title: White-matter density abnormalities in depressive patients with and without childhood neglect: a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis.
abstract: Childhood maltreatment (abuse or neglect) can result in changes to the brain structures and functions that underlie adult depression. Few studies have explored the impact of childhood maltreatment on white-matter microstructure, especially for childhood neglect. Nineteen depressive patients who experienced childhood neglect, 21 depressive patients who did not experience childhood neglect, and 20 healthy control subjects were compared in this study. The Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Hamilton Depressive Rating Scale (HAMD), Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS) were used to evaluate each subject. High-resolution T1-weighted 3T magnetic resonance imaging scans and a whole-brain optimized voxel-based morphometry (VBM) approach were also used. Compared with healthy controls, the depressive group of subjects with childhood neglect showed significantly lower white-matter densities in the bilateral inferior parietal lobe (IPL) [43 -32 24] [-42 -42 25], whereas the depressive group without childhood neglect showed significantly lower densities in bilateral sub-lobar extra-nuclear white matter [27 -15 16] [-27 32 4]. White-matter densities in the bilateral sub-lobar extra-nuclear [-25 -17 18] [27 -13 20] and right brainstem midbrain [9 -34 -13] regions were higher in the depressive patients with childhood neglect than in the depressive patients without childhood neglect. White-matter densities in the bilateral inferior parietal lobe were negatively correlated with neglect total scores on the CTQ and with HAMD and DAS scores. White-matter densities in the bilateral sub-lobar extra-nuclear region were only negatively correlated with HAMD scores. Subjects that have depression with or without childhood neglect show different white-matter microstructural abnormalities.
authors.affiliation: Guangzhou Psychiatric Hospital, Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hongjun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Yuping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Haichen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zexuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lifeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Shaojia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Jiansong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zhijun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Lingjiang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D054523:Adult Survivors of Child Abuse; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009413:Nerve Fibers, Myelinated / Q000473:pathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
keywords: Childhood neglect; Depression; Voxel-based morphometry (VBM); White-matter density