University of Michigan research reveals new theories about PTSD

New research from the University of Michigan suggests that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) stems from physical processes in the brain and not from psychological weakness, as many have believed.

Though the study, published in the journal Neuron, hasn’t identified exactly what the brain processes are that cause PTSD, the two researchers and U of M psychiatry professors Israel Liberzon, MD, and James Abelson, MD, PhD, have concluded that people with the condition appear to suffer from disrupted context processing.

Context processing, a core brain function that allows people to recognize that a particular stimulus requires different responses, is what allows the brain have an appropriate emotional or physical response. It involves the hippocampus and triggers abnormal responses such as being scared of a loud noise from a door slamming because it reminds them of a gun shot.

“We hope to create a testable hypothesis, which isn’t as common in mental health research as it should be,” Liberzon said in a statement. “If this hypothesis proves true, maybe we can unravel some of the underlying pathophysiological processes and offer better treatments.”

Prior research has shown that activity in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala are disrupted in PTSD patients, and Liberzon and Abelson’s research suggests that a disruption in this circuit can interfere with context processing, which would further explain the biology behind PTSD.

“We hope to put some order to all the information that’s been gathered about PTSD from studies of human patients, and of animal models of the condition,” Liberzon added.

The authors hope their research encourages others in the field to further study the causes of PTSD and how they differ from person to person.