Kids who are maltreated have the same brain patterns as combat soldiers
Monday, 19 December 2011
Last week I came across a news release from The University College, London, that gave some scary information about a new study published in Current Biology:
Maltreated children show same pattern of brain activity
as combat soldiers
The article explained that children exposed to family violence show the same pattern
of activity in their brains as soldiers exposed to combat.
The study that is reported shows fMRI (functional MRI) brain scans of children who suffer physical abuse and domestic violence. The researchers found that
exposure to family violence was associated with increased brain activity in two
specific brain areas (the anterior insula and the amygdala) when children
viewed pictures of angry faces.
Previous fMRI studies that scanned the brains of soldiers
exposed to violent combat situations have shown the same pattern of heightened
activation in these two areas of the brain, which are associated with threat
detection.
The authors suggest that both maltreated children and
soldiers may have adapted to be 'hyper-aware' of danger in their environment.
However, the anterior insula and amygdala are also areas
of the brain implicated in anxiety disorders. The changes that occur in the brains of children exposed to family violence are at greater risk of developing anxiety
problems later in life.
In the study, which is published in the journal Current
Biology, 43 children had their brains scanned using an fMRI scanner. 20
children who had been exposed to documented violence at home were compared with
23 matched peers who had not experienced family violence. The average age of
the maltreated children was 12 years old and they had all been referred to
local social services in London.
When the children were in the scanner they were presented
with pictures of male and female faces showing sad, calm or angry expressions.
The children had only to decide if the face was male or
female - processing the emotion on the face was incidental.
As described, the children who had been exposed to
violence at home showed increased brain activity in the anterior insula and
amygdala in response to the angry faces.
The researchers stated that "The next step for us is to try and understand how
stable these changes are. Not every child exposed to family violence will go on
to develop a mental health problem; many bounce back and lead successful lives.
We want to know much more about those mechanisms that help some children become
resilient."
This study is perhaps unsurprising. However, when I came across it, I thought it was a powerful and poignant reminder of just how much we, as parents, need to be aware of our interactions with our children. Consistent violence exposure causes their brains to function as if they were combat soldiers.
2 comments:
This is a very interesting article. My son has a friend in his kindergarten class who has some very obvious emotional/behavioural issues. I also noticed that his parents are outwardly disrespectful to him. I have thought for awhile now that his behavior is connected to the way he is treated. I can see the connection really clearly now. It is heartbreaking. Some children are very resilient and as you said can come out of it and be just fine.
My entire family
This idea of resiliency breaks my heart
Continuously since childhood
For some the bounce back has no bounce ma am only thing to guide is the seed of faith planted inside or something equally elusive
There is a murderously difficult struggle to pull ones self through a twisted wilderness thick
With inadequacy
And excessive crippling fear
But we bounce the to the best of our understanding as to how that should look as we try to be acceptable
A lot of shame disappointment in ourselves
when
We r surprised when a slush of stored
evil negativity lets call it kindly comes
spewing out from inside us
Ts
And its so strong it is out of control that scares
People
mostly ourselves because it is not what we intended it is that what was in your heart in fear of being out of control all that shame still meaning 2 gain discipline while sorting out what is me and what is inside me from god knows where thank you for reading this
it is only 1 persons quote unquote insight on the subject of war torn family life and by the way 5 out of 7 of my family members
self destructed by about the age of 50
so far is there are wars all over the world since the beginning of time
this tells me that we cannot all of us live civil lives in raise our family this way there is a place in this world for just toughing it out and going on what would make this
possible for many of us is to have a mission
Is
this does not include having to act all nice
all the time rather to participate in a highly
charged situation where one's ability to put
ones mind in a box would be useful almost
in other words for a job where 1 would not have to think about your troubles work that would require 100 percent concentration
plus therey is a shame of not being able to find a balance between discipline and relaxation for lowering the guard
not work that requires constant communication considering peoples feelings which is no strong suit for the battered whos people skills for feelings are far from fine tuned I DO NOT know
Post a Comment