The consequences of child abuse and neglect can extend far across the lifespan, resulting in increased vulnerability to mood and anxiety disorders in adulthood. The increased risk may stem from the brain and changes in stress response. Yet these changes do not occur in all people who experience childhood abuse and neglect, suggesting that genetic variation plays a role in the psychiatric consequences of early life trauma. Charles Nemeroff, M.D., Ph.D., director of the Institute of Early Life Adversity Research and a professor of psychiatry at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, will present the latest data on this phenomenon in a Distinguished Psychiatrist Lecture on Saturday, May 18, titled “Paradise Lost: The Neurobiology of Child Abuse and Neglect.”
Nemeroff, who has published more than 1,000 research reports and reviews on the pathophysiology of mood and anxiety disorders, said that childhood maltreatment sets the stage for a plethora of mental illnesses.
“These individuals are particularly at risk for depression, PTSD after [subsequent] trauma, and bipolar disorder. Individuals who have sustained childhood maltreatment have an earlier age of onset for these conditions, a more severe course, and relative treatment resistance compared with individuals without a history of childhood maltreatment,” Nemeroff told Psychiatric News. He added that this population is also at higher risk for suicide, substance and alcohol abuse, and eating disorders.
“The developing brain is very vulnerable to insult. It’s very slow to develop and doesn’t mature till about age 24 or 25. These kinds of early life events have definite consequences on the brain and body,” Nemeroff said.
Imaging studies have revealed changes in the brain after childhood maltreatment, he added. “There is some specificity to the findings that certain forms of childhood maltreatment result in certain forms of brain changes, and other forms of childhood maltreatment result in other forms of brain changes.”
Nemeroff noted the impact of early life trauma on how adults respond to stress.
“These individuals do not have a normal response to stress. Depending on when the abuse occurred and the current trauma [causing stress], they will have either a hyperactive response including cortisol secretion or a hypoactive and sluggish response,” he said.
Nemeroff’s presentation will delve into how this occurs and how certain genetic variants interact with adverse early environmental factors to predict risk for stress-related psychiatric disorders. From there, he will review therapeutic options, including conventional treatment with psychotherapy and medication, and conclude with an exploration of potential new avenues of treatment. ■
“Paradise Lost: The Neurobiology of Child Abuse and Neglect” will be held on Saturday, May 18, from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
