Article abstract
Nature Neuroscience 11, 232 - 237 (2007)
Published online: 23 December 2007 | doi:10.1038/nn2032
Focal brain damage protects against post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans
Michael Koenigs1, Edward D Huey1, Vanessa Raymont1,2, Bobby Cheon2, Jeffrey Solomon3, Eric M Wassermann1 & Jordan Grafman1
Abstract
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an often debilitating mental illness that is characterized by recurrent distressing memories of traumatic events. PTSD is associated with hypoactivity in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), hyperactivity in the amygdala and reduced volume in the hippocampus, but it is unknown whether these neuroimaging findings reflect the underlying cause or a secondary effect of the disorder. To investigate the causal contribution of specific brain areas to PTSD symptoms, we studied a unique sample of Vietnam War veterans who suffered brain injury and emotionally traumatic events. We found a substantially reduced occurrence of PTSD among those individuals with damage to one of two regions of the brain: the vmPFC and an anterior temporal area that included the amygdala. These results suggest that the vmPFC and amygdala are critically involved in the pathogenesis of PTSD.
- Cognitive Neuroscience Section, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, US National Institutes of Health, 10 Center Drive, MSC 1440, Bethesda, Maryland, 20892-1440, USA.
- Vietnam Head Injury Study, Henry M. Jackson Foundation, National Naval Medical Center, 8901 Wisconsin Avenue, Bethesda, Maryland, 20889, USA.
- Medical Numerics, 20410 Observation Drive, Suite 210, Germantown, Maryland, 20876, USA.
Correspondence to: Jordan Grafman1 e-mail: grafmanj@ninds.nih.gov
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