Testing a Conceptual Model of Early Adversity, Neural Function, and Psychopathology: Protocol for a Retrospective Observational Cohort Study

Early adversity, broadly defined as a set of negative exposures during childhood, is extremely common and increases risk for psychopathology across the life span. Previous research suggests that separate dimensions of adversity increase risk through developmental plasticity mechanisms shaping unique neurobiological pathways. Specifically, research suggests that deprivation is associated with deficits in higher order cognition, while threat is associated with atypicality in fear learning and emotion dysregulation. However, most of this research has been conducted in adolescent and adult samples, long after exposure to adversity occurs and far from periods of peak developmental plasticity.