A new study has found that a deprived childhood can have permanent effects on brain development in adulthood. The study focused on individuals who experienced severe deprivation as children in Ceaușescu-era orphanages in Romania. Previous research had already shown that these children had impaired cognitive and mental health, including ADHD and low IQ. The present study aimed to examine altered brain structure and volume in young adults who were deprived in childhood.
MRI data from the study involving 67 young adults adopted from Romanian orphanages were used, with 21 similarly adopted individuals with normal childhoods included for comparison. The researchers aimed to rule out confounding factors by selecting children who were deprived of sources other than family and who experienced a swift transition to a caring environment through adoption.
The results of the study showed that individuals who experienced early institutional deprivation had a significantly smaller total brain volume (~9%) compared to the non-deprived group. Each additional month of deprivation led to a nearly 0.3% reduction in total brain volume. Other specific findings included a smaller right inferior frontal lobe surface area and volume in the deprived group, as well as a larger and more extensive right medial prefrontal lobe that increased with duration of deprivation.
Deprived individuals also had lower IQ measurements and higher ADHD symptoms, which were linked to smaller total brain volume. However, compensatory growth was observed in the right inferior temporal lobe, which protected against ADHD symptoms. The findings of the study were attributed to neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt to environmental influences and promote learning and development.
The study highlights the importance of recognizing the long-lasting consequences of early childhood deprivation, even with subsequent environmental enrichment. It also emphasizes the need for further research to better understand the underlying mechanisms and potential interventions to mitigate the negative effects of early deprivation on brain development.
The original article can be found here.
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