Childhood experiences are the basis of physical and mental health. Psychologists and doctors from all over the world also talk about these situations. And material deprivations, abuses leave deep traces, for life. Here’s a new study from the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis that offers new insight into how childhood problems can affect brain development and connectivity.
Specifically, the study’s findings point to a role between childhood poverty and altered brain white matter integrity.
MRI images of over 8,000 children were analyzed
For the study, the researchers used MRI results from 8,842 children who participated in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study to assess how water diffusion in brain structures might be different in children who grew up in socioeconomic disadvantage ( neighborhoods, parents’ education and income, etc.) compared to those who did not experience such problems early in life. The researchers’ conclusion is that the socioeconomic and family environment influences brain health.
Brain white matter affected by childhood poverty
“White matter integrity is very important in brain development,” said first author Zhaolong (Adrian) Li, a neuroimaging research technician in the university’s Department of Psychiatry. “For example, if the white matter is affected, visual-spatial and mental health problems can occur in children. If we can capture how socio-economic status affects white matter at the beginning of a child’s life, the hope is that we will one day be able to translate these findings into preventive measures,” said the author of the study read by Health Imaging magazine.
Childhood poverty – also connected to obesity?
Another conclusion of this study is that associations were observed between conditions of poverty, obesity and poor cognitive function. “This may suggest that obesity may play a role in white matter integrity,” co-corresponding author Tamara Hershey, PhD, the James S. McDonnell Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Washington, explained to the same publication. “Our finding that obesity and cognitive enrichment may be relevant mediators, if confirmed, would provide strong support for managing healthy weight and encouraging cognitively stimulating activities to support brain health in disadvantaged children,” said Hershey, who is also professor of psychiatry and radiology. Researchers campaign to study the impact of childhood poverty. Especially since both poverty and the habits that lead to obesity are modifiable, and their impact can be modified.
Sources: Health Imaging
2023-07-14 12:36:03
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