White matter microstructure abnormalities in children experiencing neglect without other forms of maltreatment

Abstract

Childhood maltreatment can disrupt brain development, leading to vulnerabilities in white matter (WM) microstructure, compromised brain integrity, and various psychiatric disorders. Among different forms of maltreatment, neglect is the most common; however, limited data exist on its specific impact on the brain. This study utilized diffusion tensor imaging to examine WM microstructure differences between neglected children without other types of maltreatment (Neglect, n = 21) and typically developing controls (TD, n = 106). Additionally, the study explored the relationship between WM microstructure alterations and psychosocial problems observed in neglected children. Neglected children exhibited larger axial diffusion (AD) in regions such as the right corticospinal tract (R.CST), right superior longitudinal fasciculus (R.SLF), and left cingulum (L.CG) compared to typically developing children. Increased AD in the R.CST, L.CG, and R.SLF was associated with conduct problems. These findings suggest that alterations in WM microstructure contributed to behavioral symptoms in neglected children.

Keywords: Child maltreatment; Diffusion tensor imaging; Neglect children; Tract-based spatial statistics.

Fig. 1

Structural differences in the white matter (WM) between neglected and typically developing (TD) groups. Larger WM fiber tracts were observed in the Neglect group compared to the TD group. Slices of the mean FA skeleton (green), overlaid with red clusters, depict significantly higher AD values in the Neglect group than in the TD group (Neglect > TD; FWE corrected P < 0.05, red-yellow). FWE, family-wise error; AD, axial diffusivity; FA, fractional anisotropy; L.CG, left cingulum; R.CST, right cortical spinal tract; R.SLF, right superior longitudinal fasciculus

Fig. 2

Correlations plots between CP and L.CG, CP and R.CST, and CP and R.SLF. Closed circles represent the Neglect group, and open circles represent the typically developing (TD) group. The shaded beige area indicates 95% confidence intervals for the regression line (dark yellow). L.CG, left cingulum; R.CST, right cortical spinal tract; R.SLF, right superior longitudinal fasciculus; CP, conduct problems.