http://goo.gl/7Mns4a
They found that the individuals who had been exposed to childhood maltreatment had much smaller volumes of gray matter in certain brain areas, compared with those who had no history of child abuse.
In detail, those who had a history of child abuse had reduced gray matter in their the right orbitofrontal/superior temporal gyrus, amygdala, the parahippocampal and middle temporal gyri and the left inferior frontal and post central gyri.
The team notes that the most consistent reduction of gray matter volume among those exposed to child abuse was in the ventrolateral prefrontal and limbic-temporal regions - areas linked to cognitive control.
Since these brain regions develop relatively late - after the child abuse may have occurred - the team says this may explain why some victims of child abuse typically have compromised cognitive control.
In addition, the team found that reductions in gray matter in the right orbitofrontal-temporal-limbic and left inferior frontal regions of those with a history of child abuse remained even among those who were unmedicated, "indicating that these abnormalities were not related to medication but to maltreatment," says Radua.