Prospective reports of chronic life stress predict decreased grey matter volume in the hippocampus

Abstract

Chronic stress in non-human animals decreases the volume of the hippocampus, a brain region that supports learning and memory and that regulates neuroendocrine activity. In humans with stressrelated psychiatric syndromes characterized by impaired learning and memory and dysregulated neuroendocrine activity, surrogate and retrospective indicators of chronic stress are also associated with decreased hippocampal volume. However, it is unknown whether chronic stress is associated with decreased hippocampal volume in those without a clinical syndrome. We tested whether reports of life stress obtained prospectively over an approximate 20-year period predicted later hippocampal grey matter volume in 48 healthy postmenopausal women. Women completed the Perceived Stress Scale repeatedly from 1985 to 2004; in 2005 and 2006, their hippocampal grey matter volume was quantified by voxel-based morphometry. Higher Perceived Stress Scale scores from 1985 to 2004-an indicator of more chronic life stress-predicted decreased grey matter volume in the right orbitofrontal cortex and right hippocampus. These relationships persisted after accounting for age, total grey matter volume, time since menopause, use of hormone therapy, subclinical depressive symptoms, and other potentially confounding behavioral and age-related cerebrovascular risk factors. The relationship between chronic life stress and regional grey matter volume-particularly in the hippocampus and orbitofrontal cortex-appears to span a continuum that extends to otherwise healthy individuals. Consistent with animal and human clinical evidence, we speculate that chronicstress-related variations in brain morphology are reciprocally and functionally related to adaptive and maladaptive changes in cognition, neuroendocrine activity, and psychiatric vulnerability.Keywords chronic life stress; hippocampus; orbitofrontal cortex; voxel-based morphometry Stressful experiences can be both constructive and destructive to the body and brain. In the short term, acute stressful experiences mobilize adaptive changes in physiology and behavior that help to meet the demands of environmental challenges and protect against threats to internal homeostasis Selye, 1956). Over the long term, however, chronic

What is a representative brain? Neuroscience meets population science

“…Although population research has established robust effects of poverty and inequality on these outcomes (37)(38)(39)(40)(41)(42), neural mechanisms of these effects have not been a primary focus in population approaches. However, within neuroscience and health psychology, research has begun to show that early life experiences such as parenting and SES have effects on brain areas such as the amygdala and prefrontal cortex (43)(44)(45)(46)(47), areas that have also been linked to a variety of relevant outcomes such as crime and violence (48,49), depression (50), social cognition (51,52), drug use (53,54), and cognitive control (55). For example, a recent study demonstrated that early life stress predicted stress responses in the hypothalamicpituitary-adrenal axis, which in turn predicted connectivity between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex and later risk for depression (56).…”

“…For example, longitudinal neuroimaging of representative samples, with repeat scans starting early and continuing across development, will advance developmental science, as well as our broad understanding of brain plasticity and relationship to experience (12,18,61,122). Sociologists and social psychologists will also have a major stake in this research and will be particularly important in helping to formulate the possible chronic influences on brain structure and function, such as discrimination, poverty, SES, and social support (5,17,43,44). As well, these influences of brain function and structure may act as moderators of brain-behavior relationships, thus leading to a more dynamic model of social context, brain function, and behavior.…”

Brain structural plasticity in survivors of a major earthquake

“…To date, few studies have examined the association between life stress and brain structure in adult participants without a history of psychopathology or brain disorder. [3][4][5][6] Moreover, individuals recruited for previous studies had experienced different types of stress-related events, including illness or injury, death of a close friend or relative, unemployment and the ending of important relationships, which might have variable effects on the brain. 6 Furthermore, the findings from these studies indicated that grey matter atrophy could only be observed 3 months after stressful life events.…”

Altered Structural-functional Maturation of the Right Amygdala in Healthy Adolescents Exposed to Traumatic Events

“…While many have reported volumetric reductions in the hippocampus [15][16][17] or amygdala [18], others have found no change in either hippocampal or amygdala volume [19,20]. Resting-state functional imaging studies have also produced varied results, with some research reporting increased amygdala-hippocampal connectivity associated with greater levels of self-reported trauma symptoms [21] or following stress induction [22], and other work reporting no trauma-related connectivity changes [18].…”