Reporter brief
Threat-related early adversity associated with impaired danger-safety discrimination in adolescents
What happened
This observational study of 168 youth examined whether different types of early life adversity (threat vs. deprivation) were associated with fear responses and accelerated biological aging. Threat-related adversity was associated with impaired discrimination between danger and safety cues during fear conditioning and with greater left amygdala activation to negative stimuli. However, the study found no evidence that fear responses explained the link between threat and accelerated biological aging (advanced puberty or epigenetic age).
Why it matters
Assessment pending; this report does not establish a change in evidence.
What it does NOT prove
- Limitations have not been recorded; consult the primary source.
Study design and sample
Observational; Human.
168 youth
- Design
- Observational
- Sample
- 168
- Journal
- Journal of behavioral medicine
- Published
- Sep 9, 2026
Effect size
Not recorded.
Caveats
- Assessment: Pending.
- Only the source material recorded on this evidence page was assessed.
Conflicts and funding
Not recorded.
Previous evidence
See the Epigenetic clocks timeline and recorded assessment for prior evidence.
Primary source
Cancel Death charts and briefs may be reproduced editorially with attribution to CancelDeath.com. This brief is generated from the primary recorded source facts and assessment. Its review status is shown below; verify quotations against the paper before publication.