title: General and specific effects of early-life psychosocial adversities on adolescent grey matter volume.
abstract: Exposure to childhood adversities (CA) is associated with subsequent alterations in regional brain grey matter volume (GMV). Prior studies have focused mainly on severe neglect and maltreatment. The aim of this study was to determine in currently healthy adolescents if exposure to more common forms of CA results in reduced GMV. Effects on brain structure were investigated using voxel-based morphometry in a cross-sectional study of youth recruited from a population-based longitudinal cohort. 58 participants (mean age = 18.4) with (n = 27) or without (n = 31) CA exposure measured retrospectively from maternal interview were included in the study. Measures of recent negative life events (RNLE) recorded at 14 and 17 years, current depressive symptoms, gender, participant/parental psychiatric history, current family functioning perception and 5-HTTLPR genotype were covariates in analyses. A multivariate analysis of adversities demonstrated a general association with a widespread distributed neural network consisting of cortical midline, lateral frontal, temporal, limbic, and cerebellar regions. Univariate analyses showed more specific associations between adversity measures and regional GMV: CA specifically demonstrated reduced vermis GMV and past psychiatric history with reduced medial temporal lobe volume. In contrast RNLE aged 14 was associated with increased lateral cerebellar and anterior cingulate GMV. We conclude that exposure to moderate levels of childhood adversities occurring during childhood and early adolescence exerts effects on the developing adolescent brain. Reducing exposure to adverse social environments during early life may optimize typical brain development and reduce subsequent mental health risks in adult life.
authors: Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK ; School of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of East Anglia, UK.
authors: Nicholas D
authors: ND
authors: Walsh
authors: Medical Research Council Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Tim
authors: T
authors: Dalgleish
authors: Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Michael V
authors: MV
authors: Lombardo
authors: Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Valerie J
authors: VJ
authors: Dunn
authors: Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Anne-Laura
authors: AL
authors: Van Harmelen
authors: Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Ban
authors: Developmental Psychiatry Section, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
authors: Ian M
authors: IM
authors: Goodyer
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D066128:Gray Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008016:Life Change Events; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D011584:Psychology; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: 5-HTTLPR; 5-HTTLPR, serotonin-transporter-linked polymorphic region; ACORN, a classification of residential neighbourhoods; Affective disorders; Brain; CA, childhood adversities; CAMEEI, Cambridge Early Experience Interview; Cerebellum; Childhood adversity; FAD, Family Assessment Device; GMV, Grey matter volume; Life events; PLS, partial least squares; RNLE, recent negative life events; VBM, voxel based morphometry