Abstract
Studies imposing rigorous control over lifetime alcohol intake have usually not found smaller hippocampal volumes in persons with posttraumatic stress disorder. Because the majority of negative studies have used adolescent samples, it has been suggested that chronicity is a necessary condition for such findings. To test the hypothesis that a smaller hippocampus in PTSD is unrelated to comorbid alcoholism or to chronicity, this study estimated hippocampal volume in a relatively large group (N=99) of combat veterans in which PTSD, lifetime alcohol abuse/ dependence, and Vietnam versus Gulf War service were crossed. In subjects with histories of alcoholism, unadjusted hippocampal volume was 9% smaller in persons with PTSD than in those without PTSD. In nonalcoholic subjects, the PTSD-related difference in hippocampal volume was 3%. The failure to observe a strong association between PTSD and hippocampal volume in nonalcoholic subjects was not ascribable to younger age, reduced PTSD chronicity, or lower PTSD symptom severity. The possibility that smaller hippocampal volume is limited to groups in which PTSD is compounded by comorbid alcoholism is not necessarily incompatible with results suggesting a smaller hippocampus is predispositional to PTSD. Further examination of the role of alcoholism and other comorbid conditions in studies of brain structure and function in PTSD appears warranted.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 674-681 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Journal | American Journal of Psychiatry |
| Volume | 163 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Apr 2006 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Psychiatry and Mental health
Cite this
Hippocampal volume, PTSD, and alcoholism in combat veterans. / Woodward, Steven H.; Kaloupek, Danny G.; Streeter, Chris C.; Kimble, Matthew O.; Reiss, Allan L.; Eliez, Stephan; Wald, Lawrence L.; Renshaw, Perry F.; Frederick, Blaise B.; Lane, Barton; Sheikh, Javaid; Stegman, Wendy K.; Kutter, Catherine J.; Stewart, Lorraine P.; Prestel, Rebecca S.; Arsenault, Ned J.
In: American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 163, No. 4, 04.2006, p. 674-681.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Hippocampal volume, PTSD, and alcoholism in combat veterans
AU - Woodward, Steven H.
AU - Kaloupek, Danny G.
AU - Streeter, Chris C.
AU - Kimble, Matthew O.
AU - Reiss, Allan L.
AU - Eliez, Stephan
AU - Wald, Lawrence L.
AU - Renshaw, Perry F.
AU - Frederick, Blaise B.
AU - Lane, Barton
AU - Sheikh, Javaid
AU - Stegman, Wendy K.
AU - Kutter, Catherine J.
AU - Stewart, Lorraine P.
AU - Prestel, Rebecca S.
AU - Arsenault, Ned J.
PY - 2006/4
Y1 - 2006/4
N2 - Studies imposing rigorous control over lifetime alcohol intake have usually not found smaller hippocampal volumes in persons with posttraumatic stress disorder. Because the majority of negative studies have used adolescent samples, it has been suggested that chronicity is a necessary condition for such findings. To test the hypothesis that a smaller hippocampus in PTSD is unrelated to comorbid alcoholism or to chronicity, this study estimated hippocampal volume in a relatively large group (N=99) of combat veterans in which PTSD, lifetime alcohol abuse/ dependence, and Vietnam versus Gulf War service were crossed. In subjects with histories of alcoholism, unadjusted hippocampal volume was 9% smaller in persons with PTSD than in those without PTSD. In nonalcoholic subjects, the PTSD-related difference in hippocampal volume was 3%. The failure to observe a strong association between PTSD and hippocampal volume in nonalcoholic subjects was not ascribable to younger age, reduced PTSD chronicity, or lower PTSD symptom severity. The possibility that smaller hippocampal volume is limited to groups in which PTSD is compounded by comorbid alcoholism is not necessarily incompatible with results suggesting a smaller hippocampus is predispositional to PTSD. Further examination of the role of alcoholism and other comorbid conditions in studies of brain structure and function in PTSD appears warranted.
AB - Studies imposing rigorous control over lifetime alcohol intake have usually not found smaller hippocampal volumes in persons with posttraumatic stress disorder. Because the majority of negative studies have used adolescent samples, it has been suggested that chronicity is a necessary condition for such findings. To test the hypothesis that a smaller hippocampus in PTSD is unrelated to comorbid alcoholism or to chronicity, this study estimated hippocampal volume in a relatively large group (N=99) of combat veterans in which PTSD, lifetime alcohol abuse/ dependence, and Vietnam versus Gulf War service were crossed. In subjects with histories of alcoholism, unadjusted hippocampal volume was 9% smaller in persons with PTSD than in those without PTSD. In nonalcoholic subjects, the PTSD-related difference in hippocampal volume was 3%. The failure to observe a strong association between PTSD and hippocampal volume in nonalcoholic subjects was not ascribable to younger age, reduced PTSD chronicity, or lower PTSD symptom severity. The possibility that smaller hippocampal volume is limited to groups in which PTSD is compounded by comorbid alcoholism is not necessarily incompatible with results suggesting a smaller hippocampus is predispositional to PTSD. Further examination of the role of alcoholism and other comorbid conditions in studies of brain structure and function in PTSD appears warranted.
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U2 - 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.4.674
DO - 10.1176/appi.ajp.163.4.674
M3 - Article
C2 - 16585443
VL - 163
SP - 674
EP - 681
JO - American Journal of Psychiatry
JF - American Journal of Psychiatry
SN - 0002-953X
IS - 4
ER -