Childhood trauma and the limbic network: a multimodal MRI study in patients with bipolar disorder and controls

- Childhood trauma were associated with amygdala volume.
- Childhood trauma were associated with structural and functional prefrontal limbic connectivity.
- Neglect scores were correlated with prefrontal limbic connectivity.

BackgroundChildhood trauma (CT) is a major risk factor for psychiatric conditions. It is hypothesized that CT effects are mediated by the limbic system. Few multimodal neuroimaging studies allow an integrated perspective of this impact. Our goal was thus to study the effects of CT on the limbic network.MethodsWe acquired multimodal MRI (T1, diffusion weighted, and resting state fMRI) data from 79 subjects (47 healthy controls and 32 patients with bipolar disorder, BD). We performed correlational analyses between Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (sub)scores (physical and emotional abuse/neglect and sexual abuse) and anatomo-functional measurements of the limbic network (hippocampal and amygdala volumes, prefronto-limbic functional connectivity, uncinate fractional anisotropy).ResultsWe found CTQ total scores to be negatively correlated with amygdala volume, prefronto-limbic functional connectivity (FC) and uncinate fractional anisotropy in our sample. Considering subscores, neglects (physical and emotional) were the only to affect neural parameters. The patients with BD drove most of the results.LimitationsSmall sample size and low level of trauma in controls.ConclusionsOur multimodal approach enabled an integrated view of the long-term effects of CT on the limbic system.