Structural covariance of early visual cortex is negatively associated with PTSD symptoms: A Mega-Analysis from the ENIGMA PTSD workgroup

The preprint operates within the dominant paradigm of neurobiological models of PTSD, specifically focusing on structural alterations in the brain as related to PTSD symptom expression. It also sits within the broader paradigm of using large-scale neuroimaging datasets to investigate mental health disorders.

This preprint represents a normal science study. It builds upon existing research within the established paradigm of neurobiological models of PTSD. Specifically, it investigates a previously identified structural covariance network (SCN) within the ventral visual stream and its relationship with PTSD symptoms in a large, international sample. While the study explores the potential of this SCN as a pre-trauma marker by examining its association with perceived stress in a non-trauma exposed sample, the lack of a significant finding in that analysis does not challenge the existing paradigm. The study adheres to established methodologies within the field and contributes incrementally to our understanding of the neurobiological underpinnings of PTSD. It does not propose a radical shift in understanding or introduce new, incommensurable concepts that would indicate a paradigm shift or model revolution. There is also no strong indication of a model crisis, as the current findings generally align with the existing literature, albeit with some divergent findings related to the timing of trauma exposure. The study's emphasis on refining and validating existing models within the current paradigm strongly supports the classification of normal science, although aspects of model drift could also be considered due to the focus on exploring inconsistencies in how the association of interest may vary as a function of time.