Relationships Violence and Abuse How Childhood Abuse Changes the Brain By Leonard Holmes Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Daniel B. Block, MD on November 17, 2019 twitter linkedin Daniel B. Block, MD, is an award-winning, board-certified psychiatrist who operates a private practice in Pennsylvania. Learn about our Review Board Daniel B. Block, MD Updated on January 29, 2020 Print Martin Dimitrov / Getty Images 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. How Abuse Alters Brain Structure 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% suffered from major depression at some point in their lives. 40% had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Brain Structure Changes There are many negative effects of childhood abuse and neglect on how the brain develops. Some of these potential effects are: Decreased size of the corpus callosum; the primary function of the corpus callosum is to integrate cortical functioning—motor, sensory, and cognitive performances—between the hemispheresDecreased size of the hippocampus, which is important in learning and memoryDysfunction at different levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axisLess volume of the prefrontal cortex, which affects behavior, balancing emotions and perceptionOveractivity in the amygdala, which is responsible for processing emotions and determining reactions to potentially stressful or dangerous situationsReduced size of the cerebellum, which can affect motor skills and coordination 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: Being constantly on alert and unable to relax, no matter the situationFeeling fearful most or all of the timeFinding social situations more challengingLearning deficitsNot hitting developmental milestones in a timely fashionA tendency to develop depression or an anxiety disorderA weakened ability to process positive feedback 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. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Teicher MH, Anderson CM, et al. Childhood maltreatment: altered network centrality of cingulate, precuneus, temporal pole and insula. Biol Psychiatry. 2014;76(4):297-305. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Child Welfare Information Gateway. Understanding the effects of maltreatment on brain development. Updated 2015.