Hippocampal changes associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to depression. Rao, U., Chen, L., Bidesi, A. S, Shad, M. U, Thomas, M A., & Hammen, C. L Biological psychiatry, 67(4):357--364, 2010.
Hippocampal changes associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to depression [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
BACKGROUND: Smaller hippocampal volume has been reported in some adult and pediatric studies of unipolar major depressive disorder. It is not clear whether the smaller hippocampal volume precedes or is a consequence of the illness. Early-life adversity is associated with both smaller hippocampal volume and increased vulnerability to depressive disorder. Hippocampal changes may mediate the relationship between early-life adversity and depressive illness in a subset of patients. However, there are no reports of longitudinal clinical studies that have examined this issue. METHODS: Thirty adolescents with unipolar major depressive disorder, 22 adolescent volunteers with no personal history of a psychiatric illness including depression but who were at high risk for developing depression by virtue of parental depression (high-risk group), and 35 adolescent volunteers with no personal or family history of a psychiatric disorder (control subjects) underwent volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies. Information was also gathered on early and recent adverse experiences with standard interviews. The participants were followed for up to 5 years to assess the onset and clinical course of depression. RESULTS: Depressed and high-risk groups had significantly smaller left and right hippocampal volumes than control subjects. Higher levels of early-life adversity were associated with smaller hippocampal volumes. Smaller hippocampal volume partially mediated the effect of early-life adversity on depression during longitudinal follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Smaller hippocampal volume in adolescents at high risk for depression suggests that it may be a vulnerability marker for the illness. Early-life adversity may interact with genetic vulnerability to induce hippocampal changes, potentially increasing the risk for depressive disorder.
@article{rao_hippocampal_2010,
	title = {Hippocampal changes associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to depression},
	volume = {67},
	issn = {0006-3223, 1873-2402},
	url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.017},
	doi = {10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.017},
	abstract = {BACKGROUND: Smaller hippocampal volume has been reported in some adult and pediatric studies of unipolar major depressive disorder. It is not clear whether the smaller hippocampal volume precedes or is a consequence of the illness. Early-life adversity is associated with both smaller hippocampal volume and increased vulnerability to depressive disorder. Hippocampal changes may mediate the relationship between early-life adversity and depressive illness in a subset of patients. However, there are no reports of longitudinal clinical studies that have examined this issue. METHODS: Thirty adolescents with unipolar major depressive disorder, 22 adolescent volunteers with no personal history of a psychiatric illness including depression but who were at high risk for developing depression by virtue of parental depression (high-risk group), and 35 adolescent volunteers with no personal or family history of a psychiatric disorder (control subjects) underwent volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies. Information was also gathered on early and recent adverse experiences with standard interviews. The participants were followed for up to 5 years to assess the onset and clinical course of depression. RESULTS: Depressed and high-risk groups had significantly smaller left and right hippocampal volumes than control subjects. Higher levels of early-life adversity were associated with smaller hippocampal volumes. Smaller hippocampal volume partially mediated the effect of early-life adversity on depression during longitudinal follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Smaller hippocampal volume in adolescents at high risk for depression suggests that it may be a vulnerability marker for the illness. Early-life adversity may interact with genetic vulnerability to induce hippocampal changes, potentially increasing the risk for depressive disorder.},
	language = {en},
	number = {4},
	journal = {Biological psychiatry},
	author = {Rao, Uma and Chen, Li-Ann and Bidesi, Anup S and Shad, Mujeeb U and Thomas, M Albert and Hammen, Constance L},
	year = {2010},
	pmid = {20015483},
	keywords = {Mental Health/Care: Pathogensis},
	pages = {357--364}
}

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