Evaluating the evidence for a neuroimaging subtype of posttraumatic stress disorder
Michael Esterman, Anna Stumps, Audreyana Jagger‐Rickels, David Rothlein, Joseph DeGutis, Francesca C. Fortenbaugh, Adrienne L. Romer, William Milberg, Brian P. Marx, Regina E. McGlinchey
Abstract
= 229) tested using a standardized battery of neuropsychological tests and a priori criteria for cognitive impairments. First, we conducted identical and complementary analyses to determine whether subjects with PTSD and neuropsychologically defined verbal memory deficits exhibited the VAN connectivity biomarker. Second, we examined whether cognitive deficits in other domains implicated in PTSD (executive functioning and attention) exhibited the VAN signature. Across multiple measures of verbal memory, we did not find that the subgroup of individuals with PTSD and memory impairments had lower VAN connectivity. However, a subgroup of individuals with PTSD and attentional impairments did have lower VAN connectivity, suggesting that the original subtype could have been related to attention and not memory impairments. Overall, our findings suggest that the previously identified memory-impaired PTSD subtype may not generalize. Further consideration of neuropsychological methods will be important for neurocognitive markers to be implemented clinically.