Neurobiological Pathways Involved in Fear, Stress, and PTSD

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Heim ◽  
Charles B. Nemeroff
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Vulnerability Factors ◽  
Vast Number ◽  
Traumatic Exposure ◽  
Stress Sensitization ◽  
Post Traumatic

The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are believed to reflect an inadequate adaptation of neurobiological systems to exposure to severe stressors. A vast number of studies have revealed multiple alterations in neuroendocrine and neurochemical systems in patients with PTSD. It is now evident that certain neurobiological changes in PTSD actually reflect preexisting vulnerability factors that contribute to maladaptive physiological and behavioral responses to traumatic exposure, as well as altered learning and extinction of fear memories. These results suggest the development of novel pathophysiology-driven strategies for intervention that directly target the neurobiological mechanisms that lead to stress sensitization, increased fear memories, and arousal.

scholarly journals Re-conceptualizing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as a Neuropsychological Condition // اضطراب ما بعد الصدمة كحالة نفسية-عصبية: نظرية بديلة

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio E. Puente
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorder ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Neuropsychological Deficits ◽  
Emotional Trauma ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Psychotherapeutic Interventions ◽  
Traumatic Exposure ◽  
Post Traumatic

This study aims at re-conceptualizing PTSD as a neuropsychological construct and reconsidering the understanding of both the perpetrator and victim of the trauma from a neuropsychological perspective. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is considered a modern mental disorder secondary to an individual's experience of emotional trauma. Further such trauma should disappear or be adjusted to as a function of the passage of time and as a function of psychotherapeutic interventions. The findings of this study reveal that PTSD produces changes that are neurocognitive in nature. Furthermore, significant neuropsychological deficits arise as a function of PTSD or at least some forms of PTSD via acute or chronic traumatic exposure.

Do Critical Care Nurses Face Burnout, PTSD, or is it Something Else?: Getting Help for the Helpers

1993 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 558-565
Author(s):  
Kathleen Houston Acker
Keyword(s):  
Critical Care ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Behavioral Responses ◽  
Critical Care Nurses ◽  
Stress Generation ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Care Environment ◽  
Post Traumatic

The critical-care environment can be a stressful place to work. As a result of stress generation, critical-care nurses must use coping mechanisms not normally needed. The Adaptation Process Phenomenon describes a sequence of behavioral patterns and responses during stressful situations, perceived or not, that can result in negative behavioral responses to stress. For critical-care nurses, negative responses can impair the ability to care for patients and families. Adapation to stress must be identified and examined as a potential illness for critical-care nurses. Is the problem burnout, post traumatic stress disorder, or something else

scholarly journals Free Your Mind: Emotional Expressive Flexibility Moderates the Effect of Stress on Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (15) ◽  
pp. 5355
Author(s):  
Einat Levy-Gigi ◽  
Reut Donner ◽  
George A. Bonanno
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Expression ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Protective Factor ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Clinical Symptoms ◽  
Daily Routine ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Traumatic Exposure ◽  
Post Traumatic

Servicemen are exposed to high levels of stress as part of their daily routine, however, studies which tested the relationship between stress and clinical symptoms reached inconsistent results. The present study examines the role of expressive flexibility, which was determined according to the ability to enhance or suppress either negative or positive emotional expression in conflictual situations, as a possible moderator between stress and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) symptoms. A total of 82 active-duty firefighters (all men, age range = 25–66, M = 33.59, SD = 9.56, range of years in duty service = 2–41, M = 14.37, SD = 11.79), with different duty-related repeated traumatic exposure, participated in the study. We predicted and found that firefighters with low, but not high, expressive flexibility showed a significant positive correlation between duty-related traumatic exposure and PTSD symptomology (t(81) = 3.85, p < 0.001). Hence, the greater the exposure the higher level of symptoms they exhibited. In addition, we found a difference between the moderating roles of suppressing positive and negative emotional expression, as high but not low, ability to suppress the expression of negative emotions (t(81) = 1.76, p > 0.05), as low but not high, ability to suppress the expression of positive emotions (t(81) = 1.6, p > 0.05), served as a protective factor in buffering the deleterious effect of repeated traumatic exposure. The results provide a pivotal support for the growing body of evidence that a flexible emotional profile is an adaptive one, in dealing with negative life events. However, while there is a need to update behavior, the direction of the adaptive update may differ as a function of valance.

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