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[Posttraumatic stress disorder and trauma memory--a psychobiological perspective]
1Lehrstuhl für Neuropsychologie an der Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, J 5, D-68159 Mannheim, Germany. wessa@as200.zi-mannheim.de
Zeitschrift Fur Psychosomatische Medizin Und Psychotherapie
|February 8, 2002
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be sustained by learned brain changes. A proposed model suggests a dissociation between implicit emotional memories and explicit trauma memories, hindering emotional response extinction in PTSD.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Psychology
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a debilitating condition.
- Learned maladaptive changes in the brain are implicated in PTSD.
- Existing models lack a comprehensive explanation for PTSD maintenance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a neurobiological model for PTSD maintenance.
- To investigate the role of implicit and explicit memory in PTSD.
- To explore the impact of cortical and subcortical plasticity on trauma memory.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical postulation of a neurobiological model.
- Hypothesizing the role of classical conditioning in emotional memory.
- Suggesting dissociation between implicit (subcortical) and explicit (cortical) memory.
Main Results:
- The proposed model suggests that intense implicit emotional memories (amygdala) and insufficient explicit memories (cortical processing) perpetuate PTSD.
- This dissociation prevents the extinction of trauma-related emotional responses.
- Preliminary empirical findings support the model's core hypotheses.
Conclusions:
- Learned cortical and subcortical plasticity may maintain PTSD.
- A dissociation between implicit and explicit memory systems is a key factor in PTSD.
- This model provides a framework for understanding and potentially treating PTSD.