Exploring the effect of chronotype on hippocampal volume and shape: A combined approach

ABSTRACT

Current evidence suggests that acute depression is associated with reduced total hippocampal volume and regional atrophy. Here, using structural magnetic resonance imaging, we assayed linear effects of chronotype on total hippocampal volume and morphology. Later chronotype was associated with localised atrophy in the subiculum region of the right hippocampus in the absence of changes in total volume. The hippocampus forms a key node in a network of brain regions implicated in emotional regulation and alterations in the structure of this region may underpin, in part, the increased vulnerability for depression in late chronotype individuals.

Keywords:

• Chronotype
• hippocampus
• emotion
• depression
• regulation
• morphology

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Mr Ari Lingeswaran, Royal Holloway University for his technical assistance and all of our volunteers who participated in this work.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the University of Roehampton.