Brain Morphology Mediators of the Association of Childhood Trauma With Bipolar Disorder

Is the association of childhood trauma and bipolar disorder mediated by brain structure?In this case-control study leveraging a sample of 1031 participants with bipolar disorder and 2221 healthy controls collected across 19 sites, hippocampal volume, medial orbitofrontal gray matter thickness, and superior frontal gyrus gray matter thickness were significant mediators of the association of childhood trauma with bipolar disorder.The identification of a mechanistic pathway of the association of childhood trauma, brain structure, and bipolar disorder improves understanding of the condition, could enable the identification of those at risk, and could facilitate the development of new interventions.

Corresponding Author: Leonardo Tozzi, MD, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, 401 Quarry Rd, Stanford, CA 94305 (ltozzi@stanford.edu).

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