A research group of Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University has revealed that subjects whose brain volume of anterior cingulate cortex had decreased since before the disaster suffered posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and that the severer PTSD symptom they had, the more brain volume of their anterior cingulate cortex decreased. This research result will be expected to elucidate the pathogenesis of PTSD symptoms and help detect and prevent PTSD. The result has been published online in Molecular Psychiatry on May 22, 2012. The paper's title is "Brain structural changes as vulnerability factors and acquired signs of post-earthquake stress."

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[Contact]

Post-Doctoral Fellow Atsushi Sekiguchi

Department of Functional Brain Imaging

Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University

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