~ Neuropsychology of Trauma ~
The motivation and driving force behind all behaviors, thoughts, and feelings, be they purposive and goal-directed, or instinctive and outside our immediate conscious awareness, is determined and carried out at the cellular level. The majority of traumatic symptomotology and subsequent lifestyle disruption that is present in the wake of a traumatic event, is secondary to a host off biochemical dysregulation that occur as a direct result of a single traumatic event or a chronic onslaught of traumatic stress sustained during critical periods of early development.
We know, for example, that the psychological process called dissociation (there is no "a" between the "s" and the "o") is caused by a sudden and intense onslaught of neurochemical release that results in the subjective and perceptual experience of freezing or numbness that is brought about by an enormous cascade of catecholamines, endogenous opioids, and cortisol that is released into the brain as a protective measure to insulate the mind from shock. These particular neurochemicals cause the brain to act in a slowed, pain-free manner, and is in fact the neurochemical reaction that one witnesses when they see someone with that bizarre but characteristic deer-in-the-headlights look about them immediately following a motor vehicle accident.
The earlier a psychological trauma is experienced, in conjunction with the type and intensity of the traumatic impact, will determine the type, duration, and longevity of the subsequent psychological and physiological disorder(s) that will result. The answers lie within the biochemical structure of the brain.
One of the areas effected during traumatic impact is that of the reward center of the brain. This area located within the midbrain functions as more a pathway that connects the areas responsible for behavior and aspects of memory. This pathway, technically called the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, consists of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), whose function is in part to release dopamine (DA), often referred to as the pleasure chemical, and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), whose principle functions are related to motivation, reward, reinforcement, aversion, and to a lesser extent, fear. You can watch a two-minute video on the brain's reward system by clicking here. Disruption to the reward system of the brain is effected regardless of whether the reward centers were altered via traumatic impact during critical periods of neuronal development or were effected much later in adulthood. The particular stage of development that a trauma first occurred will certainly have a definite impact on the strength and longevity of the damaged brain area(s) which can in turn result in the symptoms that give rise to disorders of addiction and posttraumatic-stress disorder (PTSD).
Perhaps the area most impacted by psychological trauma is that of the right prefrontal cortex (PFC). This area is impacted in a secondary manner when the limbic system has taken a 'hit'. The limbic system feeds directly into the PFC, so that when the limbic system, becomes impacted, the effects of that impact will immediately impair the PFC. The problem here, is that the PFC is responsible for an absolutely enormous and vital set of functions that have everything to do with what we refer to as personality, judgment, decision-making, planning, sexuality, behavior modification, reward, impulsivity, consequence, social nuance, goal activity, expectation, rule-learning, determination of behavioral outcomes, moral behaviors, stimulus-response, novel problem- solving, and a host of other important functions. Collectively, this area is referred to as executive functioning. Disorders of the PFC that have no bearing on trauma, include Asberger's, Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD), schizophrenia, depression, drug and sexual addiction, and autism.
The neuropsychological impact caused by psychological trauma is significant and highly complex. This section should only serve as the most basic introduction to the complexities that result in the wake of a traumatic event. It is also important to know that while traumatic events will always disrupt aspects of brain functioning, by no means should this be interpreted to suggest that a traumatic event will rise to the level of a disorder in all cases, and even if the traumatic impact is severe and/or repetitive (chronic in nature), does it mean that the individual will be effected severely or permanently. Individual differences play a vital role in who is effected and in what manner. For those that may have been negatively and severely affected by psychological trauma, such as PTSD, there is good news to be had; PTSD and other traumatic disorders can be successfully treated by skilled practitioners. If you or someone you know has been affected by psychological trauma, you can visit the resources page on this site, or contact Dr Ullman for further information.
We know, for example, that the psychological process called dissociation (there is no "a" between the "s" and the "o") is caused by a sudden and intense onslaught of neurochemical release that results in the subjective and perceptual experience of freezing or numbness that is brought about by an enormous cascade of catecholamines, endogenous opioids, and cortisol that is released into the brain as a protective measure to insulate the mind from shock. These particular neurochemicals cause the brain to act in a slowed, pain-free manner, and is in fact the neurochemical reaction that one witnesses when they see someone with that bizarre but characteristic deer-in-the-headlights look about them immediately following a motor vehicle accident.
The earlier a psychological trauma is experienced, in conjunction with the type and intensity of the traumatic impact, will determine the type, duration, and longevity of the subsequent psychological and physiological disorder(s) that will result. The answers lie within the biochemical structure of the brain.
One of the areas effected during traumatic impact is that of the reward center of the brain. This area located within the midbrain functions as more a pathway that connects the areas responsible for behavior and aspects of memory. This pathway, technically called the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, consists of the ventral tegmental area (VTA), whose function is in part to release dopamine (DA), often referred to as the pleasure chemical, and the nucleus accumbens (NAc), whose principle functions are related to motivation, reward, reinforcement, aversion, and to a lesser extent, fear. You can watch a two-minute video on the brain's reward system by clicking here. Disruption to the reward system of the brain is effected regardless of whether the reward centers were altered via traumatic impact during critical periods of neuronal development or were effected much later in adulthood. The particular stage of development that a trauma first occurred will certainly have a definite impact on the strength and longevity of the damaged brain area(s) which can in turn result in the symptoms that give rise to disorders of addiction and posttraumatic-stress disorder (PTSD).
Perhaps the area most impacted by psychological trauma is that of the right prefrontal cortex (PFC). This area is impacted in a secondary manner when the limbic system has taken a 'hit'. The limbic system feeds directly into the PFC, so that when the limbic system, becomes impacted, the effects of that impact will immediately impair the PFC. The problem here, is that the PFC is responsible for an absolutely enormous and vital set of functions that have everything to do with what we refer to as personality, judgment, decision-making, planning, sexuality, behavior modification, reward, impulsivity, consequence, social nuance, goal activity, expectation, rule-learning, determination of behavioral outcomes, moral behaviors, stimulus-response, novel problem- solving, and a host of other important functions. Collectively, this area is referred to as executive functioning. Disorders of the PFC that have no bearing on trauma, include Asberger's, Attention-Deficit Disorder (ADD), schizophrenia, depression, drug and sexual addiction, and autism.
The neuropsychological impact caused by psychological trauma is significant and highly complex. This section should only serve as the most basic introduction to the complexities that result in the wake of a traumatic event. It is also important to know that while traumatic events will always disrupt aspects of brain functioning, by no means should this be interpreted to suggest that a traumatic event will rise to the level of a disorder in all cases, and even if the traumatic impact is severe and/or repetitive (chronic in nature), does it mean that the individual will be effected severely or permanently. Individual differences play a vital role in who is effected and in what manner. For those that may have been negatively and severely affected by psychological trauma, such as PTSD, there is good news to be had; PTSD and other traumatic disorders can be successfully treated by skilled practitioners. If you or someone you know has been affected by psychological trauma, you can visit the resources page on this site, or contact Dr Ullman for further information.