OBJECTIVE: The authors prospectively explored whether a reduction in the volume of the hippocampus occurs in recent trauma survivors who develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: Thirty-seven survivors of traumatic events were assessed within a week of the traumatic event and 6 months later. The assessment included magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (including 124 coronal slices of 1.5-mm thickness), psychometric testing, and structured clinical interviews. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale conferred PTSD diagnoses at 6 months. RESULTS: Ten subjects (27%) had PTSD at 6 months. The subjects with PTSD did not differ from those without PTSD in hippocampal volume (right or left) at 1 week or 6 months. There was no reduction in hippocampal volume in the PTSD subjects between 1 week and 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Smaller hippocampal volume is not a necessary risk factor for developing PTSD and does not occur within 6 months of expressing the disorder. This brain abnormality might occur in individuals with chronic or complicated PTSD.
OBJECTIVE: The authors prospectively explored whether a reduction in the volume of the hippocampus occurs in recent trauma survivors who develop posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHOD: Thirty-seven survivors of traumatic events were assessed within a week of the traumatic event and 6 months later. The assessment included magnetic resonance imaging of the brain (including 124 coronal slices of 1.5-mm thickness), psychometric testing, and structured clinical interviews. The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale conferred PTSD diagnoses at 6 months. RESULTS: Ten subjects (27%) had PTSD at 6 months. The subjects with PTSD did not differ from those without PTSD in hippocampal volume (right or left) at 1 week or 6 months. There was no reduction in hippocampal volume in the PTSD subjects between 1 week and 6 months. CONCLUSIONS: Smaller hippocampal volume is not a necessary risk factor for developing PTSD and does not occur within 6 months of expressing the disorder. This brain abnormality might occur in individuals with chronic or complicated PTSD.
Authors: T V Gurvits; M E Shenton; H Hokama; H Ohta; N B Lasko; M W Gilbertson; S P Orr; R Kikinis; F A Jolesz; R W McCarley; R K Pitman Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 1996-12-01 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Brigitte A Apfel; Jessica Ross; Jennifer Hlavin; Dieter J Meyerhoff; Thomas J Metzler; Charles R Marmar; Michael W Weiner; Norbert Schuff; Thomas C Neylan Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2010-11-20 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Mark W Gilbertson; Stephanie K Williston; Lynn A Paulus; Natasha B Lasko; Tamara V Gurvits; Martha E Shenton; Roger K Pitman; Scott P Orr Journal: Biol Psychiatry Date: 2007-05-23 Impact factor: 13.382
Authors: Kaan Yucel; Margaret C McKinnon; Valerie H Taylor; Kathryn Macdonald; Martin Alda; L Trevor Young; Glenda M MacQueen Journal: Psychopharmacology (Berl) Date: 2007-08-20 Impact factor: 4.530
Authors: Norbert Schuff; Thomas C Neylan; Sabrina Fox-Bosetti; Maryanne Lenoci; Kristin W Samuelson; Colin Studholme; John Kornak; Charles R Marmar; Michael W Weiner Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2008-01-16 Impact factor: 3.222