Fig. 2: Functional connections in threat circuitry in health and PTSD.
From: Prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and threat processing: implications for PTSD
a Healthy Threat Circuit. Regions involved in threat learning and the control of threat reactions via extinction, context, avoidance, or cognitive regulation. In healthy individuals the coordination of this circuit enables adaptive threat expression. b PTSD Threat Circuit. The dlPFC, vmPFC/IL, and hippocampus show impaired functioning with PTSD, whereas the amygdala and dACC/PL are enhanced. Disrupted connections between regions are indicated by dashed lines. The disrupted threat circuit with PTSD results in maladaptive threat expression. Prefrontal cortex regions are highlighted within the beige circle. Terms for animal/human homologous regions are in the same circles. PL = prelimbic cortex, IL = infralimbic cortex, dACC = dorsal anterior cingulate cortex, vmPFC = ventromedial prefrontal cortex, dlPFC = dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.
