PET Mapping of Neurofunctional Changes in a Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Model

Yunqi Zhu; Ruili Du; Yuankai Zhu; Yehua Shen; Kai Zhang; Yao Chen; Fahuan Song; Shuang Wu; Hong Zhang; Mei Tian

doi:10.2967/jnumed.116.173443

PET Mapping of Neurofunctional Changes in a Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Model

J Nucl Med. 2016 Sep;57(9):1474-7. doi: 10.2967/jnumed.116.173443. Epub 2016 Mar 16.

Authors

Yunqi Zhu¹, Ruili Du², Yuankai Zhu¹, Yehua Shen¹, Kai Zhang¹, Yao Chen¹, Fahuan Song¹, Shuang Wu¹, Hong Zhang³, Mei Tian⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China Zhejiang University Medical PET Center, Hangzhou, China Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; and.
² Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China Zhejiang University Medical PET Center, Hangzhou, China Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; and meitian@zju.edu.cn.
³ Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China Zhejiang University Medical PET Center, Hangzhou, China Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
⁴ Department of Nuclear Medicine, The Second Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, China Zhejiang University Medical PET Center, Hangzhou, China Key Laboratory of Medical Molecular Imaging of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China; and Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, China meitian@zju.edu.cn.

PMID: 26985058
DOI: 10.2967/jnumed.116.173443

Abstract

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that occurs after exposure to a traumatic event. This study aimed to investigate the neurobiologic changes before and after exposure-based therapy by PET in a rat model of PTSD.

Methods: Serial (18)F-FDG PET imaging studies were performed under the control (tone presentation), fear-conditioning, and extinction retrieval phases. Neuroactivity marker c-Fos protein was used for immunostaining.

Results: Increased glucose metabolism was observed in the bilateral amygdala after fear-conditioning (P < 0.001) and in the right posterior insular cortex under extinction retrieval (P < 0.001) compared with the control phase. Increased c-Fos expression in the posterior insular cortex under extinction retrieval was positively correlated to the glucose metabolism (P < 0.01).

Conclusion: Our results indicated that the amygdala plays a key role in fear memory formation and, most importantly, the insular cortex is related to the retrieval of extinction memory. (18)F-FDG PET may provide a promising in vivo approach for evaluating exposure-based therapy of PTSD.

Keywords: extinction; fear conditioning; positron emission tomography (PET); post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Brain Mapping / methods*
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18 / pharmacokinetics*
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
Male
Nerve Net / diagnostic imaging
Nerve Net / physiopathology
Positron-Emission Tomography / methods*
Radiopharmaceuticals / pharmacokinetics
Rats
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Reproducibility of Results
Sensitivity and Specificity
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnostic imaging*
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / physiopathology*

Substances

Radiopharmaceuticals
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18