Smaller Hippocampal Volume in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder : A Multisite ENIGMA-PGC Study: Subcortical Volumetry Results From Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Consortia

Background

Many studies report smaller hippocampal and amygdala volumes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but findings have not always been consistent. Here, we present the results of a large-scale neuroimaging consortium study on PTSD conducted by the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PGC)–Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) PTSD Working Group.

Methods

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Replicability and Generalizability of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Networks : A Cross-Cultural Multisite Study of PTSD Symptoms in Four Trauma Patient Samples

Abstract

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Associability-modulated loss learning is increased in posttraumatic stress disorder

Disproportionate reactions to unexpected stimuli in the environment are a cardinal symptom of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Here, we test whether these heightened responses are associated with disruptions in distinct components of reinforcement learning. Specifically, using functional neuroimaging, a loss-learning task, and a computational model-based approach, we assessed the mechanistic hypothesis that overreactions to stimuli in PTSD arise from anomalous gating of attention during learning (i.e., associability).

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Neural activity during the viewing of emotional pictures in veterans with pathological anger and aggression

Anger and aggression are common mental health problems after military deployment. Anger and aggression have been associated with abnormalities in subcortical and cortical levels of the brain and their connectivity.

Here, we tested brain activation during the processing of emotional stimuli in military veterans with and without anger and aggression problems.

Thirty military veterans with anger and aggression problems and 29 veterans without a psychiatric diagnosis (all males) participated in this study.

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The Effects of Traumatic and Multiple Loss on Psychopathology, Disability, and Quality of Life in Iraqi Asylum Seekers in the Netherlands

Emerging evidence suggests that the loss of loved ones under traumatic circumstances is highly prevalent among refugees and asylum seekers.

We evaluated the effects of traumatic and multiple losses of family members and friends on psychopathology, disability, and quality of life in Iraqi asylum seekers in the Netherlands, and investigated mediation of these effects through psychopathology.

Respondents (N = 294) completed structured Arabic interviews.

Data were analyzed using structural equation modeling.

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Do prolonged grief disorder symptoms predict post-traumatic stress symptoms following bereavement? : A cross-lagged analysis

Background: Bereavement can precipitate different forms of psychopathology, including prolonged grief disorder (PGD) and posttraumatic

stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. How these symptoms influence each other is unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the temporal

relationship of symptoms of PGD and PTSD following bereavement.

Methods: We included 204 individuals, confronted with the loss of a loved one within the past year, who completed self-report measures of

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Testosterone in human studies : Modest associations between plasma and salivary measurements

Summary

Testosterone is involved in many processes like aggression and mood disorders. As it may easily diffuse from blood into saliva, salivary testosterone is thought to reflect plasma free testosterone level. If so, it would provide a welcome noninvasive and less stressful alternative to blood sampling. Past research did not reveal consensus regarding the strength of the association, but sample sizes were small. This study aimed to analyse the association in a large cohort.

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Prolonged grief symptomatology following violent loss : the mediating role of meaning

Background: Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD) is over-represented among those who have lost loved ones to violent causes. To tailor PGD interventions for this vulnerable population it is critical to examine the aetiology of PGD specifically in the context of violent death bereavement. Previous studies have suggested that violent loss increases symptoms of PGD by hindering the mourner’s ability to make meaning of the death or its aftermath.

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Chapter 13 - Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Abstract

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The Dissociative Subtype of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder : Research Update on Clinical and Neurobiological Features

Recently, a dissociative subtype of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been included in the DSM-5. This review focuses on the clinical and neurobiological features that distinguish the dissociative subtype of PTSD from non-dissociative PTSD. Clinically, the dissociative subtype of PTSD is associated with high PTSD severity, predominance of derealization and depersonalization symptoms, a more significant history of early life trauma, and higher levels of comorbid psychiatric disorders.

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