A Longitudinal 1H-MRS Study of the Anterior Cingulate Gyrus in Child and Adolescent Victims of Multiple Forms of Violence:

摘要

BackgroundThe anterior cingulate gyrus is involved in the extinction of conditioned fear responses and is implicated in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder. The expression of N-acetylaspartate and choline may be altered in the anterior cingulate gyri of children and adolescents with posttraumatic stress disorder.MethodsWe conducted a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study, longitudinally investigating N-acetylaspartate/creatine and choline/creatine ratios in the anterior cingulate gyri of children and adolescents, aged from 8 to 12 years, who had been exposed to various forms of violence or were non-trauma control. Based on baseline posttraumatic stress symptoms (“sub-clinical”), participants were divided into two groups: posttraumatic stress (n?=?19) and control (n?=?19). Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy scans were repeated a year later in trauma exposed participants. Trauma assessments included the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire.ResultsExploratory analyses revealed a signifi...