Can Traumatic Stress Alter the Brain? Understanding the Implications of Early Trauma on Brain Development and Learning

Carrión, Victor G.; Wong, Shane Shucheng

doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.04.010

Cited by 148 publications

(105 citation statements)

References 40 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…The fact that lower prefrontal, cingulate, insula, left insula, putamen and hippocampal GM volumes were no longer observed after correction for EALs suggests that these changes may not be specific for IBS per se, and are more related to EALs often reported by IBS patients, and other patients with persistent pain disorders[3; 14; 101]. Lower GM volumes in hippocampus, amygdala, PFC, anterior cingulate and basal ganglia have previously been reported in subjects with a history of EAL [22; 28; 56; 65]. Such EAL-related structural brain changes may be the consequence of epigenetic modifications of gene expression, including glucocorticoid receptor methylation and resulting chronically elevated plasma cortisol levels [22].…”

Section: 11 Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Irritable bowel syndrome in female patients is associated with alterations in structural brain networks

Labus

Dinov

Jiang

et al. 2014

Pain

140

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Alterations in gray matter (GM) density/ volume and cortical thickness (CT) have been demonstrated in small and heterogeneous samples of subjects with different chronic pain syndromes, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Aggregating across 7 structural neuroimaging studies conducted at UCLA between August 2006 and April 2011, we examined group differences in regional GM volume in 201 predominantly premenopausal female subjects (82 IBS, mean age: 32 ± 10 SD, 119 Healthy Controls [HCs], 30± 10 SD). Applying graph theoretical methods and controlling for total brain volume, global and regional properties of large-scale structural brain networks were compared between IBS and HC groups. Relative to HCs, the IBS group had lower volumes in bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral insula, bilateral amygdala, bilateral hippocampus, bilateral middle orbital frontal gyrus, left cingulate, left gyrus rectus, brainstem, and left putamen. Higher volume was found for the left postcentral gyrus. Group differences were no longer significant for most regions when controlling for Early Trauma Inventory global score with the exception of the right amygdala and the left post central gyrus. No group differences were found for measures of global and local network organization. Compared to HCs, the right cingulate gyrus and right thalamus were identified as significantly more critical for information flow. Regions involved in endogenous pain modulation and central sensory amplification were identified as network hubs in IBS. Overall, evidence for central alterations in IBS was found in the form of regional GM volume differences and altered global and regional properties of brain volumetric networks.

show abstract

Section: 11 Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Irritable bowel syndrome in female patients is associated with alterations in structural brain networks

Labus

Dinov

Jiang

et al. 2014

Pain

140

124

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The evidence for the involvement of specific neural structures in trauma-related psychopathology comes primarily from the study of PTSD, with most evidence suggesting a diminished hippocampus [25, 60, 61], smaller prefrontal structures [62–64], and possibly an enlarged amygdala [65, 66]. However, recent findings suggest sex-related heterogeneity in all these structures.…”

Section: Direct Evidence Of Sex Differences In Trauma-related Psychopmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sex Differences in Trauma-Related Psychopathology: a Critical Review of Neuroimaging Literature (2014–2017)

Helpman

Zhu

Suarez‐Jimenez

et al. 2017

Curr Psychiatry Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose of Review Sex differences in the epidemiology and clinical presentation of trauma-related psychopathology have long been documented. Multiple underlying mechanisms have been examined, both psychosocial and biological. Among the most promising biological mechanisms are neural substrates of trauma-related psychopathology that have been uncovered in recent years. Recent Findings Neuroimaging studies of sex-related heterogeneity published over the past 3 years (2014–2017) demonstrate an interaction between sex and type, timing, and load of trauma exposure. These studies suggest that, for males, early trauma exposure may involve a loss of gray matter in the limbic system, including the prefrontal cortex (PFC), amygdala, and hippocampus, and an over-activity and increased connectivity of salience hubs, and particularly dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC). For females, however, early trauma exposure may involve overactive and possibly an enlarged amygdala, as well as decreased connectivity of salience hubs such as the dACC. Underlying mechanisms may include interaction with several endocrine systems and result in differential neural response to naturally occurring and added endocrine ligands, as well as sex-specific genetic and epigenetic risk and resilience factors. This complex interaction between multiple biological systems may be associated with sex-specific behavioral patterns, in turn associated with trauma-related psychopathology. Summary While substantial number of published studies present preliminary evidence for neural mechanisms of sex-specific posttraumatic responses, there is a paucity of research directly designed to examine sex as a biological factor in trauma-related psychopathology. Specific foci for future studies aiming to bridge current gaps in the literature are discussed.

show abstract

“…5,12 Compared to nonmaltreated children, some physically abused children show low cortisol and a flattened diurnal slope. 13 Sexually abused girls have demonstrated a blunted ACTH response following a corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) stimulation test compared to comparisons, 14 and both boys and girls who were maltreated have shown attenuated cortisol responses to stressors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Longitudinal Patterns of Cortisol Regulation Differ in Maltreated and Nonmaltreated Children

Doom

Cicchetti²,

Rogosch

2014

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psych

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective Child maltreatment is associated with dysregulation of stress-mediating systems and an increased risk of mental and physical health problems. Specifically, disruptions in hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis regulation have been reported in maltreated children. The current study investigates whether increased cortisol variability is responsible for inconsistent patterns in the literature. Method This study modeled cortisol activity over 20 weeks in 187 maltreated and 154 nonmaltreated children (M = 8.4 years, SD = 1.8 years) in order to capture week-to-week cortisol patterns. Maltreatment was assessed through coding of Department of Human Services records. Children attended an after school program one day per week for 20 weeks where saliva was collected at the same time each day and subsequently assayed for cortisol. Results Multiple-group growth curves indicated that maltreated and nonmaltreated children differ in longitudinal cortisol patterns. Maltreated children showed higher variance in the initial cortisol levels and slope over time compared to nonmaltreated children, indicating greater between-person variability in the maltreated group. Maltreated children with higher cortisol at the first assessment showed cortisol suppression over time, indicating potential HPA blunting after chronic high cortisol levels. The severity, timing, and number of subtypes of maltreatment predicted individuals’ cortisol variability, and both maltreatment status and greater cortisol variability predicted more behavior problems. Conclusion Interventions for maltreated children may benefit from pre- and post-intervention HPA assessments to determine a component of treatment efficacy. As maltreatment dimensions predicted differential cortisol regulation, assessment of maltreatment experiences is necessary to understand alterations in behavior and HPA regulation post-intervention.

show abstract

Can Traumatic Stress Alter the Brain? Understanding the Implications of Early Trauma on Brain Development and Learning

Cited by 148 publications

References 40 publications

Irritable bowel syndrome in female patients is associated with alterations in structural brain networks

Irritable bowel syndrome in female patients is associated with alterations in structural brain networks

Sex Differences in Trauma-Related Psychopathology: a Critical Review of Neuroimaging Literature (2014–2017)

Longitudinal Patterns of Cortisol Regulation Differ in Maltreated and Nonmaltreated Children

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About