Experiencing childhood stress accelerates brain aging

Stressful or traumatic experiences in childhood have been proven to negatively affect a person’s health in adulthood. Those affected have an increased risk of developing various diseases, often suffering from depression, anxiety disorders, cardiovascular or metabolic diseases. Until now, little was known about whether such experiences can contribute to the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

Now, researchers from Berlin’s Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin have been able to confirm that severe early-life distress is associated with measurable markers of accelerated brain aging and enhances neurodegenerative processes later in life. The study is published in the journal Annals of Neurology.

“Stress and trauma in childhood, such as abuse, neglect, domestic violence, substance abuse or delinquency in the family, the loss of a parent – these are experiences that affect a significant number of people in our society,” says Prof. Christine Heim, principal investigator of this study and director of the Institute of Medical Psychology at Charité.

About 30-40% of the population report severe stress or traumatic childhood experiences. Such experiences can leave molecular and neurobiological traces and affect the endocrine and immune systems, which can contribute to a lifelong increased risk of various diseases.

In this study, Prof. Heim’s research group tried to find out whether adverse experiences in early life have a long-term effect on brain aging and whether they contribute to the development of neurodegenerative processes.

The study, conducted in close cooperation with the Department of Neurology at Charité, involved 179 women between the ages of 30 and 60. Women have a higher risk of developing neurodegenerative diseases, so the researchers decided to focus on this high-risk group.

The scientists began the study by conducting clinical interviews to find out how much stress or anxiety the participants had as children – before puberty. They also examined participants’ blood samples using high-precision technology to look for biomarkers indicating specific neuroinflammatory processes and nerve cell damage.

The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to record the size of the participants’ brains and the cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid. They also measured the participants’ cognitive function using a standardized, internationally recognized assessment.

The participants were required to complete various computerized tasks. Three specific tests were chosen for the study, which can detect early signs of dementia with high accuracy.

The researchers analyzed the collected data using statistical models. They took into account socioeconomic factors and psychiatric symptoms such as depression, which may also play a role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, to avoid the influence of stress in early life that was mentioned in the study.

The results of all three levels of the study were conclusive: in women who had experienced significant stress or trauma in childhood, there were increased levels of biomarkers of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration in the blood, reduced brain volume and more cognitive problems.

Further research is now needed to shed light on the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon, so that suitable treatments can then be developed to interrupt disease pathways in a targeted and early manner.

Scientists need to further understand the risk factors that play a role in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, especially given the marked increase in diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

However, not everyone who has experienced childhood trauma develops dementia later in life. Many people show remarkable resilience, allowing them to weather severe crises without compromising their health. Targeting ways to build resilience after early-life stressors is a key topic for future research, researchers said.

The fact that many more women than men develop dementia is one of the reasons the researchers focused on women in this study. In the future, Prof. Heim and her team hope to explore whether similar correlations exist among men.