Citation

Holochwost SJ, Wang G, Kolacz J, Mills-Koonce WR, Klika JB, Jaffee SR. Dev. Psychopathol. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, Cambridge University Press)

DOI

10.1017/S0954579420000383

PMID

32624073

Abstract

Maltreatment adversely impacts the development of children across a host of domains. One way in which maltreatment may exert its deleterious effects is by becoming embedded in the activity of neurophysiological systems that regulate metabolic function. This paper reviews the literature regarding the association between childhood maltreatment and the activity of three systems: the parasympathetic nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. A particular emphasis is placed on the extent to which the literature supports a common account of activity across these systems under conditions of homeostasis and stress. The paper concludes with an outline of directions for future research and the implications of the literature for policy and practice.

Language: en

Keywords

maltreatment; cortisol; autonomic nervous system; hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis; neurophysiology