Cited by 128Posttraumatic Stress Disorder ResearchStress Responses and CortisolChild Abuse and Trauma

Effects of stressful life events on human brain structure: A longitudinal voxel-based morphometry study

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Papagni, Sergio Alessandro, Benetti, Stefania, Arulanantham, Sobida, McCrory, Eamon, McGuire, Philip, Mechelli, Andrea·2011·Stress

Abstract

Although stressful life events (SLEs) have been associated with an increased risk of illness and mental disorder, their impact on brain anatomy remains poorly understood. Using a longitudinal design, we tested the hypothesis that SLEs are significantly associated with changes in gray matter volume (GMV) in brain regions previously implicated in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a group of clinically healthy adults. Magnetic resonance imaging was used to acquire an anatomical scan from 26 subjects (13 males and 13 females; mean age ± SD: 25.2 ± 4.3 years), with no psychiatric diagnosis, at two time points with a 3-month interval. Voxel-based morphometry was used to examine an association between SLEs and gray matter changes during this period. The number of SLEs was associated with a decrease in GMV in the anterior cingulate, hippocampus, and parahippocampal gyrus (p < 0.001). In contrast, there were no areas where the number of SLEs was associated with an increase in GMV. These results provide evidence that, in adults with no formal psychiatric diagnosis, SLEs are associated with GMV decreases in a subset of regions implicated in PTSD, and that these alterations can be observed within a period as short as 3 months.

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Authors
Papagni, S. A., Benetti, S., Arulanantham, S., McCrory, E., McGuire, P., & Mechelli, A.
Affiliations
  • King's College London (GB)
  • University College London (GB)
Corresponding author
Mechelli, Andrea
Venue
Stress
Published
2010-10-31
Volume
14
Issue
2
Pages
227-232
ISSN
  • 1025-3890 (ISSN-L)
  • 1607-8888
OpenAlex
W1745608382
Cited by
126
References
20
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 10 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 8 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 6 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 6
FWCI
6.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Stress (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
  • Institutional Research Information System (Università degli Studi di Trento) (submittedVersion)
  • Research Portal (King's College London) (submittedVersion)
Funders
Royal Society
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
Keywords
life events, gray matter volume, brain structure, post-traumatic stress disorder, anterior cingulate cortex, hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, longitudinal change, healthy adults
MeSH terms
Adult, Brain, Female, Gyrus Cinguli, Hippocampus, Humans, Life Change Events, Longitudinal Studies, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Male, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic, Prefrontal Cortex

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