This study investigated the effects of war zone deployment on brain structure in soldiers. 121 soldiers were scanned before and after deployment, and compared to 40 non-deployed controls. Volumetric reductions were found in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC), and bilateral thalamus in the deployed group. These reductions persisted beyond the deployment period and were not correlated with PTSD symptom severity, suggesting that these structural changes may be a consequence of trauma exposure rather than a pre-existing vulnerability for PTSD.
Publisher
Unknown
Published On
Authors
Simone Kühn, Oisin Butler, Gerd Willmann, Ulrich Wesemann, Peter Zimmermann, Jürgen Gallinat
Tags
war zone deployment
brain structure
soldiers
trauma exposure
PTSD
anterior cingulate cortex
ventromedial prefrontal cortex
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