El maltrato infantil: mecanismos subyacentes

• Main Author: Martínez, Gladys S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad del Rosario 2008-12-01
• Series: Avances en Psicología Latinoamericana
• Subjects: maternal care; maternal separation; maltreatment.
• Online Access: http://redalyc.uaemex.mx/redalyc/src/inicio/ArtPdfRed.jsp?iCve=79926205

Exposure to traumatic stress during childhood, in the form of abuse or neglect, is related to an increased vulnerability resulting in the development of several pathologies, this relation has been confirmed by epidemiological studies; however, the neural mechanisms underlying such abnormalities are still unknown. Most of the research done has focused on the effects in the infant, and only recently it has begun to focus on the neurobiological changes in the abusive parents. In this article, I review some of the studies using animal models of early adverse trauma and present some of the data on neural changes. Further studies of brain abnormalities in abusive parents are still needed.