Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 8, 2026
Brain Morphology of Cannabis Users With or Without Psychosis: A Pilot MRI Study
Published on: August 18, 2020
Childhood Maltreatment and Deviations From Normative Brain Structure: A Mega-Analysis of 3711 Individuals From the
Haley R Wang1, Zhen-Qi Liu2, Elena Pozzi3
1Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.
Insights
Childhood maltreatment impacts brain structure differently in young adults, with significant sex-specific effects on neuroanatomy related to Major Depressive Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder risk.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Developmental Psychology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Childhood maltreatment (CM) is linked to Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
- The specific neuroanatomical changes caused by CM in these disorders remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between childhood maltreatment and brain morphometry across different age groups and sexes.
- To identify transdiagnostic neuroanatomical effects of CM in individuals with or at risk for MDD and PTSD.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of whole-brain MRI data from 3,711 participants (ENIGMA MDD and PTSD Working Groups).
- Normative modeling to calculate deviation z-scores for subcortical volumes, cortical thickness, and surface area.
- Stratified analysis by sex and age (pediatric, young adult, older adult) to assess CM effects.
Main Results:
- In young adults (18-35), abuse correlated with altered thalamus, pallidum, isthmus cingulate, middle frontal, and medial orbitofrontal cortex.
- Strongest effects in young females: abuse/neglect associated with smaller hippocampus/putamen, thinner entorhinal cortex, altered surface area in parietal/occipital regions.
- Males showed widespread effects of abuse on cortical thickness and surface area; neglect effects were minimal.
Conclusions:
- Childhood maltreatment has age- and sex-specific effects on brain morphometry.
- Developmental context is crucial for understanding how adverse experiences influence neurobiological vulnerability to MDD and PTSD.
Background:
Childhood maltreatment (CM), encompassing abuse and neglect, is highly prevalent and associated with elevated risk for major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and other related conditions. However, the extent to which neuroanatomical alterations in MDD and PTSD are attributable to CM is uncertain.
Methods:
Here, we analyzed CM and whole-brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 3711 participants in the ENIGMA (Enhancing Neuro Imaging Genetics through Meta Analysis) MDD and PTSD Working Groups (25 sites; mean age = 33.3 ± 13.0 years; 59.9% female). Normative modeling estimated deviation z scores for 14 subcortical volume, 68 cortical thickness (CT), and 68 surface area (SA) measures. To identify transdiagnostic effects, associations between CM and brain deviation scores were evaluated across all participants (patients and healthy control participants) stratified by sex and 3 age bins (pediatric, young adult, older adult).
Results:
In young adults (ages 18-35), abuse was associated with larger volumes in the thalamus and pallidum, thinner isthmus cingulate and middle frontal regions, and thicker medial orbitofrontal cortex; there were no significant effects in pediatric (≤18 years) participants. The strongest effects were observed in young female adults (|β| = 0.07-0.22, q < .05): Greater abuse and neglect were correlated with smaller hippocampus and putamen volumes, thinner entorhinal cortex, and smaller SA in fusiform/inferior parietal regions and with larger SA in the orbitofrontal and occipital cortices. In males, abuse had widespread effects on CT and SA (|β| = 0.1-0.18, q < .05); effects for neglect were minimal.
Conclusions:
Our findings of age- and sex-specific instantiations of CM on brain morphometry highlight the importance of developmental context in understanding how adverse experiences shape neurobiological vulnerability to MDD and PTSD.
More Related Videos
10:43Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
Published on: July 1, 2014
06:26Meta-analysis of Voxel-Based Neuroimaging Studies using Seed-based d Mapping with Permutation of Subject Images SDM-PSI
Published on: November 27, 2019
