Characteristics of white matter structural connectivity in healthy adults with childhood maltreatment

Abstract

Background: Childhood maltreatment (CM) is a common psychological stressor associated with multiple mental disorders. While CM is associated with vulnerability to depression and anxiety, little is known about the specific mechanism underlying this relationship. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the white matter (WM) of healthy adults with CM and their relationships with depression and anxiety to provide biological evidence for the development of mental disorders in subjects with childhood trauma. Methods: The CM group included 40 healthy adults with CM. The non-CM group included 40 healthy adults without CM. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) data were collected, and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) were applied to the whole brain to assess WM differences between the two groups; post-hoc fibre tractography was used to characterise the developmental differences; and mediation analysis was used to assess the relationships among the Child Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) results, DTI indices, and depression and anxiety scores. Results: Relative to the non-CM group, the CM group revealed significantly lower fractional anisotropy (FA) in the right posterior corona radiata (PCR-R), right anterior corona radiata (ACR-R), left super corona radiata (SCR-L), anterior thalamic radiation (ATR), and right posterior limb of the internal capsule (PLIC-R). Additionally, shorter fibre bundles passed through the PCR-R, ACR-R, and ATR in the CM group compared with the non-CM group. Besides, the length of the ACR-R mediated the relationship between CM and trait anxiety. Conclusions: The alteration of white matter microstructure associated with childhood trauma in healthy adults may reflect biomarkers of childhood trauma. Besides, an alteration of WM microstructure in healthy adults with CM mediates the association between CM and trait anxiety, which may represent the vulnerability to developing mental disorders after childhood trauma experiences.

Alterations in the white matter structure of major depressive disorder patients and their link to childhood trauma

“…This might indicate that the reduction in FA in the right IFOF and PLIC might be a specific change in the WM regions of MDD patients, independent of CT. These results differ from previous studies related to CT ( 15 – 17 , 34 , 35 ). However, Lim et al.’s study found that specific WM changes in the CT group were rectified in the subgroup analysis of unmedicated participants ( 34 ).…”

“…Studies involving gray matter regions have found an association between CT experience and lower volumes of the hippocampus and amygdala ( 12 – 14 ). Beyond gray matter regions, several studies have reported specific white matter(WM) changes in individuals with an experience of CT, including the inferior longitudinal fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, thalamic radiation, corona radiata, longitudinal fasciculi, cingulum, and corpus callosum ( 15 – 17 ). Notably, there is an anatomical overlap between the specific WM change areas in MDD patients and those mentioned above.…”

Knowledge atlas of white matter microstructure: a bibliometric analysis

“…The degeneration of white matter fiber has been associated with cognitive impairment and poor prognosis in stroke survivors ( 5 , 24 ). Childhood maltreatment can alter the microstructure of white matter in healthy adults, which might increase their vulnerability to mental disorders such as anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder ( 25 , 26 ). Poor sleep quality might lead to neural injury by damaging the white matter microstructure, and this knowledge may provide guidance for decision-making in precision medicine ( 27 ).…”