Moral wounds run deep: exaggerated midbrain functional network connectivity across the default mode network in posttraumatic stress disorder.

ABSTRACT:

Background

A moral injury occurs when a deeply held moral code has been violated, and it can lead to the development of symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, the neural correlates that differentiate moral injury and PTSD remain largely unknown. Intrinsic connectivity networks such as the default mode network (DMN) appear to be altered in people with PTSD who have experienced moral injury. However, brainstem, midbrain and cerebellar systems are rarely integrated into the intrinsic connectivity networks; this is a critical oversight, because these systems display marked differences in people with PTSD and are thought to underlie strong moral emotions such as shame, guilt and betrayal.

Methods

We conducted an independent component analysis on data generated

SUBMITTER: Terpou BA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8865964 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan-Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature