| It has been established that nature and nurture | | | | especially pronounced in women who were abused as |
| should not be taken as enemies or total opposites, | | | | children and who also had current depression. In fact, |
| but as two intertwined realities that function together | | | | their ACTH response indicators were more than six |
| to make up the human experience. Nature was | | | | times those of the healthy women. |
| designed for nurture. | | | | In addition to high levels of stress hormones, other |
| Many recent and notable studies have documented | | | | studies by the same group found that women who |
| the effects that early childhood experience can have | | | | had been abused as children had abnormal |
| on both the physical and chemical makeup of the | | | | development of the brain's hippocampus, which |
| brain. In particular, childhood abuse and/or neglect can | | | | suggests another physical result of early abuse that |
| permanently alter an individual's physiology. These | | | | could lead to permanent brain abnormalities in later |
| physiological changes may lead to a greater likelihood | | | | life. |
| of the person suffering from depression or anxiety | | | | Other brain structures can also be affected by early |
| later in life. | | | | abuse or neglect. While the basic unit of the brain is in |
| Groundbreaking results from a major study of | | | | place at birth, neuronal pathways for the body's |
| depressed women in the US have shown that | | | | reaction to different experiences are still developing. |
| women who were abused as children have | | | | There is a critical period of time in a child's first three |
| abnormally elevated hormonal responses to stress | | | | years of life during which most of these pathways |
| compared to women with no history of abuse. It | | | | are formed. If a child receives primarily negative |
| suggests that childhood abuse is associated with | | | | stimulation early in life, pathways for forming lasting |
| persistent hyperactivity of the hormonal system | | | | relationships and responding to positive experiences |
| associated with the stress response and this may | | | | can be stunted or destroyed. While this may be a |
| cause greater vulnerability to psychiatric disorders in | | | | reaction to help the child survive, it can cause |
| adulthood. | | | | permanent difficulties for the individual. |
| The study, headed by Dr. Charles Nemeroff at | | | | Other research shows that the brains of severely |
| Emory University, looked at women diagnosed with | | | | neglected children tend to be smaller than average |
| clinical depression who had been abused as children; | | | | with underdeveloped areas in the cortex. The long |
| depressed women with no past abuse; and healthy | | | | term implications of this are still being examined, but it |
| women. Each person was given a moderately | | | | shows one more way in which nurture or lack of it |
| stressful experience and asked to perform simple | | | | can affect a person's biological make-up. |
| mathematic problems aloud for a panel of stalwart | | | | The knowledge that nature and nurture are two |
| non expressive judges. | | | | crucial aspects to a person's health will undoubtedly |
| Cortisol and ACTH (two hormones that play a critical | | | | prove to be a very useful tool in the research and |
| role in a person's response to stress) were measured | | | | treatment of psychiatric illness and may lead to even |
| in each subject while she completed the task. It was | | | | more effective treatments in the future. |
| found that the levels of these hormones were | | | | For more health articles visit U Publish Free Articles. |