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Neuroanatomical Risk Factors for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Recent Trauma Survivors

Ziv Ben-Zion1, Moran Artzi2, Dana Niry3

  • 1Sagol Brain Institute Tel Aviv, Wohl Institute for Advanced Imaging, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel; Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Biological Psychiatry. Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
|January 25, 2020
PubMed

Insights

A large cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) combined with low hippocampal volume in trauma survivors may predict posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptom severity one year later. This neuroanatomical signature can guide early PTSD management.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Radiology

Background:

  • Low hippocampal volume is a potential early risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • Cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), a developmental brain anomaly, has been loosely associated with PTSD.
  • The interaction between hippocampal volume and CSP may influence PTSD development and persistence.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if CSP volume moderates the relationship between hippocampal volume and PTSD symptom severity one month after trauma.
  • To determine if this early interaction predicts persistent PTSD symptoms at 14 months post-trauma.

Main Methods:

  • A longitudinal prospective study of 171 trauma survivors admitted to a hospital emergency department.
  • Clinical assessments and structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed within one month of trauma.
  • Hippocampal and CSP volumes were measured using FreeSurfer software and manually verified; follow-up assessments occurred at 6 and 14 months.

Main Results:

  • CSP volume significantly moderated the association between hippocampal volume and PTSD severity at one month post-trauma (p = .026).
  • This interaction predicted PTSD symptom severity at 14 months post-trauma (p = .018).
  • Individuals with smaller hippocampi and larger CSPs at one month showed more severe PTSD symptoms at both one and 14 months.

Conclusions:

  • The study identifies early neuroanatomical risk factors for PTSD.
  • The interaction between hippocampal volume and CSP can predict PTSD progression in the year following trauma.
  • This neuroanatomical signature offers a potential tool for early PTSD management and monitoring.
Abstract

Keywords:
Cavum septum pellucidumHippocampusPosttraumatic stress symptomsResilienceTraumaVulnerability

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