Cited by 179Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchPsychoanalysis and Psychopathology ResearchFace Recognition and Perception

Neural responses to masked fear faces: Sex differences and trauma exposure in posttraumatic stress disorder.

Open access
Felmingham, Kim, Williams, Leanne M., Kemp, Andrew H., Liddell, Belinda, Falconer, Erin, Peduto, Anthony, Bryant, Richard·2010·Journal of Abnormal Psychology

Abstract

Although women have a greater propensity than men to develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following trauma, sex differences in neural activations to threat have received little investigation. This study tested the prediction that trauma would heighten activity in automatic fear-processing networks to a greater extent in women than in men. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data were recorded in 23 participants with PTSD (13 women, 10 men), 21 trauma-exposed controls (9 women, 12 men), and 42 non-trauma-exposed controls (22 women, 20 men) while they viewed masked facial expressions of fear. Exposure to trauma was associated with enhanced brainstem activity to fear in women, regardless of the presence of PTSD, but in men, it was associated only with the development of PTSD. Men with PTSD displayed greater hippocampal activity to fear than did women. Both men and women with PTSD showed enhanced amygdala activity to fear relative to controls. The authors conclude that greater brainstem activation to threat stimuli may contribute to the greater prevalence of PTSD in women, and greater hippocampal activation in men may subserve an enhanced capacity for contextualizing fear-related stimuli.

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Crossref · 10.1037/a0017551

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39 of 39 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Patients with PTSD process environmental stimuli differently than people without PTSD.

    “Patients with PTSD process environmental stimuli differently than people without PTSD.”

    From Maladaptive autonomic regulation in PTSD accelerates physiological aging (2015) · cites this paper as Felmingham et al., 2010

  • In a functional neuroimaging study comparing 23 patients with PTSD and 42 healthy controls, patients with PTSD showed greater activation of the amygdala in response to photographs of emotional facial expressions of fear.

    “For example, in a functional neuroimaging study comparing 23 patients with PTSD and 42 healthy controls, the patients with PTSD showed greater activation of the amygdala, a key limbic structure, in response to photographs of emotional facial expressions of fear (Felmingham et al., 2010).”

    From Maladaptive autonomic regulation in PTSD accelerates physiological aging (2015) · cites this paper as Felmingham et al., 2010

  • Effective exposure therapy was associated with decreased amygdala and enhanced vmPFC activity toward emotional faces over the course of treatment.

    “In addition, effective exposure therapy was associated with decreased amygdala and enhanced vmPFC activity toward emotional faces over the course of treatment (Felmingham et al, 2010).”

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Authors
Felmingham, K., Williams, L. M., Kemp, A. H., Liddell, B., Falconer, E., Peduto, A., & Bryant, R.
Affiliations
  • UNSW Sydney (AU)
  • Westmead Institute for Medical Research (AU)
  • The University of Sydney (AU)
  • Westmead Hospital (AU)
Venue
Journal of Abnormal Psychology
Published
2010-02
Volume
119
Issue
1
Pages
241-247
ISSN
  • 0021-843X (ISSN-L)
  • 1939-1846
OpenAlex
W2005001382
Cited by
179
References
39
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 11 · 2022: 13 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 9 · 2012: 12
FWCI
11.57
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by
Locations
  • Journal of Abnormal Psychology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • eCite Digital Repository (University of Tasmania) (submittedVersion)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Health and Medical Research Council (300304, 358676, 358770, 464820)
  • Australian Research Council (LP0212048)
  • Pfizer
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychoanalysis and Psychopathology Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Face Recognition and Perception
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, sex differences, trauma exposure, fear processing, amygdala, hippocampus, brainstem, threat detection, women
MeSH terms
Amygdala, Anxiety Disorders, Brain Stem, Major Depressive Disorder, Face, Facial Expression, Fear, Female, Hippocampus, Humans, Life Change Events, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Oxygen, Perceptual Masking, Sex Factors, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic

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