Neurobiology of early life adversity: A systematic review of meta-analyses towards an integrative account of its neurobiological trajectories to mental disorders

• Published in: Frontiers in neuroendocrinology Vol. 65; p. 100994
• Main Authors: Hakamata, Yuko, Suzuki, Yuhki, Kobashikawa, Hajime, Hori, Hiroaki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.04.2022
• Subjects: Adverse Childhood Experiences; Childhood maltreatment; Childhood trauma; Connectivity; DNA methylation; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; Gene; Glucocorticoid; Humans; Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System; Interleukin; Mental Disorders; Norepinephrine; Pituitary-Adrenal System; Stress, Psychological - metabolism; White matter integrity; Childhood maltreatment; Interleukin; White matter integrity; Childhood trauma; Glucocorticoid; ACEs; Dorsolateral prefrontal cortex; GMV; Gene; DNA methylation; HPA; Connectivity; Norepinephrine
• ISSN: 0091-3022; 1095-6808
• DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2022.100994

•ACEs can leave neurobiological scars, conferring a risk of mental disorders.•This systematic review offers an integrative account of the neurobiology of ACEs.•It covers meta-analyses on endocrine/immune systems, neuroimaging, and genetics.•HPA axis alteration and inflammation exist in ACEs irrespective of mental disorders.•Hippocampal GMV and amygdalar activity are altered even in healthy people with ACEs. Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) may leave long-lasting neurobiological scars, increasing the risk of developing mental disorders in later life. However, no review has comprehensively integrated existing evidence across the fields: hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, immune/inflammatory system, neuroimaging, and genetics/epigenetics. We thus systematically reviewed previous meta-analyses towards an integrative account of ACE-related neurobiological alterations. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guideline, a total of 27 meta-analyses until October 2021 were identified. This review found that individuals with ACEs possess blunted cortisol response to psychosocial stressors, low-grade inflammation evinced by increased C-reactive protein levels, exaggerated amygdalar response to emotionally negative information, and diminished hippocampal gray matter volume. Importantly, these alterations were consistently observed in those with and without psychiatric diagnosis. These findings were integrated and discussed in a schematic model of ACE-related neurobiological alterations. Future longitudinal research based on multidisciplinary approach is imperative for ACE-related mental disorders’ prevention and treatment.