Event Website
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/10lZXoXNil-d7D2evNzZyZxEag0necrOgDJ3lmZTy2rE/edit?usp=sharing
Start Date
14-12-2021 2:10 PM
Description
Post-traumatic stress disorder affects millions of Americans annually. The symptoms of the disorder, notably hyperarousal and sensitivity to sound, can make getting through everyday life incredibly difficult. I want to study the neurological basis for auditory processing in individuals with PTSD as it intersects the fear learning pathway, a pathway known to contribute to PTSD. Utilizing fMRI technology, I plan to observe the hypothalamus, amygdala, and thalamus activity in response to various levels of “threatening” auditory stimuli in both patients who have PTSD and don’t have PTSD. These brain regions are all believed to behave differently in individuals with PTSD. Next, I can hopefully discover a particular brain region or mechanism that seems to be heavily involved with auditory processing specifically. From there, further studies can be conducted and, hopefully, new therapies targeted at this brain region can be developed to help alleviate this debilitating symptom. This potential discovery would also contribute to the bigger neurological model of PTSD that neuroscientists and psychologists are attempting to develop.
Neurological Basis for Auditory Processing in PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder affects millions of Americans annually. The symptoms of the disorder, notably hyperarousal and sensitivity to sound, can make getting through everyday life incredibly difficult. I want to study the neurological basis for auditory processing in individuals with PTSD as it intersects the fear learning pathway, a pathway known to contribute to PTSD. Utilizing fMRI technology, I plan to observe the hypothalamus, amygdala, and thalamus activity in response to various levels of “threatening” auditory stimuli in both patients who have PTSD and don’t have PTSD. These brain regions are all believed to behave differently in individuals with PTSD. Next, I can hopefully discover a particular brain region or mechanism that seems to be heavily involved with auditory processing specifically. From there, further studies can be conducted and, hopefully, new therapies targeted at this brain region can be developed to help alleviate this debilitating symptom. This potential discovery would also contribute to the bigger neurological model of PTSD that neuroscientists and psychologists are attempting to develop.
https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/honors-research-and-exhibition/2021fall/section-02/3
Comments
Mentor: Chela Willey