PTSD Alters Brain's Processing of Traumatic Memories, Study Finds

Research suggests traumatic memories are processed as present experiences, offering potential new treatment approaches for PTSD.

New research indicates that traumatic memories in PTSD patients are processed differently in the brain compared to sad memories, with distinct neural patterns in the hippocampus and posterior cingulate cortex.
The study, conducted by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Yale University, examined real-life personal memories of PTSD patients, linking personal experience to brain function.
When recalling traumatic memories, the brain appears to process them as present experiences rather than past events.
The more severe the PTSD symptoms, the more activity appeared in the posterior cingulate cortex, a brain region usually involved in internally directed thought.
The findings suggest new treatment approaches for PTSD focusing on altering the brain’s processing of traumatic memories.