Study: Psychological Trauma Changes Our Brains Forever
Miscellaneous / / August 23, 2023
Accidents, abuse, complications during childbirth - all this leaves its mark.
Neuroscientists at Radboud University in the Netherlands have found that adversity and emotional distress permanently change how the brain works. And this connection is always clear.
IN research about 170 people took part - this was a special group of people whose data was collected throughout their lives. Particular attention was paid to past psychological trauma, including accidents, abuse, complications during childbirth, and others.
Neuroscientists studied the structure of the subjects' brains at the age of 25 and at 33. Then, with the help of artificial intelligence, clear links were found between past injuries and patterns in the structure of the brain. “And these ties are very stable. We found them at both ages. Now, with our results, we can predict how the brain responds to adversity,” said researcher Natalie Holtz.
I think it's special that we can track the impact of events that happened even 25 years ago. And, perhaps more importantly, it can help us predict who is more likely to develop mental disorders.
André Marquand
research leader
Markan explains that they were able to identify exactly how the brain usually reacts to injury. Therefore, it is now possible for scientists to determine when this reaction is abnormal. They also found that such a deviation is usually associated with anxiety symptoms.
The scientists hope their findings could ultimately lead to earlier detection of mental disorders. This will allow medical professionals to treat patients earlier and more efficiently. But more research is needed before this becomes a reality.
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