Early life stress and development: potential mechanisms for adverse outcomes

• Published in: Journal of neurodevelopmental disorders Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 34 - 15
• Main Authors: Smith, Karen E., Pollak, Seth D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 01.12.2020; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Adverse Childhood Experiences; Amygdala; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Child; Children; Children & youth; Developmental disorders; Dopamine receptors; Early adversity; Early life stress; Human Genetics; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Hypothalamus; IDDRC 2020; Nervous system; Neurobiological development; Neurobiology; Neurology; Neuropsychology; Neurosciences; Pediatrics; Physiology; Pituitary; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Psychiatry; Psychopathology; Review; Stress (Psychology); Stress response; Stress, Psychological; Trauma; Developmental disorders; Early adversity; Early life stress; Neurobiological development
• ISSN: 1866-1947; 1866-1955; 1866-1955
• DOI: 10.1186/s11689-020-09337-y

Background Chronic and/or extreme stress in early life, often referred to as early adversity, childhood trauma, or early life stress, has been associated with a wide range of adverse effects on development. However, while early life stress has been linked to negative effects on a number of neural systems, the specific mechanisms through which early life stress influences development and individual differences in children’s outcomes are still not well understood. Main text The current paper reviews the existing literature on the neurobiological effects of early life stress and their ties to children’s psychological and behavioral development. Conclusions Early life stress has persistent and pervasive effects on prefrontal–hypothalamic–amygdala and dopaminergic circuits that are at least partially mediated by alterations in hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis function. However, to date, this research has primarily utilized methods of assessment that focus solely on children’s event exposures. Incorporating assessment of factors that influence children’s interpretation of stressors, along with stressful events, has the potential to provide further insight into the mechanisms contributing to individual differences in neurodevelopmental effects of early life stress. This can aid in further elucidating specific mechanisms through which these neurobiological changes influence development and contribute to risk for psychopathology and health disorders.