New Delhi, June 10 || Childhood adversity may have a profound connection with lifelong vulnerability causing psychiatric disorders and other brain consequences, according to a study.
The study showed that early life experiences become biologically embedded and create lasting changes in brain structure and immune function.
"The immune system doesn't just fight infections -- it plays a crucial role in shaping our mental health throughout life," said Sara Poletti, senior researcher at IRCCS Ospedale San Raffaele Milan, Italy.
"Childhood trauma can fundamentally reprogramme these immune responses, creating vulnerability to depression, bipolar disorder, and other psychiatric conditions decades later," she added.
By identifying specific inflammatory markers associated with childhood trauma, the study provides potential targets for novel interventions.
The research calls for precision medicine approach to transform psychiatric treatment from symptom management to addressing underlying biological mechanisms.
The paper, published in the journal Brain Medicine focussed on the use of an immunomodulatory agent (interleukin 2) to treat mood disorders.
Mood disorders have been recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a major source of disability, morbidity, and mortality worldwide. Among mood disorders, major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorders (BD) are the most frequent and disabling ones.
The lifetime prevalence is about 12 per cent for MDD and 2 per cent for BD.