The Neurological consequences of Early Life Stress

Abstract

Early life stress can be defined as extreme stress or trauma experienced by a child during developmental stages. This type of chronic stress can cause far reaching consequences well into adulthood. The following literature review will focus on the neurological consequences from ELS exposure. Studies show that ELS exposure can be linked to decreased hippocampus volume and blunted mesolimbic pathway, potentially increasing the risk of depression. ELS is also associated with increased amygdala volume and increased attention bias to negative cues, which might increase susceptibility to anxiety. Furthermore, insults during early childhood stages can affect the functioning and development of cognitive circuits, resulting in impaired learning and memory as evidenced by human and rodent studies. Epigenetic studies indicate that DNA methylation and BDNF expression can be altered by ELS. Fortunately, some epigenetic modulations can be targeted for therapeutic purposes.