Imaging Studies Differentiate PTSD & Mild Brain Injury

By Rick Nauert PhD Senior News Editor Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on December 2, 2014

New research suggests advanced brain imaging techniques can help to differentiate military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from those with mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI).

Currently, it is difficult for clinicians to make a definitive diagnosis as symptoms for PTSD and MTBI are similar, and the conditions are unable to be detected by normal structural neuroimaging.

Emerging technology using hybrid imaging with positron emission tomography and computed tomography (PET/CT) in the pituitary region of the brain suggests a new method to distinguish the two conditions.

The findings also lend support to the theory that many veterans diagnosed with PTSD may actually have hormonal irregularities due to pituitary gland damage from blast injury.

The new study was presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

MTBI involves damage to the brain from an external force, while PTSD is generally defined as a mental health condition that can develop after someone has experienced a traumatic event. Research has shown that up to 44 percent of returning veterans with MTBI and loss of consciousness also meet the criteria for PTSD.

Researchers recently used PET/CT to study the hypothalamus and pituitary glands of veterans who had suffered blast-related MTBI.

The pituitary gland is a pea-sized structure that sits in the bony enclosure located at the base of the skull and is connected to a part of the brain called the hypothalamus.

Together with the adrenal glands above each kidney, the hypothalamus and pituitary gland form the HPA axis, an important regulator of many body processes, including stress response, mood, and energy expenditure.

Excerpt from:
Imaging Studies Differentiate PTSD & Mild Brain Injury