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Is synaesthesia a predisposing factor to post-traumatic stress disorder?
1School of Psychology, University of Sussex, BN1 9QH Falmer, Brighton, UK.
Frontiers in Bioscience (Scholar Edition)
|July 14, 2021
Summary
Synaesthesia is a significant risk factor for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Cognitive differences in synaesthetes, like vivid sensory recall and first-person memory, may increase vulnerability to trauma-related flashbacks.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Synaesthesia is a neurological condition where sensory pathways are cross-wired.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) affects individuals after traumatic experiences.
- Previous research has not extensively linked synaesthesia to PTSD risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential link between synaesthesia and the risk of developing PTSD.
- To explore the cognitive mechanisms underlying this potential association.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent evidence and existing literature.
- Analysis of cognitive differences in individuals with synaesthesia, particularly in memory recall.
- Theoretical explanation of how these cognitive traits might confer vulnerability to PTSD.
Main Results:
- Synaesthesia is identified as a major risk factor for PTSD development.
- Synaesthetes exhibit enhanced recall of sensory and affective details from past events.
- Synaesthetes are more prone to recalling events from a first-person perspective.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive traits associated with synaesthesia, such as vivid sensory memory and memory inflexibility, may predispose individuals to PTSD.
- These memory characteristics could contribute to the occurrence of flashbacks after trauma exposure.
- This finding highlights a novel vulnerability factor for PTSD in individuals with synaesthesia.
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