Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder01:27

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric condition that arises following exposure to traumatic events such as natural disasters, forced displacement, or severe accidents. It significantly impairs individuals' ability to cope with daily activities and disrupts their emotional and psychological equilibrium.
Symptoms and Behavioral Manifestations
A spectrum of distressing symptoms characterizes PTSD. Recurrent flashbacks, where individuals involuntarily relive traumatic events, are a...
Traumatic Memory01:20

Traumatic Memory

Emotionally traumatic events often lead to memories that are exceptionally vivid and enduring, sometimes persisting with remarkable clarity throughout an individual's life. A classic example of this phenomenon is a person who survives a car accident. Even years later, they may recall every detail of the event with startling accuracy — the screeching of the tires, the jarring impact, and the acrid smell of burning rubber. Such vividness contrasts sharply with how an individual remembers mundane...
Long-Term Memory01:18

Long-Term Memory

Long-term memory is a relatively permanent type of memory, capable of storing vast amounts of information over extended periods. Its storage capacity is generally considered unlimited.
Long-term memory can be categorized into two primary types: explicit and implicit memory. Explicit memory, also known as declarative memory, involves the conscious recollection of information that we deliberately try to remember, recall, and articulate. This type of memory encompasses specific facts, events, and...
Repressed Memory01:16

Repressed Memory

Repressed memories are a psychological phenomenon where memories of traumatic events are unconsciously blocked from a person's awareness. This process occurs as a defense mechanism, protecting the mind from the emotional impact of distressing or painful experiences. For example, a person who has experienced childhood trauma may grow up with no conscious recollection of the event. In such cases, the memories are thought to be buried deep within the subconscious, inaccessible to the conscious...
Dissociative Disorders01:27

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders represent complex psychological conditions characterized by disruptions in consciousness, memory, identity, or perception. These disruptions cause individuals to experience a disconnection from their thoughts, emotions, and memories. The phenomenon is not merely an occasional lapse in attention but a profound alteration in mental functioning that can severely impact daily life.
Dissociative Fugue
A hallmark feature of dissociative disorders is the dissociative fugue...
Explicit Memories01:27

Explicit Memories

Explicit memories, also known as declarative memories, are consciously remembered, recalled, and reported. Studying for a chemistry exam involves material that will become part of explicit memory. There are two types of explicit memory: episodic and semantic.
Episodic memory contains information about personally experienced events and is reported as a story. An example of episodic memory is recalling a birthday celebration. This type of memory includes the what, where, and when of an event, as...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Providing accessible, effective services to promote postinjury psychological adjustment: Lessons learned from a stepped care intervention program pilot.

Psychological services·2026
Same author

The roles of cognitive control and coping self-efficacy in posttraumatic stress symptoms following a motor vehicle collision.

Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy·2025
Same author

Ongoing traumatic stress during a global pandemic.

Psychological trauma : theory, research, practice and policy·2022
Same author

Mental health and resilience during the coronavirus pandemic: A machine learning approach.

Journal of clinical psychology·2021
Same author

The power of appraisals in predicting PTSD symptom improvement following cognitive rehabilitation: A randomized clinical trial.

Journal of affective disorders·2021
Same author

Cognitive Training for Mild Traumatic Brain Injury and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Frontiers in neurology·2020
Same journal

Mapping topological abnormalities in cortical similarity networks to schizophrenia-associated gene expression.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Poor sleep quality correlates with axial symptoms and mood problems in Parkinson's disease.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Comparisons of thalamocortical functional connectivity in transgender women and cisgender individuals: associations with cognition in a Chinese cohort.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

The Arabic Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2 (GAD-2): Psychometric evaluation among mothers of children with intellectual disabilities.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
Same journal

Polarisation of brain dynamics in mania and depression.

Dialogues in clinical neuroscience·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 28, 2026

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
10:43

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity

Published on: July 1, 2014

Post-traumatic stress disorder and declarative memory functioning: a review.

Kristin W Samuelson1

  • 1California School of Professional Psychology, Alliant International University, San Francisco, California, USA. ksamuelson@alliant.edu

Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience
|October 29, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to declarative memory problems. This review explores if PTSD causes memory issues or if memory deficits increase PTSD risk, highlighting brain regions like the hippocampus.

Keywords:
PTSDhippocampusneuropsychologytraumaverbal memory

More Related Videos

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
08:25

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment

Published on: December 6, 2024

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 28, 2026

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity
10:43

Developing Neuroimaging Phenotypes of the Default Mode Network in PTSD: Integrating the Resting State, Working Memory, and Structural Connectivity

Published on: July 1, 2014

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment
08:25

Polar Histogram Visualization of Acute Stress Disorder Scale Scores for Comprehensive Clinical Assessment

Published on: December 6, 2024

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Psychiatry
  • Cognitive Psychology

Background:

  • Declarative memory dysfunction is a recognized symptom in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
  • Understanding the relationship between memory deficits and PTSD is crucial for effective treatment and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the existing literature on declarative memory dysfunction in PTSD.
  • To present two frameworks explaining the nature of this dysfunction: PTSD-induced neurobiological abnormalities versus pre-existing memory deficits as a risk factor.
  • To discuss brain regions and neurobiological factors implicated in these memory deficits.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies investigating declarative memory in PTSD.
  • Examination of neuroimaging and biochemistry studies related to memory dysfunction.
  • Analysis of prospective and twin studies examining risk factors for PTSD.

Main Results:

  • Declarative memory deficits are consistently associated with PTSD.
  • Two primary etiological frameworks are proposed: PTSD-related neurobiological changes and pre-existing memory deficits as a vulnerability factor.
  • The hippocampus and prefrontal cortex are key brain regions implicated in PTSD-related memory dysfunction.

Conclusions:

  • The relationship between PTSD and declarative memory dysfunction is complex and likely bidirectional.
  • Evidence from prospective and twin studies supports the role of pre-existing memory deficits as a significant risk factor for developing PTSD.
  • Further research into the neurobiological underpinnings of memory in PTSD is warranted.