Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean Refugees
The current study investigated differences in the regional gray matter (GM) volume of specific thalamic nuclei between North Korean (NK) refugees and South Korean (SK) residents. It also investigated associations between thalamic GM volume changes and psychological symptoms. Psychological evaluation...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.756202/full |
| _version_ | 1818249273825820672 |
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| author | Jiye Lee Nambeom Kim Hyunwoo Jeong Jin Yong Jun So Young Yoo So Hee Lee Jooyoung Lee Yu Jin Lee Seog Ju Kim |
| author_facet | Jiye Lee Nambeom Kim Hyunwoo Jeong Jin Yong Jun So Young Yoo So Hee Lee Jooyoung Lee Yu Jin Lee Seog Ju Kim |
| author_sort | Jiye Lee |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The current study investigated differences in the regional gray matter (GM) volume of specific thalamic nuclei between North Korean (NK) refugees and South Korean (SK) residents. It also investigated associations between thalamic GM volume changes and psychological symptoms. Psychological evaluations and magnetic resonance imaging were conducted on 50 traumatized NK refugees and 55 non-traumatized SK residents. The regional GM volume ratios in the bilateral thalami were calculated for all participants using voxel-based morphometry. NK refugees showed greater GM volume ratios in the right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei compared with SK residents. NK refugees also exhibited more depressive symptoms than SK residents. However, increased GM volume ratios in both right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei were correlated with fewer depressive symptoms in NK refugees, but not in SK residents. The findings indicate that traumatized NK refugees had increased GM volumes in the right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei, which were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. The enlarged specific thalamic nuclei presented among refugees in the current study might be associated with a neurobiological compensatory mechanism that prevents the development or progression of depression in refugees after repetitive traumatic experiences. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:33:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f6dad5bfe69243ecb23ef1ed05479e99 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-0640 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T15:33:53Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-f6dad5bfe69243ecb23ef1ed05479e992022-12-22T00:20:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402022-04-011310.3389/fpsyt.2022.756202756202Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean RefugeesJiye Lee0Nambeom Kim1Hyunwoo Jeong2Jin Yong Jun3So Young Yoo4So Hee Lee5Jooyoung Lee6Yu Jin Lee7Seog Ju Kim8Department of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaNeuroscience Research Institute, Gachon University, Incheon, South KoreaGeumsan-gun Public Health Center, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, Seoul National Hospital, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, National Medical Center, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry and Center for Sleep and Chronobiology, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, South KoreaDepartment of Psychiatry, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, South KoreaThe current study investigated differences in the regional gray matter (GM) volume of specific thalamic nuclei between North Korean (NK) refugees and South Korean (SK) residents. It also investigated associations between thalamic GM volume changes and psychological symptoms. Psychological evaluations and magnetic resonance imaging were conducted on 50 traumatized NK refugees and 55 non-traumatized SK residents. The regional GM volume ratios in the bilateral thalami were calculated for all participants using voxel-based morphometry. NK refugees showed greater GM volume ratios in the right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei compared with SK residents. NK refugees also exhibited more depressive symptoms than SK residents. However, increased GM volume ratios in both right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei were correlated with fewer depressive symptoms in NK refugees, but not in SK residents. The findings indicate that traumatized NK refugees had increased GM volumes in the right medial-posterior nuclei and left medial nuclei, which were associated with fewer depressive symptoms. The enlarged specific thalamic nuclei presented among refugees in the current study might be associated with a neurobiological compensatory mechanism that prevents the development or progression of depression in refugees after repetitive traumatic experiences.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.756202/fullthalamusrefugeesdepressiontraumamagnetic resonance imaging |
| spellingShingle | Jiye Lee Nambeom Kim Hyunwoo Jeong Jin Yong Jun So Young Yoo So Hee Lee Jooyoung Lee Yu Jin Lee Seog Ju Kim Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean Refugees Frontiers in Psychiatry thalamus refugees depression trauma magnetic resonance imaging |
| title | Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean Refugees |
| title_full | Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean Refugees |
| title_fullStr | Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean Refugees |
| title_full_unstemmed | Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean Refugees |
| title_short | Gray Matter Volume of Thalamic Nuclei in Traumatized North Korean Refugees |
| title_sort | gray matter volume of thalamic nuclei in traumatized north korean refugees |
| topic | thalamus refugees depression trauma magnetic resonance imaging |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.756202/full |
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