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The neurobiological correlates of childhood adversity and implications for treatment
A R Tyrka1, D E Burgers, N S Philip
1Mood Disorders Research Program and Laboratory for Clinical and Translational Neuroscience, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA.
Objective:
This article provides an overview of research on the neurobiological correlates of childhood adversity and a selective review of treatment implications.
Method:
Findings from a broad array of human and animal studies of early adversity were reviewed.
Results:
Topics reviewed include neuroendocrine, neurotrophic, neuroimaging, and cognitive effects of adversity, as well as genetic and epigenetic influences. Effects of early-life stress on treatment outcome are considered, and development of treatments designed to address the neurobiological abnormalities is discussed.
Conclusion:
Early adversity is associated with abnormalities of several neurobiological systems that are implicated in the development of psychopathology and other medical conditions. Early-life stress negatively impacts treatment outcome, and individuals may require treatments that are specific to this condition.
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