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Chronic stress selectively reduces hippocampal volume in rats: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study
Lee T, Jarome T, Li SJ, Kim JJ, Helmstetter FJ.. Neuroreport, 2009-11-01
Topic: Brain proteins, microglia and lab models
The notion of uncontrollable stress causing reduced hippocampal size remains controversial in the posttraumatic stress disorder literature, because human studies cannot discern the causality of effect. Here, we addressed this issue by using structural magnetic resonance imaging in rats to measure the hippocampus and other brain regions before and after stress. Chronic restraint stress produced approximately 3% reduction in hippocampal volume, which was not observed in control rats. This decrease was not signficantly correlated with baseline hippocampal volume or body weight. Total forebrain volume and the sizes of the other brain regions and adrenal glands were all unaffected by stress. This longitudinal, within-subjects design study provides direct evidence that the hippocampus is differentially vulnerable and sensitive to chronic stress.
Key findings
- Here, we addressed this issue by using structural magnetic resonance imaging in rats to measure the hippocampus and other brain regions before and after stress.
- Chronic restraint stress produced approximately 3% reduction in hippocampal volume, which was not observed in control rats.
- This decrease was not signficantly correlated with baseline hippocampal volume or body weight.
- Total forebrain volume and the sizes of the other brain regions and adrenal glands were all unaffected by stress.
- This longitudinal, within-subjects design study provides direct evidence that the hippocampus is differentially vulnerable and sensitive to chronic stress.
Study details
- Study designlongitudinal study
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 52/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a longitudinal study following the same people over time. Scored zero for sample size, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multi-centre collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 30 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 52 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuroreport) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 7 / 12 | A longitudinal study following the same people over time |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2009 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Laboratory or animal study (title names “rats”) — scores zero |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 19858767) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 30 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 30 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 52 out of 100. |
| Total | 52 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
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APA 7th
Lee, T., Jarome, T., Li, S. J., Kim, J. J., & Helmstetter, F. J. (2009). Chronic stress selectively reduces hippocampal volume in rats: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study. Neuroreport. https://doi.org/10.1097/wnr.0b013e328332bb09
Vancouver
Lee T, Jarome T, Li SJ, Kim JJ, Helmstetter FJ. Chronic stress selectively reduces hippocampal volume in rats: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study. Neuroreport. 2009. doi:10.1097/wnr.0b013e328332bb09. PMID: 19858767.
BibTeX
@article{lee2009-19858767,
author = {Lee, T. and Jarome, T. and Li, S. J. and Kim, J. J. and Helmstetter, F. J.},
title = {{Chronic stress selectively reduces hippocampal volume in rats: a longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging study}},
journal = {Neuroreport},
year = {2009},
doi = {10.1097/wnr.0b013e328332bb09},
pmid = {19858767},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/wnr.0b013e328332bb09}
}
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