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Early deprivation alters structural brain development from middle childhood to adolescence

Margaret A Sheridan1, Cora E Mukerji2,3, Mark Wade4

  • 1Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 235 E. Cameron Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA.

Science Advances
|October 7, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Early childhood adversity impacts brain development. Randomized foster care improved cortical development, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, highlighting the importance of early interventions.

Area of Science:

  • Developmental neuroscience
  • Human neurobiology
  • Child psychology

Background:

  • Early adversity is hypothesized to affect brain development through neuroplasticity.
  • Previous evidence linking early adversity to human neural development is limited.
  • Animal studies suggest a biological embedding of early adversity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To establish a causal link between early psychosocial deprivation and human cortical development.
  • To investigate the impact of foster care intervention on neural development in children.
  • To examine longitudinal changes in brain structure from childhood to adolescence.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized data from the Bucharest Early Intervention Project, a randomized controlled trial.
  • Analyzed longitudinal neuroimaging data to assess cortical development.
  • Compared neural development in children randomized to foster care versus those remaining in institutional care.

Main Results:

  • Randomized placement into foster care led to significant changes in cortical development.
  • Alterations were most prominent in the lateral and medial prefrontal cortex.
  • Improvements were also observed in white matter tracts connecting prefrontal and parietal regions.

Conclusions:

  • This study provides causal evidence linking early psychosocial deprivation to altered neural development in humans.
  • Early placement into family-based care can mitigate the neurodevelopmental consequences of deprivation.
  • Findings underscore the critical role of early environments in shaping brain structure and function.

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