from Section III - Anxiety Disorders
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 January 2011
Introduction
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can develop in individuals who (1) are exposed to an event or events that involve the threat of death or serious injury, and (2) react with intense fear, helplessness or horror (APA,2000). Individuals with PTSD re-experience the traumatic event in various ways, including nightmares, intrusive recollections, and flashbacks. In addition, patients may attempt to avoid thoughts or reminders of the trauma and may experience a restricted range of affect, especially positive affect. Finally, patients with PTSD report hyperarousal symptoms, such as hypervigilance, exaggerated startle, and difficulty concentrating (APA, 2000).
In this chapter, we will summarize a neurocircuitry model of PTSD and briefly describe the techniques that have been used to study brain function in this disorder. We will then review the findings of relevant functional neuroimaging studies. Given that current neurocircuitry models focus on the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex, and hippocampus, this review will include studies that have reported significant findings in those brain regions. (For other recent reviews, see Francati et al., 2007; Lanius et al., 2006; Rauch et al., 2006.) Lastly, we will summarize the findings and suggest directions for future research.
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