For the new study, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) in Pittsburgh used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), an MRI technique that measures the
integrity of
white matter — the brain's signal - transmitting nerve fibers — to see if injuries to the nerves may be the root cause of these post-traumatic depression and anxiety symptoms.
When compared to the control group, type 2 patients showed decreased
integrity in the
white matter of two different areas in the brain — the cingulum bundle, which is a fiber tract that connects regions in the default - mode network, and the uncinate fasciculus, which connects regions important
for executive function and memory.