Parental acceptance and trauma resilience linked to faster cortical thinning in 9–13-year-olds
Mar 22nd 2026 · United States
Analysis of US ABCD study data shows parental acceptance and trauma resilience associate with accelerated cortical thinning in children aged 9–13, while household abuse relates to slower microstructural brain maturation.
- Researchers analyzed MRI data from 8,059 children aged 9–11 in the US ABCD study, with longitudinal follow-up scans for 1,923 participants at 11–13.
- Higher parental acceptance and greater trauma resilience were associated with lower cortical thickness at 9–11 and with more cortical thinning between 9–11 and 11–13.
- Greater reported trauma exposure was linked cross-sectionally to lower cortical thickness at 9–11.
- Children identified as susceptible to trauma had smaller hippocampal volumes and reduced cortical surface area.
- Higher levels of household abuse were associated with smaller longitudinal changes in the T1w/T2w ratio, indicating slower microstructural brain development.
- The study is observational and cannot establish causal relationships.