Sensitive periods for the link between childhood maltreatment and brain aging during adulthood.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Childhood maltreatment (CM) is associated with the early onset of psychopathology and accelerated biological aging. However, outcomes vary widely among individuals with CM history. This variability may, in part, be explained by differences in age of exposure to CM. In this study, we examined whether CM was associated with accelerated brain aging, depending on the timing of exposure (i.e., 'sensitive periods').

Method

A machine learning algorithm of brain age trained prior to the current study in 3377 healthy individuals was employed in a CM dataset of 150 adult postnatal women, 92 of whom provided MRI data. CM history was retrospectively assessed from birth to age 18 years. Brain-predicted age was calculated from T1-weighted MRI scans. Brain age gap (BAG) was quan

SUBMITTER: Fleming LL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12686658 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature