Researchers from the departments of psychiatry, radiology, psychology and neuroscience at Washington University tracked the emotional and brain development of 145 preschoolers for 10 years, finding a link between early childhood poverty and smaller brain size. “These study findings demonstrated that exposure to poverty during early childhood is associated with smaller white matter, cortical grey matter, and hippocampal and amygdala volumes,” concluded the authors in yesterday’s JAMA Pediatrics.
Luby, J., Belden, A., Botteron, K., Marrus, N, et al; The Effects of Poverty on Childhood Brain Development. JAMA Pediatrics. Published online October 28, 2013. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2013.3139
Of further interest;
Brain development affected in poor children, researchers find (CBC News)