Citation

Underwood MD, Bakalian MJ, Escobar T, Kassir S, Mann JJ, Arango V. Int. J. Neuropsychopharmacol. 2019; 22(5): 349-357.

Affiliation

Division of Molecular Imaging and Neuropathology, Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York, NY.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1093/ijnp/pyz013

PMID

30911751

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Suicide and major depression (MDD) are prevalent in individuals reporting early life adversity (ELA). Prefrontal cortex volume is reduced by stress acutely and progressively, and changes in neuron and glia density are reported in depressed suicide decedents. We previously found reduced neurotrophic factor BDNF in suicide decedents and with ELA, and we sought to determine whether cortex thickness, or neuron or glia density in the dorsolateral prefrontal (BA9) and anterior cingulate (BA24) cortex are associated with ELA or suicide.

METHODS: A total of 52 brains, constituting 13 quadruplets of nonpsychiatric controls and MDD suicide decedents with and without ELA, were matched for age, sex, race and postmortem interval. Brains were collected at autopsy and frozen and BA9 and BA24 were later dissected, post-fixed and sectioned. Sections were immunostained for NeuN to label neurons and counterstained with thionin to stain glial cell nuclei. Cortex thickness, neuron and glial density and neuron volume were measured by stereology.

RESULTS: Cortical thickness was 6% less with ELA in BA9 and 12% less in BA24 (p<0.05), but not in depressed suicide decedents in either region. Neuron density was not different in ELA or with suicide, but glial density was 17% greater with ELA in BA9 and 15% greater in BA24, but not in suicides. Neuron volume was not different with ELA or suicide.

CONCLUSIONS: Reported ELA, but not the stress associated with suicide, is associated with thinner prefrontal cortex and greater glia density in adulthood. ELA may alter normal neurodevelopment and contribute to suicide risk.

© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of CINP.

Language: en

Keywords

adversity; immunocytochemistry; postmortem; prefrontal cortex; stereology