Childhood Trauma
Running head: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT
Childhood Trauma And Its Impact On The Brain
The nature versus nurture debate in human development is longstanding with many
opposing viewpoints. However, numerous studies have confirmed that the maturation and development of the brain has a “reciprocal relationship with the environment” (Wilson, Hansen
& Li, 2001). With the brain developing at its fastest rate in childhood, it is especially impressionable to early life experiences. If those experiences include repeated trauma of abuse or neglect, optimal brain development and function is threatened. Chronic activation of a child’s stress response system affects neurochemical dysregulation, contributing to dissociation and depression. The brain develops in a sequential manner, starting with the brainstem, growing upwards
and outwards towards the frontal cortex. As a child grows, her interactions with the world translate into neurochemical reactions within the brain. With the brainstem and limbic regions at their most impressionable, early childhood traumas induce exaggerated neurochemical reactions within them, establishing a negative trajectory that influences future brain development. In regards to childhood trauma and brain maturation, Perry (2006) discussed a potentially significant impact; as the brain is “use-dependent” (p.29), its repeated response to trauma could over-develop certain brain regions, while other regions atrophy.
For example, when a child experiences fear, a blend of interacting hormonal and neural systems react, preparing the mind and body to protect itself against threat. In some instances, the
Running head: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT
2
brain releases a natural heroin-like substance known as endogenous opioids. The opioids manufacture a protective distancing from trauma by producing
Childhood Trauma And Its Impact On The Brain
The nature versus nurture debate in human development is longstanding with many
opposing viewpoints. However, numerous studies have confirmed that the maturation and development of the brain has a “reciprocal relationship with the environment” (Wilson, Hansen
& Li, 2001). With the brain developing at its fastest rate in childhood, it is especially impressionable to early life experiences. If those experiences include repeated trauma of abuse or neglect, optimal brain development and function is threatened. Chronic activation of a child’s stress response system affects neurochemical dysregulation, contributing to dissociation and depression. The brain develops in a sequential manner, starting with the brainstem, growing upwards
and outwards towards the frontal cortex. As a child grows, her interactions with the world translate into neurochemical reactions within the brain. With the brainstem and limbic regions at their most impressionable, early childhood traumas induce exaggerated neurochemical reactions within them, establishing a negative trajectory that influences future brain development. In regards to childhood trauma and brain maturation, Perry (2006) discussed a potentially significant impact; as the brain is “use-dependent” (p.29), its repeated response to trauma could over-develop certain brain regions, while other regions atrophy.
For example, when a child experiences fear, a blend of interacting hormonal and neural systems react, preparing the mind and body to protect itself against threat. In some instances, the
Running head: CHILDHOOD TRAUMA AND ITS IMPACT
2
brain releases a natural heroin-like substance known as endogenous opioids. The opioids manufacture a protective distancing from trauma by producing
References: (2008). Depression Heim, C., Jeffrey Newport, D., Mletzko, T., Miller, A. H., & Nemeroff, (2008). The link between childhood trauma and depression: Insights from HPA axis studies in humans. Perry, B.D. (2006). The boy who was raised as a dog: What traumatized children can teach us about loss, love and healing Wilson, K., R., Hansen, D., J., & Li, M. (2011). The traumatic stress response in child maltreatment and resultant neuropsychological effects