The Role of the Thalamus in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Feb 9;22(4):1730. doi: 10.3390/ijms22041730.

Abstract

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a high lifetime prevalence and is one of the more serious challenges in mental health care. Fear-conditioned learning involving the amygdala has been thought to be one of the main causative factors; however, recent studies have reported abnormalities in the thalamus of PTSD patients, which may explain the mechanism of interventions such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Therefore, I conducted a miniature literature review on the potential contribution of the thalamus to the pathogenesis of PTSD and the validation of therapeutic approaches. As a result, we noticed the importance of the retinotectal pathway (superior colliculus-pulvinar-amygdala connection) and discussed therapeutic indicators.

Keywords: EMDR; PTSD; fMRI; morphology; thalamus.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amygdala / diagnostic imaging
  • Amygdala / physiopathology*
  • Animals
  • Conditioning, Psychological / drug effects
  • Conditioning, Psychological / physiology
  • Connectome / methods
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing / methods
  • Fear / physiology
  • Fear / psychology
  • Humans
  • Hyperbaric Oxygenation
  • Oxytocin / administration & dosage
  • Pulvinar / diagnostic imaging
  • Pulvinar / physiopathology*
  • Retina / diagnostic imaging
  • Retina / physiopathology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / diagnosis
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / physiopathology*
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / psychology
  • Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / therapy
  • Superior Colliculi / diagnostic imaging
  • Superior Colliculi / physiopathology*
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Visual Pathways / diagnostic imaging
  • Visual Pathways / drug effects
  • Visual Pathways / physiopathology

Substances

  • Oxytocin