Early-life Trauma Affects MS Development, Treatment in Mice 4.8 (30) Childhood trauma can affect disease progression of multiple sclerosis (MS) and treatment in adulthood, a study in mice suggests. The study shows that mice that experienced early-life trauma were more likely to develop an autoimmune condition and less likely to respond to common treatment with interferon beta. The study, “ MS is a progressive, multifactorial disease with both genetic and environmental factors contributing to it. Childhood trauma (early-life) trauma — emotional neglect or physical abuse, for instance — has been associated with higher relapse rates in MS. However, the underlying mechanism through which it alters MS progression remains unknown.