From last month but still pretty interesting for someone like me who suffers from childhood-related PTSD and depression and also has Crohn's disease.
https://www.technologynetworks.com/n...HktmE.facebook
Quote:
A Columbia University study has found that adversity early in life is associated with increased gastrointestinal symptoms in children that may have an impact on the brain and behavior as they grow to maturity.
The study was published online March 28 in the journal Development and Psychopathology.
“One common reason children show up at doctors’ offices is intestinal complaints,” said Nim Tottenham, a professor of psychology at Columbia and senior author on the study. “Our findings indicate that gastrointestinal symptoms in young children could be a red flag for future emotional health problems.”
Scientists have long noted the strong connection between the gut and brain.
Previous research has demonstrated that a history of trauma or abuse has been reported in up to half of adults with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), at a prevalence twice that of patients without IBS.
“The role of trauma in increasing vulnerability to both gastrointestinal and mental health symptoms is well established in adults but rarely studied in childhood,” said study lead author Bridget Callaghan, a post-doctoral research fellow in Columbia’s psychology department. In addition, she said, animal studies have demonstrated that adversity-induced changes in the gut microbiome – the community of bacteria in the body that regulates everything from digestion to immune system function–influence neurological development, but no human studies have done so.
“Our study is among the first to link disruption of a child’s gastrointestinal microbiome triggered by early-life adversity with brain activity in regions associated with emotional health,” Callaghan said.
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