We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Smaller hippocampal volume predicts pathologic vulnerability to psychological trauma.
- Authors
Gilbertson, Mark W; Shenton, Martha E; Ciszewski, Aleksandra; Kasai, Kiyoto; Lasko, Natasha B; Orr, Scott P; Pitman, Roger K
- Abstract
In animals, exposure to severe stress can damage the hippocampus. Recent human studies show smaller hippocampal volume in individuals with the stress-related psychiatric condition posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Does this represent the neurotoxic effect of trauma, or is smaller hippocampal volume a pre-existing condition that renders the brain more vulnerable to the development of pathological stress responses? In monozygotic twins discordant for trauma exposure, we found evidence that smaller hippocampi indeed constitute a risk factor for the development of stress-related psychopathology. Disorder severity in PTSD patients who were exposed to trauma was negatively correlated with the hippocampal volume of both the patients and the patients' trauma-unexposed identical co-twin. Furthermore, severe PTSD twin pairs-both the trauma-exposed and unexposed members-had significantly smaller hippocampi than non-PTSD pairs.
- Publication
Nature neuroscience, 2002, Vol 5, Issue 11, p1242
- ISSN
1097-6256
- Publication type
Journal Article
- DOI
10.1038/nn958