What abuse does to the brain?

Researchers have long studied the questions: What happens to a child's brain who is abused or neglected? What impact do adverse childhood experiences or ACES have on brain development and later mental health? The answers have been clear. These types of experiences have an adverse effect on brain development and mental health for many people. In fact, research shows that when compared with people who have not been abused or experienced ACES, people who have are more likely to suffer from:

• Posttraumatic stress disorder
• Eating disorders
• Substance abuse disorders
• Depression
• Borderline personality disorder
• Suicidal thoughts and behaviors

If you have been experiencing any suicidal thoughts, reach out for help immediately. You can reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

More than these potential issues and diagnoses, magnetic resonance imaging or MRI has illustrated that changes in brain structure occur in people who experience childhood abuse, neglect, or other maltreatment. Imaging shows differences in the brain in those who endured abuse or neglect compared to people who did not. Many of these brain changes were found in regions of the brain that regulate impulses and emotions.

Changes are specifically observed in:

• The hippocampus, which shows reduced volume. The hippocampus is important to memory and learning. The ability of the hippocampus to regulate cortisol levels after stress may also be affected.
• The corpus callosum, which has decreased volume in abuse victims. This brain region is responsible for interhemispheric communication, arousal, emotion, and higher cognitive abilities.
• The cerebellum, responsible for motor behavior and executive functioning, shows decreased volume.
• The prefrontal cortex is smaller. This region is responsible for behavior, cognition, and emotion regulation.
• The orbitofrontal cortex, a part of the prefrontal cortex central to emotion and social regulation, may also have reduced volume.
• The amygdala shows overactivity. This region of the brain helps determine whether things are threatening or not. The overactivity in this region may contribute to an ongoing perception of threats to safety even when these may not exist, which can, in turn, cause stress responses when they may not be appropriate.
• Cortisol levels may be abnormal in those who have been abused or neglected. Low levels can cause decreased energy, impacting learning and socialization, and higher cortisol levels may harm thinking processes.
• Decreased electrical activity is often found in those who have experienced severe neglect. This impacts the ability of brain regions to connect to integrate, and perform complex operations.

Of course, not all who experience abuse, neglect, and other forms of maltreatment will have all of these problems or later mental health struggles. The time that abuse occurs, the frequency of the experiences, and protective factors like having a loving presence in life can all affect the outcome. This makes intervention especially important. If you experienced abuse but were without support and intervention, speaking with a counselor can be a helpful step in healing from these experiences, as well as understanding their effect on your life.

If you’re a victim of child abuse or know of ongoing child abuse, call the National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 for support.