When Bad things Happen Early in Life: Effects of Early Adversity on Brain & Behavioral Development

FYSEMR 43F Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Decades of research tell us that the foundations of healthy development are built early in life. Genes provide the basic blueprint for brain architecture, but experiences shape the activity of the genome and thus determine how the circuitry is wired. Significant adversity can derail developmental processes and distort brain maturation, leading to limited economic and social mobility. Exposure to significant adversity early in life, particularly during critical periods of brain development, may increase risk for a host of chronic physical health problems, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, and addictive behavior; it can also lead to a variety of mental health problems, including depression and anxiety and characterological problems. Science clearly indicates that the longer we wait to intervene on behalf of such children, the more difficult it becomes to achieve healthy outcomes. This constraint is particularly true for children who sustain the wear and tear of early exposure to so‐called “toxic stress”. In this seminar we will critically examine the range of adverse early experiences that impact children growing up in both low and high resource countries. Key themes include a) the nature of the adversity children are exposed to, b) the timing of the adversity c) the chronicity of the adversity, and d) individual differences (including genetic and environmental factors that may confer protection on children exposed to early adversity). We will pay particular attention to the short‐ and long‐term outcomes on physical, neurological and psychological health.