A new study revealed that childhood trauma could rewire’ your brain, the researchers suggest that this could lead to aggressive and self-harming behavior. The study, led by Assistant Professor Sora Shin, identified the specific brain pathway that changes after someone experiences trauma early in life. The results were published in the journal Science Advances. The researchers explained that their findings suggest that aggression and self-harm, while looking different on the outside, might actually come from the same place in the brain. They might both be a result of how the brain deals with pain signals. Can Trauma Change Your Brain? The new discovery is crucial because it’s the first time scientists have found a real biological process that explains how trauma, feeling sensitive to pain, and these harmful behaviors are all connected. This new understanding could lead to much more precise and effective treatments for people who struggle with conditions caused by trauma. The researchers found that early trauma causes a specific communication line in the brain, linking the nucleus reuniens and the hippocampus, which is the pathway that regulates cognitive, executive and fear-learning process, to become overactive. The increased activity of structures called calcium channels is what makes a person more likely to be aggressive and hurt themselves. Both feeling upset and hurt physically seem to trigger these behaviors because the brain’s signals have been changed by trauma. How Does Childhood Trauma Lead To Aggression? Shin and her team research how bad experiences in childhood change the brain, leading to harmful behaviors in adulthood. Her previous work looked at how trauma can lead to things like binge eating. Researchers questioned what really drives aggression and self-harm. Is it just feeling anxious or depressed? Or could there be a deeper reason, possibly related to how the brain handles pain, at the very core of these issues? They explained that the trauma literally increased the activity of the calcium channel. The trauma changed the brain at a molecular level, causing the neuron to become hyperactive, meaning it was firing too much. This excessive activity in that specific circuit is what makes a person more susceptible to becoming aggressive and hurting themselves. The research also suggested that pain, including emotional pain, might act as the doorway for these harmful behaviors to appear. By clearly identifying the physical connection in the brain between early trauma and its later effects, the study gives a much deeper understanding that goes beyond just asking people how they feel. How Is Aggression and Self-Harm Linked? In people who have gone through early childhood trauma, aggression and self-harm often happen at the same time. Doctors and therapists have known about this link for a while, mostly based on what patients tell them and what they observe in clinics. To back this up, studies show that people who are treated for self-inflicted injuries are five times more likely to also be extremely aggressive. This strongly suggested that there was a single, underlying reason connecting the two behaviors. Can This Help Treat Trauma? Shin noted that extreme aggression is a serious social problem, and self-harm is a major concern for many people seeking treatment. She believes that their study provides clearer, more objective insights into the brain circuits that cause these outcomes. This understanding could eventually lead to the creation of more effective therapies to help people dealing with trauma's lasting impact.
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