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BIOL 1090

How PTSD Affects the Brain


Jazmine Taylor
April 17, 2016

Abstract:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a serious disease that affects the brain through traumatic events in
peoples lives. There are at least three different ways in which it does that: Overstimulation in the amygdala,
increased stress hormones in the hippocampus, and ineffective variability. These each have very unique ways of
changing a persons personality and way of life and it is all because they experienced something traumatic.
Discussion:
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) has been a huge problem with people who have been to war,
suffered from any form of abuse, car accidents, and many other things. There has been a large debate
throughout the years, depending on the situation of course, of whether or not these things can be resolved by
simply putting it in the past or if it is more serious than that. What a lot of people do not know is that these
things can have a long term affect on the brain and how it responds to everything else throughout a persons life.
For example, a woman was beaten and assaulted as a child for over seven years. She did not understand
what was going on, and therefore did not do anything to stop it as a five to twelve year old girl. As an adult,
memories came back, nightmares began to flood in as she slept, and every man was an automatic perpetrator.
After years of therapy, medication, and other help she is now able to live a decent and as close to normal life as
possible. There are still times when her PTSD gets to her, but she is able to function, which is remarkable
considering the damage done on her brain.
When people have experiences like these it is very easy to look on the outside affects or the physical
affects, but it is much more difficult to see what is happening on the inside and especially on the brain. It is
important to remember that there is just as much biological damage as there is physical damage when these
situations arise.
According to Michelle Rosenthal, a certified PTSD specialist, there are three major changes that occur
in the brain after a traumatic event. The first happens in the amygdala, which is located deep inside the brain
and is responsible for memories, emotions, and survival. After a traumatic experience the amygdala over
stimulates which allows memories and emotions to be interconnected with that experience and threats are
perceived to be everywhere (Rosenthal 2015).
Amy Arnsten, a Yale Graduate in neurobiology, gives an excellent explanation and example of this. In
her research she describes as a result of the overstimulation that a victim could see a picture, watch a movie,
smell something, or listen to a song, etc. that allows him/her to connect with her experience. Because of this it
will click in the victims brain as having another traumatic experience, having the need for a fight or flight
response. Most people will recognize what triggers those moments and stay away from those things, but in the
case that they do not it could cause a lot of change in their behavior, emotions, and brain patterns (Arnsten
2015).
The second occurs in the hippocampus where an increase of a stress hormone begins to kill cells and
makes it difficult to distinguish the experience as a past or present event. This keeps the brain reactive, leading
the victim to believe that he/she is still in danger which makes it difficult to move on and function normally
throughout their life (Rosenthal 2015).
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J. Douglas Bremnar, a psychiatric doctor, agrees with Rosenthal but also believes that the biggest and
most noticeable affects are because of the changes and problems occurring in the hippocampus. Another thing
this part of the brain is able to control is the verbal memory. Where the amygdala is over the visual, the
hippocampus is able to bring to mind everything that was heard or not heard in a traumatic event. With those
noises and voices constantly going on in a victims head, it only seems reasonable that anxiety, paranoia,
depression, and schitzophrenia would creep up and everything around them would become dangerous through
their eyes. This is caused by a lack of neurons in the hippocampus of the brain (Bremner 2006).
The third actually occurs throughout the entire body. Because of the instant and constant increase of
stress hormones the body is no longer able to regulate the way that it is supposed to. One way that it does this is
in the way the sympathetic nervous system stays activated for an extremely long amount of time, which causes
exhaustion throughout the body and most of its systems. This is called ineffective variability (Rosenthal
2015).
There was a study done by Michael DeBakey, who was able to test several aspects of ineffective
variability on veterans who suffer from PTSD. One specific test was on heart rate variability, and every person
who had PTSD had a negative outcome for their variability (DeBakey 2011).
Conclusion:
PTSD really does a lot of damage to a persons life physically, emotionally, mentally, and biologically.
An over stimulated amygdala, increased stress hormones in the hippocampus, and ineffective variability are just
a few. There is a real, biological and scientific reason for the symptoms of those who have suffered and
experienced traumatic things. There have been many studies and tests done by Rosenthal, Arnsten, Bremner,
and DeBakey, along with many others, and they have all come up with the same thing: there is a very significant
change in the brain and body every time someone experiences a trigger or traumatic event.

References:
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Arnsten, A. (2015). The Effects of Stress Exposure on Prefrontal Cortex: Translating Basic Research into
Successful Treatments for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Science Direct. Retrieved on April 17, 2016,
from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352289514000101
Bremner, J. D. (2006). Traumatic stress: effects on the brain. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 8(4), 445
461. Retrieved on April 17, 2016, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3181836/
Rosenthal, M. (2015). The Science Behind PTSD Symptoms: How Trauma Changes The Brain. Psych Central.
Retrieved on April 17, 2016, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2015/09/16/the-science-behindptsd-symptoms-how-trauma-changes-the-brain/

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