Journal
SCHIZOPHRENIA RESEARCH
Volume 227, Issue -, Pages 101-109Publisher
ELSEVIER
DOI: 10.1016/j.schres.2020.05.041
Keywords
Physical abuse; Brain MRI scan; Amygdala-hippocampus complex; Psychosis; High-risk; Social anxiety
Categories
Funding
- European Union [602152]
- Turku University Hospital (EVO funding)
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The study found that childhood physical abuse is associated with reduced frontal lobe and amygdala-hippocampus complex volume in adult subjects with psychotic symptoms. Specifically, the effect of physical abuse on social anxiety in high-risk patients is mediated through reductions in frontal lobe and amygdala-hippocampus complex volume. Additionally, the impact of physical abuse on social anxiety independent of depression is mediated through reduced frontal lobe volume.
Background: Childhood adverse experiences (CAE) are associated with clinical psychiatric disorders and symptoms, and with volumetric abnormalities in the amygdala-hippocampus complex (AmHiC) and frontal lobe (FroL) in adulthood. Aim: To study whether CAE are associated with reduced AmHiC and FroL and whether these structures mediate the effect of CAE on social anxiety and depression. Method: In seven European centres, 374 patients with recent onset of psychosis (n = 127), clinical high-risk to psychosis (n = 119) or recent onset of depression (n = 128) were scanned with MRI and their FroL and AmHiC volumes were measured. They all completed self-report scales for assessment of CAE, social anxiety and depression. Results: Of the CAE domains, physical abuse was associated specifically with reduced grey and white matter volumes of FroL and AmHiC in psychotic and high-risk patients. After controlling intracranial volume, PhyAb associated significantly with FroL and its grey matter volume in high-risk patients only. In mediation analyses, the effect of physical abuse on social anxiety was mediated via reduced FroL grey mater volume in high-risk patients. In them, when the effects of AmHiC and depression were controlled, the effect of physical abuse on social anxiety was mediated via FroL grey matter volume reduction. Conclusions: Childhood physical abuse is associated with reduced frontal lobe and amygdala-hippocampus complex volume in adult subjects with psychotic symptoms. Reduced frontal lobe and amygdala-hippocampus complex volume mediate the effect of physical abuse on social anxiety in high-risk patients. The effect of physical abuse on depression-independent social anxiety is mediated via reduced frontal lobe. (C) 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
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