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Title
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Biological Signatures of Early Life Experiences
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Description
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Why do some people thrive, while others succumb to the effects of their experiences? A mountain of research suggests that experiences during the first few years of life can alter key biological systems in ways that promote or disrupt healthy development. This image captures a very small window of the dips and peaks in heart rate variability (HRV)—a dynamic, biological signal that reflects the fluctuations in time between consecutive heartbeats—in a 7-month old baby during a stressful laboratory task with their caregiver. Relative to a lower HRV, a higher HRV reflects a greater capacity to adapt to environmental challenges. These patterns of functioning in this context are not transient, however. The body is thought to continuously fine-tune key biological systems in response to early experiences. Research from our lab suggests that early experiences with caregivers, specifically, meaningfully predict patterns of HRV by the time children are 18 months old. Visualizing HRV in this way highlights how early life experiences can leave a lasting biological “signature” that impacts later health, cognition, and development more broadly.
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Date
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2026-01-24
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Creator
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Chen, Susan
