A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
The association between childhood adversity and hippocampal volumes is moderated by romantic relationship experiences
Authors: Acosta, Henriette; Jansen, Alexandria; Kircher, Tilo
Publisher: Wiley
Publication year: 2025
Journal: European Journal of Neuroscience
Journal name in source: European Journal of Neuroscience
Article number: e16593
Volume: 61
Issue: 1
ISSN: 0953-816X
eISSN: 1460-9568
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.16593
Web address : https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.16593
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/470974419
Reduced hippocampal volumes are a feature of many mental disorders. Childhood maltreatment is a known risk factor for the development of psychopathology and has consistently been linked to hippocampal volume reductions in adults, but not in children and adolescents. We propose that maltreatment-related difficulties in coping with developmental tasks in adolescence and young adulthood might underlie the delayed emergence of hippocampal volume reductions in maltreated individuals. In a study with 196 healthy young adults (mean age [years]: 24.0 ± 3.2, 50% female, 20.6% living with a partner (missings: n = 2)), we investigated the interaction between childhood maltreatment (Childhood Trauma Screener) and the breakup of a steady romantic relationship (List of Threatening Experiences Questionnaire) on hippocampal magnetic resonance imaging grey matter volumes. The experience of a romantic relationship breakup moderated the association between childhood maltreatment and bilateral hippocampal volumes, revealing more negative associations with hippocampal volumes in participants with at least one breakup compared to those with no breakup experience (right hippocampus: β = − 0.05 ± 0.02, p = 0.031, p (FDR) = 0.031; left hippocampus: β = −0.06 ± 0.02, p = 0.005, p (FDR) = 0.009). Moreover, our findings provide some evidence that childhood maltreatment is related to smaller bilateral hippocampal volumes only in those adults who suffered from a relationship breakup (right hippocampus: β = −0.23 ± 0.10, p = 0.018, p (FDR) = 0.018; left hippocampus: β = −0.24 ± 0.10, p = 0.016, p (FDR) = 0.018;). Our study highlights the interaction of adult social bonds with early adversity on vulnerability to psychopathology.
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Funding information in the publication:
This research was supported by the LOEWE initiative from the State of Hesse, and by the German Research Foundation (DFG FOR 2107; KI 588/14–1, KI 588/14–2, JA 1890/7–1).
