The brains of children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have structural differences not seen in the brains of typical kids, a new study finds.
PTSD is a mental health problem that occurs in some people who’ve lived through a shocking or dangerous event. The damaging effects associated with childhood trauma can lead to lasting changes in brain function, the Chinese researchers said.
The researchers used MRI to compare brain structure in 24 children with PTSD and 23 without the disorder. All had experienced the 2008 Sichuan earthquake in south central China that killed nearly 70,000 people and injured more than 370,000.
The two groups of children had significant differences in the network of neural connections in the brain, according to the study.
“The PTSD group had changes suggestive of decreased local and global network efficiency due to damage or disconnection between linked regions,” said study lead author Dr. Qiyong Gong, from West China Hospital of Sichuan University, and colleagues.
The findings could help lead to new treatments for PTSD, the researchers said in a news release from the Radiological Society of North America.
Click here to Read the full article: Childhood PTSD May Leave Imprint on Brain
Recent Posts
- The American Health Council Appoints Dr. James Bashkin, D.Phil. to the Physician Board March 31, 2020
- The American Health Council Appoints Dr. Robert W. Letton, MD to the Physician Board March 19, 2020
- The American Health Council Appoints Dr. Akwasi Adjei to the Industry Board January 17, 2020
- The American Health Council Appoints Dr. Nelson Leung to the Physician Board January 17, 2020
- The American Health Council Appoints Ms. Karie Soost to the Physician Board January 17, 2020
- The American Health Council Appoints Mr. Gregory King to the Industry Board January 17, 2020
