Long-term effects of childhood abuse on brain and neurobiology
Abstract
Early stress is associated with long-term alterations in brain circuits and systems that mediate the stress response. Early stressors have lasting effects on the HPA axis and norepinephrine systems. Other brain systems that are involved include benzodiazepine, opiate, dopaminergic, and various neuropeptide systems. These neurochemical systems modulate function in brain regions, including the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex. Long-term alterations in these brain regions are hypothesized to play a role in the maintenance of PTSD, depression, and other psychiatric symptoms after childhood abuse.
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Early stressors cause long term changes in multiple brain circuits and systems.
“An expanding body of evidence from rodent, primate, and human research suggests that early stressors cause long term changes in multiple brain circuits and systems (Sanchez 2001; Bremner 2003a).”
From The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology (2006) · cites this paper as Bremner 2003a
Deficits in verbal declarative memory and failure of hippocampal activation with memory tasks occur in adult women with early abuse-related PTSD.
“Consistent with deficits in hippocampal function are deficits in verbal declarative memory (Bremner 1995) and failure of hippocampal activation with memory tasks (Bremner 2003a) in adult women with early abuse-related PTSD.”
From The enduring effects of abuse and related adverse experiences in childhood: A convergence of evidence from neurobiology and epidemiology (2006) · cites this paper as Bremner 2003a
Individuals with history of abuse or disordered attachment exhibit compromised fear and social behavior, and vulnerability to later-life mental health disorders.
“In the clinical literature, this has been demonstrated in individuals with a history of abuse or disordered attachment who exhibit compromised fear and social behavior, as well as vulnerability to later-life mental health disorders (Bowlby, 1984, Bremner, 2003, Famularo et al., 1992, Graham et al., 1999, Nemeroff and Vale, 2005, Pechtel et al., 2014).”
From Early life adversity during the infant sensitive period for attachment: Programming of behavioral neurobiology of threat processing and social behavior (2017) · cites this paper as Bremner, 2003
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References 116 · Cited by 243
- Authors
- Bremner, J. D.
- Affiliations
- Emory University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Bremner, J.Douglas
- ORCID
- Bremner, J.Douglas
- Venue
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2003-04
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 271-292
- ISSN
- 1056-4993 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2096218321
- Cited by
- 243
- References
- 116
- Citations by year
- 2025: 7 · 2024: 12 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 7 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 15 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 16 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 1.52
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institute of Mental Health (MH 56120, R01MH056120)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Abuse and Trauma
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Behavioral Neuroscience › Stress Responses and Cortisol
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research
- Keywords
- childhood abuse, early life stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, noradrenergic system, stress response, hippocampus, amygdala, prefrontal cortex, opioid system, dopaminergic system, neuropeptide systems, post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, neurobiology
- MeSH terms
- Brain, Brain Mapping, Child, Child Abuse, Child Abuse, Sexual, Female, Humans, Neuropeptides, Stress, Psychological
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