Editor's note: Dr. Harise Stein at Stanford University edits a web site — abuseresearch.info — that focuses on the health effects of abuse, and includes research articles on ACEs. Every month, she's posting the summaries of the abstracts and links to research articles that address only ACEs science. Thank you, Harise!! -- Jane Stevens]
Nelson CA 3rd, Gabard-Durnam LJ.
Early Adversity and Critical Periods: Neurodevelopmental Consequences of Violating the Expectable Environment. Trends Neurosci. 2020 Mar;43(3):133-143. PMID: 32101708
Detailed analysis of the neurodevelopment of children exposed to ACEs, considered a “violation of the expectable environment”.
Juruena MF, Eror F, Cleare AJ, Young AH.
The Role of Early Life Stress in HPA Axis and Anxiety. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2020;1191:141-153. PMID: 32002927
This review examines the emerging literature on the relationship between early life stress, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function (= stress hormones), generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and phobias.
Tani Y, Fujiwara T, Kondo K.
Association Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Dementia in Older Japanese Adults. JAMA Netw Open. 2020 Feb 5;3(2):e1920740. PMID: 32031646
Of 17,412 Japanese adults mean age 73.5 years, having 3 or more ACEs was associated with 1.78 times increased dementia risk, despite adjusting for age, sex, childhood economic hardship, nutritional environment, education, sociodemographic characteristics, social relationships, health behavior, and health status.
Gouin JP, Paquin C, Wrosch C, McGrath J, Arbour N, Booij L.
Marital quality and inflammation: The moderating role of early life adversity. Health Psychol. 2020 Jan;39(1):58-67. PMID: 31512924
Research has shown that positive marital quality is usually associated with lower chronic low-grade inflammation. However, for 168 partnered middle-aged women, and independent of current chronic stress, the presence of early life adversity negated this benefit.
Lamson A, Richardson N, Cobb E.
The Health and Readiness of Service Members: ACEs to PACEs. Mil Med. 2020 Jan 7;185(Supplement_1):348-354. PMID: 32074355
Discussion of measuring and addressing ACEs in the military context. Authors note higher ACE exposures in military personnel than the general public, and significant concerns about confidentiality and career impact. What will military leaders do with the information and who would have access? Where will the information be stored? In addition, for this population authors feel it is particularly important to look at resilience and measure PACEs – Protective and Compensatory Experiences.
Forkey H.
Putting Your Trauma Lens On. Pediatr Ann. 2019 Jul 1;48(7):e269-e273. PMID: 31305944
“Familiarity with the most common symptoms of traumatic stress will help the medical provider quickly recognize which children are impacted or FRAYED (Fits, Frets, and Fear; Regulation disorders; Attachment problems; Yawning and Yelling; Educational and developmental delays; Defeat and Dissociation)…Organizing practical guidance around the "3 R's"-Reassuring, Restoring routines, and Regulating-is a roadmap to recovery.”
Kaiser S, Zimmet M, Fraser J, Liddle K, Roberts G.
Recognition of attachment difficulties and developmental trauma is the responsibility of all pediatricians. J Paediatr Child Health. 2018 Oct;54(10):1110-1116. PMID: 30294995
“This article provides an overview of attachment theory, developmental trauma and trauma-informed care for paediatricians. The impact of difficult or impoverished parent-child relationships on brain development and long-term health is now well known…Viewing children and their families through a 'trauma-informed lens' can provide critical insights into their clinical presentation and care needs.”
Skar AS, Ormhaug SM, Jensen TK.
Reported Levels of Upset in Youth After Routine Trauma Screening at Mental Health Clinics. JAMA Netw Open. 2019 May 3;2(5):e194003. PMID: 31099873
Among 10,157 Norwegian youth aged 6 to 18 years referred to mental health treatment centers and who were screened for trauma, 79.1% reported exposure to at least 1 potentially traumatizing event, and there with a mean of 2.4 different types of events. 4.5% reported high levels of upset to screening, 27.2% moderate upset and 68.4% little or no upset. Those with a history of sexual abuse or higher levels of PTSD symptoms were more likely to report high levels of upset at screening.
Easterlin MC, Chung PJ, Leng M, Dudovitz R.
Association of Team Sports Participation With Long-term Mental Health Outcomes Among Individuals Exposed to Adverse Childhood Experiences. JAMA Pediatr. 2019 Jul 1;173(7):681-688. PMID: 31135890
For 9668 individuals in a national adolescent study, 49.3% reported 1 or more ACE and 21.3% 2 or more ACEs. Among those with ACEs, team sports participation during grades 7-12 was significantly associated with lower odds of receiving a diagnosis of depression or anxiety as an adult aged 24-32 years. “Team sports may be an important and scalable resilience builder.”
Cerna-Turoff I, Fischer HT, Mayhew S, Devries K.
Violence against children and natural disasters: A systematic review and meta-analysis of quantitative evidence. PLoS One. 2019 May 30;14(5):e0217719. PMID: 31145758
Guidance for researchers to consider when setting up assessments of child abuse during the current pandemic. “More nuanced and rigorous research is needed to inform practice and policy as natural disasters increasingly affect populations.” Full text.
Uchitel J, Alden E, Bhutta ZA, et. al.
The Rights of Children for Optimal Development and Nurturing Care. Pediatrics. 2019 Dec;144(6). pii: e20190487. PMID: 31771960
Description of the United Nations Nurturing Care Framework for Early Childhood Development that includes good health, adequate nutrition, responsive caregiving, security and safety, and opportunities for early learning. The article also includes the evolution of children’s rights, neurobiological justification for the importance of nurturing care, challenges with specific groups, obstacles and advocacy solutions, educational tools for clinicians and children, and a list of organizations and conferences concerning child development and the rights of the child.
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