Childhood Trauma Could Impact Brain By Disrupting Neural Networks Linked to Problem-Solving and Self-Focus, Study Finds

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A study has discovered how childhood trauma could affect the development of the brain and rewire its crucial pathways.

Brain Impact of Childhood Trauma

The "An FMRI Meta-Analysis of Childhood Trauma" study was led by Dr. Megal Klabunde from the Department of Psychology at the University of Essex. It was able to find a neural network disruption linked to problem-solving and self-focus.

The findings suggest that individuals below 18 years old who have gone through abuse are likely to experience difficulties with empathy, emotions, and understanding their own bodies. Some academic difficulties linked to memory, difficult mental tasks, and decision-making could also surface.

The novel study made use of AI to re-examine up to hundreds of brain scans and look for patterns. Dr. Klabunde examined 14 studies involving over 580 children. The methods highlight the blood flow in various centers, displaying brain activity.

The study found a notable difference in the default mode (DMN) and the central executive networks (CEN) of the children. These are two massive systems in the brain. Both the DMN and the posterior insula are involved in people's sense of their bodies, their internal reflections, and their sense of their own selves.

New studies have also discovered that the DMN has a pivotal role in several mental health issues. This could be affected by childhood trauma.

The CEN was also observed to have higher activity compared to healthy children. This means that children with a history of trauma may relive and ruminate bad experiences when they get triggered.

ALSO READ: Autoimmune Disease Prevalent in Victims of Childhood Trauma, According to Study

Childhood Trauma Treatment

The research is hoped to aid in the honing of novel treatments for children who have gone through mistreatment. This implies that therapists could possibly give their attention to techniques that could rewire such centers and rebuild the sense of self of the patient.

According to Dr. Klabunde, at present, scientific treatments for childhood trauma mainly focus on addressing trauma trigger avoidance and fearful thoughts. These are crucial in treating trauma.

However, the new study has revealed that these only address one area of the issue. Even if children do not think about the trauma they endured, their brains experience difficulties processing sensations in their bodies. This affects one's feelings and thinking regarding their inner world. It also impacts their capacity to build relationships and empathize with others.

Dr. Klabunde is hopeful that the study will serve as a springboard to look into how trauma could affect developing brains. She notes that their findings show that treatments for childhood trauma are missing a crucial puzzle piece. On top of preventing situational avoidance and addressing thoughts, therapies should also address how these traumatic experiences affect one's sense of self, body, relationships, and empathetic or emotional processing. This is crucial, as untreated symptoms could likely affect other mental health or general health issues.