How Childhood Abuse Changes the Brain

Leonard Holmes

Medically reviewed by

Updated on January 29, 2020

Studies have demonstrated over and over that childhood abuse and neglect results in permanent changes to the developing human brain. These changes in brain structure appear to be significant enough to potentially cause psychological and emotional problems in adulthood, such as psychological disorders and/or substance abuse.

If you are a victim of child abuse or know someone who might be, call or text the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 to speak with a professional crisis counselor.

For more mental health resources, see our National Helpline Database.

MRI

Dr. Martin Teicher and his colleagues at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Northeastern University, used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology to identify measured changes in brain structure among young adults who had experienced childhood abuse or neglect. There were clear differences in nine brain regions between those who had suffered childhood trauma and those who had not.

The most obvious changes were in the brain regions that help balance emotions and impulses, as well as self-centered thinking. The results indicate that people who have been through childhood abuse or neglect have a higher risk of substance abuse if they go down that path because they have a harder time controlling their urges and making rational decisions due to actual physical changes in their brain development.

When people experienced three or more types of abuse (sexual, physical, verbal, neglect), 53 percent suffered from major depression at some point in their lives. Forty percent had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Brain Structure

There are many negative effects of childhood abuse and neglect on how the brain develops. Some of these potential effects are:

A decrease in the size of the hippocampus, which is important in learning and memory
A decrease in the size of the corpus callosum; the primary function of the corpus callosum is to integrate cortical functioning—motor, sensory, and cognitive performances—between the hemispheres.
A decrease in the size of the cerebellum, which can affect motor skills and coordination
A decrease in the volume of the prefrontal cortex, which affects behavior, balancing emotions and perception
Too much activity in the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions and determining reactions to potentially stressful or dangerous situations
Dysfunction at different levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

Behavior, Emotions, and Social Function

Because childhood abuse, neglect and trauma change brain structure and chemical function, maltreatment can also affect the way children behave, regulate emotion and function socially. These potential effects include:

Feeling fearful most or all of the time
Being constantly on alert and unable to relax, no matter the situation
A tendency to develop depression or an anxiety disorder
Learning deficits
Not hitting developmental milestones in a timely fashion
A weakened ability to process positive feedback
Finding social situations more challenging

Other Factors of Maltreatment

How childhood abuse or neglect affects an adult depends also on how often the abuse occurred; what age the child was during the abuse; who the abuser was; whether or not the child had a dependable, loving adult in her life as well; how long the abuse lasted; if there were any interventions in the abuse; the kind and severity of the abuse; and other individual factors.