title: Preserved subcortical volumes and cortical thickness in women with sexual abuse-related PTSD.
abstract: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been frequently associated with volumetric reductions of grey matter structures (e.g. hippocampus and anterior cingulate), but these results remain controversial, especially in female non-combat-related samples. The present study aimed at exploring whole-brain structures in women with sexual abuse-related PTSD on the basis of cortical and subcortical structure comparisons to a matched pair sample that was well-controlled. Seventeen young women who had experienced sexual abuse and who had a diagnosis of chronic PTSD based on the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-IV and 17 healthy controls individually matched for age and years of education were consecutively recruited. Both groups underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging and psychiatric assessment of the main disorders according to Axis I of DSM-IV. The resulting scans were analyzed using automated cortical and subcortical volumetric quantifications. Compared with controls, PTSD subjects displayed normal global and regional brain volumes and cortical thicknesses. Our results indicate preserved subcortical volumes and cortical thickness in a sample of female survivors of sexual abuse with PTSD. The authors discuss potential differences between neural mechanisms of sexual abuse-related PTSD and war-related PTSD.
authors.affiliation: UMR CNRS 6234 CeRCA, Tours, France.
authors.forename: Lionel
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Landré
authors.forename: Christophe
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Destrieux
authors.forename: Marion
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baudry
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barantin
authors.forename: Jean-Philippe
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Cottier
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Martineau
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hommet
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Isingrini
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Belzung
authors.forename: Philippe
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaillard
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Camus
authors.forename: Wissam
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: El Hage
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001931:Brain Mapping; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012742:Sex Offenses / Q000523:psychology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult