He will use functional magnetic resonance imaging of the brain to measure structural changes.
Studies suggest that PTSD and psychosis frequently co-occur.
He will measure functioning of this hormonal system in patients with PTSD and schizoaffective disorder, patients with PTSD and no psychosis, and healthy controls. This work may lead to more effective treatments for PTSD, and elaborate the role of the stress hormones in this illness. Animal studies suggest that severe stressors and high levels of stress-related hormones can damage hippocampal cells, an area involved in memory. Dr. Shin will measure cerebral blood flow in trauma-exposed subjects with and without PTSD while they perform a memory task. She expects that subjects with PTSD will not show normal activation of the hippocampus, but will have normal activation of the frontal cortex.