Less is more: Smaller hippocampal subfield volumes predict greater improvements in posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms over 2 years.
Behav Neurosci
; 138(2): 94-107, 2024 Apr.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38661669
ABSTRACT
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a heterogeneous disorder, and symptom severity varies over time. Neurobiological factors that predict PTSD symptoms and their chronicity remain unclear. This study investigated whether the volume of the hippocampus and its subfields, particularly cornu ammonis (CA) 1, CA3, and dentate gyrus, are associated with current PTSD symptoms and whether they predict PTSD symptom changes over 2 years. We examined clinical and structural magnetic resonance imaging measures from 252 trauma-exposed post-9/11 veterans (159 with Time 1 PTSD diagnosis) during assessments approximately 2 years apart. Automated hippocampal subfield segmentation was performed with FreeSurfer Version 7.1, producing 19 bilateral subfields. PTSD symptoms were measured at each assessment using the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale-IV (CAPS). All models included total intracranial volume as a covariate. First, similar to previous reports, we showed that smaller overall hippocampal volume was associated with greater PTSD symptom severity at Time 1. Notably, when examining regions of interest (CA1, CA3, dentate gyrus), we found that smaller Time 1 hippocampal volumes in the bilateral CA1-body and CA2/3-body predicted decreased PTSD symptom severity at Time 2. These findings were not accounted for by combat exposure or treatment history. Additionally, both Time 1 CA1-body and CA2/3-body volume showed unique associations with changes in avoidance/numbing, but not with changes in reexperiencing or hyperarousal symptoms. This supports a more complex and nuanced relationship between hippocampal structure and PTSD symptoms, where during the posttrauma years bigger may not always mean better, and suggests that the CA1-body and CA2/3-body are important factors in the maintenance of PTSD symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos
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Veteranos
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Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética
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Hipocampo
Limite:
Adult
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Female
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Humans
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Male
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Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Behav Neurosci
Ano de publicação:
2024
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de publicação:
EEUU
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ESTADOS UNIDOS
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ESTADOS UNIDOS DA AMERICA
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EUA
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UNITED STATES
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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
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US
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USA