Language

English

Publication Date

1-1-2026

Journal

Network Neuroscience

DOI

10.1162/NETN.a.535

PMID

41878614

PMCID

PMC13008379

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

3-20-2026

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

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.

Keywords

Thalamus, Thalamocortical connections, Structural covariance, Graph theory, PTSD, Psychopathology

Published Open-Access

yes

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