Originally published October 12 2005
UC study focuses on the impact of infant stress on memory
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
At the University of California at Irvine, Dr. Tallie Baram reports from her team's study of rats that infant stress caused by parental abuse or neglect can result in early memory loss, often in middle age.
A study on rats suggests infant stress has a negative impact on the way brain cells communicate with each other.
The researchers believe parental loss, abuse or neglect may contribute to a type of memory loss in middle age more normally seen in the elderly.
The California team highlighted problems in the signalling mechanism between cells in an area of the brain called the hippocampus, which is known to play a key role in learning and memory.
Lead researcher Dr Tallie Baram said: "The loss of cognitive function later in life is probably a result of both genetic and environmental factors.
"While it is not yet possible to change a person's genetic background, it may be feasible to block the environmental effects, particularly of early life stress, on learning and memory later in life.
The researchers induced stress in rats by limiting the nesting material in cages containing females and their new-born young.
The difficulties worsened as the rats grew older and developed much more rapidly than similar problems in rats raised for the first week of their lives in a nurturing environment.
Similarly, electrical activity in the cells, while normal in youth, became increasingly disturbed as the rats grew older.
A report by the UN-body UNESCO released last year estimated that more than 50% of the world's children are raised under stressful conditions.
Rebecca Wood, of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said previous research had shown chronic stress and recurrent depression damaged both the immune system and brain structures that are important for memory and learning.
"This new study provides the first evidence that moderate stress in young rats causes problems when they are older in the parts of the brain that are responsible for learning and memory.
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