Caregiving + Neuroplasticity
Find below a section from my research paper entitled:
Examining the Effects of Caregiving on Neuroplasticity through OT and CT. This paper was condensed and selected for presentation at the Lumiere Symposium in January of 2023. It was written under the guidance of Hyun Seon Park, UCLA Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student.
Introduction: ​
Exposure to adversity, such as a lack of adequate caregiving, during critical periods of brain development has been shown to have negative effects on a child's development. Moreover, the timing of the adversity, as well as the nature and quantity of the adversity, can affect development. Thus, caregiving styles, which can be categorized as authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, or neglectful, can heavily influence adverse childhood experiences and thus a child’s development. Two hormones that have been linked to caregiving are oxytocin and cortisol. The hormone oxytocin can affect brain plasticity through its effects on maternal behavior and bonding and cortisol, a stress hormone, can impact brain plasticity through its effects on stress and anxiety. Though research on the direct effects of caregiving on brain plasticity is limited, there is evidence to suggest that it may be an important factor.
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