Post by University of New England (AU)

Neuroscientists at UNE have found three distinctive brain patterns shared by people with childhood maltreatment and depression that could provide the launching pad for a new approach to diagnosis and treatment. PhD candidate Christopher Watson led the first-ever comprehensive review of existing research on the topic, revealing people who suffered child maltreatment and depression were more likely to have altered brain wave activity, an imbalance between the left and right frontal brain regions, and a disruption in the brain regions responsible for emotional processing. Now, the UNE Brain Behaviour Research Group is investigating this further to address critical gaps in our knowledge. “Childhood maltreatment and depression are serious global issues with high prevalence and lifelong impacts on physical and mental health,” Mr Watson says. “Experiencing childhood maltreatment has been shown to increase an individual’s risk of developing depression in adulthood by two-and-a-half times; however, very little is known about the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of this association.” Explore the full story and what comes next: https://lnkd.in/g8Fdh_dU #ProudToBeUNE #MentalHealthResearch #Neuroscience