Developmental and mental health consequences of childhood trauma

Brain structure of pathway impacted by trauma	Developmental impact	Behavioral health impact
Reduction of hippocampal volume	Learning difficulties	Depression
Changed amygdala volume	Inattention due to hypervigilance, altered threat perception	Aggression, dysregulation, mood and anxiety disorders
Poor development of prefrontal cortex	Poor executive function (impulse control, working memory, cognitive flexibility)	Impulsivity that can mimic attention deficit hyperactivity or oppositional defiant disorder
Reduced development of corpus callosum	Limited problem-solving, language delays	Concrete thinking
Decreased maturation and connectivity of default mode network	Decreased ability to reflect or think quietly	Depression, relationship difficulties, derealization
Altered development of auditory cortex	Reduced verbal comprehension, language delays	Difficulty hearing higher pitched sounds associated with safety, preferentially hearing lower pitched sounds associated with threat

References:

Teicher MH, Samson JA, Anderson CM, Ohashi K. The effects of childhood maltreatment on brain structure, function and connectivity. Nat Rev Neurosci 2016; 17:652.
Lupien SJ, McEwen BS, Gunnar MR, Heim C. Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behavior and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci 2009; 10:434.

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