Persistent structural alteration of the extended limbic system in adolescents with childhood maltreatment
BackgroundChildhood maltreatment (CM) is related to structural alterations in adult limbic regions.However, the change in limbic structures remains unclear in adolescents from the general population since most reports stem from clinical samples.Additionally, large longitudinal neuroimaging studies in community adolescents reporting CM are scarce.Hence, we aimed to investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between CM and the structure and function of the extended limbic and reward systems throughout adolescence. MethodsWe analysed data of 634 community adolescents from the IMAGEN cohort at age 14, followed up at age 18. CM was inferred from the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire completed at age 18, yielding subgroups with CM (N=105) or without CM (N=529).
Authors
- Aveline Aouidad (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8642-3466)
- Tomáš Paus (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1495-9338)
- Corinna Insensee
- Michael N. Smolka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5398-5569)
- Alice V. Chavanne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5860-2237)
- Gareth J. Barker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5214-7421)
- E. Artiges
- Jani Penttilä
- Nick Ortiz
- Yvonne Grimmer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6150-0354)
- Hugh P. Garavan
- G. Schumann
- Marie-Laure Paillère-Martinot
- Rüdiger Brühl
- J. Ruiz-Fernandez
- Andreas Heinz
- Tobias Banaschewski
- Nilakshi Vaidya
- Andreas Becker
- Sylvane Desrivières
- Herta Flor
- Dimitri Papadopoulos Orfanos
- Betteke van Noort
- Jean-Luc Martinot
- Luise Poutska
- Henrik Walter
- Christian Beauchl
- David Cohen
- Argyris Stringaris
- Arun L.W. Bokde
- Robert Whelan
Institutions
- University of Vermont (US)
- École Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay (FR)
- Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (DE)
- University of Nottingham (GB)
- University of Mannheim (DE)
- King's College London (GB)
- University of Toronto (CA)
- Trinity College Dublin (IE)
- Heidelberg University (DE)
- Fudan University (CN)
- Université Paris-Saclay (FR)
- University Hospital Heidelberg (DE)
- University Medical Center (US)
- Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (DE)
- Sorbonne Université (FR)
- MSB Medical School Berlin (DE)
- Assistance Publique – Hôpitaux de Paris (FR)
- École Normale Supérieure (BI)
- Psychiatry Baselland (CH)
- Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi (AE)
- Electronic Product Services (Czechia) (CZ)
- Laboratoire Médiations (FR)
- University College London (GB)
- Université de Montréal (CA)
- Freie Universität Berlin (DE)
- Technische Universität Dresden (DE)
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- European Psychiatry
- Published
- 2026-01-20
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2025.10111
- Primary Topic
- Child Abuse and Trauma
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
- Société d'Accélération du Transfert de Technologies
- Medical Research Council