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Hippocampal changes associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to depression
Rao U, Chen LA, Bidesi AS, Shad MU, Thomas MA, Hammen CL.. Biological psychiatry, 2009-12-16
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Background Smaller hippocampal volume has been reported in some adult and pediatric studies of unipolar major depressive disorder. It is not clear whether the smaller hippocampal volume precedes or is a consequence of the illness. Early-life adversity is associated with both smaller hippocampal volume and increased vulnerability to depressive disorder. Hippocampal changes may mediate the relationship between early-life adversity and depressive illness in a subset of patients. However, there are no reports of longitudinal clinical studies that have examined this issue. Methods Thirty adolescents with unipolar major depressive disorder, 22 adolescent volunteers with no personal history of a psychiatric illness including depression but who were at high risk for developing depression by virtue of parental depression (high-risk group), and 35 adolescent volunteers with no personal or family history of a psychiatric disorder (control subjects) underwent volumetric magnetic resonance imaging studies. Information was also gathered on early and recent adverse experiences with standard interviews. The participants were followed for up to 5 years to assess the onset and clinical course of depression. Results Depressed and high-risk groups had significantly smaller left and right hippocampal volumes than control subjects. Higher levels of early-life adversity were associated with smaller hippocampal volumes. Smaller hippocampal volume partially mediated the effect of early-life adversity on depression during longitudinal follow-up. Conclusions Smaller hippocampal volume in adolescents at high risk for depression suggests that it may be a vulnerability marker for the illness. Early-life adversity may interact with genetic vulnerability to induce hippocampal changes, potentially increasing the risk for depressive disorder.
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APA 7th
Rao, U., Chen, L. A., Bidesi, A. S., Shad, M. U., Thomas, M. A., & Hammen, C. L. (2010). Hippocampal changes associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to depression. Biological psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.017
Vancouver
Rao U, Chen LA, Bidesi AS, Shad MU, Thomas MA, Hammen CL. Hippocampal changes associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to depression. Biological psychiatry. 2010. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.017. PMID: 20015483.
BibTeX
@article{rao2010-20015483,
author = {Rao, U. and Chen, L. A. and Bidesi, A. S. and Shad, M. U. and Thomas, M. A. and Hammen, C. L.},
title = {{Hippocampal changes associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to depression}},
journal = {Biological psychiatry},
year = {2010},
doi = {10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.017},
pmid = {20015483},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.10.017}
}
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Key findings
- Early-life adversity is associated with both smaller hippocampal volume and increased vulnerability to depressive disorder.
- Results Depressed and high-risk groups had significantly smaller left and right hippocampal volumes than control subjects.
- Higher levels of early-life adversity were associated with smaller hippocampal volumes.
- Conclusions Smaller hippocampal volume in adolescents at high risk for depression suggests that it may be a vulnerability marker for the illness.
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, studied in people 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 (Biological psychiatry) |
| 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 | 2010 — 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 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| 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 20015483) |
| 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 | — |
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