Researchers from Ohio State University have found that stress during early life alters more brain genes than childhood head injuries, a study of rats showed. The research utilized a rat model to emulate human early-life stress and head injury, illustrating significant genetic changes in the hippocampal region.
The study showed that early-life stress, akin to adversity experienced during childhood, prompted more significant changes in brain gene expression compared to head injuries. Additionally, both stress and stress combined with head injury conditions activated pathways associated with brain plasticity and oxytocin signaling, implying a period of vulnerability. Furthermore, rats exposed to early-life stress demonstrated increased risk-taking behavior in adulthood, reflecting trends seen in human data.
According to senior study author Kathryn Lenz, the results emphasize the lasting impact of early-life stress, which can lead to risk-taking behavior and social disorders in adulthood. The findings emphasize the necessity for effective interventions to address adverse childhood experiences.
Lead researcher Kathryn Lenz, an associate professor of psychology at The Ohio State University, highlighted the significance of the study’s results, noting that early-life stress may have lifelong health consequences. The research indicates that early life stress leads to a cascade of genetic changes in the brain.
The study’s first set of experiments involved artificially inducing stress in newborn rats to mirror adverse childhood experiences, such as traumatic events, by temporarily separating them from their mothers daily for 14 days. The researchers compared stress alone, head injury alone, and stress combined with head injury conditions to uninjured, non-stressed rats, pointing to potential impacts on brain development.
The findings, presented at the Neuroscience 2023 conference, suggest that early-life stress and head injuries can modulate brain function, leading to long-term health and behavioral risks. Further study is needed to better understand and address the impact of early-life stress on brain development and long-term health outcomes.