PTSD memory storage in the brain have not been well understood, and people used to think that finding a way to suppress these memories is the cure for PTSD.
Recent studies have shown that a crucial step in the treatment of PTSD is to correct these trauma memories, rather than to suppress them.
Through experiments done on mice EPFL scientists discovered that the same group of neurons are responsible for suppressing and storing the traumatic memories. These neurons are located in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, which is a part of the brain for the storage of long term memories.
These mice were genetically modified with fluorescent neurons and then exposed to traumatic events, so scientists could locate the area of the brain that was activated upon facing the trauma.
These mice were then subjected to Prolonged Exposure Therapy, which is one of the most effective evidence-based treatments for PTSD in humans. The scientists found that when the mice became less fearful, the region that was previously activated in the face of trauma became more active. This shows that the same region is responsible for both suppression and storage of trauma memories.
Through this experiment and a control experiment done on mice, scientists concluded that suppression of fear from traumatic events is a result of activity of the identified region in the hippocampus.
Category(s):Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) / Trauma / Complex PTSD
Source material from The Science Daily
