Childhood stress harms brain cells
A recent scientific study has revealed that exposure to psychological stress during childhood can leave lasting effects on brain cells, as it alters DNA regulation and increases the brain's sensitivity to stress and associated mood disorders such as anxiety and depression in adulthood. The study, conducted by the University of Washington and Princeton University and published in the journal "Neuron," focused on dopamine-producing neurons. It showed that anxiety resulting from childhood stress elevates levels of the enzyme SETD7, making stress-related genes more active and heightening the brain's sensitivity to psychological pressure. Experiments on mice demonstrated that increasing the level of this enzyme heightened their anxiety, while inhibiting it helped them resist stress. This highlights how childhood trauma can have long-term impacts on the brain, with the potential to target these mechanisms for future treatments.
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