Smaller Regional Brain Volumes Predict Posttraumatic Stress Disorder at 3 Months after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

This study looked at whether the size of certain brain regions soon after a mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) could predict the development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They used MRI scans to measure the size of brain regions known to be involved in PTSD, such as the insula and cingulate cortex. The researchers found that smaller volumes in certain brain regions were associated with a higher likelihood of developing PTSD at 3 months after the injury. However, this relationship was not as strong at 6 months. These findings suggest that brain structure may play a role in determining who is at risk for PTSD after mTBI, and that early brain measurements could potentially help identify individuals who might benefit from preventative treatment.

• 1
  Smaller volumes of the superior frontal, rostral, and caudal anterior cingulate regions were individually predictive of PTSD at 3 months post-injury.
• 2
  A composite volume (PC1) incorporating 73.8% of the variance in insula, superior frontal cortex, and rostral and caudal cingulate predicted 3-month PTSD, even after adjusting for other risk factors.
• 3
  The 4-region composite (PC1) was not predictive of PTSD at 6 months in the multivariable model, but it did predict the severity of hyperarousal symptoms at 6 months.