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PMID: 12379862 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Twin Study

Smaller hippocampal volume predicts pathologic vulnerability to psychological trauma.

Nature neuroscience ·Vol. 5 ·No. 11 ·2002-11-00 ·Pages 1242-7

Gilbertson MW, Shenton ME, Ciszewski A, Kasai K, Lasko NB, Orr SP, Pitman RK

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.

MeSH Terms
Alcoholism/epidemiology Combat Disorders/epidemiology,pathology Comorbidity Hippocampus/abnormalities Humans Male Middle Aged Risk Factors Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic/epidemiology,pathology Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology Twins, Monozygotic
Authors & Affiliations
7 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Gilbertson Mark W
Research Service, Veterans Administration Medical Center, 718 Smyth Road, Manchester, New Hampshire 03104, USA. mark.gilbertson@med.va.gov
Shenton Martha E
Ciszewski Aleksandra
Kasai Kiyoto
Lasko Natasha B
Orr Scott P
Pitman Roger K
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Article Info
Journal
Nature neuroscience
Abbr.
Nat Neurosci
ISSN
1097-6256
DOI
10.1038/nn958
Email
mark.gilbertson@med.va.gov
Published
2002-11-00
Pages
1242-7
Language
English
Region
United States
NLM ID
9809671
PMCID
PMC2819093
Subset
IM
Grants
NIMH NIH HHS · K02 MH001110-10 · United States
NIMH NIH HHS · R01 MH054636 · United States
NIMH NIH HHS · K02-MH01110 · United States
NIMH NIH HHS · R01-MH54636 · United States
Corrections
CommentIn
PMID: 12404003
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1038/nn958 PMC Full Text View journal details
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