Violent homes have the same effect on brains of childrens as combat does to soldiers

The children exposed to violence responded in a distinct way to angry faces, the study found. Their brains showed heightened activation in two regions associated with threat detection, the anterior insula and amygdala.

Previous research has shown a similar pattern in the brains of soldiers exposed to violence combat situations.

The scans suggest both combat veteran soldiers and children who witness violence tune their brains to be hyper-aware of environmental danger.