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Science News About Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Photograph of a man staring straight ahead with the sides of his face blurry and out of focus
Feelings of Detachment After Trauma May Signal Worse Mental Health Outcomes

A new NIMH-supported study shows that experiencing persistent feelings of detachment following trauma is an early psychological and biological marker of worse mental health outcomes.

illustration of human brain seen from above
Brain Activity Patterns After Trauma May Predict Long-Term Mental Health

The way a person’s brain responds to stress following a traumatic event, such as a car accident, may help to predict their long-term mental health outcomes, according to NIMH-supported research.

fear lab trainees with poster at SFN 2018
Puerto Rico’s “Fear Lab” Mentors Neuroscience Rigor amid Diversity

A lineage of young neuroscientists from diverse backgrounds trace their scientific roots to a “fear lab” in Puerto Rico that the National Institutes of Health has been supporting for two decades.

An fMRI image of the brain showing two small red areas that represent the amygdala, as defined functionally by the researchers.
Brain Biomarkers Could Help Identify Those at Risk of Severe PTSD

This study has shed light on the neurocomputational contributions to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder in combat veterans, finding distinct patterns for how the brain and body respond to learning danger and safety depending on the severity of PTSD symptoms.