Structural white and gray matter differences in a large sample of patients with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and a healthy and trauma-exposed control group: Diffusion tensor imaging and region-based morphometry

Differences in structural white and gray matter in survivors of traumatic experiences have been related to the development and maintenance of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, there are very few studies on diffusion tensor imaging and region based morphometry comparing patients with PTSD to two control groups, namely healthy individuals with or without trauma experience. It is also unknown if differences in white and gray matter are associated. In this cross-sectional study, we examined white- and gray matter differences between 44 patients with PTSD, 49 trauma control and 61 healthy control subjects. We compared the groups applying Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) for a whole brain white matter analysis as well as region of interest analyses for white and gray matter. First, trauma control subjects in comparison to patients with PTSD and healthy control subjects showed significantly a) higher fractional anisotropy (FA) in the left corticospinal tract and inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus than patients with PTSD, b) higher FA in the left inferior fronto-occipital-, right inferior– and right superior longitudinal fasciculi, c) higher FA in the forceps minor and d) higher volume of the left and right anterior insulae. Second, we show significant correlations between the FA in the forceps minor and the gray matter volume in the left and right anterior insulae. Third, the mean FA value in the forceps minor correlated negatively with symptom severity of PTSD and depression as well as trait anxiety, whereas the gray matter volume in the left anterior insula correlated negatively with symptom severity in PTSD. Our findings underline the importance of brain structures critically involved in emotion regulation and salience mapping. While previous studies associated these processes primarily to functional and task-based differences in brain activity, we argue that morphometrical white and gray matter differences could serve as targets in neuroscientifically-informed prevention and treatment interventions for PTSD.