title: The biological effects of childhood trauma.
abstract: Trauma in childhood is a psychosocial, medical, and public policy problem with serious consequences for its victims and for society. Chronic interpersonal violence in children is common worldwide. Developmental traumatology, the systemic investigation of the psychiatric and psychobiological effects of chronic overwhelming stress on the developing child, provides a framework and principles when empirically examining the neurobiological effects of pediatric trauma. This article focuses on peer-reviewed literature on the neurobiological sequelae of childhood trauma in children and in adults with histories of childhood trauma.
authors.affiliation: Healthy Childhood Brain Development and Developmental Traumatology Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Box 104360, Durham, NC 27710, USA. Electronic address: michael.debellis@duke.edu.
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: De Bellis
authors.affiliation: Healthy Childhood Brain Development and Developmental Traumatology Research Program, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University Medical Center, Box 104360, Durham, NC 27710, USA.
authors.forename: Abigail
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zisk
mesh_terms: D002395:Catecholamines / Q000378:metabolism; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology*; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007107:Immune System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008016:Life Change Events; D008125:Locus Coeruleus / Q000503:physiopathology; D010121:Oxytocin / Q000378:metabolism; D010913:Pituitary-Adrenal System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D002395:Catecholamines; D012701:Serotonin; D010121:Oxytocin
keywords: Biological stress systems; Brain development; Childhood trauma; Developmental psychopathology; Developmental traumatology; Genes; Posttraumatic stress symptoms; Stress