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ysabetwordsmithScience Newsfrom research organizations
Study finds unique brain changes linked to witnessing trauma.
Researchers discovered distinct molecular differences in how the brain processes directly experienced versus witnessed trauma -- a finding that could lead to more targeted treatments for PTSD.
This will be useful for proving that PTSD, including witness and secondary PTSD, is a valid physical ailment and not just "all in your head." That should help force insurance and government providers to payt for necessary care instead of blaming the victims.
"People who saw it from across the street reported that they were suffering from nightmares, insomnia, and anxiety," he said. "They were showing symptoms of PTSD, but didn't go through it or have any connection to the people in the building. We sought out to understand the brain mechanisms behind how that occurred."
I think we need to look closer at what "go through it" means, because people 100 feet from ground zero will still experience much of the disruption to their lives, even if they are not physically injured.
Additionally, they uncovered sex-specific differences in how male and female brains process indirect fear memories. These findings build on previous research from Jarome's lab, which identified a specific protein, known as K-63 ubiquitin, linked to PTSD development in women.
This makes me wonder how the various flavors of genderqueer people experience PTSD. Most of them will have trauma related to their gender identity, and mental injury is a common result of that. But are their brains responding to their biology, their psychology, or something else? What about the conditions where the external sex features look one way, but the hormones or chromosomes look a different way? My bet is that PTSD manifestation will follow hormones, but that's just an educated extrapolation. It deserves study, but that's unlikely to happen in the next four years.
Study finds unique brain changes linked to witnessing trauma.
Researchers discovered distinct molecular differences in how the brain processes directly experienced versus witnessed trauma -- a finding that could lead to more targeted treatments for PTSD.
This will be useful for proving that PTSD, including witness and secondary PTSD, is a valid physical ailment and not just "all in your head." That should help force insurance and government providers to payt for necessary care instead of blaming the victims.
"People who saw it from across the street reported that they were suffering from nightmares, insomnia, and anxiety," he said. "They were showing symptoms of PTSD, but didn't go through it or have any connection to the people in the building. We sought out to understand the brain mechanisms behind how that occurred."
I think we need to look closer at what "go through it" means, because people 100 feet from ground zero will still experience much of the disruption to their lives, even if they are not physically injured.
Additionally, they uncovered sex-specific differences in how male and female brains process indirect fear memories. These findings build on previous research from Jarome's lab, which identified a specific protein, known as K-63 ubiquitin, linked to PTSD development in women.
This makes me wonder how the various flavors of genderqueer people experience PTSD. Most of them will have trauma related to their gender identity, and mental injury is a common result of that. But are their brains responding to their biology, their psychology, or something else? What about the conditions where the external sex features look one way, but the hormones or chromosomes look a different way? My bet is that PTSD manifestation will follow hormones, but that's just an educated extrapolation. It deserves study, but that's unlikely to happen in the next four years.
