RT Journal
A1 Wang Z, Neylan TC, Mueller SG, et al
T1 MAgnetic resonance imaging of hippocampal subfields in posttraumatic stress disorder
JF Archives of General Psychiatry
JO Archives of General Psychiatry
YR 2010
FD March 1
VO 67
IS 3
SP 296
OP 303
DO 10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.205
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archgenpsychiatry.2009.205
AB Context 
    Most neuroimaging studies of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have focused on potential abnormalities in the whole hippocampus, but the subfields of this structure, which have distinctive histological characteristics and specialized functions, have not been investigated. Studies of individual subfields may clarify the role of the hippocampus in PTSD.Objective 
    To determine if PTSD is associated with structural alterations in specific subfields of the hippocampus.Design 
    Case-control study.Participants 
    A total of 17 male veterans with combat trauma and PTSD (mean [SD] age, 41 [12] years) and 19 age-matched male veterans without PTSD who were recruited from the outpatient mental health clinic of the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center and by advertising in the community.Interventions 
    High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging at 4 T.Main Outcome Measure 
    Volumes of hippocampal subfields.Results 
    Posttraumatic stress disorder was associated with 11.4% (1.5%) (P = .02) smaller mean (SD) cornu ammonis 3 (CA3)/dentate gyrus subfield volumes, irrespective of age-related alterations, whereas other subfields were spared. Age was associated with reduced volume of the CA1 subfield (P = .03). Total hippocampal volume was also reduced in PTSD by a mean (SD) of 6.5% (0.6%) but, related to both PTSD (P = .05) and age (P = .01), was consistent with the measurements in the subfields.Conclusions 
    The findings indicate for the first time in humans that PTSD is associated with selective volume loss of the CA3/dentate gyrus subfields, consistent with animal studies, implying that chronic stress suppresses neurogenesis and dendritic branching in these structures.