTSD (combat controls) had reduced functional connectivity compared to healthy controls between the caudal ACC and the precentral gyrus, and between the perigenual ACC and the superior medial gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. Combat controls had increased connectivity between the rostral ACC and precentral/middle frontal gyrus compared to PTSD patients and healthy civilian controls. The resting state functional connectivity differences in the perigenual ACC network reported here indicate that veterans differ from healthy controls, potentially due to military training, deployment, and/or trauma exposure. In addition, specific alterations in the combat controls may potentially be related to resilience. These results underline the importance of distinguishing trauma‐exposed (combat) controls from healthy civilian controls when studying PTSD. Hum Brain Mapp, 36:99–109, 2015 . © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.