Abstract:
Trauma exposure is pervasive, with over 70% of people globally exposed to at least one traumatic event in their lifetimes and an average of >3 trauma exposures per person. These exposures have wide-ranging effects and are linked to neural, behavioral, epigenetic, physiological, and mental health effects in trauma-exposed individuals. The timing of trauma exposure is associated with long term risk, such that childhood trauma has particularly pervasive effects on neurobiology and health outcomes. A growing body of evidence now indicates the importance of caregivers trauma may also have intergenerational effects, such that parents’ trauma exposure can impact their offspring. Although a substantial body of evidence
suggests a link between parental trauma exposure and adverse child outcomes, the relevant mechanisms of transmission are still unclear. This presentation will describe neurobiological correlates of trauma exposure in children, focusing on fear circuitry and behavioral and psychophysiological measures of fear inhibition. The talk will include data from children’s direct exposure to violence, as well as the intergenerational impact of caregiver trauma. Potential buffering effects of caregivers will also be discussed.