This project investigated the influence of developmental factors acting early in life on physiological and psychological stress reactivity in later life.
Adequate regulation of the stress response system is crucial for mental health processes, since alterations of the neuroendocrine stress system have been observed in various psychiatric disorders. Early exposure to adverse circumstances appears to be an especially potent determinant of brain development and stress reactivity in later life, possibly sensitizing stress responsivity and increasing susceptibility to the development of stress-related disorders.
Completed: 2009
Funded by the British Academy
PI: Robert Kumsta
CI: Edmund Sonuga-Barke