Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2012 Dec 26:3:568.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00568. eCollection 2012.

Volumetric structural magnetic resonance imaging findings in pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder: a systematic review

Fatima Ahmed  1 , Johan Ras, Soraya Seedat
Affiliations

Volumetric structural magnetic resonance imaging findings in pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder: a systematic review

Fatima Ahmed et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Objectives: Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) studies of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents are limited. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) have been best studied in this regard. We systematically reviewed structural neuroimaging findings in pediatric PTSD and OCD.

Methods: The literature was reviewed for all sMRI studies examining volumetric parameters using PubMed, ScienceDirect, and PsychInfo databases, with no limit on the time frame of publication. Nine studies in pediatric PTSD and six in OCD were suitable for inclusion.

Results: Volumetric findings were inconsistent in both disorders. In PTSD, findings suggest increased as well as decreased volumes of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and corpus callosum; whilst in OCD studies indicate volumetric increase of the putamen, with inconsistent findings for the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and frontal regions.

Conclusions: Methodological differences may account for some of this inconsistency and additional volume-based studies in pediatric anxiety disorders using more uniform approaches are needed.

Keywords: anxiety; pediatric; sMRI; voxel-based morphometry.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Article selection process of structural magnetic resonance imaging studies in obsessive compulsive disorder in children and adolescents.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Article selection process of structural magnetic resonance imaging studies in posttraumatic stress disorder in children and adolescents.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Adler C. M., McDonough-Ryan P., Sax K. W., Holland S. K., Arndt S., Strakowski S. M. (2000). fMRI of neuronal activation with symptom provocation in unmedicated patients with obsessive compulsive disorder. J. Psychiatr. Res. 34, 317–32410.1016/S0022-3956(00)00022-4 - DOI - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edn Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press
    1. Ashburner J., Friston K. J. (2001). Why voxel-based morphometry should be used. Neuroimage 14, 1238–124310.1006/nimg.2001.0961 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Atmaca M., Yildirim H., Ozdemir H., Ozler S., Kara B., Ozler Z. (2008). Hippocampus and amygdalar volumes in patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder. Prog. Neuropsychopharmacol. Biol. Psychiatry 32, 1283–128610.1016/j.pnpbp.2008.04.002 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bittner A., Egger H. L., Erklanli A., Costello J., Foley D. L., Angold A. (2007). The development of anxiety disorders in childhood: an integrative review. J. Child Psychol. Psychiatry 8, 1174–118310.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01812.x - DOI - PubMed