Recovered memories and false memories

2012 ◽  
pp. 713-716 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chris R. Brewin
Keyword(s):  
False Memory ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Memory Loss ◽  
The United States ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Recovered Memories ◽  
False Memory Syndrome ◽  
Long Period ◽  
Post Traumatic

Clinicians working with survivors of traumatic experiences have frequently noted the existence of memory loss with no obvious physical cause and the recovery of additional memories during clinical sessions. Indeed, amnesia is described in diagnostic manuals as a feature of post-traumatic stress disorder, although its presence is not necessary for this diagnosis. In the majority of these cases, people forget details of the traumatic event or events, or forget how they reacted at the time, although they remember that the event happened. They typically report that they have endeavoured not to think about the event, but have never forgotten that it occurred. Controversy is centred on memories of traumatic events, particularly concerning child abuse, that appear to be recovered after a long period of time in which there was complete forgetting that they had ever happened. It has sometimes been suggested that many, if not all, of these apparent recovered memories are the product of inappropriate therapeutic suggestion. This argument has been promulgated in particular by the False Memory Syndrome Foundation in the United States, by its counterpart, the British False Memory Society, and by their scientific advisors.

scholarly journals Evaluation of the effects of L-Theanine on neurobehavior in an adult male Sprague-Dawley Rat Model of PTSD

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 299-308
Author(s):  
John E Buonora ◽  
Patrick M Krum ◽  
Tomás Eduardo Ceremuga
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Memory ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Forced Swim Test ◽  
The United States ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Stress Model ◽  
Sprague Dawley ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Shock Stress

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) continues to be one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States and may occur in response to traumatic experiences. Currently, there are no interventions that prevent the development of PTSD. L-Theanine (L-Th), a major compound in green tea has been found to decrease anxiety and prevent memory impairment and may have potential effects in the prevention of PTSD. Sixty rats were divided into six experimental groups: control vehicle, control L-Th, control naïve, PTSD vehicle, PTSD Pre-L-Th (prophylactic), PTSD Post-L-Th (non-prophylactic). PTSD was induced by a 3-day restraint/tail shock stress model. The effects of L-Th on neurobehavior were evaluated by Elevated Plus-Maze (EPM), Morris Water Maze (MWM), and Forced Swim Test (FST). Our study found that the total food intake weight of PTSD Pre-L-Th (prophylactic) rats were significantly increased compared to that of PTSD vehicle rats (p = .04). Administration of L-Th 24 hours before the initial PTSD event or for 10 days following the last PTSD stress event did not statistically improve mean open arm exploration on the EPM, spatial memory, and learning in the MWM or behavioral despair measured by the FST (p > 0.05). Although the 3-day restraint/tail shock stress model caused stress in the rodents, it did not produce reported PTSD-like anxiety and depression or spatial memory loss. The effect of Pre-L-Th or Post-L-Th treatment, on the neurobehavioral functions could not be effectively evaluated. However, this study provides a foundation for future studies to try different rodent PTSD models to induce PTSD-like neurobehavioral impairments to explore dosage, frequency, as well as the duration of L-Th administration before and/or after the post-traumatic event. The 3-day restraint/tail shock stress model caused stress in the rodents, Pre-L-Theanine treatment preconditioned the PTSD rats to endure stress.

scholarly journals Psychological sequelae of political imprisonment, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder, in 491 Days by Winnie Madikizela-Mandela

Literator ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 39 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisa Botha
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Psychological Sequelae ◽  
Main Cluster ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Political Imprisonment

This article analyses well-known anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s prison memoir 491 Days: Prisoner Number 1323/69 (2013) for depictions of suffering. This memoir reveals aspects of politically inflicted trauma, particularly the suffering sustained in prolonged solitary confinement and the resulting psychological sequelae for the prisoner. To move beyond a vague understanding of her traumatic experiences, this article draws on the field of psychiatry, specifically the diagnostic criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to gain greater insight as this tool may also be regarded as a type of narrative that could aid in the comprehension of traumatic events. References will be made to the three main cluster symptoms of PTSD: involuntary re-experiencing of the traumatic event, avoidance of reminders and an ongoing sense of threat. An interdisciplinary literary-psychological approach will probably lead to a deeper understanding of the mental consequences of political imprisonment, as PTSD was not an acknowledged disorder during Madikizela-Mandela’s detainment.

