Reconfiguration of brain-wide neural activity after early life adversity.

Early life adversity (ELA) is a crucial determinant of adult health. Yet, the neurobiological basis for this association remains elusive. Neural activity differs within localized brain regions in rodents who experienced ELA, yet how this localized activity contributes to overall brain states has hitherto been unknown. Here we used longitudinal manganese-enhanced MRI to reveal brain-wide activities altered by ELA compared to normal rearing. Advanced computational analyses unveiled widespread reconfiguration of segment-wise neural activity throughout the brain across a series of conditions: freely moving, experiencing threat or its aftermath. These brain state dynamics were unique to ELA. Reconfiguration of brain states after ELA, shown here for the first time, may underlie predisposition to mental and physical disorders after childhood adversity.