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Smucker, Mervin (2012)

A neuroscience perspective on posttraumatic stress disorder.

Neuroscience Research

• Brain localization of differential emotional reactions to trauma

• How PTSD emotions are differentially represented and changed in the amygdala and the cortex

Three Key Components of the Brain involved in PTSD

• Amygdala– PET imaging shows high amygdala activation to traumatic vs.

neutral stimuli 1-4

• Prefrontal cortex– LESS activation 9-12

• Hippocampus– Reduced hippocampal volumes 5-8

1 Rauch et al., 1996; 2 Rauch et al., 2000; 3 Liberzon et al., 1999; 4 Semple et al., 2000; 5 Bremner et al., 1995; 6 Bremner et al., 1997; 7 Gurvitz et al., 1996; 8 Stein et al., 1997; 9 Bremner et al, 1999; 10 Bremner et al., 1999; 11 Villareal and King, 2001; 12 Pitman et al., 2001

Involved in the processing of FEAR

Limbic Structures

(Amygdala)

Involved in the processing of more complex negative emotions

(e.g. guilt, shame, anger)

Higher Cortical

Structures

Hippocampus Highlights

• The hippocampus contextualizes fear and regulates it on the basis of the situation we are in (i.e. a lion in the zoo fascinates; a lion on the street invokes fear)

Reduced hippocampal volume may be related

to memory dysfunction in PTSD

Vermetten & Bremner, 2002