Cerebellum–cortex brain connections in PTSD
Official title: Structural and Functional Architecture of Cortico-Cerebellar Systems in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma
Funded at Duke University · NIH-11330226 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at whether connections between the cerebellum and other brain areas work differently in people with PTSD compared with people who experienced trauma but do not have PTSD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project start | May 7, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $518,421 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH139648-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11330226 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with a history of trauma who have PTSD, and trauma-exposed people without PTSD (including some children and adults), would be the ideal groups for this work.
✕Less likely to help
People without any trauma exposure or whose symptoms are due to unrelated medical conditions are unlikely to directly benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
If you were included, your existing brain scans and clinical information would be combined with data from nearly 1,900 people across 25 international sites in the ENIGMA-PTSD Consortium. The team will measure cerebellar subregion size and activity and map structural and functional connections between the cerebellum and cortical and limbic areas like the amygdala and hippocampus. They will compare people with PTSD to trauma-exposed people without PTSD to find consistent differences in cortico-cerebellar networks. The goal is to identify brain circuit patterns linked to fear and stress that could guide future treatment targets.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could point to specific brain circuits to target with new or improved PTSD treatments.
How similar studies have gone: Prior imaging work has found smaller cerebellar volumes in PTSD, but few large pooled studies have mapped cerebellar connectivity, so this multi-site connectivity approach is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Duke University
Durham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Morey, Rajendra a — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Morey, Rajendra a
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.