Neuroplasticity study: Bremner

Question 1

What was the aim of this study?

Answer 1

To measure both hippocampal structure and function in women with an without early childhood sexual abuse

Question 2

What were the procedures of this study?

Answer 2

• Studied 33 woman who had: Suffered early childhood sexual abuse and had PTSD, Suffered early childhood sexual abuse but did not have PTSD, and did not sexual abuse or PTSD
• MRI scan to measure hippocampal volume
• PET scan to measure its level of function during a verbal declarative memory test

Question 3

What were the findings of this study?

Answer 3

• Women with abuse and PTSD had a 19% smaller hippocampal volume relative to women without abuse or PTSD
• Women that were abused and had PTSD had a 16% smaller volume of the hippocampus compared to the women who did not have PTSD and a lack of activity when carrying out a memory task