Gray matter correlates of childhood maltreatment lack replicability in a multi-cohort brain-wide association study.

ABSTRACT: Childhood maltreatment effects on cerebral gray matter have been frequently discussed as a neurobiological pathway for depression. However, localizations are highly heterogeneous, and recent reports have questioned the replicability of mental health neuroimaging findings. Here, we investigate the replicability of gray matter correlates of maltreatment, measured retrospectively via the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, across three large adult cohorts (total N = 3225). Pooling cohorts yields maltreatment-related gray matter reductions, with most extensive effects when not controlling for depression diagnosis (maximum partial R² = .022). However, none of these effects significantly replicate across cohorts. Non-replicability is consistent across a variety of maltreatment subtypes an

SUBMITTER: Goltermann J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12441139 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature