Early life experiences may impact the child’s development, affecting neural, behavioral, and psychological domains. These experiences can shape individual differences in neural plasticity and behavior with lifelong effects. Environmental conditions present in the early perinatal and prepubertal periods have a substantial influence on an individual’s susceptibility or resilience, as these periods undergo critical changes during this time. The effects of adverse conditions in early life have been observed to affect the development of brain functioning and other biological systems, increasing vulnerability to diseases and behavior changes later in life. Although many studies recognize the relationship between the quality of the early environment and the influence on multiple aspects of child development, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this association. A deeper understanding of this interplay may shed light on the neurobiological basis of an individual’s long-term vulnerability to disease.
By gathering innovative contributions in this area, we aim to advance the knowledge of how early environments lead to different phenotypes concerning vulnerability or resilience to stress later in life. Filling the knowledge gap on the sexual dimorphism in the neurobiological mechanisms of early life stress, as well as how protective strategies, such as an enriched environment, physical exercise, or dietary supplementation, may reverse several of those effects will allow the development of more accurate treatments for a set of psychiatric disorders. We also highlight the need for studies that focus on the effects of early life stress during early developmental stages, when brain circuits are still maturing and adapting to better understand how stress imprints into neural circuits and changes their functioning throughout life.
Submissions are welcome for preclinical and clinical studies, reviews, mini-reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, research protocol, opinions, and hypotheses. We welcome contributions focused on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the association between early life adversities and vulnerability/resilience to cognitive and mental health disorders.
This Research Topic is open to submission of articles addressing, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Early life adversity exposure and the impact on the development of children and adolescents.
- Long-lasting effects of early life adversity on cognitive and psychiatric disorders.
- Neural mechanisms associated with early life adversity and memory dysfunction.
- Impact of early life adversity on brain mechanisms related to eating behavioral alterations and eating disorders.
- Metabolic programming in early life and the impact on cognitive and mental health disorders.
- Protective strategies for long-term effects of early life adversity.
- Sex-specific differences associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to diseases.
- Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and resilience and vulnerability do health and disease.
Application for fee support is available to authors who do not have the means to pay the full APCs. Please apply via the following form: https://frontiers.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_51IljifwFBXUzY1.
Early life experiences may impact the child’s development, affecting neural, behavioral, and psychological domains. These experiences can shape individual differences in neural plasticity and behavior with lifelong effects. Environmental conditions present in the early perinatal and prepubertal periods have a substantial influence on an individual’s susceptibility or resilience, as these periods undergo critical changes during this time. The effects of adverse conditions in early life have been observed to affect the development of brain functioning and other biological systems, increasing vulnerability to diseases and behavior changes later in life. Although many studies recognize the relationship between the quality of the early environment and the influence on multiple aspects of child development, little is known about the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this association. A deeper understanding of this interplay may shed light on the neurobiological basis of an individual’s long-term vulnerability to disease.
By gathering innovative contributions in this area, we aim to advance the knowledge of how early environments lead to different phenotypes concerning vulnerability or resilience to stress later in life. Filling the knowledge gap on the sexual dimorphism in the neurobiological mechanisms of early life stress, as well as how protective strategies, such as an enriched environment, physical exercise, or dietary supplementation, may reverse several of those effects will allow the development of more accurate treatments for a set of psychiatric disorders. We also highlight the need for studies that focus on the effects of early life stress during early developmental stages, when brain circuits are still maturing and adapting to better understand how stress imprints into neural circuits and changes their functioning throughout life.
Submissions are welcome for preclinical and clinical studies, reviews, mini-reviews, systematic reviews, meta-analyses, research protocol, opinions, and hypotheses. We welcome contributions focused on the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the association between early life adversities and vulnerability/resilience to cognitive and mental health disorders.
This Research Topic is open to submission of articles addressing, but are not limited to, the following themes:
- Early life adversity exposure and the impact on the development of children and adolescents.
- Long-lasting effects of early life adversity on cognitive and psychiatric disorders.
- Neural mechanisms associated with early life adversity and memory dysfunction.
- Impact of early life adversity on brain mechanisms related to eating behavioral alterations and eating disorders.
- Metabolic programming in early life and the impact on cognitive and mental health disorders.
- Protective strategies for long-term effects of early life adversity.
- Sex-specific differences associated with early-life adversity and vulnerability to diseases.
- Genetic and epigenetic mechanisms and resilience and vulnerability do health and disease.
Application for fee support is available to authors who do not have the means to pay the full APCs. Please apply via the following form: https://frontiers.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_51IljifwFBXUzY1.
