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Neuroscience reports have shown that emotional stress caused by parental loss, abuse, or neglect during infancy could result in memory loss and cognitive decline 40 to 50 years later.
Researchers think emotional stress at an early age can trigger a gradual deterioration of brain cell communication in adulthood.
Cell signaling problems occur in the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in the collection, storage, and recall of learned memories. These memory deficits worsen as we grow older.
Work was done on rats who were presented with severe stresses early in their lives.
There is no doubt that early life experiences, especially stressful ones, can have a major impact.