Brains of people mistreated in childhood have less brain volume in areas of the hippocampal complex shaded in yellow.
People abused as children show reduced brain volume in regions governing emotion, learning, and memory, deficits that make them more vulnerable to relapse—and relapses of greater severity—if they become substance abusers, a new study by Yale School of Medicine researchers shows.
The study, published online June 11 in the journal JAMA Psychiatry, identifies potential biological markers that can identify addicts at high risk of relapse.
"We can begin to think about ways to address the underlying pathology in substance abuse and explore use of exercise and some medications to stimulate new growth and connections in brain cells in these specific brain regions to help restore trauma-related brain atrophy," said Rajita Sinha, the Foundations Fund Professor of Psychiatry, director of the Yale Stress Center, and senior author of the study."As childhood trauma is highly common in substance abuse, addressing these trauma-related structural brain changes can help us develop better treatment plans to promote successful recovery from addiction," Sinha said.
http://medicalxpress.com/news/2014-06-brain-retains-childhood-traumaand-substance.html
Abstract available at JAMA Psychiatry: http://archpsyc.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1684869&resultClick=3
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