OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine whether regional cerebral blood flow in survivors of torture suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) differed significantly from that in healthy controls. METHOD: We examined the cerebral regional distribution of 99m-technetium-hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime (HMPAO) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 8 patients and in 8 healthy controls. A semi-quantitative analysis was performed in which symmetrical regions of interest (ROI) were drawn in all subjects. RESULTS: Regional blood flow was markedly more heterogeneous in patients suffering from PTSD than in healthy controls. The differences are significant. CONCLUSION: Severe psychological trauma induced by torture can cause neurobiologic alterations that may contribute, even years after the original trauma, to a number of complaints commonly expressed by patients suffering from PTSD. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine whether regional cerebral blood flow in survivors of torture suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) differed significantly from that in healthy controls. METHOD: We examined the cerebral regional distribution of 99m-technetium-hexamethylpropyleneamineoxime (HMPAO) using single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) in 8 patients and in 8 healthy controls. A semi-quantitative analysis was performed in which symmetrical regions of interest (ROI) were drawn in all subjects. RESULTS: Regional blood flow was markedly more heterogeneous in patients suffering from PTSD than in healthy controls. The differences are significant. CONCLUSION: Severe psychological trauma induced by torture can cause neurobiologic alterations that may contribute, even years after the original trauma, to a number of complaints commonly expressed by patients suffering from PTSD. Copyright 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel
Authors: Yolanda R Schlumpf; Antje A T S Reinders; Ellert R S Nijenhuis; Roger Luechinger; Matthias J P van Osch; Lutz Jäncke Journal: PLoS One Date: 2014-06-12 Impact factor: 3.240