Another Look at the Legal and Ethical Consequences of Pharmacological Memory Dampening: The Case of Sexual Assault

2013 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 859-871 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer A. Chandler ◽  
Alexandra Mogyoros ◽  
Tristana Martin Rubio ◽  
Eric Racine
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Assault ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
The United States ◽  
Traumatic Experience ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Persistent Symptoms ◽  
Intense Fear ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Uncommon Condition ◽  
Clinically Significant

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a “young” disorder formally recognized in the early 1980s, although the symptoms have been noted for centuries particularly in relation to military conflicts. PTSD may develop after a serious traumatic experience that induces feelings of intense fear, helplessness or horror. It is currently characterized by three key classes of symptoms which must cause clinically significant distress or impairment of functioning: (1) persistent and distressing re-experiencing of the trauma; (2) persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma and numbing of general responsiveness; and (3) persistent symptoms of hyper-arousal. One of the possible symptoms within the second class is difficulty in remembering an important aspect of the traumatic event.PTSD is not an uncommon condition, with an estimated lifetime prevalence of about 7-9% based on studies conducted in the United States and Canada, with women at higher risk than men. While not everyone who experiences a significant trauma will go on to develop PTSD, about a third will do so. Sexual assault, along with other forms of assaultive violence, pose a comparatively high risk of PTSD.

Cellular Physiology of the Basolateral Complex of the Amygdala and Its Modulation by Stress

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brendan M. O’Flaherty ◽  
Chia-Chun Hsu ◽  
M. Anzar Abbas ◽  
Donald G. Rainnie
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Network Connectivity ◽  
The United States ◽  
Brain Regions ◽  
Neural Systems ◽  
Fear Response ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Bed Nucleus ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Basolateral Complex

Fear is a critical emotional response that allows an organism to safely navigate through dangerous environments. The neural systems underlying the fear response have been well characterized, and include the amygdala, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, bed nucleus of stria terminalis, nucleus accumbens, and others. While normally these brain regions coordinate to produce an appropriate fear response, the fear network in humans can become dysregulated after a traumatic event. The resulting phenotype of hyperarousal, avoidance, and re-experiencing of fear known as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a growing problem in the United States. This chapter focuses on the role of the basolateral complex (BLC) of the amygdala, which has been implicated in the neuropathology of PTSD, particularly the hyperarousal, fear generalization, and fear extinction deficits characteristic of the disorder, as well as aspects of the microcircuitry, network connectivity, and neuromodulation of the BLC that may be involved in the pathophysiology of PTSD.

Predictors of chronic post-traumatic stress disorder

1999 ◽  
Vol 174 (4) ◽  
pp. 353-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sara A. Freedman ◽  
Dalia Brandes ◽  
Tuvia Peri ◽  
Arieh Y. Shalev
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Trauma Survivors ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Important Mediator ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
One Year

BackgroundMost individuals who, shortly after trauma, express symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) recover within one year of their traumatic experiences. In contrast, those who remain ill for one year rarely recover completely. The early identification of the latter is, therefore, very important.AimsTo prospectively evaluate predictors of PTSD at four months and one year.MethodWe followed 236 trauma survivors recruited from admissions to a general hospital's emergency room for four months, at which point 41 (17.4%) met diagnostic criteria for PTSD. Twenty-three of these individuals, and 39 individuals without PTSD at four months, were assessed again at one year.ResultsDepressive symptoms were the best predictors of PTSD at both time points. Intrusive symptoms and peri-traumatic dissociation were better at predicting four-month PTSD than one-year PTSD.ConclusionsThe occurrence of depression during the months that follow a traumatic event is an important mediator of chronicity in PTSD.

scholarly journals War brought home: Post-traumatic stress disorder in the post-Vietnam America through the documentary form of Emily Mann‘s play still life

Temida ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 129-159
Author(s):  
Aleksandar Radovanovic
Keyword(s):  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Disorder ◽  
Moral Dilemma ◽  
The United States ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Still Life ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

The collective moral dilemma that the United States society plunged into during the Vietnam War was intensified by the problem of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, which assumed undreamed- of proportions among returnees from the front. In her play Still Life, Emily Mann uses the example of a war veteran in order to examine PTSD not only in the context of war brutality which scars the warrior?s psyche, but also in the light of malign social circumstances which contribute to the development of the illness. The play suggests that the spread of PTSD was rooted not only in the technological advancement which enhanced the destructive potential of weaponry, but also in the state ideology which manifested itself in dehumanization of the enemy, shifting the burning issue of racism to the frontline, and enlistment policy based on class and racial discrimination. Traumatic experiences of the play?s protagonists create an image of America in which boot camp for Vietnam was not limited to Parris Island, but pervaded the society through family and institutional dysfunction. Their confessions trace the war on its way back home, as a place from which it has sprung and is still being waged in, finding its victims both in veterans and people in their immediate surroundings. The playwright employs ?Theatre of Testimony? in order to dramatize and simultaneously document her findings, which is why this paper deals in equal measure with her dramatic method and the way the content of the play interacts with the Vietnam heritage.

scholarly journals Association between trauma exposure and delusional experiences in a large community-based sample

2007 ◽  
Vol 190 (4) ◽  
pp. 339-343 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Scott ◽  
David Chant ◽  
Gavin Andrews ◽  
Graham Martin ◽  
John McGrath
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Event ◽  
Community Sample ◽  
Traumatic Events ◽  
Traumatic Experiences ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Dose Response Relationship ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Post Traumatic ◽  
Exposure To Trauma

