Elsevier

Biological Psychiatry

Volume 56, Issue 2, 15 July 2004, Pages 80-85
Biological Psychiatry

Original article
Childhood neglect is associated with reduced corpus callosum area

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2004.03.016Get rights and content

Abstract

Background

Childhood abuse has been associated with abnormalities in brain development, particularly corpus callosum (CC) morphology. The impact of neglect has not been assessed, though it is the most prevalent form of childhood maltreatment.

Methods

Regional CC area was measured from magnetic resonance imaging scans in 26 boys and 25 girls admitted for psychiatric evaluation (28 with abuse or neglect) and compared with CC area in 115 healthy control subjects. Data were analyzed by multivariate analysis of covariance, with age and midsagittal area as covariates.

Results

Total CC area of the abused/neglected patients was 17% smaller than in control subjects (p = .0001) and 11% smaller than in psychiatric patients who had not been abused or neglected (contrast group; p = .01). Control subjects and the contrast group did not differ in total CC area. Neglect was the strongest experiential factor and was associated with a 15%–18% reduction in CC regions 3, 4, 5, and 7 (all p < .02). In contrast, sexual abuse seemed to be the strongest factor associated with reduced CC size in girls.

Conclusions

These data are consistent with animal research that demonstrated reduced CC size in nursery-reared compared with semi-naturally reared primates. Early experience might also affect the development of the human CC.

Section snippets

Methods and materials

Medical records were reviewed for 115 consecutive pediatric patients admitted to McLean Hospital between June 1988 and May 1989. Patients were eliminated for possible preexisting neurologic abnormalities, including loss of consciousness, perinatal complications, in utero exposure to alcohol or drugs of abuse, and physical illness that could affect growth or development (e.g., cancer or steroid-dependent asthma). A total of 51 subjects (26 male, 25 female) admitted for psychiatric evaluation (28

Results

There were no significant differences between the NIMH and McLean scanners in the assessment of regional CC area in the healthy control subjects (MANCOVA Wilks F = 1.27, S = 1, M = 2.5, n = 51, p = .27). Total adjusted CC area (SYSTAT, Evanston, Illinois) for the healthy control subjects was 614 ± 89 mm2 for the NIMH scanner and 627 ± 95 mm2 for the McLean scanner, a nonsignificant 2% difference [F(1,110) = .30, p > .5]. Age (r = .724, p = .02) and midsagittal area (r = .848, p = .001) were

Discussion

In the present study, early traumatic experience rather than psychiatric illness was associated with decreased CC size. When factors that exerted the greatest effect on the size of the CC were analyzed, neglect had the greatest influence in boys relative to physical abuse, sexual abuse, or PTSD. Neglect in boys was associated with a marked decrease in the size of regions 3, 4, 5, and 7. Neglect was associated with far less effect in girls and was limited to the most posterior aspects of the CC.

Acknowledgements

This research was funded by RO1 MH-53636 from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to MHT, with additional support from NIMH Grant RO1 MH-66222 and RO1DA-016934 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse. This work was presented previously at the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, November 4–9, 2000, New Orleans, Louisiana.

We thank Carol A. Glod R.N., C.S., Ph.D. for her evaluation of the clinical records.

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