Reduced prefrontal cortical gray matter volume in young adults exposed to harsh corporal punishment

Abstract

Objective Harsh corporal punishment (HCP) during childhood is a chronic, developmental stressor associated with depression, aggression and addictive behaviors. Exposure to traumatic stressors, such as sexual abuse, is associated with alteration in brain structure, but nothing is known about the potential neurobiological consequences of HCP. The aim of this study was to investigate whether HCP was associated with discernible alterations in gray matter volume (GMV) using voxel-based morphometry (VBM). Methods 1,455 young adults (18–25 years) were screened to identify 23 with exposure to HCP (minimum 3 years duration, 12 episodes per year, frequently involving objects) and 22 healthy controls. High-resolution T1-weighted MRI datasets were obtained using Siemens 3T trio scanner. Results GMV was reduced by 19.1% in the right medial frontal gyrus (medial prefrontal cortex; MPFC, BA10) (P = 0.037, corrected cluster level), by 14.5% in the left medial frontal gyrus (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; DLPFC, BA 9) (P = 0.015, uncorrected cluster level) and by 16.9% in the right anterior cingulate gyrus (BA 24) (P < 0.001, uncorrected cluster level) of HCP subjects. There were significant correlations between GMV in these identified regions and performance IQ on the WAIS-III. Conclusions Exposing children to harsh HCP may have detrimental effects on trajectories of brain development. However, it is also conceivable that differences in prefrontal cortical development may increase risk of exposure to HCP.

Corporal punishment of children: discipline or abuse?

“…About 100 children die every year as victims of corporal punishment and many more suffer from disabilities [1]. In terms of health, physical punishment of children predisposes to physical illnesses such as asthma [2,3], cardiovascular disease, obesity, arthritis [4], neoplasia [3], decreased volume of cerebral gray matter [5], and increase in the frequency of hospital stays [2]. In addition, negative experiences in childhood are associated with metabolic diseases in adult age such as obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, high total cholesterol, low high-density lipoprotein, high glucosylated hemoglobin, reduction in maximum oxygen consumption levels [6], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, alcohol consumption, and liver diseases in adults [7].…”

EEG Correlations during WCST Performance in Female Adolescents with Sexual Abuse-Related Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

“…Child abuse survivors often present psychopathology, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) [2] [3], as well as lower volumes in some brain areas, particularly the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex [4] [5], the anterior cingulate cortex [5] [6], the corpus callosum [4], and the hippocampus [7].…”

Reduced Cingulate Gyrus Volume Associated with Enhanced Cortisol Awakening Response in Young Healthy Adults Reporting Childhood Trauma

“…In addition, in our sample, the subjects are young (average age = 21.5) which may restrain the time-dependent glucocorticoids induced atrophy of key brain regions. Finally, most studies reporting neuroanatomical correlates of childhood trauma with decreased hippocampus and PFC volumes in adults have focused mainly on the impact of sexual and/or physical abuse [42,43,44], but the most frequent aspects of childhood trauma experiences in our samples are physical and emotional neglect, which may also contribute to the differences mentioned above.…”