Genetic Process in Resilience and Vulnerability and the Consequence of Abuse

Child maltreatment and abuse represent the most adverse and stressful challenges that confront children in all societies that have been studied. These stressful events probably serve as pathogenic processes for the developing brain. Genetic polymorphisms have been found to interact with environmental adverse factors and result in psychopathology. New data show that the timing of the insult to the developing brain is crucial for the outcome. This effect has biological correlates in the structure of the brain in rodents and probably humans. Future studies will attempt to evaluate this in human subjects using imaging and molecular imaging techniques. Personalized treatments will follow.