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A longitudinal study that lasted for 20 years was carried out by Radboud University regarding brain maturation. The researchers found that early exposure to stress leads to accelerated brain maturation during adolescence, and late exposure to stress delays brain maturation.
In adolescence, the human brain's neuronal circuits are increasingly interconnected, to increase the efficiency of the network. The cerebral maturation process is known as pruning. If the environment is stressful, early brain maturation is advantageous. However, one disadvantage of early brain maturation is the inability to swiftly adapt to the present environment, due to the loss of flexibility. A larger effect of stress on the brain also increases the risk of anti-social traits' development.
This study found that stress affects the same region of the brain that responds to emotions.
Category(s):Child Development, Stress Management
Source material from The Science Daily