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Updated: Jul 26, 2026
Investigations on Alterations of Hippocampal Circuit Function Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Published on: November 19, 2012
A pilot longitudinal study of hippocampal volumes in pediatric maltreatment-related posttraumatic stress disorder
M D De Bellis1, J Hall, A M Boring
1University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Developmental Traumatology Neuroimaging Laboratory, Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , USA.
Background:
Adult posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with decreased hippocampal volumes; however, decreased hippocampal volumes were not seen in pediatric maltreatment-related PTSD. We examined hippocampal volumes longitudinally to determine if a history of childhood traumatic stress alters hippocampal growth during puberty.
Methods:
Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure temporal lobes, amygdala, and hippocampal volumes in nine prepubertal maltreated subjects with pediatric maltreatment-related PTSD and nine sociodemographically matched healthy nonmaltreated yoked control subjects at baseline and after at least 2 years follow-up (during the later stages of pubertal development) using identical equipment and measurement methodology.
Results:
Temporal lobe, amygdala and hippocampal volumes did not differ between groups at baseline, follow-up, or across time.
Conclusions:
Whereas these data are from a small sample, the results do not support hippocampal changes in pediatric maltreatment-related PTSD.
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