Effect of childhood adversity on brain dopamine function in adulthood

摘要: Traumatic experiences during childhood, such as physical, sexual or psychological abuse, increase the risk of mental illness in adulthood threefold [1]. The neurobiological mechanism by which this occurs is unknown. However, experimental animal studies show that exposure to sustained environmental stress increases meso-striatal dopaminergic neurotransmission [2]. It has thus been suggested that environmental stress in childhood could increase the risk of psychosis in adulthood through an effect on central dopaminergic neurotransmission [3].!