Can Psychiatric Treatment Change The Development Of Emotion-related Brain Circuits In Trauma-exposed Youth?

Early-life exposure to traumatic events is one of the most potent risk factors for developing childhood psychiatric disorders and cause immense suffering for children and families.

Up to two-thirds of U.S. youth are exposed to trauma such as physical/sexual abuse or domestic violence. Young people who may go on to develop psychiatric disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), have few treatment options, with existing options varying in efficacy.

The project

Dr Keding and his team will investigate how trauma affects the development of the brain systems that help young people manage their emotions, especially the connection between the amygdala (emotion centre) and prefrontal cortex (thinking/regulation centre).

Past research shows that trauma can change how these circuits develop, sometimes making them mature too fast or too slow, which may increase the risk of post‑traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS).

The study wants to find out whether these changes in emotional brain development explain why some children develop symptoms after trauma, and whether effective treatments, such as the Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI),  help by “normalising” brain development over time.

The process

Dr Keding will analyse brain scans from 6,000 children and teens aged 9–16 years to map what typical emotional brain development should look like. He and his team will use machine learning models to predict a child’s age based on their brain scans.

If a child’s brain looks “older” or “younger” than expected this difference, called BrainAGE, suggests atypical development. They will then check whether trauma or PTSS is linked to these differences using data from a separate group of 1,000 young people.

Next, they will study 60 young people receiving CFTSI to see whether treatment changes the development of these emotional circuits. They will compare brain scans taken before and after therapy to see whether improvements in symptoms are linked to changes in the BrainAGE measure.

The potential

If the study shows that trauma alters brain development, and that treatment can shift this development back toward a healthier pattern, it could dramatically improve how we understand and treat trauma‑related conditions in young people. It would mean clinicians can focus on the underlying brain changes, not just the symptoms.

This approach could also pave the way for more personalised treatments, using BrainAGE as a tool to predict which children are at higher risk, who will benefit most from certain therapies, and how treatment should be adapted as the brain continues to develop.