Lecture 12 and 13: Adverse Childhood Experiences

The ACE Study

study that confirmed with scientific evidence that adversity early in life increases physical, mental, and behavioral problems later in life

10

the ACE study assessed how many ACEs?

Nervous System

main body system affected by childhood adversity

Early Care Programs

important for building neural pathways early in a yound childs life

Synaptic Density

density of synapses among neurons in the brain; peaks around age 3

Survival

in children with adverse childhood experiences, they adapt in a way that their adult function is focussed on ___________________

-Positive

-Tolerable

-Toxic

three types of childhood stress responses

Limbic System

-vital for learning, memory, reward, and reinforcement

-regulates hormones, mood, heartbeat, and sexual behavior

Hippocampus

A neural center located in the limbic system that helps process explicit memories for storage.

Amygdala

A limbic system structure involved in memory and emotion, particularly fear and aggression.

Corpus Callosum

-integrates info between the left and right brain

-vital for complexing learning

Cerebellar Vermis

-newer research shows this part of the brain is associated with addiction and mental illness

-is found to be smaller and less blood flow in ppl with ACEs

Corpus Callosum

a study showed that young boys who grew up neglected had a less dense and less myelinated ______________________

Epigenetics

ACEs influence gene expression via ______________________

6

a study showed that those with _______ or more ACEs died 20 years earlier

1/3 (out of 17,000 participants)

In the ACE study, how many people reported having 0 ACEs?

-It is important to understand our own experiences

-ACE score is not diagnostic

What are some important things to keep in mind when it comes to ACE scores?

Dose-Response

(increased ACE score = decreased health)

describe the relationship between ACE score and health

positive

Although there were some gender differences, in general, ACE scores had a _________________ correlation with depression

4

there is a significantly greater risk of suicide in those with an ACE score of ______ or higher

4

ppl with _____ or more ACEs are 500% more likley to abuse alcohol

5

ppl with ____ or more ACEs are 7-10x more likely to report illicit drug use

6

ppl with _____ or more ACEs are 46x more likley to be IV drug abuseres than people who report no ACEs

85%

amond adjudicated youth with high ACE scores, ______% were first suspended from school in the second grade

Childhood

when do more than half of lifetime mental disorders begin?

-One stable, caring supportive relationship with an adult

-sense of mastery over life circumstances

-positive and high expectations

-opportunities for meaningful participation

-strong executive function and self-regulation skills

-affirming faith or cultural traditions

What are some factors that foster resiliency?