Join us in this enlightening episode with Dr. Bolton, who explores the fascinating relationships between early-life adversity (ELA), the maturation of stress-related brain circuits, and subsequent mental health vulnerabilities. Her recent study delves into the profound ways ELA influences brain development, specifically impacting the hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) neurons.

Dr. Bolton reveals that ELA increases functional excitatory synapses onto these stress-sensitive neurons, disrupting the typical developmental synapse pruning process performed by adjacent microglia. The disrupted activity of these microglia is connected to diminished signaling of the microglial phagocytic receptor MerTK in mice exposed to ELA.

This intricate neural dance doesn't stop there. Dr. Bolton delves deeper, sharing how selective chronic ...