563. Hypothalamus Volume Mediates the Association Between Aversive Childhood Experience and PTSD Development After Adulthood Trauma

The hypothalamus is critical for regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and related responses to stress. Aversive childhood experience (ACE) can affect brain structure, which, in turn, may contribute to development of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after subsequent trauma. It remains unclear if ACE history affects hypothalamic volumes in ways that may influence HPA axis function and lead to PTSD symptoms after trauma in adulthood.