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Excessive stress during fetal development or early childhood can have long-term consequences for the brain: increase the risk of brain disorders, affect a person's reaction to stress at age Adult, modify the nutrients that a mother can pbad to her baby in the womb. New research suggests new approaches to combat the effects of such stress, such as the inhibition of stress hormone production or the "reinitialization" of immune cell populations in the brain . The results were presented at Neuroscience 2018, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience.
Stress during childhood increases two to four times the risk of developing anxiety, depression or addiction later in life, while stress during pregnancy can increase the risk of developing a autism spectrum disorder, as well as several other psychiatric illnesses. Scientists are increasingly discovering the mechanisms by which stress in children or the fetus disrupts brain development and leads to these disorders, which can help reveal new therapeutic strategies.
The new discoveries of today show that:
- In a mouse model of autism spectrum disorder caused by maternal infection during pregnancy, the renewal of fetal brain immune cells alleviates symptoms of the disorder (Tsuneya Ikezu, Abstract 030.09).
- Stress before or during pregnancy can alter intestinal bacteria in women and mice, reducing essential nutrients in mice that reach the brain of fetuses (Eldin Jašarevic, Abstract 500.14).
- Early life stress alters the structure of chromatin in a brain reward region in mice, making them more vulnerable to stress in adulthood (Catherine Pena, abstract 500.01)
- In the raccoon, social behavior and amygdala development are not disturbed by stress, even in the presence of the mother (Regina Sullivan, abstract 783.14).
- Early life stress accelerates the development of the fear response in young mice, but it is possible to prevent this effect by blocking the production of stress hormones (Kevin Bath, Abstract 499.01).
"The research presented today demonstrates the long-lasting and profound effects of early-stage stress, from bacteria populations in the intestine to the way that DNA is bent into the nucleus," he said. Heather Brenhouse, Ph.D., press conference moderator, Northeastern University and expert on the effects of early trauma. "Understanding the impact of stress on the development of biological systems can lead to new approaches to patient-specific treatment and better outcomes."
Explore further:
Adverse Effects of Stress on the Brain and Promising Approaches to Relief
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