Altered central μ-opioid receptor binding after psychological trauma
Abstract
Background Functional neuroimaging studies have detected abnormal limbic and paralimbic activation to emotional probes in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but few studies have examined neurochemical mechanisms that underlie functional alterations in regional cerebral blood flow. The mu-opioid neurotransmitter system, implicated in responses to stress and suppression of pain, is distributed in and is thought to regulate the function of brain regions that are implicated in affective processing. Methods Here we examined the micro-opioid system with positron emission tomography and the micro-opioid receptor-selective radiotracer [11C] carfentanil in 16 male patients with PTSD and two non-PTSD male control groups, with (n = 14) and without combat exposure (n = 15). Differences in micro-opioid receptor binding potential (BP2) were detected within discrete limbic and paralimbic regions. Results Relative to healthy controls, both trauma-exposed groups had lower micro-opioid receptor BP2 in extended amygdala, nucleus accumbens, and dorsal frontal and insular cortex but had higher BP2 in the orbitofrontal cortex. PTSD patients exhibited reduced BP2 in anterior cingulate cortex compared with both control groups. Micro-opioid receptor BP2 in combat-exposed subjects without PTSD was lower in the amygdala but higher in the orbitofrontal cortex compared with both PTSD patients and healthy controls. Conclusions These findings differentiate the general response of the micro-opioid system to trauma from more specific changes associated with PTSD.
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In men with combat-related PTSD and combat-trauma-exposed men without PTSD, mu-opioid receptor binding is lower in the extended amygdala/ventral pallidum, thalamus, nucleus accumbens, insula, dorsal ACC, and mPFC, but higher in the orbitofrontal cortex and subgenual ACC relative to controls.
“men with combat-related PTSD and combat-trauma-exposed men without PTSD demonstrated lower mu-opioid receptor binding in the extended amygdala/ventral pallidum, thalamus, nucleus accumbens, insula, dorsal ACC, and mPFC, but higher mu-opioid receptor binding in the oribitofrontal cortex (with even higher binding among trauma-exposed controls) and subgenual ACC relative to controls.”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Liberzon et al., 2007
In men with combat-related PTSD, mu-opioid receptor binding is reduced in the rostral ACC relative to both control groups.
“In addition, the PTSD group showed reduced binding in the rostral ACC relative to both control groups.”
From A review of the relation between dissociation, memory, executive functioning and social cognition in military members and civilians with neuropsychiatric conditions (2016) · cites this paper as Liberzon et al., 2007
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“Moreover, a study by Liberzon et al. (2007) revealed alterations in central mu-opioid receptor binding following psychological trauma, where men with combat- M.C. McKinnon et al. / Neuropsychologia 90 (2016) 210–234224 related PTSD and combat-trauma-exposed men without PTSD demonstrated lower…”
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Post-traumatic stress disorder and opioid use disorder: a narrative review of conceptual models
Danovitch, I. (2016) · Journal of Addictive Diseases · doi:10.1080/10550887.2016.1168212 · Cited by 55 · see citing works
- Authors
- Liberzon, I., Taylor, S. F., Phan, K. L., Britton, J. C., Fig, L. M., Bueller, J. A., Koeppe, R. A., & Zubieta, J.-K.
- Affiliations
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs (US)
- University of Michigan (US)
- University of Chicago (US)
- Corresponding author
- Liberzon, Israel
- Venue
- Biological Psychiatry
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2007-05
- Volume
- 61
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- 1030-1038
- ISSN
- 0006-3223 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2042552039
- Cited by
- 118
- References
- 10
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 5 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 10
- FWCI
- 7.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Biological Psychiatry (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neuropeptides and Animal Physiology
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience › Neurotransmitter Receptor Influence on Behavior
- Keywords
- post-traumatic stress disorder, mu-opioid receptor, [11C]carfentanil, combat exposure, psychological trauma, limbic system, paralimbic regions, extended amygdala, nucleus accumbens, orbitofrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, opioid system, stress response
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Adult, Amygdala, Analgesics, Opioid, Cerebral Cortex, Fentanyl, Humans, Functional Laterality, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Middle Aged, Nucleus Accumbens, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Thalamus, Veterans, Wounds and Injuries, Prefrontal Cortex, Receptors, Opioid, mu, Positron-Emission Tomography
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