Scientists have proven the impact of childhood injuries on the brain throughout life

Scientists have long known that people who have experienced adverse events in early childhood are more likely to face physical and mental health problems in adulthood. A new study from the University of New Mexico School of Medicine has shown that these events disrupt the coordinated work of several brain networks when faced with a threat later in life. This was reported on December 11 by Medical Xpress magazine.

"The main issue that we are studying is the neural basis of mental health vulnerability in adulthood, arising from negative experiences in early childhood. Many studies have shown that negative experiences in childhood, such as neglect and abuse, can lead to various health problems, both physical and mental, later in life, such as addiction, depression and anxiety," said the author of the article, graduate student Taylor Uzelman.

The study was conducted on mice. Scientists compared rodents that experienced stress at an early age with those that grew up in normal conditions. In the first group, the mothers did not have enough material to build a nest, which caused them to behave alarmingly and prevented them from taking full care of their offspring. In adulthood, the rodents were exposed to the threat of a predator — the smell of fox urine. This situation caused fear in all animals, but in mice with traumatic early experiences, the reaction was much stronger.

Brain scans showed marked hyperactivation of the amygdala and the blue spot, areas responsible for processing fear. The activity of areas regulating the stress response of the brain and body with the participation of dopamine, norepinephrine and serotonin also increased. Before the MRI, the mice were injected with manganese, which accumulated in active neurons and allowed them to accurately visualize the most involved areas of the brain.

Even nine days after the threat, mice that had experienced an unfavorable childhood maintained increased activity in several areas, including the blue spot, the posterior amygdala, the hippocampus, and various parts of the hypothalamus. According to Uzelman, these results demonstrate a functional imbalance between several brain systems that occurs after life-threatening injuries at an early age.

Although the mouse brain differs from the human brain, the researchers emphasize that its deep structures responsible for basic threat responses are largely similar in different species. It is emphasized that the systems that seem to be disrupted due to threatening experiences and adverse events in early childhood are also very similar in mice and humans.

"If it could be detected in people, it would be possible to understand whether these people are vulnerable to threats and use this as a diagnostic marker. If we understand which regions of the body are sensitive to threats, we can potentially treat them in such a way that even if they are exposed to a threat or some frightening event, they will not develop depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder," Uzelman concluded.

Clinical psychologist Daria Yausheva on April 28 linked the development of eating disorders with childhood injuries. The specialist clarified that this pattern is quite common. According to her, patterns of behavior in the family and attitudes that are passed down from generation to generation also play an essential role.

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