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Investigating the association between early life parental care and stress responsivity in adulthood
Veronika Engert1, Claudia Buss, Najmeh Khalili-Mahani
1Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montreal, Quebec, Canada. veronika.engert@mail.mcgill.ca
Abstract:
We explored the associations between early life experience, endocrine regulation, psychological health, and hippocampal integrity in 37 elderly volunteers. Specifically, a neurodevelopmental and psychological mediation model was tested: Retrospective early life parental care was hypothesized to influence hippocampal integrity and the development of self-esteem. In turn, hippocampal volume (via modulation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis negative feedback) and self-esteem (via modulation of stress vulnerability) were suggested to influence the cortisol stress response. Results supported the two-mediator model. We propose that early life parental care impacts on an individual's developing brain and personality, which consequently contribute to the shaping of neuroendocrine stress responsivity.
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