Age-related volumetric change of limbic structures and subclinical anxious/depressed symptomatology in typically developing children and adolescents

•Change in amygdala/hippocampus volume is characterized in youths, 4–18 years of age.•Association between limbic structure and anxious/depressed (A/D) symptoms are tested.•Across development, amygdalar volume is positively associated with A/D symptoms.•A/D does not qualify the rate of age-related ch...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Biological psychology 2017-03, Vol.124, p.133-140
Main Authors: Albaugh, Matthew D., Nguyen, Tuong-Vi, Ducharme, Simon, Collins, D. Louis, Botteron, Kelly N., D’Alberto, Nicholas, Evans, Alan C., Karama, Sherif, Hudziak, James J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Aging - pathology
Aging - psychology
Amygdala
Anxiety
Anxiety - pathology
Anxiety - psychology
Child
Child Development
Child, Preschool
Depression - pathology
Depression - psychology
Development
Female
Hippocampus
Hippocampus - growth & development
Humans
Limbic System - growth & development
Linear Models
Longitudinal Studies
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Organ Size
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Summary:•Change in amygdala/hippocampus volume is characterized in youths, 4–18 years of age.•Association between limbic structure and anxious/depressed (A/D) symptoms are tested.•Across development, amygdalar volume is positively associated with A/D symptoms.•A/D does not qualify the rate of age-related change in amygdala/hippocampal volume. To investigate the extent to which subclinical variation in anxious/depressed psychopathology is associated with volume and age-related volumetric change of limbic structures in a longitudinal sample of healthy youths. Linear mixed-effects models were used to analyze longitudinal behavioral and neuroimaging data (up to 3 data points per subject, collected at 2 year-intervals) in 371 typically developing youths, from 4 to 18 years of age (196 females; 723 MRIs). Volumetric measures were obtained using a validated segmentation method. The best-fit model (cubic, quadratic, or first-order linear) was determined for the effect of age on amygdalar and hippocampal volume (adjusted for total brain volume). Next, amygdalar and hippocampal volumes were regressed against Child Behavior Checklist Anxious/Depressed (A/D) scores. Age-by-A/D and sex-by-A/D interactions were tested. Analyses revealed age-related linear and quadratic volumetric change in the amygdalae and hippocampi, respectively. A/D was positively associated with total amygdalar volume (p=0.045), independent of age and sex. Age-by-A/D and sex-by-A/D interactions were not associated with amygdalar or hippocampal volume. Results suggest that amygdalar structure is tied to A/D among typically developing youths, independent of age and sex. Developmental trajectories of amygdalar and hippocampal volume were not associated with subclinical anxiety. Taken together, increased amygdalar volume may serve as a significant marker of anxiety, regardless of developmental phase.
ISSN:0301-0511
1873-6246
DOI:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2017.02.002