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Cited by 328Stress Responses and CortisolPosttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchChild Abuse and Trauma

Stress predicts brain changes in children: A pilot longitudinal study on youth stress, posttraumatic stress disorder, and the hippocampus

Carrion, Victor G., Weems, Carl F., Reiss, Allan L.·2007·PEDIATRICS
DOI 10.1542/peds.2006-2028
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Does stress damage the brain? Studies of adults with posttraumatic stress disorder have demonstrated smaller hippocampal volumes when compared with the volumes of adults with no posttraumatic stress disorder. Studies of children with posttraumatic stress disorder have not replicated the smaller hippocampal findings in adults, which suggests that smaller hippocampal volume may be caused by neurodevelopmental experiences with stress. Animal research has demonstrated that the glucocorticoids secreted during stress can be neurotoxic to the hippocampus, but this has not been empirically demonstrated in human samples. We hypothesized that cortisol volumes would predict hippocampal volume reduction in patients with posttraumatic symptoms. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report data from a pilot longitudinal study of children (n = 15) with history of maltreatment who underwent clinical evaluation for posttraumatic stress disorder, cortisol, and neuroimaging. RESULTS: Posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and cortisol at baseline predicted hippocampal reduction over an ensuing 12- to 18-month interval. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this pilot study suggest that stress is associated with hippocampal reduction in children with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and provide preliminary human evidence that stress may indeed damage the hippocampus. Additional studies seem to be warranted.

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Crossref · 10.1542/peds.2006-2028

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  • Environmental, parental, and youth factors may compound effects on neuromaturation and potentially increase STB and NSSI vulnerability.

    “This may be compounded by environment (e.g., poverty (118)), parent (e.g., mental disorders (119)), and youth (e.g., stress (120); psychiatric symptoms (121)) factors—each affecting neuromaturation—and potentially, increasing STB and NSSI vulnerability.”

    From Neural correlates associated with suicide and nonsuicidal self-injury in youth (2021) · cites this paper as [120]

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Authors
Carrion, V. G., Weems, C. F., & Reiss, A. L.
Affiliations
  • Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California
  • LSU New Orleans (US)
  • Stanford Medicine (US)
ORCID
Venue
PEDIATRICS
Publisher
American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
Published
2007-03-01
Volume
119
Issue
3
Pages
509-516
ISSN
  • 0031-4005 (ISSN-L)
  • 1098-4275
DOI
10.1542/peds.2006-2028
OpenAlex
W2170134781
Cited by
327
References
41
Citations by year
2026: 2 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 24 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 23 · 2013: 26 · 2012: 24
FWCI
8.79
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • PEDIATRICS (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCLA - Biblioteca de Ciencias de la Salud (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • University of Minnesota
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Mental Health (MH-19908, K23MH063893, MH050047, MH01142, MH63893-01, K02MH001142, R01MH050047, T32MH019908)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (R01HD031715, HD31715)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
Keywords
post-traumatic stress disorder, child abuse, hippocampal volume, cortisol, glucocorticoid neurotoxicity, brain development, children
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Arousal, Child, Chronic Disease, Circadian Rhythm, Female, Hippocampus, Humans, Hydrocortisone, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Organ Size, Pilot Projects, Saliva, Severity of Illness Index, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Stress, Psychological

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