title: Are hippocampal size differences in posttraumatic stress disorder mediated by sleep pathology?
abstract: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with smaller volumes of the hippocampus, as has been demonstrated by meta-analyses. Proposed mechanistic relationships are reviewed briefly, including the hypothesis that sleep disturbances mediate the effects of PTSD on hippocampal volume. Evidence for this includes findings that insomnia and restricted sleep are associated with changes in hippocampal cell regulation and impairments in cognition. We present results of a new study of 187 subjects in whom neither PTSD nor poor sleep was associated with lower hippocampal volume. We outline a broad research agenda centered on the hypothesis that sleep changes mediate the relationship between PTSD and hippocampal volume.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA; Mental Health Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA. Electronic address: brian.mohlenhoff@ucsf.edu.
authors.forename: Brian S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Mohlenhoff
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Linda L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chao
authors.affiliation: Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Shannon T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Buckley
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Center for Imaging of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Weiner
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA; Mental Health Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Neylan
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D047830:Gulf War; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057566:Self Report; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012890:Sleep; D007319:Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014728:Veterans
keywords: Dementia; Neurogenesis; Neuroimaging; PTSD; Sleep; Veterans