Cortisol Levels and Hippocampus Volumes in Healthy Preadolescent Children

Overview

Journal Biol Psychiatry

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2006 Apr 11

PMID 16603131

Citations 17

Authors

Christoph P Wiedenmayer

Ravi Bansal

George M Anderson

Hongtu Zhu

Jose Amat

Ronald Whiteman

Bradley S Peterson

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Research in animal models has demonstrated that elevated levels of glucocorticoids can inflict damage within the hippocampus. In adult humans, elevated cortisol levels have been associated with reduced hippocampal volumes; however, normative data in children are not available. The objective of this study was to examine possible associations of serum cortisol levels with hippocampal volumes and morphology in healthy children.

Methods: Morning serum cortisol levels and hippocampus magnetic resonance imaging were measured in 17 healthy children (8 girls, 9 boys) between 7 and 12 years of age.

Results: Cortisol levels were not associated with total hippocampal volumes; however, with an analysis of surface morphology, significant associations were found for regionally specific portions of the hippocampus. Positive associations were detected for the anterior segment of the hippocampus and inverse associations along the lateral aspects of the hippocampus.

Conclusions: Associations of cortisol levels with regionally specific variations in hippocampal morphology were detected during early development in healthy preadolescent children.

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