Deprivation early in life can have a profound and lasting effect on brain development, well into adolescence. That’s according to a new study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience.
The study followed a group of Romanian orphans who were deprived of adequate food, stimulation and human contact in the first years of life. Years later, when the orphans were compared to a control group of children raised in more typical environments, researchers found that the orphans showed significantly lower levels of activity in several key areas of the brain.
What’s more, the researchers found that the effects of early deprivation were still evident even after the orphans had been adopted into loving homes. This suggests that the impact of early deprivation on brain development is long-lasting and potentially irreversible.
The findings have important implications for understanding the role of early experience in brain development and highlight the importance of providing a loving and nurturing environment for children during the critical early years of life.
A new study has found that early deprivation continues to affect brain development well into adolescence.
The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Washington, looked at how early life adversity affects the brain’s grey matter during adolescence.
Grey matter is the part of the brain that is responsible for processing information, making decisions, and controlling movement.
The researchers found that early deprivation was associated with less grey matter in the brain during adolescence.
This is the first study to show that early life adversity affects brain development during adolescence.
The findings suggest that early deprivation may have long-term effects on brain development.
The study highlights the importance of providing support to children who have experienced early life adversity.
