Reduction of prefrontal thickness in military police officers with post-traumatic stress disorder

Abstract

Background: Brain-imaging studies in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have consistently revealed alterations in brain structure and function and this is correlated to symptomatology. However, few studies have investigated the role of biomarkers in PTSD some specific groups, as police officers. Objective: To evaluate prefrontal and limbic volumes, and cortical thickness of police officers exposed to trauma during work who developed post-traumatic stress disorder, resilient matched controls (without PTSD), and compared to healthy civilians. Methods: Prefrontal and limbic volumes, and cortical thickness of 12 police officers with PTSD, 12 resilient police officers, and 12 healthy civilians who underwent brain MRI were analyzed. Results: Differences in limbic structures volume were not significative after Bonferroni correction. A significant reduction in cortical thickness on right rostral cingulate, right and left middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal, left lingual, calcarine and cuneus were observed in PTSD group in comparison to controls was observed. Discussion: Although preliminary, our results suggested not only the association between cortical thickness and PTSD, but also indicated that patients and controls have anatomical differences.

Can police be trained in trauma processing to minimise PTSD symptoms? Feasibility and proof of concept with a newly recruited UK police population

“…Alongside this degree of invisibility, stigma surrounding police traumatisation cannot be ignored (Heffren and Hasudorf, 2014). Even when science steps in to introduce a non-subjective understanding of trauma impact in policing – measuring changes in cognitive function and brain structure as a result of trauma disorder (Baldacara et al ., 2017, Miller et al ., 2017a, b) – these have not yet been framed in the context of resilience.…”