Evidence for the changes of pituitary volumes in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder

In pubertal and postpubertal patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), significantly greater pituitary gland volumes have been reported. Moving from this point, in the present study, we aimed to investigate pituitary gland volumes in patients with PTSD and hypothesized that volumes of the gland would be structurally changed. Volumetric magnetic resonance imaging of the pituitary gland was performed among sixteen patients with PTSD and fifteen healthy control subjects. We found that the mean volume of the pituitary gland was statistically significant and smaller than that of healthy subjects (0.69 ±0.08cm3 for patient group and 0.83±0.21 for control subjects).
Source: Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research