Health

Early life stress 'changes' genes

by generaldecay | November 9, 2009 at 08:44 am

53 views | 14 Recommendations | 4 comments

A study in mice has hinted at the impact that early life trauma and stress can have on genes, and how they can result in behavioural problems. Stressed mice produced hormones that "changed" their genes, affecting their behaviour throughout their lives.

This has to be a quick hit.

This research brings a new slant to the importance of formative experiences of later well-being.

This work could provide clues to how stress and trauma in early life can lead to later problems.

Differences between mice and humans aside, of course. And the bottom line:

"There is strong evidence that adversities such as abuse and neglect during infancy contribute to the development of psychiatric diseases such as depression," he told BBC News.

That's not news, per se, though the alteration of genes which may bring about this depression is.

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Paschen

at 16:55 on November 9th, 2009

Changes, mutate, degrades....

Can we reverse the damage? Most likely not.

generaldecay

at 22:10 on November 9th, 2009

I think our genetics are indeed doing as they want at this stage. And that, after all, is evolution.

Thanks for the recommendation and comment, Paschen.

PIM of SPAIN

at 03:58 on November 10th, 2009

That genes are of influence is new to me, but certainly early life trauma and stress do have an enormous impact on youngsters behaviour. Many of the youngsters that are in the hooligan circuit, are victims of bad early life treatment, not having received the care and attention all young people deserve. Parents were too busy with there own preoccupations that after putting their children in this world, they lost interest in them. Hopefully the next generation parents will take a lesson from this.