Citation

Tozzi L, Garczarek L, Janowitz D, Stein DJ, Wittfeld K, Dobrowolny H, Lagopoulos J, Hatton SN, Hickie IB, Carballedo A, Brooks SJ, Vuletic D, Uhlmann A, Veer IM, Walter H, Bülow R, Völzke H, Klinger-König J, Schnell K, Schoepf D, Grotegerd D, Opel N, Dannlowski U, Kugel H, Schramm E, Konrad C, Kircher T, Jüksel D, Nenadic I, Krug A, Hahn T, Steinsträter O, Redlich R, Zaremba D, Zurowski B, Fu CHY, Dima D, Cole J, Grabe HJ, Connolly CG, Yang TT, Ho TC, LeWinn KZ, Li M, Groenewold NA, Salminen LE, Walter M, Simmons AN, van Erp TGM, Jahanshad N, Baune BT, van der Wee NJA, van Tol MJ, Penninx BWJH, Hibar DP, Thompson PM, Veltman DJ, Schmaal L, Frodl T. Psychol. Med. 2019; ePub(ePub): 1-12.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy,Otto von Guericke University,Magdeburg,Germany.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S003329171900093X

PMID

31084657

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Childhood maltreatment (CM) plays an important role in the development of major depressive disorder (MDD). The aim of this study was to examine whether CM severity and type are associated with MDD-related brain alterations, and how they interact with sex and age.

METHODS: Within the ENIGMA-MDD network, severity and subtypes of CM using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire were assessed and structural magnetic resonance imaging data from patients with MDD and healthy controls were analyzed in a mega-analysis comprising a total of 3872 participants aged between 13 and 89 years. Cortical thickness and surface area were extracted at each site using FreeSurfer.

RESULTS: CM severity was associated with reduced cortical thickness in the banks of the superior temporal sulcus and supramarginal gyrus as well as with reduced surface area of the middle temporal lobe. Participants reporting both childhood neglect and abuse had a lower cortical thickness in the inferior parietal lobe, middle temporal lobe, and precuneus compared to participants not exposed to CM. In males only, regardless of diagnosis, CM severity was associated with higher cortical thickness of the rostral anterior cingulate cortex. Finally, a significant interaction between CM and age in predicting thickness was seen across several prefrontal, temporal, and temporo-parietal regions.

CONCLUSIONS: Severity and type of CM may impact cortical thickness and surface area. Importantly, CM may influence age-dependent brain maturation, particularly in regions related to the default mode network, perception, and theory of mind.

Language: en

Keywords

Childhood maltreatment; ENIGMA; cortical thickness; major depressive disorder