In the first functional MRI brain scan study to investigate the impact of physical abuse and domestic violence on children, scientists at University College London and the Anna Freud Centre found that family violence was associated with increased brain activity in two specific brain areas (the anterior insula and the amygdala).
Previous studies which scanned the brains of soldiers exposed to violent combat situations have shown the same pattern of heightened activation in these two areas of the brain.
In essence, children exposed to family violence show the same pattern of activity in their brains as soldiers exposed to combat, with both adapting to be ‘hyper-aware’ of danger in their environment.
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