There is converging evidence of gray matter (GM) structural alterations in different limbic structures in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate GM density in PTSD in relation to trauma load.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans of 21 subjects exposed to occupational trauma, who developed PTSD (S), and of 22 who did not (NS), were performed. The self-rated Trauma Antecedent Questionnaire (TAQ) was administered to assess lifelong trauma load and resilience. TAQ includes two scales (“trauma and neglect” TAQ−, and “resilience factors” TAQ+) further divided into four subscales measuring trauma load and resilience in four different age periods: zero to six, seven to twelve, thirteen to eighteen and adult. Regression analyses between the two sub-scales and GM density were performed on all 43 subjects by means of an optimized Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) analysis as implemented in SPM2.

The analyses showed that GM density negatively correlated only with adult TAQ- in bilateral posterior cingulate, left anterior insula, and right anterior parahippocampal gyrus.

Irrespective of the PTSD diagnosis, trauma load was found to correlate with GM density in several limbic structures suggesting a high vulnerability of these structures to the effects of stress and trauma, These regions are implicated in integration, encoding and retrieval of autobiographical and episodic memories, emotional processing, interoceptive awareness and self-referential conscious experience. Thus, our study supports lower GM densities in limbic and paralimbic cortices as a potential structural basis for memory and dissociative dysfunction in PTSD.

The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of the regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in occupational related PTSD subjects and to seek for possible correlations between brain perfusion and self-rating scales (SRSs) in order to cross-check their diagnostic value and to look for their neural correlates.

Sixteen traumatized underground and long-distance train drivers developing (S) and 17 not developing (NS) PTSD after having experienced a “person-under-train” accident underwent clinical assessment and 99mTc-HMPAO-SPECT during trauma scripts. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM2) was applied to analyse rCBF changes in S as compared to NS, and to search for correlations between rCBF and SRSs scores, modeling age, months since trauma and the ratio ‘gray matter/intra-cranial volume’ as nuisance variables.

Significantly higher activity was observed during trauma script in left posterior insula, posterior cingulate, inferior parietal lobule, precuneus, and caudate in S as compared to NS. Impact of Event Scale (IES) and World Health Organisation (ten) Well-Being Index (WHO-10) scores highly correlated with tracer uptake to a great extent in the same regions in which rCBF differences between S and NS were found.

These findings support the involvement of posterior insular, cingulated, and parietal cortices (as well as the caudate) in the pathogenesis of PTSD and in the processing of related subjective well-being and distress. Our findings seem to provide a cross-validation for IES and WHO-10 scales by means of SPECT data, supporting their validity in the diagnosis of PTSD, and suggesting their use in future works.

Functional studies in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have shown localised focal hypoperfusion and abnormalities in the anatomo-functional connectivity of limbic-striatal “social” brain. However, no common regional abnormalities have been found across studies.

The aim of this study was to investigate the cerebral blood flow (CBF) at rest in subjects with ASD as compared to a group of healthy controls.

In this preliminary investigation six normal intelligence patients with ASD and 5 age and sex matched healthy controls (HC) were examined using PET/CT camera and, as CBF tracer, 11C-butanol, a radiopharmaceutical produced on-site. The combination of these two methodologies reduced the whole examination time to less than 10 minutes. Statistical Parametric Mapping was implemented to analyse the data.

As compared to HC, ASD showed a highly significant CBF increase (height threshold p=0.001, p< 0.0001 at voxel-level), bilaterally, in large portions of the cerebellum, of the visual associative cortex and of the posterior parietal lobe.

This preliminary study was performed by the state-of-the-art neuroimaging methodologies that reduced considerably the examination time and resulted in less stress and more reliable investigations. The occipital and parietal associative cortex as well as the cerebellum showed an increased CBF in ASD, underscoring their involvement in the disease and raising methodological and diagnostic issues to be considered when exploring the neuroanatomy of ASD.

Several studies have reported limbic structures volume decrease in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, in PTSD the effect of therapy on brain structures has seldom been investigated. the aim of the study was to evaluate the grey matter (GM) loss in occupational related PTSD and to assess the volumetric differences between patients responding (R) and non-responding (NR) to psychotherapy.

Pre-EMDR MRI data of 21 train drives who did develop PTSD (S) and 22 who did not develop PTSD (NS) after person-under-the-train accidents were compared. Within S further comparisons were made between 10 R to Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and 5 NR. Data were analysed by optimised voxel-based morphometry as implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping.

As compared to NS, S showed a significant GM volume reduction in precuneus, lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortex. the R>NR comparison highlighted a significant GM reduction in NR in bilateral posterior cingulate, left middle frontal cortex and right parahippocampal, insular and temporal cortices.

Comparing two large groups of subjects significant GM volumetric reductions were found in PTSD in posterior limbic structures. NR showed, as compared to R, volume reduction in cortical structures including posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortex. These latter two structures seem to be the hallmark for both PTSD diagnosis and therapy outcome prediction.

Several studies have reported limbic structures volume decrease in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, in PTSD the effect of therapy on brain structures has seldom been investigated. The aim of the study was to evaluate the grey matter (GM) loss in occupational related PTSD and to assess the volumetric differences between patients responding (R) and non-responding (NR) to psychotherapy.

Pre-EMDR MRI data of 21 train drives who did develop PTSD (S) and 22 who did not develop PTSD (NS) after person-under-the-train accidents were compared. Within S further comparisons were made between 10 R to Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy and 5 NR. Data were analysed by optimised voxel-based morphometry as implemented in Statistical Parametric Mapping.

As compared to NS, S showed a significant GM volume reduction in precuneus, lingual gyrus, posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortex. The R>NR comparison highlighted a significant GM reduction in NR in bilateral posterior cingulate, left middle frontal cortex and right parahippocampal, insular and temporal cortices.

Comparing two large groups of subjects significant GM volumetric reductions were found in PTSD in posterior limbic structures. NR showed, as compared to R, volume reduction in cortical structures including posterior cingulate and parahippocampal cortex. These latter two structures seem to be the hallmark for both PTSD diagnosis and therapy outcome prediction.