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wuhonors1239029267.pdf (1.5 MB)
ETD Abstract Container
Abstract Header
Analysis of Brain Structure in a Community Sample of Women with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Result of Chile Abuse Exposure
Author Info
Martorano, Lisa
Permalink:
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wuhonors1239029267
Abstract Details
Year and Degree
2008, Bachelor of Science, Wittenberg University, Biology.
Abstract
The long term effects of child abuse can deter brain development and function in adult abuse survivors. This study attempts to make a positive correlation between participants with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) secondary to child abuse and reduced volumes in the hippocampus, pituitary, and caudate nucleus. Participants were recruited through newspaper advertisement and were right handed females between 20 and 40 years of age. Women who matched the study criteria, based on phone interviews, were screened using a demographics questionnaire and a variety of psychological testing including the
Childhood Trauma Questionnaire
and
Millon Multiaxial Clinician Inventory
. Those accepted into the study took the
Weschler Memory Scale
,
Wonderlic Personnel Test
,
Clinician Administered PTSD Scale
, and a magnetic resonance image of their brain. Women were then placed into one of three groups: post traumatic stress disorder as a result of child abuse (n=21), child abuse without PTSD (n=18), and normal controls (n=21). Each MRI slice of a brain structure was traced three times using the 3DBrainStation. Averages were calculated and summed to determine total volume of each structure. Demographic matching between groups showed no differences in age, body mass index, education, alcoholic drinks per year, and pack years smoking (p>0.05). There was no significant difference between the groups in hippocampal (p=0.426 left, 0.547 right), pituitary (p=0.273) and caudate nucleus (p=0.622 left, 0.959 right) volumes. Furthermore, PTSD diagnosis did not influence structural volume. The results show that child abuse may not be a detrimental factor in altering brain structural development in a community sample of women with posttraumatic stress disorder.
Committee
Cathy Pederson, PhD (Advisor)
Timothy Lewis, PhD (Committee Member)
Stephanie Little, PhD (Committee Member)
Pages
29 p.
Subject Headings
Biology
;
Neurology
;
Psychology
Keywords
PTSD
;
post-traumatic stress disorder
;
child abuse
;
MRI
;
neurological
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Citations
Martorano, L. (2008).
Analysis of Brain Structure in a Community Sample of Women with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Result of Chile Abuse Exposure
[Undergraduate thesis, Wittenberg University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wuhonors1239029267
APA Style (7th edition)
Martorano, Lisa.
Analysis of Brain Structure in a Community Sample of Women with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Result of Chile Abuse Exposure.
2008. Wittenberg University, Undergraduate thesis.
OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center
, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wuhonors1239029267.
MLA Style (8th edition)
Martorano, Lisa. "Analysis of Brain Structure in a Community Sample of Women with Posttraumatic Stress Disorder as a Result of Chile Abuse Exposure." Undergraduate thesis, Wittenberg University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wuhonors1239029267
Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)
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Document number:
wuhonors1239029267
Download Count:
433
Copyright Info
© 2008, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Wittenberg University Honors Theses and OhioLINK.