Most studies investigating the effect of childhood trauma on the brain are retrospective and mainly focus on maltreatment, whereas different types of trauma exposure such as growing up in a violent neighborhood, as well as developmental stage, could have differential effects on brain structure and function. The current magnetic resonance imaging study assessed the effect of trauma exposure broadly and violence exposure more specifically, as well as developmental stage on the fear neurocircuitry in 8- to 14-year-old children and adolescents (N = 69). We observed reduced hippocampal and increased amygdala volume with increasing levels of trauma exposure. Second, higher levels of violence exposure were associated with increased activation in the amygdala, hippocampus, and ventromedial prefrontal cortex during emotional response inhibition. This association was specifically observed in children younger than 10 years. Finally, increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and brainstem was associated with higher levels of violence exposure. Based on the current findings, it could be hypothesized that trauma exposure during childhood results in structural changes that are associated with later risk for psychiatric disorders. At the same time, it could be postulated that growing up in an unsafe environment leads the brain to functionally adapt to this situation in a way that promotes survival, where the long-term costs or consequences of these adaptations are largely unknown and an area for future investigations.

中文翻译：

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受暴力侵害的儿童对恐惧神经回路的激活增加。

大多数调查儿童创伤对大脑的影响的研究都是回顾性的，并且主要集中在虐待上，而不同类型的创伤暴露（例如在暴力邻里长大以及发育阶段）可能会对脑结构和功能产生不同的影响。当前的磁共振成像研究广泛评估了创伤暴露和暴力暴露的影响，以及发育阶段对8至14岁儿童和青少年的恐惧神经回路的影响（N = 69）。我们观察到随着创伤暴露水平的增加，海马减少，杏仁核体积增加。其次，在情绪反应抑制过程中，暴露于较高水平的暴力行为与杏仁核，海马和腹膜前额叶皮层的活化增加有关。特别是在10岁以下的儿童中观察到这种关联。最后，杏仁核和脑干之间功能连接的增加与暴力暴露的水平较高有关。根据目前的发现，可以假设儿童时期的创伤暴露会导致结构改变，而这种改变与以后发生精神疾病的风险有关。同时，可以假设在不安全的环境中成长会导致大脑在功能上适应这种情况，从而促进生存，而这些适应的长期成本或后果在很大程度上是未知的，未来的调查。杏仁核和脑干之间功能连接的增加与暴力暴露的水平较高有关。根据目前的发现，可以假设儿童时期的创伤暴露会导致结构改变，而这种改变与以后发生精神疾病的风险有关。同时，可以假设在不安全的环境中成长会导致大脑在功能上适应这种情况，从而促进生存，而这种适应的长期成本或后果在很大程度上是未知的，未来的调查。杏仁核和脑干之间功能连接的增加与暴力暴露的水平较高有关。根据目前的发现，可以假设儿童时期的创伤暴露会导致结构改变，而这种改变与以后发生精神疾病的风险有关。同时，可以假设在不安全的环境中成长会导致大脑在功能上适应这种情况，从而促进生存，而这种适应的长期成本或后果在很大程度上是未知的，未来的调查。