Disrupted intrathalamic and thalamocortical structural covariance networks in posttraumatic stress disorder

The thalamus is a heterogeneous structure crucial for corticocortical communication, affective-perceptual integration, motor preparation, and memory-related functions. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is characterized by various symptoms that likely relate to thalamic functions. Group-level and individual differential structural covariance (SC) analyses were conducted on intrathalamic, thalamocortical, and thalamosubcortical volumetric networks by segmenting structural MRI data from 2,784 subjects (PTSD n = 1,306; controls n = 1,478) into 25 thalamic nuclei per hemisphere. We found that PTSD was associated with stronger intrathalamic and thalamocortical network strength and stronger SC between the limbic thalamus and the somatomotor and auditory thalamus. PTSD severity was related to specific regional alterations in the intrathalamic network involving the lateral pulvinar. Comorbid depression severity positively correlated with global intrathalamic alterations, while avoidance symptoms positively correlated with global thalamosubcortical alterations. Hyperarousal symptoms related to altered SC in the thalamocortical network between the reuniens, central medial, paratenial, centromedian, and limitans-suprageniculate nuclei and lateral cortical regions spanning the occipital, temporal, and orbitofrontal cortices. Differential associations between avoidance, hyperarousal, and comorbid depression symptoms and thalamic SC in PTSD suggest that specific thalamic covariance patterns may be involved in unique facets of PTSD symptomatology.