This application is a 5-year cross-sectional investigation with a one-year prospective follow-up to non-invasively examine the psychobiology of childhood posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) secondary to sexual abuse. In cross-sectional studies, we reported that clinically referred maltreated children with PTSD had elevated 24-hour urinary catecholamine and free cortisol levels and smaller intracranial and cerebral volumes, smaller midsaggital areas of the corpus callosum. and larger ventricles compared to non-abused controls. PTSD trauma for the majority of these children was sexual abuse. Earlier age of onset of abuse, longer duration of abuse, and greater PTSD symptoms each were associated with more extreme difference from normals on these measures. Animal studies suggest that elevated levels of catecholamines and cortisol during development may lead to adverse brain development. Our pilot study did not address to what extent our results were PTSD specific or the result of abuse. We will examine the diagnosis and severity of PTSD on outcomes of biological stress system regulation and brain maturation. We will study 3 groups of 70 children (35 males/35 females), aged 6 to 12 years: children with PTSD secondary to sexual abuse, sexually abused children without PTSD, and non-traumatized age and sociodemographically comparable controls. Biological stress system regulation will be assessed by 24-hour urinary catecholamine and free cortisol levels. Brain maturation will be assessed by: magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based brain N-acetylaspartate concentrations, which reflect neuronal integrity, magnetic resonance imaging-based brain morphometry (cerebral, amygdala/hippocampal volumes and corpus callosum area), and cognitive function. This study includes a cross-sectional component at entry (Time-01) and a one-year follow-up (Time-02). Study entry for abused subjects is within 3 months of abuse disclosure. Time-01 and -02 assessments measure known risk factors for the development of PTSD.
Specific aims are to determine the relationship between sexual abuse with PTSD and without PTSD and these outcomes at Time-01 and to determine the one-year effects of sexual abuse with PTSD and sexual abuse without PTSD on these same children's biological stress systems and neuropsychological function. Secondary aims are: to identify the psychobiological predictors of the persistence of PTSD and resiliency to PTSD at the one-year period after abuse disclosure (Time-02). We hypothesize that sexually abused children with PTSD will show evidence of alterations in biological stress systems and brain maturation at Time-01 and Time-02. We further hypothesize that certain risk factors at Time-01 (e.g. age of onset of abuse, adverse life events, and biological measures) will predict the persistence of PTSD at Time-02.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01MH063407-02
Application #
6658007
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZRG1-BBBP-6 (01))
Program Officer
Rumsey, Judith M
Project Start
2002-09-09
Project End
2007-08-31
Budget Start
2003-09-01
Budget End
2004-08-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$513,828
Indirect Cost
Name
Duke University
Department
Psychiatry
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
044387793
City
Durham
State
NC
Country
United States
Zip Code
27705
Nooner, Kate B; Hooper, Stephen R; De Bellis, Michael D (2018) An examination of sex differences on neurocognitive functioning and behavior problems in maltreated youth. Psychol Trauma 10:435-443
Stave, Elise A; De Bellis, Michael D; Hooper, Steven R et al. (2017) Dimensions of Attention Associated With the Microstructure of Corona Radiata White Matter. J Child Neurol 32:458-466
Morey, Rajendra A; Haswell, Courtney C; Hooper, Stephen R et al. (2016) Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex Volumes Differ in Maltreated Youth with and without Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 41:791-801
Urger, Sacide E; De Bellis, Michael D; Hooper, Stephen R et al. (2015) The superior longitudinal fasciculus in typically developing children and adolescents: diffusion tensor imaging and neuropsychological correlates. J Child Neurol 30:9-20
De Bellis, Michael D; Hooper, Stephen R; Chen, Steven D et al. (2015) Posterior structural brain volumes differ in maltreated youth with and without chronic posttraumatic stress disorder. Dev Psychopathol 27:1555-76
Hooper, Stephen R; Woolley, Donald; De Bellis, Michael D (2014) Intellectual, neurocognitive, and academic achievement in abstinent adolescents with cannabis use disorder. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 231:1467-77
Crozier, Joseph C; Wang, Lihong; Huettel, Scott A et al. (2014) Neural correlates of cognitive and affective processing in maltreated youth with posttraumatic stress symptoms: does gender matter? Dev Psychopathol 26:491-513
Marcus Jenkins, Jade V; Woolley, Donald P; Hooper, Stephen R et al. (2013) Direct and Indirect Effects of Brain Volume, Socioeconomic Status and Family Stress on Child IQ. J Child Adolesc Behav 1:
De Bellis, Michael D; Wang, Lihong; Bergman, Sara R et al. (2013) Neural mechanisms of risky decision-making and reward response in adolescent onset cannabis use disorder. Drug Alcohol Depend 133:134-45
Urger, Efsun; Debellis, Michael D; Hooper, Steven R et al. (2013) Influence of analysis technique on measurement of diffusion tensor imaging parameters. AJR Am J Roentgenol 200:W510-7

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