A pilot longitudinal study of hippocampal volumes in pediatric maltreatment-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

Adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with decreased hippocampal volumes; however, decreased hippocampal volumes were not seen in pediatric maltreatment-related PTSD. We examined hippocampal volumes longitudinally to determine if a history of childhood traumatic stress alters hippocampal growth during puberty. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure temporal lobes, amygdala, and hippocampal volumes in nine prepubertal maltreated subjects with pediatric maltreatment-related PTSD and nine sociodemographically matched healthy nonmaltreated yoked control subjects at baseline and after at least 2 years follow-up (during the later stages of pubertal development) using identical equipment and measurement methodology. Temporal lobe, amygdala and hippocampal volumes did not differ between groups at baseline, follow-up, or across time. Whereas these data are from a small sample, the results do not support hippocampal changes in pediatric maltreatment-related PTSD.