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Traumatic childhood experiences such as abuse and neglect may cause permanent
physical changes to the developing brain, which could result in psychological
problems in adulthood.
"The science shows that childhood maltreatment may produce changes
in both brain function and structure," said lead investigator Dr.
Martin H. Teicher, of the McLean Hospital, Belmont, Massachusetts, in
comments to Reuters Health. "These changes are permanent," he
added. "This is not something people can just get
over."
The researchers identified four abnormalities in the brain that were
much more prevalent in adults who had been abused and neglected as children.
- They found that adults who had been abused as
children were more likely to experience epileptic
seizures caused by changes to the limbic
system, a part of the brain that controls emotions.
- Abused children were twice as likely as non-abused
children to have an abnormal electroencephalogram
(EEG), a reading that measures electrical activity of the brain, and
these abnormal EEGs were associated with increased self-destructive
behavior and aggression.
- There was deficient development of the left side
of the brain in adults abused as children, which, the researchers speculate,
may lead to depression and problems with memory.
- Abused children did not integrate the function
of the left and right sides of their brain as well as those who had
not been abused, possibly due to a decrease in the size of the bridge
between the two hemispheres of the brain.
"The trauma of abuse induces a cascade of effects, including changes
in hormones and neurotransmitters
(chemicals released by brain cells) that mediate development of vulnerable
brain regions," the researchers conclude.
"We know that an animal exposed
to stress and neglect early in life develops a brain that is wired to
experience fear, anxiety and stress," Dr. Teicher said.
"We think the same is true of people."
Cerebrum, Fall, 2000; 50-67
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