364. Timing of Exposure to Childhood Maltreatment Differentially Impacts Brain Age Acceleration Later in Life: Evidence for Sensitive Periods

Experiencing adversity early in life, particularly in the form of childhood maltreatment, is a significant risk factor for developing neuropsychiatric disorders later in life. Further, previous investigations have shown that childhood maltreatment has significant influences on both the structure and functioning of the brain that extend well into adulthood. Brain age, in particular, serves as a useful metric for quantifying the neurobiological consequences of childhood trauma. Although the effects of trauma on brain development can be largely dependent upon the age at which the individual experiences the trauma in question, it remains unclear if these so called “sensitive periods” exist for brain age acceleration later in life.

Source: Biological Psychiatry - April 29, 2024 Category: Psychiatry Authors: Leland Fleming, Kyoko Ohashi, Seyma Katrinli, Alicia Smith, Michelle Bosquet Enlow, Karlen Lyons-Ruth, Martin Teicher, Torsten Klengel, Kerry Ressler Source Type: research