Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38666110›Full record

ArticlePsychoradiology2023

Effects of childhood trauma on aggressive behaviors and hippocampal function: the modulation of COMT haplotypes.

Chao Wang, Linfei Zhu, Wenyu Zheng, Hanyuzhu Peng, Jiaojian Wang, Yue Cui, Bing Liu, Tianzi Jiang

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Psychoradiology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Childhood Adversity Is Associated With Longitudinal White Matter Changes After Adulthood Trauma.Biological psychiatry. Cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Chao WangSchool of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0914-2665
Linfei ZhuSchool of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
Wenyu ZhengSchool of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
Hanyuzhu PengSchool of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060, China.
Jiaojian WangState Key Laboratory of Primate Biomedical Research, Institute of Primate Translational Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650500, China.
Yue CuiBrainnetome Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5001-4940
Bing LiuState Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2029-5187
Tianzi JiangBrainnetome Center, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
Shenzhen University · CNChinese Academy of Sciences · CNBeijing Normal University · CNKunming University of Science and Technology · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Aggression is a commonly hostile behavior linked to the hippocampal activity. Childhood trauma (CT) exposure has been associated with altered sensitization of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and hippocampal volume,which could increase violent aggressive behaviors. Additionally, Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT), the major dopamine metabolism enzyme, is implicated in stress responsivity, including aggression. Hence, CT exposure may affect aggression through the effect on the hippocampal function, which might also be modulated by the COMT variations. Objectives: This study examined whether both CT and haplotypes of COMT moderate hippocampal function and thus affect human aggressive behavior. Methods: We obtained bilateral hippocampal functional connectivity maps using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. COMT haplotype estimation was performed using Haploview 4.2 and PHASE 2.1. Then we constructed a moderated mediation model to study the effect of the CTQ × COMT on aggressive behavior. Results: Three major haplotypes were generated from thirteen single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) within the COMT gene and formed three haplotypes corresponding to high, medium, and low enzymatic activity of COMT. The results showed interactive relationships between the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and COMT with respect to the functional connectivity (FC) of the bilateral hippocampus (HIP)-orbital frontal cortex (OFC). Specifically, CT experience predicted lower negative HIP-OFC coupling in the APS and HPS haplotypes corresponding to the medium and high enzymatic activity of COMT, but greater FC in the LPS haplotypes corresponding to the low enzymatic activity. We also observed a conditional mediation effect of the right HIP-OFC coupling in the link between COMT and aggressive behavior that was moderated by CT experience. Conclusions: These results suggest that CT and COMT have a combined effect on aggressive behavior through hippocampal function. This mediation analysis sheds light on the influence of childhood experience on aggressive behavior in different genetic backgrounds.

Indexed as

aggressionchildhood traumaCOMThippocampus

Identifiers

PMID38666110
PMCPMC11003423
OpenAlexW4386467689

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.