ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews evidence indicating that early deprivation exposures, secondary to institutional rearing, shape key underlying neurobiological systems that subserve higher level domains of cognitive and emotional development. Accumulating evidence points to key neural alterations in fronto-temporal regions critical for emotional regulation, cognitive control, learning, and memory. Alterations in key physiological stress response systems are also observed. Growing evidence links early deprivation with patterns of hypo-cortisolism in the HPA axis, and elevated sympathetic activity in the autonomic nervous system. Importantly, earlier ages of adoption and adoption into supportive families promote improved neural and physiological functioning, which have important implications for clinical and policy efforts to support vulnerable children and limit institutional rearing exposures.
