Child Abuse May Change The Brain, Study Says

Victims of child abuse may experience changes in their brains similar to those seen in soldiers, according to a new, small study.

The findings, published in the December 6 issue of Current Biology, is the first to use functional brain scans to examine the effects of abuse on children's emotional development.

"This research...provides our first clues as to how regions in the child's brain may adapt to early experiences of abuse," lead author Eamon McCrory of Britain's University College London told Reuters.

McCrory and his colleagues observed brain responses in 43 12-year-old children to pictures of male and female calm, angry and sad faces. The 20 children in the study who had been abused at home showed more activity in two regions of the brain that are involved in detecting threats. The brains of soldiers who have been exposed to violent combat show similar patterns in these areas, according to Reuters.

The findings suggest that abused children and combat soldiers "tune their brains to be hyper-aware of environmental danger," reports The Daily Mail.

This may keep children out of harm's way in the short term, McCrory said in a press release. But given that childhood abuse is one of the most common precursors to mental illness, these brain changes may also set the stage for anxiety and depression later in life.

Of course, not every child will face these mental health challenges. In fact, "many bounce back and lead successful lives," McCrory told The Daily Mail. "We want to know much more about those mechanisms that help some children become resilient."

Doing so may lead to new treatments to help the victims of child abuse. Until then, Peter Fonagy, a psychology professor at UCL who was not involved in the study, told The Daily Mail, "the report should energize clinicians and social workers to double their efforts to safeguard children from violence."

The study is not the first to link maltreatment during childhood to mental illness later in life. Previous research has tied abuse to personality disorders, anxiety disorders, social isolation, relationship problems and suicidal behavior, among other mental health problems. Victims of child abuse may also face physical health problems, such as an increased risk of heart attack, heart disease and stroke, according to findings presented in November at the American Heart Association's 2011 scientific sessions.

Comments

[gwallan]

08:42 PM on 12/08/2011

"The findings suggest that abused children and combat soldiers "tune their brains to be hyper-aware of environmental danger," reports The Daily Mail."

Victims become survivors by building protections around themselves. Sometimes - not always - these "suits of armour" come with sharp bits. Sometimes these sharp bits point outwards and can alienate or even hurt others. Other times they point inwards like an iron maiden and cause the victim to harm or neglect themselves.

"Of course, not every child will face these mental health challenges. In fact, "many bounce back and lead successful lives," McCrory told The Daily Mail. "We want to know much more about those mechanisms that help some children become resilient.""

Many will also seem to "lead successful lives" but never really have peace. For the same reasons trauma can lead to addictions it can also lead to obsession. Those things can often serve only as distractions from the real nightmare.

[617patrick]

09:16 AM on 12/06/2011

so don't let your children near Catholic priests.

[Vegan Girl]

10:55 PM on 12/05/2011

Here is Dr. Gabor mate on this.
http://www.democracynow.org/2011/5/30/dr_gabor_mat_on_the_stress

[Bucket-Of-Love]

10:51 PM on 12/05/2011

The cost of abuse, bullying, and otherwise hostile environments is considerably under-measured, unreported, and underestimated. Abuse is clearly pervasive throughout cultures. Though already somewhat documented, this report adds to the known effects of abuse upon neurological health and development.

Abuse is extended to adulthood, with business and economic structures engaged in widespread emotional and economic abuse. Given its probable negative impact upon neurological/mental health, it is largely unquestioned. Many (primarily adults, and secondarily the children of these adults) are left helpless and hopeless by the abusive culture and practices of business. The problem doesn't end at the matter of child abuse; it is played out as adult abuse of adults ongoingly.

The growing worldwide trend of depression (World Health Organization estimates it will soon be the LARGEST single health care burden globally) may correlate to the cultures and realities of abuse. Other studies reveal 38% of Europeans reporting mental/neurological health issues annually (mostly anxiety and depression); the U.S. is believed to be on par with those numbers. I and other others think that the number reported is lower than what actually exists in reality.

We are experiencing an underlying Stockholm Syndrome, where voices against abuse are silenced and victims embrace the platforms of abusive behavior. One would think that by now this would have ended, but I believe we are unfortunately only at the tip of the iceberg in recognizing the health, social, and economic-related impacts of abuse.

[Nab Habib]

06:24 PM on 12/05/2011

Some scientists believe that abuse is also related to crime. This could help to understand recidivism.

[OleMa]

01:01 PM on 12/06/2011

Agreed. Most criminals in prison were abused as kids and woe to the child abuser who gets locked up.

I feel the pervasive fear existing in some inner city neighborhoods, of becoming involved in a shooting or other violent incident, causes PTSD in inner city kids. How could it not??! I think this also goes a long way toward explaining gang membership: safety in numbers. The gang becomes the 'family', protecting its members. It's perverted thinking, to be sure, because violence only increases, not decreases, but the perversion rarely existed before the violence.