The researchers also found that children with genetic variants that increase SGK1 production were more prone to depression as teenagers. Experiments with mice further revealed that blocking SGK1 activity in the bloodstream prevented depressive-like behaviour during chronic stress
Two new studies have shed light on how childhood trauma fundamentally alters the brain — both in its structure and chemistry — increasing vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviour later in life. Together, the findings offer promising new directions for treatment, particularly for those resistant to conventional antidepressants.
A major study by neuroscientists from Columbia University and McGill University identified a stress-related protein called SGK1 as a crucial link between early-life adversity and mental health struggles in adulthood. Researchers found that high levels of SGK1 were present in the brains of people who had experienced childhood trauma and later died by suicide. These individuals showed up to twice the SGK1 concentration compared to others who had also taken their own lives but without a trauma background.
The discovery, published in Molecular Psychiatry, could pave the way for a new class of antidepressants targeting SGK1. “Current antidepressants are often less effective for people with a history of childhood adversity,” said lead author Christoph Anacker, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology at Columbia University. “Our study raises the prospect of quickly developing new treatments, as SGK1 inhibitors are already in development for other conditions.”
The researchers also found that children with genetic variants that increase SGK1 production were more prone to depression as teenagers. Experiments with mice further revealed that blocking SGK1 activity in the bloodstream prevented depressive-like behaviour during chronic stress.
“There’s an urgent need to identify and treat people at the greatest risk of depression and suicide after exposure to early life adversity,” Anacker said, adding that genetic screening could soon help pinpoint individuals most likely to benefit from SGK1-targeted therapy.
Meanwhile, a complementary study by the University of Essex in the UK has revealed how childhood trauma physically rewires the brain’s neural networks, affecting emotional regulation, empathy, and even the ability to understand one’s own body.
Published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, the study reviewed 14 brain imaging investigations involving more than 580 children who had experienced abuse. Using AI to reanalyse functional MRI scans, the researchers discovered disruptions in two key brain systems — the Default Mode Network (DMN) and the Central Executive Network (CEN).
The DMN, which helps people reflect on themselves and sense their bodies, was found to function abnormally in trauma-affected children, while the CEN, responsible for decision-making and attention, was overactive — suggesting a tendency to relive distressing experiences.
“Even when a child who has experienced trauma is not thinking about their traumatic experiences, their brains are struggling to process sensations within their bodies,” explained lead author Dr. Megan Klabunde from the University’s Department of Psychology. “This influences how one thinks and feels about one’s internal world and affects the ability to empathize and form relationships.”
Dr. Klabunde emphasized that while most trauma therapies focus on fearful memories and avoidance, treatments must also address how trauma alters body awareness, emotional processing, and self-perception.
Both studies underscore a growing scientific consensus: childhood trauma leaves deep biological scars that cannot be healed through psychological therapy alone. Future interventions, experts say, should integrate both neurobiological treatments and emotional retraining, giving hope to millions whose past pain continues to shape their present.Two new studies have shed light on how childhood trauma fundamentally alters the brain — both in its structure and chemistry — increasing vulnerability to depression, anxiety, and suicidal behaviour later in life. Together, the findings offer promising new directions for treatment, particularly for those resistant to conventional antidepressants.
A major study by neuroscientists from Columbia University and McGill University identified a stress-related protein called SGK1 as a crucial link between early-life adversity and mental health struggles in adulthood. Researchers found that high levels of SGK1 were present in the brains of people who had experienced childhood trauma and later died by suicide. These individuals showed up to twice the SGK1 concentration compared to others who had also taken their own lives but without a trauma background.
The discovery, published in Molecular Psychiatry, could pave the way for a new class of antidepressants targeting SGK1. “Current antidepressants are often less effective for people with a history of childhood adversity,” said lead author Christoph Anacker, Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurobiology at Columbia University. “Our study raises the prospect of quickly developing new treatments, as SGK1 inhibitors are already in development for other conditions.”
The researchers also found that children with genetic variants that increase SGK1 production were more prone to depression as teenagers. Experiments with mice further revealed that blocking SGK1 activity in the bloodstream prevented depressive-like behaviour during chronic stress.
“There’s an urgent need to identify and treat people at the greatest risk of depression and suicide after exposure to early life adversity,” Anacker said, adding that genetic screening could soon help pinpoint individuals most likely to benefit from SGK1-targeted therapy.
Meanwhile, a complementary study by the University of Essex in the UK has revealed how childhood trauma physically rewires the brain’s neural networks, affecting emotional regulation, empathy, and even the ability to understand one’s own body.
Published in Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, the study reviewed 14 brain imaging investigations involving more than 580 children who had experienced abuse. Using AI to reanalyse functional MRI scans, the researchers discovered disruptions in two key brain systems — the Default Mode Network (DMN) and the Central Executive Network (CEN).
The DMN, which helps people reflect on themselves and sense their bodies, was found to function abnormally in trauma-affected children, while the CEN, responsible for decision-making and attention, was overactive — suggesting a tendency to relive distressing experiences.
“Even when a child who has experienced trauma is not thinking about their traumatic experiences, their brains are struggling to process sensations within their bodies,” explained lead author Dr. Megan Klabunde from the University’s Department of Psychology. “This influences how one thinks and feels about one’s internal world and affects the ability to empathize and form relationships.”
Dr. Klabunde emphasized that while most trauma therapies focus on fearful memories and avoidance, treatments must also address how trauma alters body awareness, emotional processing, and self-perception.
Both studies underscore a growing scientific consensus: childhood trauma leaves deep biological scars that cannot be healed through psychological therapy alone. Future interventions, experts say, should integrate both neurobiological treatments and emotional retraining, giving hope to millions whose past pain continues to shape their present.
