Early experience affects brain development

By Simon J Makin | October 1, 2012 |  

Humans are born to a longer period of total dependence than any other animal we know of, and we also know that mistreatment or neglect during this time often leads to social, emotional, cognitive and mental health problems in later life. It’s not hard to imagine how a lack of proper stimulation in our earliest years – everything from rich sensory experiences and language exposure to love and care – might adversely affect our development, but scientists have only recently started to pull back the curtain on the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms (which is strongly affected by early experience) that might explain how these effects arise in the brain.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2012/10/01/the-story-of-a-lonely-brain/