Childhood Stress, Trauma and Synapse Loss

Prof. Maxwell Bennett AO is an Emeritus Professor of Neuroscience and held the first University Chair for ‘research recognized internationally to be of exceptional distinction’ at Sydney University. His over 400 papers are concerned with research on synaptic connections between nerve cells, particularly in the brain related to stress and trauma. Professor Bennett has written twelve books concerned with the history and philosophy of the brain and mind, many with his philosophical colleague Peter Hacker. Among the organizations he has initiated to promote science, brain research, and mental well-being are the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies (now Science & Technology, Australia), the International Society for Autonomic Neuroscience, and the Tropical Brain and Mind Foundation. Professor Bennett founded the Brain and Mind Research Institute (now Centre) in Sydney 20 years ago and was responsible, more recently, for initiating the Mind and Neuroscience Thompson Institute in Queensland. He is at present Chair of Thompson Brain & Mind Healthcare Ltd.

• Chapter 1 Vignettes of an Australian childhood.- Chapter 2 Emergence of abnormal psychology following different forms of abuse and neglect.- Chapter 3 Emergence of specific psychopathologies following abuse and neglect.- Chapter 4 Emergence of an abnormal personality.- Chapter 5 The Kraepelin model.- Chapter 6 Kohut and Freud models.- Chapter 7 Hierarchical taxonomy models.- Chapter 8 Brain structures involved in major depressive disorder.- Chapter 9 Synapse pathology in brain structures affected in depression.- Chapter 10 Do molecular interventions (ketamine) re-establish synapses in affected brain structures?.