1. Smaller Hippocampal Volume Is Associated With Reduced Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms in Children With Cancer and Survivors Following a Brief Novel Martial Arts-Based Intervention.
- Author
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Evanski JM, Iadipaolo A, Ely SL, Zundel CG, Gowatch LC, Bhogal A, Owens Z, Cohen C, Goldberg E, Bluth MH, Taub J, Harper FWK, Rabinak CA, and Marusak HA
- Subjects
- Humans, Child, Neuropsychological Tests, Survivors psychology, Hippocampus diagnostic imaging, Biomarkers, Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic complications, Neoplasms psychology, Martial Arts
- Abstract
Purpose: Children with cancer and survivors frequently report posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS), which are associated with volumetric changes in stress-sensitive brain regions, including the hippocampus., Methods: We examined the impact of a novel, 4-week martial-arts-based meditative intervention on cancer-related PTSS in 18 pediatric patients and survivors and whether baseline hippocampal volumes correlate with PTSS severity and/or PTSS changes over time., Results: Overall, PTSS did not significantly change from baseline to post-intervention. Smaller hippocampal volume was correlated with more severe re-experiencing PTSS at baseline, and greater reductions in PTSS post-intervention., Conclusions: Together, hippocampal volume may be a biomarker of PTSS severity and intervention response. Identifying hippocampal volume as a potential biomarker for PTSS severity and intervention response may allow for more informed psychosocial treatments., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)
- Published
- 2024
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