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Amygdala, hippocampal and corpus callosum size following severe early institutional deprivation: the English and Romanian Adoptees study

Amygdala, hippocampal and corpus callosum size following severe early institutional deprivation: the English and Romanian Adoptees study
Amygdala, hippocampal and corpus callosum size following severe early institutional deprivation: the English and Romanian Adoptees study
The adoption into the UK of children who have been reared in severely deprived conditions provides an opportunity to study possible association between very early negative experiences and subsequent brain development. This cross-sectional study was a pilot for a planned larger study quantifying the effects of early deprivation on later brain structure. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the sizes of three key brain regions hypothesized to be sensitive to early adverse experiences. Our sample was a group of adoptee adolescents (N = 14) who had experienced severe early institutional deprivation in Romania and a group of non-institutionalised controls (N = 11). The total grey and white matter volumes were significantly smaller in the institutionalised group compared with a group of non-deprived, non-adopted UK controls. After correcting for difference in brain volume, the institutionalised group had greater amygdala volumes, especially on the right, but no differences were observed in hippocampal volume or corpus callosum mid-sagittal area. The left amygdala volume was also related to the time spent in institutions, with those experiencing longer periods of deprivation having a smaller left amygdala volume. These pilot findings highlight the need for future studies to confirm the sensitivity of the amygdala to early deprivation.
corpus callosum, hippocampus, amygdala, deprivation, neurodevelopment, institution rearing, adolescence, brain imaging, brain development
0021-9630
943-951
Mehta, Mitul A.
656d4095-c3a0-4161-8cb7-0dafcaf1404e
Golembo, Nicole I.
41490cc1-4d31-470d-9bff-98e400673801
Nosarti, Chiara
f8f1bcb7-7c2a-48e6-ae32-20271a078c14
Colvert, Emma
667ed4c9-d3de-45cf-b173-b446b6e18eed
Mota, Ashley
304d5a7c-2b75-4b17-bcc4-62882ce18013
Williams, Steven C.R.
83da08dc-0034-4f0e-ae2c-d05dee0731ba
Rutter, Michael
14c45b9c-5f8e-4a19-a6fc-ce40ca498069
Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.S.
bc80bf95-6cf9-4c76-a09d-eaaf0b717635
Mehta, Mitul A.
656d4095-c3a0-4161-8cb7-0dafcaf1404e
Golembo, Nicole I.
41490cc1-4d31-470d-9bff-98e400673801
Nosarti, Chiara
f8f1bcb7-7c2a-48e6-ae32-20271a078c14
Colvert, Emma
667ed4c9-d3de-45cf-b173-b446b6e18eed
Mota, Ashley
304d5a7c-2b75-4b17-bcc4-62882ce18013
Williams, Steven C.R.
83da08dc-0034-4f0e-ae2c-d05dee0731ba
Rutter, Michael
14c45b9c-5f8e-4a19-a6fc-ce40ca498069
Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.S.
bc80bf95-6cf9-4c76-a09d-eaaf0b717635

Mehta, Mitul A., Golembo, Nicole I., Nosarti, Chiara, Colvert, Emma, Mota, Ashley, Williams, Steven C.R., Rutter, Michael and Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.S. (2009) Amygdala, hippocampal and corpus callosum size following severe early institutional deprivation: the English and Romanian Adoptees study. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50 (8), 943-951. (doi:10.1111/j.1469-7610.2009.02084.x).

Record type: Article

Abstract

The adoption into the UK of children who have been reared in severely deprived conditions provides an opportunity to study possible association between very early negative experiences and subsequent brain development. This cross-sectional study was a pilot for a planned larger study quantifying the effects of early deprivation on later brain structure. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the sizes of three key brain regions hypothesized to be sensitive to early adverse experiences. Our sample was a group of adoptee adolescents (N = 14) who had experienced severe early institutional deprivation in Romania and a group of non-institutionalised controls (N = 11). The total grey and white matter volumes were significantly smaller in the institutionalised group compared with a group of non-deprived, non-adopted UK controls. After correcting for difference in brain volume, the institutionalised group had greater amygdala volumes, especially on the right, but no differences were observed in hippocampal volume or corpus callosum mid-sagittal area. The left amygdala volume was also related to the time spent in institutions, with those experiencing longer periods of deprivation having a smaller left amygdala volume. These pilot findings highlight the need for future studies to confirm the sensitivity of the amygdala to early deprivation.

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More information

Published date: 17 April 2009
Keywords: corpus callosum, hippocampus, amygdala, deprivation, neurodevelopment, institution rearing, adolescence, brain imaging, brain development

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 66771
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/66771
ISSN: 0021-9630
PURE UUID: 61772bbd-60e3-49e9-bbb3-1b478ecc74c2

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Date deposited: 20 Jul 2009
Last modified: 13 Mar 2024 18:37

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Contributors

Author: Mitul A. Mehta
Author: Nicole I. Golembo
Author: Chiara Nosarti
Author: Emma Colvert
Author: Ashley Mota
Author: Steven C.R. Williams
Author: Michael Rutter
Author: Edmund J.S. Sonuga-Barke

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