BackgroundSurveys have found that otherwise well individuals report delusional experiences. Previous studies have shown an association between psychotic symptoms and exposure to trauma.AimsTo explore the association between trauma and delusional experiences in a community sample.MethodRespondents (n = 10 641) were assessed for delusional experiences, exposure to various types of traumatic experiences and the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The endorsement of delusional items was examined in people exposed to traumatic events who did or did not have PTSD.ResultsExposure to any traumatic event but without the development of PTSD was associated with increased endorsement of delusional experiences (relative risk 2.68, 95% CI 2.18–3.30) and there was a significant dose–response relationship between the number of types of traumatic events and endorsement of such experiences (χ2 =26.74, d.f. =2, P < 0.001). A diagnosis of PTSD further increased endorsement of delusional experiences (RR = 9.24, 95% CI 6.95–12.27). The association between PTSD and delusional experiences remained significant after adjusting for factors associated with psychotic symptoms.ConclusionsFurther investigation into the pathways between trauma, delusions and psychosis may provide insights into shared aetiological mechanisms underpinning these conditions.

Association Between Intimate Partner Violence Subtypes and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Hazardous Substance Use

2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110219
Author(s):  
Matthew M. Yalch ◽  
Sloane R. M. Rickman
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ◽  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Partner Violence ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cumulative Effects ◽  
Hazardous Substance ◽  
Ptsd Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Post Traumatic

Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a common problem for women in the United States and is associated with symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as well as hazardous use of substances like alcohol and drugs. However, not all subtypes of IPV (i.e., physical, sexual, and psychological) are equally predictive of PTSD and hazardous substance use. Although previous research suggests that psychological IPV has the strongest relative effect on PTSD symptoms and substance use, there is less research on IPV subtypes’ cumulative effects. In this study, we examined the relative and cumulative effects of physical, sexual, and psychological IPV on PTSD symptoms and hazardous substance use in a sample of women in the United States recruited via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk ( N = 793) using bootstrapped multiple regression and configural frequency analyses. Results suggest that physical IPV had the most pronounced influence (medium-large effect sizes) on substance use across women, but that the cumulative effects of all three IPV subtypes were most closely associated with diagnostic levels of both PTSD and substance use at the level of groups of women. These findings clarify and extend previous research on the differential effects of IPV subtypes and provide directions for future research and clinical intervention.

scholarly journals Psychosocial Outcomes in Adult Survivors of Retinoblastoma

2015 ◽  
Vol 33 (31) ◽  
pp. 3608-3614 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer S. Ford ◽  
Joanne F. Chou ◽  
Charles A. Sklar ◽  
Kevin C. Oeffinger ◽  
Danielle Novetsky Friedman ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Traumatic Stress ◽  
Medical Condition ◽  
Cancer Recurrence ◽  
Psychosocial Outcomes ◽  
The United States ◽  
Fear Of Cancer Recurrence ◽  
Chronic Medical Condition ◽  
Post Traumatic Stress ◽  
Stress Symptoms ◽  
Post Traumatic

Purpose Survival rates for individuals diagnosed with retinoblastoma (RB) exceed 95% in the United States; however, little is known about the long-term psychosocial outcomes of these survivors. Patients and Methods Adult RB survivors, diagnosed from 1932 to 1994 and treated in New York, completed a comprehensive questionnaire adapted from the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study (CCSS), by mail or telephone. Psychosocial outcomes included psychological distress, anxiety, depression, somatization, fear of cancer recurrence, satisfaction with facial appearance, post-traumatic growth, and post-traumatic stress symptoms; noncancer CCSS siblings served as a comparison group. Results A total of 470 RB survivors (53.6% with bilateral RB; 52.1% female) and 2,820 CCSS siblings were 43.3 (standard deviation [SD], 11) years and 33.2 (SD, 8.4) years old at the time of study, respectively. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, RB survivors did not have significantly higher rates of depression, somatization, distress, or anxiety compared with CCSS siblings. Although RB survivors were more likely to report post-traumatic stress symptoms of avoidance and/or hyperarousal (both P < .01), only five (1.1%) of 470 met criteria for post-traumatic stress disorder. Among survivors, having a chronic medical condition did not increase the likelihood of psychological problems. Bilateral RB survivors were more likely than unilateral RB survivors to experience fears of cancer recurrence (P < .01) and worry about their children being diagnosed with RB (P < .01). However, bilateral RB survivors were no more likely to report depression, anxiety, or somatic complaints than unilateral survivors. Conclusion Most RB survivors do not have poorer psychosocial functioning compared with a noncancer sample. In addition, bilateral and unilateral RB survivors seem similar with respect to their psychological symptoms.

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