Altered brain network integrity after childhood maltreatment: A structural connectomic DTI-study

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Child Psychiatry

Background:

• Childhood maltreatment is linked to neurodevelopmental alterations and increased psychopathology risk.
• Previous studies noted white matter (WM) tract changes, but network connectivity in maltreated children remains under-investigated.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate white matter (WM) structural connectome abnormalities in maltreated children using graph theory analysis.
• To examine associations between WM network alterations, basal cortisol levels, and behavioral outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) to analyze the structural connectome in 25 maltreated children and 24 controls.
• Applied graph theoretical analyses to quantify global and local WM network abnormalities.
• Measured basal cortisol levels and behavioral symptoms (internalizing/externalizing).

Main Results:

• Maltreated children exhibited reduced global connectivity strength, local connectivity, and increased path length in WM networks.
• Global connectivity reductions correlated with placement instability, lower cortisol secretion, and increased behavioral problems.
• Specific regional reductions in connectivity were observed in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC).

Conclusions:

• Childhood maltreatment leads to systemic, global neurodevelopmental alterations in WM networks.
• Regional WM alterations in affect-regulating areas like the vMPFC are also present.
• These WM organization deficits may underlie functional impairments and multi-symptom patterns in maltreated children.