Am J Psychiatry 156:1787-1795, November 1999
© 1999 American Psychiatric Association
Neural Correlates of Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse in Women With and Without Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
J. Douglas Bremner, M.D.,
Meena Narayan, M.D.,
Lawrence H. Staib, Ph.D.,
Steven M. Southwick, M.D.,
Thomas McGlashan, M.D., and
Dennis S. Charney, M.D.
OBJECTIVE: Childhood sexual abuse is very common in our society, but little is known about the long-term effects of abuse on brain function. The purpose of this study was to measure neural correlates of memories of childhood abuse in sexually abused women with and without the diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: Twenty-two women with a history of childhood sexual abuse underwent injection of [15O]H2O, followed by positron emission tomography imaging of the brain while they listened to neutral and traumatic (personalized childhood sexual abuse events) scripts. Brain blood flow during exposure to traumatic and neutral scripts was compared for sexually abused women with and without PTSD. RESULTS: Memories of childhood sexual abuse were associated with greater increases in blood flow in portions of anterior prefrontal cortex (superior and middle frontal gyri—areas 6 and 9), posterior cingulate (area 31), and motor cortex in sexually abused women with PTSD than in sexually abused women without PTSD. Abuse memories were associated with alterations in blood flow in medial prefrontal cortex, with decreased blood flow in subcallosal gyrus (area 25), and a failure of activation in anterior cingulate (area 32). There was also decreased blood flow in right hippocampus, fusiform/inferior temporal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, and visual association cortex in women with PTSD relative to women without PTSD. CONCLUSIONS: These findings implicate dysfunction of medial prefrontal cortex (subcallosal gyrus and anterior cingulate), hippocampus, and visual association cortex in pathological memories of childhood abuse in women with PTSD. Increased activation in posterior cingulate and motor cortex was seen in women with PTSD. Dysfunction in these brain areas may underlie PTSD symptoms provoked by traumatic reminders in subjects with PTSD.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
A. B. Hains and A. F.T. Arnsten
Molecular mechanisms of stress-induced prefrontal cortical impairment: Implications for mental illness
Learn. Mem.,
August 6, 2008;
15(8):
551 - 564.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C.-s. R. Li, H. H.-A. Chao, and T.-W. Lee
Neural Correlates of Speeded as Compared with Delayed Responses in a Stop Signal Task: An Indirect Analog of Risk Taking and Association with an Anxiety Trait
Cereb Cortex,
August 4, 2008;
(2008)
bhn132v1.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Etkin and T. D. Wager
Functional Neuroimaging of Anxiety: A Meta-Analysis of Emotional Processing in PTSD, Social Anxiety Disorder, and Specific Phobia
Am J Psychiatry,
October 1, 2007;
164(10):
1476 - 1488.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. Papo, A. Douiri, F. Bouchet, J.-C. Bourzeix, J.-P. Caverni, and P.-M. Baudonniere
Time-Frequency Intracranial Source Localization of Feedback-Related EEG Activity in Hypothesis Testing
Cereb Cortex,
June 1, 2007;
17(6):
1314 - 1322.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. L. Phan, J. C. Britton, S. F. Taylor, L. M. Fig, and I. Liberzon
Corticolimbic Blood Flow During Nontraumatic Emotional Processing in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Arch Gen Psychiatry,
February 1, 2006;
63(2):
184 - 192.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. D. De Bellis
The Psychobiology of Neglect
Child Maltreat,
May 1, 2005;
10(2):
150 - 172.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. M. Shin, C. I. Wright, P. A. Cannistraro, M. M. Wedig, K. McMullin, B. Martis, M. L. Macklin, N. B. Lasko, S. R. Cavanagh, T. S. Krangel, et al.
A Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study of Amygdala and Medial Prefrontal Cortex Responses to Overtly Presented Fearful Faces in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Arch Gen Psychiatry,
March 1, 2005;
62(3):
273 - 281.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Najib, J. P. Lorberbaum, S. Kose, D. E. Bohning, and M. S. George
Regional Brain Activity in Women Grieving a Romantic Relationship Breakup
Am J Psychiatry,
December 1, 2004;
161(12):
2245 - 2256.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. M. Shin, S. P. Orr, M. A. Carson, S. L. Rauch, M. L. Macklin, N. B. Lasko, P. M. Peters, L. J. Metzger, D. D. Dougherty, P. A. Cannistraro, et al.
Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in the Amygdala and Medial Prefrontal Cortex During Traumatic Imagery in Male and Female Vietnam Veterans With PTSD
Arch Gen Psychiatry,
February 1, 2004;
61(2):
168 - 176.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. A. Lanius, P. C. Williamson, M. Densmore, K. Boksman, R. W. Neufeld, J. S. Gati, and R. S. Menon
The Nature of Traumatic Memories: A 4-T fMRI Functional Connectivity Analysis
Am J Psychiatry,
January 1, 2004;
161(1):
36 - 44.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. Yamasue, K. Kasai, A. Iwanami, T. Ohtani, H. Yamada, O. Abe, N. Kuroki, R. Fukuda, M. Tochigi, S. Furukawa, et al.
Voxel-based analysis of MRI reveals anterior cingulate gray-matter volume reduction in posttraumatic stress disorder due to terrorism
PNAS,
July 22, 2003;
100(15):
9039 - 9043.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
D. J. Newport and C. B. Nemeroff
Neurobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Focus,
July 1, 2003;
1(3):
313 - 321.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. D. Bremner, M. Vythilingam, E. Vermetten, S. M. Southwick, T. McGlashan, A. Nazeer, S. Khan, L. V. Vaccarino, R. Soufer, P. K. Garg, et al.
MRI and PET Study of Deficits in Hippocampal Structure and Function in Women With Childhood Sexual Abuse and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Am J Psychiatry,
May 1, 2003;
160(5):
924 - 932.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. A. Lanius, J. W. Hopper, and R. S. Menon
Individual Differences in a Husband and Wife Who Developed PTSD After a Motor Vehicle Accident: A Functional MRI Case Study
Am J Psychiatry,
April 1, 2003;
160(4):
667 - 669.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. B. Stein
A 46-Year-Old Man With Anxiety and Nightmares After a Motor Vehicle Collision
JAMA,
September 25, 2002;
288(12):
1513 - 1521.
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
E. H. Herskovits, J. P. Gerring, C. Davatzikos, and R. N. Bryan
Is the Spatial Distribution of Brain Lesions Associated with Closed-Head Injury in Children Predictive of Subsequent Development of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder?
Radiology,
August 1, 2002;
224(2):
345 - 351.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. HULL
Neuroimaging findings in post-traumatic stress disorder: Systematic review
The British Journal of Psychiatry,
August 1, 2002;
181(2):
102 - 110.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. A. COHEN, J. M. PEREL, M. D. DEBELLIS, M. J. FRIEDMAN, and F. W. PUTNAM
Treating Traumatized Children: Clinical Implications of the Psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Trauma Violence Abuse,
April 1, 2002;
3(2):
91 - 108.
[Abstract]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. Herry and R. Garcia
Prefrontal Cortex Long-Term Potentiation, But Not Long-Term Depression, Is Associated with the Maintenance of Extinction of Learned Fear in Mice
J. Neurosci.,
January 15, 2002;
22(2):
577 - 583.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. A. Lanius, P. C. Williamson, M. Densmore, K. Boksman, M. A. Gupta, R.W. Neufeld, J. S. Gati, and R. S. Menon
Neural Correlates of Traumatic Memories in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Functional MRI Investigation
Am J Psychiatry,
November 1, 2001;
158(11):
1920 - 1922.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
Get information about faster international access.
Privacy Policy
Copyright © 1999
American Psychiatric Association.
All rights reserved.
Home
| Search
| Current Issue
| Past Issues
| Subscribe
| All APPI Journals
| Help
| Contact Us
|
