Table 5 |
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Diffusion tensor imaging studies conducted in individuals exposed to high levels of early-life stress reporting fractional anisotropy alterationsa |
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|
Study |
Method |
Participants |
Results |
Comments |
|
|
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|
Paul et al. [19] |
ROI analysis 1.5 Tesla 12 non-colinear directions |
116 healthy subjects older than 18 years of age |
Reduced FA within genu of corpus callosum in female subjects only who were exposed to significant ELS |
ELS causes microstructural changes in brain that also occur in absence of clinically significant psychiatric symptoms |
|
Eluvathingal et al. [42] |
ROI and tractography 1.5 Tesla 6 non-colinear directions |
Seven right-handed children with history of early, severe socioemotional deprivation, seven matched controls |
Significantly reduced FA values in left uncinate fasciculus in individuals exposed to ELS compared to controls |
Structural changes in left uncinate fasciculus may contribute to cognitive and behavioural problems seen in ELS children |
|
Choi et al. [40] |
TBSS 3 Tesla 12 encoding directions |
16 unmedicated individuals with history of high-level exposure to PVA but no other form of maltreatment, 16 matched controls |
Reduced FA in arcuate fasciculus in left superior temporal gyrus, cingulum bundle by posterior tail of left hippocampus and left body of fornix |
PVA exposure may cause alterations in integrity of neural pathways with consequences for language development and psychopathology |
|
Tomoda et al. [41] |
Voxel-based whole-brain analysis 3 Tesla |
21 unmedicated, right-handed subjects ages 18 to 25 years with histories of PVA, 19 controls |
An increase in grey matter volume by 14.1% in the left superior temporal gyrus |
PVA exposure may affect development of auditory association cortex involved in language processing |
|
Jackowski et al. [43] |
ROI analysis 1.5 Tesla 6 non-colinear directions |
17 maltreated children with PTSD, 15 controls |
Reduced FA in medial and posterior corpus callosum of maltreated children |
Alterations in areas of brain important in processing of emotional stimuli and memory function is associated with ELS |
|
|
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|
aELS, early-life stress; ROI, region of interest; FA, fractional anisotropy; TBSS, tract-based spatial statistics; PVA, parental verbal abuse; PTSD, posttraumatic stress disorder. |
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|
Murphy and Frodl Biology of Mood & Anxiety Disorders 2011 1:3 doi:10.1186/2045-5380-1-3 |
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