Hippocampal atrophy is found in...PTSD and chronic TBI, even in cases in which the primary impact site was remote from the hippocampus. |
The Implications of PTSD, TBI and Depression
PTSD, TBI and depression can bring about structural changes in the brain that affect thinking, emotion and behavior.
Damage to these areas can disrupt the brain's ability to process sensory data and impair cognitive function.
Studies in combat-related PTSD show that extended release of stress-responsive hormones damages the hippocampus [affecting mood, memory and learning] and can shrink its volume by up to 26%, an effect seen in [depression and] Alzheimer’s disease. How the Brain WorksInteraction with the environment requires the balance of two attentional selection mechanisms in the brain:
Bottom-Up and Top-Down
BU systems compromise can disrupt brain function and effect changes in personality and behavior
Brain imaging studies in PTSD have implicated a circuit of brain regions, including the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex and amygdala, in the symptoms of PTSD. |
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See also:
Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries and Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery, Terri Tanielian and Lisa H. Jaycox, eds.
Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries and Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery, Terri Tanielian and Lisa H. Jaycox, eds.
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