Journal article
A whole-brain voxel-based analysis of structural abnormalities in PTSD: an ENIGMA-PGC study
European psychiatry, Vol.68(1), e97
2025
DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.10062
PMCID: PMC12344465
PMID: 40692500
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) exhibit smaller regional brain volumes in commonly reported regions including the amygdala and hippocampus, regions associated with fear and memory processing. In the current study, we have conducted a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) meta-analysis using whole-brain statistical maps with neuroimaging data from the ENIGMA-PGC PTSD working group.
Methods
T1-weighted structural neuroimaging scans from 36 cohorts (PTSD n = 1309; controls n = 2198) were processed using a standardized VBM pipeline (ENIGMA-VBM tool). We meta-analyzed the resulting statistical maps for voxel-wise differences in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) volumes between PTSD patients and controls, performed subgroup analyses considering the trauma exposure of the controls, and examined associations between regional brain volumes and clinical variables including PTSD (CAPS-4/5, PCL-5) and depression severity (BDI-II, PHQ-9).
Results
PTSD patients exhibited smaller GM volumes across the frontal and temporal lobes, and cerebellum, with the most significant effect in the left cerebellum (Hedges’ g = 0.22, pcorrected = .001), and smaller cerebellar WM volume (peak Hedges’ g = 0.14, pcorrected = .008). We observed similar regional differences when comparing patients to trauma-exposed controls, suggesting these structural abnormalities may be specific to PTSD. Regression analyses revealed PTSD severity was negatively associated with GM volumes within the cerebellum (pcorrected = .003), while depression severity was negatively associated with GM volumes within the cerebellum and superior frontal gyrus in patients (pcorrected = .001).
Conclusions
PTSD patients exhibited widespread, regional differences in brain volumes where greater regional deficits appeared to reflect more severe symptoms. Our findings add to the growing literature implicating the cerebellum in PTSD psychopathology.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- A whole-brain voxel-based analysis of structural abnormalities in PTSD: an ENIGMA-PGC study
- Creators
- Cheryl R Z See - King's College LondonShuqing Si - King's College LondonC. Lexi Baird - Duke UniversityCourtney C Haswell - Duke UniversityAhmed Hussain - Duke UniversityMiranda Olff - Amsterdam University Medical CentersDick J Veltman - Amsterdam University Medical CentersJessie L Frijling - Amsterdam University Medical CentersMirjam van Zuiden - Amsterdam University Medical CentersSaskia B J Koch - Radboud University NijmegenVincent Magnotta - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- European psychiatry, Vol.68(1), e97
- DOI
- 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.10062
- PMID
- 40692500
- PMCID
- PMC12344465
- NLM abbreviation
- Eur Psychiatry
- ISSN
- 0924-9338
- eISSN
- 1778-3585
- Publisher
- CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
- Grant note
- R01 MH043454 / NIMH NIH HHS T32 MH018931 / NIMH NIH HHS
- Language
- English
- Electronic publication date
- 07/22/2025
- Date published
- 2025
- Academic Unit
- Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering; Radiology; Psychiatry; Iowa Neuroscience Institute
- Record Identifier
- 9984865309202771
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