Impaired inhibition as an intermediate phenotype for PTSD risk and treatment response

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Sanne van Rooij, Emory University; Tanja Jovanovic, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2019-03-08
• Publisher: Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltc
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V.
• License: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.pnpbp.2018.10.014
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry
• Volume: 89
• Start Page: 435
• End Page: 445
• Grant/Funding Information: Dr. Jovanovic has funding from the National Institutes of Health (MH092576, MH098212, MH100122, MH111682) and Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD).; Dr. van Rooij has funding from Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD).
• Keywords: Life Sciences & Biomedicine; Neurosciences & Neurology; COMBAT VETERANS; FUNCTIONAL CONNECTIVITY; ANTERIOR CINGULATE; Clinical Neurology; TRAUMA-RELATED STIMULI; CONTEXTUAL MODULATION; EXTINCTION MEMORY; FEAR-POTENTIATED STARTLE; CONDITIONED FEAR; POSTTRAUMATIC-STRESS-DISORDER; Psychiatry; Neurosciences; BASAL-GANGLIA; Science & Technology; Pharmacology & Pharmacy
• Research Categories: Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

Inhibition of fear involves learning and then appropriately responding to safety signals, and has been shown to be impaired in PTSD patients. Response inhibition refers to cognitive control and likely uses the same prefrontal cortex circuits as fear inhibition, and has also been implicated in PTSD. Impaired inhibition can serve as an intermediate phenotype for PTSD and can be measured with neuroimaging and psychophysiological tools. We first review the neurobiological mechanisms of fear and response inhibition. Next, we summarize the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and psychophysiological studies using fear and response inhibition paradigms in PTSD patients. Finally, we evaluate the theranostic role of impaired inhibition in PTSD risk and treatment response.