Table 1.
Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies in PTSD.
| Name | Subjects (n) | M/F | Age mean/SD | Handedness right/left/mixed | Type of trauma | Mean trauma duration (Years/SD) | Comorbidity | Procedure, aim, diagnosis, treatment | Results (PTSD > controls) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De Bellis et al. (1999) | 44 PTSD | 25/19 | 12.2/2.4 | 41/3 | PTSD secondary to sexual abuse; | 2.8/2.1 | MDD = 20; Dysthymia = 29; ODD = 23; ADHD = 14 |
MRI 1.5T | ↓Cerebral and PFC, bilateral |
| 61 controls | 36/25 | 12/2.3 | 60/1 | Sexual abuse with physical abuse; Sexual abuse with witnessing domestic violence Physical abuse; | 4.7/3.6 5.9/3.0 | Aim: IMAGE used to show ↓ in amygdala, hippocampus, frontal and temporal lobes, and CC | amygdala, bilateral temporal lobes and CC | ||
| Witnessing | Diagnosis: DSM-IV | ||||||||
| domestic | 4.5/4.0 | Treatment-naïve | |||||||
| violence | 5.0/2.5 | ||||||||
| De Bellis et al. (2001) | 9 PTSD 9 controls | 5/4 5/4 | 10.6/1.6 10.5/1.6 | Not stated | Not stated | 3.8 | MDD = 2; MDD + suicide attempt = 2; ODD = 2; ADHD = 2; SAD = 1 | MRI 1.5T | Temporal, amygdala and hippocampal volumes did not differ between groups |
| Aim: IMAGE to show ↓ in hippocampus in PTSD group | |||||||||
| Diagnosis: DSM-IV | |||||||||
| Treatment-naïve | |||||||||
| De Bellis et al. (2002a) | 28 PTSD 66 controls | 14/4 31/35 | 11.47/3.0 11.58/2.8 | 25/3 62/4 | PTSD secondary to sexual abuse; | 4.3/2.3 | Dysthymia = 8; MDD = 1; Dysthmyia with MDD = 13; ODD = 7; ADHD = 8; SAD = 6 | MRI 1.5T | ↓ PFC, R temporal lobe, CC sub regions 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
| Physical abuse; Witnessing domestic violence; Sexual abuse with witnessing domestic violence | Aim: IMAGE to determine ↓ frontal, cerebral, temporal cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, and CC | ||||||||
| Diagnosis: DSM-IV | |||||||||
| Treatment-naïve | |||||||||
| De Bellis et al. (2002b) | 43 PTSD 61 controls | 25/18 36/25 | 12.2/2.4 12/2.3 | 40/3 60/1 | Not stated | Not stated | None | MRI 1.5T | ↑ STG GM volume. STG WM ↓ in PTSD > controls |
| Aim: IMAGE STG volumes | |||||||||
| Diagnosis: DSM-IV | |||||||||
| Treatment-naïve | |||||||||
| De Bellis and Keshavan (2003) | 61 PTSD 122 controls | 31/30 62/60 | 11.74/2.6 11.71/2.6 | 57/4 117/5 | Sexual abuse; | Males 3.92/2.56 Females 4.38/1.67 | Dysthmia = 41; MDD = 31; ODD = 26; ADHD = 21; SAD = 6 | MRI 1.5T | ↑ PFC, ↓ midsaggital area of CC in boys and girls. No difference in total CC |
| Domestic violence; Sexual abuse and domestic violence | Aim: IMAGE to compare sex differences in several brain regions | ||||||||
| Diagnosis: DSM-IV | |||||||||
| Treatment-naïve | |||||||||
| Thomas and De Bellis (2004) | 61 PTSD 122 controls | 30/31 59/62 | 11.74/2.6 11.74/2.5 | 57/4 116/5 | PTSD secondary to sexual abuse; | 4.2/2.2 | Dysthmia = 41; MDD = 31; ODD = 26; ADHD = 21 | MRI 1.5T | No significant pituitary volume differences between groups |
| Physical abuse; Witnessing domestic violence; Sexual abuse with domestic violence | Aim: IMAGE to investigate pituitary volume differences. | ||||||||
| Diagnosis: DSM-IV | |||||||||
| Treatment-naïve | |||||||||
| De Bellis and Kuchibhatla (2006) | 58 PTSD 98 controls 13 GAD | 30/28 50/48 8/5 | 12/2.4 12/2.2 12.5/2.5 | Not stated | PTSD secondary to sexual abuse; Witnessing domestic violence; Sexual abuse with domestic violence | Not stated | Dysthmia = 35; MDD = 30; ODD = 25; ADHD = 20 SAD = 3 | MRI 1.5T | ↓ Left, right and total cerebellar volumes > healthy controls |
| Aim: IMAGE to compare structural changes in cerebellum and vermis between PTSD and GAD > controls | |||||||||
| Diagnosis: DSM-IV | |||||||||
| Treatment-naïve | |||||||||
| Richert et al. (2006) | 23 PTSD 24 controls | 13/10 Not stated | 11 11 | Not stated | Separation and loss; Witnessing domestic violence; Physical abuse; Sexual abuse; Physical neglect; Emotional abuse | Not stated | MDD = 3; ADHD = 3; depressive disorder = 1; social phobia = 3; SAD = 2; simple phobia = 2 | MRI 1.5T | ↑ GM of middle inferior and ventral regions of PFC |
| Aim: BRAINIMAGE to investigate if PFC volumes differ between groups | |||||||||
| Diagnosis: DSM-IV | |||||||||
| Treatment-naïve | |||||||||
| Carrion et al. (2009) | 24 PTSD 24 controls | 14/10 14/10 | 11/2.2 11/2.7 | 22/2 24/0 | Witnessing domestic violence; physical abuse; separation and loss; sexual abuse; physical neglect, emotional abuse | Not stated | Depression = 4; MDD = 3; social phobia = 3; ADHD = 3; SAD = 2; GAD = 2; simple phobia = 2 | MRI 1.5T | ↑ GM volume in superior and inferior PFC regions |
| Aim: VBM to investigate aberrant PFC volumes in PTSD group | |||||||||
| Diagnosis: DSM-IV | |||||||||
| Treatment-naïve | |||||||||
MDD, major depressive disorder; ODD, oppositional defiant disorder; ADHD, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder; SAD, separation anxiety disorder.
GAD, generalized anxiety disorder; CC, corpus callosum; PFC, prefrontal cortex; STG, superior temporal gyrus; GM, gray matter; WM, white matter.