Childhood Maltreatment and Deviations from Normative Brain Structure: A Mega-Analysis of 3,711 Individuals from the ENIGMA MDD and ENIGMA PTSD Working Groups - PubMed
4 days ago
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- Childhood maltreatment (CM) is linked to increased risk for Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- A mega-analysis of 3,711 individuals examined CM's impact on brain structure deviations using normative modeling.
- Young adults (18-35) showed associations between abuse and larger thalamus/pallidum volumes, thinner isthmus cingulate, and thicker medial orbitofrontal cortex.
- Strongest effects were in young female adults, with abuse/neglect linked to smaller hippocampus/putamen volumes and altered cortical thickness/surface area.
- Males exhibited widespread effects of abuse on cortical thickness and surface area, while neglect had minimal impact.
- Findings highlight age- and sex-specific neurobiological effects of CM, emphasizing developmental context in MDD/PTSD vulnerability.