Lasting Effects of Early Life Stress on Genome, Gut and Brain

Summary: Researchers report stress during fetal development and early childhood can have lasting implications for brain development, leading to increased risks of brain disorders later in life.

Source: SfN.

Excessive stress during fetal development or early childhood can have long-term consequences for the brain, from increasing the likelihood of brain disorders and affecting an individual’s response to stress as an adult to changing the nutrients a mother may pass on to her babies in the womb. The new research suggests novel approaches to combat the effects of such stress, such as inhibiting stress hormone production or “resetting” populations of immune cells in the brain. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2018, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.

Childhood stress increases the chance of developing anxiety, depression, or drug addiction later in life by two to four times, while stress during pregnancy may increase the child’s risk of developing autism spectrum disorder, as well as several other psychiatric illnesses. Scientists are discovering more about the mechanisms through which childhood or fetal stress disrupts brain development and leads to these disorders, which may help reveal new therapeutic strategies.

Today’s new findings show that:

  • In a mouse model of autism spectrum disorder caused by maternal infection during pregnancy, renewing fetal brain immune cells alleviates symptoms of the disorder (Tsuneya Ikezu, abstract 030.09)
  • Stress before or during pregnancy can alter gut bacteria in women and mice, which in the mice reduces critical nutrients reaching fetuses’ brains (Eldin JaĊĦarevic, abstract 500.14)
  • Early life stress changes chromatin structure in a brain reward region in mice, making them more vulnerable to stress as adults (Catherine Pena, abstract 500.01)
  • In rat pups, stress-induced deficits in social behavior and amygdala development occur only when the mother is present (Regina Sullivan, abstract 783.14)
  • Early life stress accelerates the development of the fear response in young mice, but the effect can be prevented by blocking stress hormone production (Kevin Bath, abstract 499.01)
a child
Childhood stress increases the chance of developing anxiety, depression, or drug addiction later in life by two to four times, NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.

“The research presented today demonstrates the long-lasting and far reaching effects of stress during early development, from the populations of bacteria in the gut to the way DNA is folded in the nucleus,” said press conference moderator Heather Brenhouse, PhD, of Northeastern University and an expert in the effects of early life trauma. “Understanding how stress impacts developing biological systems may lead to new, patient-specific approaches to treatment and better outcomes.”

About this neuroscience research article

Funding: This research was supported by national funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, as well as other public, private, and philanthropic organizations worldwide.

Source: Lauren Wingfield – SfN
Publisher: Organized by NeuroscienceNews.com.
Image Source: NeuroscienceNews.com image is in the public domain.
Original Research: The study will be presented at Neuroscience 2018, the annual meeting for the Society of Neuroscience.

Cite This NeuroscienceNews.com Article

[cbtabs][cbtab title=”MLA”]SfN”Lasting Effects of Early Life Stress on Genome, Gut and Brain.” NeuroscienceNews. NeuroscienceNews, 2 November 2018.
<https://neurosciencenews.com/stress-genome-gut-brain-10142/>.[/cbtab][cbtab title=”APA”]SfN(2018, November 2). Lasting Effects of Early Life Stress on Genome, Gut and Brain. NeuroscienceNews. Retrieved November 2, 2018 from https://neurosciencenews.com/stress-genome-gut-brain-10142/[/cbtab][cbtab title=”Chicago”]SfN”Lasting Effects of Early Life Stress on Genome, Gut and Brain.” https://neurosciencenews.com/stress-genome-gut-brain-10142/ (accessed November 2, 2018).[/cbtab][/cbtabs]

Feel free to share this Neuroscience News.
Join our Newsletter
I agree to have my personal information transferred to AWeber for Neuroscience Newsletter ( more information )
Sign up to receive our recent neuroscience headlines and summaries sent to your email once a day, totally free.
We hate spam and only use your email to contact you about newsletters. You can cancel your subscription any time.