Social Emotions and Emotional Valence During Imagery in Women With PTSD: Affective and Neural Correlates

Research has investigated responses to script-driven imagery of traumatic events personally experienced by individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), although less is known about responses to imagery of standardized nonidiographic emotional events. This study investigated self-report and functional neural responses to imagery of interpersonal (social) versus intrapersonal (nonsocial) negative and positive events in women with versus without PTSD. Women with PTSD reported decreased positive affect in response to imagery of positive events, and increased negative affect and emotional avoidance in response to imagery of both negative and positive events. BOLD responses within the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, temporal poles, insula, and amygdala differed between groups primarily in response to imagery of positive events. Future research directions and clinical implications for social and emotional functioning in trauma-related disorders are discussed.