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. 2011 Sep:2011:14.
Epub 2011 Sep 21.

Effects of stress on the developing brain

Bruce S McEwen

Effects of stress on the developing brain

Bruce S McEwen. Cerebrum. 2011 Sep.

Abstract

In a complementary article, Judge Cindy Lederman explains the importance of using science to inform family court decisions. Here, Dr. Bruce S. McEwen looks at that science in depth, discussing how early-life stress can lead to long-lasting behavioral, mental, and physical consequences. Fortunately, preventive measures can improve health outcomes, and while interventions for those who have already experienced debilitating early-life stress require considerable effort, they remain possible, thanks to the brain's plasticity.

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References

Further Reading

    1. Akers KG, Yang Z, DelVecchio DP, Reeb BC, Romeo RD, McEwen, Tang AC. Social competitiveness and plasticity of neuroendocrine function in old age: Influence of neonatal novelty exposure and maternal care reliability. PLoS One. 2008;3(7):e2840. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Evans GW, Wachs TD. Chaos and its influence on children’s development: An ecological perspective. 1st ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association; 2010.
    1. Giedd JN, Blumenthal J, Jeffries NO, Castellanos FX, Liu H, Zijdenbos A, Rapoport JL. Brain development during childhood and adolescence: A longitudinal MRI study. Nature Neuroscience. 1999;2:861–863. - PubMed
    1. McGowan PO, Sasaki A, D’Alessio AC, Dymov S, Labonte B, Szyf M, Meaney MJ. Epigenetic regulation of the glucocorticoid receptor in human brain associates with childhood abuse. Nature Neuroscience. 2009;12:241–243. - PMC - PubMed

References

    1. Shonkoff JP, Boyce WT, McEwen BS. Neuroscience, molecular biology, and the childhood roots of health disparities. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2009;301:2252–2259. - PubMed
    1. Gold SM, Dziobek I, Sweat V, Tirsi A, Rogers K, Bruehl H, Convit A. Hippocampal damage and memory impairments as possible early brain complications of type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2007;50(4):711–719. - PubMed
    1. Yau PL, Javier DC, Ryan CM, Tsui WH, Ardekani BA, Ten S, Convit A. Preliminary evidence for brain complications in obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Diabetologia. 2010;53(11):2298–2306. - PMC - PubMed
    1. NYU School of Medicine The Body Project. Retrieved June 28, 2011, from http://thebodyproject.org/
    1. McEwen BS, Gianaros P. Stress- and allostasis-induced brain plasticity. Annual Review of Medicine. 2010;62:431–445. - PMC - PubMed

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