Table 1.
Neural activation markers of fear processing in PTSD
| First author, year | Sample | Paradigm | Measure | Results | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brunetti et al. [13], 2010 |
PTSD (n=10) | Trauma exposed (n=10) |
A visio-attentional task (emotionally negative or neutral pictures) |
fMRI | Amygdala responses and emotional response to neutral stimuli are elevated as a function of severity in PTSD symptoms |
| Felmingham et al. [9], 2010 |
PTSD (n=23) | Trauma exposed (n=21) Non Trauma exposed (n=42) |
Masked facial expression of fear |
fMRI | Amygdala hyperactivation in response to masked fearful faces in PTSD |
| Fonzo et al. [10], 2010 |
PTSD (n=12) | Non Trauma exposed (n=12) |
Emotional face matching task |
fMRI | Amygdala hyperactivation in PTSD during presentation of fearful faces |
| Dickie et al. [12], 2011 |
Time 1 PTSD (n=27) |
Time 2 PTSD (n=20) |
Face recognition memory Task |
fMRI | Severity of symptoms is positively correlated with Amygdala and vmPFC activation. Level of activation change in the hippocampus and sgACC was associated with symptom improvement |
| Linnman et al. [20], 2011 |
PTSD (n=19) | Trauma exposed (n=24) |
Fear conditioning procedure with electric shock |
fMRI | Amygdala, Hippocampus, dACC, Insula, and caudate nucleus hyperactivation in PTSD Unconditional stimulus response |
| Rougemont-Bücking et al. [21], 2011 |
PTSD (n=18) | Trauma-Exposed (n=16) |
Two-Day Fear Conditioning & Extinction Paradigm |
fMRI | PTSD exhibited hypoeactivation of the vmPFC and hyperactivation of the dACC in response to the context |
| Gold et al. [17••], 2011 |
PTSD (n=17) | Controls (n=18) | Script- driven imagery | PET | Decrease mPFC activity during mental imagery of traumatic event in PTSD |
| St. Jacques et al. [16], 2011 |
PTSD (n =15) | Control (n =14) | Emotional intense autobiographical memory (AM) |
fMRI | Greater activation in the PTSD group during the retrieval of negatively intense AM in the vnPFC, Amygdala, and Hippocampus |
| Aupperle et al. [11•], 2012 |
PTSD (n=37) | Non Trauma exposed (n=34) |
Anticipation of negative and positive emotional images |
fMRI | Greater anterior insula and during emotional anticipation in PTSD |
| Fani et al. [15••], 2012 |
PTSD (n=18) | Trauma exposed (n=19) |
Dot probe task | fMRI | Increase activation in dlPFC in response to threat cue trials in the PTSD group but not in the control |
ACC; sgACC: Subgenual Anterior cingulate cortex; PFC: medial prefrontal cortex [dlPFC: dorsolateral; vmPFC: Ventral medial; vlPFC: ventrolateral]; OFC: Orbifrontal cortex