HIPPOCAMPAL VOLUME IN WOMEN VICTIMIZED BY CHILDHOOD SEXUAL ABUSE

Background. Several prior studies have found reduced hippocampal volum e in victims of psychological trauma with post-traumatic stress disord er (PTSD). We were interested to determine ii this finding was evident in women who were victimized by severe sexual abuse in childhood. Met hods. In this study, hippocampal volume was measured using quantitativ e magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 21 women who reported being seve rely sexually abused in childhood and 21 socio-demographically similar women without abuse histories. Results. Women who reported sexual vic timization in childhood had significantly reduced (5 % smaller) left-s ided hippocampal volume compared to the non-victimized women. Hippocam pal volume was also smaller on the right side, but this failed to reac h statistical significance, Left-sided hippocampal volume correlated h ighly (r(s) = -0.73) with dissociative symptom severity, but not with indices of explicit memory functioning. Conclusions, These findings, w hich are generally consistent with prior reports of reduced hippocampa l volume in combat veterans with PTSD, suggest that diminished hippoca mpal size may be either a consequence of trauma exposure or a risk fac tor for the development of psychiatric complications following trauma exposure. The observed relationship between symptom severity and hippo campal volume suggests that mesial temporal lobe dysfunction may direc tly mediate certain aspects of PTSD and dissociative disorder symptoma tology.