Faculty of Psychology, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Neuroimmunomodulation. 2010;17(3):192-5. doi: 10.1159/000258721. Epub 2010 Feb 4.
Early life stress has been suggested to mediate vulnerability to affective disorders. Traumatic events experienced in childhood such as sexual abuse and/or physical neglect may lead to psychiatric diseases in adult life, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Previous studies have focused on adult traumatic events and very little is known regarding the long-term physiological effects of early life stress. Here, we review the complex interplay between most important cognitive, neuroendocrine and immunological changes reported in PTSD, focusing on long-term implications of childhood maltreatment. PTSD has been associated with significant biological changes related to impaired cognitive functions, attenuated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function (hypocortisolism) and activation of innate immune responses (low-grade inflammation).
早期生活压力被认为是易患情感障碍的因素。儿童时期经历的创伤事件，如性虐待和/或身体忽视，可能导致成年后的精神疾病，包括创伤后应激障碍（PTSD）。以前的研究集中在成人创伤事件上，对于早期生活压力的长期生理影响知之甚少。在这里，我们回顾了 PTSD 中报道的最重要的认知、神经内分泌和免疫变化之间的复杂相互作用，重点关注儿童期虐待的长期影响。 PTSD 与认知功能受损、下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴功能减弱（皮质醇减少症）和固有免疫反应激活（低度炎症）相关的显著生物学变化有关。
